9/23/06 Let's go!!!! Who's with us???

[yazee1]

Our journey towards the cruise will be starting very soon. Everything we own will be packed up next week to be sent to our next duty station. We will say so long to Alaska and take a "mini cruise" out of this awsome state on the Alaskan Ferry. Then lots of stops along the way to visit various family.... and then the icing on the cake when we get to the Magic!

Very nice, Jennifer! A month of excitement with the best saved for last. How long were you stationed in Alaska?


Meet? I have no idea how to arrange one of those. Last year, we agreed to meet during the take off party, and I don't think that was so great. Meeting everyone was fun but it was way too crowded and noisy.

I've added a few more names to the database. If anyone wants to check out the list or modify it, here's a link. Of course, you'll have to sign in. Anyone who's going on the cruise on the 23rd and is part of this thread is welcome to join.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sailinginseptember/database?method=reportRows&tbl=1

 

[strawberryblonde]

Whisker - call the airport Hyatt on their direct line (407)825-1234 and ask if their military rate is available for your dates. I booked mine months ago but I'm hoping there is not a limit of rooms that they would let go at a discount. I hope this helps you

 

[Whisker]

We will give the Hyatt a call, thanks!

We have been in Alaska for 3 years this time. We were here for 5 years a previous time. It is so beautiful. The winters were much easier to handle before we had kids though.... they seem to get cabin fever pretty easily! hehe

 

[yazee1]

We will give the Hyatt a call, thanks!

We have been in Alaska for 3 years this time. We were here for 5 years a previous time. It is so beautiful. The winters were much easier to handle before we had kids though.... they seem to get cabin fever pretty easily! hehe

I would love to live in Alaska. I think if we had a good internet connection, we could deal with the long winter. My younger son just needs food, water and Legos. My oldest likes to read, ski and go camp. DD would be a challenge. I didn't mind winter when we lived in the mountains (mountains by East Coast standards), but winter here in South Jersey is the worst. It's is depressing.

 

[yazee1]

Hi, Chris, thank you for updating the database! I wrote the info down to do it but then I got distracted.

Heidi, the pictures are great. Pretty flowers, pretty mom, cute kids. Couldn't really see dh too well.

 

[strawberryblonde]

Thanks for the kind words and feedback, Monica . My DH is in Korea now with the laptop computer and digital camera. I just have some year old photos on the desk top to hunt through to find a more visable photo of DH. I found one that is a bit better and a few of the kids I had forgotton about that I had to add .

Most of our photos have been taken on a tradition camera that bit the dust. I am just getting into the swing of my new digital (June '06) and then DH takes it away for 3 weeks . It will be great to see his pics when he gets back.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. It won't be long now.....

 

[yazee1]

As far as this upcoming cruise, this past Saturday was a very important day! First of all, Dh's passport arrived. Also, my camera, which I had mailed to Canon's repair center came in the mail completely repaired. Since the camera is 3 years old and the break was my fault, we were 100% sure we'd have to pay for the repair which would have been a couple hundred dollars. The other option we were prepared for was an offer of a refurbished camera, slightly different model, for a lower price than new, which still would have been a couple hundred dollars. I'm thrilled to have MY camera back and fixed for free! Dh has never been so happy to be wrong about something.

 

[sftnslky]

We offically have 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day left till we set sail!!!!!

 

[PMelhorn]

This may have been asked already but I haven't had a chance to go through all the postings.

How many of you are dressing up for pirate night? We are planning to but DS16 is worried we will the only ones.

 

[chalex]

When we were on the wonder, we didn't really see many people dressed for pirate night. DD (9) didn't want to dress up but DS (8) did. I brought him a Mickey pirate tshirt and he had the bandana from dinner and a pirate kit that we brought at the store that included a sword and eyepatch etc...

I think by the time we got to the party he had taken everything off except his bandana.

I think they were disappointed by the pirate party. DD even said she was bored but these are two kids who love the Pirate of the Carribean movies with all the action and adventure. Pirate night was more like the sail away party-lots of music and dancing.

Having said that, it may be different on the 7 night magic. As it is your vacation, I vote for doing whatever makes your family happy and your vacation fun!

Angie

 

[chalex]

Anyone travelling with DS and/or DD between 8-12 that wants some dining companions?

We have left DH at home so its just the 3 of us.

We took a 3 night cruise on the Wonder last year and had some strange dining companions. A single mom with a 11 year old and another couple with no children. The 11 year old was terribly spoilt and was very mean and rude to her mother and constantly whining when she didn't get her way. The other couple just wanted to be by themselves and were not interested in getting to know us.

I didn't want my children witnessing such bad behaviour every night so we never went to dinner after the first night, just got something off the buffet on deck 9 or hamburgers and fries.

Would really like some decent meals this cruise, so if anyone wouldn't mind getting to know us, we would love to join you for dinner.

I am 40, dd 10 ds 8 (nearly 9), both mad about soccer and DS loves playing playstation. We live in eastern NC, though don't expect that southern drawl as I am originally from England.

Thanks y'all,

Angie

 

[yazee1]

Welcome to the thread, Angie. We didn't see a huge number of "pirates' at dinner on our 7 day cruise last year. Then again, we were late for dinner so we ate at Topsiders instead. I don't remember a thing about the party. Maybe, we didn't go? I know the kids were asleep by then because we had taken the dune buggy tour in Cozumel and it wiped us out. (It was really fun).

I've asked our children if they want to dress up and they are not terribly interested. DD is five and she only wants to dress up if it means looking like a princess or a superhero. DS's are 9 and 11. Pirates aren't their thing although I know if we make it to dinner and/or the party this time, they'll really enjoy the spectacle of seeing others in costume.

We're kind of normal people. At the very least, we have halfway decent table manners, our children are personable, and we know not to talk about politics or religion with strangers.

This thread has a yahoo group called Sailing in September. It has a handful of pictures and a database that is helpful. I forget the link but it's in this thread somewhere.

 

[Euphscott]

Angie,

If you don't get an arranged family, you can always go to the Maitre' D and request a table change. After the first evening's meal if you know it will not work, do yourself a favor and get a new table.

We had a table change on our last cruise. Even on our Carnival cruise, we needed a change. So, we were placed ona big table in the middle of the dining room. As our new mates joined, we realized that all of us were misfits that did not fit wherever we came from. It was actually a delightful crowd and by the third night we had our full complement for the remainder of the cruise.

You paid enough for the privilege to be on board, don't be afraid to get your money's worth. They deal with these things all the time.

Here's hoping you find wonderful table mates!

And in the interest of seeking table mates - My wife and I have a 4 year old daughter. From Texas - but without a drawl as well!

 

[chalex]

I posted yesterday in a hurry, as always, and I hope it didn't come across 'wrong'!

My two monsters are no angels by any standards. My Dh and I try to install good table manners, just the basics like lets try to use a napkin and not our sleeve (DS) and it has been an uphill battle since they started school but our number one thing is treat others how you would want to be treated yourself. If you want respect, you have to give it.
Which they are pretty good at except in respect to each other

But it is hard to picture the young lady I was talking about unless you were there but it was amazing, embarassing and sad the way she treated her mother.
I had to bite my tongue several times and the way she spoke to the waiters was unbelieveably disrespectful and mom didn't even bat an eyelid!

So honest, we are normal too - except for the strange way I talk

Hope to meet y'all soon!

Angie

 

[chalex]

Scott,

I wish we had a little person too, so we could join you for dinner. We visited Texas for 3 weeks during spring last year and fell in love with the state. I've always had this thing for cowboys, but come to think of it we didn't see too many of them. But the people were so nice and friendly and the state parks were amazing.Having originally lived on a 'small' island the state of Texas was amazingly large, I think we only covered a 1/4 of it and we can't wait to go back to explore more

Angie

 

[yazee1]

Angie, I was thinking it was a coincidence that we have 2 Angies from North Carolina coming on this cruise, then I looked back and I see you had a different username the first time you posted to the thread. So, I apologize for welcoming you to the thread when you have been here for over a month and for telling you about our yahoo group when you are already a member.

That's something else about your tablemates on the Wonder. No one's kids are perfect but that girl sounds like a monster. There's a boy like that in my son's scout troup. Horrid boy. I thought my husband was exaggerating with his stories about the way this kid acted at meetings and activities until I went on one of the camping trip that he and his mother were on as well. Did you ever read the thread on the regular DCL forum about awkard situations involving tablemates?

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi everyone,
this is Kathy, you remember, the old lady who started this thread.
For those who know me I just wanted to say we just got back last weekend from our cruise. We had an awesome time.

I wanted to give you a little advise about something.
If you want to have your picture taken with Captain Jack Sparrow on pirates night, arrive at least 15 minutes early or you may not get it!! We skipped dessert to go and do this, after all dessert would be served at the buffet that night anyway. we arrived 20 minutes early and there was already a line.
It is by the Walt Disney theater and I believe they had 2 sessions for this.
He looks and acts the part perfect, so it really is worth the time. Our pics turned out great.
Only one per family so they can move the line faster.
Plus if you get off the ship soon after docking Captain Jack Sparrow will be at a picture spot where the Flying Dutcman will be in the background. That was a great picture too. I believe he was there for 30 minutes then came back out at 11 for a short while. There was NO line when we did this, so watch for this too.
I wish all of you an awesome cruise and I iwll be watching to see if any of you post a trip report or not. I do have one on the cruise report page if your interested.
Kathy

 

[Euphscott]

Thanks for the heads up Kathy! I hope you had a terrific cruise.

Angie, I never thought anything bad about your comments. If you have cruised, you have run into people that just don't work. They don't have to be miserable people, although those exist as well. Sometimes, it's just not a good fit.

Texas is easy to love in the Spring, Fall and Winter - right now I think most of us are ready to run far far away! 105 is the forecasted high today. We've had 32 over 100 degree days this summer and at least another week of it expected. You are right, we don't have a lot of cowboys around here. We do get a bad stereotype! There is a lot of open space and certainly plenty of ranchers, but in the metropolitan areas you won't find too much of that. It has become a huge melting pot of people moving in from all over the country.

And don't be calling my daughter little - she may be 4 but she is a BIG girl - and she'll be happy to tell you that!

 

[strawberryblonde]

Hi Kathy !

I went and read your trip report. I'm so glad that you had a great time. I hunted around in all your posts to see as many photos as I could. I'm looking forward to you getting the professional ones scanned (I don't know how to do that either ) so we can see those. No judgement here just curious - why did your DD dye her hair purple? It was a pretty shade of purple.

Capt. Jack is quite important to my DS (9). Thanks for the hints. He will be happy to skip dessert for a photo with that particular character.

As we get closer I'm starting to get more excited ! We fly away from home in less than a month. I'll be packing for the cruise much sooner than the average cruiser. I'll have to lug around everything we will need for nearly a month .

Take care everyone.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Kathy,

Thanks for the advice about Jack Sparrow. My boys love POtC and are really looking forward to Pirates night again. This will make it even more special. They already have their POtC t-shirts and bandanas ready to wear that night.

I think we'll skip dessert that night as well since we're at the late seating. As I recall, the dining room deserts were not the best that night and we were too full to eat anything at the party itself.

As it gets closer to next month, I find myself getting nervous. Last year, the weather was perfect and our favorite day was Castaway Cay. I sincerely hope the weather permits again. I also don't want to wish away all of our time for Castaway Cay as that's also the last full day of our vacation.