July 6, 2010 - 7/6/2010 ~ Pounds to Rubles ~ Mickey invades the Baltic Sea

[Deb T.]

I made a fish extender for our upcoming Christmas cruise. For our last cruise (3-nights on the Wonder), we just used a small fabric bag - we only had four families participating but it was still fun.

njdisneyfans - welcome to the thread!

Yes, that mini-FE exchange was fun! Seemed that everytime I saw Zachary, he was walking around with something I'd put in your bag! I remember one time looking over at him and he had the plastic shark "eating" one of his fingers. Another time, he was munching on the candy bracelet. Good times, good times! I'm pretty sure we'll have more than four families participating this time!

 

[Deb T.]

Awesome Halloween costumes, everyone! Thanks for posting pics!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Yes, that mini-FE exchange was fun! Seemed that everytime I saw Zachary, he was walking around with something I'd put in your bag! I remember one time looking over at him and he had the plastic shark "eating" one of his fingers. Another time, he was munching on the candy bracelet. Good times, good times! I'm pretty sure we'll have more than four families participating this time!

That shark rode in the car with us all summer and way down into the fall so far. And Zachary loves candy bracelets - I hope he'll still like them when he's nearly 13 That's what is so cool about Fish Extender things - nothing has to be elaborate -- there is joy in everything. I'm having fun putting together our FE things for our Christmas cruise but I can't post about it here yet because two of our Christmas companions are also Baltic companions (yeah, Lissa, this means you and Lisa (njmom23grls)).

 

[Deb T.]

That shark rode in the car with us all summer and way down into the fall so far. And Zachary loves candy bracelets - I hope he'll still like them when he's nearly 13 That's what is so cool about Fish Extender things - nothing has to be elaborate -- there is joy in everything. I'm having fun putting together our FE things for our Christmas cruise but I can't post about it here yet because two of our Christmas companions are also Baltic companions (yeah, Lissa, this means you and Lisa (njmom23grls)).

Awwww, you just made my day!

 

[Stimpy]

All the costume photos are great!

We did the fish extenders our last cruise too. It was a lot of fun! I think with all the DIS'ers on this cruise we may need to bring an extra suitcase just for bringing the FE gifts!

 

[DW2DH&DS]

Panic!!! Last night I was having a bit of sticker shock. Seriously considered canceling. It is difficult bc I know we can do this same itinerary for half the cost on another line. Not Disney though!!!! Feel better today. Realized we already have $1800 for deposit paid. I guess it is that time of year with the holidays and Jack's birthday in December. I am soooo excited for this trip. I am obsessed. Anybody out there as OCD as I am about this?

 

[Deb T.]

Panic!!! Last night I was having a bit of sticker shock. Seriously considered canceling. It is difficult bc I know we can do this same itinerary for half the cost on another line. Not Disney though!!!! Feel better today. Realized we already have $1800 for deposit paid. I guess it is that time of year with the holidays and Jack's birthday in December. I am soooo excited for this trip. I am obsessed. Anybody out there as OCD as I am about this?

When you look up OCD in the dictionary, you'll see my photo! I am well-known by my family, friends, and colleagues as being ultra organized and extremely compulsive. I always tell people: I may be crazy, but at least I’m not delusional… I know I’m OCD and am very comfortable joking about it.

Our two children are grown (if they’re able to come, DD will be 27 and DS will turn 26 on the cruise) but we still prefer DCL over any other cruise line even though we won’t be using any children’s programming. However, I do wish DCL’s prices were more in line with other cruise lines.

We’re combating the sticker shock by simply not looking at the balance!!! I figure we have a little over a year to save up the money for it and I’m confident that we’ll be able to do it. We had such a good time on the Mediterranean cruise that we just can’t imagine not experiencing this new itinerary!

 

[Keggy]

Hello! Please add "njdisneyfans" to this thread. We are past DCL alumni -- the last trip was the Mediterranean cruise during its inaugural summer. It was the best. Can't wait for this one!! P.S. Since you are new to DCL, you may want to send a note to our fellow passengers who would like to participate in a "fish extender" program while we sail as is done on other DCL sailings. You can do a search for "fish extender" on the boards and you should be able to come up with plenty of answers. It's early on the trip, of course, but discussion of it and looking for Disney-related goodies will help while away the time! Just a suggestion....

njdisneyfans - Hello! I respond to your pm - to be added to the website I need you to send me some information. All I have is your screen name.

Also, I think pretty much everyone on this thread is a DCL veteran. I believe we have cruisers who have expressed interest in organizing fish extenders, lanyards, t-shirts, meets, etc. Please speak up if you would like to coordinate something! We have plenty of time!

Thank you!

 

[scottishwee35]

njdisneyfans - Hello! I respond to your pm - to be added to the website I need you to send me some information. All I have is your screen name.

Also, I think pretty much everyone on this thread is a DCL veteran. I believe we have cruisers who have expressed interest in organizing fish extenders, lanyards, t-shirts, meets, etc. Please speak up if you would like to coordinate something! We have plenty of time!

Thank you!

Hello

I would love to have lanyards for this cruise.

Scottishwee35

 

[threebritts]

njdisneyfans - Hello! I respond to your pm - to be added to the website I need you to send me some information. All I have is your screen name.

Also, I think pretty much everyone on this thread is a DCL veteran. I believe we have cruisers who have expressed interest in organizing fish extenders, lanyards, t-shirts, meets, etc. Please speak up if you would like to coordinate something! We have plenty of time!

Thank you!

Welcome Njdisney fans!

I started a spread sheet with the names Keggy has given to make " mini navigators" with meets and fish extender teams. If everyone just wanted to do it without teams thats fine too but if 4-5 people were on a team there could be some neat gifts for that team to pass out.If we do teams there will have to be a person who every team reports to so there is no duplicates. My team on the canal cruise did dry erase boards for the door with our logo on it .Was great to use on the cruise and im still writing notes on it on my fridge.
I contacted a lanyard company who could use on of our logos and do them fairly cheap depending on the number ordered .We could make name cards with "dis" names and real names also to put in the holders.
The shirts im not good at LOL I saw someone on here could do the designs and then people could order then at Cafe Press.
Off work a couple of nights Im getting too old for night shift I think!
I just keep thinking Mickey and Baltic!!!

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Darn Cindy I was hoping you'd forget I was here and mention what you were doing for FE gifts for Christmas.

I actually made our FE for this upcoming Christmas cruise and will use it for the baltic cruise to. I can't sew one little bit so I used this liquid stitch stuff and it worked really well.

As for sticker shock i try not to think about the price to much. I am considering getting a weekend job just to bring in a little extra money to help pay for everything.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Lissa

 

[denise]

. My team on the canal cruise did dry erase boards for the door with our logo on it .Was great to use on the cruise and im still writing notes on it on my fridge.

I like the dry erase board thing....where on earth did they find them? I have been looking...
On the med cruise I just brought some lip gloss that hooked to a laynard and gave some out. There was nothing planned so I really didn't have enough. I felt bad so sorry to those who didn't get one.....
I have been on 5 cruises and that was the first time I did anything like this.
Planning would be good...so no one is left out!
So could you explain how it all works for those of us who don't know

 

[threebritts]

I like the dry erase board thing....where on earth did they find them? I have been looking...
On the med cruise I just brought some lip gloss that hooked to a laynard and gave some out. There was nothing planned so I really didn't have enough. I felt bad so sorry to those who didn't get one.....
I have been on 5 cruises and that was the first time I did anything like this.
Planning would be good...so no one is left out!
So could you explain how it all works for those of us who don't know[/QUOTE

Actually the chapstick and lanyard would be neat gifts!

Well if we do teams everyone who wanted to participate could let hoever is in charge know. Then we need to see how many and divide by 12 days. Like on ours we had 15 days and there was about 5 people to a team.There is a company in Ohio that did the boards and I think we put in 20 bucks for hubby and I on the team and we had 300 of them. ( Its always nice to have leftovers to to give to a special crewmember or 2). Those team members can post to each other and decide what they want to do and they tell the one person who will no them all so there is no repeats. Then every day is covered. My team had the first night and we met and put stickers on the back that had our logo and names of our team members on the back and then we divided up the decks by participaing rooms and off we went. It was nice to go by the cabins during the cruise and see people writing notes and messages to each other on them. Like i said , just an idea and I would be happy to do the teams and then they will also be printed in the booklets for the cruise. I know how expensive this cruise is but hell whats another 10 or 20 bucks LOL I can say I definitly got my money back in all the stuff we got and some were small things so easy to pack to get home.
Heather

 

[slg]

I love all these ideas! Its so far out though, that so many people may add and drop.

I think it will be less confusing if we wait until closer to the time (at least a year maybe) before we start organizing teams and stuff.

Our mexican cruise people did the fish extenders, and although I felt to overwhelmed to participate, someone nicely took over for us! Also, since we were upgraded and were late for the first meet, the people in our original cabin kept getting nice gifts from folks who didn't know we had upgraded.

Its hard to wait so long! I wish it was next year! I wish I knew for sure my ABD was going to go ahead! Last time I checked we were the only family booked and with the state of the economy, I think trips aren't booking up too fast.

 

[DW2DH&DS]

I love all these ideas! Its so far out though, that so many people may add and drop.

I think it will be less confusing if we wait until closer to the time (at least a year maybe) before we start organizing teams and stuff.

Our mexican cruise people did the fish extenders, and although I felt to overwhelmed to participate, someone nicely took over for us! Also, since we were upgraded and were late for the first meet, the people in our original cabin kept getting nice gifts from folks who didn't know we had upgraded.

Its hard to wait so long! I wish it was next year! I wish I knew for sure my ABD was going to go ahead! Last time I checked we were the only family booked and with the state of the economy, I think trips aren't booking up too fast.

my DH, DS and I would love to participate. I agree though, that we should wait. It is a long time away, and we don't know who will drop or add next year after tax refunds, bonuses, etc.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Its hard to wait so long! I wish it was next year! I wish I knew for sure my ABD was going to go ahead! Last time I checked we were the only family booked and with the state of the economy, I think trips aren't booking up too fast.

What ABD are you looking at doing? I have a friend who did the Wyoming ABD and she said it was fabulous! They aren't even Disney fans.

 

[threebritts]

I agree that we should wait. Im just admittedly OCD too.Working nights puts me in a whole different world too it seems. On my nights off im still up and thats when I can get stuff done.
I have made the spread sheet so its easy to add and drop names(although no one better drop ).That will also be better to make teams off of if people want to.
I figure next year at this time would be good. I know a couple of gift ideas and the lanyards need to be purchased like 3 months ahead. I need to check and see if we can mail to the ship or port there like we can here at PC. That might make a REAL big difference on the gift ideas!
Heather

 

[slg]

We are hopefully going on the trip to Ireland July 22. We booked the day it came out, and hoping that it will still happen.

Its stressful when so many trips get cancelled due to low attendance. Its hard to plan your vacation, book airlines, hotels etc. Especially since we are planning on going to Portugal for 3 weeks first.

I like the DCL trips as I know these will happen.

 

[sharper_fin]

I'd be up for joining in the fishy thing. It's a great idea but, as some have said, ask me this time next year!

 

[nzdisneymom]

There was a good article with some helpful (to me, at least) information about finding the best airfares. From the November Traveler Magazine in case anyone is interested.

I use Kayak.com mostly for basic fare searches / watches. But it also mentions farecompare.com and some other resources.

We have booked air via DCL but will be watching fares when our window opens for being able to book our trip. If the fares are significantly enough less on our own, we'll drop DCL air. If it's within our "convenience threshhold" we'll stay with DCL.

But I know a lot of you are planning to do air on your own so I thought this might be helpful.