July 4th Cruise Docs!

[scott.campbell]

Our travel insurance through the company I work for covers health worldwide including a flight home.
Six weeks sure is a long trip, sounds like a lot of fun as well. We recently purchased one of the burgular alarms that has a 24hr monitoring service so if it activates the police are called automatically.

So far the list of things I've packed stands at :

Swimming Shorts
Sunglasses
A Book to read

....lol.

Will I need anything else!!

ps I'm sure your dog will ofcourse miss you all but it will be a holiday for him/her as well.

 

[disneyholic family]

yes we have a security service too....
but professionals can get around anything if they're so inclined....
and of course we have insurance for the house and everything in it....but...well.....there's always a but......on the other hand we go every year for a whole month...usually in august....this year it's july and 6 weeks....actually, 5 and a half weeks....so it's not so bad....
except for way too much flying around (if you've been reading the FBI reports of the last few days.....the one from yesterday is enough to curl your teeth.....but i'll spare you all the details)...

so what was that?...
a bathing suit, sunglasses and a book?...
given that you're from the UK i think you'd probably be best advised to add one more item.....sunscreen.....all those white-burned-cherry-red brits are a sight to behold each summer....
how do you spell o-u-c-h......

as for my packing....well i walked out of work at 11PM tonight....same old story.....they promise no more 100 hour weeks and they keep their promise for about one day....
so i told them i won't be in for the rest of the week so that i can prepare for our trip.....what i didn't tell them is i'm not going back there....ever......
free at last....free at last...thank god almighty, i'm free at last.....

 

[CamColt]

Wow! Congrats on your new found freedom!
6 weeks is a long vacation. I cant imagine having to pack for that. Yikes! But Im sure it will be well worth it.

Thats a good start Scott!

Opsomyo, your list sounds about right. I agree, with the half stuff, because I overpacked for our last cruise. But, do you think Im cutting my stuff in half? No way! Im too paranoid that I just might need something.

I was planning to do the main chunk of packing and preparing(ironing, pedicure, etc...) next Sunday but I just found out my neices bday party is then. There goes that day, not to mention my diet!

Well, since today is almost over, I guess I can say 9 more days!!! OMG!!!!!

 

[opsomyo]

Thanks everyone, I dindn't think it was too much either. I of cours have a ton of other stuff papers, documents, film, camera, wrinkle release, the list goes on & on but at least I will be prepared! I am starting to get my daughters clothes togeter too, most of her stuff is new summer clothes so I am packing them before she wears them and gets stains or something on them. Heaven forbid I have to go shopping! lol my favorite thing to do!

I bought one of those accordian folders for our pictures & navigators etc. to safely bring home, I thinjk that is a great idea and glad I read it or would have wrinkled pics. I hope to only have a small carryon so I can keep the little one within arms reach. Thinking of buying one of those leash things so I don't have to worry about losing her in the airport.
Anyone else getting a little concerned about flying on the 4th. Afew people have brought it up to me. We are flying out of Chicago- Ohare into Orlando. I will be glad when everyone( us & all of u ) boards the ship and are out of the air!

 

[CamColt]

Oh an accordian folder is a great idea opsomyo! Thanks! I do have a regular 2 pocket one with cruise info in it that I will be bringing, but an acordian one would work great. Ill put that on the list.

 

[disneyholic family]

well i'm down to 6 days....we leave on sunday and arrive WDW monday afternoon.....sounds like we're taking the stagecoach......
i was talking to someone yesterday who's leaving for miami today.....he's flying direct there to avoid JFK.....his stories of JFK since 9-11 weren't very encouraging .....
oh well.....if we didn't fly through new york we wouldn't get to stop over there on the way out and see two broadway musicals.....

so.....6 days to go....kind of hard to believe......it seems as if we just got back from WDW yesterday......how has a whole year passed already......is the earth suddenly spinning at warp drive??...
well....6 days......then 2 days in WDW before a sailing we will go.....

6 days.......i think perhaps it's time to organize those suitcases.....ready for this one CamColt?....we take 8 suitcases !!!!!!......mostly empty and stuffed into each other.....that's how much we're entitled to carry (2 per person) and you can be sure they'll be bursting at their seams on our return.......yup.......better shine up that credit card.....it's about to get LOTS of use (or abuse, depending on your point of view)........
my daughter managed to fill an entire suitcase (those huge gigantic duffle types) with new clothes last year....i'm sure she's willing to break her record (but everything was sooooooooooooooo cheap......summer sales......she must have bought about 8 bathing suits last year...all nauticas.....and the total for all of them was less than $100......they were $12 each, down from $90.........that's cheap.....)....and of course i manage to fill a couple of suitcases with stuff from costco and sams.....towels, socks, underwear, casual wear and on and on and on......what fun......and then there's the 6' 7" hubbie who gets at least one suitcase full of new clothes from the various tall man shops.....like daughter like father.....seventh heaven.....

so....6 days till we fly and how many until the cruise????.........
oh wait a minute.....if we're flying on sunday it's really only 5 days to go......yikes......i'd better get cracking....

later all.....

 

[scott.campbell]

8 suitcases!!!!! Easy on the way out as you say, but how do you manage when there busting at the seams? Is your hire car a truck. lol.

Well it's Monday morning, so to put it in my DS speak theres 9 sleeps till the flight. Maybe I better start packing after all, your too right about the sunscreen. I try to be very careful about sunburn.

My DS ends up walking about like a little oil slick the amount of sunscreen that goes on him.

My in laws are a bit concerned about being there on the 4th, they see it as a potential target day. I'm sure all the good people out there are doing there best to prevent anything happening like the 11th ever again. I guess as the saying goes "in God we trust".

I better start thinking of what my first cocktail will be onboard, any suggestions?

 

[disneyholic family]

actually after i posted that i remembered that last year we went home with 10 suitcases.....we had to pay for extra baggage....no big deal.....it was definitely worth it.....
in new york we passed on the usual limo and had a huge van (that holds 10 people) take us to and from the hotel......and we took a huge suite just to hold all the luggage!!!
the rental in florida is ok since we half much less luggage until we reach detroit....and then the shopping spree begins in earnest....although we do manage to fill at least one suitcase with disney 'stuff'.....

as for the sunscreen....my son is the family oil slick.....he burns even with sunscreen on....the last hike he went on he turned into a crisy critter.....
last year the afternoon fishing jaunt almost did him in......out on bay lake....he did an impersonation of a candy apple....

oh....i just remembered another store we hit when we're home.....or rather stores....borders and barnes and noble for BOOKS!!!!......books books and more books....we had a suitcase full of those too.....i can't wait....oh...and DVDs....lots and lots of those too.....not a suitcase full, but not far from it....

ok....off to wash some clothes.....

have fun...

 

[opsomyo]

I am wondering where you get all those great sales, where is everything so cheap? My favorite thing to do is bargain shop. I love when I get brand name stuff at bargain basment prices!!!!

I know you are traveling all over during your six weeks right? maybe I'll have to stow away in your empty luggage!

I heard they are expecting terrorist attacks on the 4th, they think they are going to use tanker trucks filled will flamables gas etc. I don't think it will happen now that it has been all over the news. If that was their plan I think they would change it if the gov't was on to them already.

The accordian file is a great idea (not mine though) I read it on the board & ran out & got one. I plan on bringing alot of stuff back for scapbooking the trip, nice safe place to keep everything.

Hey, I tried to book the dolphin encounter for the 5th, It was full, I e-mailed the co. & they will hold a reservation for us at 1:30 in the afternoon. I think we have to be back on the ship at 4:00 or something. I think we are just going to skip it, I don't want to be late getting back. I would rather book everything through Disney, just DD5 & I . I have never even flown, nor been on anything like this so, better safe (on the ship) than sorry!! We will see when we get there I guess!

 

[disneyholic family]

when do you have to be back on the boat at 4:00?
are you on the same cruise we are?....4th of july?
i thought that in nassau you only have to be back on the ship at 10 PM....

as for sales...i suppose there are sales everywhere...
we do our heavy shopping in detroit (well...suburban detroit).....last summer we were there in late august and the stores were basically giving away the clothes......everything was marked take an additional 75% off....and that was on top of what was already marked down....
it was a crime not to buy it...i remember in the bathing suit department at marshall fields (really hudsons but they decided to rename the store...but to me it will always be hudsons)....i must have gone back to the cashier 5 times to verify that the nautica suits my daughter was trying on were only $12......we had just bought the very same suit in one of the outlet stores in orlando for $96 i think.....
i couldn't believe it....so i let her buy whatever she wanted....there and everywhere else...
when we got back home and i got the credit card bill i told her she could have bought more....it barely cost anything to fill a suitcase..
we'll be there much earlier this time, so i doubt we'll find those great sales this time around....but i'll still indulge her...that's what moms are for....

you probably wonder about my son.....well he does his shopping in WDW.....his entire wardrobe consists of WDW t-shirts........
you'll see when we're on the ship....that's all he wears....oh...well...on the ship he'll probably wear one of his wings shirts.....stanley cup and all....but normally it's disney or nothing....
in any case, they've never been jealous of each other.....maybe because they're boy/girl....they're actually quite protective of each other.....though they haven't been in school together for 6 years.....(she just graduated from a girls school......he goes to a boys school.....both of them science schools....that is, for kids who are into science and math......and yes, i have weird kids....anyone who likes math is by definition weird....totally weird....)

well i went out today and bought all our over the counter medicine for the trip.....cold/cough/fever.....etc....
hopefully we won't need it.....it's like an umbrella....if you don't take one it always rains....

 

[opsomyo]

I am not sure where I got the impression we had to be back on the ship so early. Yes, I have read 10:00 or 10:30 in Nassau. Not sure which. I already packed all my docs & obviously didn't read them as well as I should have. Well, good. We have reservations for 1:30 Dolphin encounter. I told my DD5 it was booked so shhhh, I will just keep it a surprise! We received the DCL video yesterday ( I ordered it for a little momento) & now wants to do a glass-bottom boat which I read was a waste so this works out good.

Disneyholic-- was hoping you found all those great deals in Nassau Oh well, I'll have to shop in Chicago (how terrible)!

How many sleeps until we sail?

 

[scott.campbell]

Not many sleeps at all left, even better I have only two more working shifts to go, I finish on Friday.

We don't plan to book anything for Nassau, just going to go for a walk and spend a bit time at the beach.

Oh and I've officially started to pack as well.

At the weekend we will stock up on sunscreen, camera film, etc.
Oh and I better charge up the camcorder batteries.

How early do you all go to check in for the cruise?
As I said before we are staying at the Radisson, so I guess we will end up there very early. Is there anything else in the Port area worth seeing?

 

[disneyholic family]

i bought a collapsible cooler today....i'll probably find ours tonight....
but it was pretty inexpensive...and i thought we might like it for nassau and castaway cay....and then we can use it at all the water parks in orlando and las vegas...
i was thinking of getting a new samsonite suitcase...one of those ones that a gorilla can sit on and nothing happens......
all of our luggage is collapsible duffle style....maybe i should have one or two that are indestructible...

unfortunately i'm not feeling too well today.....maybe it's dehydration.....i'll go drink a few gallons of water...

well i went through all the passports again...just to make sure they're all ok....and i found our annual WDW passports....(they were with our 'real' passports....)...they're good through july 27 (we were at WDW in august last year)....

now i have to get some local stuff in order.....local taxes and the like...
and i'm such a complete idiot......despite the fact that i walked out of work, i agreed to take care of something for them tomorrow....i am certifiable....i should have told them to jump in the lake...well.....or someplace further south than that...

oh...and we still don't have our tickets....the TA promised them on thursday.....and we fly on sunday......talk about cutting it close...
he hasn't even cut the vusa ticket yet....(the trans-atlantic one is supposedly ready).....
well...it'll be fine......the airport service knows to pick us up on sunday and they're very reliable...
one sad thing, my poor daughter is missing her high school graduation....i had no idea when i made the arrangements that it would be sunday night....they only set the date recently.....but she said she's ok with it......even though she's the person planning the entire event....she's always planned everything for them all through high school....she wrote the skits....the songs.......everything.....and then she won't even be there......boy am i a bad mom or what....on the other hand, it's not a graduation ceremony like they have in the states...no caps and gowns....no diplomas....just a party kind of thing, with skits and songs....still....it's a shame it worked out this way...

as for when to get to port...
this is a good question for Barb...
i think that people on the board recommend to be there by 10:30....but boarding is only after 12:00.....
i think one person stands in the boarding line while the others can wander around (once you've checked in that is)....

we'll leave the grand floridian at 9:30 i guess....that'll get us there by 10:30 or 11:00....

 

[CamColt]

We are having breakfast at the Kona Cafe at 8:00 and then plan to have Tiffany Town Car pick us up at the Polynsian at 9:45. I hope to be at the port by 11:00. Since they dont let you on the ship until 12:15, I think we should be fine on time. I dont even care about going to the buffet(Ill probably be too stuffed from breakfast), but my main thing is to get in line for Palo very early. That was something we didnt get to do on our last cruise with the kids and I really want to do it this time. I would also like it on our night at Animators Pallet and at the time I want, so I want to be like first in line for that.

Disneyholic, that stinks about your daughters graduation, but at least she seems ok with it. Im sure she will still be having fun that night.

 

[disneyholic family]

we're not going to eat at Palos so that's one less person you'll have to compete with for reservations...
the only thing i'm thinking of reserving is a massage....
one for me...one for my husband....
but if we don't succeed in snagging one i won't be upset....

 

[inkkognito]

Definitely try for the massage...it's so nice to "spoil" yourself a little on the cruise. We try for a spa treatment every day of the trip...I vary between massage, seaweed wrap, and ultimate face & body, but hubby sticks with the plain old massages.
I FINALLY got around to making our towncar ressies tonight and doublechecking our airline itinerary (lately ATA keeps changing the times). Usually I'm booked with Happy Limo a month ahead of time, but due to house painting, all my paperwork was packed away in boxes, and I'm finally getting it all together. I had to fish out the birth certificates and Castaway Club card from the May trip folder and transfer it into July's. We'll be at the LaQuinta MCO the night before...that will be the first time there. We got it for $28 via Priceline, and I think we're there in Aug. and Nov. too. Look for us in the adult pool right before the safety drill or in good ol' 5650
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[disneyholic family]

we're very easy to spot as i 've mentioned....
look for an odd-sized family of 4.....from a 6'7" thin bald man down to a 5'4" fat brunette....
with a 6'2" buzz cut blue-eyed boy and a 5'8" (or maybe 5' 9") long blonde haired girl.....everyone's thin but me....
god's sense of humor...all 3 of them eat like horses.....i'm not sure where it all goes...i think they must have trap doors somewhere as it certainly doesn't stay on their bones.....
me on the other hand....i gain weight just watching them eat...and eat.....and eat......and eat......boy are they going to have fun on the ship.....as for me, i guess that won't be the best time to start my diet, will it...

 

[scott.campbell]

We'll be very easy to spot as well, being Scottish look for the blue people going towards gleaming white, then lobster red.

Just starting to fill in all the cruise documents now. Best to be organised with them I think.

4 am we will be leaving on the 3rd. Hopefully that should knock my DS out for most of the flight across.

 

[disneyholic family]

funny Scott....
i was just watching Scrapheap Challenge (or whatever that's called....one of our favorites).....i guess you kind of look like that, eh?...

well we just got our airline tickets.....i had the transatlantic ones since december until i discovered i'd messed up the return date.....so they had to be redone....well the courier just drove up..
so now we have the transatlantic tickets, plus the VUSA tickets....for all that domestic flying that my daughter and i are less than thrilled about doing...(what with all those FBI warnings)...
anyway...
i guess we're all set now..

oh right.....except for one small teenie weenie detail....i still haven't packed....one of these days.......

 

[CamColt]

Ok disneyholic now you are making me nervous. Get packing! LOL! Sounds like we are all getting organized now.
One week from right now we will be in FL,hopefully laying by the pool at the Poly. Ive gotten to a point where I think about the trip constantly and my heart races. Ill think Ill be this way until the plane touches down.
Well, I just went out and bought DH the Mickey July 4th shirt too. His is grey and mines white. So, on embarkation day, we will be the nerds with matching shirts, LOL Ill look for everyone. Scott is it just you, your DW and DS?
BTW, I feel I should introduce us. You dont have to call us CamColt and DH. Im Katie and DH is Peter.