"Double Dip Delight" 09.27.2008 - Take 3!

[NHdisneylover]

For now I ended going with Delta rebooking us on a flight 3 hours from home at 6:05 am. While looking for other flights, I kept an eye on the seats on the first leg of the trip and on the last leg home. Each time I checked, there were less and less seats, so I decided I better book since there are 6 of us.

I watched a special on travel Friday night that said flights are cheaper to book on Mon/Tues. so I am going to see tonight at 12:01am. Everyone wants to fly now on Thursday night and have a whole day in FL. Bryce (DGS) is even okay with missing a football game that evening and on 10/2. You can see his dedication is to cruising not playing football.....

I feel like an underpaid travel agent right now. I have dial-up service and it seems slower by the day.

Thanks for asking. I found cheaper mini van rental rates today for us, so maybe luck is coming my way. Please luck ...... please

Hey Dianna--something else to consider (for what it is worth). I have found when we have lots of family to transport that when you fill a minivan with people there really isn't much room at all for the luggage. It is nearly always cheaper to rent two compacts than one van and you get much more lugage space (so now that is what we do).

 

[2goofy2luv]

OK....I spent this ugly afternoon fixing this bad boy up:

It has listed the following: days, dates, ports & times, shows & times, dress & menus, dinner rotations & times, the drink of the day, and a notes section.

I have uploaded it to 4 shared for any of you who want to snag it and personalize it up for yourselves: click here
Here is a screenshot:

Thank you so much for this cool spreadsheet. I have already downloaded into my Excel. Thanks a bunch for your work.

 

[2goofy2luv]

Glad all is well with your family

 

[NHdisneylover]

Jen I forgot to post that your spreadsheet is so awesome. I can digest the inforamtion so much better presented that way

 

[scoutsmom99]

Hi Everybody. I am just now home--having left the house at 8:30 this morning--so this is the soonest I could post. I got through to MiL at about noon today and everyone (read MARIKA) is just fine.

Glad to hear that Marika is ok. Shame on MIL for not calling you!!

We picked Rio up from camp today and he had a great week.

Sounds like Rio had a wonderful time at camp!!

And to top off such a lovely day---who remembers when I won the Melissa Etheridge concert tickets?????

I remember when you won those tickets..it sounds like the concert was amazing!

OK....I spent this ugly afternoon fixing this bad boy up:

It has listed the following: days, dates, ports & times, shows & times, dress & menus, dinner rotations & times, the drink of the day, and a notes section.

I have uploaded it to 4 shared for any of you who want to snag it and personalize it up for yourselves: click here

Oh that is so amazing...I'm totally a visual person! Thanks for sharing I downloaded it and am going to play around with it tonight!! I agree it should be linked in the first post!

We're even taking them all to WDW in January - we are pumped!! We close up after the holidays and we always go to WDW for the first week & then someplace really warm (looking at Antigua this year) for the second week. This year, we decided to book some extra rooms and ask everyone along - so, between planning the cruise and planning the January trip - I am on cloud 999999999 !!

That is so nice of you guys to do that for your employees!!

Do any of you find the planning to be just as fantastic as the actual trip?! I almost feel a letdown when the planning is done. It's like I always need to have a trip planned so I have something to map out...I'm sure you all feel like that!

Oh my goodness yes! I have had so much fun doing research for the trip and the anticipation for the cruise is just as good.

I watched a special on travel Friday night that said flights are cheaper to book on Mon/Tues.

Interesting I have had my best luck with Tue/Wed. I booked flights about a week ago and 2 days after I booked NWA changed my outbound flight by an hour or so...so now I might just change it to an earlier flight.

Thanks for asking. I found cheaper mini van rental rates today for us, so maybe luck is coming my way. Please luck ...... please

I wish we could find a slightly cheaper rental as well. I have a cheap one booked through National using a code that seems to have a lot of suspicion surrounding it so I was looking to book something else today best I have found is $375 I have to hope that like in years past the closer I get to the trip the more that will drop down in price.

 

[2goofy2luv]

We're signed up for the 9AM slot for ours.

I just received an email back from Nativeway and they said that there is no height or age restriction on the stingray adventure. They also said that it includes roundtrip transportation and that all paying count so if you have already booked I wonder if we could add on to you and someone else join us and we all save $5 per person. Are you or anyone else interested?

 

[zweihund]

Jen:

 

[NZMUM]

Jen, love the s/sheet. Thank you

Tania

 

[crissichef]

Hadley - I am so glad that Marika is ok. That is really crazy that you had to worry over her. I would have a talk with MIL too!

Jen - Awesome spreadsheet - how do you know what the drink of the day is?

Question for the seasoned cruisers - On the normal casual nights for dinner, are capris with a nice top and sandals acceptable? I am trying to work out my packing list!

Thanks,
Crissi

 

[NHdisneylover]

Question for the seasoned cruisers - On the normal casual nights for dinner, are capris with a nice top and sandals acceptable? I am trying to work out my packing list!

Thanks,
Crissi

Yes. I think that is what most women are wearing (personally I love sundresses so tha tis waht I am in )

 

[pit303]

Hadley - I am so glad that Marika is ok. That is really crazy that you had to worry over her. I would have a talk with MIL too!

Jen - Awesome spreadsheet - how do you know what the drink of the day is?

Question for the seasoned cruisers - On the normal casual nights for dinner, are capris with a nice top and sandals acceptable? I am trying to work out my packing list!

Thanks,
Crissi

That is what I wear on casual night unless I bring an extra sundress.

 

[scoutsmom99]

Yes. I think that is what most women are wearing (personally I love sundresses so tha tis waht I am in )

ohh good to hear that I have been on a dress buying spree and I have 4 or 5 casual ones for the cruise that I will be wearing to dinner.

 

[pit303]

Has anyone who is still in GTY status seen a room assignment recently? We are still in limbo!!!

 

[crissichef]

Has anyone who is still in GTY status seen a room assignment recently? We are still in limbo!!!

We booked cat 8 GTY and ours showed up a few weeks ago. Have you checked the DCL website? No one contacted us. The room number just showed up there one day.

Ok, while we are on the subject of clothing.........what do the little boys wear on formal night.....still can't decide on what DS3 should wear!

Crissi

 

[NHdisneylover]

We booked cat 8 GTY and ours showed up a few weeks ago. Have you checked the DCL website? No one contacted us. The room number just showed up there one day.

Ok, while we are on the subject of clothing.........what do the little boys wear on formal night.....still can't decide on what DS3 should wear!

Crissi

On formal night you will see little boys in everything from golf shirts with khaki pants to tuxedos (Rio the clothes hound will be in a tux--but he will likely be in a tie even on casual nights so he is NOT the norm ). I think most boys will have a button down shirt and tie or sweater vest and slacks (most will not have jackets, some will). Editing to add that MANY boys will have snealers or sandals on even with their more formal attire. Buying and packing "foraml" shoes tend to be a low priority for parents of boys ;-)

Scoutsmom99--Glad to know I will not be the only one in a dress

 

[pit303]

We booked cat 8 GTY and ours showed up a few weeks ago. Have you checked the DCL website? No one contacted us. The room number just showed up there one day.

Ok, while we are on the subject of clothing.........what do the little boys wear on formal night.....still can't decide on what DS3 should wear!

Crissi

O I check every day I quess one of these days I will get a surprise!!

 

[scoutsmom99]

I just paid off the rest of our cruise

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

Hadley: Glad Marika is OK, I also LOVE ME, saw her twice in concert!
Jen: Awesome spreadsheet Thanks

Welcome to the newbies!

 

[CrazyZeus1]

Last year on our cruise, I had Reese ( then 4yrs) in kakhi pants & polo shirts. I think I had his leather sandals on too. We skipped formal night, so I can't help there

For dinners, I wore skirts and tall heels, but only because Reese is obsessed with heels and LOVES it when Mommy wears them. My usual attire consists of either flip flops or sneakers, so I indulge my boys and wear pretty shoes on the cruise

 

[Gramto3]

Hey Dianna--something else to consider (for what it is worth). I have found when we have lots of family to transport that when you fill a minivan with people there really isn't much room at all for the luggage. It is nearly always cheaper to rent two compacts than one van and you get much more lugage space (so now that is what we do).

Hadley ~ Hadn't thought about that.....thanks for the tip.

Interesting I have had my best luck with Tue/Wed. I booked flights about a week ago and 2 days after I booked NWA changed my outbound flight by an hour or so...so now I might just change it to an earlier flight.

I wish we could find a slightly cheaper rental as well. I have a cheap one booked through National using a code that seems to have a lot of suspicion surrounding it so I was looking to book something else today best I have found is $375 I have to hope that like in years past the closer I get to the trip the more that will drop down in price.

Hopefully, Mon/Tue will work for me. If we fly locally it will need to be on USAir and if we book before 9/7 we won't have to pay for our 1st bag.

I did have a reservation with National and then called the Cocoa Beach address to confirm and asked if they had shuttle service from Cocoa Beach to the ports and vice-versa. They said NO so you might want to call them and ask. I had a super rate also ...... I called a special # listed on their site and received a Senior Discount!

I am now booked with Thrifty, we have a minivan booked for 9/25-9/27 for $132.68, a minivan booked for 9/26-9/27 for $75.21 and a minivan booked for 10/4 port to MCO for $68.37. I've tried to cover all the bases in case we arrive late Thursday evening instead of Friday. All the prices include tax and are one way rentals.


Nenner1 ~ Thanks for the spreadsheet......Excellent job! How's that new baby doing?