Christmas Cruising 2005

[nskjerven]

I hope to use the online booking soon....I'm getting the "problem with our website error" right now.....arrgggg, I will have to get up at 5am to beat the rush on the phone, am I a freak or what?

 

[trinibjill]

Last year I booked the excursions by calling the phone number listed & didn't have any problems.
Have a good wekend
Jiill

 

[domiii]

Thanks everyone .... the Stripper number is the HOT number of the evening! 4 shows down 9 to go ...

Thanks for including us, but sorry to say we won't be joining you at Palo. This is a special trip from my mom. I have made a big stink with my family that we all have to eat dinner together. My family is planning to go to Palo Monday night. I mentioned before, this is a tough time of the year for my family (brother died early December 2001, dad died early January 1995). But I know the Christmas Cruising Crew will be together at other times!

Jill, you crack me up!

Whatever we do Let's party

Tig we get the ferry in Weehauken (I know I didn't spell that right, so no one grade me!) Tell me which train you would take in and perhaps we can meet that way first! With the price of gas it might be a better mode of transportation.

Those of you with sisters, when you are together, do you find yourselves laughing uncontrollably? My sister and I are afraid we are going to get kicked off the ship or asked not to return to dinner for our fits of laughter!!! We don't just laugh, we cackle! You all will have to ask my DM about Bear County Jamboree with my sister and me!!! I love to laugh - hey isn't that a Disney song!!

Thanks guys for brightening my day!!

 

[nskjerven]

Best laid plans...didn't work....since we have only our ressie, I couldn't book more people on my Palo's spot.

I ended up booking our dinner at 8:30 (just sounded better than 8pm)

I did call and ask if I could increase the size of my party and was told, no, but perhaps your friends could also book same time and day and then you could sit near by. Also asked about the private room, they told me I'd have to check on that when we board.

Oh well, best laid plans....

Nan

p.s. I did book our spa stuff, and tea and brunch. I'll get a sheet for that and post it as a link for later.

 

[nskjerven]

Now, I'm booking excursions. The REAS, was totally worth the cost. I'm so less stressed now that we have what we want to do booked and ready.

Aisling:

I want to confirm your boys are riding on St. Thomas????

Booking Explaination:
Water Island Mountain Bike Adventure (ST-13)
Explore the terrain by mountain bike as you take to the trails of Water Island and experience its beauty and history. This excursion also includes beach time for swimming or relaxing.
Duration: 3.5 hours
Departure Times:
Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 9:15AM St. Thomas / St. John Adventure Sport Active 10 And Up Adult:$65 (ages 10 and up)

From online explaination:
Explore the terrain by mountain bike as you take to the trails of Water Island and experience its beauty and history. This excursion also includes beach time for swimming or relaxing.
Port: St. Thomas / St. John
Activity Type:: Adventure Sport
Activity Level: Active
Ages: 10 And Up
Additional Information
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes on this tour.
Wear swimming attire under clothing.

Did we also talk about doing something that day....the girls???? If so, what was it and do you think the kids could come too?

Nan

 

[3xthecharm]

Those of you with sisters, when you are together, do you find yourselves laughing uncontrollably? My sister and I are afraid we are going to get kicked off the ship or asked not to return to dinner for our fits of laughter!!! We don't just laugh, we cackle! You all will have to ask my DM about Bear County Jamboree with my sister and me!!! I love to laugh - hey isn't that a Disney song!!

Maybe not laughing, but talking constantly, yes. It is usually not a good idea for us to sit next to each other at church.

 

[nskjerven]

Karen: My sister and I have been together with my kids at Dland for 5 out of 6 trips....This Xmas will be a hard one not to have Auntie Lee with us. We are even thinking of giving her a air ticket to join us for a few days, since it will be so hard...We laugh all the time, and yes if we sat together for sure we'd be asked to be quiet or leave. I'll have to get into your sister group some night on the ship so I won't feel so lonely missing mine at Xmas....

Nan

 

[domiii]

I'll have to get into your sister group some night on the ship so I won't feel so lonely missing mine at Xmas....

DONE!

Maybe not laughing, but talking constantly, yes. It is usually not a good idea for us to sit next to each other at church.

We've been know to sit there and laugh under our breath anyway!!!

 

[KKB]

Nan--don't fret about the ressie. I will shoot for Thurs. night when I make ours next month. (when I will try to...) That way MIL can't complain. I AM eating at Palo as many times as possible!
Did talk w/ SIl today...she thought we had to sign up for times for Kids Club...she was digging it when I said, no, just sign them up! Her oldest & Marcus are both 10, and we agree we do NOT want them signing themselves out of club...sorry, boys, ya gotta page us like the rest of them! Guess the one cousin, Sophie, who is 8 (and the only cousin who falls in the 8-9 group) is fretting a bit. It seems I have read that they will let her go w/ her 7 year old cousin/sister. Nan, how old is Molly? 8? Maybe I could get her & Sophie to chat a bit!
OK, you have all done it to me--I was going through the kids' clothes, determining what to take today! It really stemmed from the fact that Jack's clothes are TRASHED from this summer. Luckily I dug into stuff I had put away for next summer, and he will be looking sharp. It is sad, but Hailey has so many clothes, we put summer clothes away for the cruise, and she still has plenty to get her through to cool weather! And she will likely need several pairs of shoes...hoping to keep the boys at 3 or so. Determined that Marcus needs one more button up shirt for dinner, maybe some dress pants, and Hailey needs black shoes...mostly for her pirate costume!
?? here...Marcus & Jack have no shirts dressier than button down plaids/tropical shirts. Marcus has only corduroy pants...but he does have a couple pairs of chino shorts. Will they look silly on formal night? Even if Marcus only wears shorts??!! Of course, Dan just reminded me that one guy at our table hated his suit so much, he went for a polo one formal night (much to his wifes chagrin!) Hailey, Dan & I will be dressed up (no formals or tuxes; cocktail dresses & suit) I'm really not terribly worried.
Can't really pack for me, since I will need new wardrobe by then! (WHERE will I get summer clothes in Dec? It seems Talbots has cruise wear that comes out in the winter..) Maybe I better not lose all that weight...
Looked at tummy tuck before/after pics on internet. Wish I could find time/$ to get that done before the trip! Kept telling Dan that is what I wanted for my 40th...maybe my 45th??! (ticks me off to see before pics of someone who has a little pooch...much like I had before kids! If only....) Thank goodness for Miraclesuits!
Well, again, I have a ton of schoolwork. Dan headed to Husker game w/ my bro. Kids inside, all sick, but I think gettting better. We had said no TV this weekend to nip some arguing/not following directions in the bud, but that is a bit tought to enforce when they cannot go out to play w/ friends!
Well, the kids & I baked an angel food cake (good for my diet!). They were anxious to do some cooking...just waiting for Cool Whip to thaw!
I'll check in later!
Bye!
Krist

 

[FletcherMem0rial]

Nan, I had a feeling they were gonna say that you can only book for your party, but it was worth the shot right?

Karen, I'll check the details and get back to you on my transportation methods to NYC

Aisling, What day do you want?

On St Thomas I had wanted to do the aviary-it's a walk up from the boat dock. and If we have time, I wanted to catch a ride to Charlotte Amalie (Blackbeard's Castle.) Neither need to be reserved.

My up-in-the-air-yet day is St Maarten. I wanted to go to Orient Beach-but am rethinking that one sinceI already have a beach day on CC...anyone got plans for St Maarten yet?

Nan, at this point, we all might as well be sisters. I doubt if they'll kick us off for exceeding the laughter quota...but it will be off the charts

Since Karen's Palo night is Monday, maybe we should add a Monday night ressie too? I know my Mom will say yes...what say you all?

~colleen~

 

[3xthecharm]

Hey Kris,
The best place to get dress shirts for boys is the uniform supplier, French Toast. You can find them at Sears and Target. They also have a website. These shirts last a longgggg time. They require little ironing and stay fresh looking. They was better than any shirts I've seen. My boys' short sleeve ones last for at least two years growth.

We aren't letting our kids sign out of the clubs either. I trust the kids, but they are a little too trusting of others. Plus, I would never say that my boys wouldn't find some kind of trouble let loose on the ship. Can you say object overboard?

 

[trinibjill]

Ressie at palo on Mon. That would be ideal.

Last cruise I did kayaking, catamaran, snorkling with the sting rays, the ruins etc. To do it again would take away from doing new things.

I've decided to swim with the dolphins at St. Marteen. Tigg has already done this & she has said how exciting it is. I've put it on my must do list.

IN St JOhns I would like to do the Island Tour. It;s rated a 9 & it sounds exciting.

IN Castaway Cay I'm going on the wild side & go parasailing.

That's it in a nutshell

Jill

 

[shelly3girls]

Jill,
Where did you find ratings on the excursions? We are planning the submarine tour on St. Thomas and the Beach Rendezvous on St. Maarten. I have heard great things on this board about both of them but we are not totally set on either.

 

[trinibjill]

I have a Passporters Field Guide. There is also a copy of the pages on the unofficial disney cruise site. The actual site has the word (cruiser.info) starting with the word (disney). This site won't let you put the words together. Plus a wealth of other info. I copied the navigators & took them to work & read them.

Here is the info on Atlantis Submarine Adventure - Rating 5
Climb aboard the "Atlantis XV" and dive down to 90 feet. Typical meeting times are 9:15 am, 10:15 am, and noon. Guests must be 36" tall. Cruiser reviews are mixed: This "expensive" excursion takes place in a "fairly spacious" sub which you "board in water (no dock)" "after a choppy 25-minute ride." It has portholes "running along the sides." "Two people need to "share a porthole" tp gaze pout at the "cloudy water" with "some sea life" but "nothing spectacular." A "knowledgeable guide" points out specifics along the way. Most cruisers enjoyed it but probably wouldn't do it again (On Your Own: http://www.atlantisadventures.net

The Beach Rendezvous gets an "8" & says a lot of good things about it.

Jill

 

[nskjerven]

Kris: Yes, Miss Molly is 8. I'll PM you her email address and we can get her and Sophie chatting. Look for that next week sometime, I'll have to make sure her yahoo account is up and running first.

Tigg: ya, you're right, I bet we will get accused of being sisters, huh? But no one will believe that Jill is your mom.

Okay, bad case of clothes horse(s) in our family right now. Paul got a matching seerscuker suit (and 2 shirts and 2 ties) at Nordies yesterday. I'm starting to get freaked out about finding myself something that I'm really excited about for formal night.

Monday, Palos.....I think that is Christmas night, right? We must stay with the kids for dinner that night, so we have to pass on Palos that night.

Jill, is Tigg going with you on the parasailing? I want to go and thought Paul was in, but today he kinda backed away from it. So...should I do it without him and with you????

We decided to have all of us go on Dolphins. We picked the early time, so we can enjoy what's left of the day after that mind numbing experience.

So tired tonight, we spent the day at the Mountain Dew Extreme Sports Tour...wild. Skaterboards, BMX, and Motocross, lots of swag...I'll load pictures tomorrow. As they say...Do the Dew...

Nite,

Nan

 

[domiii]

Christmas is Sunday night. We are planning a 6-6:30 reservation at Palo on Monday.

Tig: Dominick says perhaps we can meet in Newark before we head to NYC. Let me know what line you would take!

Aisling: Do you know where Mario Batali (Food Network's) place is? Is that pricey? Just curious.

We are all sisters - I like that!

 

[nskjerven]

thanks Karen, I'm in a day/time warp, can ya tell. What are you doing up so late...

I'll check with Paul, I bet he'll be in for 2 dinners at Palo's too.

We're watching SNL retrospective, so funny...wish it was still as good as the 80's, we still watch it, when we can stay awake that late, but it's not the same. Perhaps something it was special since it was so naughty to watch as a teenager.

I've really gotta go to bed now myself,

Nan

 

[Aisling]

Aisling: Do you know where Mario Batali (Food Network's) place is? Is that pricey? Just curious.

Karen, Mario's restaurant is called Babbo, and it's in Greenwich (Grenich LOL) Village. Mario himself is hardly ever there. The food can run $50 a person, but you get a ton of it. When I ate there, my sis and I just ordered appetizers and drinks, and it cost us about $35 for the both of us. It's a cool place to visit, but for the price, it's nothing special, except when Mario is there. Any other preferences??

Hi Kandice!

Aisling, What day do you want?

Tig, The closer to the end of November, the better. What were the two November weekends Karen is available? I really need time to plan this, there are just so many choices, I want to narrow them down a bit, otherwise it's overwhelming. If we want to go to the WOD, we can even choose a midtown restaurant.
Are you near a train station? You can Amtrak it to Penn Station, which is right under Madison Square Garden. But it might be pricy, and we don't want to blow $$ right before our cruise! I'm tempted to drive down to Jersey and bring you here! (don't hold me to that!) Let's try to keep it simple. Give me a little more time to figure it out, but keep your ideas coming. What a waste, I recently threw away 4 tickets to the tv show The View because I didn't feel like going and couldn't find anyone who wanted to go! Damn, we could've used those tickets! How many of us will be going? That'll help with the planning.

Hi Tori!

Nan, give me one more day to get the facts from my guys about the biking. They're definitely doing it, but the question is where. Mel's asleep, and Chad's out, so I'll find out first thing in the morning.

Hi Kris!

I'm still undecided about Palo. I want to do it, but I'm afraid I'm going to miss something better, like the Animator's Palatte show, the formal, the Gala if it has something special to do with the Captain (I have a thing for ship captains, can't help it! ), Pirate night. Can anyone analyze the nights and advise?? Please??

Hi Lynn!

Question, have you Jersey girls ever come to NYC via Staten Island?

Hi Dede and Grim!

I've decided to swim with the dolphins at St. Marteen.

Jill, I was going to book this, but decided to save it for Discovery Cove. I saw the pictures of Tig with the dolphind, and it looked awesome. And parasailing? Have you done it before? We did, and we LOVED it. I REALLY have to get my serious planning going. I've been planning for months, but now this it it, decisions must be made.

I was busy today, and didn't have time to even think about the cruise, and tomorrow I'm doing a flea market until 3, so after that, I'll get serious, about excursions, Palo, the trip to NYC, the biking, etc. And I'll post all my ideas/ decisions. This way we can plan with/around each other. Even if we split up for excursions or dinner or whatever, we have to get together as a group and have some fun. I'm SO looking forward to spending time with you all!

Now I'm going beddie bye. Flea market doors open for sellers at 7:30 AM and it's 2 AM already! OMG how did that happen??
See you tomorrow! I'm going to bring my cruise planner with me to the flea market to work on itineraries whe things get slow!!!

 

[domiii]

thanks Karen, I'm in a day/time warp, can ya tell. What are you doing up so late...Nan

We had just come home from the playhouse. The cast likes to unwind as a group and have a little party after the show, 3 bottle of wine later it was time to go home! (No, I didn't drink all 3 myself!)

Aisling dates good for us in November 5, 6, 19, 20, 26, & 27. The only wrench I can see is Kayla is supposed to perform at NJPAC with NJ ALL-State, but I don't know when. I have heard a lot about Carmine's is it over rated? Never been there. Done Mars2112, Jeckle & Hydes, Tavern on the Green, Sardes. Some times we just pick a pub and find good food. But it's your neighborhood, so you are in the know! Thanks for the info on Mario's place. Just wondered. We've been to Mesa Grill - boy was that good! Bobby Flay wasn't there that night though.

Just spoke to my sister last night she was tickled when I told her she will have to come to one of our gatherings ... then she told me I needed to get her the sheet music to "Sisters" from White Christmas. She wants us to be in the talent show too! I'm not too sure about that one. It would be a lot of fun and isn't that why we are going in the first place?

Tig I PM'd you last night - you'll see why. I hope it makes sense!!! It was late.

 

[3xthecharm]

Believe it or not we will have the private room for Monday at 6pm!