20060902--Eastern Sept 2nd, 2006

[CaptainJack]

I'm opposite from most women in my way of thinking most of the time. My philosophy is: There will always be more to clean, so why worry about it before vacation? There's enough to worry about, like packing, paying my bills before I go, arranging for the post office to hold my mail, making sure I close all my windows, etc. When I'm on vacation, I don't worry whether my house will be clean when I return. And when I get home, after unpacking, I have to clean anyway: put away any clothes we took that may not have been worn, doing laundry (unless I feel like doing it onboard), finding a place for all the souvineers we buy, mow the yard, etc. So for me, I'd rather not do all that twice. Just once when we get home---it helps me ease back into reality before heading back to work.

More things to do on returning:

1. Throw away the poor plants I killed while I was gone because I never watered them.
2. Take dogs to doggie therapist.
3. Get depressed while unpacking because vacation is over.
4. If I used film, organize the film, put it in a draw, and wait for 6 months to get it developed. (Film, like wine, has to age you know).
5. Wonder what in the world possessed me to buy some of this stuff.
6. Put clothes away that one only wears on vacation and would not be caught dead in at home.
7. Pass out trinkets to friends and family.
8. Throw away food in refrigerator that is now growing enough mold to be a winning science fair experiment.
9. Wait for food left in car to go bad so you can finally locate it by smell.
10. Immediately get on disboards to post how the cruise was and start chatting about the next one.

 

[racrj]

I also have a problem going on vacation unless my house is clean. Rob also doesn't understand why we pick up for the cleaning lady either. As many times I've tried to explain it he still doesn't get that I don't want to come home from a relaxing vacation and have to clean my house.

I totally agree with your statements!!! My DH doesn't understand any of my stress with the clean house and [BOLD]especially [/BOLD]with cleaning prior to someone coming to "clean" the house. However, he just follows along with the plan. I think it is easier for him that way. Keeps the peace and keeps me a little more sane.

 

[robtraci]

Add to that

Teach the kids that just because the server waited on them hand and foot the last 7 days, mom doesn't have too!

 

[racrj]

More things to do on returning:

9. Wait for food left in car to go bad so you can finally locate it by smell.

Done this once...not pretty!! I didn't know chicken nuggets could smell that way....

 

[racrj]

Does it matter what color the Mickey paint chip is? I know that it should be lime green, but the only color close that my Home Depot had was "Gamma Sector Green". Will that be okay? It looks limey..

 

[HollyTyler]

Does it matter what color the Mickey paint chip is? I know that it should be lime green, but the only color close that my Home Depot had was "Gamma Sector Green". Will that be okay? It looks limey..

Any color your little heart desires!

 

[HollyTyler]

More things to do on returning:

1. Throw away the poor plants I killed while I was gone because I never watered them.
2. Take dogs to doggie therapist.
3. Get depressed while unpacking because vacation is over.
4. If I used film, organize the film, put it in a draw, and wait for 6 months to get it developed. (Film, like wine, has to age you know).
5. Wonder what in the world possessed me to buy some of this stuff.
6. Put clothes away that one only wears on vacation and would not be caught dead in at home.
7. Pass out trinkets to friends and family.
8. Throw away food in refrigerator that is now growing enough mold to be a winning science fair experiment.
9. Wait for food left in car to go bad so you can finally locate it by smell.
10. Immediately get on disboards to post how the cruise was and start chatting about the next one.

I just love the lists you come up with! The only ones that apply to me are 3 & 10 .

 

[tomspixie]

Hi guys!

We had soccer games first thing this morning! Iain...our 6th grader...ended up with a tie. They didn't have any subs and so there were some very tired young men!!!! Alec...our 4th grader...then played and also ended up with a tie. Both games were really good and full of action! Abby is off golfing with a young man from the boys golf team. Just friends though...and she told the young man she likes about it ahead of committing.

Loved the list Captain Jack! But, imagine cleaning out a refridgerator after having been gone June 30-August 15! Tom didn't pitch anything during the times that he was here.

We don't stress too much over the house here, but we have a sitter coming to stay with the kids and THAT makes me stress over the state of the house.
Ahhh, to board the ship! Sounds like a fantasy right now!
We get to go chaperone the first high school dance of the year! Send pixie dust...please!!!!

 

[tomspixie]

I will definitely go see Invincible, POC2, and 8 Below (even though I have already seen POC2 once already). If you are planning on going to see POC2, make sure you watch POC before the cruise. The girls loved both movies and now all of our cabin door signs have to have Captain Jack on them.

I had a real nice one with the Disney Princesses on it that said Happy Birthday. They both said it was nice, but it would be perfect if I could change the Disney Princesses to Captain Jack.

Arrrggghhh.....

Be ready for Pirates in the Caribbean party...Captain Jack is about on the ship and available for photos!!! Also on Castaway Cay. Be up early and ready to get off the ship. They put the info in the Navigator as where he will be on the island and when!
Your Princesses will definitely get their pirate dosage!

 

[HollyTyler]

Be ready for Pirates in the Caribbean party...Captain Jack is about on the ship and available for photos!!! Also on Castaway Cay. Be up early and ready to get off the ship. They put the info in the Navigator as where he will be on the island and when!
Your Princesses will definitely get their pirate dosage!

I was checking out a thread that shows lots of photos of Captain Jack onboard and on CC. I just might get kicked off the ship for trying to get him to come back to my room one evening while Tyler's in the kids' club! OOPS....Not very Disney of me! Better wash my mouth and mind out with soap.

 

[atakaratemom]

Although we ended up deciding on an Alaskan Cruise this summer instead of our planned DCL cruise with all of you, I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a wonderful trip!! I hope you have beautiful weather and I will be looking forward to living vicariously through all of you when I read your trip reports. Alaska was amazing and I wouldn't change a thing, but I still love DCL and look forward to the day we board the Magic again. Have a great cruise everybody!!!

 

[CourtneyMc]

Is anybody heading down to watch the Space Shuttle take off on Sunday? Call me a geek, but I am actually hoping for for some bad weather this weekend so they would have to postpone.

Based on the weather patterns of this week, I would highly doubt it will go up tomorrow. Every day this week by 2:30 pm we've had thunderstorms starting up and they last all afternoon. the launch time tomorrow is 4:30, so it would really surprise me if the weather's good for an afternoon launch tomorrow.

-Courtney

 

[nuzmom]

We have a few question for all of the vetern cruisers. I'll post on the main board if you guys don't reply, but it's nice to ask "friends" first.

What do you do with your "stuff" if you're on the beach?
Can we buy a water wallet/dry box on board?
Do you wear your bathing suit under your clothes when you go to port?
When do you shop at port? after excursions?
Do you carry a "good" camera in ports/beach or just take a disposable? (my good digital camera has a great zoom but is a little large)
What should our port "schedules" be?

First, we're not "into" the beach, just thought it would be nice for the kids to see and do. Our DS10 is wanting to try snorkling - he has his own (cheap) equipment. We're also not doing major shopping, just basically walking around and seeing what we find (but not spend much money).

We're thinking of doing the butterfly farm and Le Galion Beach at St. Martin. We might do Coral World and Coki Beach at St. Thomas. Both would be done "on our own".

So, do you wear your bathing suits under your clothes? Do the butterfly farm/coral world first? Then go to the beach? Then go shopping before returning to the ship?

When on the beach - carry money/credit cards in a water wallet? Is it "ok" to leave a disposable camera, cheap snorkle gear, our clothes, etc. by the beach chair or does someone need to be guarding it at all times?

My DM will be with us and she doesn't like the water. She'll probably be at the beach chair all the time, but my DSs call her to come see something, I could see her just getting up and walking away from "everything".

Sorry this is long and probably a basic issue for you guys, but I'm stressing pretty badly about the vacation right now and it would help to get some guidance.

THANK YOU!!!!

 

[CaptainJack]

We have a few question for all of the vetern cruisers. I'll post on the main board if you guys don't reply, but it's nice to ask "friends" first.

What do you do with your "stuff" if you're on the beach?
Can we buy a water wallet/dry box on board?
Do you wear your bathing suit under your clothes when you go to port?
When do you shop at port? after excursions?
Do you carry a "good" camera in ports/beach or just take a disposable? (my good digital camera has a great zoom but is a little large)
What should our port "schedules" be?

First, we're not "into" the beach, just thought it would be nice for the kids to see and do. Our DS10 is wanting to try snorkling - he has his own (cheap) equipment. We're also not doing major shopping, just basically walking around and seeing what we find (but not spend much money).

We're thinking of doing the butterfly farm and Le Galion Beach at St. Martin. We might do Coral World and Coki Beach at St. Thomas. Both would be done "on our own".

So, do you wear your bathing suits under your clothes? Do the butterfly farm/coral world first? Then go to the beach? Then go shopping before returning to the ship?

When on the beach - carry money/credit cards in a water wallet? Is it "ok" to leave a disposable camera, cheap snorkle gear, our clothes, etc. by the beach chair or does someone need to be guarding it at all times?

My DM will be with us and she doesn't like the water. She'll probably be at the beach chair all the time, but my DSs call her to come see something, I could see her just getting up and walking away from "everything".

Sorry this is long and probably a basic issue for you guys, but I'm stressing pretty badly about the vacation right now and it would help to get some guidance.

THANK YOU!!!!

I can give you only my experience:

1. I did not count on buying anything on the ship that I could get beforehand. I love Disney, but the cost of things like a water wallet or dry box would be pricey on the ship. If you believe it is essential, buy in beforehand.

2. Camera. I have 2 digital cameras--one is a small digital camera with a 3x zoom the other is a digital camera and camcorder. I did not take either on excursions where I would be around the beach or water. What I did take was a "waterproof" disposal camera. Then if I accidentally drop it in the water, neither the pictures nor my vacation is going to get ruined. And, if it disappears (as my previous digital camera did on a trip to Michigan), I have not lost a lot--just the few pics that were on the camera.

3. I would personally do the excursion first then shopping based solely on logistics. We did not want to haul the packages with us everywhere, and we wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time to get back to the ship. I have been reading some of the other threads on the boards. And, some passengers have missed the ship for one reason or another. While the ship has gone back for some passengers, there is no guarantee that will happen.

4. Valuables on the beach. I keep them to a minimum--an ID of some type (I usually carry my expired drivers license for this), one credit card, and the card from the ship to get back on the ship. I will try to keep them on me at all times. If I am going swimming, I have a swim suit with a zippered pocket. I put everything in a zip lock bag and then inside the zippered pocket. While I am aware zip lock bags can leak, I have not had one leak on me yet.

I dont know if any of that helps.

 

[BigBlueMan]

I was checking out a thread that shows lots of photos of Captain Jack onboard and on CC. I just might get kicked off the ship for trying to get him to come back to my room one evening while Tyler's in the kids' club! OOPS....Not very Disney of me! Better wash my mouth and mind out with soap.

....tosses cold water on Holly... steam rises....

 

[CaptainJack]

....tosses cold water on Holly... steam rises....

..steam rises...fog settles on ship... ship gets lost...we all get to stay on the ship longer.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[CaptainJack]

Well folks, glad I did not book on the 8/26 Western Caribbean Cruise. It is not an Eastern Caribbean Cruise. (And the Westerns are more points and money than the Easterns).

 

[CaptainJack]

For all of those who are still checking this thread and were planning on going to see the shuttle launch, it has been postponed at least 24 hours. Lightning struck the launch pad and that incident with the weather prompted NASA to delay the launch.

 

[nuzmom]

Thanks Captain Jack - I guess that's why you're the leader

What do you do with your outer clothing, towel, and disposable water camera while at the beach? Are they typically ok to leave by the chair?

 

[CaptainJack]

Thanks Captain Jack - I guess that's why you're the leader

What do you do with your outer clothing, towel, and disposable water camera while at the beach? Are they typically ok to leave by the chair?

I take a plastic bag. It serves 2 functions. Put your clothes and stuff in it and tie it to the chair. Therefore, if someone wants to steal it, they have to carry off the chair also. Also, once you are done swimming you are going to want to change out of the bathing suits and not wear them shopping. Put suits in bag to return to ship. I also always look for somewhere to change, but that is me. I guess you could wear the suits back, but it tends to be uncomfortable shopping in wet or damp suits.