July 4th Cruise Docs!

Thanks so much for the words of encouragment from everyone. It is nice to know there will be so many nice people on the ship with us. I am glad to hear we aren't as low in the ship as I thought. I am a little fraid of water, mostly drowning! lol I feel alot more prepared reading all the advice from you veterans. Thanks again, especially for the thoughts and prayers for my little one.
 
The benefit with flying BA all the way is that our baggage will be checked in at Edinburgh and we wont need to collect it again until Orlando. Makes a big difference. I flew once via Newark with Continental and the break after a shorter flight was nice, we got to stretch our legs for an hour or two. But again that was before the 11th.
We are staying on deck 5 in a cat 8 room, using DVC points for the cruise, not sure if that was cost effective or not, but never mind.

What time do you guy's normally head for check in at the ship, does it matter? We are not bothered about booking anything specific.

All the packing is almost complete, just me (but I'm always last, infuriates my DW lol) and the sun lotion, camera film etc. Bought a couple of bottles of that Safe Sea lotion as well, just incase of the sea lice I've read about.

Most infuriating part of the trip is the visa paperwork etc that we need to fill in 3/4 of the way through the flight when everyone is wiped out. lol.
 
i'm not real partial to newark, although it's slightly more convenient than JFK......we'll be leaving the states via newark...it was the most convenient flight for us.....we don't fly continental airlines as the last time we flew them i swore it would be the last ever.....the plane and crew were awful.....it was a brand new plane but i think they had the clean air set on the lowest setting.....my kids and i all were feeling terribly sick.....and my daugther, along with about 30 other people on the plane, spent much of the flight with their heads deep inside air sickness bags.....that has never happened to us before or since.....so it must have had something to do with the air circulation setting......
actually our favorite airline is air canada.....business is spectacular on them, but flying to toronto when you're headed to florida seems a bit counterproductive....
i hope all the kids you'll have on your flight are well-behaved...
the only time we flew direct to orlando from europe was on KLM....i'm trying to remember, but i don't recall there being too many kids....or maybe they were all asleep, or really on good behavior.....we were all so exhausted by the time we finally got into the air that time.....the flight was supposed to take off at 10 in the morning, but only did at 6 pm......unfortunately we couldn't even go into amsterdam to sightsee as they kept delaying by only an hour at a time....it was an interesting study in cultures watching the different reactions of the passengers....the europeans were all very docile and didn't ask questions.....the americans became belligerent during the course of the day....one gorgeous blonde texan demanded to be told EXACTLY what was wrong with the plane.....she wouldn't take no for an answer.....well, when you're stuck in an airport against your will, anything will seem entertaining....that was the time i went to WDW with just my kids.....my husband couldn't come with us....that was also the year the hurricane hit WDW....
i certainly hope there's no hurricane this year....especailly when we're on the ship...

the one nice thing about flying via new york is being able to stop there for a day or two....we did that last summer for the first time and will again this year.....just two days, but long enough to take in two broadway plays and do a bit of sightseeing....my kids fell in love with NYC last summer and asked for a return visit.....that was gratifying as i've been in love with that city for years....and former mayor guliani should be sainted for how he saved it.....

anyway.....i wrote too much as always.....it's just that i tend to obsess about the flight......i really really really am terrified of flying.......and that was before there were warnings that there are terrorists with shoulder fired missiles planning to shoot civilian planes out of the sky......and why exactly would the FBI make an announcement like that?.....to increase the purchases of pre-flight valium?....
 
continuing on that thought....to give you an idea of how worried i am about terrorism on this trip, i had our lawyer change our wills last week.....until now it only named our kids, but now if something should happen to all 4 of us, i have my nephews and nieces as the inheritors........that kind of sums it all up in a nutshell....
i might not have even started packing yet (we'll pack the day before we leave and not a moment sooner....or maybe just the same day we leave), but i've taken care of those we hopefully won't leave behind....oh.....and we also put our dog in the will.....i don't know why we never had her in it before.....this way, if something happens to us she'll be taken care of.....
 

I have been worried about the same thing. I have never flown and of course everyone is worried about terrorists. I think my main concern is being on the ship. A Disney ship seems like a prime target for some sick puppy trying to get attention, (all the kids etc.) I think more than anything, I am worried about a psycho on the ship. That proboly wouldn't be a concern if not fo just my DD & I alone. I wasn't going to post to the message board because of it. Ya never know who could be reading with bad intentions. I figured it is going to be obvious we are alone (dinner etc.) so why worry aboiut posting on board. Also, there will never be a chance of my DD being alone with one of the counselors right? I assume Disney does a background check on all their employees but I worry about our safety. Does anyone know if there have ever been any acts of violence on a Disney ship. I am not sure what I think is going to happen, just a little nervous. Once we get the feel for it, I am sure we will be fine (convincing myself) but a mother has to worry..................
 
disneyholic : you sure are prepared....lol. I don't mind flying, my DW is a little nervous. I have to say we have no wills at all setup, need to do it sometime I suppose. Am I concerned about terrorism, ofcourse. But I do believe that since the 11th it will be a lot harder for anything like that to happen.

opsomyo: Whether there has been any psycho's on a disney ship, dunno. But I believe that a sick puppy would have other targets which would suite their cause better. After all Disney is going to have kids of all nationalities onboard, and it would be seen as an attack on children. So I hope that it is very unlikely to happen. Some of the others will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that you will not actually be sitting on your own, you will be sharing a table with others possibly. Plus I'm sure you will be welcome to meet up with any of us on the cruise. My 4 3/4 yr old son would be glad of a playmate I'm sure. If I can prise him out of the kids area on Deck 5 that is.

Oh, I got my car hire documents through today and there with Alamo not Dollar. Doh!

Also spent most of the day helping empty my son's piggy bank into those little coin bags to take to the bank and exchange for notes. I need to get him a smaller piggy bank. lol.
 
oh Scott, you should have a will in order to establish who you want as a guardian for your son.....so there won't be any fights in the hopefully unlikely event that you and your wife aren't around...
we've had a will since my oldest was born for that reason alone...the monetary inheritance is not the key....who would 'get' the kids was what was important..

opsomyo.....there are lots of people who travel alone with their kids.....i met a woman last summer who cruised with her daughter and had a grand time...
as for security, i'm quite sure disney has a lot of security....on board and on shore.....they have to......even if just for reasons of liability...
 
I know nothing will happen, I have a habit of imagining the worst possible scenario. New experiences do that. It is funny too, if I was traveling alone, I wouldn't worry about myself but because my DD is with me, I worry about Both our safety. Funny how kids change the whole scenario.

I am SOOOOO excited! It is getting so close! Just over 2 weeks! We are just doing the cruise. At some point I hope we all have the chance to go to Disney. When the little one is older. My "dream" is for us all to go on the 7 day Land/Sea. That would be Great! My dad's co. wants to make a donation for us through the make a wish foundation. The "rules" are she has to be able to make the wish. So, I hope in a couple years we can take them up on the offer and at least do Disney. At this point, I don't know how I would schedule it between all her treatments etc. Besides, I have tio give her a shot every other day and I HATE doing it on the run. I hate doing it, but I like our routine at home better than doing it in hotel rooms etc. It was hard for me to get away at all. I am the one who takes care of her 95% of the time. My DH is off for the holiday so the 4th worked Really well for us. She can stay with him. He is capable of caring for her of course but It is hard to leave her for days without Mom! I have never been away from her since she got sick and only once before. I feel guilty. She is really attached to me because nobody else ever keeps her. Her sister goes and does and stays with family and she is always with me. I can't even walk out of the room without her crying. Her development is delayed and she is still babyish. She will be 3 in September and her speech is unintelligable to everyone but me. We have speech therapy & developmental therapy weekly. Physical therapy and IVIG treatments monthly. Plus I think we are going to start Chemo again next month. And she is the one staying home again! Poor little thing. How I would ever get her on a plane though, I don't know. I think all the other passenger's would suffer. Her being around all the people would be bad too because her immune system is suppressed from the steroids. She had her last immunizations at 12months and will never have the rest of them. We are opting to home-school her because of the risk of infection, especially in the preschool and elementary years. So, guilty or not, she is not going on the cruise with us. I will have to bring her back something really cool! Well, The speech therapist is going to be here in 1/2 hour, better clean my house. YIKES!
 
you shouldn't feel guilty...
your 5 year old needs and deserves the special mommy time...
it's only a weekend.....but it will mean the world to her.....
 
I just watched the Wonder sail by on twopalms.com Its so hard to believe in only 2 short weeks we will be there celebrating at the sailaway party RIGHT NOW! I dont think Ill last that long(even though I know it will fly by)!

Did some shopping today and got some more items to throw in the suitcase. Little things like that excite me. :rolleyes: :)
 
i'll try to start packing this week....
we leave a week from sunday....in other words in 8 days we'll be winging our way westward.....
i'm so tired after working a 100 hour week at work this week, i'm just too wiped out to really do much right now...
we have some major things to take care of that we've been tending to...
a new brace for my son.....that way he can have a spare in case it breaks...
and i need to take him to buy new sandals.....
but the truth is, the US isn't outer mongolia....whatever we don't have with us, we can buy....
last summer i packed everything but my husband's undershirts....so we went over to one of those outlet malls right by WDW and got him a stock of new jockeys.....no big deal....
there's nothing i can't buy....except for my medicine, which can be purchased in every country in the world except the US....so i've been stocking up on that...
but as tired as i am, i'm getting more excited by the minute...
i hope we all have a great time!!!...
 
Do they send the docs by federal express to everybody? I still have not got my documents for July 17 cruise yet. Could somebody please help me? We are looking forward for our cruise.:Pinkbounc
 
most people seem to get them about 2 weeks before their cruise...we got ours about 6 weeks before ours...
if you're worried call DCL, but i doubt they've sent them out yet for yours...
 
11 days till our flight. wow!

My DS is asking every day now how many sleeps are left till he goes to Florida, it's easier to work out now because he started asking months ago!

We certainly don't pack as much now as we used to when travelling to Florida, for the same reasons you state disneyholic. Most things are so much cheaper to buy there.

I better think about packing soon because I'm starting to get the evil eye from DW.
 
Scott, you sound like my DH. The other day I asked him what he planned to bring because Im debating over bringing 1 or 2 suitcases(along with the garment bag). He looked at me like "How would I know?" I on the other hand have lists galore around the house(stuff packed, stuff needed to be packed, whats going in which bag, stuff I need to buy, etc...) I know what outift I will be wearing on each day, and what I need to go along with it, etc... He will just throw a bunch of clothes in the bag the day before we leave and make do. I think hes trying to drive me nuts.

BTW, I love when I see this thread bumped to the top. Its so fun to share the excitement with you guys. Its so close now!!! 11 days for us too! :p
 
camcolt: I guess it's a man thing. lol.

It's great to be able to share thoughts about the cruise, definently!!

After the cruise it will be great to compare notes also.
 
i pack for my husband.....so i only have myself to blame if he's not packed...
but then again, neither am i...
i have to pack for 3 of us, thankfully my daughter packs herself.....

as for how much to pack....well if we were only going on the cruise i would take very little.....but since i'm packing for 6 weeks it's more complicated.....
i really dread going on board with so much stuff when it's only for 3 short days......
i guess what i should do is put the cruise stuff in a separate bag....that would make sense, but i'm not going to do that....i'm not organized enough for that....
well.....one of these days i'll start packing...
leaving our house for 6 weeks really upsets me.....
while i love to travel, i get really nervous about leaving the house 'unprotected' as it were....and our closest neighbors are moving back to america on the same day we leave for the states....so that will be two empty houses together....a burglars delight....hmmmm......
and i hate leaving our dog for 6 weeks.....she came upstairs to nap in her bed while i napped in mine and i felt just so worried looking at her.....6 weeks is such a very long time for her to be without us....i hope she'll be ok.....

so....we have 7 days to go now....that is, before we wing our way westward....
so much to do....so little time....
 
I am starting to pack! It is making me more excited by the day! I am mostly just throwing the stuff I keep buying in our bags. Nightlight, beach bag, sunglasses etc. I am trying to decide on clothes. My list keeps getting longer. I am not sure how much I should bring. here is my list just for me I think I should tone it down HELP!

2 dresses W/ shawls
Black capris/top -- Dinner

3 pr short/ tops

beige capris/ top
really cute denim capris/ top
swim suits
P.j.'s


Now that I made the list, I don't think it is too much but, everybody says pack half of what you plan on taking. AARRRGH!
I want to bring the other capris because I am always freezing in restraunts etc & I don't want to be uncomfortable. I need the shorts cause what if it is really hot and I have to have something for dinner, oh well, just see what fits in the luggage I guess?
 
that doesn't sound like too much...
remember to put your travel documents, medicine, and a change of clothes in your carry on luggage...

we unfortunately always end up with a ton of hand luggage .....things that we just can't afford to lose.....
which i guess will make it uncomfortable for us at boarding...
having so much hand luggage....it definitely makes it tough to fly that way (and change planes....i wonder if we'll be able to check our luggage back in after customs.....oh oh....i completely forgot about that.....that's how it was last year in JFK...but that was before 9-11.....hmmm....i'd better call the airline and find out...)

i just watched a memorial to 9-11 on CNN.....we're spending the last two days of our trip in new york city....just like we did last year....a week before the attacks....it was our first time back in new york since my husband and i lived there for 3 years about a century ago....he worked in the world trade center, i worked in rockefeller center......and we were madly in love with the city....every weekend we'd take the train down to his office so he could do a bit of work and then walk from the WTC back to our apartment on central park west (stopping for lunch in SOHO)......what a walk......what a great city......last year was the first time we took our kids to see it....and after the initial shock at the size and congestion, they too began to see the beauty......they even asked for the return visit this year.....
and so we're going.....and we'll visit the site.....

6 weeks....god...what WAS i thinking when i planned this trip...
 
Scott,
does your health insurance cover you when you're traveling abroad?....
ours doesn't so we buy special travel health insurance....we get the one that inludes a medivac plane home in the case of hospitalization...i don't want to get stuck in a hospital in the US if i have to be hospitalized.....i want to be home....so we get the insurance that includes that (being flown home with a doctor to take care of us enroute....) sounds strange i suppose but it's comforting to know we have it.....

as you can tell, we're a worst case scenario sort of family....
 

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