5/27/06 "Il pochi il fiero i blabbermouths" We *will* sail again Part 6

[itdjbw]

Looks like it is also about time for a top so will some one come and



it???

 

[BWVPam]

Hi all - Went to church today, came home and did some laundry and then we did a family date at the movies -- saw the Pink Panther. Cute. Afterward, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and then came home to see Grey's Anatomy. WOW, that was not at all what I expected. I am so wound up now, I don't think I can sleep.

Hope everyone has a great week

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Shelly -- I printed off navigators for each day so I could look to see what is scheduled and when. Like someone else said, it may not be exact but it will be close. This will give you a better idea of when everything is.

With our rotation we will probably have the character breakfast on the first castaway cay day. Keep this in mind if you are booking anything on CC that first day. Definitely need to be an early day so we can get breakfast over with and then be ready to get off the ship.

I've looked at navigators but they haven't helped me figure out those times... considering it doesn't show character breakfast and what day/time it is for late dining with AP on the first night/etc. That type of thing. Also it says breakfast is like 7am-11am... very vague and doesn't help with what I'm trying to figure out.
Bingo appears to be either 10:15am or 10:30am or 11:30pm or whatever... so many different times I guess you can't plan around that ahead of time.

I'm confused by what you mean it definitely needs to be an early day the first day at CC because that's our character meal... because we don't get to CHOOSE the time do we? I thought it was the day related to your rotation and the time for the character breakfast based on your dining time? So in othe words we're late dining- so we'd have later breakfast time... no? Or is it just all that have character breakfast that morning just go eat whenever they want during some certain times so you can go early if you want since it's CC day? Let me know please... that's why I was asking. I originally had 9:45 glass bottom boat reserved.. then read somewhere that late dining on character breakfast day started at 9:30am! So that's clearly not going to work if that is the case. I'll need to make that glass bottom boat reservation later... and it's weird to have breakfast at 9:30 then lunch on CC at noon-2pm. So I'm not sure that information is correct, but let me know?

 

[BWVPam]

Sorry -- we are on the early dining and I know the last time we cruised, we also had early dining, and our Character Breakfast was really early (like 7:30 or 8:00)Matter of fact, it was the day after we had been in Cozumel and I had a terrible sunburn and felt horrible. I stayed in that morning with my son who also wanted to stay in bed and hubby took my daughter early to the breakfast and then he brought me and our son breakfast from Topsider's to our room.

Maybe someone that has had the late dining could help you out on the breakfast times. I am not into playing bingo, so I couldn't help you with that either. In other words, I guess I am no help at all

 

[BWVPam]

Seems like everyone is gone now, and I better get to bed. I have an early morning tomorrow. We leave at 6:45 a.m. to get son up to high school for early band practice and then it is off to work for me.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

LOL Pam... well, atleast you tried! And actually I think you did help- with those times for early breakfast I'm going to imagine it's atleast 9am for late character breakfast... so uncool to eat breakfast that late on first day of CC! Not only can't get off at CC right when we port but geesh- we'll still be full by the time lunch starts there! We're used to way more time than that in between breakfast and lunch.
Soemone else said it's the first day at sea after eating dinner at AP- that would be so much better. LOL I guess those with late dining and LAP rotation are going to get the at sea day for character breakfast.

I hate to be a spoiled sport but I hope if we don't go to cozumel that we go somewhere else my husband can scuba dive. It is not likely we will cruise again- atleast not soon and that is what he's looking forward to most. And I heard on another thread that if they go to Grand Cayman they will likely make Cozumel's day at sea and the at sea day (Thursday) at Grand Cayman. That would stink considering that's the formal day, the day I have spa treatments (with and without hubby) and Palo brunch... etc. That would end up being all on Grand Cayman day instead of day at sea... with nothing planned on Wed while we're at sea on that day with that type of change? That would stink.

We just feel like once we paid in full (a couple months ago) it's one disappointment after another. First we heard we probably wouldn't get to do dolphin excursion (the only excursion my older two wanted to do/were really looking foward to), then we booked REAS to book early and turns out it will only let us book early for Jeff and son.. not the whole family so that was a waste of money... then we might not go to Cozumel, then we "might" go to some other port and it might mean at sea/port days change.. after palo and spas are booked (in DH's name- they said Palo was okay for 2 adults anyway, and spa could be changed to me instead of him)... and now character breakfast LATE on the first CC day for us ever... with excursions already booked that morning/etc. There's no turning back now... but we can't help but be disappointed with every little thing (and some big things) adding up little by little as we get close to the cruise. For us it's not just being on a ship... even though it's DCL.. and for us it's not just one of many cruises so no biggie. Yanno?

Okay I'll shut up now. I need to just stop thinking about the cruise at all because instead of being deliriously happy I'm starting to feel disappointment and sadness when I think about it. Things just ain't working out that great.

*back to your regularly scheduled happiness posts* LOL

 

[WDWLVR]

Sorry -- we are on the early dining and I know the last time we cruised, we also had early dining, and our Character Breakfast was really early (like 7:30 or 8:00)Matter of fact, it was the day after we had been in Cozumel and I had a terrible sunburn and felt horrible. I stayed in that morning with my son who also wanted to stay in bed and hubby took my daughter early to the breakfast and then he brought me and our son breakfast from Topsider's to our room.

Maybe someone that has had the late dining could help you out on the breakfast times. I am not into playing bingo, so I couldn't help you with that either. In other words, I guess I am no help at all

The navigators up on the site which are from December agree with my navigators from 2003. Character breakfasts are set at 8:15 for early seating and 9:45 for late seating. Since these are normally done on a sea day it isn't that big a deal but we don't have 3 sea days on this cruise so we'll have to see what happens. Based on our rotation we will most likely have it our first morning on CC.

 

[justmestace]

Hey, Mary...what are you doing up?? I'm just now posting, because Jared blew a circuit breaker and I had to get it taken care of.

If it makes any difference, I have never thought the character breakfast was any big deal. Very disappointing. And I am the biggest kid there is, when it comes to the characters!
We'll miss it on Sunday, too..because we have an early excursion. Too bad they don't make it "open seating"...then people could go as early as they want to. It's never crowded at the later time....I wonder if it is at the early time?

 

[WDWLVR]

BBB I'm going to say something but I'm not saying it as a moderator. I'm saying it as a fellow cruiser and someone who has been on these boards for 6 years and has seen it before. You are setting yourself up for a major disappointment on this cruise. Notice I said you are doing it - DCL or anything or anyone else isn't doing it. By trying to micro-manage every aspect of this vacation you are taking all the fun out of it. So every time there is a change it leads to a bigger and bigger disappointment for you.

Our very first DCL cruise was a 3 day of which the highlight was going to be going to Castaway Cay. Well guess what - a hurricane came through a few weeks before and our visit to CC was a one hour stop anchored off a very brown island to drop supplies. Sure we were disappointed but we had so much fun on the rest of the cruise that it really didn't matter.

Vacation to us is a time to relax, to enjoy, to see new things. Ok on this one maybe we won't see what we expected to. When we booked this cruise back in late 2004 we had every intent of going to Tulum. Now it just doesn't hold the same interest to us. I do know the one thing that won't change. I'll be on one of the most beautiful ships in the world, being catered to by a fantastic staff and crew, and enjoying it with a great group of friends I made here on this community known as the DIS.

I thank God every day that my DH and I have our health and the means to be able to take a great vacation like this. I was diagnosed with cancer 16 years ago and I cherish every day that God lets me enjoy this earth and the people I love. There is a very sweet and wonderful woman who was to be sailing with us who also has cancer and has cancelled this cruise because of her ongoing treatments. That to me is a major disappointment. Much more than what ports we do or don't go to.

So my advice to you and to all my fellow cruisers is planning is fine but don't let it overtake the enjoyment of the cruise itself. Find happiness is the little things in life. Most of all remember to not sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff.

Editorial over.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Hi Mary.
I understand what you're saying- I really do. But I'll have to disagree with you on the micro-managing thing. Perhaps setting our hopes up for just a few things is the problem (vs. wanting to do a lot of things therefore a few unable to do wouldn't be as disappointing- there would still be other things we'd wanted to do that we can do), but micromanaging is not.

For instance we looked at excursions (who doesn't?) and only found a few that interested us. So yes, the fact that we might not do the 2 things we really wanted to do is disappointing. But this is not like we wanted to do 500 things and a couple we can't do so we're disapppointed. Big difference there. So my husband wanted to scuba dive- it's the only thing he really really wanted to do. If he doesn't get to do it- that's disappointing to him. (ps. he could spend exactly $300 and go to cozumel to dive with his dive group here locally when they go in groups- to spend this much and not even be able to scuba dive... anywhere? would be disappointing to him)
The only thing the kids really really wanted to do is the dolphins- so not being able to do that is disappointing. Perhaps those things wouldn't be so disappointing if it was just 2 things out of a BUNCH of things we wanted to do, but that is not the case for us.

If we'd gotten on the ship and weather caused us not able to port here or there or anywhere- well ofcourse I wouldn't be disappointed now because I wouldn't know now. There is a difference because these are things we're finding out in advance, and weather can't be controlled by anyone. It is my opinion that Disney COULD port at Cozumel since others are- they just aren't wanting to go the extra mile or do whatever it takes to do so. And since shoretrips is now saying dolphins open in May-- then it doesn't make sense why DCL excursions can't do that either (even if they port at Cozumel they aren't doing the dolphin excursions but shoretrips is!).
Just bad luck to get late character breakfast on first day at CC... might not be a biggie to others, but it is to my kids especially the youngest. So we'll have to do it- even though it's a mere 2hrs before lunch on CC. LOL Maybe we will just eat earlier with room service and go to breakfast and not eat but see the characters. We'll work around that however we can.

I think perhaps it's difficult for those that cruise often or atleast have plans to cruise again even if this is their first cruise to understand what someone where this is probably the ONLY time they'll cruise is coming from. If things fall apart one by one - no scuba diving, no dolphin, perhaps no cozumel, perhaps changing at sea days so any spa/etc. plans are null because they are scheduled on the day that we're now at some other port, etc. -- it is disappointing. And it really has not a thing to do with other's suffering in the world and that disappointment shouldn't be poopoo'd with oh others have it so much worse. If that was the case no one should ever be disappointed with ANYTHING, since someone in the world has it worse than themselves. I think it's okay for people to be disappointed at times... it's human nature and it's okay. LOL
Maybe if we were rich/etc. we'd be cruising way more often and then ofcourse this cruise would be no biggie no matter what we did on the cruise.. just like we go to WDW often so things not working out on one trip would be no biggie to us. We'd know we're going again -so akuna matata (if that's spelled right LOL) Unfortunately that is not the case with us on this cruise.. and to spend so much (3 x the amount we spent for our 12 day trip to WDW)... can't help but be disappointed.

Our very first DCL cruise was a 3 day of which the highlight was going to be going to Castaway Cay. Well guess what - a hurricane came through a few weeks before and our visit to CC was a one hour stop anchored off a very brown island to drop supplies. Sure we were disappointed but we had so much fun on the rest of the cruise that it really didn't matter.

With this example you gave- try to imagine if you knew this would be your one and only cruise (DCL or otherwise). Now try to imagine that CC was the only thing you wanted to do (not just the highlight of your trip- literally the only thing you were really looking forward to and not sure you'd enjoy anything else at the time). Now try to imagine it wasn't a hurricane during your cruise, bad weather during your cruise, or even a hurricane shortly before your cruise that caused you to miss CC. Instead imagine it was a hurricane long before your cruise, you found out before the cruise that you weren't going there (long before- time enough to be disappointed about it) AND that other cruiselines were going there (yes, I realize this doesn't apply to CC- but we're imagining here LOL) but DCL wasn't. Would it really not matter? You wouldn't be the slightest bit disappointed if all the circumstances above fit you? If not, you're very different than us... unfortunately for us. LOL

All I can say is that we'll be disappointed if we can't do the few things we wanted to do (except if it was caused by bad weather while on the cruise) we probably will never cruise again.I know I won't be able to talk DH into it if he doesn't get the scuba dive... no way... not for this price. We could take several "relaxing" vacations pretty much anywhere for this amount of money. We weren't asking for the moon. We weren't managing every moment with a ton of things and then getting disappointed when we couldn't do a few. (oh let's also add the change of the kids club/lab not open for the kids to go there on the first night- and the next day is CC -and no we did not intend on leaving them with the club/lab on the beach of CC nor would we want to do so for their FIRST time with these people watching them.. we'd prefer they had some time in the club/lab before even thinking about doing that on the beach of CC... so their first time in the club/lab and us having some time alone on the ship- will be on Sunday night at the earliest...) We only wanted to do a FEW things and darn our bad luck it looks like we won't be able to do those few things.
I *wish* it wasn't like that. I *wish* we wanted to do a ton of things and therefore a few nixed wouldn't be a big deal to us. I also wish we were rich and could cruise many times- if I knew that to be a fact, it wouldn't be as disappointing. Such is life.... LOL


Anywho.... I'll get over it. I'm sorry for venting my disappointment a little, I thought it would be okay here and that maybe some would understand that disappointment. If not, I'm sorry for posting and just thinking aloud for a moment.

 

[WDWLVR]

Good morning cruisers!

Happy Monday!


​

Back to work for me. Have a great day everyone!

 

[dobelover]

Good Morning All - We got over 12" of snow Saturday night!! We lost our electric early Sunday am. Jeanne spent the most of the day bundled up and I was outside clearing a path to the driveway. Sam had a great time in the snow. Power came back on in the late afternoon.

Sue

 

[WDWLVR]

Wow Sue - sorry to hear you lost power for a good part of the day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the snow would fall in the grass where the kids could enjoy it but not on the walks or the streets.

 

[dobelover]

While I was shoveling I thought of Maria and how happy she must be. Glad someone could enjoy! Schools are closed today, major roads are clear but the side roads still are a hazard. The mini van only has a ground clearance of 7 1/2". My neighbor with a truck came down and made a path.




Sue

 

[MarkRG]

Hi Mary.
I understand what you're saying- I really do. But I'll have to disagree with you on the micro-managing thing. Perhaps setting our hopes up for just a few things is the problem (vs. wanting to do a lot of things therefore a few unable to do wouldn't be as disappointing- there would still be other things we'd wanted to do that we can do), but micromanaging is not.

Hello Shelley,
And I have to disagree with you. Micromanaging isn't about how many, it's about examining an activity to the point that you've removed all the fun from it. And staying up till 2 in the morning fretting over this can't be exactly fun.

The only thing the kids really really wanted to do is the dolphins- so not being able to do that is disappointing. Perhaps those things wouldn't be so disappointing if it was just 2 things out of a BUNCH of things we wanted to do, but that is not the case for us.

You're so absolutely sure of that? Kids are usually a lot more flexible than that normally, and easily find other things to latch onto.

If we'd gotten on the ship and weather caused us not able to port here or there or anywhere- well of course I wouldn't be disappointed now because I wouldn't know now. It is my opinion that Disney COULD port at Cozumel since others are- they just aren't wanting to go the extra mile or do whatever it takes to do so. And since shoretrips is now saying dolphins open in May-- then it doesn't make sense why DCL excursions can't do that either (even if they port at Cozumel they aren't doing the dolphin excursions but shoretrips is!).

But it is because of the weather. A hurricane passed thru and trashed the place. If other cruise lines want to risk their passengers safety, security and experience at the port by going there, fine. DCL obviously wants to protect their passengers and guarantee their experiences at the ports better than other lines. And it is your opinion, DCL I am sure is actually sending people there to have more concrete info than an opinion to make a decision on if they should go back there or not. Especially since the tourism authority there is doing everything including obscuring the facts about conditions there to make it seem so back to normal, which it certainly is not.

Just bad luck to get late character breakfast on first day at CC... might not be a biggie to others, but it is to my kids especially the youngest. So we'll have to do it- even though it's a mere 2hrs before lunch on CC. LOL Maybe we will just eat earlier with room service and go to breakfast and not eat but see the characters. We'll work around that however we can.

Lunch on CC is honestly, just good, not spectacular. Typical cookout food with a few odd extras. You're not missing anything there. And the ship is going there twice, so you will get a shot at it anyhow.

Unfortunately that is not the case with us on this cruise.. and to spend so much (3 x the amount we spent for our 12 day trip to WDW)... can't help but be disappointed.

Are you figuring all your other expenses such as food and park tickets into this 3 times your 12 day trip? Cruises are, for the most, part a lot more inclusive than a park trip. Really can't compare one to the other. Not saying you can't be disappointed, but making such extreme and inflexible plans on a moving resort you are setting yourself up for such disappointment.

With this example you gave- try to imagine if you knew this would be your one and only cruise (DCL or otherwise). Now try to imagine that CC was the only thing you wanted to do (not just the highlight of your trip- literally the only thing you were really looking forward to and not sure you'd enjoy anything else at the time). Now try to imagine it wasn't a hurricane during your cruise, bad weather during your cruise, or even a hurricane shortly before your cruise that caused you to miss CC. Instead imagine it was a hurricane long before your cruise, you found out before the cruise that you weren't going there (long before- time enough to be disappointed about it) AND that other cruiselines were going there (yes, I realize this doesn't apply to CC- but we're imagining here LOL) but DCL wasn't. Would it really not matter? You wouldn't be the slightest bit disappointed if all the circumstances above fit you? If not, you're very different than us... unfortunately for us. LOL

At that point, it WAS our only cruise. Were we disappointed? Certainly, a little. And I can imagine knowing a long time before. I would have appreciated knowing a long time before so I could look forward to whatever they were going to do. We didn't know one way or the other if we were going to CC until nearly the day we pulled in there. And it was a hurricane a good deal of time before our cruise. It had passed over CC months before, but it wasn't of the magnitude of the one that so totally trashed Cozumel. Turns out the next cruise did dock at CC, they were that close to completing repairs.

I *wish* it wasn't like that. I *wish* we wanted to do a ton of things and therefore a few nixed wouldn't be a big deal to us. I also wish we were rich and could cruise many times- if I knew that to be a fact, it wouldn't be as disappointing. Such is life.... LOL

Have never been on a cruise where we wanted to do a ton of things. Also very, very far from anything resembling rich and have managed to do a number of them now.

We probably will never cruise again. I know I won't be able to talk DH into it

There's the real key here, isn't it? You want to go, but selling DH on it is an uphill battle. My advice is so simple it's not funny. Just get him on the ship. No need to oversell him on any planned events to show how happy you're making the kids or anything, once he has the experience of it, 9 times out of 10 a person skeptical on cruising does turn around.

*back to your regularly scheduled happiness posts* LOL

Not all life is happiness, but no matter what happens this trip will be. And that's the only way to view this cruise and have a good time.

 

[WDWLVR]

A morning top? Yes indeed!








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[RachelTori]

Mary,

A double on the Editorial. Well said!

Sue, good to hear from you. Glad you're all safe. Stay warm and comfy.

 

[dobelover]

Our 1/28/06 western had Nassau rather than Coz. Some were happy to have Nassau, others wanted Costa Maya. Since we have been to Nassau SEVERAL times...... Had a good time anyway! The crew like Nassau cause they can get on and off quickly. And Magic doesn't get there very often so it was a change for them.



Sue

 

[dobelover]

Sue, good to hear from you. Glad you're all safe. Stay warm and comfy.

I have a wood stove in the family room, I never use it. Spent a lot of time Sunday am clearing off the ol' wood pile. Planned on 'lighting up' Sunday evening.



Sue

 

[RachelTori]

I have a wood stove in the family room, I never use it. Spent a lot of time Sunday am clearing off the ol' wood pile. Planned on 'lighting up' Sunday evening.



Sue

Ahhhh, reminds me of years ago when we lived in Minnesota!! Wood stoves were a fact of life Right now feels like we could use one in Georgia - temps in low 20's but *feels like* temp is in teens!