April 17, 2011 on the Dream

[curlybop]

I have another newbie question if you don't mind, when do you usually start packing?

I am starting this weekend. I've hidden so many items in our suitcases already, I forgot what is in there. My closet has 2 large suitcases in it and each time I would get something for this trip, I'd unzip it quickly and throw the item in there so the kids wouldn't see it. As I take things out then I will start my master packing spreadsheet.

We are trying the packing cubes this time. Each day will be labeled so DH can help the girls get ready without excuses. I think that is the most brilliant tip I have ever read on the DIS. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I should do it at home too. LOL! DH helps our youngest get ready and he's always dressing her like a clown unless I lay out clothing the night before.

 

[rdevine10]

Cruise documents FINALLY arrived yesterday

Still thinking about Nassau plans. Does anyone think the Atlantis will have day beach passes available to purchase direct? Its killing me with the idea of spending $325 to see an aquarium and go to the beach! hmmm.... maybe a day pass at the Hilton would be better. I dont know. Why am I having so much trouble with Nassau????????

Going to get the suitcases out of the attic this weekend and start preparing stuff. Gotta send DH off to Germany for a week before this trip though (for work)!

We leave for FL 3 weeks from today!!!!! SO EXCITED!

 

[hbg4]

I have another newbie question if you don't mind, when do you usually start packing? I am afraid I am going to forget something. Also what is the weather usually like for this time of year? We are still dealing with snow here!

Hi just got back in from London, England this early morning and was shocked to find snow here in New York
London was beautiful 62 F, blue skies, sunshine and not one drop of rain for the 4 days I was there.

Anyway some people have already packed, some are packing and there are proscratinators who pack on the morning of (like me). Since I've always got a trip planned to Disney I have a Disney suitcase and a Disney outfit zone always almost ready to go. I'd suggest getting things together now so that you don't forget anything important and then just before you zip the suitcases close, take out everything you think you won't need.

I feel that April in Disney and Bahamas has some of the best weather. It is one of the driest months, abit cool in the evenings. Average temp in Orlando 83 F daytime to 60 F night time is predicted for April, and 88F to 71 F in the Bahamas.
The ship is usually chilly due to AC in certain areas also.
So cool clothes with a warm sweater/ light jacket.

Brenda

 

[jilljill]

We had that stupid white stuff that falls from the sky this morning. It only lasted about 30-45 minutes, but it was still falling. The poor ducks out back looked really confused.

 

[outahere]

We had that stupid white stuff that falls from the sky this morning. It only lasted about 30-45 minutes, but it was still falling. The poor ducks out back looked really confused.

We did too..... just a covering on the driveway. Then it cleared up for a while, but now we have flurries again! I am REALLY SICK of this cold weather and can't wait to head south in 3 weeks!

 

[Downrivermama]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

 

[jilljill]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

Never heard of that before. Have you posted this question on the WDW boards to see if you can get an answer over there?

 

[bdink921]

Cruise documents FINALLY arrived yesterday

Still thinking about Nassau plans. Does anyone think the Atlantis will have day beach passes available to purchase direct? Its killing me with the idea of spending $325 to see an aquarium and go to the beach! hmmm.... maybe a day pass at the Hilton would be better. I dont know. Why am I having so much trouble with Nassau????????

Going to get the suitcases out of the attic this weekend and start preparing stuff. Gotta send DH off to Germany for a week before this trip though (for work)!

We leave for FL 3 weeks from today!!!!! SO EXCITED!

Yay, you finally got your docs!!!

As far as Atlantis goes, from everything I've read there usually aren't day passes during prime weeks so I'm not sure you'd be able to get them. I've seen pics of the Hilton and Wyndam which both offer day passes and look pretty good. If we weren't doing Atlantis this time, we would probably take a cab to the public beach, get some sun and then head back to the ship after lunch somewhere. When we stopped in Nassau on our Glory cruise, a family at our table went to the public beach and said it was pretty nice with rentals for jet skis and stuff if you wanted. There are locals that sell food and drinks. I don't think there are public restrooms though. I saw pics in a review somewhere (either here or cruise critic)) and it looked like a nice beach.

 

[Sheree]

Docs finally here!
guess I can start to get serious!

we're doing b2b, probably will stay on the ship in nassau, the first leg, maybe hit a public beach the 2nd

 

[Deb T.]

And now, the final installment of the Cruise Countdown, the day we are all already dreading... Thursday, Debarkation Day...


It's Thursday, and exactly 4 weeks from today the wake-up call comes way too early. There’ll be no sleeping in this morning anyway because of all the hustle and bustle of cabin stewards in the hallways who are frenetically turning the ship over for the next batch of 4,000 new cruise guests! Do we really have to vacate our comfortable cabin? Please say it isn’t so! But, alas, it is, and so we rise and begin preparations for the next leg of our trip, whether it’s a stopover at WDW or a flight/drive back home.

We'll probably eat our first sit-down breakfast of the cruise - in the exact same spot we ate dinner last night with the same attentive server and assistant server who we’ve grown to love and will miss. We say our final goodbyes to tablemates, then, we linger... stall, actually... as we slowly and reluctantly made our way toward the exit in the atrium. This large opening in the wall on Deck 3 has been concealed and largely unnoticed during the duration of the cruise, and we take a moment to marvel at how clever Disney engineering is! After all, it's the same opening that we entered through with great anticipation just 4 days prior! Momentarily, we mentally weigh the consequences of becoming a stow-away onboard just so we can extend our wonderful vacation a little longer. Some of us will be comforted by the fact that we rebooked our next Disney cruise onboard a day or two ago, and will already be counting down the days until that next adventure!!

As we near the doors, we pass by tall wooden containers, each with a slot for the all-important Guest Comment Cards. DCL cast and crew live and die by these surveys. It's been said that every department has a meeting soon after each cruise and the comments are read aloud. Those who receive top marks can be rewarded with things such as leave time, computer time, etc. Those who don’t could be terminated. DCL is very serious about exceeding guest expectations. Whenever you encountered excellent service over the last few days, be sure to note the castmember’s name and write about it on the comment card. They will greatly appreciate it, and you'll feel good, too!

Last night, we had to put all of our luggage out in the hallway by 10:30pm, so hopefully we’ve all remembered to keep a full change of clothes out for today. If not, then you will join the ranks of guests who have had to wear, um, “creative” outfits as they disembarked - until they could be reunited with their luggage in the Customs area!

It will take a lot of effort to walk out the doors toward the port building, but we know we have to debark (or risk arrest ), so onward we go and finally walk through the doors that separate bliss from reality. The life preserver signs that just four days ago said “Welcome Aboard” now say “See You Real Soon!” We head toward the right and down a different escalator to the cavernous luggage storage area. Suitcases are laid out in rows under signs that match the luggage tags we were given the night before. We gather our belongings and head toward the Customs agents. We pull out our passports and Customs Declaration form and proceed through and out the doors to the many modes of transportation waiting to take us to our next destination. And so ends our DREAMy cruise.

Over the next couple of days, some of us will occasionally be caught off guard with a sudden sensation of the ship rocking! It’s a phenomenon that occurs while you get your land legs back. These unexpected subtle reminders of having been onboard a Disney ship always make me smile.

As soon as we get home, we’ll pull up the DIS Boards to check on all our new friends. Some of us will begin posting on the Meets threads of our newly booked cruises, ready to make more friends!

We’ll really miss having all our meals prepared for us and our rooms cleaned twice a day. Yes, we are back to reality, but we now have many new wonderful memories to cherish forever!

 

[Ness2289]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

Last summer before our Disney trip, we received a photopass in the mail also. We registered it before we left, (Purchased the CD ahead of time) and just had it ready to go when we started our park visits.

 

[Deb T.]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

We received the same thing in the mail yesterday. We're staying at BCV the night before. It must be something Disney is trying out to help promote PhotoPass?

 

[guarn3md]

We received the same thing in the mail yesterday. We're staying at BCV the night before. It must be something Disney is trying out to help promote PhotoPass?

They started doing this last year/summer. It promotes Photopass...I kind of liked it but I'm always a sucker for the pictures!

 

[curlybop]

We're staying at BCV the night before.

I'll wave to you from Boardwalk.

 

[alenushka]

And now, the final installment of the Cruise Countdown, the day we are all already dreading... Thursday, Debarkation Day...


....


It will take a lot of effort to walk out the doors toward the port building, but we know we have to debark (or risk arrest ), so onward we go and finally walk through the doors that separate bliss from reality. The life preserver signs that just four days ago said “Welcome Aboard” now say “See You Real Soon!” We head toward the right and down a different escalator to the cavernous luggage storage area. Suitcases are laid out in rows under signs that match the luggage tags we were given the night before. We gather our belongings and head toward the Customs agents. We pull out our passports and Customs Declaration form and proceed through and out the doors to the many modes of transportation waiting to take us to our next destination. And so ends our DREAMy cruise.

Over the next couple of days, some of us will occasionally be caught off guard with a sudden sensation of the ship rocking! It’s a phenomenon that occurs while you get your land legs back. These unexpected subtle reminders of having been onboard a Disney ship always make me smile.

As soon as we get home, we’ll pull up the DIS Boards to check on all our new friends. Some of us will begin posting on the Meets threads of our newly booked cruises, ready to make more friends!

We’ll really miss having all our meals prepared for us and our rooms cleaned twice a day. Yes, we are back to reality, but we now have many new wonderful memories to cherish forever!

That is just so sad
I hope this thread will keep going after 4/21/11

 

[Tigger1313]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

I got one too, and we are staying at AKL after the cruise as well. This must be new, I just went to Disneyland before our MR cruise in Jan and we did not get one in the mail. I think its cool

 

[pershing]

I am starting this weekend. I've hidden so many items in our suitcases already, I forgot what is in there. My closet has 2 large suitcases in it and each time I would get something for this trip, I'd unzip it quickly and throw the item in there so the kids wouldn't see it. As I take things out then I will start my master packing spreadsheet.

We are trying the packing cubes this time. Each day will be labeled so DH can help the girls get ready without excuses. I think that is the most brilliant tip I have ever read on the DIS. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I should do it at home too. LOL! DH helps our youngest get ready and he's always dressing her like a clown unless I lay out clothing the night before.

I'm a space bag packer. I guess it's like the cubes.

I put outfits together for the day in one space bag and then just pull it the morning of. The DS's haven't cared what they put on their bodies in the past, but the teenage years may have brought severe pickiness.

We received the same thing in the mail yesterday. We're staying at BCV the night before. It must be something Disney is trying out to help promote PhotoPass?

I'm staying at BCV the Thurs and Fri before the cruise and AKV after. I haven't received any photopass info yet. Maybe if you rent points, you don't get one. I like looking at the pictures but don't ever order.

We had a snow dusting yesterday also. This morning too. However, we've been plagued by sickness at our house! First the flu in Feb., then a 24 hour bug deal, now a cough cold thing that just wipes you out.

I thrown away tooth brushes, pillows, washed everything in hot water (heating bill's gonna be bad).

My mom says that I should open all the windows and doors and let the air circulate and change. Can't hurt?

 

[bdink921]

I'm a space bag packer. I guess it's like the cubes.

I put outfits together for the day in one space bag and then just pull it the morning of. The DS's haven't cared what they put on their bodies in the past, but the teenage years may have brought severe pickiness.



I'm staying at BCV the Thurs and Fri before the cruise and AKV after. I haven't received any photopass info yet. Maybe if you rent points, you don't get one. I like looking at the pictures but don't ever order.

We had a snow dusting yesterday also. This morning too. However, we've been plagued by sickness at our house! First the flu in Feb., then a 24 hour bug deal, now a cough cold thing that just wipes you out.

I thrown away tooth brushes, pillows, washed everything in hot water (heating bill's gonna be bad).

My mom says that I should open all the windows and doors and let the air circulate and change. Can't hurt?

You guys are sick again??? That really stinks. Some years I find that DS catches everything going around and some years are pretty good. Last year he was sick alot. He is just getting over the cold thing -- missed 2 days of school. If I'm going to get it, I just want it to happen soon so I can get over it. It always seems as though someone in our family is sick on vacation . My mom says the same thing -- open the windows and change the air. Then I usually bring out the bleach and clean, clean, clean!!!

Best wishes toward a speedy recovery

 

[curlybop]

However, we've been plagued by sickness at our house! First the flu in Feb., then a 24 hour bug deal, now a cough cold thing that just wipes you out.I thrown away tooth brushes, pillows, washed everything in hot water (heating bill's gonna be bad).My mom says that I should open all the windows and doors and let the air circulate and change. Can't hurt?

I know the feeling. We had temps in the 80's for about 3 days over the past week. Each day after I got home I opened all the windows and aired out the house too. I'm sure it let a lot of pollen in but it did seem to help some. I also changed cleaners to white vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar and peroxide for the kitchen, since it's supposed to be as effective as Lysol or similar. Maybe it's an old wives tale about airing out the house, I don't know....but that is the advice I'm always given too.

At this point, it's whatever works. I've been giving the kids extra vitamin C along with their regular vitamins in hopes of boosting their immune systems just a bit. I will also be the crazy mother on the plane, wiping down the seats with a baby wipe before getting the kids settled.

 

[goofy4tink]

I got a Photopass in the mail today! It even has my name on it. We are staying at AKL after the cruise. Is this new?

I got one too, and we are staying at AKL after the cruise as well. This must be new, I just went to Disneyland before our MR cruise in Jan and we did not get one in the mail. I think its cool

Got my PhotoPass letter yesterday as well! Looks like a bunch of us are heading to AKL after the cruise!!! See you all there!