August 13, 2011 Med - Mickey's Marauding Mates

[BWV Dreamin]

I knew you would do it! Well, I am changing my sail date to Aug 27, 2011 cruise. The discounts were great. For $180 dollars( really only $80 cause we got $100 more onboard credit) we upgraded from the SPH Cat 10A to 5C verandah! Just couldn't pass this up. This is only our 2nd cruise and first with a verandah.

I would like to keep posting on your thread if you'll have me!

 

[Anal Annie]

I knew you would do it! Well, I am changing my sail date to Aug 27, 2011 cruise. The discounts were great. For $180 dollars( really only $80 cause we got $100 more onboard credit) we upgraded from the SPH Cat 10A to 5C verandah! Just couldn't pass this up. This is only our 2nd cruise and first with a verandah.

I would like to keep posting on your thread if you'll have me!

My goal here is to ADD peeps not LOSE peeps!! Errr...I mean mates!!!

I know, I know...you couldn't pass up the price....that date is too late for us....DS starts his first year of high school that week. Important he not miss that!! You can certainly hang out here with us, just like MrA does... Goodness knows I appear to be out here alone just talking to myself most of the time!!! Justine & FLsunshine have totally abandoned us... Kelly is packing for her trippie to FL (note that I am jealous that she gets to go for soooo long of a stay!!) I just hope the other peeps see the rate reductions and catch them while they can!! I still can't believe we upgraded to a balcony!! This TA I worked with at DU thought I had some creative math skills. SHE looked at it as a $639 increase rather than my $386. She was looking at how much more the 5C balcony cost compared to the newly reduced price of the cat 10 - and she didn't count the add'l $100 in OBC. I gotta count that in. Wouldn't you look at how much you WERE paying compared to just how much you're paying NOW? To me, that's our "net increase".

 

[Kels Sem]

Hi, DH has agreed that we can upgrade to a Cat 5C! It looks like the cost of the upgrade for us will be $560. I know you guys have gone ahead with your upgrades but I don't know whether to hold out to see if there are further discounts It's a bit like when I'm buying dollars - I always look at the exchange rate and think I'll hold off for a bit and see if it gets better but I usually get it wrong

How easy is it to do the upgrade? I have booked direct with Disney as I didn't know about DU when I booked the cruise. Do I just ring them and ask for the price of the upgrade? No additional OBC for me

This is all i need when we're travelling in a few days!

Thanks
Kelly

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi, DH has agreed that we can upgrade to a Cat 5C! It looks like the cost of the upgrade for us will be $560. I know you guys have gone ahead with your upgrades but I don't know whether to hold out to see if there are further discounts It's a bit like when I'm buying dollars - I always look at the exchange rate and think I'll hold off for a bit and see if it gets better but I usually get it wrong

How easy is it to do the upgrade? I have booked direct with Disney as I didn't know about DU when I booked the cruise. Do I just ring them and ask for the price of the upgrade? No additional OBC for me

This is all i need when we're travelling in a few days!

Thanks
Kelly

WhooHOO Kelly!! Yes, it should be VERY simple for you to just call DCL and tell them you've heard about the rate reductions and tell them you'd like to switch your room!! Personally I would do it now rather than wait as you don't want them to start raising the prices again in the meantime! If they should reduce them AGAIN you can always call & ask for the lower price (I will always be watching and will let you know if they reduce again). They will honor the new price as long as it's not after our PIFD (paid in full date). Thing is you don't get it automatically you have to ask for it.

We booked on the port side just forward of the Aft elevator bank in #6108 thinking it would be convenient to the restaurants & drink station being located sorta aft. I specifically wanted a room that sleeps 4 even tho we're only 3 so that DS can sleep in the pulldown bed and we can still have the sofa as a sofa. A lot of the rooms that only sleep 3 are aft of the aft elevators. It's nice back in the aft area as there is less foot traffic - I really wanted deck 5 but there were no Cat 5C's available on that deck. I selected the port side of deck 6 as the ones directly across on the starboard side of the ship are above the theater. None of those room reports were BAD but a couple of people mentioned hearing noise (booms from the bass levels I think) on that side of the ship. There are also some 5C's a little more forward near the forward elevators.

I am psyched!!

 

[Kels Sem]

Hey,,I have gone and done it upgraded to the Cat 5C LeeAnn unfortunately for you, you have not gotten ridden of us as neighbours as they have assigned us 6110!! You will be thinking I'm a stalker but honestly this just happen to be where they assigned us.
At least now DH and I will have somewhere to sit when DS & DD are watching TV or they're sleeping.
I can't believe I've gone and done this as I never expected it.

Hope - sorry to hear that we're losing you but I would have done the same. Unfortunately DS & DD both start back to school around the 26th so I couldn't even do the cruise on the 20th.

Well, only 3 more sleeps until Florida. I have all the packing done that I can as I'm working the next 2 days.

I will try and check in again before I go

Kelly

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey,,I have gone and done it upgraded to the Cat 5C LeeAnn unfortunately for you, you have not gotten ridden of us as neighbours as they have assigned us 6110!! You will be thinking I'm a stalker but honestly this just happen to be where they assigned us.
At least now DH and I will have somewhere to sit when DS & DD are watching TV or they're sleeping.
I can't believe I've gone and done this as I never expected it.

Hope - sorry to hear that we're losing you but I would have done the same. Unfortunately DS & DD both start back to school around the 26th so I couldn't even do the cruise on the 20th.

Well, only 3 more sleeps until Florida. I have all the packing done that I can as I'm working the next 2 days.

I will try and check in again before I go

Kelly

I hope YOU'RE NOT THE ONE who regrets being next door to US!!!! We can be a bit DISfunctional!!! I hope you have a fantastic trip to WDW!! Will you be going to Universal too? We have not done that (yet) with DS and now that the Harry Potter thing is open I figure we should try to go there on our next trip. I am sure it will be PACKED this summer! When do you come home? Did you say you're going for 3 weeks!? You will be here for the 4th of July then right? It has been REALLY hot over here this month so I hope you can find some shade & fans!! Cool off in the pool... Where are you staying?? Are you onsite? I have to live THRU YOU now!!

DVC posted some point charts yesterday for the new DVC resort at Aulani in Hawaii....I am already plotting for 2012!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

No farewells from Kelly! Hope is gone...moved on to bigger & better things... Justine & FLSunshine don't come out to play any more... 'Tis a LONELY job I have to keep this thread going I tell ya!! Even MrA is MIA lately!

DS's swim coach is short on some of his regular 15-18 yr old boys for the 'A' meet tomorrow so he is swimming DS UP from his normal 13/14 age group into the 15/18's tomorrow. I know he has the POTENTIAL to show his stuff but it all depends on his frame of mind in the morning. I NEED to get him to bed SOON but I don't want to send him off in a pissy mood 'cuz he'll WAKE UP in a pissy mood which will blow his mental attitude at the meet...swimming can be a very mental sport...and right now he wants to STAY UP late. Such a fine line we walk with these newly minted teenagers!!

We went out for crabs tonight...first we've had this season. They were good but they were LIGHT. I cut my thumb pretty good on one so I stopped picking 'cuz I didn't want to get crab junk inside it. Waaa! I wanted more crabs!! Me LOVE crabs!!

 

[Kels Sem]

Just popped in quickly to say bye as we're going today! We're going for 2 weeks and yes we're going to Universal probably against my better judgement but I just have to go and see the WWoHP even if we don't get to go on the main ride.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Popping in to say HI!! My new cruise meets thread only has one other poster on it! your not rid of me yet!

We are off to AKV in little more than a month. It will be our first time. So trying to get excited about that. August has not been kind to my asthma so here's fingers crossed that I get thru it this time!

Leann, have you decided what Barcelona hotels you are staying at?

 

[Floridasunshine]

Hello, yes I am still alive but life is so hectic. Been traveling a great deal at work. Returned from Las Vegas where we had a combined operations and HR meeting and then had to go to San Diego last week for a national HR conference. I am such a gambler, I did manage to play the penny machine one night for several hours and won $100.40. I also won a gift certificate at the HR conference to Tiffany's for $100 - my daughters are argueing over who they think will get this to spend - Our company purchased another company in Canada so we have gone international - yea! Even better since I am British.

Still in school on-line and can't wait for this cruise. Every time I fly I volunteer to get bumped off so I can get a credit for another flight in hopes I can use this for this cruise. No such luck as I manage to get on every flight. The employees at work are thrilled that Disney now offers annual passes and they can pay for them monthly, great response.

Actually thinking of going to Disney for the day on Saturday if the weather holds out. I did sign up for the 5K run they are having in Oct. Thought I would be ready for the 1/2 marathon but it is not in the cards this year. Does anyone know if there is a dress up theme night like the pirate night on this cruise. I am currently signed up for 3 cruises and keep getting them confused. Will promise to come out to play more often.

 

[Anal Annie]

There are peeps!! Alive & well!!! Ahoy!!!

Glad to hear that you have not left us hanging FLsunshine! You sure are quite the traveler!! Did you check your cruise fare? You should also be due for a discount / sale!! You must find time to check on that!! You DO KNOW that if you go to Disney this weekend it will be MOBBED for the July 4 holiday?! I do hope Kelly is getting along OK down there!!

So, Hope - our trip to HHI is in just over a month too (Aug 14)! What are your dates again? I bought boogie boards & noodles the other day! I am a bit "touched in the head" sometimes!! Since this is a driving vaca and it's about a 10 hr. drive from here I think we've decided to head out on Fri. night after rush hour dies down on the Beltway & drive for about 3 hours. Stop just past Richmond, VA - maybe at a Hampton Inn or Comfort Suites type place (one with a free breakfast included). That way we won't have such a hard push on Saturday and we can head out with a cup of java & a full tummy. I'd like to get there by around 3:00 or so & this would make that goal a lot easier! We will just drive it straight thru on the way home. But I don't like the idea of getting up to head out at 4:00 am on Saturday so this seems like a good compromise.

And no, I have not decided FOR SURE on any hotels anywhere yet in Paris OR Barcelona! There is plenty of time. I will reshop prices after we get under a year. I've read of people getting some good deals at that Eurostars Grand Marina thru like Travelzoo or something so I may look at that too. Not sure if we should stay at the same place before AND after?!

DS has been swimming in 2 meets a week so I am keeping busy at the pool. I have been taking pics to help out with the team CD and the editing of all the pics has also been keeping me tied up. I will have to post some pics one of these days after I get them uploaded to a photo sight somewhere.

Well, DH just gave me a new little pocket size video camera today for my b-day & I think it is charged & ready for me to play with. Must run do some testing before the meet tomorrow AM!! TTYL...good to hear the peeps live on!!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Hi all! Happy 4th of July!! Annie, are you still working the " census"? My trip dates are Aug 13-17th. You will have to tell me all about HHI!! We are going next year over Memorial Day weekend and week.

Glad to hear about all the upgrades! I am psyched about a verandah! Everyone stay safe this holiday!

 

[MRAven]

Hello, Annie and all; yes been MIA but still around

If you are like me, my Go No Go date is about 90 days before sailing. That is the date when it has to be 100% paid in order to book shore excursions. So, considering this for all of you Morounding Mates, this cruise's Go No Go date is only 10 months away

It doesn't sound too long away does it !

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey all!! We were back onto page 3!! I have been quite busy with DS's swimming the past couple of weeks. I feel like I live at the pool between meets & practices. I have been helping with the team pics for each meet too and have taken hundreds of them - they take a lot of time to go thru & edit / crop etc. I pass them on to someone else who's putting a CD together. I enjoy it but it's very time consuming!!

It has been MISERABLY hot here for the past couple of weeks. A couple of days it hit 100 this week and the humidity is HORRID. It was like 102 on Wed. night for our meet - I thought I was going to melt. For real. Just melt. It was just disgusting out. Finally expecting some rain & cooler temps (90) this weekend. We REALLY need the rain but we have a meet in the morning tho so I hope it's not pouring. They will swim it in the rain as long as it's not storming with thunder & lightening and as long as it's not raining so hard that the lifeguards can't see the bottom of the pool. DS is only swimming freestyle tomorrow which is the first stroke they do. We should be able to leave once he is done.

Well, Kelly should be coming home soon I guess. I wonder if SHE melted!! I hope she had fun!!

Our Hilton Head Island vaca is just over a month away. I booked us a hotel room about 3 1/2 hours from home - it is a 10 hour drive for us so we decided we didn't want to do all of it on Saturday & get down there really late. This way we can get a good head start that Saturday and only have to drive about 6 1/2 hrs. and hopefully we'll get there by around 3:00. We'll just do the 10 hour push on the way home. It won't matter so much what time we roll in for that trip. But GOING I want to get there at a decent time. I bought some boogie boards & pool noodles. I think I am ready to pack!

 

[Anal Annie]

OK kiddos! Just a quick bump back up from page 4!!

Went to the beach Tues. for a quickie over night trip to our neighbors beach house - had to come back today tho for DS's swim meet this evening...just discovered that I'd left my camera ON the past 2 days (my DSLR doesn't have a timer to just shut off automatically)!! I got 45 minutes to see how much charge I can get on the battery (and I don't have a spare, only the one)!! DOH!!! This is NOT good I'm afraid!!

 

[Anal Annie]

OK boys & girls! Time to get recruiting here! What's going on? Where is everyone!? Why aren't we picking up any new peeps!? I am hoping it's just 'cuz everyone is so busy over the summer and not 'cuz I've scared anyone away!

Kelly should be back from FL now! Where is she?! HELLLLOOO!! Kelllllllyy!?! Trip report please!!

DS's summer swim season ends pretty much this week with the "Superstars" meet on Wed. evening. We had meets both Sat. & Sun. this past weekend and were up & out EARLY both days. He does not make Divisionals or All Stars which are the following week but they still have practices so we may still go to SOME thru the end of the month - the Awards Banquet is the 28th so maybe until then. His fall team starts back up on August 30 so we have a month "off". He has a 2-week day camp the first 2 weeks of August and then we go on vacation the 3rd week. Still plenty going on to keep me busy.

But I am getting concerned about our lack of new peeps! What to do? What to do?!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I just read FLSunshine is moving over to my cruise!

OK boys & girls! Time to get recruiting here! What's going on? Where is everyone!? Why aren't we picking up any new peeps!? I am hoping it's just 'cuz everyone is so busy over the summer and not 'cuz I've scared anyone away!

Kelly should be back from FL now! Where is she?! HELLLLOOO!! Kelllllllyy!?! Trip report please!!

DS's summer swim season ends pretty much this week with the "Superstars" meet on Wed. evening. We had meets both Sat. & Sun. this past weekend and were up & out EARLY both days. He does not make Divisionals or All Stars which are the following week but they still have practices so we may still go to SOME thru the end of the month - the Awards Banquet is the 28th so maybe until then. His fall team starts back up on August 30 so we have a month "off". He has a 2-week day camp the first 2 weeks of August and then we go on vacation the 3rd week. Still plenty going on to keep me busy.

But I am getting concerned about our lack of new peeps! What to do? What to do?!

 

[Anal Annie]

I just read FLSunshine is moving over to my cruise!

Oh that's just GREAT!! I may as well have stayed on that July 20 10-night cruise the way this ship is sinking!! Hopefully it will mean more discounts later if nobody else wants to sail with me. I guess I may as well just give up on the thread until someone else finds it.

 

[Anal Annie]

Bump back to daylight!

Boy! This cruise is picking up peeps at a pace!!

 

[veludo]

Hello Everyone!

Im sorry Ive been missing for ages!

Time has just flown - we've been away in Majorca which was fab and then seem to have been super busy with various things since we got back.

We go to Disneyland Paris next week - we changed our hotel from Newport Bay to Hotel New York so I hope its good!

Tonight Mart rang DCL and we got the $800 or so dollars knocked off what we still have to pay due to the prices being reduced so thats great news!

Its the school summer holidays here now for six weeks and I have some time off so hopefully more time for cruise planning!

Will catch up with all the posts very soon - I dont think Ive been on since May just before we went on hols

We are away this weekend and then work for a couple of days then off to Paris next Thursday so I may go AWOL again but I will be back

Speak soon

Justine xxxx