March 13,2008 3/13/08 3 day WonderFul cruise

[Qball]

I just check and we were assigned our cabin number. They upgraded us from a cat 12 to cat 9 woo hoo.

yay!!!
We did too!

My DH was very disappointed to hear that we are missing the shuttle launch and was contemplating going a day early just to see it. But I reminded him that his parents who left for Tampa today are staying there for the month of March, BUT his sister and family get there March 6th-14th and we're there from 10-27th...so the overlap with his sister will be nothing if we go and the whole point of this Tampa trip was to have th family together. Even booking this cruise, last minute, was a stretch. If we booked it the week after, it would have been almost 1000 dollars more.

leaving in about a week and SO much to do before we go and wrapping up projects at work too...ahhhh...we'll need the holiday. Because we are gone almost 3 weeks, I'm trying to pack enough clothes for 4 days as we will HAVE to do laundry...no way we can pack 3 weeks worth of close (don't even have that much clothing)...
Looking forward to the cruise....

 

[Douglas711]

Wel leave in a week, woo hoo. We are trying to take as little time of work as possible. So we leave on the red eye friday night, arrive sat morn. Then we leave from the cruise the following sunday and get home at 8pm then back to work monday.

Any input here would be great. Here are my plans. I am going to cancel DCL transportation round trip. I am only goign to use the transfer from the boat to the airport. I am going to rent a car on sat morn when we arrive. Then drive to Cocoa Beach, we have done this the past two trips. This time we aren't going to stay at the Hilton, we are going to head back to WDW and add a pre night to our land sea. We are going to keep the Rental at WDW. This is the first time we will have a rental at the Resort. We need the car so we can drive to watch the Shuttle, we are going to get the packadge at KSC. They are opening at 8:30pm, so you can sell the Imax and all they have to offer before the launch. I was told you are six miles from the launch pad, that is the closest the public can get. The lady told me at 6 miles you can really feel the shuttle. Good enough for me. Watching the shuttle at night should be awesome.

When I rented a car back in sept I got one for $20 and it was a mid size. Now cracker jack box rentals are like $40? Is it because I am booking so close to the trip?

yay!!!
We did too!

My DH was very disappointed to hear that we are missing the shuttle launch and was contemplating going a day early just to see it. But I reminded him that his parents who left for Tampa today are staying there for the month of March, BUT his sister and family get there March 6th-14th and we're there from 10-27th...so the overlap with his sister will be nothing if we go and the whole point of this Tampa trip was to have th family together. Even booking this cruise, last minute, was a stretch. If we booked it the week after, it would have been almost 1000 dollars more.

leaving in about a week and SO much to do before we go and wrapping up projects at work too...ahhhh...we'll need the holiday. Because we are gone almost 3 weeks, I'm trying to pack enough clothes for 4 days as we will HAVE to do laundry...no way we can pack 3 weeks worth of close (don't even have that much clothing)...
Looking forward to the cruise....

 

[BPCooper]

NASA Gives "Go" for Space Shuttle Launch on March 11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA senior managers completed a review Friday of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected March 11 as the official launch date for the STS-123 mission. Commander Dominic Gorie and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

 

[poohfriend]

I just check and we were assigned our cabin number. They upgraded us from a cat 12 to cat 9 woo hoo.

congrats!!

 

[poohfriend]

I'm going on The Wonder on March 13th too!
What a small world!

Glad to have you here!!

 

[poohfriend]

Hey, all! Just adding my name to the list here.

This is our 2nd Disney cruise - the last one was in 2000. We're DVC members, and go to WDW a couple of times a year, but this cruise was strictly an impulse - we didn't make ressies until three weeks ago.

So, it's me, DW, and DD, who is 21, and actually enjoys doing things with her parents still. She's an unrepentant Disneyaholic, just like me. She's on spring break, will spend a couple of days with her Delta Gamma sisters. It's her first cruise and she's pumped. I've tried to nudge her toward the college social the first night, which I'm guessing will still happen, but she's wary of the "cheese factor." We'll see.

We're in a Cat 11, which I'm hoping won't be traumatic, because on our earlier cruise we had the verandah thing going. But this is such a quickie trip, and we're right by the deck 7 "spot," so that's a nice little perk.

Look for Tony (aka Dreamfinder2), Teresa, and Amy.

You won't be in the cabin much, so I don't think a cat 11 will matter! We're in a cat 10.

welcome to the cruise meet board.

 

[poohfriend]

I've never done an actual cruise meet once on the cruise.

Any suggestions for a time/place.



I'm so excited about our cruise.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

I have never even been on a cruise, so no suggestions from me, sorry.

 

[poohfriend]

is everyone planning on arriving early.

We could do an early cruise meet before the safety drill. (say 3:15 or 3:30..) but that time won't work if someone is arriving then and will need to get food before the drill.

so, when's everyone planning on arriving. We'll arrive b/t 10:30 and 11:00.

 

[poohfriend]

10 DAYS UnTIL our CRUISE

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Poofriend, we're spending the night before at Old Key West, but I can't imagine dragging my feet getting to port, so I imagine we'll get there about the same time y'all do.

This is my fourth cruse (two on NCL, one on the Magic), and I'm just cracking up watching DD Amy obsess over what to pack. "Three nights, but multiple changes," she frets.

We're getting pretty excited ourselves - I guess this being a more or less "impulse" trip makes it just that much more "edgy." And, I'm wondering about an upgrade - while I think we'll be fine in an interior stateroom, I sure do think a split bath would be handy. I could paint the Golden Gate Bridge in the time it takes Amy to get her makeup on. Lord.

Poofriend, I noticed you "welcomed your soldier home" last year at the Boardwalk Inn. Our son is a Marine (he finished up his active service last fall), and we've done those very special welcome homes ourselves. Sweetness!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

As an aside, for those of y'all who are trying to see the shuttle launch:

We used to live in New Smyrna Beach, up north of the Cape, and there were several folks in our church who worked down there, so we were able to get a little closer to the launch site. But even at six miles out, it is SPECTACULAR, and the earth - even the air - does vibrate. I guess what surprised me was the sound of the launch. I was expecting some sort of subsonic rumble, but instead it's a staccato "blap-blap-blap" that is surprisingly high pitched.

Our house was right beneath the approach path when the shuttle landed at the cape, and those double sonic booms were way-cool.

If you plan to try to catch the launch, ARRIVE EARLY, pack plenty of snacks, and be prepared to face some horrific traffic.

 

[Douglas711]

Do you or would you expect horrific traffic since it is a night launch 2:30am? Do you think it is worth spending the $40 to watch it from Kennedy Space Center. There are opening at 8:30pm and are open till launch.

Your opinion? We were at KSC last sept. There are still a couple things we could see there and kill some time.

As an aside, for those of y'all who are trying to see the shuttle launch:

We used to live in New Smyrna Beach, up north of the Cape, and there were several folks in our church who worked down there, so we were able to get a little closer to the launch site. But even at six miles out, it is SPECTACULAR, and the earth - even the air - does vibrate. I guess what surprised me was the sound of the launch. I was expecting some sort of subsonic rumble, but instead it's a staccato "blap-blap-blap" that is surprisingly high pitched.

Our house was right beneath the approach path when the shuttle landed at the cape, and those double sonic booms were way-cool.

If you plan to try to catch the launch, ARRIVE EARLY, pack plenty of snacks, and be prepared to face some horrific traffic.

 

[Qball]

is everyone planning on arriving early.

We could do an early cruise meet before the safety drill. (say 3:15 or 3:30..) but that time won't work if someone is arriving then and will need to get food before the drill.

so, when's everyone planning on arriving. We'll arrive b/t 10:30 and 11:00.

On our first cruise, the people on the board set a time and place, and we went to t he meeting place, and no one was there. I did however, bump into one of them on the sidewalk outside the terminal...I think i heard the mom call her boys and noticed their luggage (from canada) and realized it was them. We chatted a bit and that's it.

On our second cruise, the group had scheduled a meet/party in one of the staterooms. We decided to opt out of that one.

We are planning to get up early on the 13th and get to the terminal for 10:30am...so I imagine we'll be on the sidewalk by about 10am ish.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Do you or would you expect horrific traffic since it is a night launch 2:30am? Do you think it is worth spending the $40 to watch it from Kennedy Space Center. There are opening at 8:30pm and are open till launch.

Your opinion? We were at KSC last sept. There are still a couple things we could see there and kill some time.

Y'know, the night launch traffic probably won't be nearly as bad.

Tell ya where we watched some night launches. If you google a map of Canaveral Nat'l Seashore, on the north end of the park, you'll see an area called Apollo Beach. Highway A1A dead ends there, and at the end of that road is a splendid viewing area for night launches. Now, you may be 15 miles or so from the actual launch site, but a night launch is like a sunrise. Awesome. And it was just a couple of miles from our house. You can get closer ... maybe at Playalinda Beach (it's been a while, so I might be fuzzy on this one.)

Once on my day off, I went to Apollo Beach and started walking south, just to see how far I could go before being stopped by guards, a fence, whatever. Little did I know - and the NPS doesn't promote this - is that I was going to end up on a "clothing optional" beach. I felt a little, uh, out of place, and hurried on back to my car.

But, in answer to your original question - if you spring for the $40 and the launch is scrubbed, you might regret it. Launches are big social events nonetheless, and it's easy and fun to strike up conversations with the folks around you. Go for it! It's your vacation.

This may help, too: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view/view_shuttle.html

 

[Douglas711]

If the launch was scrubed either way it would suck after driving over to KSC in the middle of the night. If you watch from KSC I was told you are 6 miles away and you can really "feel" the launch. It should be great either way.

Thanks

Y'know, the night launch traffic probably won't be nearly as bad.

Tell ya where we watched some night launches. If you google a map of Canaveral Nat'l Seashore, on the north end of the park, you'll see an area called Apollo Beach. Highway A1A dead ends there, and at the end of that road is a splendid viewing area for night launches. Now, you may be 15 miles or so from the actual launch site, but a night launch is like a sunrise. Awesome. And it was just a couple of miles from our house. You can get closer ... maybe at Playalinda Beach (it's been a while, so I might be fuzzy on this one.)

Once on my day off, I went to Apollo Beach and started walking south, just to see how far I could go before being stopped by guards, a fence, whatever. Little did I know - and the NPS doesn't promote this - is that I was going to end up on a "clothing optional" beach. I felt a little, uh, out of place, and hurried on back to my car.

But, in answer to your original question - if you spring for the $40 and the launch is scrubbed, you might regret it. Launches are big social events nonetheless, and it's easy and fun to strike up conversations with the folks around you. Go for it! It's your vacation.

This may help, too: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view/view_shuttle.html

 

[BPCooper]

Do you or would you expect horrific traffic since it is a night launch 2:30am? Do you think it is worth spending the $40 to watch it from Kennedy Space Center. There are opening at 8:30pm and are open till launch.

Your opinion? We were at KSC last sept. There are still a couple things we could see there and kill some time.

My recommendation for a night launch is to go to Titusville; the view of the pad and the water, for a night launch specifically, make it more worthwhile. IF you go to the visitors center you will be closer (louder than Titusville) but there is no view of the pad or water, and liftoff will not be quite as dramatic.

 

[BPCooper]

If the launch was scrubed either way it would suck after driving over to KSC in the middle of the night. If you watch from KSC I was told you are 6 miles away and you can really "feel" the launch. It should be great either way.

Thanks

Playalinda Beach is closed for a 12 mile radius north and west of the pad beginning three days before launch and through liftoff. Going up north to New Smyrna and driving down to get to a point 15 miles away is not really worth it.

As far as traffic, every launch attract thousands but some, such as those that fall in the afternoon or evening on a weekend, for example, are much much more crowded. We had a couple of Friday and Saturday evening launches over the last 18 months and they attracted throngs of spectators.

I expect a 2am weekday launch to leave out many of the locals from Florida; though there are always tourists and plenty of regulars who will come still.

The tickets to view from the closest and best location at the 6.5 mile point (the NASA causeway) are sold out (try ebay if you want). The visitors complex is 7.4 miles from the pad; like I noted, it would be a little louder than Titusville, but you won't see the shuttle (other than its glow) until it's up in the air.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Ben, I just checked your link. Those are some absolutely amazing photos. I guess, having lived in New Smyrna Beach (or, actually, Edgewater), I wasn't thinking in terms of what a long haul it'd be from Titusville that far north. What about Jetty Park there at Port Canaveral?

Launches are a crapshoot sometimes, but it's fun just hanging out with other folks.

 

[BPCooper]

What about Jetty Park there at Port Canaveral?

Thanks for the comment. Jetty Park is not the place for shuttle launches; you cannot see the pad from there and it is a little farther than Titusville. If anything, down there, you can get a view of the pad at the Port or on 528. But Titusville is better and closer.

Jetty Park is the place for Delta 2 launches, however; the best and closest spot with an excellent view of the pad. If anyone is in town for the planned March 15 Delta 2 launch, that is the place to go