KC's Western PRE trip report

[Hypermommy]

Oooooh, and just wait until you see me in my gown, dripping in jewels and wearing my tiara. Trust me KC, it's gonna be well, well worth the $$ spent on the gown (okay, worth the $$$$ spent on the gown).

And to see the boys all dressed up? You know how it is with teenaged boys. We're doing good if we can get them to wear clothes that actually came out of the drawer rather than off the floor. That will definitely be worth it.

Just keep singing the song... "making memories, making memories....." and you'll be okay.

 

[King Charming]

Oh my, she must think this is some kind of game. A "look and see how high the costs can get" type of game. Only I don't want to play. Gosh, what a mistake it was to tell her how high an estimated tax refund we will be getting. Suddenly she's a Rockefeller. Para-sailing, banana boat riding, shopping on the ship AND in port, it goes on and on. Some concessions must be made of course (like buying alot of grog onboard), but really, my idea of not spending every penny available is getting dimmer and dimmer by the day. There have been a few bright spots though. By staying at a "better" hotel the night before the cruise, they will let you park for free during the week you are gone. Rather than pay for a shuttle from the hotel to the port, I'll just take the loaded mini-van over in the morning, drop everybody and bags off, drive back to the hotel, then do a solo on the shuttle. Bringing my own booze should save half a fistful of dollars, even though I'm sure to buy a few "drinks of the day". The folks on the boards said a visit to the ship's doctor has a minimum $ 100 fee plus meds. So you just buy several "remedy drugs", pack them away just in case, and keep your Franklin. The biggest problem is that DW can come up with an expense quicker than I can figure out the cheaper, er, I mean a less expensive way to do it. Yeah, that's what I meant. And some costs are like granite, aint no way around the fact that you will pay dearly or do without. Hey sweetie, are you sure we really need...

 

[King Charming]

Palo, the ritzy restaurant, is one of the places there is no bargaining with. Sure, I could just as easily skip the wine portion of the meal, (saving how many five dollar bills?) but at an extra $ 15 per head, plus tip, it is just too close to 40 bucks per couple for a meal. I've been told that there are places all over the ship that will feed you for free. Some of these places even assign you a seat and save your place. I'm only hot dog rich, so small food arranged fancy is wasted on me. Look, I realize the money will be flowing (sadly AWAY) the minute I lock the front door to leave for Port Canaveral, but being sensible with our money makes a difference in the amount or how often, I'm willing to spend.

 

[King Charming]

An itinerary of sorts has been almost agreed on. First stop is Key West. I have an amusing story about losing my legs in Key West that doesn't involve booze at all (!), but it's not THAT funny. (And yes, it is possible for a grown man to lose his own legs). Anyway, the idea is to go to the southern most marker, munching sandwiches from the ship, and acquiring libations as we walk back to the ship. We figure we would let the layout of the Independence Day festival (a week long celebration) dictate our route. A similar outing is planned for in Grand Cayman. Hiring a cab (at a predetermined rate) to take us north to Hell, we can mail postcards and snap pictures of the signs. An hour or two later (determined by the cabbie's advice/availability), a ride down the coast to Seven Mile Beach. A few hours later another ride back to the port. I found out there is a bus the runs every 15-20 minutes that will also work. There is also that yearly festival thing going on that I would expect to be centered in the largest town, George Town; which is where the port is. How this will affect our plans is unknown, maybe our cabbie can clue us in on where to go and what there is to do.

 

[Hypermommy]

What? No libations aquired in Grand Cayman? But of course we will. I have to be able to tell my mom she was right... if I didn't stop drinking I was going to go straight to Hell.

 

[RLccweems]

You, two are a hoot! I can't wait to read more!!

 

[King Charming]

Cozumel is the stop that intrigued me the most. Not knowing where it was exactly, I did know an iota about the Mayans and the general area. When I found out about the side trip we could take to see some ruins, I was hooked. I do know that transportation to the site is included (a small boat and a bus each way), and they give you a box lunch, and that the bus stops several blocks short of the place; but conveniently amid all of the shops. I expect the T-shirts to be alot cheaper and am so glad Hypermommy is not a silver nut. So in theory, I could come away having spent little extra, on the other hand... Did she REALLY just go in that store?

 

[TallyTutter]

I don't know if it's still the same but when we went to Cozumel, the beer that you can buy on the bus, had sand under the lid. DH stopped buying it! Hypermommy knows how bad it must have been for that to happen!!

 

[Hypermommy]

Shhhhh... y'all be quiet and KC won't see me pop into this other store real quickly. Oh wait.... restroom stop... that's the ticket. Dear, you know after I drink all that beer I have to stop by the restroom. And the only one around appears to be in the back of this store. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Yeah, Tutter... I know how bad that must have been. But if he'd just kept drinking he wouldn't have minded sand. Besides..... I didn't even think about buying beer on the bus. Maybe I'll just stay on the bus and not go in the store. That should make KC a bit happier, right?

 

[King Charming]

Castaway Cay, what would a cruiser do without one last chance to give "the Mic" his due? Once the tax refund check amount was known, this was the stop that really exploded cost wise. Parasailing, the dream of floating/flying, was gonna happen! Not for this old poop (one "o" or two?) of course. In a "been there, done that professionally" moment, I was able to claim to have done some parasailing while in the service. The USAF has/had a water survival school south of Homestead AFB (at Turkey Point) that I attended which included 2 water landings from a shute. When you got up to 400 feet, you could see the Miami Beach hotels. But the family will want to do it, and once you get over the initial fear, it is a blast. And what the heck are banana boats? I don't care how inexpensive it is. No thanks, but you go ahead and reserve 3 of them. Jet skis? Ah, don't you think you're pressing your luck? And no thank you to anything else, either! I remember how costly it was just walking IN the gift shops around "the World". Look, I know money will flee my pocket as if I were on fire when it comes time for shopping there. I should expect that anything that says DCL or CC on it will be put on the KTTW card, so I won't have to carry that much cash to the island. The "But we'll never be here again" cry is sure to be heard, but that's OK too. I don't see myself ever being in a position to be able to, or for that matter wanting to spend 8 to 10 grand for a single week's worth of memories. For half of that, I can tour the parks for 10 days, stay "on property", buy quite a few T-shirts, and even eat in the park's fancy restaurants occasionally. That continues to be my ideal vacation.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Look, I know money will flee my pocket as if I were on fire when it comes time for shopping there. I should expect that anything that says DCL or CC on it will be put on the KTTW card, so I won't have to carry that much cash to the island.

Well, King Charming, here's the thing - Castaway Cay is a CASH-FREE Zone! So no worries about loading up your pockets with cash.

However, everything that can be bought on the island can be paid for with your KTTW Card. And just so you know, there are some things that you can ONLY GET at Castaway Cay...

 

[Mozart]

Well, King Charming, here's the thing - Castaway Cay is a CASH-FREE Zone! So no worries about loading up your pockets with cash.

However, everything that can be bought on the island can be paid for with your KTTW Card. And just so you know, there are some things that you can ONLY GET at Castaway Cay...

Don't forget that the post office requires cash if you want to mail any postcards or the like from Castaway Cay. It's best if you have exact change.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Don't forget that the post office requires cash if you want to mail any postcards or the like from Castaway Cay. It's best if you have exact change.

Oh yeah -except for postage I forgot about that - thanks for clarifying.

 

[King Charming]

Given this general plan, I still can't believe how expensive it is to go cruising. I had just gotten used to the costs associated with a week in "the World". I knew exactly what to expect, what corners could be cut and how to tailor the vacation to our family. Now I'm abruptly confronted with a whole new set of expectations and expenses. This cruise is so different in style from any other vacation I have ever taken, and I'm having a hard time coping with it all. The idea of parking the car for a week was hard enough getting used to. At least when staying "on property" it was always nearby. But now I'm expected to abandon it, and not even miss it. Right.... I'm sure that when you figure in the food, the sites, the service, the ship, the shows, and the other cool things Disney does so well, the value is evident. Oh dearest, do we have to have...

 

[alwayslisad]

this is awesome! keep it coming!

 

[TallyTutter]

The question we always had was this - the cerveza or beer (Corona was all they had) they sold on the bus & on the boat excursions we went on ALL had the sand under the lid - WHY? Are their bottling plants in a sand pit? One theory we had was that they collected the empties & refilled the bottles with a cheaper beer. The lids were not on all that tight so it is a distinct possibility this is the case.

Having said that, remember that it was about 20 years ago & certainly not on a Disney cruise. Just remember that your not in the good old USA anymore & they don't have the restrictions & inspections that we do.

 

[King Charming]

So I won't have my own ride, so what? Well, the cost of transportation (in and around the ports) was another consideration I had initially omitted. Whatta ya mean there is no Disney bus/tram except on Castaway Cay? Why not, or better yet, what has replaced it? (See how spoiled Disney has gotten me?) This expense blindsided me completely until that "Duh" moment. Sure you walk on and off the ship, but then what? Well, you want to see stuff, right? When I checked, the Key West "Conch Train" was 27 Washingtons a head. Sure, you'll hear a great line of prattle about the sites you are going past, but at over a hundred bucks for the family, I'll pass.
Then there was the booze line in the spreadsheet. She thought I meant how much we'd spend prior to leaving, you know, what we take on board in our luggage. No, not quite. Darn, that means ANOTHER entry for "Drink of the Day" type costs. I really don't drink often, being a parent and a driver (of a pick-up), but try and make up for it by drinking alot.
A third dual entry was for tips. The aforementioned $ 305 covered only the 4 key crew members you interact with most often. Tips to bartenders/hostesses and others who really deserve it are not included, nor are the off ship tips to appropriate persons. How many people do you think you will come in contact with that will go "above & beyond"? I plan on getting two rolls of dollar coins and make sure I pass them all out before we go home.

 

[King Charming]

As useful as the spreadsheet is, or because it is, the packing list is another way to anticipate the fun. DW and sons swear by these lists when then go camping, and are commonly counted on by others to have a necessary item(s) needed to borrow. (I don't camp, either; I pay literally hundreds of dollars every month just so I don't HAVE to "camp"!) Planning is the key to a portable kitchen, and even though we don't need one this time, it hasn't stopped my hyper DW from uber planning. That means all senarios are covered, with back up ideas just in case. Heck, we even have one of those timeline charts going. It's now nine weeks out, and every Friday from here on out has items on a deadline. Rather than try and get everything done in the last week or two, and knowing me, forget something (yes, CRS), it is all printed out and official looking. Not only does it make it seem like you are moving toward the cruise by constantly reminding you that things need to get done, it also spreads out the cost of the "lets get ready to cruise" items and tasks. Remember, some things do take time, like alterations to clothes (you wore them last WHEN?) or getting passports (they will be required someday soon for everybody). By making a timeline, it forces you to consider how far in advance something needs to get done to insure a proper follow-up.

 

[King Charming]

Since so many people forgot to ask, I'll tell the "No legs in Key West" story. When I was first stationed at Homestead AFB in 1976, I lived in a dormitory. After working a 3-11pm shift, I was hanging out in the TV/day room of the dorm when Sgt. Case stopped by. I think his first name was William and we worked together. Anyway, I must have been the least objectionable (or only) person in the room because he tossed me a motorcycle helmet and said lets go. He was going out for a ride and wanted company. So I jump on the back of his bike and off we go out the west gate towards US 1. When we start getting close he yells "which way should we go?" I replied most decisively "Whichever way the guy in front of us is going". So the guy turns left and so do we, now heading south on 1. When you start at the bottom of the state and go south, you find yourself in the keys within minutes. So like a couple of fools with nowhere to go, naturally we didn't stop until the road ended. By now it is the middle of the night, everything is closed, and we are tired. Bill thought it would be cool to sleep on the beach, and did. I, on the other hand, being a city boy, feared getting hassled by the cops, and/or eaten by sandfleas. So I draped myself across the motorcycle with my legs hanging over the turn signal pegs and my head & shoulders up on the handlebars. Sure enough, I eventually lost circulation to both my legs below the knees. When I woke up around sunrise and starting moving, SLAM! I'm on the ground, and my legs don't work!! I did a quick survey to find out what else didn't work while I started to panic. After 20 seconds or so I was talking to God. Please let me walk again, why me?, are you even listening? sort of talk. Hey, maybe being Baptized and Confirmed may have been a good move. A few moments later I realize my legs are STILL NOT MOVING!!! Oh Lord, what have I done? Jesus Christ, I'm only twenty. Now I hit the promise level where I begged and pleaded. I have long forgotten all of the promises I made that morning as I flopped around on the pavement. But I was; promising everything! For the next minute or two I was forfeiting my future to get my legs back. About the time I realize that there is NOBODY in sight that can help me, I start feeling the needles. Thank you God, I can feel my legs again. Whew...thanks...but...ouch, is it supposed to hurt? Hey, ow, hurting bad now. OUCH... Come on, that is painful!! Hey God, can we re-negotiate the feeling part? (Be very careful what you ask for). I can tell you that the "pins & needles" feeling you get when a limb "wakes up" can get extremely intense before it ebbs, and downright hurts when the limb has been inactive for a good while. As I'm laying there recovering from the worst kind of leg sensations, I finally figured out what had happened. I then promised MYSELF to never sleep on a motorcycle ever again. When I finally recovered I limped over and woke the sarge, we had breakfast, and rode back to the base. I've been back to Key West a couple of times since, once on official Air Force business, but have never again stayed overnight anywhere in the keys.

 

[MassDisLovers]

So- good thing we aren't staying overnight in Key West, then, huh? Wouldn't want you to go having any flashbacks on HyperMommy!