Feb.4,2006. Who else is sailing?

[steveandtonya]

How's everybody doing? Based on the 2007 prices, we better enjoy this cruise.

Steve

 

[mark_story]

Steve,

No kidding about the 2007 rates. Ouch.

105 days from today!

Mark

 

[dee47]

So I'm going to a friend's birthday party on Nov. 5th, in the evening. Do you think it would be rude of me to ask to use their computer at 9PM my time (12am DCL time) so I can book shore excursions???

 

[steveandtonya]

Sounds good to me. Which excursions are you doing?

Steve

 

[Johnna_Story]

So I will ask this again -- is anyone interested in PALO brunch? The private room at Palo can hold 14 people. We did this for the 10-nite in Dec., and a bunch of us DISers who were beyond the initial 14 to sign up made resies for the same time -- they set up a table near the private room so there was a lot of socializing going on...We have over 20 adults on this list...

Also, does anyone want to link 2nd seating resies? Eat with your fellow DISers!

If anyone is interested, I volunteer to coordinate both.

Dee - Mark and I are in for brunch - now I guess we all need to agree on a date?

And it's not at all inappropriate to borrow your friend's computer on the 5th. This is serious stuff you need to do!!

 

[dee47]

Yeah, let's agree on a date. Brunches happen on "At Sea" days, so that gives us some options. I'm flexible!

As for shore excursions, I still have to talk to Kat about what she wants to do...but personally I'm dying to try the Golden Eagle Catamaran or 12 meter regatta on St Maarten (those I could never do when sailing with DH and DS because DS is too young). I'm also torn between spending time in Megan's Bay or Trunk Bay on St. Thomas / St. John...and the Atlantis Submarine on St. Thomas was fun...so I have some thinking to do. I want to do the Eco Tour on Castaway Cay for sure, as well as a cabana message (you haven't lived until you had one of those!). <sigh> I love these dillemas. I wish the rest of my life had these sort of problems

 

[dee47]

Well, Kat and I finally agreed on shore excursions: 12-meter regatta, Trunk Bay, and the Castaway Cay Eco Tour on Jet Ski...

Of course, we both want th Cabana Massage...And Palo. Did we ever decide on Palo Brunch?

Does anyone know if Pirate Night is still on Tuesday?

 

[steveandtonya]

Well it looks like Saturday is the day for signing up for excursions and Palo reservations. Do you do them on the website or by phone or both? Does anyone happen to have the phone number we call? We are still deciding on excursions. My wife wants to parasail on Castaway Cay again. We did the see and sea island tour in St martin and we will look for something different. Maybe the Doubloon sailing thing in St Thomas.

Steve

 

[princess pam]

we are first timer cruisers so we don't get to sign up this weekend,which may be for the best because I can't decide what we should do.
I was thinking of just shopping and hanging out at Great Bay beach in St Marten. Maybe the doubloon in St thomas. Any reccomendations ?? It is me and hubby and DD(10).
also we have our plane tix--we get in 9pm friday--was hoping to stay at the airport hyatt but have not had any luck on price line yet. should we go ahead and book the towncar even though no hotel yet??
We have early seating --now i am wondering if that is too early.
Anyone think that formal night will be on Sunday with the Superbowl?? or will they move it?
Thanks for all of your info. I love these boards even thogh I don't post much.

 

[steveandtonya]

Hey Pam, Welcome. My daughter is 10 also and she will have a 10 yr old cousin with her. We are still debating what to do. Now I'm confused as to when you can start calling or going on line. Midnight eastern time or midnight western time? Steve

 

[skylynx]

Hi, Everyone

Paid for the cruise yesterday, and had a nice conversation with Katherine (Catherine?) at DCL. She was very interested in what people on Disboards had to say about the service provided by DCL cast members in the reservations office, but hadn't yet visited herself. I told her if she wanted to experience the absolutely best totally candid survey research tool available (and for free) the place to do it was here! Disney'd be crazy to spend all its market research money on those little pen and paper evaluations they distribute at the end of each cruise--they can find out all they'd ever need to know without it costing them a cent other than the time cast members spend browsing Disboards.

I believe we can begin booking our shore excursions and Palo reservations tonight at 12:01 eastern, 11:01 central, 10:01 mountain and 9:01 pacific since, like eBay, the official "time" is the home time of the home server which I'm assuming is in Florida. At least that's what I heard. I will be there trying, but I imagine there will be lots of traffic and lots of "site busy, come back later" error messages.

We are still trying to decide whether to do the DCL organized shore excursions. In the past, we've always saved lots of money, time, and retained the control to "cancel" without penalty even at the last minute by just arranging our trips ourselves. We booked a fabulous horseback ride at Costa Maya last year, and found out how to get to Lucaya at Freeport for $5 a head (albeit by overloaded, careening taxi with bald tires). We are tempted to try and do the same for these ports. Anyone on this list done the Eastern already and tried some of these places on their own? My DH is a pilot and wants to go to the beach at St. Maarten where the planes practically land on your beach towel.

Anyway...tonight officially starts the 90 day ticker! This cruise is finally starting to feel within range!

 

[steveandtonya]

I called Disney Cruise line today. 90 days out is Nov 6 according to Disney. You can call starting at midnight eastern time. You have to be paid off totally, which we won't be until Nov 15th. Need all the time I can get.
Steve

 

[skylynx]

Wow...just shows to go ya...I was told the 4th...well, guess I will try tonight and if no luck, go on to the next day, and the next, until something works. Not that I'm anxious, or anything...

 

[Johnna_Story]

I called Disney Cruise line today. 90 days out is Nov 6 according to Disney. You can call starting at midnight eastern time. You have to be paid off totally, which we won't be until Nov 15th. Need all the time I can get.
Steve

Just read on another thread that us eastern-timers have to wait until 3:00 a.m... That will be Mark's job, not mine!!

They won't let me post the link - I'm not "experienced" enough to post a link. It's the one titled: How have NON-castaway club cruisers done getting desired ressies on-line?

 

[sbatty]

I got up early this morning just in case today was the day. I can't believe how much trouble I am having making choices.

We are skipping formal night and are planning to go to Palo that evening. I am guessing that formal night will be moved to Monday so that it won't be on Superbowl night. So dinner at Palo Monday night. Now, do we go early and see the late show or go late and see the early show?

We were on the Eastern cruise in Feb 2004. We didn't do any of the planned excursions because our kids were 4 and 6 and not strong swimmers. It looks like were are sticking with the same plan. We found a cab and took it to Le Galleon beach at St. Martin. The beach was nice and the water calm. Someone was selling chairs and there were bathrooms. On St. Thomas we split up. My DH went to St. John on a ferry with his Mom and I took the kids to an incredibly crowded beach. This year we are all going to St. John.

 

[skylynx]

I checked this morning, too, to see if the flood gates for reserving excursions and dining had opened, but all I get is the error message from Disney saying their reservation system is down and to please call instead. So that means you can't even check your reservation or make a payment online...is anyone else having this problem, or it is it just me? If they can't keep the system operable with all the hits now, what happens on the reservation "release day"s for all the other cruises?

And if you can't get online because of all the traffic, will DCL let you call on the phone and make reservations? I can't think of how everyone would have electronic access to the same database of available slots on excursions and dining at the same time. Hope they have a strong IT team.

 

[mark_story]

Guys,

I too, checked with Disney and they confirmed that we can start making reservations at 12:01 EST tonight, so I'll be online. I am an early-to-bed early-to-rise person, so the system had better be up and running or I'll be pretty cranky.

Since several of us will be online at the same time tonight, let's email each other for updates and moral support. My email is mark.story@verizon.net. Feel free to shoot me at note -- I'll be up and online!

If others of you will be online, either shoot me a note or post your email here -- let's have some fun with this!

Mark

 

[Billinaz]

We will be on the Magic Eastern Leaving on Feb 4, 2006.

We have 3 kids... 2 girls 6 and 9, and a boy 7 who need playmates.

They have internet access, and monitored email. They can attach a photo of other kids want to know who to look for!

If anyone wants to get them to start talking before we leave and have instant friends for the clubs.... email or PM me!

THANKS

 

[mark_story]

OK. It's 12:10 am and I have been trying to make reservations for the last 10 minutes but the system is not letting me. It's saying that we have to be 90 days out, but Disney said that midnight EST was the deadline.

Anyone else out there having this problem?

Help!

 

[skylynx]

Hey, Mark and the rest of us who are now officially, by anyone's accounts, in the 90 day window!

We tried about that time, too, and gave up-got the same response you did. I just come downstairs to the computer and to let out the dogs and logged on. Lo and behold...the reservation system worked flawlessly. I had to print out a copy to make sure I wasn't sleep walking. We chose Palo on a day at sea the night before Castaway Cay, late in the cruise, I know, but our last few cruises we always ended up having a conflict with an outing with folks we met on Disboards or Pirate Night which we didn't want to miss. We like costumes and dressing up-we go to the renaissance fairs in our area. We don't get into it the way some people do, but we do enjoy to occasionally haul out the lace-up bodice and my DH polishes up his sword and uncrushes his pirate hat. My kids dress up, too.

Hope everyone gets the reservation/excursion on their wish list!