MAGICal Christmas 2008 - December 20, 2008

[nzdisneymom]

Robin - I'm glad to hear your mother is tolerating treatment as well as she is, and it sounds like her attitude is going to help her beat this thing. We'll continue to keep her in our prayers.

Lissa - {{{hugs}}} for you and your mom in getting your grandfather settled. It is a tremendous amount of work and I know you all are exhausted. Make sure you fill up with gas before you head for home - there is a gas shortage in the Atlanta area and you don't want to get stuck.

Amy - thanks so much for working to get the 1 p.m. time for the Dolphins. That will help us so much with Nathan so he won't worry about missing the ship. I was looking at the similar excursion through DCL (in case we couldn't get a good time on our own) and it's so much less expensive to do this on our own even with taxi-fare.

 

[alikat99]

Amy - thanks so much for working to get the 1 p.m. time for the Dolphins. That will help us so much with Nathan so he won't worry about missing the ship. I was looking at the similar excursion through DCL (in case we couldn't get a good time on our own) and it's so much less expensive to do this on our own even with taxi-fare.

No problem! Actually, I would not have been able to do the 3:30pm excursion anyway. I think that it would have been way too close to the ship's departure time.

The whole reason that we did it not with Disney was because the youngest one couldn't have gone. This way, she gets to go.

 

[nzdisneymom]

We wouldn't have done it on our own if it were 3:30 p.m. either. Definitely too close.

I was reading a trip report from the current double-dip and they said they left from Castaway Cay at 3 p.m. the first day. I can't remember if I've seen arrival / departure times for the ports yet for our cruise -- did I just miss them?

 

[alikat99]

Cruise Itinerary: 10/25/08, 11/22/08 and 12/20/08 Only
Day Port Ashore Onboard
Saturday Port Canaveral 4:00 p.m.
Sunday Castaway Cay 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Monday At Sea
Tuesday Cozumel 8:00 a.m. 4:45 p.m.
Wednesday Grand Cayman 11:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
Thursday At Sea
Friday Castaway Cay 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Port Canaveral 7:35 a.m.

 

[njmom23grls]

Is there a count yet on FE participants (# of cabins participating?) - I realize people are still finding their way here and not everyone has their plans in place - but I wondered if there was a general idea as of yet.


Robin - I'm glad to hear your mom is responding well. I'll keep sending kind thoughts and to you and your mom.

I have to go back and catch up with all the posts - I hope all my Dis buddies are doing ok amid all the uncertainty of the last few days.

lisa

 

[gardengirlco]

I was reading a trip report from the current double-dip and they said they left from Castaway Cay at 3 p.m. the first day. I can't remember if I've seen arrival / departure times for the ports yet for our cruise -- did I just miss them?

Don't scare me like that! (JK!) I sure hope our departure is 5 p.m. like the itinerary says. I plan to milk CC for every minute I can.

 

[alikat99]

If you look at this webpage, you'll see that the September and the November "old Costa Maya" cruises are now leaving CC at 2:30pm, because they are going to Grand Cayman first, so it probably takes longer to get there than Cozumel, which is where we're going.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/d...?name=7NightWesternCaribbeanCruiseLandingPage

 

[nzdisneymom]

There are 24 signed up for the Fish Extenders. 47 adults and 37 children.


And thanks for posting the port times. Whew. I'm glad we aren't leaving early from CC, especially since I have a fitness thing scheduled at 9:30 because I figured we wouldn't stay out all day on CC - but if we were leaving early, then I was going to reschedule. Now I don't have to.

 

[tinksmom]

Hi All!
I've been gone a few days with a huge PTA training session I was in charge of, followed by a computer crisis. All is well now, though.

Robin -- I'm glad you're mom is doing so well. I've added her and your whole family to my prayer thoughts!

Lissa -- Your grandfather and family are in my prayer thoughts, too.

Such stressful times you've both been going through. I wishing you both and .

I can't wait to spend more time on the thread the next few months getting to know all of you.
tenya

 

[MOQu]

With the economy in the dumps and some possible health issues (I'll know more Friday about that) we might have to change our plans and go to California instead of the cruise. We are taking a 2 week trip and the cruise is eating up the whole budget. If we go to LA, we would have enough for the whole week, with change to spare. Also, hubby is an actor, so we could write LA off on his taxes.

This is a VERY hard decision, and I have to make it soon......

 

[tinksmom]

Merrilyn -- sorry to hear about you possibly having to change plans. I think we can all understand with the economy! Your health concerns will be in my prayer thoughts!

I wanted to let everyone know I talked with a great cast member this afternoon asking about our dining rotation and "special nights". I was assured the rotation is 1223123; formal is night 2, pirate is night 5, and semi-formal is night 6.

So, for what it's worth, there you have it.
tenya

 

[ShannonR]

Hi Merrilyn! I hope you don't have to change your plans and can still cruise with us!

Hi Tenya! I don't mean to sound stupid, but what do the 1, 2, and 3 stand for? Which number is what restaurant?

Shannon

 

[alikat99]

Wow, so that puts pirate night on Christmas Eve. That'll be a bit odd, but hey, I'm on vacation so I'm gonna run with it!!!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Hi Tenya! I don't mean to sound stupid, but what do the 1, 2, and 3 stand for? Which number is what restaurant?

Shannon

Shannon - one of the most confusing and hard to explain things on msg boards is the disney cruise line dining rotation. The 1, 2, and 3 just represent the three restaurants. The rotation goes Lumiere's, Animator's Palette, Parrot Cay. But you could start with Animator's Palette and the go to Parrot Cay and then to Lumiere's. Or start with Parrot Cay, go to Lumiere's and then Animator's Palette. So 1 is the restaurant you are assigned the first night -- and then 2 and 3 just represent the other two restaurants.

For example, our first cruise we had the LAPLAPL rotaton - which means we started with Lumiere's, then the next night was Animators, followed by Parrot Cay. So you could say we had 1231231 rotation. But say DCL switched up their nights so that we went LAAPLAP, then we would be described as having the 1223123 rotation. See? You don't know which restaurant you'll start with until you get your KTTW card - and then it is printed on there -- look on the bottom right side of the card and you'll see your rotation. You also get tickets in your cabin that they want you to take the first night because it has your table number on it as well as your rotation.

Hope I didn't confuse you more


Merrilyn - I hope you will still be able to sail with us, but we certainly do understand these times we are in. {{{hugs}}} I know we would be disappointed if we cancelled (but at least the kids still don't know so we wouldn't have to worry about them).

 

[nzdisneymom]

Ack - we fell to the 2nd page! LOL.

I'm looking for our walkie-talkies because I want to take them for while we are at Castaway Cay. I came across our small binoculars and put them with my fish-extender stuff so I won't forget to bring them - I think the boys will enjoy using them in the ports to look at things from the ship, especially at Grand Cayman since we tender.

I'm going to look for Pirate stuff in the Halloween section at Walmart to see if there are any accessories that the boys (or I) might want to use for Pirate night.

When we sailed on the Wonder in April, DCL was passing out streamer things to wave - we missed getting them, so I want to be sure to do that this time.

 

[ShannonR]

Good afternoon everyone!! I was sound asleep (I worked last night) and was woken up by the sound of the doorbell. What to my wondering eyes should appear but....... the UPS man with my cruise t-shirts!!!
The design looks GREAT, Amy! Unfortunately, two of the three shirts (DS11 and DD4 )are VERY faded. It looks almost as if they ran out of ink when putting the design on. The red looks orange and you can barely see the lettering on the front. They just sent a receipt, not exchange/return info, so I am thinking you can't return them or exchange them for another shirt. Oh well, three out of five ain't bad, right?

It doesn't lessen my excitement, though!! Add them to my cruise box, I will. I work the next 7 nights and then I have 7 nights off (the quinceneara, remember?!? ) I will be SO GLAD when that is done and over with!!!

We decorated for Halloween!!! It is officially the start of holiday season! Last year, we bought the fake pumpkins that you can carve and keep forever because when you carve a real pumpkin in the south of Texas, it is moldy and rotten the VERY NEXT DAY!

Cindy-I remember getting the dining rotation coupons in our staterooms on our last cruise, I just had never heard them referred to with numbers before. It was always APLPAPLP, etc... I wonder what restaurant we will have for Christmas Day dinner?

Shannon

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Robin I'm glad to hear yuor mother is doing well with her treatments. You and your family continue to be in our prayers.

Merrilyn I hope your health issues turn out to be ok and that you don't have to cancel the cruise. I know it is upsetting when you have to do that.

Pirate night on Christmas eve will be a little weird but so will being in the middle of the ocean for Christmas. What I was hoping for though is that formal night would be on Christmas day.

Lissa

 

[hinsok1]

Robin - glad to hear Mom is handling the treatments well. My dad had cancer 18 years ago. It is amazing what the doctors can do. He has been cancer free for 16 years, though each year we are nervious until he gets the all clear! Our prayers are with you.

Merrilyn - our prayers are also with you. It is hard to make those decisions, but you have to make the one that is right for your family.

Everyone else - not sure I'm excited about Pirate Night being on Christmas Eve. That just doesn't feel right. Does anyone know what they do for church services? Do they offer one on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

I think i found my fish extender idea. . . something very Minnestoa like! Just need to see if I can get enough. DD would like to make something . . . we'll see if there is time.

I am so jealous of those of you who already have a "cruise box". I just can't get there yet. I know I am going to be very upset when it comes to packing. I really wanted to take off a good 30 lbs before the cruise, but with being unemployeed over the summer and now the stress of a new job . . . that just isn't going to happen, let alone trying to find time to work out. oh well. Still need to find a new swimming suit. The fabric on my old faithful one is starting to get thin. Don't think I can wear it in public again. :-( I think swiming suit shopping is my least favorite, expecially when I have to do it over the internet. I never can find something in a store. Stores just don't carry sizes for tall plus size women!

Well off to teacher conference, then hopfully early to bed. I am chaperoning a group from church tomorrow night and Sat that is going to the Women of Faith Revolve Tour in Minneapolis. It is designed for teenage girls 12-18. We have a group of 70 going, then spending the night on the floor at church. I am really excited, but also thinking I am crazy at the same time. Don't think we will get much sleep!

Kim

 

[tinksmom]

Just when I think things have settled down and I've got time to spend on the boards, I get another crazy day and fall behind!

Shannon, I'm glad you got the dinner rotation thing explained. Sorry about your tshirts. I'd check on the website -- you shouldn't have to settle for faulty merchandise, even if it was a special order.

I hope I didn't stir up too much with the report of what I found out from my call to DCL this week. Who knows, they may change their collective minds about what happens which night since it will be Christmas week. It hadn't occured to me that pirate night is on Christmas Eve. I was just glad that Christmas is at least semi-formal night.

Kim -- good luck swim suit shopping. I can't think of anything women dred more, well maybe one thing . Have fun at your Women of Faith conference -- very admirable to chaperone all those teenagers!
tenya

 

[alikat99]

Good afternoon everyone!! I was sound asleep (I worked last night) and was woken up by the sound of the doorbell. What to my wondering eyes should appear but....... the UPS man with my cruise t-shirts!!!
The design looks GREAT, Amy! Unfortunately, two of the three shirts (DS11 and DD4 )are VERY faded. It looks almost as if they ran out of ink when putting the design on. The red looks orange and you can barely see the lettering on the front. They just sent a receipt, not exchange/return info, so I am thinking you can't return them or exchange them for another shirt. Oh well, three out of five ain't bad, right?

It doesn't lessen my excitement, though!! Add them to my cruise box, I will. I work the next 7 nights and then I have 7 nights off (the quinceneara, remember?!? ) I will be SO GLAD when that is done and over with!!!

Shannon - Definitely call CafePress tomorrow!!! We had a small problem with shirts for our DVC member cruise. I think that what happened was that they only printed the design on the front, but not the one on the back for all 4 of my shirts. I called them immediately, they printed new ones and I got them even quicker than the first set. And, they just told me to donate the original ones or something. They had GREAT customer service!!!