March 12, 2011 Eastern Caribbean, Let's rock the Magic!

[terimac]

Tiffany - Thanks for the stateroom number. I PM'ed everyone who is participating in the FE exchange but if you have less than 10 posts on the DIS, you may not have received it. I'm sure you can find a reason to make one more post!

I will be resending the aformentioned PM because I got a couple stateroom numbers transposed. Sorry!
Before I do, let me know if I got anything else wrong... name spellings, staterooms, kids genders...

Still waiting on Documents...

Marcy

Thanks again, Marcy, for getting all of the FE stuff organized! You rock!

And we are still waiting on our documents also...my TA said that she had Disney send them straight to us..
There's always tomorrow! Oh wait...we have another ice storm headed our way...may have to wait even longer...

 

[Michelle064]

At least for me...
When we went on our first Disney cruise in 2009, I spent all of my free time reading and re-reading my Passporter. I was only barely aware of the DISboards, and frankly, my Passporter was enough information for me at the time. Anyway, my only 'exposure' to DCL was what I read in the Passporter (which is mostly factual-type info) and word of mouth from other cruisers that I knew (and their experiences were fabulous).
Anyway, I was not aware of any issues, complaints, inadequacies, etc. or things that I was 'supposed' to feel 'entitled to'. I just knew that it was going to be a wonderful vacation, and I enjoyed every single moment (no buyers remorse here!)
All of that to say, don't let the things on these boards negatively influence how good of a time you will have, or scar your feelings about DCL. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but truly, almost everyone on these boards will attest to how amazing the entire DCL product is, and having a good/forgiving attitude toward the imperfections will go a long way in creating your own magical and memorable vacation. Though the Magic isn't the "new" ship, I thought she was so majestic and perfect in every way (but I'm not one to look for a broken floor tile or dust on a chandelier). And regarding the service, all of the ships are going through some growing pains right now, but I'm guessing we won't even notice because we will be having too much fun!!!

I also totally mean for my tone in this to be encouraging and not at all preachy.
I LOVE cruising Disney and my heart hurts when people have less than positive experiences.
But I am certain that we will all have the most amazing, magical week...beginning in 33 days!!!!

Thanks Teri for your words of encouragement.

I'm sure it will be amazing too! We all know those people who find something to complain about no matter how great things are.

I've always had great experiences at Disney so I'm sure the cruise will be no different. And as others have said...even a bad day with Disney is better than a good day at the office!

When I got home tonight there was a FedEx delivery notice on my door. By this time tomorrow night, I'll have our cruise documents! I'm sooooooo excited! Can't believe it's getting so close.

Michelle

 

[Stinasmom]

I, also, want to assure any new and first time DCL cruisers not to worry about any negative things they've heard on other threads.

Real life is not perfect, DCL is not perfect, the people who work for DCL are not perfect. However, our experiences on the Magic have been... well.... Magical!

I love to slow down and enjoy every minute, even just walkiing up and down the staircases.

I am going to say this here, but have hesitated to say it on other threads:

In general, people who sail on the longer cruises, usually the Magic, can be a different (dare I say it....) class of people. DIS board posters are a bit of an exception because we share a love of Disney and care enough to spend time researching, etc., but we found, and it seems to hold up from what I've read on the boards, that there is so much more disappointment resulting from the behavior of other passengers on the shorter (less expensive) cruises.

Don't get me wrong... we are not rich snobs, we just would rather save up for a longer cruise. When you have 7 nights you can relax more, lines are shorter, pressure is off. You don't have that WDW at Christmas type anxiety to get to every activity, fight crowds to do so, and put up with whatever.

Do what you want each day, but do have some idea of your choices by looking at old Navigators. Have an idea what other in your party want to do. Use the kids clubs to get grown up time. Enjoy dinners as a family.

Now I am really ready to get on that ship!

Marcy

 

[Xmas515]

I take what I read with a grain of salt. There will always be people who love love to complain.

I'm looking forward to this trip so much! Just finished printing out the last of the decorations for the door. Need to laminate, trim and add magnetic tape. May do the FE for our next trip - just found out what they are and don't really have time to do them. 31 more sleeps!

 

[azrealtor]

I, also, want to assure any new and first time DCL cruisers not to worry about any negative things they've heard on other threads.

Real life is not perfect, DCL is not perfect, the people who work for DCL are not perfect. However, our experiences on the Magic have been... well.... Magical!

I love to slow down and enjoy every minute, even just walkiing up and down the staircases.

I am going to say this here, but have hesitated to say it on other threads:

In general, people who sail on the longer cruises, usually the Magic, can be a different (dare I say it....) class of people. DIS board posters are a bit of an exception because we share a love of Disney and care enough to spend time researching, etc., but we found, and it seems to hold up from what I've read on the boards, that there is so much more disappointment resulting from the behavior of other passengers on the shorter (less expensive) cruises.

Don't get me wrong... we are not rich snobs, we just would rather save up for a longer cruise. When you have 7 nights you can relax more, lines are shorter, pressure is off. You don't have that WDW at Christmas type anxiety to get to every activity, fight crowds to do so, and put up with whatever.

Do what you want each day, but do have some idea of your choices by looking at old Navigators. Have an idea what other in your party want to do. Use the kids clubs to get grown up time. Enjoy dinners as a family.

Now I am really ready to get on that ship!

Marcy

Great words of wisdom. If it was fantastic why would so many go more than once.
Where can I see the old navigators??
Awaiting my delivery...

 

[Ashansen]

Not to beat a dead horse, but generally negative comments are posted more frequentl and more strongly. Folks who don't have a complaint, just will not post lot of times.

And this is not to say there isn't a place for the negative comments, I just agree you have to take it with a grain of salt!! Experienc it for yourself!

Speaking of salt, can you guys up north send some salt down for the roads???? Dallas is shutting down again due to ice! Kids are excited...no school... Again!

Thanks for the FE list! Now I can get stateroom numbers on my FE's!

Ashley

 

[candizfan]

We have a salt mine in Windsor. If you see Windsor Salt in the stores it comes from around here!

I am sure there is salt available but that it was not on order...who would have thought you would need it.

hang in there.

It is only 29 days till we leave! finally under 30.

 

[Fawn]

Finally got our documents yesterday! I've been feeling so left out!

I am ready for this cruise!!!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

We ordered our fish extenders yesterday! We'll soon go out shopping for the 'stuffers.'

Hey, has anyone here already booked their Palo brunch/dinner reservations? We should find out if any of us are attending a the same time, and try to be seated together. We did that on one of our Thanksgiving cruises a few years ago, and had a great time!

Priscilla

(Rob, my better half, is the one who usually posts here. Can't wait to meet everybody!)

 

[Stinasmom]

Here is where I found Eastern Navigators from January:

http://home.comcast.net/~haaskent/site/?/page/Disney_Navigators/

I did a "save as" for all of them and printed them out for my parents.

I think they'll update the movies and entertainment, but it gives you an idea of the kids' program activities, timing of pirate party, etc.

Marcy

 

[Hookemhorns]

Thanks to everyone for the kind welcome. We look forward to meeting you onboard. Our weather in Austin Texas has gone from freezing with snow to sunny and in the 70s back to freezing with sleet in a matter of days. Crazy.

Last night we found the trip diary my wife kept on our honeymoon cruise in October of 1994. It was a 7 night Caribbean cruise on an NCL ship. One of the entries reports a fabulous experience on a new catamaran named the Golden Eagle when we visited St. Maarten. Needless to say we never imagined then we'd be coming back with a 12 year old daughter to relive the experience.

I'm eager to hear what excursions others have selected and will try to get my daughter to post an introductory note on the kids board for this cruise so she can "meet" some others her age and allay her fear that the ship will be full of toddlers and nothing else.

Glenn, Rayma, and Alison in Austin (we're in 6130)

 

[demers]

Speaking of salt, can you guys up north send some salt down for the roads???? Dallas is shutting down again due to ice! Kids are excited...no school... Again!

We had what they were calling a "Blizzard" here in Southern Ontario last week that closed the schools. Since I work for a school district, I got to enjoy it with my kids. It was actually not that bad. They were making fun of it in Toronto. Watch this, really funny:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEMRAWaVr8

Downtown Toronto seldom sees much snow due to the heat of all the buildings.

 

[candizfan]

Hi Glenn

There are a couple of other 12 year old girls on this cruise and they will be happy to know there will be one more.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Thanks to everyone for the kind welcome. We look forward to meeting you onboard. Our weather in Austin Texas has gone from freezing with snow to sunny and in the 70s back to freezing with sleet in a matter of days. Crazy.

Last night we found the trip diary my wife kept on our honeymoon cruise in October of 1994. It was a 7 night Caribbean cruise on an NCL ship. One of the entries reports a fabulous experience on a new catamaran named the Golden Eagle when we visited St. Maarten. Needless to say we never imagined then we'd be coming back with a 12 year old daughter to relive the experience.

I'm eager to hear what excursions others have selected and will try to get my daughter to post an introductory note on the kids board for this cruise so she can "meet" some others her age and allay her fear that the ship will be full of toddlers and nothing else.

Glenn, Rayma, and Alison in Austin (we're in 6130)

We have done the Golden Eagle before and have it booked again this trip(8:15-12:45) In St Thomas we are just going to grab a cab and head to Sapphire Beach until 1ish then do some shopping . Castaway Cay the girls are doing the para-sailing.

Rob

 

[SB's Mom]

Our cruise documents came today!!!!!!

 

[Michelle064]

We had what they were calling a "Blizzard" here in Southern Ontario last week that closed the schools. Since I work for a school district, I got to enjoy it with my kids. It was actually not that bad. They were making fun of it in Toronto. Watch this, really funny:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEMRAWaVr8

Downtown Toronto seldom sees much snow due to the heat of all the buildings.

Yeah...I agree - it wasn't much of a blizzard. I made it into work in less time than usual because there was no-one on the road!

We actually had more snow on Saturday in the storm no-one predicted.

I've had enough of this freezing cold though. March 12 can't get here soon enough!

 

[Michelle064]

Our cruise docs arrived today. Soooo cool!!!!!! Now it's feeling very real.

Thanks to everyone for your reassuring words about the DCL service. I don't think I'll read any more of the other posts! I know our cruise will be awesome!

I'm having trouble finding sea bands in Ontario. Any of the other Canadians have any ideas where to find them? I've checked Walmart, Shoppers, PharmaPlus, Loblaws. I don't think we'll need them...no one got sick when we went whale watching in New Brunswick and that was a small sailboat on very choppy waters. But, I'd like to be prepared as we've never cruised before.

Michelle

 

[terimac]

In case you haven't checked your online check-in stuff lately, DCL has just updated their online check-in page, and it includes a port check-in selection area. I talked with a CM from DCL tonight (because I still don't have my cruise docs...I am so impatient!) and she explained that the new port check-in section is basically a survey for Disney to gage the crowds on embarkation day. She said to not stress about it if you select a time and are either late or early getting there, "Disney is Disney and they will always take care of you." (her exact words)

 

[Stinasmom]

In case you haven't checked your online check-in stuff lately, DCL has just updated their online check-in page, and it includes a port check-in selection area. I talked with a CM from DCL tonight (because I still don't have my cruise docs...I am so impatient!) and she explained that the new port check-in section is basically a survey for Disney to gage the crowds on embarkation day. She said to not stress about it if you select a time and are either late or early getting there, "Disney is Disney and they will always take care of you." (her exact words)

Teri - thanks for the info.
I completed my online check in just this morning (in lieu of receiving the actual Docs...waiting, waiting...) and saw that when selecting a timeframe in which we would arrive at the port, the earliest time was already full and not available to select.

I suspect this is a way for Disney to spread out arrivals -- at least among those who are not "in the know." (95% of the ship -- non DISsers!).
Frankly, we'll get there when we get there. We are staying in Cape Canaveral so the pressure is off. Oh, except for DH who is flying in that morning from a business trip in Chicago and taking DCL transpo to the port. Fingers crossed for no flight delays or cancellations!!

We head to the airport in Seattle 4 weeks from tonight!
The kids and I are taking a RED eye to Orlando , but my mom & stepdad will have a room at the Hyatt that we can crash when we arrive that morning.

Time to go run errands! Everyone have a great day!

Marcy

 

[demers]

Where and what time is the first opportunity for the kids to meet on board? My wife, Theresa, and I have book ourselves a 4:30 couple massage and then 8pm at Palo on the Saturday. This is mainly due to the rest of the week was booked for both. We are concerned about our DS11 and DD7 getting in with other kids right away so we don't feel guilty about leaving them. If they aren't happy, we will skip both our reservations. They are both quick to meet and make friends given the right opportunity.

Are their specific events scheduled for the 12th? Anyone know what?

Thanks!!