February 26, 2011 - 7 Night Caribbean Sailing

[Disney_mississauga]

Hello fellow cruisers.

I am mostly a lurker on the message board but as so may people are going to be cruising on the 26th I thought I would introduce myself.

We (MDW and 2 sons) will be coming down from Canada. We live just west of Toronto and I am happy to see other Canadians that are going to be there also. This will be our 2nd cruise.

We are new DVC members as on our last trip to WDW we purchase at BL.
The reason I mentioned this is we are staying at Boardwalk the night prior and I have a question about getting to the port.

We have decided to not to use the DCL bus transport but rather to use a car service drive us so we can get to the port earlier than waiting on the bus.

My question is 2 fold.... What time can we start to check in or should we have the car pick us up? Second is we are planning on making a pit stop to pick up bottled water, is there any thing else we should pickup?

TIA, and I can't wait.

 

[peachygreen]

Yeah for double digits! I'm so excited.

We went ahead and added our trip insurance last week and I purchased some disney gift cards on sale from Sam's to cover our on board expenses (or if I don't spend it all our tips - but I'm planning on bringing cash for that). The cruise gets paid in 2-1/2 weeks.

I think we are going to explore the islands on our own. In St. Maarten I really think we are going to rent a car so we can spend much of the day together and then my DH and I (and maybe my dad) can do a little snorkeling while my mom watches the girls and hangs out for a couple hours. In St. Thomas I think we are going to go to Coral World on our own. We will take a cab over and that way we can all stay together. I think I might like to try Snuba while we are there (yes I am taking advantage of a built in baby sitter - my husband and I do not get the opportunity to spend time together 1-1 very often.)

We are getting a car service to take us to our hotel from the airport on Friday night. Then we'll take the shuttle in the morning. I'm hoping we can get to the port early. I think I've read they open the port around 10am for arriving passengers. We are going to stop at the grocery store for necessities like diapers and baby food, along with maybe a bottle of wine, a couple prepackaged snacks, water etc.
For those coming in on the 25th or before - where are you planning to stay? We are reserved at the Sheraton Four Points at the Port. I'm hoping that since the shuttle was moved a day it might move more now and rates might drop a little or a different hotel might open up.


Is anyone surprising anyone with the cruise at Christmas? I'm surprising the girls with it. (The baby won't care but the 4-1/2 year old will - she's been asking about going on the Mickey Boat since she first saw a commercial for it. I told her not until Alice was 2-1/2 (when we plan to go to WDW again) so she will be super excited.) If you are what are you doing? I'm trying to put together a count down calendar for her. I'm going to wrap up a box for both girls with all sorts of thing Disney Cruise related. Some of the things I plan to add are a stuffed model DCL boat with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Pluto in their sailor outfits, some custom clothes that I have made or purchased for the trip, the countdown calendar, etc.) This way the boat is given to both girls and Megan doesn't try to claim it as her own when ALice gets bigger. I might spread them into smaller packages so there is more to open, but we'll see.



Okay I think I might have rambled long enough for today.

 

[Disney_mississauga]

Oh yeah I think.... if I can get myself crafty enough going to participate in the FE....

Disney_mississauga.
6569
4 people
Male - 44
Female - 40
Male - 12
Male 7

 

[Hendy Clan]

Welcome Disney_mississauga glad you are joining us. We are staying at the Bay Lake Tower on the Friday night. We tried to get a hotel at the port, but as the shuttle will be launched that weekend we could not find any available. We are driving down from Maryland so will drive over to the port on the Saturday morning and plan to get there around 10 am. We heard the earlier you get to the port, the early you can get on the ship when they start boarding. Anyway that's the plan, but you know how sometimes the best laid plans go ....

 

[SalCat1027]

A quick question...is pin trading "hot" on DCL? My kids have been pin trading at WDW for the past 4 years...but wasn't sure if this happens on the cruise?

Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[zaz]

Hi everyone!

Peachygreen : I am not surprising my kids with the cruise at Christmas... as I’ve already told them that they won’t get Christmas gifts because we are going on the cruise! I may have Mickey or Ariel call them on Christmas day though. We can do that from Our Reservation page on the DCL website.

I think I may have mentioned it before, but I am staying at the Fairfield Airport on the 25th. Then at 8:30 PM, I’ve reserved supper at the Rainforest Café in Downtown Disney. On the 26th, we have a car service (ORLANDO AT YOUR SERVICE I think) picking us up from the hotel at 10 AM to bring us to the port. I hope to make a stop for wine somewhere along the way.

I’m getting so excited! I think we’ve sorted it all out, so I’m pretty happy! I’m still reading these boards for more and more info though! I think I’m more excited about the cruise than about the Christmas holidays... ;-)

 

[nokidz]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 more fridays til CRUISE EVE!!!!

 

[zaz]

NoKids: You seem to have done a few Carribean cruises before. Could you tell me : which kind of clothes do I pack? Is 1 pair of jeans and 1 sweater enough as 'warm' gear, the rest being shorts and t-shirts and sun dresses? How about the water on boat and off, warm enough to swim without a chill?

Thanks!

13 Saturdays until departure.... yahou!

 

[nokidz]

we make sure everyone in our party, 10 of us on this cruise, brings atleast one set of warm clothes. last year on this cruise it was cold until we got to St.Maarten. Even Castaway Cay was cold. I didnt see to many people in the waters at CC. I pack 1 pair of jeans, and a fleece jacket along with a few pairs of shorts, a few pairs of swim trunks, t shirts and a couple golf shirts. We do laundry on the ship as I am tired of over packing and not using half of what I bring.

 

[Disney_mississauga]

OK I am now getting excited......

Cruise paid in full - Check
Paper work filed - Check
Shore excursions and Palo - Work in progress.

I have book 2 seatings at Palo one for dinner on Sunday and one for brunch on Thursday. As for shore excursions, I personally have booked myself for the 12-Metre Regatta, I am very excited about this as I have just started racing sailboats on a smaller (much smaller) scale. While I am off doing the MDW and 2 boys are going to be doing the St. Maarten Island & Butterfly Farm Tour.

In the afternoon we are going to explore on our own the island.

As for St Thomas we have not really committed on anything but have a few in mind.

 

[jbuckent]

A quick question...is pin trading "hot" on DCL? My kids have been pin trading at WDW for the past 4 years...but wasn't sure if this happens on the cruise?

Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes there is pin trading on the boat! I'm not sure if I would call it 'hot' but its definitely there!

 

[Hendy Clan]

I would say pin trading is tepid or luke warm lol I was able to buy some pins that you could only buy on the ship and they were pretty cool. We had lots of people ask to trade when we were in WDW, so you may want to check those out.

The excitement is rising again as we booked our excursions this weekend

 

[zaz]

My travel agent called. I need to pay in by this Friday (I thought it was Dec. 13th). I hope that means I get to reserve Palo and the excursions now. Oh it's so exciting!

 

[peachygreen]

THat's odd - my information from Disney states my paid in full date is the 13th. I wonder why they want you to pay this Friday? I have my TA scheduled to draft the $$ next Friday the 10th.

 

[Time4disneynow]

Hello everyone...hope all is well with you. Have a great Thursday. We are getting closer to our cruise. I can't wait!!!!!

Have a great day and take care.

 

[nokidz]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 more fridays til CRUISE EVE!!!!

 

[peachygreen]

I'm so excited. Its getting so close.

 

[Hendy Clan]

Wow 12 weeks woohoo.......

We paid off on one of our reservations today. The other was on DVC points so as of today we are paid in full -double woohoo Now to save some spending money

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have been getting snow flurries today and possible snow on Sunday, roll on February

 

[peachygreen]

THe Discovery Shuttle Launch has been postponed to Feb 3rd which means the Endevor launch that was scheduled for the 27th has been moved to march. What does this mean for us - it means hotel rooms at the port are opening up. I just rebooked us at the Radission and was able to save about $50 over the room we had booked. Always good to save money and we will be closer to the port now! I guess it also means there is a chance we could still see the Discovery launch while we are there. You never know it could get postponed until the end of the month.

12 weeks from now we will be on the Disney Magic!

 

[zaz]

Now paid in full! I'm not sure why my TA wanted it now... maybe he had low sales earlier on this month? In any case, anxiously waiting for next Monday to try and book a Palo brunch for my hubby and I.

If we don't get the excursions we want, that's OK, but Palo I'd really like!

Peachygreen : I was hoping to see the shuttle, so I'm a bit bummed, but hey, what can we do?

NoKids: thanks for the weather and clothes info! I do hope we bring enough, yet not too much to burden us with luggages.

Crazy coincidence : at a lunch with friends, we found a former golf pro for another cruise line. He was able to tell me all about shopping in St-Thomas and what to do in St-Marteen as well as a few other 'cruising' tips.

Well, that's it for now, have a great week-end everyone!