12/29/07 Western - New Year's Eve

[JimV]

Yes -- I will be lei-less.

That enables me to scope all of you out before I introduce myself. You know, one has to take these online relationships slowly and not rush things.

Can't wait to meet everyone. Much more laid back than our last cruise. Just made our list this afternoon. We have tuxes rented for DS's just to make it special on NYE. DS15 actually wants to wear a white dinner jacket for the semi-formal night. We'll see how that goes (he loves to dress up and look good -- I think the attention he gets from the young ladies might be part of the reason for that...)

Good night everyone.

 

[Ky Cruisin]

Hey guys,

I checked the tracking info and you should have your shirts tomorrow. They were scheduled for today, but seeing it is Christmas, it will have to wait until then. I am packing as I type. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon. Spent today sewing our shirts and finishing FE. Boy did that turn out to be a project!!! Pulling the summer clothes out and trying them on after eating for two days straight was a depressing thing!! I guess I'll have to starve until Sat. to fit into everything!! And please, the thought of putting on a bathing suit, you will be snow blinded! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and everyone travel safely. See you on Sat!!!

Pam

 

[Caitsmama]

Pam -- thanks so much, And have a great trip today!!! I am a bit jealous of all you that are leaving before me! LOL But, i guess i can be patient til Friday am.. LOL Gotta finish up those FE gifts anyway..

 

[pit303]

Pam -- thanks so much, And have a great trip today!!! I am a bit jealous of all you that are leaving before me! LOL But, i guess i can be patient til Friday am.. LOL Gotta finish up those FE gifts anyway..

You are not alone Joe and I aren't leaving until Friday either. Just think this time next week we will be in Cozumel

 

[JimV]

Will be in Orlando at 4:00 PM... (providing we do not run into Noel-like travel situations). We leave Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) at the relatively comfortable time of 10:30 AM.

No FE gifts for me. But we do have to start packing...

 

[birkner]

Just a quick driveby post. Having a wonderful time at WDW. Glad everyone had wonderful a Christmas. Will post links to my trip blogs later. See everyone on the ship!!

 

[pit303]

Will be in Orlando at 4:00 PM... (providing we do not run into Noel-like travel situations). We leave Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) at the relatively comfortable time of 10:30 AM.

No FE gifts for me. But we do have to start packing...

No FE gifts for me either. We still haven't started packing either. Need to do that tonight when we get home.

We leave PHL at 7 AM

 

[GreenAcres]

Stacy....the leis came in and are in my carry-on bag already. Thanks again!

Noel....You're story scared me. We're flying out on Southwest from Jackson, MS airport. I had originally planned to leave our house at 6:45 am for the hour and a half drive and 9:45 flight. Now I'm worried that we need to leave a lot earlier...YIKES. I need some advice. DS12 is a very mature 12...not in the worldly way, but more an old soul if you know what I mean. If he goes anywhere away from us, he will want to go to the stack with his sister. Is there a chance the crew will let him? I guess it depends on how many teens are sailing.

All.....Santa brought me an new digital camera and it's GREAT! My old one was getting very tired. I will, of course, be practicing with my new toy so I'll be ready to take some great pictures of all of you in your tee shirts and leis. I am SO excited...just wish I didn't have so much packing left to do.

Lisa

 

[JimV]

I've flown out of Jackson before and it is not the kind of airport that usually sees two hour boarding times (just aren't that many people going in and out). So you are planning 6:45 leave, 8:15 at the airport for a boarding that will begin at 9:10-15. That gives you an hour to park, check bags, security before boarding and with the way SW does boarding, you want to be there early, right? If everything goes well, you are in great shape and might end up with 20 extra minutes.

But you don't have a lot of wiggle room.

I might leave 10-15 minutes earlier. Holiday travel is always dicey, because you might get behind the person that didn't realize that having his child carrying a toy gun in his carry-on is a bad idea (had that happen -- caused a lock-down in security and I almost missed my flight -- the child and parents were brought back to the "little room" for further discussions), or complains because the 24 oz bottle of shampoo has to be trashed.

Once you get to the airport the delays are either weather somewhere (not as much of an issue in a morning flight down south) or people. And the more people and the less experienced they are in traveling the slower it goes.

Just my $0.02.

 

[GreenAcres]

Jim, Thanks for the pep talk. That's just how I had it figured. We always fly from Jackson because it's Southwest and non-stop. I just get nervous when there are so many holiday travelers. I will plan to leave at 6:15 instead, which means 6:30 because I have a 17yoDD. Lately there's been quite a bit of road construction on I-20 in Jackson and we'll be there during going-to-work traffic (for what it is in Jackson). Now...if another barge hits the Mississippi River Bridge...well....we'll never make it.

DH is in charge of getting the boarding passes printed out tomorrow morning. Southwest has a new boarding procedure that's supposed to be an improvement over the waiting in the "chutes like cattle". One can only hope. Poor DH hardly ever gets to get his boarding pass in advance...I guess he has a suspicious name? It sure makes him mad, but I'm nice and I save him a seat.

Lisa

 

[JimV]

Lisa,

You're welcome.

BTW, I was struck by your cruise ticker which says...

3 DAYS UNTIL DEC 2007 NYE MAGIC!!



I have so much to do

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Hi everyone! For those of you not down here yet, I just wanted to pop in and wish you safe travels. Our local Orlando weather has been gorgeous -- almost unseasonably so! The nights have been cool, though, so make sure you have a fleece or light jacket for the evenings. (Okay, maybe 10 plus years of living in Florida have thinned my blood.)

Saturday should be highs in the low 80s, so we should have great weather when we cast off.

 

[Catwoman22]

Hey guys,

I checked the tracking info and you should have your shirts tomorrow. They were scheduled for today, but seeing it is Christmas, it will have to wait until then.

Pam,

The shirts came today and they are beautiful. Can't wait to wear them Saturday. Thank you so much for doing them.

See you soon!

Kate

 

[JimV]

I am certain I will have shirt and lei envy before we even get on the ship...

 

[Caitsmama]

Pam, got my shirts!! Thanks so much!! We won't be in them on Sat. - as there are 9 of us traveling together, and i made us all matching shirts - and couldn't see asking anyone (you) to do 9 shirts.. LOL So, the ones you made us, we will definately be sporting on board, just not on saturday..

Jim.... don't worry, i have ONE extra lei here with your name on it -- i'll have it with me at Sail away! LOL

Safe travels for all you leaving today -- we are getting picked up by the inlaws at 9am tomorrow.. and land at mco about 6pm.. (ugh, long day!)

 

[WiscBill]

I am certain I will have shirt and lei envy before we even get on the ship...

Real men don't wear leis at the sail away party anyway. We drink at the Outlook bar.

Checked in for Sourthwest just a few minutes ago. We were given A27,28.and A 29 I guess that means that Southwest reserves 25 A slots for the full paying passengers and one person has faster fingers than me. Weather is expected to be good for those of us in the Northeast tomorrow, so here's hoping we all have smooth flights. We are celebrating DWs birthday tonight, so we will probably have to finish the packing early tomorrow morning.

Any temperature above 60 sounds warm now. However, I am bringing a fleece with as I remember mornings could be chilly while drinking coffee on the verandah. See most of you on Saturday at the terminal.
We will be there early so we can change those pesky dinner times.

 

[JimV]

What dinner seating do you have Bill?

I know I have a late seating, and we were debating changing to an earlier one.

I have to look out for Stacy so I don't get lei'd by surprise

Here are the changes we need to make:

1. Add two more to parasailing if we can
2. Drop the KW tour (booked it ourselves)
3. Drop Tulum tour (booked a private tour)
4. Get a full massage for DD18
5. Switch massage time for DD21
6. Get hair appt for DD18 for Monday (she wants an up-do for NYE and with her brain tumor scar/bald spot, that can be a challenge)
7. Palos is taken care of
8. We have a private excursion for horseback riding at GC.
9. Drop one from Stingray excursion at CC
10. dining time (maybe)

So I will be headed to the spa, then dining (maybe) then tours...

Then I can relax.

Just did the online check-in for NWA -- all is set, except that since my reservation is separate from the family one, NWA upgraded me to first class automatically. I don't know I will break it to the family that I am sitting in first class and the rest of them are in coach

Just kidding, I called NWA and had them put me back in the cattle car section.

 

[WiscBill]

What dinner seating do you have Bill?

I know I have a late seating, and we were debating changing to an earlier one..

We have late seating also. DD, who will be 6 in February, definitely can't handle eating at 8PM or later. I've been calling once a week since we made the reservations for the cruise back in February, but apparently no one has cancelled for the early seating in nine months. Or, maybe DCL just doesn't change them anymore until you get onboard.

Then I can relax. ..

Outlook Bar 2 PM.

Just kidding, I called NWA and had them put me back in the cattle car section..

You are a better man than me. I probably would have upgraded DW using miles.

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

We have late seating also. DD, who will be 6 in February, definitely can't handle eating at 8PM or later. I've been calling once a week since we made the reservations for the cruise back in February, but apparently no one has cancelled for the early seating in nine months. Or, maybe DCL just doesn't change them anymore until you get onboard.

You may not be able to get a first seating permanent table for this very full cruise, but you may want to do what we're doing -- ask the head waiter if he can rotate you into different tables in first seating. Since there are always people who will be dining at Palo or have other plans each day, they can usually get you into an empty table on a day to day basis. Otherwise, they know that you'll end up eating the buffets instead of the sit down and that their waiters may get short changed in the process. We've done this in the past and while it takes away the consistency of one table, it's nice to be able to have a sit down meal.

 

[Caitsmama]

I have to look out for Stacy so I don't get lei'd by surprise


.

We have early seating..
Jim, why are you cancelling the KW tour? I plan on getting off the boat myself, and buying a trolley ticket there - so i can get on/off as i please.. DH and DD will most likely stay on the boat.. party poopers. That's ok, i can shop in peace..

I am stressing over this packing issue -- i keep packing and repacking my suitcase a million times, i still think i am bringing too much.. Gotta leave room for all those FE gifts - and Jim's lei.
I don't know if i should pack my workout clothes or if i am just kidding myself.. Well, ya, i guess i should.

Ok, back to packing.. and doing shirts.. and door signs, and fe gifts..