20040131 ~ Cruising Jan 31 2004 Western Who's with us?

[The4OfUs]

The ONLY thing my "inside track" TA couldn't tell me is if we got any sort of upgrade or not! An upgrade from a 6 to a 4, that's SO not fair! *wink* Congrats on that, and to anyone else who got visited by the Upgrade Fairy. Then again, I'm happy with my 9, and if we don't get upgraded I'll still feel like a princess in that stateroom, so I'll stop whining now...

I still can't believe I don't have to DO anything when I get to the ship, I was getting all prepared to send DH to the spa while I did Palo, or vice versa, now all we have to do is get on the ship and check the kiddos into the clubs!!

The temps here in the Northeast are dropping quick - I think by the end of the week we have lows near 1 deg F - just like our friends up in Canada, right?

*shiver*

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by dheller97
CONGRATULATIONS!! And, welcome to our group. I tried to invite you over from the cruise critic boards and got severely reprimanded. There is a lot more activity here and I think you'll like the group. We've got a list of about 104 DIS'ers and family so far. Look forward to meeting you - I'll be the loud one in the group.

Dean

You got reprimanded for asking someone from one board to come stop by a thread on ANOTHER board?

Yikes! Welcome to THAT friendly little community, huh!!

 

[dheller97]

Yes, I sure did, and in no uncertain terms. I was taking business away from them and some of their employees depend on the sponsorship income the board brings. They even deleted some of my posts, and I think one or two of the others posted by some of those on this thread. Oh, well......

Dean

 

[Cap]

Dean,

I'm here. I was kind of hiding yesterday after some unnamed person mentioned 45 degrees below. I don't worry about equipment starting at that temperature, I worry about ME starting.

I guess the UPS guy with my docs is also hiding, as I checked front and back doors, and NO docs yet. Guess that Disney Credit Card will have to go in the e-tickets kiosk slot for us.

Karyn, is your son at Cornell? Can't think of any other reasons to go to Ithaca. My sister works there. Don't pack your camera. You can always take pictures of the leftovers Saturday and sell them on eBay. People will buy anything there.

We leave for Florida in 17 days, but found yesterday we have a potential problem. Our house / dog sitter fell down the stairs on the last night of her recent cruise, hurt her ankle, and has been in the hospital with a severe infection from the wound. She says she should be ok by the time we leave, but we are worried.

Hope all is well for the 25 day shuffle. How does that song go - Shuffle Off to Orlando ....?

 

[The4OfUs]

As I mentioned way back in a previous post, I developed and run TWO Discussion Boards, and am a staff member at another, as well as this one...and that's just STUPID. Communities that do not have crossover between one another DIE quickly, and communities (even virtual ones such as these boards!) that are run as if they are the ONLY such boards gain a reputation as unfriendly places that people eventually badmouth and stop going to! I've been to that board quite a few times trying to get the feel of the cruise, but I won't sign up there, it just doens't have that "home" feel like this place does, and now I understand why. They should figure out that if YOU get tight with others from their board, not only will those people follow you here, but people here could follow you THERE - the internet is about opening boundaries, not shutting doors.

*rolls eyes*

*steps off soap box*

Hmm. Apparently I need a cup of tea.

 

[Kabuli1]

Cap, my DS and his DF graduated from Cornell in August. For some unknown reason they decided to hang out there for awhile before looking for "real" jobs. So they are packing it in and moving w/ us to WA. So you sister is there? Well, My BIL lives in Canton, MI - so how's that for coincidence? I don't know what I'd do w/o a pet sitter, You can't take parrots to a kennel in a worst case scenario. Hey, howz retirement?

It was -7 when I got up this morning! Hard to believe that last Friday it was 60!

Those of you without docs must be crazed about now! I just don't understand this at all. I know that they wait to ticket with the airlines - but this seems like cruel and unusual punishment! DCL is making more $$ off those of you who booked air thru them, but you get treated more poorly than the rest of us. Really, I'm so sorry!

Dean, do you know where you're staying the night before? Do you have DCL transfers or are you getting a limo or something? Anybody want to share a Limo w/ the three of us?

You know, if we work really hard at this we could get to 900 today! We're 15 away! I can't think of a better day to talk cruisin than one that's sub-zero for most of us! Check in everybody - as they say in Chicago - post early and often . . . or was that vote?

Karyn

 

[dheller97]

Karyn, I don't know where we are at for the precruise nite. Heck, just found out yesterday what kind of flight arrangements we had after making a series of phone calls. We do have DCL transfers booked however.

Whew, thanks The4OfUs, you said just about how I felt at the time. I was still going back to their area to learn and just figured other first timers might like to know about this place. Don't go there nearly as often anymore.

Well, 14 more to go today!

Dean

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by dheller97
Karyn, I don't know where we are at for the precruise nite. Heck, just found out yesterday what kind of flight arrangements we had after making a series of phone calls. We do have DCL transfers booked however.

Whew, thanks The4OfUs, you said just about how I felt at the time. I was still going back to their area to learn and just figured other first timers might like to know about this place. Don't go there nearly as often anymore.

Well, 14 more to go today!

Dean

Re: precruise night, we booked THAT through DCL as well, and we're at the Hyatt, and will use the DCL transfer from there...I'm even excited about that! The pool at the Hyatt looks SO nice after a Boston winter. Oh! Talked to my MIL - and apparently the prebooking of the spa was a "special courtesy" and NOT usually done with this romance package...I don't know why we lucked out like that, but I'm psyched!

Re: the reprimand at the discussion board - I'm weird about things like that. The internet is supposed to help make the world SMALLER, not "more exclusive", and as someone in the business, believe me when I say they're complaining about possibly losing 30 cents a view for those banner ads...for THAT they told off a member of the community they are trying to build, and alienated him? Stupid. Communities should be warm, welcoming, happy places that enhance your life, not make you feel bad for trying to share! Honestly, you hear about all the bad in the news, but think about this - OUR children will grow up with this, will MEET people before actually meeting them - reducing the "first visual impressions" that can put up walls. Online it does not matter if I am old or young, black/white/purple/polkadotted, blonde, bald, thin, fat, handicapped, it does not matter - because you get to know ME before you "know" me. I have a hope that our children will grow up with less prejudices and a better sense of acceptance of people for the sheer fact that they are PEOPLE, instead of "super model" or "hunk" or "dork" or whatever label people put on others based on appearances. I work for a company that caters to the over 55 crowd, and I run the discussion board there - there are 75+ yr olds who are the most energetic, amazing people I've ever "met" in my life, and I treasure knowing them even if it's only virtually. My other board is based on video games, so it's lots of younger people - at 36 (oh GOD, almost 37) I'm one of 5 members that are over 25...and yet these teenagers/young adults are inspiring, AND inspired by me, and that adds to my life. And now I get to go on vacation with a group of people that I have never met but already consider friends, and my daughter has already met two of her cruise mates...come ON, how cool is that, to be surrounded by strangers that I already care about??

...

Yes, I'm weird, and at times i never shut up - don't get me started after a few drinks...you have been warned! *grin*

"There is a side of friendship that develops better and stronger by correspondence than contact.... The absence of the flesh in writing perhaps brings souls nearer."
-Emily Carr

 

[OKWMEMBER]

Gail and I are shufflin'!!!!


Karyn, Gail tells me you got the info! The weather here is absolutely lousy. They are welcome to spend the night with us if they want to, or at least have dinner with us to take a break.

Great news from the Hat Guy!!! Our hats were NOT in the fire and they will be back in business this week-end!!! I'll have to wait and see if I have time to pre-ship the hats. Fired up, I am!

HADD!!!

 

[dheller97]

Like I said, Gary, YOU ARE THE MAN!!!

Dean

 

[kmc33]

Gary - great news on the hats! And hopefully their business wasn't too badly damaged if they will be up and running again this weekend. That's good news too.

Re: the discussion board reprimand. I was one of the other posters who had posts deleted!! I was really surprised. On this DISBoard when someone asks about other cruise lines they are often referred to the C.C. board since there are very active groups on the other lines. And the Disney board there is kind of slow. So to say to them, hey join our thread of everyone going on Jan. 31... well I was annoyed too. I didn't even know my post was deleted until Dean wrote here that he was reprimanded. Then I went to that thread and sure enough, my post was no where to be found. Anyway... I don't know why I am wasting my -- well I guess it's not exactly breath, but my finger motions. At least it's another post closer to 900 for the day!!!! I can't believe we are on page 60!! Awesome!

 

[The4OfUs]

I went to that thread, and saw that Dean says something along the lines of "nice to see familiar faces, Kim", but there was no Kim post to be found...IIIinteresting. Oh well, their loss!

Hey Kim, just saw your post about the train on Key West - we were thinking of that as a possibility too. We've only booked one excursion, the Fury Catamaran one, other than that we're winging it at the stops. =) I would really love to hit "Mile Marker 0" on Rt. 1 in Key West, just for a fun photo, I guess we'll see.

 

[goofyaboutmickey7]

good day to all my dancin' friends/ ship mates gary you can bring our hats to fla if that is easier, thats good news about the hat place,, hey everybody annie and I are dancin' Arrrggghhh Randy

 

[OKWMEMBER]

Thanks, Dean!!!

It's really snowing hard here! LES (Lake effect Snow) is really outdoing himself today!!! Palm trees! I need Palm trees! Where's my umbrella drink!

We're doing the train, too. No excursions, just taking in the local flavor. "Make it a hurricane before I go insane!"

HADD!!!

 

[kmc33]

Monique - I forgot about Dean's post mentioning me!! That is too funny. When I saw that the first time -- I realized my post was prior to his and that it was gone!

I know that Gary mentioned organizing a Trolley tour in Key West. I thought it would be fun for my DS and my sister's family (her kid's are 5 and 2). I guess I thought it was about an hour, then I saw 90 minutes. I even saw one post where they said there's lasted 2 hours. That's when I started to wonder if DS would have trouble making it the whole time. He is a very active child. We might have to play it by ear and decide when we get off the ship. If we don't go on the trolley, I think we might just walk around and maybe stop in the aquarium.

 

[goofyaboutmickey7]

hey gary it's 5 o'clock somewhere, Arrrggghhh eh! randy

 

[The4OfUs]

The aquarium! I forgot about that! Kelsey and Tyler will LOVE that...I see it's not expensive either, the website says $9 for adults, ($8.10 if I buy it online now) and 4.50 for kids, and GUESS WHAT! They consider my kids KIDS!! Whoo hoo!

That's one of the hard parts about having these tall kids of mine...at parks where price is by height, they've been adults for a while now, and now that DS will be 10 and DD is 11 1/2 (going on 18), we're at the end of our "cheap" phase... *sigh*

 

[Kabuli1]

I found the DIS boards thru the CC boards - I don't remember how but that's how I found my way here - and I never went back! See thay can lose business that way. Thanks for all your insight Monique!

I'm looking forward to the trolley in Key West and the pub crawl after w/ Gary and Gail. Actually, I'm looking forward to all of it!

We're doing really well on getting to 900 today! We are so close - we're going to shoot right past it!

I'm hanging near the computer between packing boxes to see if my #1 DS ends up at Gary's or guts it out all the way to Ithaca. If they end up there, Gary, I think they'll need a boat drink, too. No worries, they are BOTH over 21!

Karyn

 

[shingle]

25 days to go, just having a sudden surge of excitement.

 

[The4OfUs]

I say we all join Karyn's DS at Gary's house for a pre-cruise party...

who's with me!!