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

[BethC1952]

GOOD Morning, Happy Cruisers!

Yes, the Platinum date is August 11th, but this platinum will *NOT* be up at midnight to book anything! If I get it, I get it (whatever IT is) and if I don't, then I will on the ship.

Another Florida Morning, here in upstate New York. What happened to the cool rainy summers we used to have when we were camping in a tent?

Off to the farmers market this morning, and then home to scrapbook and dream of cruising.

Happy Day, all!

Another Platinum who won't be staying up! I'm sure there'll be some excursions and Palo slots left in the morning!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[JessicasMom]

my grandma and I are so excited this is my first posting so I might be doing some more. there jessicamom are u happy that I posted.

Hi Anna!!! Glad you helped Grandma find the boards...but now I have to be more careful what I say!

(Anna and Grandma Pat are my DNiece and DM, for whom this will be their second DCL cruise...they were also on the WBTA last year)

 

[magicmaker1]

WBTA cruisers who were your servers?
Ours where Agus from Indonesia and Pedro from Colombia (i think that hè was from there)
Our stateroom host was Rex (deck 5 aft.)
Rex was great but our servers were so so!
Hope we get better ones this year!!!

on the MR in January, we had Sadet (from Turkey) and Yokiko (from Japan) as our servers--they were fabulous. Sadet is now doing the cruise from Barcelona .

 

[magicmaker1]

GOOD Morning, happy Cruisers!

I had a brain wave this morning concerning the ornament exchange. Two hours is a long time for children to sustain attention, especially if their number comes early and they're just sitting around watching others open stuff, without even an adult beverage to pass the time. I remember how boring it is to listen to adults chat. . . or maybe it was just my ADD.

Anyway, What would y'all think about a two timed start? Say 2 o'clock for kids and JUST have the kids draw numbers for an exchange of 'kid' friendly ornaments. And then, depending on the number of children signed up, and how long you think that will take, say 2:30 or 3 or whatever for the adults. Then the kids could go off to their clubs and be having fun, while the adults carry on.

Happy Day, all!

Not a bad idea if there are enough kids involved. I won't mind only 2 steals either instead of 3.

 

[LindaBabe]

Good Morning, Happy Cruisers!

Deluge here last night - we sure needed it.

Today, the first cause of my stress goes away. I get two molars extracted (Need a 'scared to death' smilie)

Then on to happier things like TRIP planning. Also planning a road trip for this fall, and a 2 week stay at WDW in January.


Happy Monday, everyone!

 

[mug318ca]

I guess being on the west coast has its advantages since I only have to stay up until 9pm! You would think staying up until 9 would be easy to do but all these late nights staying up to watch the Olympics is starting to catch up to me! I just wish I knew ahead of time what excursions will be offered in Cabo and PV since we have shorter than normal port times.

Our port excursion in Cabo will be a nice bar in the port area with a bucket of beer, chips, and salsa.

 

[mnewcomer]

Our port excursion in Cabo will be a nice bar in the port area with a bucket of beer, chips, and salsa.

Now that sounds good to us! the temp topped out here today at 115 in the shade! I think this evening we'll have to go to Disneyland and spend a few rounds on POTC, maybe dinner at the Blue Bayou!

 

[buckeyesix]

It's been awhile since I posted, so I thought I should update our status. We did receive our children's passports with no problems, so we booked the cruise and our flights and our hotel for the night before the cruise. Although I've done a lot of shopping and planning, it still seems a bit unreal to me. A two week cruise! Through Panama! With Disney!! And we're really going! I couldn't be more excited. We are keeping it a secret from the children until about a week before we sail, so I have to keep my exuberance under wraps.

I guess I should introduce my whole crew, so that our information can be updated on the list of who's going. We have booked two inside cabins with an adjoining door.

Me -- Anne
DH -- Eric
DD -- Corinne (age 10)
DS -- Ryan (age 8)
DS -- Matthew (age 7)
DD -- Kelly (age 7)
plus my dad -- Gene

My mom has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. I'm glad Dad has agreed to go with us, but I also know that he has mixed emotions about vacationing without her.

 

[dthogue]

FE Exchange Update ​

We are up to 55 cabins participating It's not too late to join us (we have about 2 months til the cutoff). If you are interested in joining, please PM me your info. The spreadsheet is up to date with all the participants and can be accessed through our cruise website.

Happy planning everyone. I have my gifts done, just need to figure out how to get them to the ship!

Tammy

 

[dthogue]

I just wish I knew ahead of time what excursions will be offered in Cabo and PV since we have shorter than normal port times.

We are anxiously waiting to see what will be offered as well - wish they would post the excursions so we can plan ahead - I have to wait til the 26th! Hopefully you can share the secrets on the 11th with the rest of us

 

[LindaBabe]

Good Morning, Happy Cruisers!

Had two teeth extracted yesterday but it was painless and I my dentist. Mad the toothfairy didn't come At my age, they should have been worth a packet!

It's been awhile since I posted, so I thought I should update our status. We did receive our children's passports with no problems, so we booked the cruise and our flights and our hotel for the night before the cruise. Although I've done a lot of shopping and planning, it still seems a bit unreal to me. A two week cruise! Through Panama! With Disney!! And we're really going! I couldn't be more excited. We are keeping it a secret from the children until about a week before we sail, so I have to keep my exuberance under wraps.

I guess I should introduce my whole crew, so that our information can be updated on the list of who's going. We have booked two inside cabins with an adjoining door.

Me -- Anne
DH -- Eric
DD -- Corinne (age 10)
DS -- Ryan (age 8)
DS -- Matthew (age 7)
DD -- Kelly (age 7)
plus my dad -- Gene

My mom has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. I'm glad Dad has agreed to go with us, but I also know that he has mixed emotions about vacationing without her.

Welcome Aboard! So glad your dad decided to join you. My MIL passed from complications due to Alzheimers last year. It's just a terrible terrible disease and takes it's toll on the people who love the sufferers whether they are full time caregivers or not. He deserves a break! I'm sure you'll all have a fabulous time.

FE Exchange Update ​

We are up to 55 cabins participating It's not too late to join us (we have about 2 months til the cutoff). If you are interested in joining, please PM me your info. The spreadsheet is up to date with all the participants and can be accessed through our cruise website.

Happy planning everyone. I have my gifts done, just need to figure out how to get them to the ship!

Tammy

GOOD JOB Tammy! I had good luck mailing a box to my pre-stay hotel for the Hawaii cruise. I had a hundred 2x3 candy boxes, andd finished filling the 'banker's box' I used with my books, some crushproof evening tops, a small roll of packing tape and a return to home label, just in case. The USPS website will tell you in advance how long it will take to arrive - I added a day. It arrived safe and sound and I took it to the ship as packed, and handed it off to the porter

We are anxiously waiting to see what will be offered as well - wish they would post the excursions so we can plan ahead - I have to wait til the 26th! Hopefully you can share the secrets on the 11th with the rest of us

I thought the excursions were already posted? What will likely happen is the ones that won't be offered due to time constraints will show no availability, like Palo does when it's all booked up. Either greyed out, or just won't show up at all among the options.

Suggest having a couple choices for a given location and just try the highest priority one first.

 

[socababy]

FE Exchange Update ​

We are up to 55 cabins participating It's not too late to join us (we have about 2 months til the cutoff). If you are interested in joining, please PM me your info. The spreadsheet is up to date with all the participants and can be accessed through our cruise website.

Happy planning everyone. I have my gifts done, just need to figure out how to get them to the ship!

Tammy

Already done??? You are good! I kind of have an idea of what I am doing but won't start on them until next month after the kids go back to school.

So my FIL booked my flight home for this cruise through yahoo travel. I have never booked flights before on my own but I am going to for my WDW/Fantasy trip next June. What is the best way to book the flights? Online through yahoo? Online directly through the airline? Any other suggestions?

 

[dededisney]

So my FIL booked my flight home for this cruise through yahoo travel. I have never booked flights before on my own but I am going to for my WDW/Fantasy trip next June. What is the best way to book the flights? Online through yahoo? Online directly through the airline? Any other suggestions?

When I book flights, I look at all the options you have listed to find the best price. Usually they are pretty much the same and I end up just booking with the airline themselves, but I have also booked with Orbitz b/c of their low price guarantee...if someone books the same flight you did for a lower fare, they will refund you the difference. Of course that didn't help me with getting a lower fare, but I had hoped it would.

 

[dededisney]

FE Exchange Update ​

We are up to 55 cabins participating It's not too late to join us (we have about 2 months til the cutoff). If you are interested in joining, please PM me your info. The spreadsheet is up to date with all the participants and can be accessed through our cruise website.

Happy planning everyone. I have my gifts done, just need to figure out how to get them to the ship!

Tammy

Now you are just showing off, Tammy. You organize it all and have everything done! I'm jealous. I am pretty sure I know what I am doing now, so it is just a matter of getting all the supplies and actually doing it. I know the time will just fly by now, so I would love to start the gifts in the next couple of weeks. We will see!

 

[bbangel]

Just made the final payment! Now it feels like it is official

My mom and I are about half way done the FE gifts for 25 cabins. Need more supplies to do anymore. We've had to work on the ones for our Sept cruise or those risk not getting done. What a problem to have

My place is officially being listed on Friday so have been working like a madwomen to clean and de-clutter. If it sells quickly I will be on the other coast by October. If it doesn't I may still be here in December. I hate waiting to book flights/hotels but don't really have a choice. It is all adding to my stress level! Good thing I don't have to manage a job on top of it all at the moment (there are silver linings to everything )

Linda, I have been putting off the dentist but you have inspired me to get on it. And I agree that the tooth fairy shouldn't age discriminate!

 

[WVURunner]

Yes, there are a couple of stores that sell alcohol right near Disneyland. When we spend the night down there we stay at the Sheraton down the street and walk past a couple of stores to pick up stuff on the way back.
.

Which Sheraton did you stay at? The Sheraton Anaheim at 900 Disneyland Drive or the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, 1855 South Harbor Boulevard? We will be staying at a Sheraton using points and can't decided which one to stay at?

It is good to know we will be able to pick up some wine and beer. We always like to have a few drink in the room while we get ready for dinner and snack on a room service cheese platter! I do enjoy drink of the day in a bar though.

I think we are going to plan on picking up liquids at the store in CA as well. I see no need to fly with enough mouth wash for 2 weeks for 2 people.

 

[mug318ca]

Now that sounds good to us! the temp topped out here today at 115 in the shade! I think this evening we'll have to go to Disneyland and spend a few rounds on POTC, maybe dinner at the Blue Bayou!

We're on the coast, near LAX, so it hasn't gotten THAT hot here but I am always up for POTC and some jambalaya at the Blue Bayou.

I expect temps in the 80's in Cabo which will be very nice for December.

 

[Travelbee]

We're doing the Tropicante too! Sounds like a fun outing!

I also emailed it to DH today, but he has been busy at work and he didn't see it. It killed me to wait to tell him about it. I am super excited, sounds fun!

If you decide to go let me know. I am hoping to call soon, I guess. Making reservations seems silly, but I think I will. I want to get massages!

And it's soooo cool he lets you use the phone. With it being the end of the world and all we can call home.

We are definitely leaning on Tropicante. DH is a bit concern about fanatical doomsayers showing up at the ruins doing crazy things.

So my FIL booked my flight home for this cruise through yahoo travel. I have never booked flights before on my own but I am going to for my WDW/Fantasy trip next June. What is the best way to book the flights? Online through yahoo? Online directly through the airline? Any other suggestions?

I'll second dededisney on checking on the prices, then book directly with the airline. We had an incident where we flew an airline that went on strike during our return leg. We booked directly with the airline but our friends booked through a travel agent. The airline rescheduled us to one of their partner airlines for the same day and departure time at no fee but they would not work with our friends at all. Our friends had to make the arrangements with the travel agency and ended up having to pay $50/pp change fee and the flight time was not nearly as convenient.

 

[Cruise]

I think we are going to plan on picking up liquids at the store in CA as well. I see no need to fly with enough mouth wash for 2 weeks for 2 people.

This is exactly what I'm doing. I'm flying into LA with an extra day buffer to do some shopping anyway and see my ex, so I might as well pick up things there rather than just fly them cross country in a suitcase. I already have a long list of things going. Another good thing about a 2 week cruise, it's long enough to use up most, if not all, of the smallest sizes of some items, so no guilt about buying new and throwing away any tiny bit left.

Another option would be to order from the Walmart website and have it delivered to your hotel... then no shopping involved at all. Most toiletry items are part of their "ship to home" plan that means free shipping over $45. Just depends on if you have $45 worth of stuff to buy or not

 

[Chinook]

Another option would be to order from the Walmart website and have it delivered to your hotel... then no shopping involved at all. Most toiletry items are part of their "ship to home" plan that means free shipping over $45. Just depends on if you have $45 worth of stuff to buy or not

That's a great idea! Thanks!