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

[fatfish]

Well, the first box of FE gifts I ordered online arrived yesterday. They are much bigger than I thought they would be. I was worried they would be too small, but nope, they are not. Either the dimensions were not given on the website, or I missed them entirely. I still think the kids will like them, though. But the parents may hate me.....

 

[Gina]

Y'all, Texas winter weather is very unpredictable. We can have 80 degrees and fog one day, and 33 degrees and sleet the next. While it is rare for Galveston to get as low as 33, its been about that overnight all week in Houston, which is where the airports are. Dallas was shut down by freezing rain earlier in the week. February is usually nicer weather than January, but the fog happens in warmer weather, not the cold weather. Many days the weather is beautiful 60 - 70 degrees, but anything is possible. I'm just saying to be prepared for any type of weather, and any complications it could cause. And bring your coats.

Exactly!! We may only have two seasons here - summer and winter - but this time of year we often have them both in the same week. Sometimes the same day.

Like Fatfish said, you just have to be prepared! And don't stress about it... Mother Nature is gonna do whatever she wants to do, lol. We just have to roll with it!

 

[SunshineCruiser]

Y'all, Texas winter weather is very unpredictable. We can have 80 degrees and fog one day, and 33 degrees and sleet the next. While it is rare for Galveston to get as low as 33, its been about that overnight all week in Houston, which is where the airports are. Dallas was shut down by freezing rain earlier in the week. February is usually nicer weather than January, but the fog happens in warmer weather, not the cold weather. Many days the weather is beautiful 60 - 70 degrees, but anything is possible. I'm just saying to be prepared for any type of weather, and any complications it could cause. And bring your coats. [/COLOR]

33, sleet, coats!? I need help with what to pack. I was planning to be in capri's and shorts most of the time, and I only planned to bring 2 pairs of full length pants, and I'm not planning on doing laundry. Should I rethink this and pack more pants and less shorts? What is everyone packing for clothes? I do know enough to bring a jacket in case it is cold and windy on the top deck in the evening, but I wasn't expecting to need it in Texas. Help?

 

[Tass]

Hi all:

Has anyone else seen this thread?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3046725

Don't want to alarm anyone, but anyone travelling via their own air the last day of the cruise might want to check that their trip insurance covers "missed connections".

We're not affected because we fly out the next day.

I have been following that thread. The possibility of fog is making me pretty nervous! We are scheduled to fly out the afternoon we get back into TX. I've looked at airfare and found we could fly out the next morning for an additional $150 or so total for the 4 of us, plus hotel. DH and I can't decide if we should make the switch to the next day or take our chances with the Saturday departure. What's everyone else doing?

 

[KPetty725]

33, sleet, coats!? I need help with what to pack. I was planning to be in capri's and shorts most of the time, and I only planned to bring 2 pairs of full length pants, and I'm not planning on doing laundry. Should I rethink this and pack more pants and less shorts? What is everyone packing for clothes? I do know enough to bring a jacket in case it is cold and windy on the top deck in the evening, but I wasn't expecting to need it in Texas. Help?

Ok, I'm a life-long Texan so here's my two cents: pack for cool-cold mornings and evenings (32-35 degrees) and warm to hot afternoons (60-85 degrees). That is a "normal" Texas winter day. For example, I send my kids to school in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt with a jacket. They ditch the jacket about 10am and my oldest comes home at 3 and puts on shorts. Then they wear flannel pjs to bed. The same will go for the day in Orlando. The weather is generally more mild though so u can probably skip the jacket if you don't want to be stuck carrying it all day. Go out on deck four before you get off the ship. If you can stand there with no jacket, leave it. It'll be warmer in Orlando.

If you're used to northern winters, you'll probably be fine with capris and a light jacket for morning and evening. I'd probably reserve shorts/tanks for the beach though. We southerners tend to be a bit more susceptible to the cooler temps just because we experience them for such a short time every year, if at all, so our family will be packing mostly jeans (much to my daughter's chagrin). Hope this helps!

 

[happymama4874]

I have been following that thread. The possibility of fog is making me pretty nervous! We are scheduled to fly out the afternoon we get back into TX. I've looked at airfare and found we could fly out the next morning for an additional $150 or so total for the 4 of us, plus hotel. DH and I can't decide if we should make the switch to the next day or take our chances with the Saturday departure. What's everyone else doing?

We changed our flights due to the possibility of fog. We were originally scheduled for a 2pm departure out of Hobby. We pushed it back to 5:45pm. I figured that the ship would dock by 3pm if it was going to happen that day (fingers crossed) I was told that DCL trip insurance would only kick in after a 24 hour cruise delay for weather.

We were actually on a carnival cruise in 2010 that had a delayed embarkation due to fog. We did not get on the ship until 10:30pm! It was just my husband and I, so we had an adventure just exploring Galveston. I'm hoping we don't have to experience that with my 5 year old and 4 year old!

 

[SunshineCruiser]

Thanks KPetty, that helps!

 

[elmo2200]

I am also a lifelong Texan and totally agree with Kpetty about the weather. I will wear shorts during the afternoon but pants or capris with a jacket mornings & evenings. I saw that lockers at WDW are $7 for all day and you can switch parks -just show your receipt. I may get one for my jacket and such... It looks like we can expect Orlando to be 60 degrees or less after dark so I will definitely prepare because I get cold easy. Evenings at sea will get chilly as well but Magic doesn't have an outdoor movie screen so most people will only be out there for Pirate Night.
*Here is an example of the pictures the photographers take during dinner and at other times of day. I really hope to buy a picture package again.

 

[purplepaula]

Hello

This will be our first cruise and we will be cruising with our 2 daughters 5 & 7.

Friends of ours have done a couple Disney Cruises and talked about the magnet exchange. Is there a magnet exchange set up for this cruise and how do we go about getting signed up?

thanks, more questions to come.

Just catching up on the posts, this is our first cruise also (and very excited) We have a boy 7 and girl 2 (plus 14 and 17 yr old boys)
Where are you from? We live in Edmonton and your name makes me think we are neighbours

 

[purplepaula]

FloridaFun:

Thanks, got it! Looks good! Yeah, I thought that there was someone else from Canada (calgaryfam)? that was signing up for FEE #4?

Anyone else from Canada coming? (Come on, I know you're out there!)

Natalie

Hi Natalie, so exciting to hear there are other Canadians onboard. We will appreciate the weather so much more. Where are you from and how old are your children?

 

[Luet02]

Hi Natalie, so exciting to hear there are other Canadians onboard. We will appreciate the weather so much more. Where are you from and how old are your children?

Hi purplepaula!

Yay more Canadians! We're from Ontario, east of Toronto. We have 3 boys, 8, 4, and almost 20 months. You guys must be spread out in 2 cabins as well.

I will definitely be looking forward to the warmer weather (well warmer than here). It's been getting chilly around here lately, around -10 C / 14F, and I think next week it's dipping down to -15 C / 5F. Although I know that you guys get even colder weather out west!

Natalie

 

[Luet02]

Ok, I'm a life-long Texan so here's my two cents: pack for cool-cold mornings and evenings (32-35 degrees) and warm to hot afternoons (60-85 degrees). That is a "normal" Texas winter day. For example, I send my kids to school in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt with a jacket. They ditch the jacket about 10am and my oldest comes home at 3 and puts on shorts. Then they wear flannel pjs to bed. The same will go for the day in Orlando. The weather is generally more mild though so u can probably skip the jacket if you don't want to be stuck carrying it all day. Go out on deck four before you get off the ship. If you can stand there with no jacket, leave it. It'll be warmer in Orlando.

If you're used to northern winters, you'll probably be fine with capris and a light jacket for morning and evening. I'd probably reserve shorts/tanks for the beach though. We southerners tend to be a bit more susceptible to the cooler temps just because we experience them for such a short time every year, if at all, so our family will be packing mostly jeans (much to my daughter's chagrin). Hope this helps!

Thanks for the info.

Sounds a lot like our September weather here, hot like summer in the sun during the day, but cold as soon as the sun disappears.

We'll probably pack windbreakers, and warm pullover hoodies to go underneath. (Leave the big bulky winter jackets in the car at home!) I think layering is the key.

Natalie

 

[Luet02]

I hope that this is true! I love watching movies outside.

Natalie

 

[Tass]

Evenings at sea will get chilly as well but Magic doesn't have an outdoor movie screen so most people will only be out there for Pirate Night.

Thanks for the weather tips . . . no outdoor movie screen on the Magic? My DD was really looking forward to watching movies by the pool

 

[cflmom]

Thanks for the weather tips . . . no outdoor movie screen on the Magic? My DD was really looking forward to watching movies by the pool

Unless something has changed since our Magic cruises in 2010 and 2011, the Magic has a screen outside for watching movies. It was located by the Goofy pool. Later at night, after supper, we would go up and sit in the warm breeze and watch whatever they would be playing. Sometimes it would be classic movies and sometimes it would be classic cartoons. We loved it! Both our cruises were in December.

 

[dgmommie]

Hi purplepaula!

Yay more Canadians! We're from Ontario, east of Toronto. We have 3 boys, 8, 4, and almost 20 months. You guys must be spread out in 2 cabins as well.

I will definitely be looking forward to the warmer weather (well warmer than here). It's been getting chilly around here lately, around -10 C / 14F, and I think next week it's dipping down to -15 C / 5F. Although I know that you guys get even colder weather out west!

Natalie

My husband was born in Canada - Winnipeg. He moved to the States when he was one, but still has family in that area and in Toronto..

 

[Luet02]

My husband was born in Canada - Winnipeg. He moved to the States when he was one, but still has family in that area and in Toronto..

Cool! Another Canadian connection!

 

[fatfish]

33, sleet, coats!? I need help with what to pack. I was planning to be in capri's and shorts most of the time, and I only planned to bring 2 pairs of full length pants, and I'm not planning on doing laundry. Should I rethink this and pack more pants and less shorts? What is everyone packing for clothes? I do know enough to bring a jacket in case it is cold and windy on the top deck in the evening, but I wasn't expecting to need it in Texas. Help?

It could be beautiful, as well. We just don't know. Check weather.com regularly before we leave. It has been unseasonable cold for about 2 weeks (33 is definitely unseasonably cold), but its supposed to be nice (60-70) for the next week. The weather should get nicer as we head south in the Carribbean. But plan on needing a jacket/sweatshirt at night, even at WDW. When we go to WDW in Feb or March, we start the day in sweatshirts and by mid-morning we're wearing them around our waist. At about 8-9 pm, they go back on. I'm packing pants, capris and shorts, and I expect to need them all.

 

[Dawncala]

I just found this report with some information from someone who just got off the January 12th 8 night Galveston sailing. It has some show night and weather info.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3048349&highlight=disney+magic+navigator

 

[FloridaFun]

Welcome to the boards Paula. I also got you all set up for the FEE.

Thank you Dawn for the link to the information about the navigators.

And a big thank you to everyone on the weather advice. We said out of Galveston last March 15th and the weather then was just beautiful. We even swam in the ocean until near dark time with the kids, but it sounds like a month can make a big difference.

The 4th FEE group has 12 cabins and will close on the 22nd of January. If you are lurking or new here, this will be the last FEE group. Please let me know before then if you wish to participate.