any November 15th eastern 7 ngt cruisers out there?

[nedleycan]

Karyn,
First of all, I am sorry about your sinus infection. I have had a few in my life, and they are horrible. Get some medicine.

Only you can decide what to do re: cruise. If you can't afford to go now, then you just can't afford it. But, is one more year (for a more expensive cruise) going to make that much of a difference? Of course we want you there with us! What a difficult decision to make. If it were me, I would make this decision based on logic... can you actually afford to go right now? Don't worry about us, as these Disboards are full of lots of wonderful people, and you would end up meeting a great group for the Holiday 2004 cruise, I am sure! But, the biggest shame would be if you cancel this cruise, then save for the next year, and then realize that the more expensive Holiday cruise is too expensive and you have to cancel that too.

Tough decision to make, especially since you are sick. Good luck!

 

[Jo-Anne]

Ah Karyn, what a difficult decision, especially when you're under a time deadline and not feeling well! I'm sure you'll make the decision that is right for you, and deep down inside, you probably already know what it is. If you can't make the trip in November, we'll miss you....but just think, an extra year obsessing about the holiday 04 cruise on the DIS boards! Take it easy! Jo

 

[lbgraves]

Personally, I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself at all if it was that difficult to come up with the extra money for the cruise now. Someone we know went on another cruiseline & was stressed out beforehand coming up with the money and ended up charging some of the balance then of course spent way too much on the trip. The first day back she was obsessing with how she was going to get the money to pay for everything. Of course she booked another cruise for next year so the cycle is going to probably continue. From what I have seen, the Holiday 2004 cruise is VERY much out of our budget. We could take 2-3 7 days for the same price. I would much rather get more bang for my buck.

Of course we would all enjoy meeting you & your DH on the cruise in November. Only you know what you can & can't manage right now. The holidays are right around the corner after we get back too. My shopping has been done since February so I have a stress free holiday, but I know not everyone does that & older kids make that more difficult.

Take care of yourself & try to make the choice that is best for you & your family.

 

[nedleycan]

Wow! You have everyone done by February! Incredible!

 

[lbgraves]

I have been doing this for a couple years so it has gotten easier to get everything done now. I live in Target the month after Christmas for their toy markdown dates and now have friends I have met over the past couple years who help me. They know that I will be there after I take one or both of the kids to preschool, so they will grab a couple things that they think I may want. I also have made friends on a deals message board who look for deals for me up & down the east coast at Target if I can't find them here. Coupons & deals is my job to me. Friends tell me I am one of "those ladies that go on Oprah." LOL! I keep a spreadsheet so that I can keep track of what I got for who when...birthdays & holidays for all their friends too. I am collecting the Harry Potter Lego sets for the kids...but they wont get them for a few years at least since they are just 2 1/2 & 4 1/2 now. They are both HP nuts with the movies already and at 75% I am getting them now as they clearance them off. I did just pick up the Hogwarts Express at 50% after they were marked down this morning though because I am afraid of the 3 that are left being gone within 2 weeks. DH keeps threatening that he is going to have a yard sale & get rid of it all but he knows that I am saving us alot of money. That's how I am going to be able to pay off this trip before we go & have some play money without taking anything extra out of the household money. It's also the only way that I have been able to be a SAHM.

 

[Jo-Anne]

Oh Lisa, we'll get along famously! I LOVE shopping at Target and I love sniffing out deals, coupons and sales! We don't have Target in Canada, but I go to Cincinnati about 4 times a year and I always take an early flight so I can go to Target and Kohls prior to hitting the meetings (don't tell my boss)!! Sometimes my sister and I take a quick trip across the border to Buffalo just to go to Target and outlet malls! My DH thinks I'm nuts too by doing all this extensive research, but he sure does appreciate the $$ I save us!
I'm just rereading some posts and I see you are staying at AS after the cruise...I was toying with the idea of staying one extra day at a hotel in Orlando and flying back on Sunday. I do wonder though, if at the end of 7 days at sea, if I'll just want to get back home and unwind before going back to work, or if we should take the extra day to relax and unwind at a pool (that won't be so crowded as the one on the ship!)...anyone have any thoughts on this? Jo

 

[lbgraves]

Jo-Anne, We weren't going to stay on for WDW and left it just the cruise for 2 months, then one day DH said to look into getting a room. LOL! I couldn't believe how inexpensive the AS was but it is off peak. We were going to try to do the KSC but decided that a day by the pool & possibly Downtown Disney was just what we needed. If nothing else, it will give me a little time to get some laundry done if I didn't do anything on the cruise.

Do you have any grocery stores that double or triple coupons? That's when I have the most fun.

Harris Teeter doubles to .50 every day but has doubled or even tripled to $1 before. LOTS OF FREE FOOD!!! Last March we drove down to Wilmington with their 5 stores & I dropped DH & the kids at Chucky Cheese (nothing even like that here in town) for 3 hours while I filled up the coolers in the car. I just about filled our extra freezer that I had bought that week for under $10. There is a store in FL that allows you to stack coupons. Too bad you are flying out, you could stock up the car with some major deals.

 

[alexturner74]

Jo-Anne,

We stayed an extra two nights at WL after our cruise last Thanksgiving. It was great at the end of the cruise knowing that we didn't have to go home yet.

Everyone on the ship who knew that we were staying in Orlando were jealous because they were all flying home right after the cruise and didn't want to go!

I would definitely recommend staying and hanging out. All we did on that Saturday was hang out at the hotel, took a nap, played in the pool (perfectly warm during day), rented some bikes, and walked. Very relaxing. It was cool at night though.

We actually went to Animal Kingdom and Epcot on Sunday and had a great time. Flew back home Monday morning and went to work on Tuesday. No problems there.

Alex

 

[Jo-Anne]

WOW Lisa, you are coupon saver extrodinaire! We don't have the concept of doubling coupons here in Canada although I see it everytime I'm in US. The few coupons I see in US magazines (like People), that I like, I just clip and put in my Travel folder so they are there when I make my busines strips to the US!
Alex - thanks for your perspective...I'm really thinking about tacking on the extra day to relax....looks like SouthWest didn't come out with their Nov flights yet, so at least another few days to think about it!

 

[Kabuli1]

Jo-Anne,

I'm with Alex! We stayed till Sunday night, did MK w/our DISer-tablemates-friends on Saturday (it poured all day!you shoul see our pictures - lots of yellow ponchos) and on Sunday we enjoyed the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot before flying home. It will be over by the time this cruise is done). It was really nice not to rush home. I'd choose it that way every time!

Karyn

 

[Jo-Anne]

Lisa - just tried twice to send you email, and got an undeliverable message: User mailbox exceeds allowed size: support@ncfreedom.net. any ideas of what I'm doing wrong?

 

[lbgraves]

JoAnne, That is really weird. The inbox is nearly empty. It's graves@ncfreedom.net. I have received some email since I last closed out. I'll check it out.

 

[mkauffman]

Just bumping us up again.

Karyn...how are things going for you?

I just love all you super-bargain-shoppers! I take great pride in never paying full price for anything. If it's not on a sale rack, I don't look at it. I'm convinced that there's nothing in this world that you have to pay full price for (if you just know how to find it!).

Tomorrow we'll finally be in the 120s!

It's been really hot and muggy here in Central PA, but I'm loving every minute of it. Can't wait 'til November.

Michelle

 

[nedleycan]

Michelle,
I was just online looking for this thread, to bump it up again, and then I receive an e-mail that you did the same thing! See, it will be a great cruise!!!!

I am so happy that summer is finally here. We go on vacation next week and I can't wait. We will spend the week at our cottage relaxing, boating, drinking wine... sounds just like a Disney cruise! Okay... the boat is only 19 feet long, but it is almost the same. I might have to get DH to put on some Mickey ears so that we can pretend.

 

[mkauffman]

Linda, I always just go to Alex's site to get our cruise thread because it beats searching through all those other threads! You're never going to guess this.........I'm on vacation next week, too!! Great minds really do think alike! The beginning of the week I'm doing some things with the boys (hubby is working, he doesn't get nearly as much vacation as I do) and Thursday I'm leaving for a Rehoboth beach weekend with my girlfriends. I feel like I just can't get enough sunshine this year......do you all feel the same way?? It's been a long time in the making!

Oh, and Linda, make sure someone else is driving that boat while you're sipping the wine! I'll hopefully be sipping something myself next week! At least when we go on the big ship in November we don't have to worry about "drinking and driving", right? Promise us that if you get DH in those Mickey ears, you'll take a picture to share!

Michelle

 

[nedleycan]

First of all, if I ever got conservative DH in Mickey ears, I would eat my hat! Second, he would have to drink a lot of wine before he would let me take a photo of it! haha

Hope you have a great week off. I will be spending that last Saturday night (the 19th) at a girl's weekend too! Someone on our lake is having 10 woman up to her place and we are going to get a massage therapist in to pamper us. Can't wait.

Good idea re: going to Alex's site. That would speed thing up. Sometimes I will keep an old DIS e-mail, so that at least I can find the thread, then I simple skip to the last entry... didn't save the last one, so that is why the search started.

 

[mkauffman]

A massage therapist..........that sounds like heaven! Have a great time (like I need to tell you that!).

Michelle

 

[lbgraves]

OK. I know that I am not the only bargain hunter in this group! Go to their website for a fantastic sale up to 75% off!!! I just got 25 items for 160 shipped! Use code SUMMER2003 for 10% off so that covers your shipping cost. The kids are going to be decked out in Disney PJs & DD will have swim suits for the trip. I also picked up the Navy Disney logo Tees for all 4 of us to wear the day we board. I think that it will make a nice picture for us boarding the ship. DH will hit the roof if he is home when the box gets here but I also got MIL a personalized Gramma shirt for Christmas.

 

[mkauffman]

Lisa, I just got that same Disneystore.com email. I haven't had a minute to look up the website yet, though. I'll have to do that today. You got a deal.......25 items for 160. You'll be the best looking family boarding the ship! Thanks for the tip.

Michelle

 

[lbgraves]

The stuff is going fast & the site is pretty slow. Good luck getting all that you want!!!

Lisa