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

[fatfish]

I think we need to have a meeting with just the 10, 11, and 12 year old girls.

Maybe right after the 2 pm meet on Embarkation day? Or during the 2 pm meet we can send the girls off the side?

 

[fatfish]

My 11 year old DS is a little freaked out about all the 11 year old girls ;-) He's going to cotillion this year so hopefully that will make it easier for him to talk to all the girls! In fact I have to go kick him to get out of the shower. He has to be dressed in a suit in 30 minutes - tonight is 'social etiquette' dinner - he best not be late to that one!

here he was last week all ready to go:

Very cute. I think he's going to be very popular with the girls. I will have to watch DD11 around him.....

Dorothy

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Does anyone know what the theme on formal night will be?

Thanks! (I'm taking this cruise in May)

 

[betsy2010]

thank you but doubtful! he's pretty shy (around kids, he'll talk an adults ear off) and TOTALLY harmless (and hopefully will never see this post ;-)

he's a sweet kid (says his mother). loves Star Wars and thankfully still plays with his 7 year old little brother, so a ladykiller he is not.

Very cute. I think he's going to be very popular with the girls. I will have to watch DD11 around him.....

Dorothy

 

[Gina]

The Promenade Lounge is big and spread out -- I think there would be plenty of places there the tween girls could have their own mini-meet! Like, maybe they could all be given pink leis or something to identify each other at the meet, and they could then find their own corner to giggle and scheme in.


-gina-

 

[Wshop]

also, refresh my memory of any other 8 and 4 yr old boys??

Andrea

Hi! If I managed to get packed, my almost 8 year old son will also be on ship.

 

[Wshop]

We interrupt your regularly scheduled cruise daydreaming for an important announcement...

All my FEE gifts are bagged, tagged, and ready to be packed!!!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled daydreaming...

So jealous!!

 

[fatfish]

Houstonians - My husband and I were trying to decide what time to leave my mom's house on the 15th. She lives in Klein and it's normally 1.5 hours from her house to Galveston. Factor in Friday traffic and I'm hoping that doubling it will work so we're thinking we need to leave at 7am to try to arrive at the parking lot nearish to 10. Does this sound right?!? I don't think I can convince my hubby to leave any earlier on the first day of vacation but I want to set myself up for realistic expectations. I tend to...um...stress a bit when I'm running late.

I would not recommend that anyone intentionally get in Houston traffic at 7 am. That is the height of rush hour!! On I45 south from the Klein area, it will take you an hour just to get downtown. And that's if there aren't any wrecks. The 610 Loop and Sam Houston Tollway (basically another loop 15 miles further outside the city) will be just as much of a parking lot coming from the north. This is no way to start a vacation.

I would actually recommend you leave later. If you wait until about 8:30 - 9 am, traffic will be much lighter, and you will probably get to Galveston at about the same time as if you left at 7 am, with alot less stress. If you leave around 9 am, you will probably get there about 10:30 ish. If you just can't wait until then, I would suggest you leave before 6 am, and get ahead of the traffic. You will hit more traffic as you get closer to the city, but if you can get through downtown by about 7 am you should be okay. There will still be traffic heading south on I45 on the other side of downtown, but it won't be as bad.

And no matter what time you leave, if you take I45, use the HOV lanes if you can. These are car-pool lanes, and they move faster than the main lanes (usually - if there's a wreck in these you are toast!) These lanes will end before downtown, and you can't take them on heading south on the other side of downtown because at that time of day they will be used for traffic going north into downtown. But they will help with the traffic heading out of Klein towards downtown.

Houston is the 4th largest city in the country - and we have the traffic to prove it!

Looking forward to meeting every one next week!!

 

[fatfish]

thank you but doubtful! he's pretty shy (around kids, he'll talk an adults ear off) and TOTALLY harmless (and hopefully will never see this post ;-)

he's a sweet kid (says his mother). loves Star Wars and thankfully still plays with his 7 year old little brother, so a ladykiller he is not.

Its not him I'm worried about...

 

[graysonsmom]

also, refresh my memory of any other 8 and 4 yr old boys??

Andrea

I have a 4yo boy... I'm hoping will go to the club...

 

[graysonsmom]

thank you but doubtful! he's pretty shy (around kids, he'll talk an adults ear off) and TOTALLY harmless (and hopefully will never see this post ;-)

he's a sweet kid (says his mother). loves Star Wars and thankfully still plays with his 7 year old little brother, so a ladykiller he is not.

Oh my goodness I think my nephew and your son will get along great! They are so much alike! He is kinda shy... but is small for his age...

 

[Ichiban]

Any other people from the Northeast preparing for the blizzard? I really hope this storm does not end up as bad as they are predicting, but they already cancelled school for us tomorrow. Needless to say, the kids are thrilled, but I am not! Why couldn't this have happened a week later, when we would be sailing away on the beautiful Magic?!

Carol

 

[moniman01]

Yes, a one-day park hopper is included with our cruise, as is transportation to/from WDW. You need to sign up for a bus departure time on the cruise line website (your cruise portal) and the return buses will just be running at certain times from each of the parks (times are in the navigator).

The family who own my daughter's day care just got back from the 6-night. They booked when I told them about KSF (I think I should get some credit for that one!) and had a blast!! I warned them about possible fog delays but they were fine. Now just praying that is the story with us!

Houstonians - My husband and I were trying to decide what time to leave my mom's house on the 15th. She lives in Klein and it's normally 1.5 hours from her house to Galveston. Factor in Friday traffic and I'm hoping that doubling it will work so we're thinking we need to leave at 7am to try to arrive at the parking lot nearish to 10. Does this sound right?!? I don't think I can convince my hubby to leave any earlier on the first day of vacation but I want to set myself up for realistic expectations. I tend to...um...stress a bit when I'm running late.

Gina - we live in Cypress area off of 290 and we were planning on leaving around 10am. our board time is at 1-1:30pm. Can we get on ship sooner than our board time.

 

[moniman01]

Hi Andrea:

That would be us!

I'm sure that our boys will have lots of fun!

Natalie

Hi Natalie,

I hope you can make one of the meets. Would like to catch up. Are you from Canada??

Andrea

 

[elmo2200]

Buckton Family - I just noticed on the FE list that some of you have gluten issues. Me too! I am highly allergic to all gluten including all corn and things made from corn. Last time we cruised I did not have the corn allergy so it will be interesting to see how this time goes. In 2009 I ate wonderfully on Wonder.

 

[moniman01]

I have a 4yo boy... I'm hoping will go to the club...

I hope you can make one of the meets or maybe one of the meets at mickey's pool??

Andrea

 

[graysonsmom]

Yay just bought 2 of the kids pirate night Costumes for $10 at good will! Awesome outfits too! Now I wasn't planning on doing pirate night till about 3wks ago... but things are working out!

 

[graysonsmom]

I hope you can make one of the meets or maybe one of the meets at mickey's pool??

Andrea

Depending on when we get on the ship I'm planning on coming to the first meet... if not after my son has watched the Disney dvd multiple times and has informed me we WILL be hanging out at the mickey pool... ha

 

[Tass]

Any other people from the Northeast preparing for the blizzard? I really hope this storm does not end up as bad as they are predicting, but they already cancelled school for us tomorrow. Needless to say, the kids are thrilled, but I am not! Why couldn't this have happened a week later, when we would be sailing away on the beautiful Magic?!

Carol

We're in PA and our forecast is mainly sleet and rain - much to everyone's disappointment. Everyone was hoping for a snow day or at least a 2-hour delay. I work at an elementary school, so a snow day would have made me pretty happy too. We haven't started packing yet - that's the plan for the weekend --- an extra day would have been nice. Hope you aren't hit too hard by the snow!

Steph

 

[SnipsNSnails]

We aren't in the blizzard but we are under a winter storm warning. We're supposed to get 6 in. before morning so it's a possibility that we'll have another snow day tomorrow too. We were off last Friday and Monday.