February 5, 2006 WONDER CRUISE

[becka]

Hmm... We originally paid for a cat8 room 5500, and on the site it now has us in 5642 which is a cat 6... maybe a free upgrade? I actually was hoping we'd be on the end like 5500 is, but maybe we'll notice the extra 50 square feet or enjoy the veranda or something?

How exciting!!! It sure does look like an upgrade to me.

 

[BeachMomma]

Hi everyone.................

We do not have docs yet. Jo-Anne, my daughter is 8 and will be loving the club. We took her on the Disney cruise when she was 3 1/2 and loved it then. Will you be going to the CC reception ....we are planning on it w/ our kids. I guess I'm going to wait to change babysitting all around about a week before the cruise or on the ship due to the change in the shows I 'm going to try to find out the show schedule a week before by making a post.

My only concern for this cruise is the weather....I just hope it is nice and that we can make it to CC.

We are getting off the ship in Nassau to do the Dolphin Swim w/ our DD8....she is obsessed w/ dolphins and will have the time of her life ( I hope). One of us is doing it w/ her while the other one watches w/ the 2 little ones ( DD 10 month old and DS 2 1/2) Then we plan on taking them back for naps and maybe hanging by the pool if it's nice.

I'm sure Superbowl will be on and there will probably be a special event or party for it.....it seems like they are so very conscience of every special event or holiday.

Do you guys know about what time we get luggage delivered on the ship? I am trying to figure out naps on that day. We are staying at the Hilton the night before in Cocoa Beach( my DH has tons of Hilton points) . Ron Jon called us the other day and offered us a 2 bedroom condo for $140 if we would go to a 90 min. time share presentation I think we'll stick to the free rooms at the Hilton even though I've heard Ron Jon is awesome.

 

[Jo-Anne]

We also got the Ron Jon offer and decided to take them up on it...$99 for 2 nights in a studio suite. We were originally going to stay at POP for those 2 days and it would have been $160+, so happy with a bit of savings! I'm typically very good about laying out my expectations up front (ie. we will not be buying, but will listen for next 90 minutes!) and then giving them a time warning at the 75 minute mark ! I'm going to plan some event with the kids right after the timeshare talk so I have an activity planned that we'll need to get to! I hear they have an amazing water park and lazy river - kids will love it!
If I can convince DH to go, we'll be at the CC reception - not sure when it is tho!? I'm also really concerned about what to pack for this time of year. We usually head south in Sept/Oct where we're guaranteed shorts and T shirts all day. Think I'll be packing winter and spring and summer stuff! Will make for heavy bags! Jo

 

[southjerseymom]

Hi!
My family will be joining you on the February 5 Wonder. (YeeHaa!) I thought this would be a really quiet cruise (actually I figured I was one of the only one's who could convince their DH to cruise on Superbowl Sunday!).....anyway it looks like this cruise is sold out!! My Mom decided to join us and we cannot get her stateroom moved nearer to ours. Everytime I call the CM's tell me even they are surprised how crowded it is. Any thoughts on why? Anyway we can't wait!!

 

[becka]

I did not even consider the Super Bowl timing until I saw the Navigators from last year. It looks like on that Sunday they show the game in the theater on the big screen. My DH is not a big football fan but he does like to watch the commercials. I wonder if the sail-away party and the first dinner and show will have smaller crowds than normal?

I got my new luggage in the mail last night and I think I am really going to like it. The oversized toiletry bag that can hang from the door is going to help a great deal especially since we have a long trip and the cruise is only part of it and I also tend to bring too many "extras" just in case for my kids - thermometers, infant/children Tylenol, cold meds, cough meds, etc.. This bag should hold all of that plus the regular toothbrushes, shampoos, baby soaps, lotions, makeup, razors, etc..

With all of the advance planning and excitement it is hard to believe that in just a month it will all be a memory. I really think we are going to love the cruise and that we will be dying to go back. At least when the cruise is over we still get 2 more days at WDW before we have to head back home to help dull the pain.

 

[thndrmatt]

How's my new signature look? [poses] Under a month to go...

 

[Jo-Anne]

Jill - saw a post on the boards that the Castaway Club party is at 5:15pm on the Castaway Cay day (Tuesday). Not sure if you knew that timing so thought I'd drop it here as well.

Jeanne - your message confirms what I thought that our sailing is full up, so no hope of me trying to upgrade at the port....guess I don't need to arrive that early anymore! Oh well, I'm just glad to be sailing..I'll spend the money elsewhere, no doubt!

Can't believe we head down in 22 days! Weather in Toronto has been unusually nice for this time of year (46 degrees past 2 days and all snow is melted). Really warm for us! Hope a big Arctic Air mass doesn't float south for early Feb!
Jo-Anne

 

[j_rgonz]

I don't think I can take it anymore! We're leaving early, so we only have 20 days till Florida! Has anyone used ME? We might not bring the car seat for our daughter, just wondering what anyone's experiences with/with out the seats were. I thought I read somewhere, they won't leat you use them if you have them.

It really looks like a full ship. We got upgraded for our land portion, but I don't think there will be any available for the boat.

Jeanne

 

[becka]

We are also leaving in only 20 days!!!

I am sure the next few weeks will just fly by because I still have so much to do. Plus I just keep shopping for the trip. I think I need to budget 20% extra just for pre-trip shopping! LOL!

 

[j_rgonz]

Yeah!! We just got our docs from our TA!!! Can't wait. Now we need to wait for the ME tags I guss since we have "an independent WDW Resort stay prior to our package". I'll feel better when I have those on hand.

This is our first cruise, am I understanding correctly that my sister and parents just put the cruise tags on and they will get picked up at the airport and delivered to the hotel room and then picked up from the hotel and delivered to the stateroom? Just one tag for both legs of the trip?

My cousin is at WDW now and she said it's 80! Which is a lot better then the snow I'm watching fall!!!

Jeanne

 

[becka]

DH just called and said UPS delivered our docs!!!!

Now I really get to get excited!!! LOL!

 

[Jo-Anne]

No documents here yet! Hopefully next week! Fingers crossed!

 

[becka]

I just started the torture of picking out clothes for the kids and making sure they fit. Most of DS's summer clothes will work although I bought him a few new polo shirts for dinner. DD hates all of this trying on clothes so we will have to make it last several sessions because she starts screaming after about 3 changes.

I have also started making the dreaded pre-trip Wal-Mart list! Lots of little stuff to buy to make sure we are ready to go. I really hope to have most things taken care several days before we leave on Jan 31/Feb 1.

I think we have decided to leave around 9 PM on the 31st instead of getting up around 3 am on the 1st. I hope driving all night will work well for us. I know the kids will travel better but DH and I will be so exhausted. We don't want to be too warn out for the parks when we get there but we also don't want to be so sick of the kids whining that we are ready to ship them off to someone else!

 

[BeachMomma]

We don't have docs yet either. So, what are you guys planning on doing w/ your kids at the sail-away party? I've read about the bubbles& light toys and being by the pool at the sail away party. Maybe we'll see each other w/ our kids there. I was thinking about ordering one of those baskets from the place that is rec. on the board. I was thinking about surprising the kids and having them put bubbles, sand toys...maybe pirate things if she has them, in the basket.
Are you guys going directly to WDW after the cruise on Thursday? We are. I've got to figure out the best way to get there from the port and the whole parking situation once we get to WDW. WE are staying at Hilton Grand Vacations after the cruise and I guess they don't have shuttle service to the parks.

 

[becka]

I don't know what we will do for the sail away party yet - I think we will just have to decide based on how the kids are feeling at that time. I didn't know if it would be less crowded on Deck 10 or not.

I have thought about bubbles for DS but he can sometimes make such a mess with them. DH wants to pick up some sand toys at the dollar store but I am worried about having room to pack them.

 

[j_rgonz]

Yesterday we had the kids try on the summer clothes too! I'm holding off for the last moment, hoping to lose more weight.

My neighbor gave the kids mini bottles of bubbles for Halloween and I stashed them away for the trip. I want to be down in the action for the party! I picked up sand toys this fall when they were on clearance so I'm hoping they'll fit in our bags.

We are getting to WDW the 31st, any ideas on what to do since we won't have the park tickets yet? I was thinking DTD and ride around on the monorail. IF the weather is nice we could go to the pool. Unfortunatly, we just found out my husband will have to fly home Friday night and return Saturday night for work. So, he'll only have 1 1/2 days at the world. He's never been there so I hope to get to see his top picks.

My doctor suggested dramamine for my DD 2 1/2, but they don't make the liquid any more. Has anyone seen anything similar to it?

Jeanne

 

[becka]

Here is a chewable form of dramamine I found on walgreens.com: walgreens link

 

[j_rgonz]

Thanks! It said 1/4 to 1/2 for 2-6 yr olds. I wonder how hard it would be to break it into 1/4? Maybe I should pick some up and take her for a long drive and try it out!
Jeanne

 

[Jo-Anne]

Jeanne - as a kid I often got carsick and was given a 1/4 tablet of gravol. Really worked for me then! On my last cruise, I was really nervous about spending the whole time feeling woozy, but didnt' have too much trouble. The first night I took a gravol to make sure I slept through the night, and then a couple times when I felt too much motion, I took a Ginger Gravol tablet and it seemed to settle me. For sure though whatever you take for your kids, try it out in advance...you never know how medications react with little ones!

Becka - I feel your pain...my DS 6 couldn't give a hoot about trying on clothes and its such a long, torturous process for all! I'm going pick out a couple shorts I think still fit him and keep them out on his dresser and when the "time is right", I'll convince him to do a quick on/off! Now Katie, 9, is a different story...she's getting into being "co-ordinated" and is having a hard time narrowing down which swimsuits she'll take!

I'll be pretty nervous if our docs don't come this week. I'm also concerned that our Ticketmania tickets for WDW haven't arrived. I know I ordered them just after Christmas and mail can tend to be slow, but they say 11-15 days delivery and its now at day 19 since I ordered. Must make note to self to call them tomorrow!

Our kids had a blast dancing at the sailaway party last time. They cover over the Goofy pool on deck 9 and there's lots of singing and dancing. Our Kids wanted to be "in the crowd", so I just hung out on fringes and watched them. After a while when the ship pulled out of port, we went up to deck 10 to see us leaving the channel! It's kind of cute to look back to the port and see the Disney people standing on wharf waving at us with those big white Mickey Gloves!

Jo-Anne

 

[j_rgonz]

Thanks so much! I'm going to try it next weekend. Tonight I've been working on our packing list....

I hope your get your tickets soon Jo-Ann! I'm getting nervous about our ME tags..

Do you think it will be warm enough to wear shorts on the cruise? Or should I plan the same as FL weather? Maybe cool?