January 8, 2005 Magic Cruise - Let's Get Ready to Cruise!

[staylor]

Welcome Abusymommy, so glad you signed in and are joining us. Hope to see you at one of the meets. You never know, you might just walk away with something.

Chris, that is a very quick connect. I'm assuming you are flying on AA. I would do a few things. First, tell the agent at your first departure about the close connect and to make sure the airline knows you are on your way and will be there. Second, when you land in DFW if you have time tell the person in the red coat (AA's customer service) that you are here and heading toward your next flight, give them flight number. They can tell you the gate number and call that gate to let them know you are coming. Also, ask that person if you need to get an electric cart for a ride. Terminals A & C do connect with a walk way but if you land at the far end of C and leave out of the far end of A this could be a problem. Third, grab an electric cart driver, hop on and get a ride to your gate. Make sure you tell the driver how close you are to flight time. Tip them a few bucks when you get off and jump on the next flight. If your first flight is running late, make sure you tell the flight attendants about your next flight and ask if they can have the captain let the ground personell know. Have a great time and try not to stress.
Staci

 

[Heyentah]

I am SOOOO excited I can hardly stand it!

Okay, Howdy, y'all! I am a newbie -- here's my life's big exciting travel trips: about 5 trips to Tijuana (about 12 miles south of my house, and visible from my deck at night). No more than 4 hours at one time spent in T.J. AND! one 18 hour cruise to Ensenada on a cruddy little ... uh ... well, it mostly floated, so I guess that qualifies it for a boat!

I'll be traveling with my hubby, 6 adult "daughters" ( a few are borrowed, but I can never remember which ones are the borrowed ones!), 4 "sons-in-law," 3 "grandkids" under age 3 and 3 "grandsons" over the age of 7, a buttonhole cousin, her hubby and a close friend of hers (WHEW!) So I imagine that if we all eat at the same time in the same place we'll have what? 3 - 4 tables? I don't know anything about cruising and only found your message board today. What are the door decorations you are talking about? Has anyone successfully used either ginger or the seasickness bands? Would I be totally stupid to think that I could bring a small telescope and have time to set it up on a table somewhere late at night (I'll bet the stars are great!) do they ever turn the lights off on any of the outer decks? How about the night? do a lot of people dress up and play along? How elaborately do people dress up? My hubby hates the thought of wearing anything other than jeans -- will he really be turned away from the assigned restaurants if they are brand-new and he's wearing a nice shirt??

I'll shut-up now, but boy, I am so excited!

 

[staylor]

Hey Heyentah, welcome to the boards. You found them right in time for the cruise. Cruising is awesome, we have been on 5 so far, this is our second time on DCL. Well, let's see if I can answer some of your questions. Feel free to ask as many as you can think of. The cruise line forum is also a great place to post questions because people answer them quickly there. What is a buttonhole cousin?
What are the door decorations you are talking about? The doors are metal so you can put magnets on them. Some people make door signs on their computer and print them out on magnetic paper. I made a few for this cruise. I printed them on cardstock, laminated them, and then stuck a magnet on the back. If you go to the cruise line forum and do a search about door signs it should pop up a few threads for you. Also, door signs makes it easier for kids to find the room, in a sea of white doors.
Has anyone successfully used either ginger or the seasickness bands?On 5 cruises I have always carried Dramamine and Bonine (less drowsy but not good for kids) but have never needed to use them. My DS was 4.5 on his cruise and he didn't have any problems either.
Would I be totally stupid to think that I could bring a small telescope and have time to set it up on a table somewhere late at night (I'll bet the stars are great!) do they ever turn the lights off on any of the outer decks? We are bringing binoculars. Never thought of carrying a telescope, sounds cool. Not too sure about the lights but I do think they keep them on dim at night. Are you going to have a room w/ a verandah? I bet deck 7 aft or deck 8 aft would be perfect for this. Especially deck 8 because it has those table like platforms. You can see pictures of both aft areas at castawayclubdotcom.
How about the pirate night? do a lot of people dress up and play along?It used to be a tropical night. I think many people still wear tropical themed clothes. Though, I have seen pictures recently on the cruise line trip reports board of people dressed up like pirates. Looked pretty cute!
How elaborately do people dress up? My hubby hates the thought of wearing anything other than jeans -- will he really be turned away from the assigned restaurants if they are brand-new and he's wearing a nice shirt?? Jeans will be fine any time but dinner. Is there any way you could talk him into kahki's for just an hour and a half? If he just cannot take it, Topsiders does offer table dinner service now. Formal night you will see everything from kahki pants to tux's.

You don't have to shut up now. I promise we are all just as excited. Please come to one or both of our DIS meets. We are meeting Sat. 3:30, deck 7 aft - quick meet before drills and Sun. 9:00am deck 10, over mickey pool, right side, bring your coffee.
Glad you're cruising w/ us
Staci

 

[musicdude]

Staci,
Thanks for all of the information on the flight, I checked again today and the connection is in the C terminal. So no worries about the connection. We leave in the morning so see you all there.
Chris

 

[staylor]

Glad to hear about the connection. Hope you have stress free travels. See you in a few days!
Staci

 

[sopandbass]

It's official..I'm totally geeked about this cruise...as if I wasn't before. The suitcases are out and opened and there are piles of clothes and things ready to be packed tomorrow, since I have to work Wednesday and Thursday. I can't sleep because I'm obsessed with reading these boards and other things Disney. I know I need to get some sleep so I can get everything done tomorrow but I'm too excited. I'm starting to feel the gentle rocking of the ship from my computer chair. If only I could order a nice All Hands on Deck cheese platter from room service, I'm sure I'd be lulled into slumber.

Okay, now I'm scaring even myself. Sweet dreams, everyone!

 

[Lisa]

Welcome, Heyentah! Great to have you aboard.

What a crowd you will be traveling with. Everyone should have a wonderful time.

 

[staylor]

Sopandbass you are cracking me up. Don't worry, we leave Thur. and I still have not packed one thing. Maybe later today.

How's everyone else today?
Staci

 

[Yunchman]

Hey everyone, the cruise is getting sooo close and we are all very excited. Shelby and I just finished up our shopping today for the cruise. We had to get a few things, not to mention new flip flops for Shelby since they were left on the Castaway Cay tram in August 2004. Wow, now they get to live there how wonderful!!!!

Anyways have filled out documents now all I have to do is laundry and pack!!.....I'll get around to that sometime tomorrow or thursday. What time is everyone planning on arriving at the port? When do they usually let people on anyways, i can never remember....I think the port opens at 10:30 so maybe you should be able to get on the ship by 12:30...i don't know, so anyone who wants to respond to what time they are getting there that would be appreciated!! thanks!

Stacy B.

 

[dizneetravelagent]

We all know how hectic it gets a few days before vacation.....so what did I do today?....I went out and bought the new Amber Frey book and couldn't put it down. What a DUM DUM. I have clothes lying all over my home, and I'm reading a book Anyway, my DD (10) has become obsessed with these boards. She's constantly telling me that I need to post more often. She updates me daily as to who has already headed south and who will be leaving on that day. It's actually really cute. She has had a blast reading all of the updates.

Well, we're going back to my bedroom to start the official packing of the bags. We will be pulling out on Thursday evening.

Penny

 

[sopandbass]

Yunchman ~ You should write a children's book about Shelby's flip-flops and their adventures living on Castaway Cay. You could name them Flip and Flop. I sure hope they survived the hurricanes!!!

I'm having packing anxiety - I know I'm taking too much but if I get it all out right now, then I'll have enough time to put some back and then how on earth can I justify packing all the new clothes and things I bought while shopping today? What a dilemna!

I spoke with Shirley at The Perfect Gift today to complete a basket order for our DD and she said that Verandah Man had just left her shop and was on his way to the Magic. I don't know Verandah Man except from reading posts on these boards but I was delighted for him because I know that he's on the ship just before us. Isn't it funny how the Internet connects people somehow?

Okay, enough gabbering. It's time for serious packing now that the family is asleep. See you all soon!

 

[brack]

I'm packed and we leave for Dallas tomorrow. We'll be at WDW by noon on Thursday. See you Sat

 

[staylor]

I'm still not packed, of course! We went shopping tonight for a few last minute things. I keep coming up with "last minute" things.
Staci

 

[Lisa]

THREE MORE DAYS!!!

We leave tomorrow night, weatherman is predicting 6" of snow tomorrow morning, ending mid afternoon. Hopefully it will all be clean up before we leave for the airport.

Safe travels.

 

[staylor]

As of 7:25 am it is 40 and falling here in Denton. Of course it is raining, so the roads are going to get slick. The low tonight is going to be something rediculous like 10. I really need to get out of here. Now I wish I had booked our flight for today. Oh well!

Warm weather in less than 36 hours
Staci

 

[brack]

We left Oklahoma City at 3pm. It was 18 degrees, snowing and the roads where covered in the ice/sleet that had fallen all day. Only idiots drove faster than 20 mph because the roads were so slick. They were also the ones in the ditch, wrapped around trees and all smashed up. Everyone had trouble on inclines. Most places closed early and will be closed tomorrow because the temp is going done to single digits tonight!

Boy am I glad that I am going on a cruise!!!!!

 

[sopandbass]

Boy, I'm glad it's snowing and miserable here in Michigan...it makes it that much more delightful to leave it behind and head for nicer weather. Please don't tell my friends who live here that I said that.

 

[Heyentah]

TOMORROW, Tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a day away! We leave San Diego tomorrow evening for the trip. I'd already scheduled having the whole day off to get "last minute things" done, but I decided to call in sick today -- TOO EXCITED (and, yes, too much still to do, like drag out the suitcases! ).

I TOTALLY hear y'all aboutbeing glad to leave the foul weather behind. We feel the same way -- heck our storms here have been so bad they blew over 3 deck chairs and my beach umbrella. The thing that REALLY bites about the crummy weather is that the only table we have to sit down to for a meal is the patio table, so we've been having to use t.V. trays! (Actually the storms HAVE been bad, friends of ours who lost their homes in the big fires of 2003 were planning to move into their rebuilt home in 5 weeks, then the rains came and the hillside behind their home slid INTO their home because so much foliage was gone and there were no roots to hold the mud in place on the hill. They're not QUITE back to square one, but this will delay the return to their home by an estimated 8 months, and their insurance company cancelled the policy so they won't have to pay out on the same house again!!!)

STAYLOR: I'll bet our Oklahoma friends could tell you what a buttonhole relative is! (That's a someone related by marriage rather than blood) I also bet they wouldn't be surprised if I decided to "wag" my "bumbershoot" on the trip. But I don't want to scare the "p-waddin'" out of you so I won't subject you to any more of my Okie-isms!

See y'all in just a few hours!!!!!!!!

 

[sopandbass]

Is anybody left at home? We're finishing our packing tonight and taking off tomorrow for Orlando. We'll see you all soon!

 

[Yunchman]

We are still home since we onyl live about 1-1 1/2 hours from port we will be leaving saturday morning...i still have to pack!!!!!!!!!! even though I was supposed to have already done, but I still have laundry to do!


Anyhow we'll be there on Sat!!!!!!! see ya real soon!