8/17/2008 Double Dip 4-day Wonder

[Coach Rick]

Oh boy, I can't keep my computer from the Atlantis Webcam on Wonder days! This morning I switched in on about 8:30, and caught the Wonder making that big turn in the harbor to back into the dock. Wow, what a sight indeed. It is just such a "magnificent" sight to behold!

Ok, I got it bad, and now as the time draws nearer and nearer I am having an extremely hard time containing myself. The kids have not caught on, and dismiss my enthusiasm to me being a really sick human being...

Speaking of which, I am back to school today, and finally feeling a little better than last week. Ok so why am I gawking at the Wonder in Nassau from school...hey, I am a technology teacher ya know... Just trying to keep up on the latest in technological advances...

Hope all my soon-to-be cruising buddies are well, and getting excited too.

 

[Lynda Silk]

I know I'm getting excited! I've already stashed away a few books I want to read on the cruise, and I've started making packing lists!

Coach Rick, thanks for the shot of the Wonder and I'm glad you're feeling better this week! It must have been so cool to see the Wonder doing that about face! Only 5 months to go!

 

[Coach Rick]

I know I'm getting excited! I've already stashed away a few books I want to read on the cruise, and I've started making packing lists!

You actually find time to read on a cruise? Yikes! Of course I am not as seasoned a cruiser as are you, so I guess it's still too new to me...

 

[Lynda Silk]

Or I'm just lazier than you, Coach Rick!

I love lounging on the chairs by the pool or on the top deck, reading my book with the sun shining and listening to the kids having fun in the pool, hearing the music and having a nice cool drink by my side!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Or I'm just lazier than you, Coach Rick!

I love lounging on the chairs by the pool or on the top deck, reading my book with the sun shining and listening to the kids having fun in the pool, hearing the music and having a nice cool drink by my side!

One of my favorite things I did on the Wonder last summer was not get off in Nassau but spend the day reading a book at the adult pool. The kids spent the entire day in their clubs (they backed out of eating lunch with DH & I). It was a gloriously beautiful day and I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I saw a man across from me reading the same book.

It came time for adult pool games and not a single body in the adult pool area moved a muscle. So the CM had to cancel it by noting that not a single person came forward to play.

I was too lazy to walk all the way to the drink station but instead bought a can of soda from the bar. It cost more but it came in a can and I got a hard plastic glass which was way better than the paper cups you get from the drink station.

 

[Coach Rick]

Well, outside of Willem at the top of the page, looks like page 26 belongs to Lynda, Ski and Sea and me... Where are all our other friends, or are we the only three cruise nerds on this thing?

Got my Castaway CD out and put it in the truck CD player today to try and scratch that itch...I feel like I will burst by the time we hit the high seas!

Oh my poor children, they know not what awaits them. They are so going to kill me, especially my oldest.

My youngest called DW at work and said..."mom he's at it again, claiming it's HIS boat". All because I was admiring the pictures I took last year...geesh, kids, they just don't get it, do they!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

The emails alerts we get when people post doesn't seem to be working properly. I wonder if people don't realize this thread is active.

Don't worry Coach Rick - I, too, am DCL obsessed. I recently got the ship horn to be my cell phone ringtone.

And no, others just don't get it.

On a sad note....I just saw the post that said people can't ship boxes to DCL anymore. What a pain.

 

[Willem]

I read this pages about every day but don't have to say something allways
It looks like I'm not the only teacher on "our" cruise. But I guess the only Belgian one
I teach at high school: Dutch and computer classes. Besides of that I'm responsible for everyting that has to do with communications (website, brochures, newsletter, ...) for my school.
Here weather is going crazy these days. We had spring but now it looks like winter is coming back
Only a few days before Easter vacations. Have two weeks off starting next week. Will spend a few days at DLRP with Steven. The new Stitch show (like Turtle Talk with Crush) will be open.

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

I read this pages about every day but don't have to say something allways
It looks like I'm not the only teacher on "our" cruise. But I guess the only Belgian one
I teach at high school: Dutch and computer classes. Besides of that I'm responsible for everyting that has to do with communications (website, brochures, newsletter, ...) for my school.
Here weather is going crazy these days. We had spring but now it looks like winter is coming back
Only a few days before Easter vacations. Have two weeks off starting next week. Will spend a few days at DLRP with Steven. The new Stitch show (like Turtle Talk with Crush) will be open.

Have a great break!!!

Its raining hard here AGAIN.... My car is going to need oars soon.

 

[Dulce]

Hi Ya'll!
We are also booked for this cruise. It will be me (36), dh (36) dd (15) her friend (15) ds (13), also my sister-in-law, her husband and 2 daughters (8 & 6), my parents, and my grandfather (89). Wow! We are celebrating my daughter's quiceanera.

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Hi Ya'll!
We are also booked for this cruise. It will be me (36), dh (36) dd (15) her friend (15) ds (13), also my sister-in-law, her husband and 2 daughters (8 & 6), my parents, and my grandfather (89). Wow! We are celebrating my daughter's quiceanera.

Welcome!!!!!

Another extended family group coming. That is great.

Wow - our group is going to dominate the teen club.

More heavy rains here in NJ. I will need to buy oars for my car.

 

[Dizzyworld]

Good Morning All.....and WELCOME new shipmates. This cruise is going to be so nice for my kids this year. There are more kids my DS (1 month shy of 15)age. Last year, there were only girls, which isn't a bad thing from a guy's view. He did hook up with a couple of girls from our area. He saw the one girl at the DIS Meet and said he went to school with her. It turned out he was right. So we sent our evening time with this family, since the dad and I also had a common link.

The one reason we are back this year is because my DD will be 13 and she wanted to experience the Loft/Stack at least once. Anyway, this cruise should be lots of fun for all the kids.

I am already getting sad that there are not more cruise days, and I don't have another cruise booked for '09. Getting off the ship last year was so much easier knowing I had this cruise booked already. I'm not ready to vacation in the real world again.

Rick....what is the web address you use for the Atlantis? I love web cameras.

And like many of you, I am also a teacher. I teach three classes for an adult education program. The schedule allows me to be mom/taxi service for my kids' after school programs.

I wonder where everyone is that is going with us on our cruise? This might be a small DIS Meet.

Could the person with the list bump it up to these pages? Or remind me/us what page it was on? Thanks.

Gotta go run errands, and I just got Dinged.

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

 

[Coach Rick]

addicted_to-WDW -- Jennifer, Peter, Storm (he's a boy - 14),Jennifer's Dad Craig, Stepmother Sarah, and Stepsister Hannah (14)- Early
Augiedaugie -- Me (Dawn), DH(Carr), DD7(Gabrielle) my best friend (Joyce), Dsis (Bette) and her twinDDs4(Alyssa & Brooke)
cepmom -- DH and I and our three kids, ages 8,11 and 18
CoachRick -- Rick (50), Rose (50), Amy (24), RJ (18), Brittney (14), Rick Sr. (my dad) (73), Marie (my mom) (69), Elaine (Sis) (43), Mike (BIL) (44), Anthony (Nephew) (9), Nick (Nephew) (9), Tom (BIL) (56), Lee (SIL) (??), Ilene (niece) (12) Late seating, Rhode Island
cortegro-- Dan, Colleen, Steven(16), Bryan(15), Craig(13)-Late-CT
Cyndisun--Cyndi & DH Scott (both celebrating our 40th bdays ) and DS Ben (11)--late seating, CA
Delauzons --Stephanie(42), Chris(42), Allison(Alli) (13), Amanda(almost 10),Alyvia(4),Anna and Jim, Laura(42) her DH (45), Andrew(12),Matt(9), Cydney(4) -Early
disneymama -- me (40ish?), DH (44), DD(7) and FIL(87)
Disneypartyof4 -- Lisa : Kenny Zachary 11 Joshua 8 (Pa)
Disnutz -- Darnelle (40) Mike (43) Patrick (9) Rachel (14)
Dizzyworld--Shirley, Ron, Alex/Ace (14), Allison (13) -MD- Early
Dulce-- (36), dh (36) dd (15) her friend (15) ds (13), also my sister-in-law, her husband and 2 daughters (8 & 6), my parents, and my grandfather (89)
guzwoman -- and my DD (will be 7yrs)
Kewlteacher -- Me (41) DH (43) DD (11) DD (6)From NJ!
LoveMyLap-band -- (40) DM67, DS10, DS7 and DD6
Lynda Silk--(50) DD (14) and my DS (16)
ginamaddog -- me(42)....ds(5)....dd(19) and her boyfriend (19)
MarkLyndaJakeChloe -- myself (39) dh (38) ds (13) and dd (10) we are on the late seating
Mickey'sfriend -- me, kids will be 15, 12, and 9
nittany89 -- me, dh, dd (17), ds(12)
nluvwithmickey -- me, 2 DD's 12 and 16, and DH
RedFamilyLuvDisney -- DH, DS12, DS10 and meeeeeee
rileysmommy -- me (34), dh (36), dd (6) and ds (2)
Shelebeen -- my husband and I, daughter(8), son(5)
Stewy -- me (Cheryl), DH, DS (10) and lovely little DS (terrific uh, no, terrible 3) Late Seating (Md.)
tinkfairy --Group of 13, ages 5-61..
Ski-and-Sea -- Roger, KC, Robbie (13) and Kristine (12) Late seating, NJ
Virginiamama -- DH, Me, DS(8) and DS(4)
Willem -- Steven (28) and Willem (27) - Late seating - Belgium
Wisconsinmom -- me (31), DH(33), DS(6), DD(3)

Total to date 149!!

Here you go...I think there are a couple missing...I will fix that in the next day or so...

The Atlantis webcam is: http://live2.truelook.com/face/sqfa...&zoom=22.840933&imagemap.x=520&imagemap.y=195

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Wow - we have a nice group coming on this cruise!!!!

Just did our last day of skiing today. It was slushy but hey, its late March and we had bucketloads of rain this week.

So time to really start focusing on this cruise.

I am bummed that it looks like cruise director Christiaan will be doing the EB repo cruise. Glad for him, stinks for us.

 

[guzwoman]

Yippee!! I found you all. I am going there. It is just me and my DD (will be 7yrs). I am excited about this trip but a touch nervous that my little one is going to have so much fun with all the little kiddos and new friends that she is going to leave me by my lonesome. Hoping to meet others who I can have fun with when my little one is off having a social life! HA!

mg

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Yippee!! I found you all. I am going there. It is just me and my DD (will be 7yrs). I am excited about this trip but a touch nervous that my little one is going to have so much fun with all the little kiddos and new friends that she is going to leave me by my lonesome. Hoping to meet others who I can have fun with when my little one is off having a social life! HA!

mg

Welcome!!!

We know what you mean about the kids having a good time without you.

Don't worry - I expect only to see my kids at breakfast/dinner. And I am definitely going to make the late night adult activities no matter what.

No more tiring out and going to bed at 10:30pm and missing out on the clubs at night. Its time to boogie on this cruise!!!!

 

[Dizzyworld]

Rick......thanks for the web site and the cast of characters update. Looking forward to seeing what I can see at the Atlantis in the AM. Too dark now. Yippee, another web camera for my collection.




mg....WELCOME...... we only see our children at dinner and maybe the evening show. The crew members are so nice there seems to be always someone around to talk to, plus the new friends you'll make here and at the DIS Meet. What seating are you for dinner?

 

[guzwoman]

Hello Gang...

What to do? I have been planning this trip for nearly four years. Ever since I got into law school and my little one was diagnosed with epilepsy. DD and I have lived with my parents who have been supportive in ways unimaginable. But like with all good things, comes the difficulty of raising a child under the watch of your parents which is hard to say the least. Overall, my folks have managed well but definitely faced some major battles in regards to my little one and when we travel the tension can get worse than ease up. The tension manifests in faces and tones in the voice rather than arguing and war, so nothing too overt.

With that back ground, I have always made it clear to my folk, namely my mom that this is a DD and I only trip. My mom has always wanted to go to WDW and a cruise. She loves to travel. I got sad when DD mentioned that I was going to be alone while she had fun. Mentioned this to my mom who offered to come a long. I said I would look into it, but there is still a huge part of me that does not want her to come. I think it is important for me to be alone and learn to enjoy what that is like. You know meeting new peeps, really standing on my own as a single mother. My mom has asked a second time if I have looked into her coming and the cost, which I haven't because of time. Honestly, DD on spring break, me in law school starting to study for the bar while trying to keep up with my own work. There is no time.

So my dilema. Do I lie and say we can't add? Do I lie and say it was way expensive? But I hate-hate lying, for all I know she will somehow read this post. Not that she is nosey but things have a way of getting out.

thoughts?

mg

 

[Coach Rick]

Hello Gang...

What to do? I have been planning this trip for nearly four years. Ever since I got into law school and my little one was diagnosed with epilepsy. DD and I have lived with my parents who have been supportive in ways unimaginable. But like with all good things, comes the difficulty of raising a child under the watch of your parents which is hard to say the least. Overall, my folks have managed well but definitely faced some major battles in regards to my little one and when we travel the tension can get worse than ease up. The tension manifests in faces and tones in the voice rather than arguing and war, so nothing too overt.

So my dilema. Do I lie and say we can't add? Do I lie and say it was way expensive? But I hate-hate lying, for all I know she will somehow read this post. Not that she is nosey but things have a way of getting out.

thoughts?

mg

Wow, I feel for you! In the end you have to do what is right for you, which is obvious. I personally think if you are honest, and state your case, just as you have here, it should be understood. Of course I say this without knowing you or your mom, so my advise should be taken with a grain of salt. Vacations are precious, and one like this with your daughter is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and should be treated that way. My kids are 23, 18, and 14, and I still cherish every moment with them as if it was the first, and although your time with her on the ship will most likely be limited with the kids programs, those limited times, like breakfast, the shows, and dinner will be times you will remember, and she will too forever. Not to say your mom would spoil that, but only you can answer how important those special "alone" times will be. I wish there were a magical solution to your problem, but alas, there isn't.

DISclaimer: I am not a professional counselor, and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Mg.....what you said in your post to us is what you should say to your mother.

Yeah - I wouldn't lie about that she "can't" come. I would be honest with her. But you can make the offer than she can come on future DCL trips? How about that as a compromise?

We feel for you....planning a cruise should be fun, not stressful.