Cruisin' MAYniacs - May 14-17, 2009

[Cruiser1969]

Any May 14, 2009 cruisers out there?

I would love to say "hello" and maybe start a fish extender group!!

Maria

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Hello!!

We will be on this cruise. I actually just started a thread as well but I guess we can have that one deleted and just stay here!!

My name is Kat and we are from CT. We are: Me36, DH39(Phil), DS19(Shawn) and DD11(Gabi). The kids don't know we are going on the cruise yet and it's my intention to keep it that way. We've sailed once on the Wonder and once on the Magic already and weren't planning on sailing again until one of the new ships came out but we took advantage of the kids sail free offer and couldn't resist. We will be using our timeshare in Orlando for a few days prior to sailing and then will drive to the port to surprise the kids.

Looking forward to getting to know you and seeing our thread fill up!

Kat
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UPDATE: THIS THREAD WILL ALSO BE THE OFFICIAL "WHO'S WHO" OF THIS SAILING!! PLEASE PM ME OR POST YOUR DIS SCREEN NAME, THE NAMES OF ALL MEMBERS TRAVELING IN YOUR PARTY AND THEIR AGES AT THE TIME OF THE CRUISE AND YOUR HOMETOWN AND IT WILL BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE YOU!!
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Cruiser1969: DW39 (Maria), DH41 (Jerry), DS12 (Daniel), DD10 (Julia)
from Ontario, Canada

DisneyMomforLife: DW37 (Kat), DH40 (Phil), DS19 (Shawn), DD11 (Gabi)
from Norwalk, CT

Leagirl12: DW32 (Shannon), DH40 (Kerry), DS11 (Austyn), and DD10 (Kasey)
from Hayden, AL

CHES94: DW36 (Cheryl), DH39 (Reece), DS7 (Tyler) and DS5 (Ryan)
from Round Rock, TX

Texasblue: DW36 (Jessica), DH39 (Michael), DD9 (Anna), DD7 (Sarah), DD4 (Emily)
from Bradenton, FL (but Texas, originally!)

wachnicki: DW40 (Denise), DH47 (Mike)
from Redding, CA celebrating their 20th Anniversary kid-free!!

Jaklackus: DW37 (Stacy), DH42 (Tom), DS18 (Erick), DS6 (Tommy), DS almost 5 (Wyatt) from Lakeland, FL and family friend-Beth(44)Winter Haven, FL

djcjn: DW36 (Jenni), DH36 (Damon), DS11 (Colton), and DD9 (Jaylen)
from near Kansas City, MO

dsneygirl: DW31, DH, DS3
from ....

kirklingal: DW40ish (Kris), DH40ish, DD11 (Kayli), DD8 (Rayni)
from FL/AL line

Dianatlol: DW34 (Diana), DH45 (Ken), DD8 (Casey)
from Indiana

DisneyMommyto2: DW37, (Colleen), DH35 (Erin), DD3, (Mackenzie), and DS7 mos (Will)
from Atlanta, GA

WoodysMommy: DW, DH
from ?

OceanLvr: DH40 (Joel), DW30, DS6, DD5, DS3
from Orlando, FL

AprilisCrazy: DW, DH, DD7, DD4
from ?

Audrey2580: DW33 (Audrey-traveling w/out husband), DS4 (Dominic), DSis36 (Kristina), Dneph5 (Brandon)
from California

SarahGirl: Sarah, 26 traveling solo!

 

[Cruiser1969]

Hello!!

We will be on this cruise. I actually just started a thread as well but I guess we can have that one deleted and just stay here!!

My name is Kat and we are from CT. We are: Me36, DH39(Phil), DS19(Shawn) and DD11(Gabi). The kids don't know we are going on the cruise yet and it's my intention to keep it that way. We've sailed once on the Wonder and once on the Magic already and weren't planning on sailing again until one of the new ships came out but we took advantage of the kids sail free offer and couldn't resist. We will be using our timeshare in Orlando for a few days prior to sailing and then will drive to the port to surprise the kids.

Looking forward to getting to know you and seeing our thread fill up!

Kat

Hi Kat!!

We are from Ontario, Canada: ME(39), DH(41) and my kids, who are going to be 12( DS) and 10( DD) when we sail.

The bolded part of your post sounds exactly like us, too We sailed the Magic in 2004, the Wonder in 2008, and then were waiting for the new ships for our next Disney cruise. Of course, the deal came out and we decided to add the cruise to our May plans.

So we're doing our BCV DVC stay for 6 nights before the cruise, cruising 3 days, and then going back to a 2-day AKV DVC stay. We are very excited to go back on the cruise!

Just thinking about Pirate Night gets me all excited to go again!! I'm sure three days WILL NOT be enough time, but oh well, it's better than nothing I guess!!!

Maria

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

That is exactly how I feel!! 3 days is better than NONE!

We were going to do an 8 night Carnival out of NY but the thought of being on the Wonder again was just too tempting especially using our timeshare to bring the overall cost down.

I've never done fish-extenders ... what are they exactly? I've seen pictures ... you leave things for people participating? I would be afraid of kids swiping gifts that are left.

I am trying to figure out a way to surprise the kids the day of ... but when we pack up the car and check out of the timeshare, it might be hard to not tell them where we are going ... unless we tell them we are going home that day. I was thinking of asking them if they want to go see the ship pull out of port for the fun of it and then maybe go for breakfast and have pre-printed fake boarding passes that I can give to the waitress and at the end, have her give each of them one as if it's the bill ... that could be cute. I just can't wait to see their faces!

Kat

 

[Cruiser1969]

Yes, the fish extenders are great fun! We did one last May on our 4-day cruise. I think as long as the pockets can hide the goodies (and depending where the room is located I guess), noone will steal the gifts.

When you get a bunch of people participating, it's added magic to the cruise experience. If we get more participants (even in our thread ) I will try to organize one for those interested. The fish extender doesn't even have to be anything fancy, as long as it hangs from "the fish" really.

I made mine by sewing two placemats together!!!! As you can see I'm really crafty I'll just peel off the "8" and glue on a "9" for this year's cruise!!

I really like your idea to surprise your kids!!! I would go for it . . . if you can wait that long Surprising the kids is so much fun!!

Maria

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

That sounds like fun and yes, you can organize it!! LOL I wouldn't know what to do at all!

So I was reviewing the DISigns threads and saw that YOU are a DISigner!! I'm sure that little bit of info will come in handy down the road. Actually, I usually do my own door signs ... if I can drum up some pictures, I will post them. It's certainly nothing fancy, but still fun nonetheless.

Kath

 

[leagirl12]

Hi there....we will be sailing on the Wonder on May 14th as well. I have been watching the board for a meet thread...I am so excited.

It will be me (Shannon), dh (Kerry), ds (Austyn), and dd (Kasey). This will be our first cruise and I am so excited that it is a Disney cruise.

I'll try not to ask too many questions...being a newbie and all.

Is it May yet??

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Welcome!! It is sooo nice to have an actual thread forming!!

Looks like we are going to have some girls that are right around the same age sailing ... so far a 9yo, 10yo and an 11yo.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you would like ... it will keep the conversations going! This is our 3rd Disney cruise, 2nd time on the Wonder. We are as excited as if it were the first time. As you read, my kids don't know about it yet so I guess I'm the one who is the most excited!!

Looking forward to getting to know you!

Kat

 

[Cruiser1969]

That sounds like fun and yes, you can organize it!! LOL I wouldn't know what to do at all!

So I was reviewing the DISigns threads and saw that YOU are a DISigner!! I'm sure that little bit of info will come in handy down the road. Actually, I usually do my own door signs ... if I can drum up some pictures, I will post them. It's certainly nothing fancy, but still fun nonetheless.

Kath

Yes, I did quite a few DISigns in my day!!! I'm not so sure I still have the magic touch as I haven't touched my Photoshop in quite a while
My first 1000 posts were just from the DISigns thread

I just love adding door signs to the room door; it makes the occasion so much more festive. I'm sure we can round up some neat deigns before May comes around!!!!

Maria

 

[Cruiser1969]

Hi there....we will be sailing on the Wonder on May 14th as well. I have been watching the board for a meet thread...I am so excited.

It will be me (Shannon), dh (Kerry), ds (Austyn), and dd (Kasey). This will be our first cruise and I am so excited that it is a Disney cruise.

I'll try not to ask too many questions...being a newbie and all.

Is it May yet??

Welcome aboard!!!!

Ask as many questions as you like . . . it'll be fun for Kat and I to relive our past cruises!!!

I see your DS is about my DS's age and your DD is about my DD's age!! How exciting!

Maria

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

I'm no "Creative DISer" ... but I will find pics of our doors from past cruises and post them for your critique!! LOL

Kat

 

[leagirl12]

Kat,

I love your idea of surprising your kids the day of the cruise. I would have loved to have done that but I have no self control.....hee!hee!

We told our kids at Christmas. A friend of mine made something that looked like a ticket with a poem I found on the DISign board and I put it in their Christmas Eve pajama giftbox.

I keep telling DH how I want to just wake them up one morning and take them on a big trip without giving them any warning. Wanting to do it and actually being able to keep the secret are two different things. I really like planning the trips with them and talking for months about all of the things we will see and do.

Shannon

 

[leagirl12]

Yes, the fish extenders are great fun! We did one last May on our 4-day cruise.

I have read a little about these here on the cruise board and I think it would be so much fun. Count me in!!!

 

[leagirl12]

So since you have both done this a few times and you have kids in the same age range as mine. I have a question. Do your kids go to the Oceaneer Lab or do they prefer to spend time hanging out with you? I have no doubt my kids are going to have fun on the cruise but I don't want to build up the Oceaneer's Lab as this great fun place if it's not going to be something they will enjoy.

DH and I have discussed it and decided we would let the kids spend as much time there as they want...after all it is there vacation too. The only rule we have is that they have to eat dinner with us each night....while it is there vacation it is also a family vacation and we want some family time.

This will be a completely new thing for us as we have not had a vacation where they had an opportunity to do things apart from us.


So what is your experience with your kids?

 

[Cruiser1969]

I have read a little about these here on the cruise board and I think it would be so much fun. Count me in!!!

Great, Shannon! I'll count you in for sure!!

Maria

 

[Cruiser1969]

So since you have both done this a few times and you have kids in the same age range as mine. I have a question. Do your kids go to the Oceaneer Lab or do they prefer to spend time hanging out with you? I have no doubt my kids are going to have fun on the cruise but I don't want to build up the Oceaneer's Lab as this great fun place if it's not going to be something they will enjoy.

DH and I have discussed it and decided we would let the kids spend as much time there as they want...after all it is there vacation too. The only rule we have is that they have to eat dinner with us each night....while it is there vacation it is also a family vacation and we want some family time.

This will be a completely new thing for us as we have not had a vacation where they had an opportunity to do things apart from us.


So what is your experience with your kids?

Shannon:

I did pretty much what you are planning to do, but I not only insisted on the kids eating dinner with us, but I insisted they see the big shows, too! Toy Story the Musical, for example, is wonderful, and it would be a shame to miss this show.

My kids would spend some time in the lab in the morning and some in the afternoon, then maybe go again until late at night (after the show). On our 4-day 2008 cruise, my DH and I actually went dancing a couple times and picked up the kids when the lab closed for the night.

When they were younger (2004) they did spend some time in Scuttle Cove on Castaway Cay, but not a lot. Last year (2008) we did a double dip at Castaway Cay, and they spent all their time with us for both days.

I let them decide when they wanted to go to their club, with the exception of dinner, show and port days when we had something planned.

Maria

 

[Cruiser1969]

Oh and by the way, I added my name to each of my posts because I realized I was not signing my name at all.

This is a habit I got into when I had a signature pic with my name in it. Obviously, that name pic is gone now to make way for my cruise and WDW tags!!

Maria

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Good Morning ladies!!

I can keep a master list as people join if you guys would like. I've done it on past meet threads. I usually include DISname, real name, family member ages and names and geographical location ... like this:

DisneyMomforLife: DW37 (Kat), DH40 (Phil), DS19 (Shawn), DD11 (Gabi)
Norwalk, CT

If you guys want to, just send me your info. 3 of us will have birthdays before the cruise so I did our ages at the time of the cruise.

Kat

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Shannon,

I think you are planning it the right way. Let them enjoy as much or as little as they would like.

My son Shawn is special needs (he has Down Syndrome) and they allow him to go with his sister to the club and they have a great time there together.

I'm sure you've seen the tip on the boards before but it's worth mentioning again. Bring different colored highlighters with you (one for each family member) and each night, sit and have everyone highlight the things on the Navigator that they would like to do. It can be as little or as much as each person wants ... that way they don't miss the activities that the club is planning or if there is nothing going on, they can get in some pool time with the family.

My kids have gone both ways ... some days I couldn't get them out, others ... I couldn't get them IN!

They are very safe with the kids, you get a wristband for them at the time of arrival at the port and a pager with a password so they can only be picked up by the people you allow who you give the password to. I have never given my kids their own sign-out privileges. Not that I don't trust them, but we are on a SHIP afterall and I'm just too scared with them somewhere that I don't know about.

Kat

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Toy Story the Musical, for example, is wonderful, and it would be a shame to miss this show.

Maria,

I'm so glad you mentioned that! I can't wait to see that show!! It is new since we were on the Wonder ... we saw Hercules and it was great too.

Kat