February 2, 2008 Eastern early check in

[Billinaz]

I know we are waaaaay ahead of time, but I thought Id see who was going on this cruise.

We will have 3 kids with us.... 12,10 and 8.


Anyone else book as early as we did for this cruise?

 

[LisaSp]

We are booked on Feb 2nd 2008 for EASTERN. We booked early too--we had rebooked for a dummy 2007 date when aboard the Magic in 3/06. Our kids will be almost 7 and almost 9 for this cruise!

 

[Billinaz]

We are booked on Feb 2nd 2008 for EASTERN. We booked early too--we had rebooked for a dummy 2007 date when aboard the Magic in 3/06. Our kids will be almost 7 and almost 9 for this cruise!

Yea, I goofed. We did the same thing with a dummy booking from our Feb cruise.

 

[taramarie]

Just wanted to say hi though....it was nice to see someone else who planned ahead!

Tara

 

[Gina]

Hooray!! I'm so glad there is already a thread for this sailing! I am still waiting to book (waiting on a couple more quotes) but this is the sailing we're booking.

My name is Gina, I'm 40, and a single mom to Tyler Dean, who will be 11 next month. (We will be celebrating his 12th birthday on the cruise next year.) This will be our 4th voyage on the Magic. We haven't been since 2004, and have been jonesing BIG time. It affects you so deeply on so many levels! We spent our 2005 vacation time back at WDW, then sailed on the Grand Princess in 2006 with my mom and stepdad. Tyler Dean and I planned and planned and went with a totally open mind -- but it just wasn't the same. Not even close.

2007 will be vacation-less as money is tighter now and I will have to save up longer for this next cruise.. but it is, of course, worth every single little penny. Just looking at pictures of our previous Magic cruises, remembering special moments, it chokes us both up and has us bouncing off the walls with excitement at the same time. I've tried to explain why the Magic cruises are so different, on such a higher level, so worthy of my scrimping and saving, but it's hard to put into words. I end up just smiling blissfully instead of trying to explain.

Good grief, I didn't mean to ramble... I'm just happy to already have found people to share our planning with. It always makes SUCH a big difference! On every cruise, we have met such wonderful DIS'ers ahead of time, and ended up spending meals and lots of fun time with them. We have both made some great friends that way. I'm looking forward to making some new friends this time!!

-gina-

 

[SoftBallChickuhh]

well be there too! me my DP and some families that we have met on prior cruises are all going together again!

 

[Gina]

Hooray! Glad to see there are a few of us booked already!

 

[mfabre]

My mom will be booking this cruise for me and my family while she is on her cruise this Feb. I can't wait to know it is booked!! On our trip it will be -- me(25), DH(26), DD(7), and DS(3 almost 4), DDad and Stepmom. Last February we cruised on the Magic with a party of 13 and have been waiting patiently to rebook. I sure do hope this next year goes by rather quickly!!

 

[VickiHD]

Hi everyone!!! Glad to see there are a few of us early planners for the cruise.
My name is Vicki. ( DH) David, and our Baby Mouseketeer; Peter.

This will be our 2nd Disney Cruise. DH and I have cruised with other lines but we are so happy with DCL. Disney Cruises are always so special but, this cruise will be even more “magical” to us since we are taking our baby boy on his first cruise. (First of many, so I hope he enjoys it. ) Peter will be 19 months old when we finally set sail.

For me part of the fun of vacations are the planning, research, preparation, etc. I know that the DIS boards are definitely a great place to do that.

I’m looking forward to hearing from and getting to know everyone before our cruise!

Vicki

 

[VickiHD]

Only 365 more days to go. Just think in one year we will be on the Magic for our week long cruise.

 

[Gina]

Only 365 more days to go. Just think in one year we will be on the Magic for our week long cruise.

Ohmygosh, I didn't even realize today was the 2nd! Thanks for the big happy smile I'm now wearing, Vicki.

-gina-

 

[VickiHD]

Gina,

We have a count down board in our kitchen that I change the number of days before we set sail. Right now 365 seems a long way off but I guess we just have to put our time in.

Believe it or not, I've already purchased my dress for the semi fornal night. I just couldn't pass it up and it will travel well.

You sound like a planner...have you checked out the Passporter Guides?

Vicki

 

[Gina]

Gina,

We have a count down board in our kitchen that I change the number of days before we set sail. Right now 365 seems a long way off but I guess we just have to put our time in.

Believe it or not, I've already purchased my dress for the semi fornal night. I just couldn't pass it up and it will travel well.

You sound like a planner...have you checked out the Passporter Guides?

Vicki

365 days does seem long, but it always seems to just fly by. It has been just about a year since we were on the Grand Princess with my folks, and that just seems impossible to me. I swear it was last month!!

And you're not the only one already shopping, so don't feel weird. I found the most gorgeous white organza blouse on Ebay last month, to go with a long black & white skirt I already have. The shirt was 5 bucks -- I couldn't pass it up! So there's my semi-formal night outfit. I also found 2 really nice tropical shirts on clearance for $3 each for DS.

Yeah, I'm a planner... lol. I love Passporters -- I've been getting them since they first came out, and I wouldn't go to WDW or on DCL without mine! I'm not really an organized person... which is putting it kindly ... and the Passporter makes me feel like the most organized person in the world. I love it.


So did you and DH do the Eastern or the Western last time?

-gina-

 

[VickiHD]

Gina,

DH and I did the 4 day cruise on the Wonder. I've done the Western Caribbean (not on DCL) and was not impressed. We've done a Princess crusie to Mexico. The ship was new and impressive but honestly once we tried DCL there is NO turning back, and that cruise was before our little boy. I could not even trying another line with our little guy now.

I just love the planning part of vacations....the shopping, searching for great deals and I usually end up with far too much stuff and I don't even touch the stuff that's all ready in my closets. Having this trip so far in advance really does give us the time to search for the bargins. DH just "refound" his stuff for pirate night so that means we don't have to replace it on our next trip to Disneyland.

I am really thinking about shipping some stuff to the port ahead of time. Just because with the baby (well a toddler by then) there will be so much extra to bring. I'm just concerened that there would be a problem and we would never get it.

I receieved my passport a few weeks ago and I have not had a chance to go through it like it deserves.

Is your son excited? Did he enjoy spending time in the clubs?
Vicki

 

[Gina]

Gina,

DH and I did the 4 day cruise on the Wonder. I've done the Western Caribbean (not on DCL) and was not impressed. We've done a Princess crusie to Mexico. The ship was new and impressive but honestly once we tried DCL there is NO turning back, and that cruise was before our little boy. I could not even trying another line with our little guy now.

I hear ya. We sailed on the Grand Princess last March right out of Galveston (only about 20 minutes down the road) because it was just so much cheaper than DCL + airfare to Florida. It was sooooooo not Disney. It wasn't bad... the ship was nice, the staff was nice, the food was fine... it just didn't have that "magic" (no pun intended) that we feel on DCL.

And if I never do Western again, that's fine with me. That itinerary just doesn't have the Caribbean feel and flavor that the Eastern does.

I just love the planning part of vacations....the shopping, searching for great deals and I usually end up with far too much stuff and I don't even touch the stuff that's all ready in my closets. Having this trip so far in advance really does give us the time to search for the bargins. DH just "refound" his stuff for pirate night so that means we don't have to replace it on our next trip to Disneyland.

I agree with you on the bargain hunting! We should be able to snag some great deals for the cruise at the end of the summer. We don't have any pirate stuff, though... that night used to be "Tropical Night," and I liked dressing up for that. I love finding gorgeous tropical outfits in St. Maarten, and they're so inexpensive!

Is your son excited? Did he enjoy spending time in the clubs?
Vicki

My son is beyond excited! We both are. Every Saturday we have "cruise-planning" time. We watch the Magic sail away on the live cams, we talk about what we'll be doing at that exact moment when it's our turn, then we usually go out to eat someplace and pore over the Passporter and/or DCL book. We get a whole year's worth of enjoyment out of each cruise.

As for the clubs, well, to say he enjoys them is an understatement. He would be happy if I dropped him off there on embarkation day and picked him up a week later. LOL I make him join me for dinner, but I have to promise him that he can go right back to the Lab. Now he has Ocean Quest to look forward to as well, and he is ten kinds of excited about that. Lest you think I just abandon him in there and go drink all day or something , we do get together and do stuff as well. We got to be on Mickey Mania last cruise (which was a BLAST!,) we love to play bingo, and we go to the pools together. But he really does have a great time in the kids' clubs, because they have so many fantastic activities for the kids.

I guess if Peter will only be 19 months old, though, you'll just be doing the Flounders thing? I have no experience with that, but it looks really sweet in there when I peeked in.

 

[big jack 2002]

We are going with family and friends. We booked 5 of our cabins on our last cruise, but now we have a few more friends that are planning to go, too. Our dd and sil are having some friends over to their house tonight and showing our video from our last family cruise and these friends have already asked us if we would mind if they tagged along.
We usually all just go our own way - some doing excursions together - others just relaxing - and meet at dinner and talk over our day. We have such a great time and I know our family is making memories that last a lifetime!!
Barbara

 

[VickiHD]

My son is beyond excited! We both are. Every Saturday we have "cruise-planning" time. We watch the Magic sail away on the live cams, we talk about what we'll be doing at that exact moment when it's our turn, then we usually go out to eat someplace and pore over the Passporter and/or DCL book. We get a whole year's worth of enjoyment out of each cruise.

Gina, That is so neat!!! What a sweet and wonderful idea and I bet your son just loves those Saturdays.

We will try Peter out in Flounders and hope he enjoys it. It would be wonderful to spend a little grown up time with DH. One thing that is challenging us right now is trying to imagine Peter at 19 months old. He’s growing so fast and everything has been a blur since he was born , we’re more than a little curios to see how active he’ll be when we sail. I will tell you he already loves Mickey Mouse, and he gets so excited when I bring out his plush Mickey Mouse to play with.
Vicki

 

[VickiHD]

Welcome Barbara,
It does sound like you have a fun group going !!!!

Vicki

 

[Cajun Princess]

Hello Everyone

This will be our 2nd Magical Cruise. We booked on board in Feb 06 with a dummy date then changed it when the dates were released.
We are so excited

It will be me, DH, DS-16 and DS-12

 

[Gina]

Hello Everyone

This will be our 2nd Magical Cruise. We booked on board in Feb 06 with a dummy date then changed it when the dates were released.
We are so excited

It will be me, DH, DS-16 and DS-12

Yay, welcome!! Is your DS 12 now, or when you sail? Mine will be celebrating his 12th birthday onboard. He loves making new DIS friends as much as I do, and he will be *thrilled* to have someone sailing who is his age. What's your son's name? My son's is Tyler Dean.

Glad you're aboard!

-gina-