January 13, 2007 - 7 Night Magic Western

[sopandbass]

Bad/Good News

We have had to cancel our 1/13/07 cruise. We cancelled last weekend because at that point my DW had not found a job yet. Her job was "outsourced" in June and we had hoped she would find one beofre Oct. It didn't happen so we had to cancel.

Now the good news. She accepted a job yesterday! It will be a great new beginning for her and her career (and its really close to home)!

Sorry you won't be cruising with us but congrats to your DW on her new job!

 

[sopandbass]

I think I have Disney on the brain...wait, I KNOW I have Disney on the brain.

DD6 wants to have some friends over for a Christmas Tea in December. When I looked through my e-mail today, something forced me to link to the Disney online store and there was a cute cookie plate with Mickey and Minnie holding the cookies. One thing led to another and all I can say is that I sure hope DD wants to have a Mickey/Minnie themed Christmas Tea because that's what's happening.

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Everyone! I think its been about a week since I last posted.

I did fix the date on the DIS On Board sign and I have added it to the "Useful Stuff" page at the website www.bwdarrah.com/dcl.

Woody64 - I'm sorry you won't be able to join us in January - but please give your DW my congratulations on her new job! Considering the traffic around the western suburbs anymore, being really close to home is a great thing!

Hi DiaLady - Welcome to the thread Any progress getting your DH to commit to the cruise?

Anyone who is staying at a WDW resort before or after the cruise - have you seen that there are some discounts available? If you have an annual pass or are a Fl resident, there are room only discounts. Otherwise, it looks like there are some discounted packages if you are staying 3 nights.... You might want to look at www.mousesavers.com for details.

I've been happily saving a little bit here and there! The latest Southwest sale saved me about $75 on our airline tickets and I saved about $60-$70 by changing our WDW stay (only 2 nights before & 1 night after the cruise) to the AP discount. I'm still watching for a Southwest DING fare, but I'm a lot happier about what I'm paying now ($175 each - roundtrip)

Did everyone have a good Halloween? It was very cold here, but at least it didn't rain. I took DS7 out trick-or-treating, but we were only out for about 1.5 hours (the kids next door were out nearly twice as long!). As usual, DS7 ate a couple pieces of candy and then lost interest. He just isn't that into sweet treats - today at lunch (he is off school today) grandma offered him a cookie or cupcake for desert and he said "No thank you, I don't really feel like it". It's hard to believe he's my kid! I always feel a little bad that I can't dress up for Halloween - I've always liked costumes - but I just kept telling myself that I get to dress up in January!

For any of you who might be a tad leary about the meeting-people-who-you-don't-know-except-on-this-thread-and-what-if-they-turn-out-to-be-wackos thing, you might still want to give the Sail Away or meal or terminal Meet a chance.

DH & I first started meeting on-line friends a very long time ago. We used to belong to another board (Compuserve's Florida Forum) way back before the world-wide-web had really happened. After I had been active on the boards for a long time (a few years), we arranged to meet with a couple of the guys during one of our WDW trips. DH was very nervous that we were going to meet "crazy wacko computer geeks" - but once we had done it, we found they were no more crazy and wacko than we are. We then started attending the annual group meet in early December and we continued that tradition until the Internet and WWW pretty much killed off that board.

I found the DISBoard after we booked our first cruise when I was looking for information. It was so much fun finding a new board and new friends! We met Skylynx and Impala here (Hi guys! - See you tonight!) and found out they lived really nearby. Once again, we arranged a meet and once again me some wonderful people! We shared a table with them on our first cruise and are so excited to be cruising with them again.

I'm sure there must be some jerks and weirdos around somewhere on the DIS, but on a whole, the percentage seems to be lower than the regular population! So far, we have been able to get along with all the DISers we've met. We might not become best friends with everyone, but they are all pleasant, nice people so far!

Wow - I really started rambling! Sorry...

pdarrah

 

[pdarrah]

Oh My God! When did the Tag Fairy tag me?!?! I just noticed it.

Actually, I'm not even sure when I said those things - I probably did, I'm just not sure...

Cool, cool, cool! Thank you Tag Fairy!

pdarrah

---
Edit - I just remembered where I said one of those! "It might have fallen off or something" was on the thread about antena toppers. I can't believe how excited I am to have been tagged!

 

[szewong]

Hi,

My wife, myself and our 2 year old son will be on the 1/13 western cruise. This is our first time on a cruise so if there's any advice, please send them my way.

We will celebrate my wife's birthday and our 10 year anniversary onboard. Yeah!

Can't wait!

 

[mtt-swd]

One of the things I can tell you is do not try to do everything on this cruise. You will go Take things slowly. You can also check out the FAQ, which has a lot of info to help you or you can order a passporter book, which has a lot of info in it.

 

[DiaLady]

Hi DiaLady - Welcome to the thread Any progress getting your DH to commit to the cruise?

Oh, we are so close. DH asked me to go through the pictures from our last cruise with him yesterday. He is working a 12hour midnight shift for another two weeks to support the refueling outage at the nuclear power plant where he works. It's just insane. We usually only see him for about 1 hour / day. I thought it was cool that he wanted to spend some time looking at those pictures. He is ready for a serious vacation. I will let ya'll know as soon as we get the cruise paid for.

Have a super day!

Theresa

 

[pdarrah]

Welcome szewong!

I got your email and will try and get your info added to the Who's Going page tomorrow (I've been cleaning house all day and now have to go out to a dinner at a friends house tonight...)

pdarrah

 

[szewong]

Have a question and want to see if anybody here has the answer.

When we went to Disney World this summer, there are professoinal photographers everywhere and you use a 'picture card' to get the pictures registered into your account.

Question 1. Do the cruise use the same 'mechanism'?

All picture taken are then viewable in the park or online and you can order print at a relatively high price.
I found out later that you can actually order a CD that contain all the pictures in digital format. The CD cost $100.00 but could contain many more pictures (like 100 - 150) than you can buy prints with $100.00.

Question 2. Does anybody know about this? Do they still do that? or Do they do that for the cruise?

Thank you.

Sze ('Z')

 

[cepmom]

Have a question and want to see if anybody here has the answer.

When we went to Disney World this summer, there are professoinal photographers everywhere and you use a 'picture card' to get the pictures registered into your account.

Question 1. Do the cruise use the same 'mechanism'?

All picture taken are then viewable in the park or online and you can order print at a relatively high price.
I found out later that you can actually order a CD that contain all the pictures in digital format. The CD cost $100.00 but could contain many more pictures (like 100 - 150) than you can buy prints with $100.00.

Question 2. Does anybody know about this? Do they still do that? or Do they do that for the cruise?

Thank you.

Sze ('Z')

Hi Sze

They do have photographers on the ship taking pictures, but they do not yet have the photo pass card like they do in WDW. What they do is take the pictures then display them each day in Shutters. They are displayed by the day (for example ~ pictures in th terminal with the characters, Pirate Night dinner, pictures at CC etc) then you just wander through Shutters looking for your family's pictures. I believe you can purchase picture packages which is cheaper then buying each individual picture, but I do not know the prices on that.

It would be nice if they offered the photopass and CD though. I've spent way too much time wandering around Shutters trying to find our pictures

 

[DiaLady]

It would be nice if they offered the photopass and CD though. I've spent way too much time wandering around Shutters trying to find our pictures

LOL . . .I was just thinking about this as a great idea for the ship. I didn't realize they did it at WDW already. Wonder why the ship hasn't tried it. I would gladly pay $100 for those pictures and then be able to pick and choose how I wanted them printed. I bet DCL would make more profit on the pictures in general. It would also encourage people to be more available for the photographers. I like the idea of not being concerned that I get all the shots I want when the photographer is there taking them as well.

I'll try to bring this up at the Castaway meeting on the next cruise. Maybe if a lot of us start asking they'll start working on it . . .

Well of to do school . . .

 

[pdarrah]

Not to get anyones hopes up .... but in early September I was surveyed online at Disneycruise.com and one of the questions was ranking a new photo service (from "no interest" to "very interested"). The description sounded A LOT like photopass at the parks. DCL must be considering it - but I don't have high hopes that it would be in place before we cruise. --- Maybe next cruise!

pdarrah

 

[crickee]

hello again everyone,

I haven't written anything since my first email back in early October, but hope to get in a few emails each week. The reason I haven't been writing is that my Dad died very suddenly - we found out about it just a little while after writing here on the 3rd. It's been tough, but we're finally getting back to normal.

I can't wait for this cruise; my family really needs it. My husband's Dad died in June, his mother spent the next month in the hospital and now we're trying to get her house cleared out and sold. Sorry that this sounds so down.

My kids DD 9 and DS 7, are really looking forward to the cruise. Infact tonight we just watched the cruise planning DVD for the millionth time!

We booked our excursions. We aren't doing anything really big. We are going to try the Pirate Cruise in GC - has anyone heard anything about this. It sounds a bit hokey, but the kids are excited. In Cozumel we are going to do the island ruins and beach. I may cancel it and get a private tour. The DCL tour starts at noon and doesn't get back until six. We have early seating for dinner and we would miss it. We are going to do something on our own in KW and are going to do the stingrays in CC. Any thoughts on these plans?

My birthday will be on the 18th and I booked a wrap and massage that day - I'm looking forward to it! I was hoping to get Palo brunch on my birthday, but it's booked. I'm hoping I'll have luck once we are on the ship.

Looking forward to hearing from others.

Crickee

 

[Ginny]

Crickee -

I am so sorry for your losses this year - I can only imagine how difficult all of these events have been for both you and DH. God bless him for his support of his mom and your support of him - caring for our parents is so challenging. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

This cruise will be a blessing for all of you and a chance to recharge your batteries. Your plans sound terrific. You are so wise not to overbook yourselves. We did a Pirate Excursion last year with out friends and had a GREAT Time. We, too, are just buying tickets on-line to the museums and the trolley in Key West. From what I've read, if you do the DCL trolley, you don't have the option to disembark............so you just ride and tour. On your own, you have more control of your time.

Try to ensure that you let them know about your birthday and perhaps a little "Pixie Dust" will get you that Palo Ressie.

 

[skylynx]

Crickee-I feel for you more than you know...last February my DH and I went on a DCL Eastern just three weeks after my Dad died (as a result of surgical complications following an attack/home invasion). He was 81 years old. I got so much support and empathy from fellow Disboarders...moreso than from some of my own family members!

While everyone grieves differently, I can tell you our cruise was most integral in the healing process...while on board I kept thanking my lucky stars that the year before we'd taken both my parents on DCL as a Christmas surprise, and had vivid memories of how much they loved everything about it, how they stood on line with all the little kids to have their picture taken with Chip and Dale (my mom's favorite), and how wonderful it was to be able to do something for them in return for all the wonderful things they had done for me over the course of my life. The happiness that spills all over Disney cruise ships went a long way towards easing the pain of losing both of them so close together. So I can say with great confidence (without undermining any of your grief) that your cruise will lighten your hearts and help you recover.

I'm a huge advocate of having something on the horizon to help you get through difficult days (maybe that's why we are no longer ever without a trip booked-no matter how small, or cruise reservation). At the risk of sounding corny, I used to have on my door in my college dorm (ok. a LONG time ago) a poster that read "happiness is something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for." Maybe it's the hope part that's key. Hope that there's always something on the horizon to sail towards.

OK...back to instructional design!

 

[skylynx]

I can't say enough about how important it is to keep checking pricing on your reservations (car, hotel, etc.) to see if they have gone down. Case in point: today, instead of doing my "real" work, I poked around through my reservations for upcoming trips and managed to trim a total of $130 off three upcoming Southwest air trips ($80 alone on the return from MCO after our cruise!) I also got a drop on our pre-cruise hotel night at Caribbean Beach (thanks for the AP discount heads-up, Pamela) and a minimum of $10 less on three different rental car reservations, including the one we drop off at Port Canaveral on sailaway day! These are all just adjustments to existing reservations based on new, lowered, and not-advertised pricing. I guess folks at all those travel industry yield management departments recognized some slowing in reservation traffic and dropped prices. Hey, we'll take it! I figure our net gain today from my Internet snooping was around $175! And we're still in all the exact same planes, cars, and hotel rooms! Fellow fare stalkers, get out there and conquer!

 

[blacksmithcrm]

I went price shopping yesterday too. Specifically, looking into getting a cheaper flight down and back. The Disney folks had quoted me one price that I thought might be a bit high, so I went looking to see if I could beat it.

To make a long story short, I couldn't. In fact when I added in the transfers from Airport to Port, the Disney deal was actually cheaper.

Maybe next time!

 

[skylynx]

Guess I should have added this flight repricing is a bonus feature of Southwest airlines...I don't think most of the others are as flexible with letting you alter your flights with no penalty. Rental car prices definitely fluctuate; sometimes we get the best prices booking early, sometimes they improve closer to the date of travel. We just keep checking every so often until we feel we've reached the "bottom line."

 

[blacksmithcrm]

We've sailed twice, but have never purchased the wine package. Has anyone tried it, and if so, was it worth it?
Thanks!

 

[skylynx]

We've gotten in the habit of bringing two or three of our favorite bottles of wine with us, then paying the corking fee of $15/each. This usually means a "ration" of a glass for each of us at four dinners, and one bottle or so we enjoy on our verandah (any bartender or your cabin steward will see you get wine glasses). We order a glass of wine with our dinner in Palo, because they have a great wine list. The last time we dined at Palo we tried the Brunello (which is hardly ever available by the glass). WOW!

The upcharge on some of the wines in the package is pretty steep, as we always look at the selections and recognize several wines readily available at our grocery store (which I enjoy myself, mind you, I just don't want to pay 4-5 times the price for them.) It's a bit of a pain to bring the wine along (especially now with the no liquids in your carry-on rule, but surmountable if you have time for a quick trip to a liquor store enroute to port.) We'll probably check ours in bubble wrap and thick ziplocks and keep fingers crossed!

This strategy worked for us because there were some nights we didn't necessarily want wine with dinner, or we preferred to have a glass in our cabin before dinner, or wanted Coronas and lime instead, and we wanted to make sure the nights we did want wine it was a wine we really liked. For us, the $15 corking fee still made our average to moderate priced bottle of wine equivalant to an inexpensive wine with the mark up. That's been our experience, although I know I've read posts from people who were pleased with their wine packages. I just think people's tastes for wine are so highly specialized that it's a real challenge to package together a grouping that will please most of the imbibers.

I'm sure others have opinions on this...I'll be interested to read them.