Calling All 8/19/06 Special Western Cruisers! AKA "The Cruisin' Castaways" Part 2

[SeaSpray]

DH and I were discussing August 2008 and we decided we'll book the August 16th cruise no matter which itinerary it is because we don't want to return on the 30th which will be Labor Day Weekend.

Craig will be starting his junior year of college and Robby will be starting his senior year of high school, and we don't want to cut it close in case of a hurricane or something else. It was nice coming back this time and having a week and a half between the end of the cruise and the start of school.


P.S. Of course this still hinges upon whether DCL will be running "normal" 7-night cruises for the summer of 2008! We're hoping maybe they'll shake up the itineraries a bit and include some new ports, but still keeping the 7-night cruise format.

 

[Buddy Bear]

DH and I were discussing August 2008 and we decided we'll book the August 16th cruise no matter which itinerary it is because we don't want to return on the 30th which will be Labor Day Weekend.

Craig will be starting his junior year of college and Robby will be starting his senior year of high school, and we don't want to cut it close in case of a hurricane or something else. It was nice coming back this time and having a week and a half between the end of the cruise and the start of school.


P.S. Of course this still hinges upon whether DCL will be running "normal" 7-night cruises for the summer of 2008! We're hoping maybe they'll shake up the itineraries a bit and include some new ports, but still keeping the 7-night cruise format.

Good point on Labor Day being September 1st in 2008; I didn't realize that, but we would probably go to WDW first and end with the cruise. If we flew back that Saturday (08/30/08) that still gives us until Wednesday to get ready for school so 08/23/08 is still a possibility for us.

 

[Verandah Man]

DH and I were discussing August 2008 and we decided we'll book the August 16th cruise no matter which itinerary it is because we don't want to return on the 30th which will be Labor Day Weekend.

Craig will be starting his junior year of college and Robby will be starting his senior year of high school, and we don't want to cut it close in case of a hurricane or something else. It was nice coming back this time and having a week and a half between the end of the cruise and the start of school.


P.S. Of course this still hinges upon whether DCL will be running "normal" 7-night cruises for the summer of 2008! We're hoping maybe they'll shake up the itineraries a bit and include some new ports, but still keeping the 7-night cruise format.

That's a very good point Terry. Angelina is planning on attending our county Junior College for two years and she might be starting the very end of August, or early part of September in 2008, so the August 16th date might actually work better for else as well!!!

 

[SeaSpray]

Good point on Labor Day being September 1st in 2008; I didn't realize that, but we would probably go to WDW first and end with the cruise. If we flew back that Saturday (08/30/08) that still gives us until Wednesday to get ready for school so 08/23/08 is still a possibility for us.

That makes sense, Jeff, and it's exactly what we were thinking for our 2004 cruise!! That cruise was scheduled to return the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. As you probably know, we ended up getting off the ship on the Tuesday morning AFTER Labor Day, spent the day at MCO, arriving home around midnight Tuesday night, and my boys started school the next morning, Wednesday!

I hope there won't be any more "hurricane cruises" but it's always a possibility, especially at that time of year. If our boys were younger, it wouldn't matter as much if they missed the start of school but back in 2004 neither of them wanted to miss that first day (we could've spent the night at a Disney resort, with DCL plus our travel insurance covering the costs, but both of our sons voted to fly home that night so they could go to school on the first day). And now that they're older and in college and high school, it's even more important to them that they not miss the first day(s).

Having said all that, I can totally understand wanting to cruise the week of the 23rd, and if weren't for the start of school we would too...but we discussed it at dinner tonight and we all voted to go with the 16th.

 

[Ct_TiggerFan]

I wonder if I could get a Bday cake on Aug 16th cruise since my bday is Aug 15th, (still pissed at Diney dinning for screwing up cake this year)

 

[Verandah Man]

Ed--we had a cake for Angelina on Formal Night and her birthday is September 15th. On the first night of the cruise we just reminded our server about the cake and he took it from there.

 

[SeaSpray]

That's a very good point Terry. Angelina is planning on attending our county Junior College for two years and she might be starting the very end of August, or early part of September in 2008, so the August 16th date might actually work better for else as well!!!

Andy: Another thing too is that the colleges usually have "Welcome Week" activities starting on Labor Day weekend. Craig has a full day of activities tomorrow and Tuesday, then he starts classes on Wednesday. It's a state college and he's a commuter student, but the resident students started moving in today. So even though Angelina will be going to the county college and commuting, she may still have college activites before the start of actual classes.

I'm sure the rates for August 23rd will be a bit better (as traditionally the last week of August has had better rates) than August 16th but in our situation we'd rather pay a bit more (hopefully not TOO much more! LOL), but then not have to worry about cutting it close to school.

 

[Verandah Man]

I just did a Google search and found out that our Junior College starts the day after Labor Day. I think getting back from the cruise on August 30th, then her starting college a few days later would just be too much, especially if she were to get sick again like she and I did at the end of this cruise. August 16, 2008 is looking better and better all the time!!!

Even if it is the regular Eastern (we've done it 3 times already), it doesn't matter to us, we just enjoy being on the ship more than anything (not big on excursions), and of course, sailing with our friends, is a very big part of that as well!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

I'm sure the rates for August 23rd will be a bit better (as traditionally the last week of August has had better rates) than August 16th but in our situation we'd rather pay a bit more (hopefully not TOO much more! LOL), but then not have to worry about cutting it close to school.

The Western cruises tend to cost more than the Eastern cruises on a regular basis, so maybe that one week difference wouldn't be that big of a price difference.

 

[O'BWV]

Hi Everyone!!

So it looks like I may not have to hold my breath and turn blue after all!! Come on everyone say it with me AUGUST 16TH, AUGUST 16TH, AUGUST 16TH!






MR

 

[SeaSpray]

Hi Everyone!!

So it looks like I may not have to hold my breath and turn blue after all!! Come on everyone say it with me AUGUST 16TH, AUGUST 16TH, AUGUST 16TH!


MR

AUGUST 16th!!!




Now the "August 16th" is blue instead of you having to turn blue, Mary Rose!!

 

[Verandah Man]

AUGUST 16th!!!




Now the "August 16th" is blue instead of you having to turn blue, Mary Rose!!

Good One Terry!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[O'BWV]

AUGUST 16th!!!




Now the "August 16th" is blue instead of you having to turn blue, Mary Rose!!

VERY CLEVER TERRY! I LOVE IT.....AND I'M GOING TO REPEAT IT!



]AUGUST 16th!!!





MR

 

[Verandah Man]

Another thing too is that the colleges usually have "Welcome Week" activities starting on Labor Day weekend.

I did a little more searching on the county college activities, this year, they started on August 28th, with the first day of classes beginning Sept. 5th. I'm so glad you brought this to my attention!!!

 

[SeaSpray]

I did a little more searching on the county college activities, this year, they started on August 28th, with the first day of classes beginning Sept. 5th. I'm so glad you brought this to my attention!!!

oh good, I'm glad you were find out that info, so you can plan accordingly. Do you want me to update the list to show you on the August 16th list only? Or still keep you on the 23rd too, just in case???

 

[Verandah Man]

oh good, I'm glad you were find out that info, so you can plan accordingly. Do you want me to update the list to show you on the August 16th list only? Or still keep you on the 23rd too, just in case???

You can keep it the way it is for now, I'd still like to see if DCL will be doing anything "special" for their 10th Anniversary in 2008.

 

[Ct_TiggerFan]

You know, The only problem with Aug 16th,2008


Its so far away

 

[O'BWV]

Yes Ed........It is VERY far away!


This whole conversation is very reminscent of another conversation started nearly two years ago now..........................


So Terry - it's time to start the weekly countdown!!!!!





MR

 

[Verandah Man]

Yes Ed........It is VERY far away!


This whole conversation is very reminscent of another conversation started nearly two years ago now..........................


So Terry - it's time to start the weekly countdown!!!!!





MR

Heart be still, I don't know if I am ready for this again, LOL!!!

 

[O'BWV]

Yes you are Andy!!! It's the third time counting down from around the two year mark for some of us! By the time we sail in 2008, poor Terry will have counted down around 300 weeks!!

And Andy......will you please start designing our reunion shirts

and Ed......the reunion magnets

oh yeah, and Andy also please design new things on Cafe Press

and Terry, Doreen, Diane, Tina, & Denise please order 1 million leis, bubbles, name tags, pens & straws!






MR