July6,2008 4 Night DD Wonder

[bairdbeth]

Welcome aboard tinkytoo! Glad to have more teachers and Georgians too! I have a suitcase set out and am trying to figure out dinner outfits. Since we will spend 2 days at CC and will be in swimsuits for those days, I won't take as many shorts outfits. I still have to go out and get some magnetic plastic sleeves for the signs I made for our door and I am going to talk to a dive shop about good snorkel gear after our manatee swim fiasco! Time is getting shorter! I want the cruise to come, but don't want to wish my summer away!

 

[cantwait520]

Hi Tinkytoo!-Glad to see that you will both be sailing with the rest of us. Wow, a lot of teachers cruising!! Finally got my cruise documents. Bairdbeth is right, they are pretty anemic from what I recall a few years ago. Oh well. Glad to have them in hand. Hope everyone else's are as well. My suitcase is on my spare bedroom bed and has some stuff already in it! (Just gives me something to look foward to every time I look in there)!

 

[bairdbeth]

Glad you got your documents! I went to a dive shop today to get good snorkel equipment. I didn't want a repeat of our manatee fiasco, so we are now set to snorkel at CC! I also was ab;e tp pick up travel size of the lotions and body spray that I love from Bath and Body as they were having a huge sale! DD also found a coll pair of sunglasses at the Disney Store. We are abxiously awaiting our cruise, but trying not to hurry the time to much as we don't want summer to fly by too fast!

 

[RLP817]

Hello Everyone!

We we are starting to get excited here (well, me and my DD 6 - my DH doesn't get too excited until he's actually there and even then I have to say any excitement is oddly contained, lol.) Although I'm starting to panic a bit listening to all you you who started packing. My husband's company has a summer regional from June 26th - June 29th. Which happens to be at the beach Anyway... we get home from there on Sunday and leave for Disney on Thursday the 3rd! That gives me 3 days to wash everything and pack for Disney. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but as you all know it's alot of work to pack for a trip such as Disney, especially with these baggage restrictions now. I definitely need to get a list together or I will go crazy those 3 days.

 

[cantwait520]

Bairdbeth... What was the manatee fiasco? You've got my curiosity up!!

 

[bairdbeth]

We went to Crystal River during our Disney trip in June in order to swim with the manatees. We got suited up in a wetsuit (no small feat for a very Pooh-sized person) and they took us out on a boat. When the captain located the manatees he let my DD and I enter the water. The problem was it was in deeper water and they were moving around quite quickly. We had been snorkeling and looking for about 5 to 10 minutes in very murky water when a manatee comes out of nowhere and runs straight into DD. Now, she thought that alligators were also in the river, so she was not sure what hit her and she screamed, which scared the manatees away, She also grabbed me and under I went and breathed in a mouthfull/lungfull of brackish water We got back on the boat and I was having issues breathing due to the very narrow (cheap!) snorkel they provided and the inhalation of water. I finally caught my breathe and the captain took us to shallower water where we got in again. DD was spooked by now and kept grabbing me and pulling me under which resulted in flooded masks and snorkels. We finally gave up and just observed from the boat. I would have gotten back in by myself, but couldn't get enough air in through the small snorkel. So after our visit to the Dive Shop yesterday (and lots of money) we are set up with much better gear and will hopefully have a better experience at CC!

 

[bamabeachgirl]

Hello everyone! Sounds like everyone is getting excited!! Glad to see all of the teachers on board. I am also ready for the cruise, but very sad to see my summer time off slipping by so quickly.

Looking forward to meeting you all in a a couple weeks!

 

[bairdbeth]

2 weeks from today we will be on the Wonder! I figure at about this time in 2 weeks DD will be in the pool for about 15 more minutes before we head off to our cabin!

 

[bamabeachgirl]

Have y'all seen any navigators posted for the double dips? I have only seen one set posted. The preplanning OCD person inside of me just will not let go even though it is SUMMER!!!

Suitcases are out and packing has started here. I am trying to get as much done before July 3rd (when my stepdaughter returns to us from her mother) and we pull out heading to meet up with my parents and my in-laws.

Anything that you all pack that the rest of us might forget POST IT!!!

Are y'all going to decorate your doors? Where are the rest of you located on the ship we are on Deck 2.....we went CHEAP!!

See y'all soon!!

 

[bairdbeth]

I too have only seen the 1 set of navigators, but in reading trip reports it appears that the show rotation has changed since that 1st trip. On 2 different reports I saw Golden Mickeys, Toy Story, Ventriloquist and Disney Dreams. I would love to see a set of daily activities from the most recent Double Dip! I have been busy making signs for our door. It is fun and helps us find the right room easier! I have my suitcases out and have started placing some stuff in them. I told DD that starting next week she will have to wear whtever is not in the pack pile for our trip! We are in cabin 6580. This will be the third time in that cabin. It is exactly midship and above the stabilizers! Just think, 2 weeks from today we will be on Castaway Cay!

 

[tinkytoo]

Bairdbeth..we are from just north of you in Gainesville, GA.

I have been making signs for our door too. This is our 4th cruise but the first time I've made signs. I'm excited!! My DH thinks I'm nuts.....even though he is a Disney fanatic too. We are on Deck 5 in a Navigator's Verandah. I've started packing here too!

 

[RLP817]

Bairdbeth: I was just going over this post from the beginning and noticed you signed up for Ardastra Gardens. That's what I ended up signing us up for. I was having a hard time deciding and at first was doing the Stingray tour. Then I realized we could do that on CC, why not see a bit of Nassau. This way my DD (6 soon to be 7) gets to see the animals and see a bit Nassau.

 

[mom2mizmous]

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while ,but I'm sure especially all you other teachers know how the end of the year goes (with DD graduation thrown in for good measure!)! I finally closed up my classroom on Friday and have day one out of my four day class under my belt. Our little group can't wait to join you all on "our" ship-lol!

 

[mom2mizmous]

Tinkertwo- A belated welcome from another fellow teacher! I just read your post (still trying to catch up- hope I got your "name" correct , if not please accept my apology in advance !) We are in a "secret navigators" veranda on deck 6 ! We can't be very far apart really since all those type of rooms are in the same area of the ship!

 

[bamabeachgirl]

looks like we are the only ones that went cheap on the room if trouble happens with the boat (and I POSITIVE it will not) don't forget about the "alabama girl" at the bottom of the boat!!!

I got the "Walmart" run done today so I could get the "stuff" we did not have on hand already. Trying to do a little each day so it is not such a mad rush before we leave....and for some reason I cannot get into my late sleeping routine. Still waking up at the normal "school time."

Again looking forward to meeting you all soon!!

 

[bairdbeth]

Glad to see that another DISer will be going to Ardastra Gardens! I keep putting more stuff out for our suitcases.

 

[Dream426]

Hey everyone. We are in stateroom 8522. I have not started to pack because I still need to buy so much. This week is the last week of school and I have been so busy with ending the school year. I am hoping this weekend I can start to finish my shopping and start to pack. DH and I are getting so excited and have been counting down the days for awhile. Only three more days of school after today and the last two are half days. This week is just going too slow for me. I want it to be over.

 

[RLP817]

OK.. I just located a video on these boards of the sailaway party. I kept reading about 'the horn' so I searched until I found it. Shows lots of dancing and then the characters. But, then THE COUNTDOWN to sailaway and the HORN!!! I sat here crying (I'm a bit emotional, lol). It's amazing. I can't wait to be there in person

 

[cleenw]

My kids and I have been watching videos on youtube of the horn blowing and it gave me chills. We actually leave this Saturday as we are spending time in New Smyrna with family before we head to the Yacht Club on the 3rd of July.

Renee....can you guess that we are missing Regionals this year? Oops!

Then we get a call last night that our new windows are going to be installed THIS Thursday. Just what I need in the middle of my already chaotic week. So now I am trying to pack, remove window treatments and get the house clean and get though little league playoffs. Boy, I could use a vacation!

I too am making door magnets, look for us in room 7100. We're the crazy Cub fans from Chicago.......back to packing!

 

[bairdbeth]

I LOVE the horn! We have our last swim meet tonight. I need to catch up on laundry tomorrow and at least pull all our dinner outfits and pirate costumes. We shouldn't need those next week. At least I could feel like I am making progress in packing clothes!