MAGICal Christmas 2008 - December 20, 2008

[xsjackson]

We will be joining you! My husband kids and I went on the 10-day Christmas cruise 2 years ago and could not wait to share it with my sisters and their families. There will be 16 of us in 6 rooms! That 10-day cruise got us hooked. My kids, Alexis, 17, and son, Nick, 15, think Disney cruising is the best! We did a royal caribbean and hav another scheduled for August but they still love Disney!

Susan

 

[nzdisneymom]

Susan (and extended family) -

Welcome!!! Sounds like a great crew you have sailing with you. What time are you arriving at the port? I want to be sure to be there before you guys so I don't get stuck in line behind you (ha ha - just kidding).

When we went on the Med cruise this summer, we did DCL air and hotel ahead of time and as part of that were allowed to check in at the lobby of the hotel. Well, wouldn't you know it, I was behind a lady checking in a HUGE party (20+) *and* they were all needing to swap who was sleeping where and who was charging what to which room, etc. And because they only had one computer to do the check-in, it's not like at the Port where they have multiple CMs who can check you in. It was frustrating to me because we had been traveling overnight AND we were wanting to get out to see Barcelona and the desk was only open til 6 p.m. and I didn't want to miss the check-in because we needed to get our luggage situated, etc. I just kept thinking that they should've worked out who was where on a piece of paper and THEN gone to do their check-in. the CM finally told them to do just that so they could help other guests who had been waiting for 45 minutes. i was checked in in under 5 minutes for my family of 4.

Anyway, that's why I want to be sure to be ahead -- hee hee! Thank goodness the port is set up to handle large parties checking in with multiple staterooms, etc.

 

[cgcw]

Susan & Family

 

[MorganR]

Susan and family

My name is Morgan,and I am the daughter or Rick and Shannon.


So has anyone came up with any good ideas for fish extenders?
I have no idea what mine will be
well talk to y'all later
Oh and thank you for the welcomes


Morgan

 

[xsjackson]

No don't worry about us. We are all on separate reservations by family and will be coming in from all over. One sister is taking the auto train with my dad from Virginia, another is flying with her son from Utah, and my youngest sister does her own flights separate from us out of Seattle.

Since we almost missed the boat Christmas 06 due to weather we, my dh, ds, and I will be coming in the night before. Our flight was 8 hours late and our luggage didn't arrive until we were already on board the ship. Disney did get it to us!

My daughter is starting college in PA this fall so we will have to meet up with her only.

We have done the big family thing at WDW 3x before without problems but don't sit next to us at dinner - we are a loud crazy family!!!

 

[xsjackson]

I will have to read back on the thread when I get more time. We put stockings on our fish last time we went over Christmas - it was a blast. I absolutely loved our 10-day disney Christmas cruise and was hoping it would have been longer this time around too.

 

[Love Eeyore]

Okay, so it is time for me to prove that I am a "newbee" to the cruising world. So please forgive me if this is a stupid question. What are fish extenders?

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Joyce

 

[stillwater]

Check out this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607&highlight=fish+extender

Page 2 has directions if you'd like to make one.

It's a strip of pockets that hangs from the metal fish outside your stateroom door. It's a way for others to leave you messages or little surprises.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Susan - whew! Glad to know you all have things already worked out And oh my - I would be arriving the day before, too, after your last experience with delays.

I read about one family that sailed the Med and their luggage didn't catch up with them until they disembarked at the end.

Whew.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I just checked the country Inn and suites for our night-before stay - it's showing up as $159 for the park and cruise "special" -- and parking at the port is $15/day so that's $105. I've asked our TA to see about making our pre-cruise reservation for us but maybe get a lesser rate -- they offer $139 for February, but by June the rate was going up to $159.

 

[Diana Lyn]

I just checked the country Inn and suites for our night-before stay - it's showing up as $159 for the park and cruise "special" -- and parking at the port is $15/day so that's $105. I've asked our TA to see about making our pre-cruise reservation for us but maybe get a lesser rate -- they offer $139 for February, but by June the rate was going up to $159.

FYI--You don't have to book the Park & Cruise special to leave your car there, you can book whatever kind of room you want. I actually called yesterday to confirm this because we're staying there the night before we sail next weekend. You just have to pay $3 per person each way for their shuttle. What we're going to do is have DH drop me and the girls off at the port with all our stuff, I'll go check in, he'll drive back and park and take the shuttle.

Keep checking their rates, they have specials all the time.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Diana - thanks for passing that along. Please be sure to give us a review of the hotel and also the whole shuttle / parking thing when you get back. I don't think DH would want to do the drop off / meet us later thing but maybe he will.

FWIW, the "best rate" available wasn't much less than the $159 online but I'm sure there will be better offers.

 

[Diana Lyn]

Diana - thanks for passing that along. Please be sure to give us a review of the hotel and also the whole shuttle / parking thing when you get back. I don't think DH would want to do the drop off / meet us later thing but maybe he will.

FWIW, the "best rate" available wasn't much less than the $159 online but I'm sure there will be better offers.

I definitely will!

I booked the kids suite room for $104 for next Saturday night just to give you something to compare. The park/cruise package was about $10 more, so if you think about it, they actually are charging you the $3 pp to shuttle you, they just are lumping it into the room rate.

 

[ShannonR]

Good afternoon everyone! It is cold again here in the Great State of Texas It was 89 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, but is back down to 65 degrees today. No wonder my kids can't stay healthy. This has been a very unusually cold winter for this area and I HATE IT!!!! I want 90 degrees and sunny each and every day! Do you think I'm asking too much, or simply not being realistic? HA!HA!

Diana-you must be SO EXCITED to be leaving next week for your cruise! I hope you have a great time! Sometimes, I think we should have moved to Florida to be closer to our true love: WDW and DCL!

Last cruise we did everything through DCL: cruise, air, hotel. This time we only purchased the cruise because we didn't like our flying times, so we have to find our own flights and book our own hotel. The flights aren't out until this Friday (believe we have been checking every day ) and we are going to try to get a room at the airport Hyatt. That's were Disney had us stay last time and it was very convenient. We will also fly in the day before because I just know we would be the family whose flights were delayed and we missed our cruise because we chose to fly on the day of the cruise. We flew in the day before and it worked out perfect! Anyone else ever stay at the Hyatt? This way we don't have to rent a car or depend on any shuttle.

Well, I think my family is finally done being sick, ThanK God. We were sick with the respiratory flu for almost two weeks then less than a week following that, Mitchell go the GI flu or food poisoning(I'm not sure which yet) He vomited for two days straight and was confined to the bed for the entire weekend. He finally has his strength back, and I am praying to any and all Gods to keep us healthy for the rest of the year!!!! I am so tired of sickness in my house, I need a break!

Well, I have to go now and get ready for work! More babies to be born!!!

Shannon

 

[Diana Lyn]

Diana-you must be SO EXCITED to be leaving next week for your cruise! I hope you have a great time! Sometimes, I think we should have moved to Florida to be closer to our true love: WDW and DCL!

So I won't tell you about the incredible FL resident rate we got on this cruise then! Booking this cruise was one of the very first things we did when we moved here.

It was chilly here the last two days but today was 82 and no humidity so absolutely gorgeous. It's been up and down like crazy, but most days we have the AC on. I do keep my yahoo weather set to the NY town where we used to live to make me appreciate the sun and warmth so much more. It's usually about 50 degrees warmer here.

Glad you guys are healthy again----hopefully you can stay that way!

 

[xsjackson]

Disney booked us at the Hyatt too. Thank goodness. We got in at 1am in the morning for our last cruise. It was a very nice room and we got room service at 1am due to being at the airport at 4am the day before.

I plan on going back there again this time.

 

[xsjackson]

it has been a very cold and snowy winter here too. Normally our winters are quite mild but we have had quite a lot of snow. It seems to be dropping 2-3 inches every night. We are up to about 12 in at our mtn home.

and yes... my 15 yr old is home sick today. But I had to work.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

The weather here is teasing us it will warm up into the low 50's and then the next day the high will be 30. I know we are going to get more snow but i'm hoping we don't. We got 10 inch total in january. That's the amount we normally get for the whole winter. I put a picture of the Magic as my screen saver. That way i could have a reminder of some place warm and fun. Hope everyone is well and having a good week.

Lissa

 

[Love Eeyore]

Wow - I'm glad I'm not the only one that can't wait till Spring!! Here in PA the weather cannot make up its mind one day its snowing and the next it is rainy and "warm" (at least by our standards for January) Thanks for the info on the fish extenders.

Reading everyone's post, I'm getting worried about flying in the day of the cruise. The travel agent talked us into letting Disney do the flights because she said they have good flights and make sure that we have enough time and it includes the ground transport, she also said that if we miss the ship (because of flight delays) that we will be flown to the next port (not that I would want to miss a minute). I guess I'm not sure if that is true, but too late now I guess.

 

[pogopossum]

shannon. i've looked at it before and you will need to relocate down south, aruba or costa rica looks about right, it never gets below 80 degrees there. maybe we could be closer neighbors. having been to aruba once before, i know that they have a nice hospital where you could get a job.

i just checked with the quality suites cocoa beach where we stayed last cruise and they stillhave a park/cruise rate, which is $119 per night for a standard suite. parking and shuttle is at the radisson, just a short drive, at no additional cost. the room was very nice when we were there, and within walking distance to the beach. i think we'll be using them again.

the rate isn't in the system yet for december, but the front desk knows about it, just tell the res agent to check with them.