2/15/2013 - 8 Night Western Cruise, Galveston, TX

[nickiB]

Ichiban...let me know in a PM if your DD wants to chat on FB Before the cruise so at.least they can feel like they know someone on the cruise. My DD is also a.very mature 13 year old.
Nicki

 

[elmo2200]

We finally chose a date and booked!!! SOOOO excited!!!!! I did not think this 20th anniversary cruise would happen. What a blessing! We would like to join a FE group if one is still open...

 

[elmo2200]

Anyone interested in doing a last minute FE group? I could organize it...

 

[Gina]

Hi all, hope everyone is having a very happy new year so far! I don't know about you guys, but I just love being able to say that we're cruising NEXT MONTH!!!!!!! Wooooooo!!

I have my FEE gifts mostly done -- definitely nothing fancy or hand-sewn or anything, lol -- and my "cruise box" in my bedroom, slowly getting filled. Have the Wave phone holders in there, the cute tropical windsock I found at Dollar Tree to put out on the balcony, some trial size stuff I have picked up, that sort of thing. My "cruise jewelry" and Tyler Dean's Mickey cufflinks are already in the roll-up jewelry organizer ready to go, his tux and my dresses are all in bags and ready, I am ready to pack, dangit. LOL Hell, if I had my way, we'd just go sit at the terminal and wait!


-gina-

 

[KPetty725]

Hell, if I had my way, we'd just go sit at the terminal and wait!

-gina-

Ha! Me too! I cleaned out my office yesterday and found the navigators from our last cruise. Got me even more excited. I swear I'm not thinking of anything else!!!

 

[nickiB]

OMG!! You guys are.doing well....and making me panic now..I need to get our stuff together!! I feel your excitement though!! I think I'll pick up a wind sock to put on the balcony....And where do we get the wave phone holders?? Sooo Psyched!! <3

 

[Gina]

OMG!! You guys are.doing well....and making me panic now..I need to get our stuff together!! I feel your excitement though!! I think I'll pick up a wind sock to put on the balcony....And where do we get the wave phone holders?? Sooo Psyched!! <3

I got the holders at Dollar Tree too. I had written down the phone dimensions that someone had posted on the boards, and these holders should work. If not, it's only $2 gone! But hopefully they'll work.

The only thing I am going to miss about the Magic over Mariner & Voyager is the ginormous aft balcony that I have gotten spoiled by!! No room on the Magic balcony for my hammock. But somehow, I think I'll survive, lol.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Oooo a windsock sounds fun. I may have to see if I can find one.

I have a suitcase on our dresser with all kinds of stuff in it already. Good thing we are driving! I'm thinking a suitcase for clothes and then another for all the other stuff! Like pirate costumes, pillowcases for signing, FE gifts, etc. I already bought the boys Captain Mickey plushes when I could get a discount on them and autograph books too. I've been ordering t-shirts for the boys and me online when they are on sale. I need to get my other suitcase from my parents and then I will start packing soon since we don't need t-shirts, shorts, etc.

My mom and I went shopping on the 31st and I now have everything for our FE gifts, just a little work to do on them. I can't wait until the kids are in school again next week and I have my two mornings a week. I know what I'm going to be doing!

We also broke down and ordered the FE off etsy yesterday. We looked everywhere at so many options and decided that since we don't sew the best we were going to be able to do would be canvas bags somehow put together with ribbon or something. By the time we bought the materials, took our time to try to make it, decorated it etc. the $50 we spent on the etsy FE seemed like as good as anything. What we decided to do was not have the family name or individual names put on it since it's doubtful that we would sail in this configuration again without my hubby. So next I need to figure out what we want to do to add the names to it so they are removable. I need to go to Hobby Lobby again LOL. I'm thinking maybe little embroidered "patch" letters if they make them with velcro to hold them on. We ended up with the same pirate design that Jeff got.

Welcome to the group Tracey! Beth (FloridaFun) has been organizing the FE exchanges. I know they just closed the 3rd FE group as it had gotten to a good size. You can contact Beth and I can't see why a 4th group couldn't be started if there ends up being any more who want to join with you.

 

[dismom73]

Well, I've decided I'm going to get the ball rolling THIS week for cruise stuff...especially FE gifts. I know what I'm doing for adults, but I need to purchase all the supplies, I am going to figure out what I'm doing for kids soon so I can start on that. I ordered wave phone holders and a pillowcase from graddysmommy on etsy. In the past all 3 girls have gotten a different pillowcase for each cruise we went on. I've decided that this time the older 2will get wave phone holders and the youngest will get a pillowcase. I attempted to print out all of our conformations for hotel/transportation, etc and start a cruise folder in anticipation of getting our "docs" soon, but discovered that we are out of ink, so I will have to get to the store to resolve that problem. I know the cruise for the week before ours has started getting their documents so we should be soon!

 

[KPetty725]

Sooooo jealous of those of you who can start packing. We live in San Antonio, tx and the weather is totally unpredictable. In the 80s one day, 40s the next. I have to keep out everything because we never know what we're going to be wearing from week to week.

Those of you who are Hobby Lobby shoppers, make sure you go often. They're having some issues with the government and are now racking up millions of dollars in fines. I'm SO scared they're going to go out of business. :-( Totally my favorite store ever so I'm shopping there as much as I can afford right now!

Gina - you are cracking me up with your talk of hammocks on balconies. I definitely don't do cruising right because I never would have thought of that.

 

[Gina]

Gina - you are cracking me up with your talk of hammocks on balconies. I definitely don't do cruising right because I never would have thought of that.

Oh man... I found this hammock on clearance a couple of years ago, and got it specifically for our cruise last February. It has its own heavy-duty frame, and the hammock itself is wide, sturdy canvas, but the whole thing folds all up into a bag just like a camping chair. I set it up on the huge balcony, and spent an absolutely inordinate amount of time out there... just swaying as the ship swayed, reading my Nook, with a view of nothing but the wake behind the ship and the whole ocean. Absolute bliss.

I would totally post a pic I took of my perspective from my hammock, but can't pull up any hosting sites from here at work.

 

[fatfish]

I, too, have been thinking about nothing but this cruise all day!! I cannot even concentrate at work for more than a few minutes at a time. I thought about starting to pack yesterday, bathing suits and other things I know we won't need, but then thought I must be nuts. I'm happy to see I'm not the only one.

I had my FE gifts set, but I didn't realize the group was not closed, and a bunch of people have been added. So now I need to re-think what I'm going to do. I'll probably shift some things around, and instead of everyone getting the same thing, the kids will get what I have and I'll come up with something new for the adults.

Gina, tell me again where to park. I know you did some research on this. I think you even worked out a deal with a lot near the port, correct? Can you give me the details again??

44 days!!!

 

[dismom73]

Gina, you could always take your hammock to the secret balcony on deck 7 aft. It's huge and most people don't know about it, or if they do, they don't bother to go out there.

 

[the great cornholeo]

Hi guys. Its been awhile. My son informed me that its only 1 month 12 days from yesterday. Woo hoo. Thinking about going tanning so I'm not ghostly. I have to get started on my fes still but I atleast think that I know what I'm going to do. That's half the battle

 

[Gina]

Gina, you could always take your hammock to the secret balcony on deck 7 aft. It's huge and most people don't know about it, or if they do, they don't bother to go out there.

True, but it would be a pain to keep setting it up and taking it down... and I'm lazy, lol. I do love the secret deck on 7, though!

Hi guys. Its been awhile. My son informed me that its only 1 month 12 days from yesterday. Woo hoo. Thinking about going tanning so I'm not ghostly. I have to get started on my fes still but I atleast think that I know what I'm going to do. That's half the battle

I'll start tanning in a little less than 2 weeks for the same reason. No need to scare little kids with my pasty white self!


This was the view from my hammock on Mariner:

The only way it could have been more perfect was if the bar would have delivered Malibu Coladas right to my hand... LOL

(Sorry the pics are so big, I tried resizing them but for some reason it wouldn't "take"!)

 

[sasbass]

KPetty725....Would love to set up a playdate at the Mickey pool! Glad to know there is another DD who is 3!

Is anyone spending the night in Galveston on the 14th? I was trying to figure out the best place to stay.

First timer here.....what are the wave phone holders for? Is it like a cell phone and needs to be protected from kids!?

 

[FloridaFun]

I am sure that someone in the FE group is making wave phone holders for gifts too.


Love the hammock idea Gina. I had never thought of that. Great pictures. Makes me wish the cruise was tomorrow.

 

[Gina]

First timer here.....what are the wave phone holders for? Is it like a cell phone and needs to be protected from kids!?

Here's a pic of the phones:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-staterooms.htm#wavephones

Since there's a $250 charge for any lost, damaged, or non-returned phones, I think we're all a little afraid our kids will drop them in the pool or something, lol.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

We're staying at the Comfort Suites Galveston. Two queens and a sofa bed, super nice for 5 of us so I don't have to have both the boys in bed with me. Has continental breakfast too. We're paying $99. They also have a shuttle and you can leave the car there. It's costing $30 total for all 5 of us roundtrip so slightly cheaper than the parking places.

Do we put who it is from on our FE gifts? It hadn't occurred to me, I was thinking like secret santa but a question on the main board made me wonder what we should do.

My oldest went back to school today so I'm thinking of grabbing the stuff and working on it for a bit here if the little one will let me work in peace. If not, I'll have to wait until Mon. when he's back at preschool.

 

[Gina]

Gina, tell me again where to park. I know you did some research on this. I think you even worked out a deal with a lot near the port, correct? Can you give me the details again??

So sorry, I totally forgot to answer this!! I'm parking at Discount Cruise Parking. Not only are they way cheaper than the others, but there's a convenience store right there (beer & wine!), there are restrooms, they shuttle us and our luggage to and from the port, the parking is secure, they have everything that is important to me. And since they're right over the causeway on Harborside, I don't have to get caught up in the traffic right near the port.

Enter the promo code "8115" for an additional $5 off -- that makes the whole thing only $35!

I've also used Park n' Cruise, Lighthouse, and EZ Cruise, and would have no trouble recommending them as well. But I really like the additional amenities Discount has to offer. Hope this helps!


-gina-