April 26 - May 3, 2008 Caribbean Crazy Cruisers

[WDWLVR]

omg, they are SO gonna hate me. I am going to be BANNED from this board soon. BANNED, I TELL YA!! I just checked my answering machine and there is a message from no other than Inventory Control, asking me if I was interested in a West Coast cruise!! Geez, I turned it down once already!! Are they twisting my arm or what?? Maybe they are trying to get me away from you guys!! This is SOOOO weird!

Don't go! And don't tell them over on the main board - you'll push them over the edge!

A UTOP with Kay who I hope doesn't change cruises!

PDFG and all who need it!

 

[dreamcometrue]

Don't go! And don't tell them over on the main board - you'll push them over the edge!

A UTOP with Kay who I hope doesn't change cruises!

PDFG and all who need it!

ummm...I did already! Am I bad? Will I get a spanking?

Hey, I have IC stalking me!! I almost feel like royalty!

 

[WDWLVR]

Good morning everyone! A very very cold one here in Chicago today!

Looks like it is going to be a crazy day on the boards with all the calls for the repo cruises and mexican cruises. I'm glad we are set!

 

[wdwluvrs]

wow just checked on the havioc going on over booking west coast cruises the only west coast cruise that would have interested me was the eastern reop. I knew even better that to ask Eileen to fly that far im really lucky im geting her to fly to florida on april 24th 2008. still checking in from work I definatly have to run the destructive recovery on our computer at home all it wants to do it try to reboot its self over and over and over it is 12 degrees out here now

 

[dreamcometrue]

morning all! It rained all night and is all nice, clean and fresh out today! It's going to be a good day because it's payday and that means I get to make a cruise payment!! Never been so happy to give my money away!! Do you all pay in installments or everything 90 days out? I like to pay little by little. If I save the money and put it away somewhere, I just know we're going to have to use it for something! At least it's save with DCL

The main board is a zoo! Sounds like the prices are going up as people are on the phone! I just can't imagine being caught up in that! I priced it out and if I booked right now, for early August, when we originally wanted to go, the Mexican Riviera would indeed be more than our cruise, airfare, hotel and rental car combined. Crazy! Not to mention I have enough money left over to take a stretch limo to the airport! Of course booking has been open for a few hours now so if I really wanted to, I could have gotten a better deal right at 5am PST!

 

[ohiominnie]

Do you all pay in installments or everything 90 days out?

I'll pay a couple of days before the balance is due (unless balance must be paid before making Palo reservations). I might as well be earning interest on my money instead of DCL.

Ours will be socked away in an ING account where it will be relatively safe and more difficult to spend. I figure about $4,000 at 4.5% interest, compounded daily for the next 13 months or so.....

yeah, I'll keep my own money for now!

 

[dreamcometrue]

well, I just talked to DH because he's been giving me a hard time about flying all the way to Florida when the Disney ship is going to be right in our back yard (well, not literally, but almost!). I told him that we're paying $4,438.52 now and the West Coast is $6,086.60 for the exact same room category! That shut him up! Of course, then he said "but we wouldn't waste 2 days travelling". He'll see..I'll take him off the ressie and he can just stay home and won't waste ANY days travelling!

 

[ohiominnie]

He'll see..I'll take him off the ressie and he can just stay home and won't waste ANY days travelling!

Hee hee.

As opposed to my dh who tries to fit in as much vacation time as possible. Our discussion the other night was "we need to get out of debt and to do it I think we need to drop one vacation this year."

Don't feel too badly....we still have 2 weeks in May at WDW and at least 1 1/2 weeks in CA at a podcast expo, DL, and San Diego.

Dh is itching though b/c he's allowed 5 weeks of vacation a year (but usually somehow stretches that to 6)

I'm seriously thinking about not renewing our AP's this September since we won't be doing WDW in December. I know there is a cheaper rate for renewals, but is it worth it if we're not going? If I don't renew in September then I'd just wait until May to renew. Think that's ok without taking a loss for losing the renewal rate?

 

[dreamcometrue]

Hee hee.

As opposed to my dh who tries to fit in as much vacation time as possible. Our discussion the other night was "we need to get out of debt and to do it I think we need to drop one vacation this year."

Don't feel too badly....we still have 2 weeks in May at WDW and at least 1 1/2 weeks in CA at a podcast expo, DL, and San Diego.

Dh is itching though b/c he's allowed 5 weeks of vacation a year (but usually somehow stretches that to 6)

I'm seriously thinking about not renewing our AP's this September since we won't be doing WDW in December. I know there is a cheaper rate for renewals, but is it worth it if we're not going? If I don't renew in September then I'd just wait until May to renew. Think that's ok without taking a loss for losing the renewal rate?

5 weeks!!! Wow! My DH is self employed and hates to leave his business to go on vacation. He is fine as long as we are not TOO far away from home. We rent beach houses on the coast here a lot, so if he has to leave for a day he can easily get away. It makes him nervous vacationing in the middle of the Atlantic He is such a work horse and I hate that sometimes! I mean, the $$ is nice of course but it takes away from family time, vacation. He has a hard time relaxing even when we are away! :sad2

Let me know when you guys are coming to CA!

 

[ohiominnie]

My dh is technically self employed too. He's in with 5 other docs, but they each run their practice independant of one another. They share common expenses (rent, utilities, upgrading computer systems, etc) but their other expenses are their own (paying their own nurses, paying for their own vaccine stock, etc)

So TECHNICALLY the less vacation he takes, the more he makes for two reasons....#1, he can charge out for patients seen and #2, even if he's there or not, he still has to pay 1/6 of the common expenses.

His thing is he NEEDS his vacations to stay sane. Right now he's seeing 40-50 patients a day, most of them very sick with flu, strep or (poor things) flu AND strep.

He does have a partner that hasn't taken more than a week of vacation every year for years b/c he can't stand being on vacation PAYING for vacation and the whole time losing money b/c he isn't seeing patients. And then he has the partner that has the $500,000 house and the expensive cars and all that who CAN'T take a vacation very often or he couldn't pay his bills.

Ok, must get off the DIS. Making lunch. Then we have to take the truck back to the shop (they needed a part last time they didn't have) then to a quick dinner then KT to rehearsal. Hoping for an unsecure network connection!!

Catch ya later!

 

[ohiominnie]

I'm at the main library in Columbus....about 2 blocks away from rehearsal. OPEN network!!!
And no one is online.....

 

[camom3]

Hi,

I'm here. I have to leave in a few minutes and p/u dd6 from church.

Then I have to go to the Valley (about 35 minutes with no traffic - probably about 1.5 hours today) and visit my dad in the hospital. He has pneumonia again.

I have one sister that lives in Alaska and another one in Orange County. However, my OC sister is by her mother-in-law's side has she has congestive heart failure (stage 4).

 

[WDWLVR]

Hi all! Busy day at work but I did check in from time to time to see the madness of the repo and mexican bookings. Some of it reminded me of trying to book the DVC Member Cruisers. Though even that didn't seem as crazy and I don't remember anyone being on line for 4 hours. As I said before I'm quite happy with this sailing and hope you all are too.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Hi all! Busy day at work but I did check in from time to time to see the madness of the repo and mexican bookings. Some of it reminded me of trying to book the DVC Member Cruisers. Though even that didn't seem as crazy and I don't remember anyone being on line for 4 hours. As I said before I'm quite happy with this sailing and hope you all are too.

it's nice to sit back and watch the havoc it causes...I sure wouldn't want to be stuck in the middle of it! Prices going up over $1,000 in matter of 20 min. and people on hold for 2 hours! I can't believe one of the repo cruises is SOLD OUT already!!

I feel great about our cruise! Wouldn't want to be on any of the others! Is the weather in the caribbean in April perfect? Is it humid yet? I can't stand humidity!

Did anyone read becka's trip report? She scared me a little! Although, one thing I am glad about is passing up the SPH I had when I initially booked the April 12th Eastern, and switched to a deck 2 stateroom. Hopefully if I do have any motion sickness it will help to be midship/aft and lower!

 

[WDWLVR]

Well I've never cruised in April but I have cruised a number of times in May and the weather has been great. Especially at Castaway Cay. Our days there were perfect.

 

[ohiominnie]

Did Mary set me up for a TOP????

Thanks, Mary!

pdfg

 

[WDWLVR]

Did Mary set me up for a TOP????

Thanks, Mary!

pdfg

You are most welcome!

 

[dreamcometrue]

just got home from middle school orientation. My DS is going into 6th grade next year and in our district, you have the choice of middle school or staying in elementary school. Since I take him out a week in April, it would be better if he stayed in elementary, but I don't want to make my decision just based on that. The middle school sounds really cool, the principal and teachers are great and I think he'll really enjoy being there! I am leaning towards it and just deal with the one week we're gone!

Off to have some dinner...haven't even eaten yet!

 

[wdwluvrs]

it has been a fun evening. think our computer is up and running again it will probably be days befor all the programs are added back on again. im beat heading to sleep. looking forward to seeing the new additions to the cruise list site night.

 

[WDWLVR]

Good morning everyone!

Mike - happy to hear you are back up and running.

Kay - I'm sure you'll make the right choice of schools.

Still behind on this end and I apologize I haven't gotten the new info up on the website. I promise I'll get it up this weekend at the latest.