January 4, 2003!!!!

[mmouse37]

Champagne Brunch is AWESOME!!!!!

Here are some pictures of it in case anyone would like to take a look. We went on Monday, the first sea day at 10:30 am. It was a good time to go. I think there are three pictures of the brunch..just click on the arrows once you get to the site.


http://community.webshots.com/photo/47984596/47992544QpXEXW

MJ

 

[crusnprincesses]

So, we are leaving Monday, and I am torn between wanting to get the heck out of this freezing wasteland I affectionately call home, and freaking over the fact that there is no way I will get everything done in time!!!! At least wdw has taken care of the decoration dilemma..
So, when in doubt, what do I do? Go spend gobs of money I don't have! Always works......now I'm ready for a ridiculous number of frozen drink thingees, and nobody(except for my fellow DISers, of course) better even look sideways at my lounge chair. I will have a paper umbrella, and I won't be afraid to use it! !LOL

Is anyone staying at the AKL before the cruise?

 

[mmouse37]

cruisnprincesses.....I am jealous of you leaving on Monday....we still have to get through Christmas at our house with 20+ people...all my family but they all bring something for the buffet so it really is not that much work....it's just that I can't wait for the cruise!!!! I keep marking off the days on my calendar.

Kids have today and tommorrw left of school and they are itching to get done and get going!!!!

MJ

 

[mrp4352]

Cruisinprincess-

I'm so jealous!! We stayed at AKL last year before our cruise and had a fabulous time! Everytime we went into the room we could look out the window and see animals!

Countin' the days...

 

[Lisa F]

Is anyone else getting a little nervous about going on this cruise? I am not the type to panic and honestly was not nervous about the whole Norwalk virus thing, but these reports of wanting to quarantine people for 72 hours for any little stomach disturbance scare me. On our first cruise my husband got seasick the first night and had to leave dinner at Lumiere's. He did vomit, and slept it off and was fine by morning. He started feeling much better after taking a bonine. On our 3 day cruise I made him take a bonine day of and he was fine, no seasickness (though there was practically no motion on the boat).

I'm really afraid that if the seas are rough again this January and he has an issue with seasickness that we are going to be quarantined in our inside cabin for no reason whatsoever with both of us feeling fine. IF we had the virus, I would have no problem with being quarantined because 1) who would WANT to spread that around and 2) from what i've read of the virus, you don't want to do much but sleep and visit the bathroom anyway.

The latest post with the news article really didn't make it clear if the kid had the virus (even though the parents thought he did not, he still could've had it and I agree with parents who would've been outraged by allowing the child back into the clubs after he made a potentially contageous mess in his pants). We are still waiting to see what the story with 4Nana is firsthand. I just hate feeling like I'm going to have this "fear of being quarantined" for any stomach disturbance I may have. Someone please make me feel better!

Lisa

 

[DCBlonde]

By the way Lisa--wanted to say Howdy, Neighbor! Greenbelt is just a short hop away, just as everything in the area is, with the exception of rush hour (4-11am and 2-9pm, of course) in which case you are a good 2-3 hours away.

Sorry you're nervous. I guess like with anything, you just have to go in realistic--not fatalistic--and say If it happens, it happens, but I'm not going to waste my planning and healthy days worrying about it! Anyway, Lisa, if you DO get sick, I promise DH, Michelle & I will stop by to visit you! (OK, we may not come in, but we'll sing a rousing chorus of "Part of Your World" on your behalf.)

And Michelle, for the record--I believe YOU will be buying ME that bottle of wine after I destroy you at Trivial Pursuit.

MJ--those pictures from the champagne brunch are amazing. Looks like that and the high tea are offered twice during the cruise--does anyone know if you're allowed to sign up for both? Er, not that I WOULD... just wanted to know if you're ALLOWED.

Count me in on the dancing too. DH is a brave soul for accompanying me and Michelle--it'll no doubt take him a couple of days to switch from Work Insanity Mode to I'm Sailing with Mickey mode--but even then he's not a fan of dancing (more's the pity; he's really good)--so if there's a group hooking up to cut some rug, I'm there!!!

Rebekah

 

[mmouse37]

I believe you can sign up for both the brunch and high tea on the same cruise, and dinner too!!!! We have done the Palo brunch, and dinner, but never did the tea....did it once at the Grand Floridian and it was very nice there.

I am more worried about being quarantined then about getting sick. We are travelling with my sister and her family as well and her one DD is diabetic and sometimes get tired....I know she submitted the medical form to DCL stating that fact. She has younger kids than us and I hope they don't get sick from the pool or anything. I am making my whole family take vitamins and extra vitamin C these next two weeks to keep 'em all healthy!!!! Whatever happens we will deal with it, but I will not constantly think about it except to make sure we all vigiliantly wash our hands continually!!!

MJ

 

[DCBlonde]

MJ, if you are quarantined, then clearly we'll have to assemble a group and do an entire show for your family. Perhaps our interpretation of Hercules, the Muse-ical (which might be the Not-So-Muse-ical, depending on who's in the group, I suppose!).

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I'm also getting paranoid about the quaratine thing--My first 2 pregnancies, I got sick the whole 9 months (not daily, just once in a while, but I did throw up occasionally). So far, no hurling this pregnancy, but... Plus, I get motion sick on a good day. I can only take regular Dramamine, and plan to get Sea bands, and of course Disney has my medical forms, but I'm concerned that a bad luck day could get me locked in the cabin! I'll make sure to mention casually to my room steward that puking wouldn't be that unusual for me, but the 4nana story has me worried.

 

[Lisa F]

MJ, you articulated my fears better than I did. I am not afraid of getting the virus and if I do, it will NOT ruin my cruise, but I am nervous about being quarantined for no good reason because that would make me angry.

Still, I am hoping for the best and I hope some of the negative press that they have been getting might cause them to tone down the paranoia a bit. I think definately if you have sustained norwalk symptoms you should be confined to your stateroom. Maybe they should require observation over a 6 hour period or something after a GI "event" and if there are no further symtpoms, no quarantine. I would certainly be willing to give up a few hours of my vacation to make sure I am not going to spread anything to the rest of the ship but 72 hours is a big extreme for morning sickness, seasickness, GERD and the like because you "might possibly" have norwalk. BUT I am going to reserve judgement until we hear what 4Nana has to say.

In either case, Hercules is not our favorite show. Do you think you could do Disney Dreams instead, Rebekah? How about if we write it our request on a $5 bill?

Lisa

 

[DCBlonde]

No prob, Lisa. Hercules is not one of my faves either (long live BatB!). We can definitely do Disney Dreams for MJ's cabin-side show, as long as Michelle promises to play the part of Tinkerbell sprinkling her fairy dust at the end. My DH will play the part of the embarrassed husband hiding around the corner and trying to pretend he doesn't know me, as I sing ecstatically at the top of my lungs.

Where is the thread with 4Nana's nightmare that everyone is talking about?

--Rebekah

 

[Lisa F]

It's called something like "Live from 12/14 Magic" and has "free 4Nana in it". It's been locked so it has probably fallen off the first page already (I didn't check). I can definately understand the moderators wanting to shut down the wild speculations until 4Nana can come back and comment herself, but this problem doesn't seem limited to her. I wonder if Disney gets enough bad press about it if they will cool it before our cruise!

Also in the vein of the wild specuation (and I am calling it such, though I don't think anyone is reading this thread beyond people who are going on the 1/4 cruise so I hope I don't get in trouble for speculating)... I am wondering if maybe Disney is being so anal about the whole thing because the christmas and NYE cruises are coming up? Those are probably the biggest money makers of the year and having to cancel those and deal with finding lodging at a sold out time at WDW would be a NIGHTMARE. I just wonder if they are being extra vigilant about keeping an outbreak from happening because of that? I don't know. Like I said, just wild speculation.

Glad to know you can do MANY shows!

Lisa

 

[sandygirl]

Are there "Trivial Pursuit" fans onboard???

 

[DCBlonde]

Sandygirl--I don't know about Trivial Pursuit "fans," per se, but my best friend and I have a wager on for the first day of the cruise--whoever loses has to buy the first bottle of wine.

Thanks for the tip, Lisa. I'll see if anything's still there. Nothing like a little wild speculation to make conversation interesting!!!

 

[DCBlonde]

Is it allowed for you to sum up what's happened with 4Nana, since the thread is locked? I don't mean to get anyone in trouble, but can only guess at what's happened since I can't read it for myself. Are we not allowed to say whatever we want on here? (assuming everyone extends reasonable courtesy)?

--Rebekah

 

[Lisa F]

Click Here for a link to that thread about freeing 4Nana. The boards are moderated, but mostly moderators lock posts if they get off the topic of the board or if personal attacks happen. In this case the post was locked because it was filled with wild speculation... rather than allowing it to continue, it was locked and presumably the topic will be open for discussion when 4Nana comes back and can post her first hand account of exactly what happened.

Lisa

 

[DCBlonde]

Read it. Thanks. Um, I guess I just won't speculate!

On a happier note--headed to Orlando two scant weeks from TOMORROW! Can it be?!?!

So what's the word on meeting? After the lifejacket drill, or lunch on the first day at sea? Somebody who's been before should advise. (I wouldn't want anyone to miss the napkin folding class. I mock it not.)

Rebekah

 

[Lisa F]

I guess someone is going to have to make the decision about that but it won't be me. I am officially FINISHED making decisions for the year (though the cruise is actually next year!) I think lunch the first day at sea may be nice, but I will do what I am told to do.

I am also going to try to forget about this Norwalk nonsense and try like mad to hold onto my cookies even if the seas are rough!

Lisa

 

[mrp4352]

I'm just planning on taking that wonderful Bath and Body works anti-bacterial lotion to use a lot! (I'm not sure DCBlondes DH will use it, though - it's Pear Berry!)

I'm all for meeting after safety drill in the Promenade Lounge!

As to the Trivial Pursuit, we have been trying to find a civil way of deciding who buys the first bottle of wine, and Trivial Pursuit seemed the most fair way! (Actually, I wanted to play Monopoly, but since I've been banned because of winning too quickly on one of our past trips! Right, Beks?)

 

[beautyandbeast]

Hi All,
Sometimes it can get pretty hectic on cruise day. The life jacket drill is usually @ 4 and then the sail away party follows at 5. There wouldn't be much time between. By the time you return you jacket to your room, along with everyone else on the ship it takes up some time. Anyway, lunch at Lumiere's sounds good, or the sail away party, which is also hectic however. Maybe we should all wear a ribbon or something so we can recognize each other. Then we can just come up to one another and say hi. But I'll do whatever. I'm not picky!!

Lynda