June 21, 2007 (6/21/07) Cruisers Check In

[brady961]

Just got back from a walk to the mailbox..


THE DOCUMENTS HAVE ARRIVED

So you have your luggage tags??????????? And Bahamas thingie to complete????

Hint on completing this out, there aren't enough spaces to spell out Port carna.... So put something like Pt Carn or close.

Have it and contract at check in, passports/ID's and that process will go quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brady961]

Might be taking a little longer because I booked thru a travel agent??

2 ID's? I have drivers license and birth certs for both of us.

Already printed that on-line form.

*** Alyssa needs clothes still.....

Here's a pic is the 2 of us taken last night....so you'll know who to look for - lol.

http://www.imagestation.com/7555590/3911988391

Cool. Of course I probably stil won't recognize either of you LOL. I am like Dory from Nemo, short term memory problems

Remember 3p Promende Lounge, look for middle aged woman in power chair, wearing lime green tshirt with our cruise logo, carrying dressed up Minnie. Another middle aged woman in lime green shirt, carrying a Pal Mick.

Ya know you better bring a long stick to keep the guys back from Alyssa? Will have to beat them back from her <G> Can't wait to meet you both.

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

I have a huge folder with all of my paperwork in it - so in that respect I am organized.

There will be no mention of middle age on this trip - as far as I'm concerned we're just all girls (except for you and your DS Ron - lol).

Thanks for the compliments on Alyssa - she is definitely my cutie-pie.

 

[brady961]

Oh Ron, forgot to mention the only shoes I will be wearing are white or black crose. Well i do have beach shoes for CC. Since I won't be walking much at all i figured I don't need many shoes <G>

if want to see pics so me check out my online photo album. several albums including weekend May 18-20, or cruise albums have few pics of me.

May 18 album i am in my power chair. cruise albums i managed to get help to stand for most pics. This trip though probably most pics will be of me in power chair. but thats ok too. My power chair is named Caddy as ppl call it my cadillac LOL.

we are so close and its hard to handle the excitement. Next week thankfully I will be busy out of town for work so time will pass. And I won't be home except the weekend to feel I need to practice packing again LOL.

The week of, Mon, Tues and possibly Wed I will out of town for work so those days should pass quickly too.

Then Wed night head to Residence Inn near port to stay the night. Luvalldisney will meet me there Wed night.

Ron what time are you guys planning on getting to terminal?

I know Paula will arrive around 1:30p I believe that is correct.

But Ron if you are in terminal before they open for boarding (11:30p) be sure to look for me and luvalldisney in our lime green shirts. If see us please be sure to come up to say hi.

Paula will see you at 3p for sure.

later gators

 

[rfassett]

Paula - thank you for excluding myself and Eric from the "we're all just girls" comment. But I think Tom (Eric's buddy that we are bringing along) is a guy too. Now admittedly, I do not know Tom very well. (He went to the same school Eric transferred to in the fall - that is how Eric knows him. And since Eric is an only child, I can not remember going too many places at all without having someone else's child with us.) Anyway, I have never met a girl named Tom (I did hear about a guy named Sue, though (think Johnny Cash)). So there will be at least 3 of us guys on board.

Marsha - we are leaving the airport hotel at 10:00 with a limosine (luxury van) service. You probably know better than I how long the trip to the ship should take. The guy from the limo company told me that we should be at the terminal about 11:00. So yeah, I am sure we can link up then.

Marsha and Paula, I appreciate the opportunity to see what you look like with your on-line picture albums, but alas, you will have to wait to see me and Rebecca in person because it is clear that I am not nearly as technical savvy as you two are.

But if you want to see Eric click on this link (or copy and paste it in your browser) and then click on biographies:

www.shows.lppacs.org/cats/cast.html#

He is the 10th one down the list.

OK - drum roll please:

Let's see (assuming a 5:00 pm sail-away) we are now exactly 318 hours away from sailing. And only 313 hours away from boarding - if we board at noon. And only 288 hours away from our flight. And only 284 and a-half hours away from leaving the house. Let's see 284 divided by 24 - less than 12 days. WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

Sorry Tom - you were on the guy list all along....

My flight is scheduled to land at MCO at 11:22......factoring in time to meet up with another DIS'er who is graciously coming to see us at the airport - stop at Starbucks....find the bus....Ron - do that math .....I'll be arriving at port......I'd say 1:00ish or later.

Pinching myself - still can't believe we are going....

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

Bumping to page #1!!!

 

[brady961]

Can you believe in less than two weeks where we will be?????? Sadly returning to Port by this time in two weeks<G>

But i just can hardly wait for this cruise. I so need this getaway, and just relax in stress free enivornment.

count down continues..................

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

11 days - almost single digit countdown.

Today I am really sick - I've had a dry cough most of this week - woke up yesterday - cough worse - no voice- not much better today - every breath is an effort - sipping tea and hoping to reach my doctor today.

OK - I have a question.....since you are our expert Marsha.....
can you explain "customs" for me??? How do we go about this??

Hope everyone has a good day.

 

[brady961]

So sorry you are sick, and hope feel better really really soon.

Customs.................. well when we return home at Port we go thru customs before leaving ship/port. But in Jan I just showed my passport and really didn't even slow down following the porter with my luggage.

So I am probably not best person to ask LOL.

When get off at a port you will be required to show your room key to reboard. Nassau I have no idea what is done there as I haven't been there.

All I know is at the ports we went to, I showed my room key and picture ID to reboard the ship. Day leaving showed my passport and never slowed down going thru customs as I was following the porter with my luggage.

Oh the night before you will complete a form if declaring anthing. there is an amount or certain items you must declare. I had nothing to declare so again just completed the form with brief info, handed it to customs on way out, etc....

 

[luvalldisney]

Hey guys!!!!!!!!!!!!SCHOOL IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I get to play. The end of the school year is so stressful, then I had a trip to Orlando with my parents right away, now I am home (at least in and out for a while) and can concentrate on packing. Brady has me beat as to packing and unpacking...I am such a slob about packing...it goes in the suitcase and stays there until I wear it, use it, or ignore it. When I get home it comes out of suitcase and gets put away. I will be the lime green lollipop at the port (lime green shirt and lime green denim capri's and disney crocks) You should be able to spot Brady and I easily. Looking so forward to this trip!
Customs is really simple....if you are an american, you only fill out the Bahama papers and turn them in at the port. Any other nationality and you need passports and an early wake up call to meet the immagration people. Getting off at all ports (even Castaway Cay) requires your key to the world card and a picture id. (Under 18 requires parents signature or parents present to get off) When you arrive back at Port Canaveral be sure and secure a porter inside the customs building they will not only take ALL of your luggage for you, but get you through customs quickly. On the 2 cruises we went on only those who where wheeling their own luggage seemed to have to spend any of the time with customs...otherwise it was a quick show ids or passports and run after the porter with the luggage.
If you spend most of your money on the ship and very little at the port you won't need to declare much and it should be quick. The cruise line does seem to suck money out of you without your realizing it, that is why it is so much fun...you are not aware of the money oozing out of your pockets!
CAN"T WAIT!!!what is the count down now????
Can't wait to see the pirate movies aboard. In Feb my DD and I took a short 3 day and watched POTC 1 on the big screen, it was so cool seeing Jack bigger than life!!!!!!!
My DD had tickets for POTC 3 and would not let me have one because she said that I could see the movie on board the ship. She is not too happy that Brady and I are going without her, but alas, she could not get off work!
OH BOY!!!!10 days before the "cruise" vacation starts......

 

[brady961]

School may be out for you, but I know your schedule isn't any less than when school is in <G>

Can't wait just few more days, not even two weeks now and we sail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO

 

[rfassett]

Paula - I am sorry you are sick. Did you get ahold of the doctor? Get well soon!

Luvalldisney - weclome back. School? You attend or teach? Eric does not get out until this Friday. The school he attends is a performing arts school joined with a cyber school for the academics. In PA, the cyber / charter schools have an extended school year. Even though he started before labor day, he does not finish until June 15th.

OK - (assuming a 5:00 pm sail-away) we are now exactly 243 hours away from sailing. And only 238 hours away from boarding - if we board at noon. And only 213 hours away from our flight. And only 209 and a-half hours away from leaving the house. Let's see 209 divided by 24 - less than 9 days! OMG - why did I just have this wave of anxiety wash over me. I better get busy. Only 9 more days and I still have all of this work work to do. Holy crap!!!!

 

[rfassett]

On the other hand - vacationitis (or is it cruiseitis) (I believe they have the same symtoms) set in a few days back and I am finding it harder and harder to stay focused. I better not let the boss find out! Oh yeah, I am the boss! I guess that means I better get to work!

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

Hi Cruisers...the verdict is in - bronchitis - still no voice - they gave me an inahler and today and tomorrow out of work. Hopefully it does not get worse we still have cruise shopping to do.

I'm being silent in the livingroom recliner - Alyssa let me use her laptop.

 

[luvalldisney]

I am so sorry you are sick, but since you still have 10 days, you should be able to get better. (mmmmm. lets see, a week of sick days needed to get better before your vacation...sounds good to me! )
Still, I hope you do get better soon. It is no fun being sick! (especially with shopping still to do!! )

To answer your question about school....I teach Chemistry in high school. We started at the beginning of August so going until the first part of June was a LONG time. Because of new state legislation, we start back 2 weeks later this year, but don't get paid until Sept, so money wise it will be a long summer. 3 full months without a pay check. I hope I saved enough to get me through... Have strict orders to minimize spending on the cruise or I could end up not eating during August!!!

This time next week we should be on the final loads of laundry and packing for the last time. (Brady will be packing and unpacking until Thursday morning....trying out all her new bags and totes seeing which ones will work best! )

Here's to the final week, just think NEXT week is our cruise!

 

[brady961]

Paula, I too am sorry to hear your are sick with bronchitis. however hopefully if you follow docs orders you will be ready to go in time for the cruise.

please take care of YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

luvalldisney, what do you mean me still packing thursday morning, trying out my new totes??????? Thurs monring i well and you will be loading the car, and by this time of the morning already at the terminal HAHA!!!!!

<G>

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

Bumping us to page #1.

 

[brady961]

Everyone getting more and more excited as time gets closer and closer?

Paula are you feeling any better?

I have a few more times to practice packing LOL this weekend and early next week. LOL

I so need this weekend getaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

Good Morning.

My coughing is better- so I guess I'm feeling a bit better - still really tired and sore from coughing though. Have a meeting this morning but I'll be conferencing in.

Spent yesterday afternoon watching Disney on the travel channel and also read the Passporter again - this time with hilighter in hand - getting serious now. I'm getting a bit nervous that I won't get everything done that I wanted - I think today will be list making day.

Oh and Alyssa decided that she wants to do a stingray encounter - I think we may be doing that as Castaway Cay - the passporter description sounds a bit better plus a portion of the fee goes towards Disney Wildlife Preservation.

Today: lists
Tomorrow : set out clothes and decide if I need anything else.

Can't wait to meet everyone!!