January 6, 2008- The 4-night Wonder!

[disnutt]

This is the first cruise for our family. DH, DDs (by then ages 11 and 7) and DS (age 4).

Hoping there are other dis-ers out there going along!

 

[disnutt]

Yeah, we're going to have the cruise to ourselves.

Anyone???

 

[threejnovaks]

I kept looking to see if someone has started a thread for this cruise or not. Could not find it till I did an advanced search! This is our first cruise too! My older sister and her family, my mom and little brother (22 ish I think) are coming too! We have a dd who will be 4 and Ds who will be 18 months by that time!

I am SO Excited, been dreaming about doing this for over a year. I talk about it at least two to three times a week! Such a planner I am! My sisters DS's are 10 and 8 I believe. One will be 9 by then.

I hope you get this message, would sure be fun to meet someone from here, tho I am mostly a lurker! Jennifer

 

[disnutt]

I thought no one was going! Of course now we may not be going. DH and I are thinking of putting the cruise back until 2009 so that we can renew our vows on the cruise for our 15th anniversary. We eloped the first time so we want to do something special since we figure it will last!

I'll be following this thread just in case we decide to go next year. It's so hard to decide. Cruise in less than a year or wait over 2 yrs and do a really nice anniversary trip????

 

[threejnovaks]

Hi
Well, either way, I know you will have fun. I have a ? for you. You said you may renew your vows on the ship? In a real ceremony? I mean with someone from Disney officiating? 2009 would be OUR 10 YEAR ANNY!! on January 1st. That is a REALLY REALLY good idea!! Who do you talk to about doing that? Or where did you get info.


For anyone else who may be reading this thread, WELCOME! Please come introduce yourself. I am normally shy IRL, but would love to meet more people going on this cruise! Jennifer

I thought no one was going! Of course now we may not be going. DH and I are thinking of putting the cruise back until 2009 so that we can renew our vows on the cruise for our 15th anniversary. We eloped the first time so we want to do something special since we figure it will last!

I'll be following this thread just in case we decide to go next year. It's so hard to decide. Cruise in less than a year or wait over 2 yrs and do a really nice anniversary trip????

 

[disnutt]

Yes, I believe the captain officiates. They have a certain # of renewals they allow/cruise. They do some on the boat and some on CC. Check the Disney Weddings website: http://www.disneyweddings.go.com/site/vow/cru/start/index.jsp

 

[momof6innc]

I think we're joining you all! We are a family of 8 (see signature) with baby #7 coming in early September. I have been researching dates and rates for weeks now, and we're 99% sure that I'll book tomorrow! This cruise is courtesy of our 3rd and 4th sons. I'll explain. . .

Our first cruise was in Dec. 04, courtesy of Make a wish. DD was diagnosed with leukemia in April 04 (three years ago yesterday, as a matter of fact). She took all of us on a cruise and we had a blast! One year later we were planning her "I finished chemo" party (she never had one ounce of problems with chemo, and finished on schedule in October 2006). What better way than to go on another cruise! That was December 2006. During that cruise, our two sons caught a virus and were quarantined. DCL treated them like royalty, with toys, games, books, a VCR and movies, and we were allowed room service from any restaurant for the kids and the grown up staying with them. I emailed DCL later to thank them, and they sent us a voucher worth the kids' and grown up's fare for the 48 hours they couldn't participate in ship activities!

So with the voucher, we decided we can afford one more cruise for the whole family. We'll be taking the kids out of school for the week, but they don't do much the first week back from Christmas break, so we're on the list!


Our first cruise was a 4 night, second a 7 night. Can't wait to do it again! I'm sure we'll get more seasoned veterans, but if any of you first timers have questions, I'll do my best to help.

I'M SO EXCITED TO GET BACK ON THE WONDER!!! For any of you with diapered children, they built a new splash area just for the toddlers, better than a swirling drain that they had in the left Mickey ear. One of my DS will be a bit over two and will appreciate a pool area for him that looks more like the Mickey pool area.

 

[threejnovaks]

Hi Elizabeth Welcome!

So glad to "meet" someone with smaller ones coming on the ship. Since you have been on board before, I do have a ? for ya. With the shows that go on at night, would it be appropriate for my 18 month old to be there? Dont know what time they start or if it would keep him interested.

Whoops I forgot to check your signature, but do you have any kids around 4 or 18 months? My DD is 4 but she L-O-V-E-S "big kids" too. I usually like that she plays with older kids. She wasnt ever introduced to kids hitting and biting each other because of that.

We are just trying to figure out where to stay before hand. We know we want to stay at the port, but after that, dont know. How far ahead did you reserve your hotel if you stayed in FL the day before the cruise?

Wel, again Welcome!!!

 

[momof6innc]

My kids will be 13 (his birthday week), 11, 9, 7, 4, 2, and about 4 months old. If your DD is 4 now, she'll be in the 5-7 age clubs with my DS7. I also have a DS 3 who will be 4 by the cruise. They go to the Oceaneer club. Sometimes they have group activities from 3-7, other times they separate it into 3-4, and 5-7, depending on what they are doing. My 3 yo LOVED the clubs and had no problem going by himself if his activity was not for his 6 yo brother's age too.

Babies go to all sorts of shows. What I would do, since both times I cruised with 13-15 month olds and this worked, was to sit in the back on an aisle. I don't recall having to take them out, though. DS is now 18 months old, and judging by the way he points out Mickey everywhere he sees him, I think he would be pretty well-behaved at a show, since there are lots of characters and such there. If your LO just can't take it, crying in line to get in, DCL has the shows on the TV in your state room. That's how I saw the Golden Mickeys the second time around, and Twice charmed, while the boys were in quarantine. it's not the same as being there, but it's an acceptable alternative if the baby wants to sleep!

Book your hotel NOW! We stayed at the Marriott residence inn, which hadn't even opened up yet. We booked in January for a december cruise, and the hotel opened in March. A few weeks later, the prices were much higher. As soon as I book the cruise, I'm booking hotel rooms. We liked the residence inn. Radisson is good, I've heard, and the Ron Jon place, but that can get pricey. We're not traveling at a peak season, though, so that helps. There's a few drug stores and restaurants on the main strip in Cocoa beach. The disboards DCL forum usually talks about where to stay, and good restaurants. There is a nice one with a great view of the water, but it was a bit pricey for us and with our large party (we had 15 total family members on the last cruise), we decided since we had linked dinner reservations and would see each other all week, we split up for dinner at Cocoa beach. DH and I decided to forego fancy and just went to CVS for last minute stuff and Quizno's, the rest got pizza or went to a good Greek Gyro place down the street. I think it was a good idea, because everyone was so excited to be getting on the ship, spending much money or time on dinner the night before would have been wasted money.

I learned so much on the disboards last time!

 

[threejnovaks]

Oh thanks that is SO helpful! I will get the family going this weekend on our hotel ressies.

May I add on a side note, it is so nice to see large families cruising on the DCL. I come from a large family of 7 kids. I have a boy and a girl now and people tell me I have the "perfect family" as if to say I dont need to try for anymore. I see children as blessings from God and if He would bless me with another one, I would be happy!

Oh I havent read any of the other thread for cruise meets, but is someone supposed to post something on a "get together" here or is this just to say an informal HI. I know that there are only 3 of us on this thread. But figured I would ask! Jennifer

 

[momof6innc]

Thanks Jennifer! Always nice to hear support of family size! Funny story, a waitress at Outback the other night looked at our family like we had "so many so close together". When I asked about her family, she told me she had 6 brothers and sisters (can we all count? That's 7, just like us!!) and when we did the math, her family was just as close in age as us! She said she guessed she never noticed it growing up as a kid in that family, but now that she has one and is only contemplating a second, it seems overwhelming. Funny how our perspective changes.

People will filter in here as more book this cruise and read about the disboards. By the time we got to the terminal, we could recognize a few from the board. I didn't participate in any meets on the ship because we were traveling with my parents, two sisters, one BIL, and a niece and nephew, who all live over 600 miles away from us, so we felt we needed time to spend with each other. But this board was a great source of info and help throughout the whole year before our cruise.

Can't wait!! I'm booking today!

 

[threejnovaks]

Ah okay. I dont know what a meet would entail anyways. We too are traveling with 6 others we dont get to see too often. Hopefully we will be able to spot your family of 8!

I will be the mom thats either totally exhausted from the exitement, or the one jumping up and down saying "Let me on, I've been waiting two years for this!!"

I wanted to go on the 7 day. But since we are traveling with a host of others who have jobs and private school, they just dont want to miss too much.

Good luck with your reservations today. Its really exciting! When we have a day thats kinda down, or rainy, dd likes to watch the free dvd about the cruise and pretend that we are already onboard!
Jennifer

 

[momof6innc]

If you really want to get in the mood, there are some .wav files I think in one of the sticky threads at the top of the DCL forum page. You can download the ship's horn (when you wish upon a star, played as you leave port) and some other island-type music that you'll hear on Castaway Cay. And there's a screen saver or something floating around the web somewhere.

Some people meet for Palo brunch or something, great idea if not everyone from your group wants to go anyway. Other times a meet and greet is basically "oh, you're the one I've been writing to all these months". We get to know alot about each other in the months before the cruise!

Oh, you'll probably notice us! I had the family in matching or coordinating outfits at least three times on the last cruise, so when we walk through a restaurant or something, we're hard to miss!

Here's a question: what dining rotation do you all have? Just like last time, we had to book 2nd seating, but last time we did get switched to first seating about 4 months before the cruise. If you are waitlisted for either time, don't wait for DCL to call you. We really wanted first seating, so I checked online at least once a month, and got it changed.

 

[j_cwayman]

Hi everyone!
DH and I are also going on this cruise. YEAH! We are doing 3 days at Disney before the cruise staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. This will be our third Disney cruise. Our first was for our honeymoon in June '00 and our second was in September '05. We are very excited and can't wait!!! We are counting down our time until we are finally in paradise!!!

 

[momof6innc]

I just finally booked today! We have adjoining rooms and a third for my parents, sister, and they'll take one of the kids, so we can all fit in. Now I'm looking for hotels the days before and afterwards.

 

[congregation]

My wife and I are thinking about going on this cruise. It is our 15th anniversary and we are going to do something and the cruise looks like something we would enjoy.

 

[threejnovaks]

I am trying to think of ways to make a fun countdown for the kids. Any ideas? I was thinking on putting 200 jellybelly beans in a jar and letting them have one a day. Red and black ones maybe. Okay maybe I'd admit the countdown is for me. I have a digital one on my laptop already. We made our precruise hotel arrangements and have made our flight arrangements. Now I gotta look into ground transportation.

I have read on the boards that some people have all the people in their traveling party wear matching tshirts. Anyone doing that? I dont know, but I doubt I can get everyone in my party to do that.
Jennifer

 

[momof6innc]

I was able to get the family in matching T shirts (bought at disneyonline for about $3.99 each), and we wore them for a few key photo ops (embarking, character breakfast, etc). Of course, many others on the cruise had the same t shirts, so we didn't stand out too much. I was thinking of buying new matching dresses for DD and me, but I doubt I could get the whole family in matching tropical shirts, like the ones they have on disneyonline now. But DD and I can definitely handle it!

We got reservations at the days inn cocoa beach. Much cheaper than the Residence Inn, which went way up in price! Last early December (low season) it cost $99 for a suite that sleeps 6. This year, January 2008 (low season again), the price is over $200! So, um, no way! Days inn had 6 person suites, so we got two, as my mom and sister will be with us the first night. Dad has to work Sunday morning (he's a priest), so he's flying into Nassau Monday morning, just like he did when we went in 04.

I need to make a ticker! I think jellybeans is a great idea. I think I'll have to come up with something like that. Also a ticker for the 90 days out to make Palo reservations. The reservations opens at 3 am, and I happened to be working that night, so it wasn't a hardship to be awake at that hour (I'm a nurse). But sometimes the reservations fill up fast, so it's worth it to get them. Unfortunately, half of the Palo staff got the flu the week before we boarded, so the first Palo brunch we had the first morning was only half full of guests, and they had to pull wait staff from the regular rotations to help out. But we still kept our reservation; the ones who suffered were the ones who expected to get a reservation when they boarded.

 

[threejnovaks]

Ah, thanks for the info, I am glad that we booked early, we didnt get the $99 deal, but I think it was $149. So that isnt bad if you think about sleeping six people. My mom and my little brother will be staying with us before we board, so we now have six.

I have a ?. Is the day you make reservations for Palo 90 days before the day you set sail? I am hoping to do brunch JUST with DH. It will be nice to have a meal where I dont have to cut someone elses food up for once.

I still didnt get to ground transportation yet. I figure if my whole party gets to the airport around the same time, we can save money by taking a luxury van. BUT my family is SO SLOW!!! I am a PLANNER cant you tell?

Jennifer

 

[momof6innc]

You can make all reservations 90 days before the day we sail, which is October 8th, if you are a Castaway Club member (you've sailed at least once before on DCL). If this is your first DCL cruise, you can make reservations 75 days out, or October 23rd. That's for all reservations, Palo, spa, kids clubs, excursions. Also, even though you have until October 23rd to pay in full, if you can make reservations 90 days out, you must be paid in full before you can make reservations.

Brunch was VERY good!! We had a great time there and we're going back!