7th January 2007, 4 Night Wonder Cruise

[mandymouse]

Colleen, I hope you have a fab time at the beach

Kelly ~ we're usually at the DCL terminal around 10am, for when it opens at 10.30am. I love to be one of the first there, and I don't mind hanging around till you go through those huge ears.

I always get a lump in my throat when they announce 'It's the Martindale Family !!' and everyone starts clapping. We always video it, as it is such a nice start to the cruise.

I've added day 3 & 4 to my trip report if you'd like to see a few more piccies

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

Speak later

Mandy

 

[sunny_medford]

So I check my mailbox yesturday afternoon not expecting anything but bills and there was an aged, fairly large and thick envelope in there. Upon close inspection I was elated to spy the disney cruise icon. Normally I woud have ripped that sucker open right there at the mailbox, but I held off as it was not addressed to me. It was addressed to my M-I-L!! What!!!! She doesn't even live here. Why did she get something from the cruiseline and I didn't...heck, I'm the one paying for this trip!! That's why her mail reguarding it comes here, I don't want her to get any paper that says how much anything is so I only gave my address and just give her only the important stuff, or what I let her think is impotant. Well, I decided that it was my duty to open that envelope up, I mean, if there was a problem about the trip, I would have to know, I mean, this is THE christmas present.......Now I'm feeling kinda bad about the whole thing. There was a cruise vacation packet with reminders and checklists and such in there. It was so exciting to open the envelope and go through the info in it, now my M-I-L won't get the complete and total satisfaction that I got out of it, Maybe mine will come in todays mail and I can let her open that one!! Still not the same, is it??

 

[mandymouse]

Wendy, I wouldn't have been able to control myself either. I hate it when Paul or the girls have got to any Disney mail first, as I like to get the thrill of opening it myself (aren't we sad ~ LOL)

I've not had any vacation packages before (except the cruise documents), so it'll be brilliant if they ship one out to me too

Mandy

 

[disallday!]

Mandy ~ We will prob see ya @ 10 a.m. then! This time I want to get there as early as possible. AND I don't have to wait for the rest of my family to get there since we will know what rooms everyone is in! They like to take their time, I wanna go ahead and get on that boat!!

Wendy ~ You are in good company! I get so jealous when stuff comes here for the rest of the family and not me!! We asked DCL to deliver everything here so nothing gets lost.... You guys have the same last name so.... oops, you know what I mean

 

[sunny_medford]

I'll be "OOPS-ing" from now til January!!

Mandy- reading your trip report...on day 4!


Waiting for Randalls dad to call back so I can set up an appointment to meet him at P.O. so he can sign for Randall's passport. Randall has a Dr appt Friday and I have to drive past his fathers work to get him there, and there's a P.O. who will send passports just a stones throw away, so I'm hoping Friday is good for him! For the most part we all get along, but his dad does drive me crazy. I just wish his priorities for where our son is concerned were the same. And I do get tired of being the one Randall gets mad at even though I'm the one he can count on. Yes, it's all textbook stuff of kids who's parents are divorced or whatever!! kinda sad. On the bright side....we're going to disssss-ney!!! we're going on a cruuuuui-se!!! Yea Yea YeA!!!

 

[disallday!]

Just think, Wendy! He'll always remember you were the reliable one, the one he could count on thru thick & thin!!

 

[sunny_medford]

Yes, I realize that, but it's a fine line being the one he can count on to being the one he takes advantage of. That's the biggest thing for me! We're able to provide Randall with a safe, secure home/family enviroment that is full of extras. He gets this Sunday evening-Friday evening. Then he gets to go to dads every weekend and stay up all night, drink full of sugar and caffeine drinks all weekend, eat like crap, not shower or anything, and veg in front of the tv, anything as long as he doesn't bother anyone. That's not to say his dad is useless, here's a good example. Here I get up before Randall and when he wakes up I usually get his breakfast for him, cereal, eggs, toast, pb and crackers, oatmeal, whatever he wants most days. Then he has to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth, clean up, get dressed etc. At his dad's Randall is the first one up, he goes downstairs, gets poptarts for breakfast then watches tv til everyone else is up,...an hour or so later, then someone tells him to go to bathroom and get ready for the day. By then it's 11:00 or so! Once in a while i sleep in and Randall is up before me, he hollers to me to get up because he is hungry. I tell him to get his own breakfast...Cora did, and he moans and groans til I get up and do it for him. He gets mad at me for wanting him to do it himself but never at his dad for never doing it. That's just a small, trivial thing, it's constant and the little things turn to big things. Its a roller coaster!

 

[disallday!]

I'm sure it's hard for ya! I myself see what my mom was up against with my birth dad. She had a rough divorce but she has my utmost respect!! We were allowed to do so much under our paternal figure but things were strict at home with mom.

She is my angel and I will not forget the sacrifices she made for me! When I turned 17, things started looking very different for me. I could see why she pushed me to be responsible and things like smoking, for example, weren't so cool afterall!

Stick to your guns, Annie!!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Oh wow! The OBX area, which spot are you guys going to? Bless DD's heart, that had to be a horrible time for her (and you guys too) .

Thanks for the info, I never got my Castaway Club cards after our first cruise. I guess they have your info stored so they know you've cruised before. I do have my CC # though!

You guys have fun at the NC beaches

Thank you, I'm sure we will...

This year we'll be in Nags Head. We tend to stay in NH, South NH & Kill Devil Hills. Rose (my friend & enabler) insists on a different house every year, she says that's part of her fun

Here's the link to the house for anyone interested...

http://seasideobx.vrmreservations.c...ll&ReturnPath=/vrmgr/search/WebGroupList.aspx

Brittany (DD) most likely is happy to be out of *that* dog house for a while...

She's being a typical teen and has spent most of this summer causing me angst. She's a great kid with very little common sense...

We only went in with the CC#...

All our papers were filled out when we got to the counter & zipped right thru check in.


Mandy, you're writing a trip report?!

I love those...gonna go over and suscribe...can't wait to read all about your last trip.

 

[mandymouse]

Colleen ~ that oceanfront house is gorgeous, it looks such a relaxing kind of place, I think you're going to have a great time

Wendy ~ us mum's will always take flak from the kids, even more as they become teenagers, but it sounds like you're doing a fine job, and I think if there's a few things kids need ~ are routine, ground rules and lots of love, and I think you've got it spot on

Kelly ~ I'll see you bright and early at the DCL terminal, maybe we can bribe someone to bring some Bahama Mamas down to us ~ LOL. Where are you stopping the night before ? as I know that me and Betsy will be at the Pop Century and that Robin maybe staying too

Thanks guys for your comments on my trippies. I don't usually do a 'day to day' trip report, as I usually just do a report on each theme park. I hope they're not too boring ~ LOL

Mandy

 

[disallday!]

I love that house!! It looks really nice! DD sounds like she needs a break as well!

If she insists on a differ house every year, check this website:

http://www.surforsound.com/properties

I was suppose to be down there with one of my sister's this week but too much stuff has been going on here!

 

[disallday!]

Kelly ~ I'll see you bright and early at the DCL terminal, maybe we can bribe someone to bring some Bahama Mamas down to us ~ LOL. Where are you stopping the night before ? as I know that me and Betsy will be at the Pop Century and that Robin maybe staying too

Bahama mamas sound nice I'll keep my eyes open for ya that morning!! We are staying in Jacksonville, FL the night before, if that changes I'll keep ya posted

 

[Cruisin]

Hey Kelly, you do know of course that Jacksonville area is where the sisters live right

We too like to be at the terminal early. I want to get on that ship just as soon as I possibly can.

As soon as you are onboard, you are on vacation

When we went last January ('06) we did receive a boarding card number. We were there really early and we got number 11 or 13 or something I think the guy just gave us one from the bottom of the pile

 

[disallday!]

Hey Kelly, you do know of course that Jacksonville area is where the sisters live right

We too like to be at the terminal early. I want to get on that ship just as soon as I possibly can.

As soon as you are onboard, you are on vacation

When we went last January ('06) we did receive a boarding card number. We were there really early and we got number 11 or 13 or something I think the guy just gave us one from the bottom of the pile

Robin!! ​

Hey lady!!! Glad you stopped in!

I didn't know they lived in Jacksonville!! I'll have to for them when we get there, that is if they haven't hopped down to Orlando.

It looks like we'll have an early bird party at the terminal! 11 or 13, hmm... I think I'll take some white out with me when I go

 

[tiggerwannabe]

I love that house!! It looks really nice! DD sounds like she needs a break as well!

If she insists on a differ house every year, check this website:

http://www.surforsound.com/properties

I was suppose to be down there with one of my sister's this week but too much stuff has been going on here!

Ayup...relaxing is the whole idea for me...they can have their shopping & parasailing and surfing & such...gimme a corona by any body of water in the sunshine with my puppies (& my family) & I'm happy.

It sucks how life gets in the way of good times but if my worst choice is one vacation vs another I'll be ok....

Hatteras is nice, we drive down and visit the lighthouses down that way & sightsee but it's way too isolated for our families. Nags Head is populated enough to give the kids lots to do and isolated enough to keep me happy. The Jersey shore gets rediculously crowded, I haven't visited there once this summer and I don't miss it. NC is the way to go for me.

....Bahama Mama's huh? That's a great vacation drink as long as noones driving afterwards...those are some STRONG beverages! I had 3 the first time I tried them and it knocked me out for the rest of the night

 

[Dalpal]

Good afternoon ya all,
Im planning on getting there early too...I figure its about 1 1/2 hrs. from WDW?....So we should probably check out by 8:30?..sound right to you ?


I have the cruise on my brain today....I even looked at the DVD again...(I wish they made that more user friendly)...

 

[disallday!]

....Bahama Mama's huh? That's a great vacation drink as long as noones driving afterwards...those are some STRONG beverages! I had 3 the first time I tried them and it knocked me out for the rest of the night

:rotfl2 I know what to drink if I have a hard time sleeping now!

 

[disallday!]

Good afternoon ya all,
Im planning on getting there early too...I figure its about 1 1/2 hrs. from WDW?....So we should probably check out by 8:30?..sound right to you Robin?


I have the cruise on my brain today....I even looked at the DVD again...(I wish they made that more user friendly)...

I can't wait... we should have a mini meet in the terminal for early birds!!

I'm off for the evening, time to cook and clean!

Sweet Disney dreams to you all!

 

[mandymouse]

....Bahama Mama's huh? That's a great vacation drink as long as noones driving afterwards...those are some STRONG beverages! I had 3 the first time I tried them and it knocked me out for the rest of the night

Well I don't know how to drive a ship, so I have nothing to worry about They serve a nice Bahama Mama in the Pop Century, but there's nothing like having one on Deck 9 in the sunshine

I'm off to bed now (10.35pm), so goodnight everyone

Mandy

BTW Colleen ~ that T-Shirt I was wearing in my piccies was bought in Epcot and it's one of my faves

Thanks again for your comments

 

[Cruisin]

Betsy, we've usually aimed to leave the POP Century between 8:30 and 9 am when heading out for the cruise.

That gets you there just nicely in time for the terminal opening.