Magical EBTA 2017

[Shawnadb]

I am a

Well, now that I've read all of the posts in this thread (and responded to several of them), I should probably introduce myself!

Hi all! My name is Heather, I'm new to the forums and still figuring my way around. My wife and I booked the EBTA cruise today!!! We are so excited. lol, I think this is our 5th Disney Cruise if I'm counting right... we did the Panama Canal last May and it was amazing (we've also done a 3 day, the southern Caribbean, western Caribbean, and a few other non-Disney cruises)... so excited to have another cruise to look forward to! AND - we're headed to Aluani at the end of next month!

My wife does genealogy and some of her ancestors were from Karlshamn, Sweden, so we're planning on staying in Copenhagen for a night or two and then taking a train to Karlshamn. Is anyone familiar with the area? Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, and I would love to participate in candy exchanges, fish extender exchanges, and any other group activities... I'm also a coloring and crafting junky and would love to get together with other colorers and crafters - maybe we could arrange some fun projects to do. The crafting workshops on the ship are fun, but they're usually geared towards really basic skill levels. I'd be happy to host a small craft or coloring meet!

Oh, I'm also an avid collector of Disney Animator Dolls and my absolute favorite Disney character is Stitch... although Lilo comes in as a very close second.

Can't wait to meet all of you!!!

i am also crafty and plan to bring scrapbook supplies! I'd love to join any crafting meet ups! I will also join any candy and other exchanges! How do you host one? Where can you meet on ship to craft?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Candy Exchange interest (no need to send info at this time)
Poookie
Deb T
scottrob
bobbiwoz
tmullem93
cali cruiser
Maple Det
Shawnadb

 

[Shawnadb]

My husband and I are so excited to be on this cruise! We'll be celebrating his 50th birthday and booked this cruise the first day it came available. I think it will be our 12th Disney Cruise, and know it will be our third TA, though our first EBTA. I'm a little nervous about losing an hour a night for five nights in a row, but hey, I'm on a cruise - I can always nap during the day!

For those of you interested in watching airfares who have a smart phone, you might want to check out the Hopper ap - it does a really good job with airfare cost predictions and figuring out when's the best time to buy. I've used them to help me decide when to purchase airfare for a number of trips, including a round-trip to China.

I'd love to participate in the FE exchange, and maybe the candy exchange. And if no one else wants to organize it, but people are interested, I'd be willing to organize a pin exchange. I'm definitely a pin collector and love my DISboard souvenir pin from my last WBTA cruise.

I'm interested in a pin exchange but would like more info.

 

[Shawnadb]

Hello Fellow Cruisers!
I’m really excited to see so much interest in starting a Fish Extender Exchange for our cruise! For anyone who may be new to Fish Extender Exchanges, here's my best explanation:

Beside every cabin door is a large silver fish with an indentation in the back (mail slot) for cruise personnel to leave information, invitations, etc. DISboarders have taken the silver fish one step further... by creating hanging pockets (much like cloth letter holders) to hang from the fish - thus the name, "Fish Extender". Fish Extenders (FEs) can be made of practically anything (cloth, plastic, paper gift bags, etc.), as long as they have at least one pocket that can hold surprises. My first FE was just a medium-sized canvas bag purchased from a local craft store. A Google Image search of “fish extenders” will show dozens of unique styles!

Each "Cruise Meets" thread organizes their own little gift exchange. Some exchanges are set up with a lot of requirements, but I like to make it as easy and fun as possible. I always leave it up to the giver to decide what to give and when to pass it out during the cruise. Some people decide to give one surprise per family, some people like to give a little gift to each person in the cabin.

There are several DIS Boards threads that discuss ideas for FE gifts. Some gifts are from Dollar Stores, some are handmade, and some are bought in bulk from websites that sell trinkets like the Oriental Trading Company. Often, they are stickers, candy, glow sticks, lanyards, luggage tags, magnets, mugs, frames, etc., with themes such as pirates, beach, cruise, tropical, hometown, holiday, etc. The main idea is just to have fun finding little goodies in your FE throughout the cruise. Kids LOVE running back to their cabin to see if anything's been left in their FE. As an adult, I have to admit that I really love it, too!!!

I want everyone to feel comfortable with the number of cabins you’ll be exchanging with. I’ve participated in exchanges that had only 4 cabins participating on a 3-night cruise, all the way up to over 80 participating cabins on the longer cruises! Currently, it looks like there are 7 cruisers who want to join in on the fun and I expect that number will grow quite a bit! So, I’ll break the groups down to a choice of 10 in your FE group, 20 in your FE group, or “Sky’s the Limit” for those of us who believe the more the merrier!

The deadline to join this Fish Extender Exchange will be Saturday, April 15, 2017, to give everyone time to get their FE gifts prepared and packed. I will send all participants a Private Message (PM) through the DIS Boards on Sunday, May 16, with your FE group information. You'll need to print that final list of participants and pack it with your gifts so you'll know where to deliver them once you're onboard the ship.

To join the FE Exchange, please send me (Deb T.) a “Private Message” with the following information:
*Your Cabin Number
*Names of everyone in your cabin
*Ages of children
*Any allergy considerations
*The size of the FE group you want to be in: “No more than 10,” “No more than 20,” or “Sky’s the Limit.”

To send me a “Private Message”, click on my name (Deb T.) in the little box on the top left
Click on “Start a Conversation”
Enter a “Conversation Title”
Under the row of icons, type your message
To send, Click “Start a Conversation” under your message

(FYI: If you are new to the DIS Boards, you will need to have made at least ten posts on DIS Forums before you can send a Private Message.)

Can't wait for our cruise!!!!

I'm excited to join this and will message as soon as it will let me!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm interested in a pin exchange but would like more info.

Me too!

 

[tmullen93]

i'm interested in the pin trade.

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

I'm interested in a pin exchange but would like more info.

We are pin collectors too!! We want to join in the fun!!

 

[Shawnadb]

Hello Fellow Cruisers!
I’m really excited to see so much interest in starting a Fish Extender Exchange for our cruise! For anyone who may be new to Fish Extender Exchanges, here's my best explanation:

Beside every cabin door is a large silver fish with an indentation in the back (mail slot) for cruise personnel to leave information, invitations, etc. DISboarders have taken the silver fish one step further... by creating hanging pockets (much like cloth letter holders) to hang from the fish - thus the name, "Fish Extender". Fish Extenders (FEs) can be made of practically anything (cloth, plastic, paper gift bags, etc.), as long as they have at least one pocket that can hold surprises. My first FE was just a medium-sized canvas bag purchased from a local craft store. A Google Image search of “fish extenders” will show dozens of unique styles!

Each "Cruise Meets" thread organizes their own little gift exchange. Some exchanges are set up with a lot of requirements, but I like to make it as easy and fun as possible. I always leave it up to the giver to decide what to give and when to pass it out during the cruise. Some people decide to give one surprise per family, some people like to give a little gift to each person in the cabin.

There are several DIS Boards threads that discuss ideas for FE gifts. Some gifts are from Dollar Stores, some are handmade, and some are bought in bulk from websites that sell trinkets like the Oriental Trading Company. Often, they are stickers, candy, glow sticks, lanyards, luggage tags, magnets, mugs, frames, etc., with themes such as pirates, beach, cruise, tropical, hometown, holiday, etc. The main idea is just to have fun finding little goodies in your FE throughout the cruise. Kids LOVE running back to their cabin to see if anything's been left in their FE. As an adult, I have to admit that I really love it, too!!!

I want everyone to feel comfortable with the number of cabins you’ll be exchanging with. I’ve participated in exchanges that had only 4 cabins participating on a 3-night cruise, all the way up to over 80 participating cabins on the longer cruises! Currently, it looks like there are 7 cruisers who want to join in on the fun and I expect that number will grow quite a bit! So, I’ll break the groups down to a choice of 10 in your FE group, 20 in your FE group, or “Sky’s the Limit” for those of us who believe the more the merrier!

The deadline to join this Fish Extender Exchange will be Saturday, April 15, 2017, to give everyone time to get their FE gifts prepared and packed. I will send all participants a Private Message (PM) through the DIS Boards on Sunday, May 16, with your FE group information. You'll need to print that final list of participants and pack it with your gifts so you'll know where to deliver them once you're onboard the ship.

To join the FE Exchange, please send me (Deb T.) a “Private Message” with the following information:
*Your Cabin Number
*Names of everyone in your cabin
*Ages of children
*Any allergy considerations
*The size of the FE group you want to be in: “No more than 10,” “No more than 20,” or “Sky’s the Limit.”

To send me a “Private Message”, click on my name (Deb T.) in the little box on the top left
Click on “Start a Conversation”
Enter a “Conversation Title”
Under the row of icons, type your message
To send, Click “Start a Conversation” under your message

(FYI: If you are new to the DIS Boards, you will need to have made at least ten posts on DIS Forums before you can send a Private Message.)

Can't wait for our cruise!!!!

Hi! Can I join more than one exchange? Like a less that 10 and sky's the limit?

 

[Shawnadb]

We are also on the cruise right after this. Does anyone know if we pack and disembark and the embark again? Or can we leave our things in room?

 

[Deb T.]

Hi All!

We've been away from the DISBoards for a couple of weeks while welcoming our newest grandchild to our family.

Hi! Can I join more than one exchange? Like a less that 10 and sky's the limit?

I received your pm and you are all signed up for the FE Exchange! The "Sky's the Limit" group consists of everyone who signs up - - - would you like to be in that one or a smaller group? I can arrange for you to be in whatever size group you're most comfortable with.

We are also on the cruise right after this. Does anyone know if we pack and disembark and the embark again? Or can we leave our things in room?

Exciting!! We've done the Northern Capitals cruise twice (both on 12-night itineraries) and absolutely loved the ports!! If you are booked in the same cabin for both cruises, you just leave everything in there, which is sooooooo convenient! If you have a different cabin for the second cruise, then you'll need to pack everything up and your cabin steward will move it all to the second cabin for you.

Can't wait for our cruise!!!!!

 

[ExpeditionEverest]

Candy Exchange interest (no need to send info at this time)
Poookie
Deb T
scottrob
bobbiwoz
tmullem93
cali cruiser
Maple Det
Shawnadb

I am interested in signing up to. ExpeditionEverest

 

[ExpeditionEverest]

250 days until we sail.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Candy Exchange interest (no need to send info at this time)
Expedition Everest
Poookie
Deb T
scottrob
bobbiwoz
tmullem93
cali cruiser
Maple Det
Shawnadb

 

[Giggles6311]

Hello All! Glenda and Scott here. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise...1st Transatlantic. We have done a 5-day to Bahamas and we did the WBPC this past May. First time on Disboards, so I'll be posting to earn my ears so I can send a PM to join an FE group.

 

[Rudisdey]

Booked our flights yesterday We are from the Netherlands and we will fly with KLM from Amsterdam to Copenhagen. From Copenhagen we will have a direct flight with Norwegian to Orlando Intl. Airport. When our cruise ends in Copenhagen we will fly back with KLM to Amsterdam

When you are searching for a good flight from Copenhagen to USA take a look at the site of Norwegian.

 

[Giggles6311]

Counting down with my Disney Cruise app...243 days...

 

[LySand]

Hello All! Glenda and Scott here. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise...1st Transatlantic. We have done a 5-day to Bahamas and we did the WBPC this past May. First time on Disboards, so I'll be posting to earn my ears so I can send a PM to join an FE group.

Hi Glenda and Scott! Welcome aboard!

You can just post anything that pops into your head until you get to 10 posts. Maybe a post about your other cruises, trivia, weather update! Anything! You will be at 10 posts before you know it!

We are staying in Europe for a week post cruise so lots and lots of plans to make yet.

Lynn and Ron (and Emma - 20 something!)

 

[LySand]

I guess I should introduce myself! I am Lynn and I am travelling with DH Ron and DD Emma (20 something!)

We love to cruise and would do more if it wasn't for the exchange rate! We are Canadians

I have previously participated in candy exchange, recipe exchange, FE, etc. Always lots of fun! I don't know if I will be doing any of that this time because we will be travelling Europe post cruise and every bit of extra weight counts!

I am thinking about mailing a box home post cruise!

We have cruised transatlantic (EB2013, WB2014) with Disney before and met many very very nice people along the way. Looking forward to repeating that again in May.

Lynn

 

[KJET54]

Hello All! Glenda and Scott here. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise...1st Transatlantic. We have done a 5-day to Bahamas and we did the WBPC this past May. First time on Disboards, so I'll be posting to earn my ears so I can send a PM to join an FE group.

I am interested in the candy exchange also

 

[bobbiwoz]

Hello All! Glenda and Scott here. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise...1st Transatlantic. We have done a 5-day to Bahamas and we did the WBPC this past May. First time on Disboards, so I'll be posting to earn my ears so I can send a PM to join an FE group.