Magic Christmas Cruise 2010 (Dec 18th - 29th) - PART II

[tinkmischief]

I know you have all been waiting on the most recent numbers...thanks for waiting while I was off celebrating Halloween with a Mouse

so far the follow awesome DISers have signed up:
3princessgrandma
3princessMommy/bigAWL
Ahugenberg
Bakerteam
BBQMommy
BigHugsForEeyore
Brooke3L
colkath2005
craftygramma
CrusinLattas
Dagny
discruiser
DisneyCamper
disneycruising
DVC4US
egorss78
Evans Family
eve adkins
germanmickey
HFC1969
Hmorale
IceSk8ersMom
itutorfortravel
jenedpey
jgura
Kitster
Marcy Mouse
Meemous
mickey squared
mickeyteachers
minneapolismickey
NaomiJayne
Ramzmich
ReggieB
riggins
sarahlovespooh
skypixy
StJohn family
STLUCIELADY
SwimMama
TheBeadPirate
thegales
tink&cinderella
tinkmischief
ucancallmetink
Vminick

This does take us to:
52 Cabins, 97 adults
3-7 yrs old boys - 12, girls - 16
8-12 years old boys - 20, girls - 19
13-17 years old boys - 7, girls - 13

This does take us over the 50 cabin mark. Given that there is only 2 weeks left before the cut-off date we may not want to panic just yet and wait to see final numbers then take a board-wide vote . Either way works for me anyway(roaming the halls late late at night leaving presents was a something I loved from my last cruise!) I am just the keeper of the list

 

[tinkmischief]

DS too busy taking in his first trip to Disneyland to look at the camera

and this is us

hope I didn't cause any blindness first thing in the morning

 

[BBQMommy]

Great pics, Melissa -- how fun!

I'm fine keeping it one group or splitting if numbers don't increase much for the F/E. Thanks for keeping track


It's back to school after a two week break. My Kindergartener is READY (and so am I).

Caryn

 

[HFC1969]

60 days til vaca..​

I found a bunch of pics from our first.. DCL Christmas Cruise 6 years ago..

 

[DVC4US]

Happy Monday Everyone!

Great pics Melissa & Mike!

Melissa - thanks again for organizing the FE list. I am trying to do some individual gifts so I am voting for spliting the list, but I will do whatever the group decides.

Darci - my DD is enjoying the teen thread too. She is so busy during the week so she can't spend much time on it but tries to post when she can. I have been reading the thread a little and it is funny to see them communicate.

 

[miatamel]

Hi,
I just sent a message to tink that we would like to do the FEs too, so make that at least 53 cabins now.

 

[DVC4US]

I am still looking for 2 people to share a cabana(family beach) on Castaway Cay. It would be about $84 per person and you would be sharing the cabana with 2 people from my party, and Sarah(BigHugsforEeyore) and her sister. If anyone is interested please PM me.

Thanks so much!

 

[Liz Arjay]

I'm in the same boat. I would love to walk in the mornings but don't think I will make the 7am roll call every morning. Too cold. I am super psyched about meetin up with everyone though!

Maybe a solution is to have a DIS walking group meet at a specific location on deck 4 on the hour. Sounds like there is a 7am group and an 8am group. I will probably be more like 9am or 10am! If we have a meeting place, folks can join in at whatever time suits them that day (which depends on what we all did the night before!). I'm trying to remember any landmarks on deck 4 that would serve as a meeting place. Is there just 1 shuffleboard location? Maybe there?
Liz

 

[Liz Arjay]

Please keep those weather and packing tips coming! I'm confused enough with 12 nights...11 on ship. I am sure I'll overpack, but would love not too. The tips all say to take 1/2 your stuff out!

Living in Central FL, we know that the temperature can vary hugely in December at Port Canaveral. We've had temps below freezing at Christmas, and we've also had temps in the low 90's in other years. So you just don't know. Check the forecast a few days prior, and have things you can layer just in case - Pashmina shawls are great, as are thin, nylon windbreakers. Neither takes much space.
Liz

 

[mickey squared]

Morning everyone!!

Nice pix of families and of course Cinderella's stagecoach!!

Liz - just realized we're neighbors, we live in Baldwin Park!

Starting to organize what clothes we'll be packing and I think I'll be doing laundry on this trip. I remember last Christmas Castaway was chilly so we all needed sweatshirts.

 

[DVC4US]

Maybe a solution is to have a DIS walking group meet at a specific location on deck 4 on the hour. Sounds like there is a 7am group and an 8am group. I will probably be more like 9am or 10am! If we have a meeting place, folks can join in at whatever time suits them that day (which depends on what we all did the night before!). I'm trying to remember any landmarks on deck 4 that would serve as a meeting place. Is there just 1 shuffleboard location? Maybe there?
Liz

Liz - this sounds like a great plan. I agree that 7am sounds like a great time right now, but if I have a late night then 8am or 9am might be better. I don't know a specific landmark on deck 4 but we could pick the area just outside the doors that are next to Animator's Palate.

 

[decked out]

Liz Arjay just confirmed that we have the L-A-P dining rotation, late seating. Anyone else?

Excellent! Four nights at Lumiere's and three nights each at the other two restaurants (with Palo dinner for two on 12/22). Lumiere's on embarkation day, Christmas Eve and Liz's birthday (12/27). Parrot Cay for Pirate Night is appropriate. Formal nights in Animator's is nice. That's the ideal rotation for the itinerary if you ask me! (I wasn't concerned about formal nights since we like to dress up and would probably go semi-formal at Lumiere's regardless.)


L- Sat, Dec 18: Port Canaveral ....... (All aboard @ 4:00 p.m.)- Let the Magic Begin
A- Sun, Dec 19: At Sea ....................................... - Formal Night (Twice Charmed)
P- Mon, Dec 20: At Sea
L- Tue, Dec 21: St. Maarten .......... (7:45 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
A (Palo) - Wed, Dec 22: Guadeloupe ........... (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
P- Thu, Dec 23: Barbados ............. (7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) - Pirate Night
L- Fri, Dec 24: Martinique ........... (7:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.)
A- Sat, Dec 25: At Sea - Christmas Day ..................... - Formal Night
P- Sun, Dec 26: St. Thomas/St. John .. (7:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.)
L- Mon, Dec 27: At Sea ....................................... - Semi-formal Night (Disney Dreams)
A- Tue, Dec 28: Castaway Cay ......... (9:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) - Till We Meet Again: A Final Farewell
Wed, Dec 29: Port Canaveral ....... (Disembarkation)

 

[miatamel]

Liz Arjay just confirmed that we have the L-A-P dining rotation, late seating. Anyone else?

I just realized I requested PLA and now I have no idea why!! I guess I was wanting formal at Lumiere's but all of a sudden pirate night at Parrot Cay seems much more important!

 

[VMinick]

Liz Arjay just confirmed that we have the L-A-P dining rotation, late seating. Anyone else?

We have the same rotation but early seating! This was our hands-down pick as I wanted Parrot Cay for pirate night but did NOT want to eat there four times! This way, we'll have drinks and an appetizer during dinner with the kiddies on our Palo reservation night (26th), pirate night, and just be there one other night. I think Animator's for formal nights will be nice too. Of course, an ALP rotation would have been ideal, but that wasn't an option. Oh well!

I'm getting SO excited! Can't wait to be done with my dissertation so that I can get packing figured out and move forward with my FE gifts!!! We're going to tell our kids about the cruise soon so that their Christmas lists will be written accordingly.

 

[decked out]

I considered the P-P-P rotation (Palo, Palo, Palo!), but it would also be nice to see the children once a day! On sea days, we pretty much only saw them at dinner.

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

.

 

[VMinick]

Can you request Dining Rotations online or do you have to call to request?

You have to either call or put the request in with your travel agent. I know that's probably a pain for you when you have to make an international call! It sounds like DCL is moving to a better presence in your area, so hopefully, you'll have a better option for contacting them soon!

 

[decked out]

Are you taking any kids? What ages?

Okay. Okay. You win!

kevnbren...................... DW & DH............ DD17, DS16, DS15
Liz Arjay & decked out........ Elizabeth & John... DS16, DS15, DD13

Children closest in age contest...

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

.

 

[momssurprise]

Walking groups at 7am and 8am -- and possibly later sound great, it's vacation and we love options!

Just booked 12 M Regatta for me & DH. Are there 2 sailings? We are on the 8:15 - 11:30am one. Hope there is time after to go to Marigot for shopping and eating. I am nervous about the traffic and taxi times. Other option is to go fetch DD after the 12 M and go to the close-by beach.

Was trying to type about the volcano on Guadeloupe on my trusty iPhone last night and DH almost caught me. Want to look into that some more.

Anyone done the Water Island bike ride? Sounds fun but it would be a 2nd excursion DD would have to stay in kids' club for. This was no problem when she was 3 & 4 ... not sure how she will react now that she's 9. and has very strong opinions. on everything. ugg.

Our favorite restaurant is PC (other than Palo of course), so if I request (and receive) PLA will we go to PC 4x? - No, I think not since the 21st is our Palo nite. Hmm.