April 29, 2012 ~ Aloha! ~ Wonder to Hawaii- who is with me?

[mishoe01]

Okay, gang, checking in here. I could have sworn I had checked in before, but couldn't see me on the list, so here I am.

Trying to wrap up things from the "Wonder"ful time on the repo and Alaska cruise.

For Hawaii, plans are for me and my daughter Jamie to join (unless she gets some crazy idea to go work at WDW again next summer.) She is thoroughly enjoying working in entertainment and she has a dance rehearsal next Monday for some show (not sure what she is doing.) She is "Great friends" with about 10 different Disney Characters so far!

I will plan on doing a themed Hawaii Disney Scrapbook class for this cruise. I have actually already found a couple of themed papers that will work perfectly. For those that have cruised with me before, you know the drill.
Go ahead and send me a PM with your info and stateroom number and a couple of months before the cruise I will post the date, time, place and cost for the class and what we will be doing. For Alaska we did a 12 x 12 book (well we started it anyway--long story--but for those on that cruise, your final paper is going in the mail and on its' way to you).

I am headed next for a really quick trip to go see my daughter at WDW and get pictures of her!

I'll keep checking back. Looks like we already have a chatty group!

It was good to see you around the ship!

Let me know if you need any help with the scrapbooking class.

 

[mishoe01]

To all the new people out there, don't stress. I have been on 9 DCL cruises and not once have I done any type of FE or anything. All by choice, partially because I can't wrap my mind around it. There has always been enough going on on the ship were I have to yet participate in a Dis activity. Again by choice. I just like it here so I can talk to people and maybe make a new friend or two.

So true....you can do as much or as little as you want to/chose to/need to. I don't know if I'm going to participate in the FE gifts, since I need to fly home from the West Coast. I love doing the FE exchange when I'm sailing in/out of Port Canaveral, but then I can myself (and my stuff) home No need to worry about baggage allowances.

Things will be planned that will be right up your alley that you can do with fellow DISers....you may also not want to do anything that's planned. NO worries what so ever! You may find someone to do that excursion with you (when no one you know wants to do it), or if nothing else - you'll get a smile from the other DISer wearing a lanyard.

 

[gdaneowner]

They are usually distributed on embarkation day (in terminal/up on deck/sail away party) or on pre-embarkation day meets. Erik & Jason will keep us informed so that no one misses out.

BTW - I will gladly contribute to the lanyard team

I would also be glad to contribute!.. But, I have to ask, is there a set amount for them, or do you just make a "donation"?

 

[jiminyC_fan]

For us, it has always been that the lanyard is considered your FE gift. Is that going to be the same here?

 

[granmaz]

Okay, gang, checking in here. I could have sworn I had checked in before, but couldn't see me on the list, so here I am.

Trying to wrap up things from the "Wonder"ful time on the repo and Alaska cruise.

For Hawaii, plans are for me and my daughter Jamie to join (unless she gets some crazy idea to go work at WDW again next summer.) She is thoroughly enjoying working in entertainment and she has a dance rehearsal next Monday for some show (not sure what she is doing.) She is "Great friends" with about 10 different Disney Characters so far!

I will plan on doing a themed Hawaii Disney Scrapbook class for this cruise. I have actually already found a couple of themed papers that will work perfectly. For those that have cruised with me before, you know the drill.
Go ahead and send me a PM with your info and stateroom number and a couple of months before the cruise I will post the date, time, place and cost for the class and what we will be doing. For Alaska we did a 12 x 12 book (well we started it anyway--long story--but for those on that cruise, your final paper is going in the mail and on its' way to you).

I am headed next for a really quick trip to go see my daughter at WDW and get pictures of her!

I'll keep checking back. Looks like we already have a chatty group!

Hello Linda. I did wonder if you were onboard. How exciting for your daughter to be working at WDW, and enjoying it so much too! Enjoy your visit to see her.

 

[gydell]

I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but a helicopter ride will be researched as not sure where to do this (and how much it will cost). I do want to snorkle/snuba in the Molokini Crater (on Maui). Pearl Harbor is a must do/see.

Helicopter on the big island! You can see the erupting volcano and the waterfalls. Zipline on Kauaii!

I would also be glad to contribute!.. But, I have to ask, is there a set amount for them, or do you just make a "donation"?

The person that orders them usually divides the total $ by the # that are willing to help with the cost. I have paid between $30 and $65 depending on the cruise. And I do consider them to be my FE gift.

 

[gdaneowner]

For us, it has always been that the lanyard is considered your FE gift. Is that going to be the same here?

What if you do not participate in the FE? Although I enjoyed doing the FE last cruise, it was just to overwhelming for me to do with 2 young kids. It took SO much room in my luggage, on top of diapers, baby food, etc. And that doesn't even count taking all of our goodies home!.. I was cramming things in parts of my luggage I didn't even know I had!..and that was just the 4 nighter. And I can imagine it would only be worse on a 15 nighter.. Being that we have to pack many more "neccessities".

 

[mishoe01]

Helicopter on the big island! You can see the erupting volcano and the waterfalls. Zipline on Kauaii!

Noted...thanks!

The person that orders them usually divides the total $ by the # that are willing to help with the cost. I have paid between $30 and $65 depending on the cruise. And I do consider them to be my FE gift.

 

[mishoe01]

What if you do not participate in the FE? Although I enjoyed doing the FE last cruise, it was just to overwhelming for me to do with 2 young kids. It took SO much room in my luggage, on top of diapers, baby food, etc. And that doesn't even count taking all of our goodies home!.. I was cramming things in parts of my luggage I didn't even know I had!..and that was just the 4 nighter. And I can imagine it would only be worse on a 15 nighter.. Being that we have to pack many more "neccessities".

I've done lanyards w/o doing the FE....that way I have my lanyard (plus souvenier) but I don't have to worry about bringing all that extra stuff home w/ me.

 

[gydell]

What if you do not participate in the FE? Although I enjoyed doing the FE last cruise, it was just to overwhelming for me to do with 2 young kids. It took SO much room in my luggage, on top of diapers, baby food, etc. And that doesn't even count taking all of our goodies home!.. I was cramming things in parts of my luggage I didn't even know I had!..and that was just the 4 nighter. And I can imagine it would only be worse on a 15 nighter.. Being that we have to pack many more "neccessities".

Everyone on the dis that wants a lanyard gets one.

 

[gdaneowner]

OK.. So, I have to get this question started. I have signed up on the roll call spread sheet, but, is this just a list of the people on this thread, or does the roll call serve a different purpose? Also, I noticed that there are many different tabs, I know what the FE is, but, how does the secret Mickey, Scavengar Hunt, Champagne Girls, and candy swap work? Also, is there going to be a sign up sheet added to this spread sheet for the lanyards? This is me showing my newbi'ness..

 

[gdaneowner]

Everyone on the dis that wants a lanyard gets one.

Ok.. Gotcha.. So, you just have to say you want one, to get one, it is also nice to contribute to the cause? I got it.. Thanks for the clear up!..

 

[birkner]

The person that orders them usually divides the total $ by the # that are willing to help with the cost. I have paid between $30 and $65 depending on the cruise. And I do consider them to be my FE gift.

I am doing the lanyards on several of our cruises and have just asked for donations. My thought was just to ask for contributions and allow people to contribute whatever they felt comfortable giving to the effort.

I guess I didn't think about them being a FE gift but one could think of it that way.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I have to admit when we have considered the lanyards as FE gifts, we have never split into groups for the FE. That was even for the MV of the Dream.

 

[auntlynne]

I know exactly how you feel! It can be a bit intimidating. Even though I've done 2 other DCL cruises, they were nothing like this, just the number of activities being discussed is mind boggling, and everyone seems to know what it all means: Like the "sponsor the landyard" thing - seriously what is this. ...

Sponsor the Lanyard - I think we are waiting for the appointed leaders of this (Erik and Jason, because they have done them in the past with glowing reviews ) to give us more details. Like several of us, they have to finish one cruise before they can give more attention to this one a year away.

I have cruised where people helped contribute to the cost of the lanyards (they are about $2-3 per person and include a lanyard with the cruise's "name" and dates and a badge holder + a personalized name tag insert with a design - usually it will be similar to the designs you see in people's signature blocks at the end of their posts) in lieu of purchasing a separate item to gift in the FEs. Some of the "lanyard team," these people who contributed, do not wish to participate in the FE and just generously help offset the costs.

How does one got about getting these very popular talked about lanyards?

Keep reading and we'll get some more info on the lanyards - they'll even tell us how to sign up for them as our sail date gets closer.

I have never been ziplining, and am looking forward to trying it!.. Sounds like GREAT fun!.. .. I have been parasailing, and it was awesome, so this is my next adventure!

Done both, ziplining is so much more "scary?", "exhilirating?" don't know quite what is the word to describe. On the parasail, I was just up there in the air, looking around. On the zipline, you are moving quite fast, not so much time to look around, trying to concentrate on facing forward.

They are both quite fun. Zipped when I was 16 yo at Outward Bound and then again at 47 yo in Maui. The 8 zip-excursion on Maui was quite fun.

...Please know we have all been the newbie at one time and hopefully all were made as welcome I was. If we are ever talking about anything that you are not clear about please ask. One thing I can say we are good at, or guilty of, depending on how you look at it, is sharing information. We are happy to help. Our enthusiasm is also an excuse to relive our past cruises. Also, remember, I am sure you have info you can share with us that we will appreciate too.

Ditto - bold type to say Amen!

I can't say that I have ever felt excluded, just lost!.. When we did our Bahama criuse, we had a DIS thread, but it was not near as busy as this one. I am guessing that being that this is a 15 night cruise, there is just more time to plan and do new things. 4 nights just isn't enough time to get to know to many people, let along do the bingo's, and the workshops that the cruisers plan. This is where I become lost. On the last cruise we were on, nothing was ever mentioned about lanyards, etc. I think the FE is about as much of an organized "event" that we had.

But thanks to everyone for making us feel more and more welcome!...

The thread for our upcoming May 31 Alaska thread is nowhere near as active as the ones for the long cruises. I think people are so much more focused on the ports or are having "family vacations" that they don't DISboard nearly so much. These long cruises don't have nearly as many children, either.

We don't even have lanyards for Alaska - so won't easily figure out with whom we have been chatting on DISboards.

 

[auntlynne]

I am doing the lanyards on several of our cruises and have just asked for donations. My thought was just to ask for contributions and allow people to contribute whatever they felt comfortable giving to the effort.

I guess I didn't think about them being a FE gift but one could think of it that way.

I've seen it both ways - when I did them last year, I just didn't want to have to "bother" with collecting the money. And I didn't do FEs, either, although I did receive some. I accepted money from those who wanted to give, but tried to make sure people knew that the lanyards were a gift - and that I wasn't the only one who helped pay for them.

I've also cruised where the lanyard team contributed about $25 each person and counted that as their gift - which would be less than some spend and more than others do (I think this cruise had FE groups of 10-12 cabins).

So glad it's not set in stone, as long as people can get on board with something that is just for fun.

In the end, I really enjoyed making the name tag inserts - used photo paper and then laminated them to make them colorful and resistant to looking shabby by the end of our 11 and 14 night cruises.

 

[birkner]

I've seen it both ways - when I did them last year, I just didn't want to have to "bother" with collecting the money. And I didn't do FEs, either, although I did receive some. I accepted money from those who wanted to give, but tried to make sure people knew that the lanyards were a gift - and that I wasn't the only one who helped pay for them.

I've also cruised where the lanyard team contributed about $25 each person and counted that as their gift - which would be less than some spend and more than others do (I think this cruise had FE groups of 10-12 cabins).

So glad it's not set in stone, as long as people can get on board with something that is just for fun.

In the end, I really enjoyed making the name tag inserts - used photo paper and then laminated them to make them colorful and resistant to looking shabby by the end of our 11 and 14 night cruises.

Thanks for the clarification. I posted on our WBTA thread to see what people want to do.

I plan to both laminate the name tags and to get water resistant pouches as last year mine got ruined when it got wet. Since the one I am is large enough to put a few things in, I wanted it to be water resistant.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I can give a bit more info about Secret Mickey and the Scavenger Hunt. I am involved in the running of the first and I organize the second. It is bedtime here today, but I will post an explanation tomorrow.

Corinna

 

[auntlynne]

Since we're talking about helicopter tours, here's more photos from Lynne :

Last January, I selected Blue Hawaiian helicopter tours for my DB & SIL for a view of Hilo and the volcanoes (don't remember if they actually went over Volcanoes National Park). This company has a very good reputation. In the photos, you can see how the lava flowed down and would leave some areas untouched.

The tour left from the airport in Hilo, which is very close to our port.

The town of Hilo, county seat of the County of Hawaii (the Big Island), home of the University of Hawaii (main branch):

 

[auntlynne]

While I did not go on the helicopter tour from Hilo, I did go on a tour over western Maui and Molokai 2 years earlier. This one used whisper quiet helicopters - very nice.

I would really consider one on Kauai if they fly you over Waimea Canyon and out to see the Napali Coastline (think Magnum PI intro), where they have the vertical cliffs that run into the sea.

For those who get seasick (like me): helicopter flights are so much better than flying or sailing in this respect; I had no problems at all.