Anyone cruising May 8, 2004 Western?

[DisneyForLife]

We have no flights booked yet either. We are also waiting for dates to open up on either Jetblue or Southwest.
But we are hoping to get there by at least dinner, there are a few of us working half days.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by DisneyForLife
We have no flights booked yet either. We are also waiting for dates to open up on either Jetblue or Southwest.
But we are hoping to get there by at least dinner, there are a few of us working half days.

We were going to go southwest but when I called to book it they told us that there was no guarantee that you would be sitting with the rest of your party, they said I would "probably" be able to sit with my 4 year old (PROBABLY???) but that my friend might not be sitting with her 14 year old .....now the 14 year old is worse with flying than my 4 year old and she certainly would need to be sitting by her mom!

 

[DisneyForLife]

Aprilgail2, thank you for that info.
We usually go Delta so have never had that problem.
I will not use Southwest if we can't sit together. Not only does the 8 year old have to be with her Mom but I am not to keen on flying so I need my support. HaHa

The flight you were looking at must have been almost booked. I keep checking the Southwest site and they are only booking up to May 8th. Are they taking ressies further out on the phone?

Thank You

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by DisneyForLife
Aprilgail2, thank you for that info.
We usually go Delta so have never had that problem.
I will not use Southwest if we can't sit together. Not only does the 8 year old have to be with her Mom but I am not to keen on flying so I need my support. HaHa

The flight you were looking at must have been almost booked. I keep checking the Southwest site and they are only booking up to May 8th. Are they taking ressies further out on the phone?

Thank You

No, they are not booking for May yet, I had called them on the phone to try to book but they told me they weren't booking for May yet and then they told me their seating policy. I went to their website and was reading some things about how if you are more than 30 pounds overweight you will be asked to purchase 2 seats....

 

[OurDogCisco]

I can't wait until the cruise. I am so excited! I even started exercising today so, I'll look fit for the cruise.

I know, this is kinda off topic but Does anyone know if Southwest is offering the internet rate both ways? I was looking at their site today to book a flight to Norfolk VA and it said that I could only book the internet rate one way and the other way I had to use the Fun Fare rate or full rate. It didn't seem like much of deal that way. Maybe I am just missing the boat somewhere. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tina

 

[DisneyForLife]

Tina, I find the same thing when I go to their site. It seems like you can never get the same cheap rate. I figure either they really are booked or it is just a way to get us to pay more.
I am just going to keep watching and hopefully something will come up that isn't too bad pricewise. I need 5 flights.

 

[DisneyForLife]

WOW, 5 flights, I didn't think it would take that long to get to Florida from Ma.

I, of course meant to write 5 seats.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Thanks! I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I just booked with USAir To Dulles instead because it was way cheaper and I get to watch a movie and eat wonderful airline food (ha-ha).... SWA doesn't offer that.

I got lucky last May I got a great deal on a flight to Orlando from CA for $200 a person. I was so excited to get that deal. Good Luck with yours.

Tina

 

[DisneyForLife]

Hi all, I finally booked our flights. I got non-stop Boston to Orlando for 160.00. I have found cheaper flights before but with no flexibility on the days I needed I got a great deal.
We will not be getting to the Radisson until about 7:30 pm.
Plenty of time for a Dis Meet I hope.

 

[tpseller]

Hi Everyone!!!

I am getting excited now! I am trying to book some shore excursions on my own, that is taking some research.

We had a reservation at the Radisson, but I saw that someone else got a room at the Doubletree in Cocoa Beach for $39 from priceline! I read the review on Dave's tribute site and it says the pool is small but it is right on the beach. He also said that some people say that it is the nicest resort in Cocoa Beach.

So I have never done Priceline before (and it was a little scary) but I did it and we got three rooms for $39! WOO HOO

So if you guys are going to have a dismeet on the ship we would love to be there!

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by DisneyForLife
Hi all, I finally booked our flights. I got non-stop Boston to Orlando for 160.00. I have found cheaper flights before but with no flexibility on the days I needed I got a great deal.
We will not be getting to the Radisson until about 7:30 pm.
Plenty of time for a Dis Meet I hope.

Our plane doesn't land until 445 so by the time we pick up the luggage, rental car and drive to the hotel we won't be getting there much earlier than you! We are going to leave our car at the hotel so once we get off the ship we can just hop a cab back to get it and head right off to DIsney for 2 days. We booked a late flight home Sunday night (7pm) so we can spend Saturday at Magic Kingdom and Sunday at Animal Kingdom!

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by tpseller
Hi Everyone!!!

I am getting excited now! I am trying to book some shore excursions on my own, that is taking some research.

Which ones are you going to book? We are going to do the Stingray one but I am not sure who we are using yet...I guess I should get to work on that! I don't want to do the Disney one though since my 4 year old can't go if we book through Disney, if I do it myself she can come..even if she doesn't get off the boat at least she will be able to go watch and the 14 year old who won't go in either will watch her on the boat....she says she is going in but I am not sure if I will be able to hold her and keep her head above the water, have to wait and see when we get out there.

 

[tpseller]

We are going to rent a private boat for 1/2 day to go to Stingray City and snorkel at a couple of other sites.

I have heard good things about Captain Marvins. Check them out!

My husband and I are also certified divers, so we are trying to set up a couple of dives when we get to Cozumel.

 

[aprilgail2]

I just booked Capt. Marvins for the 2 1/2 hour stingray feeding and snorkling the reef...they had a longer one but I will have a 4 year old with me and I don't know how she would make half day on a small boat. She is really excited about being swarmed by stingrays while she is in my arms but she is to young to snorkle so she will just be hanging out on the boat with the 14 year old while we do that. I think I finished booking everything now, the precruise hotel, the airfare, rental car, after cruise hotel, Capt Marvins...I think on Cozumel we are going to go over to Mr Snachos for awhile instead of doing any excursions there....now I just have to find something in Key West to do, I was thinking of the trolly tour. I am happy I am renting a car now, we are going to leave it at the Raddison while we are on the cruise but at least I can leave my daughters car seat in there and not have to store it in our stateroom now. I do still have to order one thing, a nice basket from Shirley for my daughter for when she walks into the stateroom!

 

[DisneyForLife]

I suppose I should start thinking about excursions now also.

I know that two of the people going with me want to do the Dophin Swim but their daughter will only be 7 and you have to be 8. They don't want to do it without her.

I am considering Mr Sanchos also, it sounds like fun. Of course I will be doing a bit of shopping at each port. That is a given.

Swimming with the stingrays sounds exciting but I am not sailing with my husband and I know he wants to do that so I will wait to go with him another time.

We're getting closer and closer to May. Yeaaaaaaaa!!!!!

 

[PoohFan2004]

Hi! We just booked our cruise a couple weeks ago and are really looking forward to it. My husband and I will be on our second cruise (first Disney cruise) and our kids (DS5 and DD5) will be on their first cruise.

Since we booked so late, they only had late seating available for dinner. We are on the waitlist for early seating, but I am starting to think that late seating might be ok. I read some posts about having more time in port and being able to see the sunset if you have late seating. I'm not sure if our kids will be more interested in eating with us, going to the shows or spending time in the kids club. Are there any others with young kids who are going to be at the late dinner seating? Any advice for me?

 

[OurDogCisco]

Originally posted by PoohFan2004
Hi! We just booked our cruise a couple weeks ago and are really looking forward to it. My husband and I will be on our second cruise (first Disney cruise) and our kids (DS5 and DD5) will be on their first cruise.

Since we booked so late, they only had late seating available for dinner. We are on the waitlist for early seating, but I am starting to think that late seating might be ok. I read some posts about having more time in port and being able to see the sunset if you have late seating. I'm not sure if our kids will be more interested in eating with us, going to the shows or spending time in the kids club. Are there any others with young kids who are going to be at the late dinner seating? Any advice for me?

Welcome Poohfan2004, you're kids are gonna love the cruise. We did our first cruise in 2001 with our dd4 and dd1 and had late seating. We had no problems with it because for one we ate all day (so I guess we are pigs) So, I doubt we'd been hungry for the early seating. Second, we live in CA so, 8 pm was really 5 pm to us so, it really didn't matter. And, for the reason you stated we didn't feel rush to get ready for dinner at the earlier seating. My kids did use the club and flounders during dinner. I am a SAHM so, dinner alone with dh was a treat for me. We usually spent the entire day together as a family and then, dh and I had a date in the evening to enjoy the shows and dinner and roaming around the ship. Last but not least my kids are late risers in the morning so, the late seating really didn't bother them sleep wise. On vacation they tend to stay up late which helps on the long plane ride home because they basically sleep the whole way home. Hopefully we'll meet at a dis meet.

Tina

 

[Leahpie]

Hi there,

We also have late seating and our kids are 8 and 10. We are on a waiting list for early seating. My only reservation about late seating is feeling too full to sleep. I will have to feed my kids something between 5 and 6 to tide them over till dinner as my son will get a migraine if he waits too long to eat.

I hadn't thought about not having to rush back for early seating and seeing the sunsets, so hopefully this will be a good thing for us.

Leahpie

 

[aprilgail2]

I liked the early seating last cruise....one day we were busy and didn't go to the dinner but had room service later in the evening....the late seating would be to late for my 4 year old to eat....she stays up that late but if she didn't eat until that late she would be a monster...I want to have dinner with her and for us to have fun at dinner so I wold like her to be nice and awake and pleasant and i know bthat wouldn't be the case if we had late seating.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Originally posted by Leahpie
Hi there,

We also have late seating and our kids are 8 and 10. We are on a waiting list for early seating. My only reservation about late seating is feeling too full to sleep. I will have to feed my kids something between 5 and 6 to tide them over till dinner as my son will get a migraine if he waits too long to eat.

I hadn't thought about not having to rush back for early seating and seeing the sunsets, so hopefully this will be a good thing for us.

Leahpie

If you have problems sleeping on a full stomach then definitely try to switch to the earlier seating. I was trying to point out the positives of late seating since, there is a possibility you might not get the earlier seating. Both seatings have their pluses and minues it just depends on your attitude. For us, late seating works however when we cruise on the West Coast the earlier seating definitely works for us. Good Luck! I hope you get what you want...