Dream 8/18-22 Fish Extender Group

[lornaa]

Morning! We are checked in and port stuff booked. we decided to skip the water park and hang out on blue lagoon island. Kyle and I are doing the walk/kayak activity on CC and Lys is doing the teen one where they do a little of everything. it still leaves us time to relax by the water. I am mentally packed for the trip (have decided on all the clothes and stuff), so there is no more decisions to be made! FE stuff is coming together and the big question here is how much room it will require to travel I am glad (especially for our first cruise) to have a smaller group. I would have to think twice if we had 30+ families. I was looking online at some personal navigators for the dream and am very excited to start seeing and doing. I guess the last great challenge for me is getting my daughter to fit the stuff she wants to bring in her allowed number of bags.

 

[PoohJen]

Good morning, All!
I am travelling with my husband, twin sons aged 16, college son aged 20, and Mom and Dad (in their 70s).

anyone else with kids these ages, esp. college age. He was too old (18) for Vibe last time and still made friends to hang out with for the week. I see now there are a couple of scheduled activities on the Navigators for the college crowd. He won't be bored, but he is uber social and likes to have a crowd of friends on these cruises.

 

[lornaa]

Hi Jen! my daughter's friend's family is traveling on our cruise (not doing FE), and he is 19, in the same boat as your older son. his brother is 16 also, but don't know if they will hang together, or he will visit Vibe. The main reason we are trying a cruise this summer is so our daughter can go to the teen club. she will be 17 this fall and was worried if we waited a year or two, she would be too young for adults and too old for teens. I didn't realize until last week, they do plan meet ups for the 18-21 age group (should have known Disney would have thought of this).

 

[bovenkerks]

Brady's favorite character is Mickey and Parker's is Sully from Monsters Inc. But they love anything really!

 

[MMPineda]

Hello everyone!
So I did the online check in but I realized that my flight back to NY is before 11:30 AM which is not recommended by the cruise line. Changing the flight will cost way too much. Does anyone think that if I let the cruise line know they will let us "cut the line?" so we can make our flight?

Also, thank you for the feedback on "Project Diaper." I will start looking into your suggestions.

Also, is the Google Doc finalized? Don't want to miss anyone.

 

[labdogs42]

Hello everyone!
So I did the online check in but I realized that my flight back to NY is before 11:30 AM which is not recommended by the cruise line. Changing the flight will cost way too much. Does anyone think that if I let the cruise line know they will let us "cut the line?" so we can make our flight?

Also, thank you for the feedback on "Project Diaper." I will start looking into your suggestions.

Also, is the Google Doc finalized? Don't want to miss anyone.

I have no idea about the flight thing.

The Google Doc is up to date. I never received that last family's info, so they aren't on there. I sorted by age and M/F with colors to try and make planning easier!

 

[PoohJen]

Hello everyone!
... I realized that my flight back to NY is before 11:30 AM which is not recommended by the cruise line. Changing the flight will cost way too much. Does anyone think that if I let the cruise line know they will let us "cut the line?" so we can make our flight?

How are you getting to the airport? Disney transfers? You need to figure out the earliest the transportation gets to the Port (or more importantly, what is the earliest it leaves from the port). If you are taking a cab, what is the earliest you can disembark, and will the cabs be waiting for you? You have to factor in travel time to the airport and airport security time.

As far as "cutting the line", it is a matter of getting through customs. You can ask DCL about helping you, but sounds like you need to make sure you are the first off the ship! I read that some people don't put their suitcases out at night, they just haul them down themselves, but honestly, in all my cruises, it really does not take that long to pick up your luggage down at the exit area. (if doing Disney transfers, do they just send it directly to the airport for you?)

You may be okay. Disney can't guarantee that the ship will dock on time, or that it will be cleared timely for disembarkation, hence they like folks to have a huge window time for flights.

 

[jonesm117]

There is an option to carry your own bags off the ship to customs and get off early. That's what we've done if we have an early flight. It's a piece of cake.

 

[jonesm117]

So excited, my daughter Emily just finished training with her service dog. (She has Tourette Syndrome.) He gets to come with us on the cruise and DCL has been amazing about accommodating him. Guess I'll have to make him a spot on our fish extender - hee hee. Less than 6 weeks to go!
Can't wait.
Monica

 

[MMPineda]

Hi everyone!
Thank you for all of your advice. We do have a private car waiting for us at the dock at 7:30 AM. I think our flight is at 10:45AM - I will definitely take your advice. It sounds like we will be ok...

 

[labdogs42]

So excited, my daughter Emily just finished training with her service dog. (She has Tourette Syndrome.) He gets to come with us on the cruise and DCL has been amazing about accommodating him. Guess I'll have to make him a spot on our fish extender - hee hee. Less than 6 weeks to go!
Can't wait.
Monica

That's great! I love dogs! What breed of dog is he? I will bring him a special FE treat, too. I'm a dog person, in case you haven't figured that out from my screen name! Our four dogs will be home during the cruise, so it will be nice to know there's at least one dog on board! I do have to ask, where will your dog be able to go potty? I know Disney thinks of everything, so I'm guessing they have thought of something!

 

[abrandow]

Are u taking the disney transport from the ship to the airport? If so, they prioritize ship departure times based om flight times and im guessing you'll be just fine - we had a flight at noon last year and got there waaaay early. I'd call them just in case but wanted to let you know you'll likely be just fine if u r taking their tranport.

 

[bovenkerks]

We got our luggage tags in the mail today!

 

[BlevinsFamily]

We got our tags today too!! We are getting close now

 

[MMPineda]

Thanks again for the advice on my flight the day we get back to port.
Yes I have a private car taking us from the airport to the dock and back.
Sounds like it will be ok...whew!

I am waiting to get our fish extender...so excited. I think once I receive
the fish extender in the mail I will really feel like it is getting close!

What is everyone doing when we are in Nassau? Is there a preference
for the beach there?

 

[BlevinsFamily]

Our family is doing a guided tour of Nassau (land and see I think it is called) -- about 3 -4 hours so we can get back to the ship right after lunch and the girls can enjoy the pool and/or children's area.

 

[MMPineda]

WE GOT YOUR LUGGAGE TAGS TODAY!! Who knew luggage tags would be
so exciting!!! Now when I get my fish extender I don't know what I will do!!
We can't wait!!
Don't know if the kids or my husband and I are more excited.

 

[labdogs42]

Hmmm, gonna have to start stalking the mail for my luggage tags! I got my FE already, it has been hanging in our kitchen for a couple weeks now. I love looking at it! It is getting closer!

ETA, if anyone wants to join a Photopass s h a r e for the parks before or after the cruise, PM me. Can't organize her eon the DIS, but there's a facebook group for that.

 

[abrandow]

We booked through a travel agent, so our luggage tags actually went to her and then she mailed to us... so if you booked through an agent, maybe that's why yours are a day or two later than others? just a thought?

 

[michellemb]

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