December 2,2006...Anyone want to join us?

[cheriemek]

I cannot make my reservations until 75 days before, which is fine since I still haven't decided what to do. Swimming with the stingrays sounds like fun. Any advice from those of you who have cruised before?

 

[drclaws]

For sheer ability to stuff yourself with a wide variety of wonderful and varied food, the brunch cannot be beaten. Plus sitting, enjoying the setting and watching the ship pull into Key West is great (we ususally schedule brunch on Sunday, although we have managed to double dip on brunch by speaking with PJ). Plus a properly made stollen......

The dinner is just as wonderful, but a bit more focused as far as food goes. Don't get me wrong, you have anything and everything you want, just a different "feel" to the setting at night. A leisurely 'no-rush" evening to enjoy being pampered by the Palo servers, followed by a moonlit stroll around Deck 10 afterward.

Tough to say which I'd pick if forced to choose just one. Probably would depend on my mood at the time asked! Possibly select the brunch because of the variety and my thought that the "brunch vs. regular breakfast" gap is a bit more than the "Palo vs Lumiere's/Parrot/AP" dinners. Although that Lemoncello Martini in Palo.......

 

[momof6innc]

I think I'll try to convince my DH to skip brunch so he can watch the baby, and I'll go with my parents and sister. I think I'll go over to the photo pages and drool at brunch a bit!

 

[princessdaisy]

Drclaws: I love your description of Palo brunch brings back wonderful memories of feasting on crab legs and such...yes, don't miss the brunch

So here is a question for everyone: Where do you go (or would like to go) for first lunch upon boarding? We always do Parrot Cay but I wonder if we will just grab something at Topsiders and relax by the pool

Ahhhh, can't wait but for me back to reality



Steph:


my son, Riley, is helping me type

 

[alwayslisad]

"ello" all - how are we all doing - tonite there is a DCL show on the Travel channel even though I have watched it so many times I am planning on again - I have to get my fix...

My countdown clock is at 2 months 19 days - yahoo -

I am booked for the stingray city - ::shrugs:: I will keep doing the STINGRAY SHUFFLE so far 5 of our group do not want to go - but as I said - you can do what you want - if I get scared I will just taked the ride and sit on the boat and watch other swim with them!!

 

[alwayslisad]

I want to go to PC on our first day - We did the topsiders on our first cruise - too rushed and trying to carry all the things were hard....so we will try for PC

 

[princessdaisy]

Alwayslisad: Did you book stingray with DCL? I still want to go and do the stingrays at GC.

 

[alwayslisad]

Hiya - yes I booked through DCL - we will do at GC too - I think we have the 10ish am time....If part of my family does not want to snorkle with them - they can stay on the catamaran and have lemonaide....I will get in the water for sure!!!

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Brunch at Palos is fantastic. I am looking forward to trying the dinner too this time. That lemoncello martini does sound good...

Last time we had lunch at the buffet when we boarded. We were super early to the port and one of the first ones on (I think the 4th family on after concierge etc, boarded), and Parrot Cay wasn't open for some reason yet (I think they told us in 15 minutes, I believe we had been able to board a bit early, maybe thats why ). Alot of families decided to wait for PC so we had Topsiders pretty much to ourselves for the first half an hour (then it got slammed). We had an awesome seat by the window and had no problem making multiple trips to the buffet. I don't know what we'll do this time. I'll be so excited to be walking on board again I probably won't care. Did I tell you guys that last time, the day we were leaving the Wonder and I saw the "See you real soon" sign (I think thats what it said), I started crying. Probably looked like a big old fool, but I really didn't want to leave. I had planned that dream trip since I was a little kid and Disney first came out on the Big Red Boat. My parents had ordered the promo video, but decided it was too expensive with 4 kids. So I swore I was gonna take my kids on a Disney Boat and to Disney World when they were 3 & 5 (how I knew I'd have 2, 2 years apart I don't know but thats what I had always said). And that is when we took them. Ds had just turned 3 and dd turned 5 at Castaway Cay. We thought it would be a "once in a lifetime" thing and of course now we're hooked. How did you guys end up choosing Disney Cruises?

We're still planning on doing the stingray swim. We mainly just want to snorkel in GC, and it seems ALL the snorkel tours stop at Stingray City before going on to the Barrier Reef or Coral Gardens. My kids are only 4 and 6 and aren't aware of the Steve Irwin incident. I'm not sure how I'll feel (I'm a little squiddish about snorkeling in general... I like snorkeling in deep water with plenty of space between me and the fish), but I can watch from the ship and snorkel when we go to the next stops. My kids LOVE to snorkel and want to see the stingrays but I have a feeling one or both will stay in the boat when they see the size of them. Thats ok as I have heard the guides will bring one over to the boat for the kids to pet. I still haven't decided which snorkel tour to book. I was leaning towards Capt Marvins and now Nativeway sounds good too. My dd's favorite animal ever is sea turtles so she really wants to go to the turtle farm too but I haven't heard the best things about it.

BTW, have any of you told your kids school yet? My dd told her teacher Friday, who asked me about it (I was planning on waiting a few weeks till they had gotten to know me a bit more, I volunteer in the class once a week, so yeah I was gonna suck up a bit first, I admit it). Her teacher was beyond awesome about it! She said she loves when families do these types of trips with their kids and you can really see the bond these families have, etc, etc. She asked if I would mind her sending a bit of homework with us, so the school could still get money as if she was there (they still get paid as long as they prepare a lesson plan for her, etc). I said of course, as I was expecting her to have to do work. We will even have a few weeks to do it (which means we can turn it in after Christmas break). I'm soo relieved. DD is at a new school this year, and this would have been much more difficult at her old school!!

 

[princessdaisy]

Tink&Squirtsmom: I am also trying to decide between Captian Marvins and Nativeway! I go back and forth about it...but I like the Beach time at Rum point beach with Nativeway and lunch (but it is more expensive then Captian Marvins).

We got "hooked" on DCL when we first sailed 8 years ago...back then the Magic only did 3 and 4 days and my dd was only six years old. We had such a wonderful time that the rest is history! heheheh.

 

[alwayslisad]

Booked the rasual for DH & I - was going to surprise him - but we couldn't sleep last night so we talked and talked - finally early this morning I said - " I BOOKED US THE COUPLE THING AT THE SPA" he said "FANTASTIC !!! I can not wait!" ohhhh yahoo!

 

[princessdaisy]

That sounds like fun!!

 

[luvmykids]

Tink&SquirtsMom: We went last year on the Wonder for three nights for my Mother In Laws birthday and since I have been wanting to do the Disney Cruise since it started I convinced my husbands whole family this was the cruise line we should go on. We had a great time but three nights went too fast so we knew we would have to do the 7 night asap.

I have not told my children's teachers about the trip yet as they just started school last wednesday. I do not think I will tell them until mid-november but I am not looking forward to it.

Alwayslisad: The rasul sounds great! I was thinking of booking it on board!

 

[princessdaisy]

Just got my package from Disneyshopping.com!!! all our cruise outfits, suits, towels, sandals for our DCL Dec. 2nd Just makes me feel like its coming so much sooner.

 

[drclaws]

Brunch at Palos is fantastic. I am looking forward to trying the dinner too this time. That lemoncello martini does sound good...

So good I HAD to have an encore before dinner ended... ...and I know and respect the power of martinis! Of course that was the same cruise that I did the martini tasting and ended up not having a table mate...and since the CMs had poured two sets of martinis. I was ALWAYS taught not to waste......

As for the boarding lunch, we've done June and September before and the weather has been hot/very warm and humid. The indoor A/C won out, plus Parrot Cay happens to be Kathy's favorite (non-Palo) restaurant on the Magic. So we thanked the CM who mentioned Topsiders and proceeded directly to PC!

On a whim I booked the Rasul too. Hey, I was up at 3:00 a.m. and it was there for the booking,so wjy not?

How did we end up on a DCL cruise the first time? We had kicked aorund taking a cruise, but never moved on it. We are part of a distribution list/discusison group and the TA had a good deal, so we decided to go for a 7-day Western not knowing if we'd like it or not. Five minutes out of Port, drinks in our hands on Deck 10, breeze in our hair....oh, yeah....good decision. Plus you can't beat the Disney quality.

 

[luvmykids]

Princessdaisy: Thats great all your stuff came today! Sounds like you are all ready to go!! I am jealous as I am not close to being ready!

 

[teriandcb]

Hi everyone! I haven't posted for awhile because I've been in a local theater production of Cheaper by the Dozen. It was lots of fun but very time consuming. This will be our 6th DCL cruise and each time just gets better. I chose DCL initially because I LOVE Disney and as a divorced mom of two girls, I wanted a ship that I felt safe on and could enjoy myself when my kids were in the kids club. DCL has been a perfect choice. This year, some friends of ours are going so I'll have some other adult company---which is great since my teenage daughters and niece will probably be hanging out with other teens! I did book Alone Time in the Spa Villas and I'm really looking forward to that. I also booked Palo Brunch, which I adore, for my friends and me. I don't think we'll do dinner there, although I do love the chocolate souffle! I'd still like to do High Tea if anyone else wants to go. I can't believe we're under 90 days now. After doing a million back to school physicals (I'm a pediatrician), I am soooo ready for a break!

 

[princessdaisy]

Teriandcb: I would still like to do tea with you and anyone else who would like to join in!!



I tried to make a tea ressie but was already "sold out" for online booking. If there is still interest in a "tea meet" I can go ahead and make the ressie when we board. I had tea with Dis friends on our last cruise and it was so nice to sit and chat

-Steph

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

alwayslisad: The rasul sounds awesome. I'm tempted to book it too.

drclaws: LOL about your martini encore. I am so NOT a lightwieght but on the Wonder last time I noticed my alchol limit was much lower when you factored in the movement of the ship and all that sun! The great thing about that was seeing more of the characters (two Mickeys, 3 Donalds, etc all at one photo op ). And that was only 1 and a half of those Konk Coolers (is that the name??). This time I will stick to one martini and just have to eat tons at Palo to balance it out!!

Princessdaisy: Have fun going through your loot!!

Teriandcb: I would be interested in high tea with you and Princessdaisy (and whoever else) if the times worked out. When were you thinking?

Well the weather had started cooling off to fall like temps here, but it warmed back up to a toasty 95 today. Bummed because when it felt the fall the cruise seemed closer!!

 

[alwayslisad]

Good morning all - SIL called and informed me that they will indeed cruise with us - so it is back to the original 11 of us going. They are planning many more excursions than us - so more alone time for my family which I like. I had this vision of me and DH and DD in the front and 8 people behind us ( like the verizon commercial) all just tagging along...if one person stopped then the rest would fall over!!!! Since every time we said "we are doing....." we got "yea us too" as replies..... The Rasul will be wonderful for us. This week we celebrate our 16 yr anniversary and 20 together!!! wowowo... DD is going away to a friends for the weekend

I am looking forward to eatting at PC instead of the outside buffett this time, last time was just tooooooooo hard to juggle everything! So if we want PC we just tell them - or what? We should arrive earlier enough on Saturday since we are staying at the MCO Hyatt the night before and taking the Shuttle to port. The sooner I can get onboard the better in my opinion!!!

OK I am off to get ready for work....I have a countdown going and my staff are joining in with me... "Lisa only 2 months 18 days till you are heading to CRUISE" I have them trained - heheheeh

TTFN