August 29th, 2009--Eastern Magic...Let's Get it Started!

[MakingScrapbooks]

Hey 8/29 cruisers,

We're a bit slow to this party, but we will be joining you!

I booked awhile ago, we just weren't sure if schedules were actually going to work out so we could cruise or not. But things are looking good!

Except I goofed and forgot we were already 90 days out.
I got final payment all squared away late Sunday afternoon, but by then all brunch times were gone. Darn! That was the only thing I was concerned about trying to book early. Oh well, hopefully we'll still be able to snag a spot, and if not I guess it's not a complete deal breaker.

Anyway... we're a small group this cruise:
Myself, DH, DS13 & DD11

I hope you'll catch me up as we go since it looks like you guys have been pretty chatty.

Welcome!!! Our kids will be in OQ together. I've got a DS 13, DS 11, and DD 8 (who will be with her age group).

 

[Waltworshiper]

We're leaving(on 8/22) a week before, AND my brother is getting married the night before we leave. I'll be busy preparing for that before we leave. So if you could get the final list up at least 3 weeks before, I'd be eternally grateful. I'd like to have a couple of weeks to make sure I have everything.

How about we make Aug 9th (Sunday) the day the final list will be posted? I know sometimes it takes until about 25 days out to get cabin #'s for some of our people with gty's, so I want to make sure they all have enough time to get their numbers to me. Also if anyone gets upgraded at the port, please let me know by leaving a note on my cabin door as soon as you can. When our DS or I make our delivery, we will leave a note if anyone got changed.

 

[TVEPFOX]

We were thinking of going from St. Thomas to St. John for the day. Doing a little web surfing I can only find ferry rates of 70 bucks per adult. Does this seem right? Any suggestions?

 

[jel0511]

How about we make Aug 9th (Sunday) the day the final list will be posted? I know sometimes it takes until about 25 days out to get cabin #'s for some of our people with gty's, so I want to make sure they all have enough time to get their numbers to me. Also if anyone gets upgraded at the port, please let me know by leaving a note on my cabin door as soon as you can. When our DS or I make our delivery, we will leave a note if anyone got changed.

Thanks!!! I appreciate it!!!!

 

[bellelinus]

We were thinking of going from St. Thomas to St. John for the day. Doing a little web surfing I can only find ferry rates of 70 bucks per adult. Does this seem right? Any suggestions?

I think that's way too much. This is what someone posted on cruise critic:

Cab from Port to Red Hook Ferry - $10. per person each way (however, there is a $2.00 bus that you can take - you pick it up at K-Mart - I haven't tried that)

Ferry $12.20 p.p. round trip

Taxi from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay - $6.p.p. each way

If you go to Trunk Bay, last I heard it was $4.p.p.

Check out the St. Thomas/St. John port of call forum on cruise critic for lots of information:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=133

 

[jel0511]

We were thinking of going from St. Thomas to St. John for the day. Doing a little web surfing I can only find ferry rates of 70 bucks per adult. Does this seem right? Any suggestions?

It depends on what kind of ferry you're looking at. If it's a private ferry, that does sound about rignt. There are 2 public ferries to St. John from St. Thomas. One leaves from the harbor front in Charlotte Amalie (walking distance from the ship) and another one from Red Hook (about a 20 min ferry ride from the ship WITHOUT traffic, that part is important). The one from Charlotte Amalie doesn't run as frequently and is a more rough ride than the one from Red Hook. The advantage to it is that it doesn't require a taxi to get there, but you still have to leave St. John around the same time, regardless, due to traffic issues and ferry schedules. You have to be on the 2 back to Red Hook, or the 2:15 to Charlotte Amalie. The first one becuase traffic between Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie can be HORRENDOUS, as there is only 1 road and it's a 2 lanes (one in each direction). We've only taken the Red Hook ferry when we've gone to our timeshare on St. John, so that's the one I usually recommend. You get a nice driving tour of St. Thomas and it's an easier ride. Here is the ferry schedule:
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/#St. John Passenger Ferry: Red Hook to Cruz Bay

 

[Waltworshiper]

If you are involved in the FE please pm me or post the info about when you are leaving for the trip. We are posting the final list Aug 9th, but if any changes come in before that, I'd like to be able to notify you by pm, or a general post. My family is leaving at 4pm on the 26th, and I won't have a computer with me to check my email after that time. Please notify me as soon as you can onboard, cabin 7022, if you change your cabin either by getting an upgrade at port or something that happens after the early part of the 26th(don't know how much time I will have that day to check the computer). I will get a note out to the group, but please notify me as early as you can(before 5pm), since we will be making the first FE delivery. Sorry for all the emails lately, but I am an overly organized planner.

I try to tack on the fish at the top of any post concerning the FE group so it will catch your attention quicker, I will continue to do that with any late updates

 

[Waltworshiper]

If anyone is surprising their kids with the cruise, Dolly made up a cute little letter to give them. If anyone is interested here is the link to her thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2189054&page=2

 

[4everluvDisney]

If you are involved in the FE please pm me with when you are leaving for the trip. We are posting the final list Aug 9th, but if any changes come in before that, I'd like to be able to notify you by pm, or a general post. My family is leaving at 4pm on the 26th, and I won't have a computer with me to check my email after that time. Please notify me as soon as you can onboard, cabin 7022, if you change your cabin either by getting an upgrade at port or something that happens after the early part of the 26th(don't know how much time I will have that day to check the computer). I will get a note out to the group, but please notify me as early as you can(before 5pm), since we will be making the first FE delivery. Sorry for all the emails lately, but I am an overly organized planner.

I try to tack on the fish at the top of any post concerning the FE group so it will catch your attention quicker, I will continue to do that with any late updates

As another overly organized planner I totally understand where you are coming from.

 

[bellelinus]

If you are involved in the FE please pm me with when you are leaving for the trip. We are posting the final list Aug 9th, but if any changes come in before that, I'd like to be able to notify you by pm, or a general post. My family is leaving at 4pm on the 26th, and I won't have a computer with me to check my email after that time. Please notify me as soon as you can onboard, cabin 7022, if you change your cabin either by getting an upgrade at port or something that happens after the early part of the 26th(don't know how much time I will have that day to check the computer). I will get a note out to the group, but please notify me as early as you can(before 5pm), since we will be making the first FE delivery. Sorry for all the emails lately, but I am an overly organized planner.

I try to tack on the fish at the top of any post concerning the FE group so it will catch your attention quicker, I will continue to do that with any late updates

Thanks again for all your work and organization . . . we don't leave until the 28th, so no worries on my front regarding any list changes up until your departure.

 

[jel0511]

If you are involved in the FE please pm me with when you are leaving for the trip. We are posting the final list Aug 9th, but if any changes come in before that, I'd like to be able to notify you by pm, or a general post. My family is leaving at 4pm on the 26th, and I won't have a computer with me to check my email after that time. Please notify me as soon as you can onboard, cabin 7022, if you change your cabin either by getting an upgrade at port or something that happens after the early part of the 26th(don't know how much time I will have that day to check the computer). I will get a note out to the group, but please notify me as early as you can(before 5pm), since we will be making the first FE delivery. Sorry for all the emails lately, but I am an overly organized planner.

I try to tack on the fish at the top of any post concerning the FE group so it will catch your attention quicker, I will continue to do that with any late updates

Again thanks for organizing this!!! As I said earlier, we're leaving for FL on Aug 22, though I'll probably mentally checkout for my brother's wedding around Aug 16 or 17th.

 

[TVEPFOX]

Anyone interested in making the trip to St. John's with us?

 

[jel0511]

Anyone interested in making the trip to St. John's with us?

Thanks for the invite, but we don't plan on going to St. John this trip, as we'll be going back in Nov for a week. So we're going to stay on St. Thomas. In all of our trips to St. John, we've never made it over ONCE to visit St. Thomas, so we're using this opportunity to see more than the airport and ferry terminal in Red Hook

 

[MN_Cruz'n]

Hey 8/29 cruisers,

Anyway... we're a small group this cruise:
Myself, DH, DS13 & DD11

I hope you'll catch me up as we go since it looks like you guys have been pretty chatty.

Welcome!

I too have a DD11 on the cruise (plus my other DD7)! Let me know if your DD is interested in a email Pen Pal prior to the Cruise!

And don't sweat the Palo resies. DCL only releases about 1/2 online, and saves the others for on-board bookings. Plus, I've heard on a lot of posts that people quite often are able to get bookings same-day by just calling Guest Services and asking if there is availability.

Less than three months now!

 

[TVEPFOX]

I have a 7 year old daughter too! Does your DD do the clubs? Mine LUVS them!

 

[TVEPFOX]

Sounds like St. John is a lot of work!

How about a beach poll for St. Thomas...

Megan's Bay or Saphire Beach

 

[bellelinus]

Sounds like St. John is a lot of work!

How about a beach poll for St. Thomas...

Megan's Bay or Saphire Beach

I did Sapphire when we were in St. Thomas in 2007 and loved it, although I have heard a few mixed reviews recently on Cruise Critic. I plan to keep an eye out over there for reviews as they come in over the summer and then decide whether to go back to Sapphire or try Megan's this time.

I would love to see St. John, but just don't want the stress of all the effort to get over there -- not that it isn't possible, but I have decided that I want this cruise to be a really easy and lazy one . . .

 

[jel0511]

Sounds like St. John is a lot of work!

How about a beach poll for St. Thomas...

Megan's Bay or Saphire Beach

St. John is completely worth it!!! Though I've never made the trek for one day, so my opinion is completely biased as I own a partial real estate stake in a house there! I think the trek is the reason why we've never made it back to St. Thomas from St. John. We're just content there with the shops, restaurants and of course beaches there so see no reason to trek back to St. Thomas. Our plan on St. Thomas is to get off relatively early and do the tram, then head off to Megan's Bay. Stay for a few hours, then head back to the ship/havensite mall (where we should dock) and do a bit of shopping.

 

[ALLY092299]

We will be leaving for Florida on 8/25. I hate to wish the summer away, but I can't wait to go!!!

 

[Az Pirates]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!


DH and I stopped in both St Maarten & St Thomas on our first cruise ever...
pre-kids, on a Carnival ship, over spring break.
Let's just say I remember very little, and I expect this cruise to be much different.



I haven't done any research yet though. I've paid for the cruise, and for our plane tickets home. Everything else is still up in the air and waiting for me to get to it.


MN_Cruz'n, Cammi would love to get to know a cruise buddy before we sail. I'll send you a PM.