Rock'n Robin
Disney Queen
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2000
- Messages
- 7,810
We got up on CC day to our room service guy bringing our breakfast and , since we had backed in, hustled down to the Aft gangway--only to be met with a line up the steps and another down the hall on deck 2. When the CC line finally moved the people from the halls got in ahead of us and it was truly a wasted effort--when we got off, sis and her family, with mom and dad (in his wheelchair) were actually in front of us after coming down the forward gangway!
They waited for the tram and my family, after our photo, walked. We were looking for another spot in front of the huge "jungle gym" in the water on the family beach as it had worked well last year. There was a hammock left, but pretty far back from the beach--further than a nervous mom would like. We ended up getting 3 loungers and 4 smaller chairs by the water. I flagged down everyone else--according to my sister those "sand wheelchairs" are nowhere near as easy as they are supposed to be, esp. with 240 pound dad in them! He did look funny with the little umbrella over his head--I greeted him "oh, mighty Rajah!"
Sis and I went to get our prerented stuff--all I got was a float--but the guy said my ticket indicated snorkel equipment! I told him I didn't want to snorkel! The girl at the excursion desk ("earning her ears", bless her) had given me the wrong thing, but he gave me a float anyhow, saving me the line for float tickets. Turns out I had actually paid for snorkel equipment, but DH used it later on.
By the time she and I got back BIL, DH and all of the kids were in the water already and had already gone off of the jungle gym, and wanted our floats. I wanted my own darn float, but I shared with DS a lot (who also had his life jacket from home on). Sis and I also enjoyed a konk cooler. Mom and Dad enjoyed CC until about 11:15, when DH took his turn and took them back to the ship. Mom mailed my postcards for me on the way--one to home, and one to my work that says "Work sucks, but this is why we work"! Hope my principal doesn't see that one before I go back in August! When they got back at 11:40, the elevators were down for repair (did I mention DD#1 got stuck in one for 20 minutes the previous evening?) but they just waited. Dad said there were probably only 8 people in Lumieres for lunch, and he had the goofy pool all to himself for his exercises--the adult pool isn't as deep as he really needs.
We all ate lunch, then shopped for souvenires, and I put DS in the club (a mistake as we'll find out) then BIL and DH snorkeled and Sis and I used our floats--someone had given one to the girls to use, and niece #1 had gone back to the ship early much to her parent's consternation. Then BIL and sis traded so she could snorkel. I paddled back and rounded up the girls. I went to pick up DS--I had seen him being squirted in the club earlier but now they were looking for his clip-on sunglasses! Turns out his glasses had been squirted off ($300!) but he had found them, alas the $65 clip on (at his age you just can't get a generic one that fits, it has to be matched with the frame) was somewhere under the sand and the 8-9s were moving in to play. I have to remember to call lost and found to see if they turned up--I checked Friday night and Sat. morning as we left the terminal, no luck. They were in a puddle and it hardened. Oh well, at least the glasses are OK. If I can get him through the summer with hats things will be fine. Then maybe next time he gets new glasses I'll get him the ones that darken in the sun!
We all played in the water for a little while longer, sis and I had BBCs (I have to admit I like these better than konk koolers now) and DH bonded with Susan the drink server again. We also talked to Rachel, another server. We know more about the lives of CMS than we ever did before!
AFter we got back on the ship after taking many photos we got the kids washed up for the practice for the kids' show. I deliberatly went to the disembarkation talk to get some good seats in about row 5, since the show is immediately afterwards, so I got to hear Rachel the cruise director's spiel. Nothing I didn't already know. DH brought mom and dad down and sis and BIL sat with us as well. I taped the whole thing--3 photos of DD#2 in the clubs, possibly one of DS (I didn't think so but sis did) and NOT ONE of DD#1 or niece #2! Sis thinks they never actually stayed in the clubs, LOL. DD#1 came out first with her group and got to hold the DCL flag. I hardly saw DD#2 because she was in the way back, but DS was up front, little guy that he is. The thing was that on the Wonder last year there were photos of DS and DD#1, but not DD#2, so it all evens out. There were over 900 children aged 3-12 on this trip!
Dinner was bittersweet because we had to tip, etc., but we gave an extra $50 each to Ronald and William because they were just awesome--I mean EXCELLENT. After dinner I had to pack--I had no interest in the farewell show anyhow. First, we went up to deck 10 and got some nice photos and relaxed a while. DH, who says "I can pack in 5 minutes", was VERY anal about the whole process and it took until about 9:45, when I hustled down to deck 4 to get a prime atrium spot for "Til we Meet AGain" (I missed it last year, not again!) DH stayed for a while but was taking a lot of pictures and mostly left Sis and me to ourselves. I think a few more days and I would have her completely disneyfied, because she said "I love you Goofy" when he went by. We both got photos of ourselves with Stitch, and with Hades, Pain and Panic, and then after it was over we scooped up some pixie dust. I put mine in my passholder pouch. Now every so often I'll find a piece and it makes me smile.
The girls were out to the bitter end. We went to check on DS at 11 and he was sound asleep. The CMs said goodbye as we turned in our pager--DS really is the nicest little guy and adults love him. The girls came in about 11:30, saying they shut it down a little early, and we all went to sleep.
Sat. at 6AM came early, WOW! I had woken up about 5 and since we never shut our curtains all the way (who can see us, someone cruising on a Carnival ship 10 miles away?) I watched us dock for a little bit. We did the one last check and found 2 drawers of DD#1 that DH missed, containing about 6 shirts! We packed it all up and I gave cabin 6044 a major onceover (I always do this when we leave a hotel) making sure nothing was left behind. We headed down to breakfast for more sad bonding with William and Ronald. I wasn't really hungry. The line to get off was a lot longer than on the Wonder. I checked Shutters again--I had individual pix of DD#2 and DS on tropical night, but DD#1 was sure her picture was taken as well, but I didn't ever find it. Sis found more pix of her family but didn't buy hardly any this trip and didn't add anymore Sat. morning. As we disembarked I went over to lost and found--no clip ons for DS, but I found my cheap dollar tree reading glasses! I had to sign for them, and figured out later that as I did I PUT DOWN my "refillable' mug and forgot it. Oh well. Sis says she'll give me hers for my BDay. For her BDay I had purchased her an Eeyore bean bag, very soft, in the gift shop since she liked it and has always liked Eeyore, but she'd never buy it for herself. She kept it in her carryon going home.
We were able to use the wheelchair for dad right up to the Hertz shuttle area. We went to Hertz, got our vehicles, drove to Sanford, ate at IHOP, and waited about 4 hours in the Sanford airport for our 7PM flight to Toledo. We were kind of seated in groups of 2 or 3, not straight across rows. I was by DD#1 andd DD#2 was by my mom, but DD#2 complained of a headache--mom told her to sit by me, with DH across the aisle, but not 5 minutes later she was throwing up into the bag. At least it was in the bag! This made her headache better but she felt punky all the way home and went to bed straight off--as soon as she'd greeted our dog, who was very happy to see us home.
It was a wonderful trip, and I can only pray that our financial picture brightens soon so that I can really concentrate on doing the Eastern in 2006.
Robin M.
They waited for the tram and my family, after our photo, walked. We were looking for another spot in front of the huge "jungle gym" in the water on the family beach as it had worked well last year. There was a hammock left, but pretty far back from the beach--further than a nervous mom would like. We ended up getting 3 loungers and 4 smaller chairs by the water. I flagged down everyone else--according to my sister those "sand wheelchairs" are nowhere near as easy as they are supposed to be, esp. with 240 pound dad in them! He did look funny with the little umbrella over his head--I greeted him "oh, mighty Rajah!"
Sis and I went to get our prerented stuff--all I got was a float--but the guy said my ticket indicated snorkel equipment! I told him I didn't want to snorkel! The girl at the excursion desk ("earning her ears", bless her) had given me the wrong thing, but he gave me a float anyhow, saving me the line for float tickets. Turns out I had actually paid for snorkel equipment, but DH used it later on.
By the time she and I got back BIL, DH and all of the kids were in the water already and had already gone off of the jungle gym, and wanted our floats. I wanted my own darn float, but I shared with DS a lot (who also had his life jacket from home on). Sis and I also enjoyed a konk cooler. Mom and Dad enjoyed CC until about 11:15, when DH took his turn and took them back to the ship. Mom mailed my postcards for me on the way--one to home, and one to my work that says "Work sucks, but this is why we work"! Hope my principal doesn't see that one before I go back in August! When they got back at 11:40, the elevators were down for repair (did I mention DD#1 got stuck in one for 20 minutes the previous evening?) but they just waited. Dad said there were probably only 8 people in Lumieres for lunch, and he had the goofy pool all to himself for his exercises--the adult pool isn't as deep as he really needs.
We all ate lunch, then shopped for souvenires, and I put DS in the club (a mistake as we'll find out) then BIL and DH snorkeled and Sis and I used our floats--someone had given one to the girls to use, and niece #1 had gone back to the ship early much to her parent's consternation. Then BIL and sis traded so she could snorkel. I paddled back and rounded up the girls. I went to pick up DS--I had seen him being squirted in the club earlier but now they were looking for his clip-on sunglasses! Turns out his glasses had been squirted off ($300!) but he had found them, alas the $65 clip on (at his age you just can't get a generic one that fits, it has to be matched with the frame) was somewhere under the sand and the 8-9s were moving in to play. I have to remember to call lost and found to see if they turned up--I checked Friday night and Sat. morning as we left the terminal, no luck. They were in a puddle and it hardened. Oh well, at least the glasses are OK. If I can get him through the summer with hats things will be fine. Then maybe next time he gets new glasses I'll get him the ones that darken in the sun!
We all played in the water for a little while longer, sis and I had BBCs (I have to admit I like these better than konk koolers now) and DH bonded with Susan the drink server again. We also talked to Rachel, another server. We know more about the lives of CMS than we ever did before!
AFter we got back on the ship after taking many photos we got the kids washed up for the practice for the kids' show. I deliberatly went to the disembarkation talk to get some good seats in about row 5, since the show is immediately afterwards, so I got to hear Rachel the cruise director's spiel. Nothing I didn't already know. DH brought mom and dad down and sis and BIL sat with us as well. I taped the whole thing--3 photos of DD#2 in the clubs, possibly one of DS (I didn't think so but sis did) and NOT ONE of DD#1 or niece #2! Sis thinks they never actually stayed in the clubs, LOL. DD#1 came out first with her group and got to hold the DCL flag. I hardly saw DD#2 because she was in the way back, but DS was up front, little guy that he is. The thing was that on the Wonder last year there were photos of DS and DD#1, but not DD#2, so it all evens out. There were over 900 children aged 3-12 on this trip!
Dinner was bittersweet because we had to tip, etc., but we gave an extra $50 each to Ronald and William because they were just awesome--I mean EXCELLENT. After dinner I had to pack--I had no interest in the farewell show anyhow. First, we went up to deck 10 and got some nice photos and relaxed a while. DH, who says "I can pack in 5 minutes", was VERY anal about the whole process and it took until about 9:45, when I hustled down to deck 4 to get a prime atrium spot for "Til we Meet AGain" (I missed it last year, not again!) DH stayed for a while but was taking a lot of pictures and mostly left Sis and me to ourselves. I think a few more days and I would have her completely disneyfied, because she said "I love you Goofy" when he went by. We both got photos of ourselves with Stitch, and with Hades, Pain and Panic, and then after it was over we scooped up some pixie dust. I put mine in my passholder pouch. Now every so often I'll find a piece and it makes me smile.
The girls were out to the bitter end. We went to check on DS at 11 and he was sound asleep. The CMs said goodbye as we turned in our pager--DS really is the nicest little guy and adults love him. The girls came in about 11:30, saying they shut it down a little early, and we all went to sleep.
Sat. at 6AM came early, WOW! I had woken up about 5 and since we never shut our curtains all the way (who can see us, someone cruising on a Carnival ship 10 miles away?) I watched us dock for a little bit. We did the one last check and found 2 drawers of DD#1 that DH missed, containing about 6 shirts! We packed it all up and I gave cabin 6044 a major onceover (I always do this when we leave a hotel) making sure nothing was left behind. We headed down to breakfast for more sad bonding with William and Ronald. I wasn't really hungry. The line to get off was a lot longer than on the Wonder. I checked Shutters again--I had individual pix of DD#2 and DS on tropical night, but DD#1 was sure her picture was taken as well, but I didn't ever find it. Sis found more pix of her family but didn't buy hardly any this trip and didn't add anymore Sat. morning. As we disembarked I went over to lost and found--no clip ons for DS, but I found my cheap dollar tree reading glasses! I had to sign for them, and figured out later that as I did I PUT DOWN my "refillable' mug and forgot it. Oh well. Sis says she'll give me hers for my BDay. For her BDay I had purchased her an Eeyore bean bag, very soft, in the gift shop since she liked it and has always liked Eeyore, but she'd never buy it for herself. She kept it in her carryon going home.
We were able to use the wheelchair for dad right up to the Hertz shuttle area. We went to Hertz, got our vehicles, drove to Sanford, ate at IHOP, and waited about 4 hours in the Sanford airport for our 7PM flight to Toledo. We were kind of seated in groups of 2 or 3, not straight across rows. I was by DD#1 andd DD#2 was by my mom, but DD#2 complained of a headache--mom told her to sit by me, with DH across the aisle, but not 5 minutes later she was throwing up into the bag. At least it was in the bag! This made her headache better but she felt punky all the way home and went to bed straight off--as soon as she'd greeted our dog, who was very happy to see us home.
It was a wonderful trip, and I can only pray that our financial picture brightens soon so that I can really concentrate on doing the Eastern in 2006.
Robin M.
