Bahamas?? Alaska??? BAHAMAS! Dream coming true June 21-26, 2011

[Leshaface]

Hi everyone and welcome to my Pre-Trip Report!!

I'm EXTREMELY new to the Cruise Line forum and must say, I feel like a freshmen in college, nervous and excited!

Introductions!

My name is Leshaface and have been a DIS member for a bit now...i've been going to Disneyland since I was a baby, and have 'recently' (2008) begun overly obsessing about Walt Disney World! Now it looks like I have added another Disney category to my Disney Delusion!

And DH, is just along for the ride...why? Cuz I'm the wife and what I say goes!

So here's how the trip came about:

My mother (a darling and most generous woman) had given to my Brother and equally Disney-obsessed Sister-in-law, a Land and Sea cruise for their Honeymoon last year and they had a blast! (moreso on the cruise, since they didn't like the slight humidity that Florida has to offer in June ) And they've been talking about it ever since!

Well, at dinner one night this past December, they were again, talking about how fabulous the cruise was, yada yada, and me just sitting there listening, since I can't contribute any information to the subject, being slightly jealous (but not in a "Mean Girl" movie status way...more in an envious, evil way ) My mom then asks me, "Mija, (we're mexican in case I didn't look the part) don't you want to go on a Disney Cruise??" "Yeah, but DH doesn't want to fork out the money to be stuck on a big boat, and visit places where he 'claims' we've already been." (we went to Jamaica on our Honeymoon back in 2006...last time I checked, the Bahamas and Jamaica are two separate entities ..but because they both have 'clear water' it's the same thing ) My mom says, "Well how bout this you guys...I'll pay for half the trip for each couple if you guys want to go next Winter!"..... Um, yeah, DH will just have to get over his 'clear water' hurdle and suck it up!

So the planning process began.

We started looking at Cruises that set sail in December-early January, and saw that the only thing in our range was the Bahamas..so we're thinking the New Years Eve cruise! Sil gets a little nervous about flight delays and missing school since we'd be returning back from our cruise one day before school starts...and I understood how she felt. So we decided to move the cruise up to the only other time that seemed fit for both the teachers in our family...THIS SUMMER.

But uh-oh...looks like DH did some research and found that Alaska was also cruising in the Summer. Sil is TOTALLY on board with Alaska! She's always wanted to go there, and honestly, so have I...the only person with an issue is my brother...

My brother's worry about going to Alaska is..."I won't be able to take my shirt off." Don't get it?? Let me introduce my brother...

During Christmas eve

Making breakfast

Eating

Playing hackeysack(sp?) with my hubby

Having a beer while chilling with his dog

Doing a mini keg stand

Lounging around with my kitty (RIP Lil' Ma)

And making gingerbread houses

Even his one of his senior portrait shots was, of course with no shirt on and only a red bow tie (that's just his humor, sick and demented, but he likes it! and just to let everyone know, he was 'of age' when these shots were taken He'll be 25 in a few days)

So you can see that his concern is valid, and "a vacation is not a vacation, without my shirt off!"

So here we are, all 3 of us, trying to point out all the FANTASTIC things we can do in Alaska and pointing out the obvious, "When will we ever get HALF of our trip payed for ever again?!" Might as well make the most of it right?!

We start to look at all the ports we'd be stopping at and start realizing, that there would be MUCH more excursions in Alaska then the Bahamas, and start adding things up...can we say EXPENSIVE in such short notice! I mean it's only 4 1/2 months away! It's not like we've been planning and saving for this trip for a year or anything! So we (me, DH and sil) think Bahamas will be much more manageable and MUCH less expensive! ALL OF A SUDDEN, my brother says, "You're right...let's do Alaska, especially since we went to the Bahamas for my honeymoon last year, it will be cool to do something new."

Pfft...so NOW we're REALLY trying to weigh out all the pros/cons of each trip and time is running out...it' already the second week in January and we have to book something ASAP...after many meetings (with no shirts on ) we FINALLY all agree on the BAHAMAS!!!


PHEW! So now we're all set and ready to board the new Dream ship, which I had NO idea was going to be a new ship until I started researching for the Bahamas.

We're staying the night before the cruise (June 20) at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport and boarding the Dream, June 21 with our own Verandah staterooms!

So I hope you'll come 'aboard' laughing: I kill myself sometimes) my TR! There will be lots of laughs, LOTS of pics (food, ship, excursions), and i'm sure many moments with 'no shirts'!

Welcome aboard!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi Leshaface! I'm in...I'm SOOOOOO in!!!

Hey, I knew that story about how you guys finally decided on the Bahamas!

Your sailing date is exactly one month before the sailing date for our cruise. Of course, we're not going on Disney cruise line, we're going on Royal Caribbean since we're leaving out of NJ.

As you probably already know, I have been on 13 cruises, and my 14th one is coming up in July. Never been on Disney cruiseline, but I can still help you with any general cruise questions you may have. Who am I kidding? You probably know more than I do at this point, since you love to plan like I do!

Now, you do know that we (I, at least) expect pics of your cruise afterwards, and lots and lots of FOOD PORN! I'm just sayin'...it would be greatly appreciated!

Your brother will be very happy because in the Bahamas, it will be plenty hot to take off his shirt! Just let him know that you are required to wear a shirt in the dining room on the cruise ship!

Oh by the way, I love the pic with the gingerbread houses! My DH makes a gingerbread house every year for New Year's Eve. He does it all from scratch. He makes up his own little blueprints, cuts out cardboard so he knows all the dimensions, then makes the gingerbread dough from scratch, then shapes it, bakes it and puts it together. So far, he has done a log cabin, a replica of my sister's house, a replica of our house, and this year he did 2 doghouses, one with a pug and one with a dachshund. We went to my sister's house for New Year's Eve, so this was to surprise her becase she has a pug and a dachshund (she used to have 2 pugs, but one passed away in September). He makes royal icing to decorate and buys all sorts of candies to decorate. It's a lot of fun, and the kids get really into it!

 

[Leshaface]

Hi Leshaface! I'm in...I'm SOOOOOO in!!!

Hey, I knew that story about how you guys finally decided on the Bahamas!

Your sailing date is exactly one month before the sailing date for our cruise. Of course, we're not going on Disney cruise line, we're going on Royal Caribbean since we're leaving out of NJ.

As you probably already know, I have been on 13 cruises, and my 14th one is coming up in July. Never been on Disney cruiseline, but I can still help you with any general cruise questions you may have. Who am I kidding? You probably know more than I do at this point, since you love to plan like I do!

Now, you do know that we (I, at least) expect pics of your cruise afterwards, and lots and lots of FOOD PORN! I'm just sayin'...it would be greatly appreciated!

Your brother will be very happy because in the Bahamas, it will be plenty hot to take off his shirt! Just let him know that you are required to wear a shirt in the dining room on the cruise ship!

Oh by the way, I love the pic with the gingerbread houses! My DH makes a gingerbread house every year for New Year's Eve. He does it all from scratch. He makes up his own little blueprints, cuts out cardboard so he knows all the dimensions, then makes the gingerbread dough from scratch, then shapes it, bakes it and puts it together. So far, he has done a log cabin, a replica of my sister's house, a replica of our house, and this year he did 2 doghouses, one with a pug and one with a dachshund. We went to my sister's house for New Year's Eve, so this was to surprise her becase she has a pug and a dachshund (she used to have 2 pugs, but one passed away in September). He makes royal icing to decorate and buys all sorts of candies to decorate. It's a lot of fun, and the kids get really into it!

Yay!!! Hi Bonnie!

And if you know (which you pretty much do!) There will be LOTS of pics, ESPECIALLY of the food!!

It's still so weird to me that you haven't taken a DISNEY cruise yet...is there a reason why you won't/haven't? Probably because you have ports closer to you...

My brother is the strangest creature...if he could work/eat/live without a shirt on, he would!

This was the first time we ever made gingerbread houses! They were the kits you get from costco, that are real, but we didn't eat them afterwards..figured they might be a little stale to eat! my goodness, your DH goes to town on his gingerbread houses! i'm sure it's fun for your kids as well!

I was going to ask you, do I have to take a 'real' birth certificate or can it be a copy??

 

[gotomu212]

OH MY GOD. You have me cracking up. My younger brother was the SAME when he turned 16 until he was 22, he took every oppurtunity he could to take his shirt off. The rest of my family was always like hey, what the ... put your shirt on!

I can't wait to read your trip report.

 

[franandaj]

Subbing in! Be back to read everything. As you know we're in Vegas..So got to get back to the action!

 

[heathsf]

Yay!! I'm excited to be part of your TR from the beginning this time! I loved your intro. Your writing is lots of fun to read.

Speaking of shirts, I have the same green sweatshirt that your SIL was wearing in one of your pics! And your brother is very funny. Its nice that you're all so close. I would love to travel with my brother and his gf one day in the future. They're both still in school right now though.

Are you going to post the cruise itinerary? I LOVED the two cruises I went on (both on Royal Caribbean) so I'm really excited to hear about your trip. I'm pretty sure I'll be trying to convince my BF we should go on one by the time your TR is done.

Hooray for planning a new trip! You're going to have a fabulous time!

 

[Leshaface]

OH MY GOD. You have me cracking up. My younger brother was the SAME when he turned 16 until he was 22, he took every oppurtunity he could to take his shirt off. The rest of my family was always like hey, what the ... put your shirt on!

I can't wait to read your trip report.

This had me laughing, cuz I remember I always used to think, "What's he doing?! That young man needs some fabric!! he started probably when he was 15 or 16 too!!! Your bro and mine could be best friends!

Subbing in! Be back to read everything. As you know we're in Vegas..So got to get back to the action!

You winning yet Allison?!! I hope so! Glad to hear you made it over there safe! Yesterday we had one HECK of a thunderstorm, it started hailing!

Yay!! I'm excited to be part of your TR from the beginning this time! I loved your intro. Your writing is lots of fun to read.

Speaking of shirts, I have the same green sweatshirt that your SIL was wearing in one of your pics! And your brother is very funny. Its nice that you're all so close. I would love to travel with my brother and his gf one day in the future. They're both still in school right now though.

Are you going to post the cruise itinerary? I LOVED the two cruises I went on (both on Royal Caribbean) so I'm really excited to hear about your trip. I'm pretty sure I'll be trying to convince my BF we should go on one by the time your TR is done.

Hooray for planning a new trip! You're going to have a fabulous time!

Honestly, I think it's so fun to have another couple that you get along with, tag along with you!! I'm just so glad that they pretty much like the same things we like!! So hopefully one day you'll get to experience that too!

It's like, I hate having to explain the most awesome time I had on a trip, and they're like "I can imagine" and i'm thinking "No you can't!!" So this will be fun going on the cruise with them!!

That Aeropostale brand...I see it everywhere! In fact, I'm wearing an Aero sweater right now!! Comfy and cheap!

And Yup! I'm going to dinner right now with my family and will be back to post our 'hopeful' itinerary!! Thanks for coming over Heather!

 

[m&m's mom]

Hey. We will be on the same cruise as you. Really looking forward to reading your TR since I never seem to get around to doing them.
Have fun planning!

 

[Leshaface]

Hey. We will be on the same cruise as you. Really looking forward to reading your TR since I never seem to get around to doing them.
Have fun planning!

Hi!!

Oooh yay!! I have a feeling it's going to be a great trip!!

BTW, your dog is GORGEOUS!!!! What a cutie!

 

[Leshaface]

So this is what our schedule is:

Monday, June 20, 2011 - We'll be flying out of LAX to MCO and will be staying at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport the night before. Just a good kick start to our vacation!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - We'll be boarding the Dream around 3:45!!!!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - Castaway Cay - Question: Is it pronounced like 'Key' or is it pronounced they way it appears?? On this day, we'll either be doing the Tandem Parasailing or the snorkeling! And DEFINITELY lounging around on the beach taking it all in!

Thursday, June 23, 2011 - At Sea - I really want to get a spa treatment done...this one in particular: Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Half Body Massage - This rich ocean wrap and half-body massage is a detoxifying and deep-cleansing heated seaweed wrap that nourishes your skin while infusing it with moisture. The therapist applies a soothing blend of essential oils to your body and then cocoons you in warm seaweed. Once the wrap is removed, you are treated to a half body Deep Tissue Massage that re-energizes and revitalizes.



Sounds like heaven..


Friday, June 24, 2011 - Nassau - This day will be tough...DH wants to do the Wine and Cheese Pairing over at the Graycliff hotel..I want to swim with the dolphins and discover Atlantis...we'll see who wins

Saturday, June 25, 2011 - Castaway Cay - Whatever we did at Castaway Cay last time, we'll be doing the opposite; so either Parasailing or Snorkeling.

Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Port Canaveral - WAHHH.


And somewhere, not sure where, we want to dine at Remy!!


OMGOSH!!!! I forgot to mention why else this trip is happening!! It will be our 5th wedding anniversary and my bro and sil's 1st wedding anniversary!! (cue the aww's) Awww!

So we'll be celebrating our 5 year at Remy's and i'm super stoked! We're gonna have to get all dolled up!! DH will have to get a suit and i'll have to get a super nice dress!

Whenever we book Remy, what I would like to do for my hubby that day, is to book him this: Elmis Express Shave - This treatment includes a deep cleansing exfoliation and a double close shave to leave your skin super smooth. I KNOW he would LOVE this!!

Now i'm not sure how all this stuff works...this is where I'll have to use my time researching when to book excursions/dinner/spa treatments..I think it's 75 days out, or is it 45 days?? I'm sooooo bad!

Another note! I'm working out again! Yes, I ordered my bikinis yesterday, and i'm thinking, "Oh gosh, gots to get my butt in gear." Know what I did today?? Ate a brownie and some coffee whilst watching Real Housewives of Atlanta But tomorrow morning it begins! Boxing at 5am and after, Jillian Michael's 30 day shred! I have 4 months to get my butt in gear!

So what else do I need to do?!?!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Yay!!! Hi Bonnie!

And if you know (which you pretty much do!) There will be LOTS of pics, ESPECIALLY of the food!!

It's still so weird to me that you haven't taken a DISNEY cruise yet...is there a reason why you won't/haven't? Probably because you have ports closer to you...

My brother is the strangest creature...if he could work/eat/live without a shirt on, he would!

This was the first time we ever made gingerbread houses! They were the kits you get from costco, that are real, but we didn't eat them afterwards..figured they might be a little stale to eat! my goodness, your DH goes to town on his gingerbread houses! i'm sure it's fun for your kids as well!

I was going to ask you, do I have to take a 'real' birth certificate or can it be a copy??

We haven't taken a Disney cruise yet for a few reasons. One...we like to take a cruise that is 7 nights or longer. The Disney cruises I have seen that go out of Florida are fewer than 7 nights. Two...we find Disney cruise line to be more expensive than Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian, plus add in the cost to travel to Florida and it gets even more expensive. We could also go to more islands in the Caribbean, plus Bermuda, out of NY. Bermuda is our favorite island of all (never been to Hawaii though!). Three...it is so convenient leaving out of NY or NJ...drive there, park the car in long-term parking and I am on vacation! And four...we haven't thought about going on a cruise to Alaska or in Europe yet because of the kids. Maybe when they are older. I actually only got into the whole Disney craze in the last 3 years myself. 3 years ago I was in the middle of planning our first WDW family trip. I got very into everything, especially once we were there.

But, I would love to go on a Disney cruise someday. If they ever sail out of NY, we would definitely look further into it. I'm sure it is wonderful. I have only heard great things about Disney cruises!

As far as the birth certificate, DH, the boys and I all have passports so we use that. But, years ago when I used the birth certificate, it had to be either the original or an official certified copy, I believe with a raised seal (which you would have to order).

So this is what our schedule is:

Monday, June 20, 2011 - We'll be flying out of LAX to MCO and will be staying at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport the night before. Just a good kick start to our vacation!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - We'll be boarding the Dream around 3:45!!!!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - Castaway Cay - Question: Is it pronounced like 'Key' or is it pronounced they way it appears?? On this day, we'll either be doing the Tandem Parasailing or the snorkeling! And DEFINITELY lounging around on the beach taking it all in!

Thursday, June 23, 2011 - At Sea - I really want to get a spa treatment done...this one in particular: Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Half Body Massage - This rich ocean wrap and half-body massage is a detoxifying and deep-cleansing heated seaweed wrap that nourishes your skin while infusing it with moisture. The therapist applies a soothing blend of essential oils to your body and then cocoons you in warm seaweed. Once the wrap is removed, you are treated to a half body Deep Tissue Massage that re-energizes and revitalizes.



Sounds like heaven..


Friday, June 24, 2011 - Nassau - This day will be tough...DH wants to do the Wine and Cheese Pairing over at the Graycliff hotel..I want to swim with the dolphins and discover Atlantis...we'll see who wins

Saturday, June 25, 2011 - Castaway Cay - Whatever we did at Castaway Cay last time, we'll be doing the opposite; so either Parasailing or Snorkeling.

Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Port Canaveral - WAHHH.


And somewhere, not sure where, we want to dine at Remy!!


OMGOSH!!!! I forgot to mention why else this trip is happening!! It will be our 5th wedding anniversary and my bro and sil's 1st wedding anniversary!! (cue the aww's) Awww!

So we'll be celebrating our 5 year at Remy's and i'm super stoked! We're gonna have to get all dolled up!! DH will have to get a suit and i'll have to get a super nice dress!

Whenever we book Remy, what I would like to do for my hubby that day, is to book him this: Elmis Express Shave - This treatment includes a deep cleansing exfoliation and a double close shave to leave your skin super smooth. I KNOW he would LOVE this!!

Now i'm not sure how all this stuff works...this is where I'll have to use my time researching when to book excursions/dinner/spa treatments..I think it's 75 days out, or is it 45 days?? I'm sooooo bad!

Another note! I'm working out again! Yes, I ordered my bikinis yesterday, and i'm thinking, "Oh gosh, gots to get my butt in gear." Know what I did today?? Ate a brownie and some coffee whilst watching Real Housewives of Atlanta But tomorrow morning it begins! Boxing at 5am and after, Jillian Michael's 30 day shred! I have 4 months to get my butt in gear!

So what else do I need to do?!?!

Sounds like a wonderful itinerary!!!

Let's see, what else do you need to do? Hmm...hop on over to cruisecritic.com (which has boards.cruisecritic.com, a message board community like the DIS but for cruises), check out the threads under Disney cruise line, and see what else you can find out. People sometimes post things like a copy of the daily activities schedule, menus , pictures, etc. You can read reviews on your ship there too. And there is also a "Roll Call" forum where you can talk to people who are going on the same sailing as you. There has been a roll call for my cruise for months now, and I joined it a while ago...and my cruise is at the end of July!

Another thing you can do is go online and find the deck plans for your ship. Look at them over and over again!! It will get you even more excited about the trip!

I bought some bikinis recently too...actually I bought them over Xmas break. I have been working out pretty hard, but manageable. I have been following a DVD program called Turbo Fire. It focuses on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It kicks Jillian Michaels' workout's butt!! And I was very surprised that there was something out there harder than what Jillian Michaels does! Highly recommended!! It's by Chalene Johnson, and I love all her workouts. It's a lot of fun, with awesome music.

 

[franandaj]

You winning yet Alison?!! I hope so! Glad to hear you made it over there safe! Yesterday we had one HECK of a thunderstorm, it started hailing!

We are winning, at least we were before going to dinner. Fran went down to play more and left me up here becuase I was too tired. I figured I'd hang out on the internet and go to bed while she played more blackjack. Good sign that she's feeling better. I hope she can get back in the room on her scooter if I'm asleep!

It is pronounced "key" and you wil probably have time for snorkeling and parasailing the first day. We wne the first or second year the boats were running (2001) and there was not much in the bay, but by now a lot has probably grown to give a lot to look at. Parasaling is probably the same and we had a GREAT time doing it,

Good luck on what to do in Nassau, there is a lot, even if you just walk the city!

 

[Leshaface]

We haven't taken a Disney cruise yet for a few reasons. One...we like to take a cruise that is 7 nights or longer. The Disney cruises I have seen that go out of Florida are fewer than 7 nights. Two...we find Disney cruise line to be more expensive than Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian, plus add in the cost to travel to Florida and it gets even more expensive. We could also go to more islands in the Caribbean, plus Bermuda, out of NY. Bermuda is our favorite island of all (never been to Hawaii though!). Three...it is so convenient leaving out of NY or NJ...drive there, park the car in long-term parking and I am on vacation! And four...we haven't thought about going on a cruise to Alaska or in Europe yet because of the kids. Maybe when they are older. I actually only got into the whole Disney craze in the last 3 years myself. 3 years ago I was in the middle of planning our first WDW family trip. I got very into everything, especially once we were there.

I'm surprised me and hubby have never taken a cruise out of Long Beach or LA...especially since for 2 years we were LIVING in Long Beach! We would LOVE to do the European cruise someday!! Ahh, that would be awesome!!!


As far as the birth certificate, DH, the boys and I all have passports so we use that. But, years ago when I used the birth certificate, it had to be either the original or an official certified copy, I believe with a raised seal (which you would have to order).


Well, being the planned woman that I am, I have all certificates easily available, so this won't be a problem!

Sounds like a wonderful itinerary!!!

Let's see, what else do you need to do? Hmm...hop on over to cruisecritic.com (which has boards.cruisecritic.com, a message board community like the DIS but for cruises), check out the threads under Disney cruise line, and see what else you can find out. People sometimes post things like a copy of the daily activities schedule, menus , pictures, etc. You can read reviews on your ship there too. And there is also a "Roll Call" forum where you can talk to people who are going on the same sailing as you. There has been a roll call for my cruise for months now, and I joined it a while ago...and my cruise is at the end of July!

I do need to head over there! I did the 'roll call' one here on the Disboards Have you met anyone that will be going on your cruise?

Another thing you can do is go online and find the deck plans for your ship. Look at them over and over again!! It will get you even more excited about the trip!

Ooh great idea!! Need to get a feel for everything!

I bought some bikinis recently too...actually I bought them over Xmas break. I have been working out pretty hard, but manageable. I have been following a DVD program called Turbo Fire. It focuses on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It kicks Jillian Michaels' workout's butt!! And I was very surprised that there was something out there harder than what Jillian Michaels does! Highly recommended!! It's by Chalene Johnson, and I love all her workouts. It's a lot of fun, with awesome music.

Is this one different from Chalene Extreme?? I think that's what it's called..I remember you doing this program a while ago, looks like you switched it up, but kept with the same person! I did that too..originally I was doing the "No More Trouble Zones" by JM, but am now onto "30 Day Shred" by JM...it's only one 20 minute workout each day (there are 3 levels, and one you feel you need to be more challenged you work up to level 2, then move onto level 3) I do that combined with whatever class I go to at the gym that morning (cycling, boxing, interval extreme, ripped) AND if I feel like I have energy later on in the day, I RUN for at least 30 minutes. I feel like i'm going to be living in my bikini in the bahamas/on the boat so I need to feel good! The last time I lived in my bikini was for Jamaica nearly 5 years ago..

We are winning, at least we were before going to dinner. Fran went down to play more and left me up here becuase I was too tired. I figured I'd hang out on the internet and go to bed while she played more blackjack. Good sign that she's feeling better. I hope she can get back in the room on her scooter if I'm asleep!

It is pronounced "key" and you wil probably have time for snorkeling and parasailing the first day. We wne the first or second year the boats were running (2001) and there was not much in the bay, but by now a lot has probably grown to give a lot to look at. Parasaling is probably the same and we had a GREAT time doing it,

Good luck on what to do in Nassau, there is a lot, even if you just walk the city!

Uhoh was Fran not feeling good?? Need to hop over to your report..but i'm glad to hear your on the winning side!

Thanks for the pronunciation! My bro & sil kept saying "cay" and I was like, it's not pronounced the way it looks? And she said she heard it pronounced the way they're saying it, but i'll stick to 'key'!

DH really wants to do what we did in Jamaica which is 'float'..he just wants to lay on the water and relax on the waves...I don't mind doing that for a bit, but I know I'll need to get up and do something eventually! And I was wondering about walking around Nassau...is that an excursion that you have to pay for, or when we get off the ship, we just walk for a few minutes and the city is right there??

 

[franandaj]

Uhoh was Fran not feeling good?? Need to hop over to your report..but i'm glad to hear your on the winning side!

She wasn't feeling good for many years. Before she got her hip and both knees replaced she was always in pain, never looked forward to doing anything and was generally miserable. Also she couldn't do ANYTHING without my help. Going downstairs on her own (wanting to and being physically able to) is a very good sign.

I'm jealous of the two of you being able to wear bikinis. I gave that up years ago. I'm just glad that i can still put on a bathing suit and not be afraid!

 

[Leshaface]

She wasn't feeling good for many years. Before she got her hip and both knees replaced she was always in pain, never looked forward to doing anything and was generally miserable. Also she couldn't do ANYTHING without my help. Going downstairs on her own (wanting to and being physically able to) is a very good sign.

I'm jealous of the two of you being able to wear bikinis. I gave that up years ago. I'm just glad that i can still put on a bathing suit and not be afraid!

Well that's great to hear!! I thought that maybe she had gotten food poisoning or something!

Hope you guys are still having a blast!! You NEED to get off your computer and start enjoying your vacation! Unless, being on the DIS is part of your vacation, then cool bean!!

 

[praisehisname]

Joining in! Is your mom coming too, or just the two couples?

 

[bangzoom6877]

Is this one different from Chalene Extreme?? I think that's what it's called..I remember you doing this program a while ago, looks like you switched it up, but kept with the same person! I did that too..originally I was doing the "No More Trouble Zones" by JM, but am now onto "30 Day Shred" by JM...it's only one 20 minute workout each day (there are 3 levels, and one you feel you need to be more challenged you work up to level 2, then move onto level 3) I do that combined with whatever class I go to at the gym that morning (cycling, boxing, interval extreme, ripped) AND if I feel like I have energy later on in the day, I RUN for at least 30 minutes. I feel like i'm going to be living in my bikini in the bahamas/on the boat so I need to feel good! The last time I lived in my bikini was for Jamaica nearly 5 years ago..

Yes, Turbo Fire is a different concept than Chalean Extreme. Remember last June when I threw my back out from doing deadlifts in Chalean Extreme? Well...I never did that program again. After 2 weeks, I started working out again with light cardio, then gradually I added some light resistance training. I did this with Turbo Jam (Chalene's first program on DVD, which I have had since it came out in 2005). In June 2010, Turbo Fire was released. I didn't buy it at first. I knew we would be away for most of July and I wouldn't religiously follow the program. So I continued on with Turbo Jam. Then, at the end of August, I went to my doctor for my annual physical. I had decided to wait and speak to him before starting Turbo Fire, to make sure it would be safe. He had me go for an x-ray of my lower back and hips just to make sure this was not a structural problem in my spine or hips. My mom has a lower back condition that she was born with, and it is in her spine (something with the fusion of the vertebrae in the lower back). My x-ray showed that all my bones were fine, but I had arthritis in the lower back. I couldn't believe this...arthritis at 33 years old?!

So, I told my doctor about Turbo Fire and asked him if it would be OK for me to try it. He told me to go for it, but to only do what feels good when I try it, and to modify it if necessary. I went home that day and bought it! I started slowly, with the prep schedule (eases you into the more intense parts of the program), which lasted 9 weeks. Then I started the regular rotation and I love it. Tomorrow I start the 12th week of the regular rotation, then I do 8 weeks of the advanced workouts.

I went back to my doctor in October for my flu shot. I told him how Turbo Fire was going and he was happy to hear that my body just seems to respond better to cardio than to heavy lifting.

There is a hybrid schedule, using both Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme. I might try that after I finish the next 8 weeks and take a recovery week, but I would only do this with the resistance bands instead of weights, and I will never do a deadlift again, so I would definitely be skipping those!

It sounds like you do a lot of working out too! A lot of days I don't have too much time to work out, so I'm happy that some of the workouts are very short in Turbo Fire. One of the HIIT workouts is only 15 minutes, but I feel like I have been working out for about an hour!

As far as my cruise, there is a roll call thread on Cruise Critic, and I joined it a while ago. Someone on there is setting up an official "meet 'n' greet" with Royal Caribbean. If you contact the cruise line, a lot of times they will arrange to have a "meet 'n' greet" in one of the lounges during the day, usually the day after you first sail. They put out food and it's really nice! We did this on our last cruise in 2006. DH is not really that into it, but he would go if I go.

 

[Leshaface]

Sorry everyone! Been gone for a while, but I have a small announcement...




Got my bathing suits in yesterday.....

I've GOT to start working out harder that's all I need to say about that!

Also, I received my paperwork from AAA the other day, and I noticed that she requested our dining seating to be the late seating...I called back to see if there was anyway we can be switched to the earlier seating and she said it was booked up....ugh, how I hate eating late! So our itinerary for night will be show then dinner, not dinner then a show...oh well!

But now that gets me wondering...how does Remy or Palo work? When I go to request a seating at Remy, will they put me under my 'normal' dining shift or do I get to request a seating time?!

 

[sjs314]

Your TR is off to a great start Lesha. I can not wait to read all about the events leading up to it, since I have never done a cruise. I sent for a DVD and did get DH interested in a Mediterrian Cruise but will have to work on him to get him to part with that much $

Maybe eating after the show will not be so bad, when they say late seating how late is late ?

Have fun working out, going on a cruise is definately a good incentive to be faithful

 

[Leshaface]

Joining in! Is your mom coming too, or just the two couples?

Hi!! I WISH my mom would come with us...she has a HUGE fear of flying so there's no way we could get her to come with us...if we ever do a cruise out of LA though, there's a better chance of her going on a cruise with us! Plus, she's OBSESSED with her dogs and she wouldn't want to leave them for a week..she's also babysitting my lovely little pug!

Yes, Turbo Fire is a different concept than Chalean Extreme. Remember last June when I threw my back out from doing deadlifts in Chalean Extreme? Well...I never did that program again. After 2 weeks, I started working out again with light cardio, then gradually I added some light resistance training. I did this with Turbo Jam (Chalene's first program on DVD, which I have had since it came out in 2005). In June 2010, Turbo Fire was released. I didn't buy it at first. I knew we would be away for most of July and I wouldn't religiously follow the program. So I continued on with Turbo Jam. Then, at the end of August, I went to my doctor for my annual physical. I had decided to wait and speak to him before starting Turbo Fire, to make sure it would be safe. He had me go for an x-ray of my lower back and hips just to make sure this was not a structural problem in my spine or hips. My mom has a lower back condition that she was born with, and it is in her spine (something with the fusion of the vertebrae in the lower back). My x-ray showed that all my bones were fine, but I had arthritis in the lower back. I couldn't believe this...arthritis at 33 years old?!

So, I told my doctor about Turbo Fire and asked him if it would be OK for me to try it. He told me to go for it, but to only do what feels good when I try it, and to modify it if necessary. I went home that day and bought it! I started slowly, with the prep schedule (eases you into the more intense parts of the program), which lasted 9 weeks. Then I started the regular rotation and I love it. Tomorrow I start the 12th week of the regular rotation, then I do 8 weeks of the advanced workouts.

I went back to my doctor in October for my flu shot. I told him how Turbo Fire was going and he was happy to hear that my body just seems to respond better to cardio than to heavy lifting.

There is a hybrid schedule, using both Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme. I might try that after I finish the next 8 weeks and take a recovery week, but I would only do this with the resistance bands instead of weights, and I will never do a deadlift again, so I would definitely be skipping those!

It sounds like you do a lot of working out too! A lot of days I don't have too much time to work out, so I'm happy that some of the workouts are very short in Turbo Fire. One of the HIIT workouts is only 15 minutes, but I feel like I have been working out for about an hour!

As far as my cruise, there is a roll call thread on Cruise Critic, and I joined it a while ago. Someone on there is setting up an official "meet 'n' greet" with Royal Caribbean. If you contact the cruise line, a lot of times they will arrange to have a "meet 'n' greet" in one of the lounges during the day, usually the day after you first sail. They put out food and it's really nice! We did this on our last cruise in 2006. DH is not really that into it, but he would go if I go.

Have you seen any difference with your body, as far as losing weight or feeling more toned, with this new program you're on since it's more cardio based?

And that's insane to already have arthritis! I've had tendinitis in my hands since I was 21...had to wear a brace around my hand to keep it from cramping, and i'm POSITIVE it will get worse as I get older... my hands get so exhausted from doing normal things like washing dishes, etc. Another odd thing about age...you know how old I was when I started getting grey hair???? 15 YEARS OLD!!! It's horrible! It's gotten worse over the past couple years...and I'm not just talking about a few strands here and there...there are PATCHES of grey/white hairs throughout my head! It's not fun or pretty that's for sure!

DH is the same way about doing a DIS meet...but I think he would get over it once he realizes how fantastic DIS people really are!

Your TR is off to a great start Lesha. I can not wait to read all about the events leading up to it, since I have never done a cruise. I sent for a DVD and did get DH interested in a Mediterrian Cruise but will have to work on him to get him to part with that much $

Maybe eating after the show will not be so bad, when they say late seating how late is late ?

Have fun working out, going on a cruise is definately a good incentive to be faithful

DH and I are both SUPER interested in going on a Mediterranean cruise too!! The real expensive part is the flights to Barcelona I would think, since that's where it ports out of!

The late seating is like 830?? So I guess not late for some people, but at home i'm making dinner at around 515 so it will be done by at least 615 and yes, we are old people!!