June 18, 2012 WONDERs of Alaska

[trimix]

Cruise Roster

AZDLDAD: Paul, Cyndi, Bailey (13)
DisneyHotMama: Laurie, Larry, Kayla (14)
DLFAM: Paul, Denise, Andrew (12), Nicholas (10)
Floridahippy: Pete, Fi
Growin'UpDisney: Tausha, Chris, Reina (6), Keira (3)
Holden17: Kristi, Tim, Ryan (7), Emily (5)
Lilbug13: Katie, Micheal, Ainsley (5), Allie (2)
LynneyPooh: Lynn, Chris, Meghan (10)
MacMaro:
MamaT2T1T2: Dustin, Christy, Topher (5), Tanner (1)
NYH: Naomi, Mike, Nathan (11), Alina(8)
Stinasmom: Marcy, Vijay, Christina (15), Dominic (11)
TammyAlphabet: Tammy, Layla (14)
Tiggerkid: Becky, Roger, Kyle (8)
Trimix: Brian, Michelle, Kirstin (18), Brennan (10)
tstohs01: Tressa, Tim, Jack (10), Joe (8)
Wilhelmis4: JoLynn, Danny, Morgan (15), Gavin (12)
Wselman: Wendy, David, Max (11), Rowan (4)


Fish Extender sign up is closed. A Fish Extender roster is in post 85.

 

[trimix]

Cool! I get to start a meet thread!

In 2011 I was able to take the Wonder on its first trip up the west coast, making the first stops in San Francisco and Victoria. I live in northwestern Washington state, and have made several other trips to Victoria, so I can help with questions you may have about that city. However I have never been to Alaska, so I am anxiously looking forward to visiting the panhandle! As an added bonus, we'll be celebrating my birthday on the cruise!

On my previous Disney cruises we have always had a veranda stateroom, but this time we are going to try an inside stateroom - I don't know how well we would sleep through the white nights in an outside stateroom.

I look forward to getting to know some of you, and enjoying this cruise with you all!

 

[IrishCowboy]

I have added your thread to the cruise meet list.

have a great cruise!

 

[lilbug13]

Hello! A cruise meet thread! It's a year away, but we're excited. Our group consists of myself (Katie), DH (Micheal) and our two DD's- Ainsley (5) and Allie (2). We are cruising with my very best friend Growin' Up Disney & her family. I'm sure she will be along soon.

We did our first Disney cruise last March to the MR & cannot wait to be back on the Wonder to Alaska.

Looking forward to meeting everyone on the ship!

 

[Growin'upDisney]

Yep - I am here!! Patiently couinting down the next 381 days or so!!

There is me (Tausha), DH (Chris) and 2 daughters (Reina now 5, then 6) and Keira (now 2, then 3).

As Lilbug already mentioned we are cruising together!! We have verandah rooms so that we can sit on the balcony and enjoy the glaciers and becautiful scenery. And when you are the mother of 2 active kids, you find out you can sleep anywhere, light or dark!!

And just like you trimix, both Katie and I will be celebrating our birthdays on board as well!!!

So looking forward to getting to meet everyone.

 

[trimix]

I totally forgot to introduce myself! My name is Brian, the Trimix handle comes from when I was doing technical scuba diving - air doesn't cut it 180 feet deep! My DW Michelle and I will be bringing DD Kirstin, who will graduate high school and hopefully complete her associate degree the week before, and DS Brennan, who will be 10.

See you all in 54 weeks!

 

[Stinasmom]

Hey everyone! This will be our 5th DCL cruise and I think I started the cruise meets thread on all of our previous cruises!

So, yea!! Others just as excited for this trip as we are!

Introductions:
Me (Marcy - will be 45 at cruisetime)
DH (Vijay - will be 46 at cruisetime)
DD (Christina - will be 15 at cruisetime)
DS (Dominic - will be 11 at cruisetime)

As it says over there
<-------------------- we live in central Washington State.
And are SOOOOO looking forward to DRIVING to the port to board the Disney Wonder! We've sailed out of Long Beach once and Port Canaveral 3 times.

I LOVE the idea that I don't have to weigh my luggage. I LOVE that we can bring our favorite NW wines, not whatever we could pick up at the ABC store in Florida! I LOVE that I can sleep at home, get up, drive to Seattle, park OUR car, sail for a full week on the WONDER, disembark, and simply drive home! And as DS10 said, we can bring back any souviners we want and not have to worry about how big they are, how heavy they are or how to pack them so they won't break.

OK, I still have over a year to lament the attributes of this cruise.
I am looking forward to getting to know you all!
I still keep up with two friends from our first cruise back in 2005! One lives in Hawaii - Fun to visit her!! and one lives near Disneyland! Ha! Fun to visit her too!
And now, there is a chance of meeting fellow Washingtonians, neighbors even!

Whew! I'll save some for next time!

Marcy

 

[AZMermaid]

Hi Cruisers!!! We are also on this cruise, which is our first ever cruise!! Who is we? Well....
Me- Sheena
DH- Dan
DS- Matthew (21 months at cruise time)

We are cruising with my FIL, his "lady friend," my BIL and SIL. I am pretty sure they think I am nuts with cruise excitement and planning.... and they only know 10% of it! We just got back from Matthew's first ever Disneyland trip and he did amazing. He was a colicky baby and is still (at almost 9 months) still a fusser. But, he was amazing at DL. Just the happiest baby ever- so we have high hopes for the cruise fora good boy! We also bought into DVC while we were there, so we have many years of Disney vacations to come!

 

[trimix]

Welcome, Marci and Sheena.
Marci - you failed to look at where other people on this cruise are from! I am looking forward to almost everything you mentioned - DW and I don't drink alcohol, so no wine, and I never look forward to the drive home (except when I am visiting my in-laws)!

I just wish I knew which terminal we are departing from. I am hoping for Pier 66, but we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Stinasmom]

Hi Brian -
Actually I did notice that you're in Bellingham. I figured the conversation would steer that direction at some point.
Sounds like your DD takes Running Start classes at WWU...
My DD starts high school this fall and I am hoping that when the time comes she will be able to take classes at CWU. Maybe yours could give mine an idea of what it's like.

And no, driving home from a trip isn't the best thing, but it will be so much more stress free than flying home from Florida!

Hope everyone else is having a sunny weekend too!

Marcy

 

[AZMermaid]

Is anyone else obsessing about shore excursions? I can not stop reading about them even though we are more than a year away. I need help!

 

[Stinasmom]

Yes! (about the shore excursions).
I subscribed to the current thread about Alaska excursions, but since our port times will be different, our excurisons choices may be different too...
Plus they are so expensive!

Our kids are old enough to do the very active stuff, that's what I'd prefer...
keeping tabs too!

Marcy

 

[AZMermaid]

I agree. The excursions are super pricey. I think this is why I am obsessing. I want to pick the "good ones." Heck, who am I kidding, I'd be obsessing if they were free! We are really interested in the Bering Sea Crab one in Ketchikan. My husband is an avid Deadliest Catch fan. He said he read somewhere that this season's captain of the Cornelia Marie (the one who is awful, we are a few episodes behind, but I get the vibe he may be canned soon) is one of the hosts of that excursion. It is only ages 5 and up though, so we might put the toddler in the nursery for that one, if we decide to do it. But, if we do that, I want to make sure he can go on the other ones we choose.

 

[lilbug13]

Looks like there are lots of great excursions! Pricey is right... still can't wait though!!!

 

[Stinasmom]

"I, for one, LIKE aft staterooms.

More importantly, being near the aft elevator is very convenient because the drink station and buffet are straight up via elevator. And on deck 2 you will NEVER call an elevator only to see it completely full by the time it gets to you. This is an issue on decks 5 to 7. If you want to bring the new wife a hot breakfast in bed (unavailable from room service, unless in a suite) it is an easy ride up the elevator to the buffet and an easy ride back down. And you don't have to walk the length of the ship to get back to the stateroom."

Brian - I found your quote on another thread and was impressed! YOU NEED TO TALK TO MY DH! I would love breakfast delivered... and we also like aft rooms for the same reasons!

We are on Deck 6 this time around. Splurged for the verandah.

See you aft?!

Marcy

 

[lilbug13]

"I, for one, LIKE aft staterooms.

More importantly, being near the aft elevator is very convenient because the drink station and buffet are straight up via elevator. And on deck 2 you will NEVER call an elevator only to see it completely full by the time it gets to you. This is an issue on decks 5 to 7. If you want to bring the new wife a hot breakfast in bed (unavailable from room service, unless in a suite) it is an easy ride up the elevator to the buffet and an easy ride back down. And you don't have to walk the length of the ship to get back to the stateroom."

Brian - I found your quote on another thread and was impressed! YOU NEED TO TALK TO MY DH! I would love breakfast delivered... and we also like aft rooms for the same reasons!

We are on Deck 6 this time around. Splurged for the verandah.

See you aft?!

Marcy

Being that close to the food & drink station would be nice! We are going to be in 8000 (wanted to be able to watch the captain on the bridge!). I figure that with as much as I manage to eat on the cruise, I better get some exercise somewhere!

 

[Stinasmom]

Hey, Hey, HEY!!!

Anyone out there?

Do you all realize that a year from today we will be DISembarking our cruise?!

How are your summers shaping up? Anyone traveling or saving for next summer? Are you having good weather yet?

We went to Lake Chelan this week for a couple days... very pretty part of our state... and there are many!
We are going to Central Oregon for a week on July 1st, also a pretty part of that state.
I have to admit that an Alaska cruise will seem somewhat familar until we actually get to the glaciers, bears and moose!
My DH has been up there for weeks at a time for summer music camps, he's yet to act excited about the cruise.

I'm looking at it as a week on the DISNEY WONDER!!! Right from a nearby port!

For some change of scenery, DH and I are going to Cabo San Lucas in August. HOT sun!!

Well, wish me luck... my DD14 is hosting a going away party for a friend here tonight which means around 40 teens at our house!

Marcy

 

[trimix]

I don't get it, Marci. I always dream of Mexico or the Caribbean in January and February when we haven't seen the sun or stepped outside without a jacket for months. Why August?

40 teenage girls??? Good luck, and let me extend sincere condolences to your husband! I hope he is able to spend a comfortable night with a friend or in a hotel! There's no way I could handle being present for such a party!

 

[Stinasmom]

I don't get it, Marci. I always dream of Mexico or the Caribbean in January and February when we haven't seen the sun or stepped outside without a jacket for months. Why August?

40 teenage girls??? Good luck, and let me extend sincere condolences to your husband! I hope he is able to spend a comfortable night with a friend or in a hotel! There's no way I could handle being present for such a party!

Mexico in August.... it's when the kids are out of school and the grandparents can watch them... it's also the best time for DH to go. I don't mind the HOT. The resort we're going to is actually the timeshare we bought back in 2009 but haven't actually stayed at yet. Have traded for Hawaii and Florida so far. We are looking forward to being at our "home" resort and get all the benefits of being "owners."

And I wish it was 40 girls! We're talking boys too... whole new dynamic!
Actually, we've pulled this off twice before...
And I am sending DH & DS10 to the movies! Cars 2!

I may sneak a glass of wine or two just to keep sane... but that's all as I like to meet the parents dropping the kids off.

The wind actually died down here today! Use to 40mph sustained and 65mph gusts... spring/early summer in E-burg!

Marcy

 

[lilbug13]

Hey Marcy! Cabo will be a nice get away! We were thereon the Wonder in Mar/April & it was beautiful!

Anyone traveling or saving for next summer? Are you having good weather yet?

We booked a last minute WDW trip last week to be there from July 7-13. We scored Space Shuttle causeway tickets and are wrapping in a WDW trip. It will be our first trip, and I am sure not our last!