Jammin' to Jamaica - Aug 30 2014 ~ Fantasy ~ 7-Night Western

[melsherard]

Hi! We are the Morales family and we will be joining you all for this cruise! It's our first Disney Cruise and we are so excited! We are friends with Melissa's family (melsherard). It will be me (Michelle), Jorge, dd13 Melina, dd15 Monique, dd16 Mina, and ds8 Jace. We will be in rooms 7006 and 7024 and would love to participate in the FE gift exchange!

Woooohhooooo!!!! We are so excied you are coming!!! It's gonna be a blast!!!!

 

[sweetlovin']

I agree I also hate hate these test. Zoe my youngest is also in 3rd grade. She just finished the FCATS yesterday. I was so mad, in one month Zoe learned mult/div and fractions and geometry. They just kept moving her along even if she hadnt mastered a part.

UGH!! That is what Julie's school was doing to her last year. She needed to slow down on long division and that was not an option. Very very annoying!!

Samantha is only 2nd, but they have to take them as well. Julie took it in 1st, but I think now Ga has pulled back and starting next year it will be from 3rd grade and up.

I'm glad I am not the only parent outraged. Ours are called CRCT, but it must be the same as the FCAT, basically a state test that is given to all the kids in order to be promoted.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I remember when FCATs were first started as I was in public school in Florida at the time. Its become such a bigger thing since then. Although I was a straight A student and thought the tests were ridiculously easy at the time.

The high school I went to was considered among the top in the nation but we got graded like a C because of the lack of improvements in test scores. We consistently had the largest amount of IB diplomas awarded along with many people taking tons of APs & passing. Such a joke!

Sorry for everyone having to go through those tests & the amount of stress it brings.

 

[sweetlovin']

I remember when FCATs were first started as I was in public school in Florida at the time. Its become such a bigger thing since then. Although I was a straight A student and thought the tests were ridiculously easy at the time.

The high school I went to was considered among the top in the nation but we got graded like a C because of the lack of improvements in test scores. We consistently had the largest amount of IB diplomas awarded along with many people taking tons of APs & passing. Such a joke!

Sorry for everyone having to go through those tests & the amount of stress it brings.

I know Nico is a straight A student, but during his test last year, one of the girls was caught cheating. Police were called and the girl was trying to escape and outrun the teachers, knocking over tables and such. Needless to say, it was the only time Nico missed excelled score by 1 percentage point. He passed, just missed the exceed.

Interesting about your high school, but it sounds like they stuck to teaching the curriculum and not the state test. That is truly a high school that cares about the kids and material, not the extra money.

 

[LiseG]

jorelle - The Morales Family
Michelle, Jorge, DD13 Melina, DD15 Monique, DD16 Mina, and DS8 Jace.

Can't wait to meet you! You're all going to have a blast! I'll add you to the first post and the FE list! Any family celebrations we should note?

Are the ages you listed current or at cruise-time? Our DD Sabrina will be 13 on the cruise and is looking forward to hanging out in The Edge with her DISfriends. She's on the KIDS ONLY thread daily.

 

[LiseG]

What's your favorite Caribbean excursion? Adult excursion? Family or kid-friendly excursion? What ages would enjoy it?

 

[sweetlovin']

What's your favorite Caribbean excursion? Adult excursion? Family or kid-friendly excursion? What ages would enjoy it?

I haven't done any of the Caribbean cruises. Sam and I did the sea lion excursion in Atlantis and had an amazing time. I've never done any of the adult things as I have always had Sam with me. She is too shy to ever leave my side.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

In St. John, we really enjoyed our Eco Hike but our group had no children so that helped out on it so the discussions got into more depth and had a bit more humor than can be for when children are there.


Not sure what we are going to do on this cruise. We'll wait until some reviews from the Falmouth come out after this Fall's trips.

 

[LiseG]

I really like Grand Cayman. The first time we did the Atlantis Submarine Expedition excursion.

Our second time we took the Grand Cayman Island Tour, which includes a stop in "Hell" and a visit to the Turtle Farm.

We loved the turtles... I think we'll do the Boatswain's Adventure Marine Park excursion this time. It will give us time with the turtles again ... plus time to play in their lagoon, eat and wander around as well. Here's the link to their website: Cayman Turtle Farm

 

[LiseG]

I haven't done any of the Caribbean cruises. Sam and I did the sea lion excursion in Atlantis and had an amazing time. I've never done any of the adult things as I have always had Sam with me. She is too shy to ever leave my side.

In St. John, we really enjoyed our Eco Hike but our group had no children so that helped out on it so the discussions got into more depth and had a bit more humor than can be for when children are there.

Those both sounds like fun!! I think there might be Sea Lions in Cozumel??

 

[sweetlovin']

There might be sea lions, we will see. To be honest, I think Julie prefers the dolphins and of course, so does Sam since she has done the Sea Lion excursion. I'll be excited for Jamaica to find out their excursions. I hope we aren't disappointed in them.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

In Cozumel, its going to depend if we get our Scuba certification or not. I want to do the Certified Scuba Dive but we're trying to find some time this summer to get that training we need. Luckily where we live, we have a lot of options for classes to hopefully get something that works for our schedule. The other option might be the Tequila & Tacos. I go to a Tequila dinner every month at a local place here so its always interesting to see how different people explain their tequila processes.

In Grand Cayman, we'll end up doing either the Scuba, Shipwreck Snuba or just the Island Tour. These will be based on what Jamaica offers as we know we won't do 3 water events. We may just stay on the ship also as Grand Cayman didn't impress me much in 2007 & I rather enjoy the ship more empty.

 

[CarolyninCO]

Is anyone else collecting Target gift cards to pay for your cruise? I know we're over a year away, but I have quite a collection so far. I buy a couple every pay period.

 

[sweetlovin']

Is anyone else collecting Target gift cards to pay for your cruise? I know we're over a year away, but I have quite a collection so far. I buy a couple every pay period.

I book through United airlines because they give 8 miles per $1 spent. This is how I get airline miles so quickly. The cruise in Feb gave me 20k miles for a 3 night cruise. I am trying to get Julianna back to Asia in 2016 to Shanghai Disney and Thailand. I need 65k miles and this cruise should put me over the top for that trip.

 

[sweetlovin']

If my 2013 couldn't get more insane, my 50+ first cousins sent an email for a cousins getaway in Sept. I don't think I have one weekend home in Sept now.

Of course all of my kids want to go as well because they are all very close to my cousins, even though they live in NH, Boston, NYC and D.C.

I am going to need a relaxing vacation after this fall.

 

[LiseG]

In Cozumel, its going to depend if we get our Scuba certification or not. I want to do the Certified Scuba Dive but we're trying to find some time this summer to get that training we need. Luckily where we live, we have a lot of options for classes to hopefully get something that works for our schedule. The other option might be the Tequila & Tacos. I go to a Tequila dinner every month at a local place here so its always interesting to see how different people explain their tequila processes.

In Grand Cayman, we'll end up doing either the Scuba, Shipwreck Snuba or just the Island Tour. These will be based on what Jamaica offers as we know we won't do 3 water events. We may just stay on the ship also as Grand Cayman didn't impress me much in 2007 & I rather enjoy the ship more empty.

Sabrina has done an intro Scuba experience 3x now. I'm not sure if we'll try for Certification before the cruise. I was PADI certified in Jr High and haven't been diving since 1984. We'd both need to do a full certification.

Has anyone done Sea Trek Helmet Diving or Snuba anywhere before?

DH Chuck has no interest in scuba so that's some what of a factor this being out 20th Anniversary trip. Cozumel & Taquilla sounds goods

 

[LiseG]

Is anyone else collecting Target gift cards to pay for your cruise? I know we're over a year away, but I have quite a collection so far. I buy a couple every pay period.

How does that work?

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Is anyone else collecting Target gift cards to pay for your cruise? I know we're over a year away, but I have quite a collection so far. I buy a couple every pay period.

We aren't. I'm planning on paying off the cruise with our Amex for the points once we get our bonuses this year.

If my 2013 couldn't get more insane, my 50+ first cousins sent an email for a cousins getaway in Sept. I don't think I have one weekend home in Sept now.

Of course all of my kids want to go as well because they are all very close to my cousins, even though they live in NH, Boston, NYC and D.C.

I am going to need a relaxing vacation after this fall.

Sounds like you are going to need that relaxing vacation after all that! I have a feeling now that I live where I do, we'll be having more people visitings us than we ever did in Georgia.

Sabrina has done an intro Scuba experience 3x now. I'm not sure if we'll try for Certification before the cruise. I was PADI certified in Jr High and haven't been diving since 1984. We'd both need to do a full certification.

Has anyone done Sea Trek Helmet Diving or Snuba anywhere before?

DH Chuck has no interest in scuba so that's some what of a factor this being out 20th Anniversary trip. Cozumel & Taquilla sounds goods

Yeah it was something that always interested me but I never got around to it. But as we live in an area where we may actually use it I think we should do it. Its just going to be a matter of finding the right time for it.

They also have a Salsa & Salsa excursion too if you think you can get your DH to dance with you Although, to me, that would just be one of the excursions where I would end up laughing most of the time.

 

[sweetlovin']

Sounds like you are going to need that relaxing vacation after all that! I have a feeling now that I live where I do, we'll be having more people visitings us than we ever did in Georgia.

LOL! I never have people down here (and I have a lot of people!!) In all fairness, I'm not sure I would have ever made the trip from DC, Boston, or NYC for ATL.

Although, this year, Redskins play the Falcons and I am about an hour away. So it could be that I have a few family members caravanning down. The only thing it is Dec 15th, it might be too close to Christmas. Time will tell.

Did you just move to Naples?

 

[sweetlovin']

We are doing the dolphin swim in Grand Cayman and maybe the Mayan Ruins or something else in Cozumel. Honestly, I don't care what we do. It's Julie's trip, I'm just expected to pay and play. So, whatever excursions she wants to do is what we will do. Honestly, it's about spending time with her, so even when we go to WDW, it will be the rides and parks she wants to do.