EBPC December 9, 2012!!! Who's in????

[BigHugsForEeyore]

I've only sailed in inside rooms or oceanview (from upgrades). The verandahs scare me! I hate standing near the railings on the ship while it's moving, though I think the Navigator verandahs look nice as they are enclosed.

It will be both my Mum's and mine first visit to California too. We are hoping to stay at Disneyland for two nights prior to the cruise.

I'm looking forward to all the sea days. The ports don't bother me too much - I think I need to stop reading all the Dis posts about these places being unsafe.
But I really want to see Costa Maya - I think it will be fun to see the Mayan ruins on the day their calendar comes to an end. It's a coincidence the port and the date have worked out like that (at least I hope it's coincidence!!).


Mark and Bingo! Bingo looks so happy to be at Castway Cay!

 

[dthogue]

We are booked Too!!! On a 6A HC room.

We were booked on the WBPC, it worked out better for us. & saved about $1600.00 for the same room!

It will be ""Bingo's" 5th Cruise.

Bingo is beautiful - is he a poodle? We just got a golden doodle and he looks alot like Bingo, especially in the face.

 

[skoi]

We're going to be booking tomorrow- canceling our May 2013 TA to do it! Thanks again to everyone who has been posting the price reductions, on the main board, because they're what got dh to change his mind.

It'll be me, dh, dd (18), ds (14) dd (8) ds (8). We're planning to fly in on Friday, and spend Saturday at Disneyland-- kids have never been there. Oldest dd might not make it for Disney-- finals end on Dec 7 so she has to wait to get her schedule.

Really looking forward to this cruise and meeting everyone.

Julie

 

[dthogue]

Sailing through the Panama Canal outweighs missing Castaway Cay - I agree about the weather, we were there at the beginning of November and while the air temp was warm, the water was freezing.

I have to do some research on the ports - its been scary reading about the the crime in Mexico lately. I have no idea what we would be for excursions.

Do anyone have any ideas on the LA port - like where to stay the night before and how to get to the port?

 

[dthogue]

Hi Everyone! My husband and 2 daughters (13 and 14 when we sail) booked this cruise last week and I can't wait. We haven't told our girls yet, but we will. They will be on the cruise for 2 weeks and then when we get back, they will be off school for Christmas for another 2 weeks. What a life. Did we ever have it that good? 310 days and counting!

My DD will be 14 on the cruise as well - when you tell your girls, let me know, maybe our girls can get to know each other before the cruise. She will have the same schedule - 2 weeks on the cruise, then off for Christmas vacation - me on the other hand, back to work on Christmas Eve, than off for Christmas - oh poor me

 

[skoi]

I've only sailed in inside rooms or oceanview (from upgrades). The verandahs scare me! I hate standing near the railings on the ship while it's moving, though I think the Navigator verandahs look nice as they are enclosed.

It will be both my Mum's and mine first visit to California too. We are hoping to stay at Disneyland for two nights prior to the cruise.

I'm looking forward to all the sea days. The ports don't bother me too much - I think I need to stop reading all the Dis posts about these places being unsafe.
But I really want to see Costa Maya - I think it will be fun to see the Mayan ruins on the day their calendar comes to an end. It's a coincidence the port and the date have worked out like that (at least I hope it's coincidence!!).


Mark and Bingo! Bingo looks so happy to be at Castway Cay!

This is brilliant! We're doing a tour with a company we used before to go to Chacchoben, and this makes it much better.

 

[Paragd911]

Bingo is beautiful - is he a poodle? We just got a golden doodle and he looks alot like Bingo, especially in the face.

He is Labradoodle

 

[dthogue]

We're in - I just emailed my TA to make the switch - we are so excited - let the planning begin.

I am anxious to hear about what eveeyone is planning for their excursions??

 

[BethC1952]

...
But I really want to see Costa Maya - I think it will be fun to see the Mayan ruins on the day their calendar comes to an end. It's a coincidence the port and the date have worked out like that (at least I hope it's coincidence!!)....

And if it's not a coincidence, what better place to be?

Beth

 

[BethC1952]

Do anyone have any ideas on the LA port - like where to stay the night before and how to get to the port?

We just booked the DCL transfer from the airport to the port. We're thinking of staying in one of the Embassy Suites somewhere nearby, and using that as our base to do a bit of sightseeing on the two days before the cruise, then taking their airport shuttle back to the airport on Sunday morning to catch the shuttle to the port.

We're going to book our flights to California over the weekend eek:$$$ it's a good thing the price of the cruise has gone down so much), and then we'll decide exactly where we're going to stay.

We haven't decided on what excursions, if any, we're going to do at the ports. We'll probably schedule something in Cartagena and something in Costa Maya, but at PV and Cabo we may just get off the ship to buy a souvenir or two and then head back for to the ship.

Beth

 

[skoi]

If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to organize a trip to the Chaccobean ruins in Costa Maya using a company we toured with there before, the Native Choice. David and Ivan are both great-- we toured with David in 2006 and he was amazing. They do a tour to the ruins, and also one where you can have lunch with a local family. They also have a program to collect school supplies for local children. Good company all around.

Also- any interest in a group brunch at Palo? I'd be glad to take this on, as well. I think you need 12 people to reserve the private room.

As the price is more than I originally anticipated (I swear it was cheaper yesterday, and of course I booked today) and dh has had a change in job status, we're short on excursion money, but are looking into a private guide for Cartagena (again- if anyone's interested in doing a tour together, let me know-- I found this worked very well when we did the Med cruise in 2010).

I'm so excited about this cruise, much more than the TA we had originally booked-- and oldest dd and I did a TA in 2011 and loved it. It was great, but I'm much more into planning for this one. Just waiting for Southwest and Virgin America to release dates through December.

 

[dthogue]

We just booked the DCL transfer from the airport to the port. We're thinking of staying in one of the Embassy Suites somewhere nearby, and using that as our base to do a bit of sightseeing on the two days before the cruise, then taking their airport shuttle back to the airport on Sunday morning to catch the shuttle to the port.

We're going to book our flights to California over the weekend eek:$$$ it's a good thing the price of the cruise has gone down so much), and then we'll decide exactly where we're going to stay.

We haven't decided on what excursions, if any, we're going to do at the ports. We'll probably schedule something in Cartagena and something in Costa Maya, but at PV and Cabo we may just get off the ship to buy a souvenir or two and then head back for to the ship.

Beth

Sounds like what we are going to do - although we won't be arriving til Saturday mid-morning. We will rent a car at the airport, do some sightseeing that day, return the car to the airport Sunday morning, then take a shuttle to the port. I just need to figure out what there is to do and where to spend the night. For those of you that are from the area - I would love suggestions on what to do/see - my DD wants to go to the beach - thought we could do that Sunday morning - any thoughts!!!

 

[BethC1952]

Also- any interest in a group brunch at Palo? I'd be glad to take this on, as well. I think you need 12 people to reserve the private room.

DH and I would be interested in a group brunch at Palo. We've done that before and had a wonderful time, even though I was too seasick to eat more than one cracker! Yes, that was one expensive cracker!

Beth

 

[dthogue]

We would interested in both the excursion and the Palo Brunch.

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

We are also interested in the Coast Maya excursion and the Palo brunch - thank you.

I think we are flying out on Friday 7th. Saturday flights are just so much more expensive, especially transatlantic flights! We're trying to use our airmiles though - it's fine going to LA, we can get that with miles but coming home there is nothing after 25th December, and who wants to be on a plane on Christmas Day when you can be at WDW!? Blah!

 

[schepp]

Count us in... We decided to join you for some fun on the way thru the PC.

This will be our 5th DCL cruise and the second one on the Wonder. We did the MR in December and really enjoyed the ship and the CMs.

We use to live in Panama (stationed at Fort Clayton 96'-99') so going back to the canal will be fun. Too bad we don't get a port day - revisiting the Canal Zone would be interesting.

 

[DVCinderella]

There has been another price reduction on this cruise as of yesterday. I believe this is in addition to the reduction we had just last week. Check your prices!

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

There has been another price reduction on this cruise as of yesterday. I believe this is in addition to the reduction we had just last week. Check your prices!

How much has it dropped? The price looks the same to me

 

[DVCinderella]

How much has it dropped? The price looks the same to me

When the price dropped last week (on or about 2/28), we upgraded from a Cat 5 to a suite. The price dropped on the suite again yesterday (3/3). Maybe not all categories have dropped.

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

When the price dropped last week (on or about 2/28), we upgraded from a Cat 5 to a suite. The price dropped on the suite again yesterday (3/3). Maybe not all categories have dropped.

Ah okay, thanks for clearing that up.

Our room was showing as £40 more, but I think that's more to do with the exchange rate, rather than an actual change in price. It seems the Pound & Euro prices get updated at the weekend when the exchange is paused.