March 17, 2007 7 Day Eastern

[SB's Mom]

On formal night, you see from the simple black dress to very formal dresses! Some just wear nice Sunday dresses and pant outfits. The dress I used in June was very dressy but not formal. I'm looking at a black skirt with a red or turquoise top for March.

Charlene

 

[jenbrem1]

Do any of you know how the nights will go during the cruise? Which ones are formal/semi-formal/casual??

 

[SB's Mom]

When we went in June it was (I think I'm remembering correctly)

Saturday / Cruise Casual
Sunday / Semi - Formal
Monday / Cruise Casual
Tuesday / Pirate Night
Wednesday / Cruise Casual
Thursday / Formal
Friday / Cruise Casual

Have a great Day

 

[jenbrem1]

Thanks Charlene. That helps. So only one real "Formal" night where I need to make sure the men in the group are wearing jackets?? I had sold them on this by telling them that for the most part, DCL was more casual than other cruises we had been on!

 

[DW4US]

I just have the "formal" long dress because I got such a good deal on it and it is fun to get dressed up for once. On either formal or semi-formal night any nice dress will work. My DD13 and I had a lot of fun on our last cruise getting different pictures in our dresses. It's also fun to be dressed up for the Golden Mickey's Show (if they still do that), because they have the red carpet out and everything so it's like you're going to the emmy's.

 

[SB's Mom]

FYI

I might have the formal and semi-formal nights switched. I just can't remember which was which.

They do still do the Golden Mickey! For the red carpet, you need to go to the doors on the right side of the theatre!


Charlene

 

[jenbrem1]

Good news - the kids passports came. We sent everything in on August 8. That was 22 days mailed and back. We did everything at the post office. My daughter's picture on her passport is really dark. The original is not. It's the same as my son's. Do you think I should send it back in, or let it go?? I thought about running back over the post office over my lunch today and see what they thought.

 

[DW4US]

Do your passports have the chip on it? I can't believe they came back that fast!

 

[jenbrem1]

How do I know if they have the chip? I have it right here in front of me.

 

[DW4US]

This is what's on the State Depts. page about the chip --- I don't know if you could tell if your passport has one or not since it says it is embedded in the back cover. I thought I had read something a few weeks ago that said they were starting to put them in but I don't know where that was.

"The proposed U.S. Electronic Passport is the same as a regular passport with the addition of a small contactless integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back cover. The chip will securely store the same data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, and will additionally include a digital photograph. The inclusion of the digital photograph will enable biometric comparison, through the use of facial recognition technology at international borders. The U.S. “e-passport” will also have a new look, incorporating additional anti-fraud and security features.

Passports without chips will still be valid for the full extent of their validity period."

 

[jenbrem1]

If it's there it's indetectable.
I called the National Passport Information Center this morning about my daughter's picture and they told me to keep an eye on it over the next couple months to see if the picture gets any darker. If it does, send a new one in with the passport and they would redo it. She told me to wait until I travel and see if they say anything.

I've been doing some more airfare detective work. Midwest Airlines out of KC leaving Friday the 16th at 7:30pm is down to $295 if you want to leave at 7am the morning of the 25th. It's a decent option at least.

 

[DW4US]

I was hoping to get air closer to $200 if possible --- a girl can dream . Okay, $250 is probably more realistic. With gas prices coming down and the predictions that it will keep dropping , hopefully that will also carry over to jet fuel. I keep seeing all these good fares if you want to travel in Sept or Oct and DH keeps asking me why we don't go --- let's see --- saving for cruise, dance, school, Christmas.... I just hate being practical!!!!

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend. The weather is really cooling off here --- I love 85 and 70's sure feel a lot cooler in September than they do in May! I think I might be nuts --- I'm already planning on arranging my closet when I put away my "summer" stuff with everything I want to take on the cruise together.

 

[jenbrem1]

Hello all! You can tell that school has started because the posts sure have slowed down! My kids just started yesterday. My 1st grade daughter was over the moon excited and my 3rd grade son was surprisingly nervous.

We had a nice Labor Day weekend. The weather has cooled a lot which is nice. It's great sleeping weather that's for sure. I hope we have a long fall season. Some years it seems it goes right from summer in to winter.

Have a great day!

 

[disneypoor]

Hello all! You can tell that school has started because the posts sure have slowed down! My kids just started yesterday. My 1st grade daughter was over the moon excited and my 3rd grade son was surprisingly nervous.

We had a nice Labor Day weekend. The weather has cooled a lot which is nice. It's great sleeping weather that's for sure. I hope we have a long fall season. Some years it seems it goes right from summer in to winter.

Have a great day!

Hi! I was just thinking the same thing about the posts for our cruise slowing down. I'm sure they'll start picking up soon. BTW, I want fall and winter to fly by this year! I simply cannot wait for this cruise! I'm driving my family nuts about it!

 

[DW4US]

Our passports came today ! Only three weeks after we applied for them and two weeks earlier then the website was saying. One more step down --- now I just need air fare and we'd be all set.

Maybe I need to be get up in the middle of the night and check fares --- they (who are they anyway?) say that the best fares are at 2:00 am on Tuesday nights --- don't know if I can test that theory or not! Maybe I should've checked last night, we were up past 12 --- my DD13 was finishing a school project --- I had no idea it would take so long. You've heard of people going the extra mile --- she usually goes an extra 10 miles. Good trait but sometimes frustrating when we see that the whole thing is only worth like 20 points, but I guess I should be thankful that she is so dedicated!

I can't wait to get home and see our passports!!!

Have a great day --- I hope school is going well for everyone!

 

[jenbrem1]

Hey everyone - there are finally some Eastern trip reports out there from the 9/2 through 9/9 cruise. It's kept me occupied much of the morning. Enjoy!!

 

[TiaMaria]

Hi everyone - sorry for being so neglectful (Yikes, this thread was back on page 3!!!) but like you, have been so busy lately.

Jen - thanks for the heads up about the recent Eastern Trip Reports. Cannot believe that we are actually (finally) right at 6 months out!!

My niece and nephew have been swamped with "back-to-school" (niece in 2nd grade this year and nephew in 4th). They are also knee deep in PSR once a week, Tae Kwon Do and Soccer for him and dance and cheerleading classes for her.

We got their passport photos done a couple of weeks ago, but my sister and BIL have not had a moment together on a Saturday to go to the Post Office to apply. Hopefully next week as we are getting to the "red zone" for applications this year.

Work has been crazy busy for me. My Dad is finished with his course of chemo treatments, finally, and goes in for a cat scan and progress report in early October. He is feeling pretty good at the moment and we are praying for good news for his quality of life in the future. He is planning a trip to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta around that same time with some of his best buddies - which we are all thrilled about.

I have been helping my SIL plan a surprise WDW birthday trip for her, my brother and my other niece who is in 3rd grade and will be turning 9 in the beginning of Oct. My brother has been to WDW many times with our family, but my SIL has never gone and my niece wants to go but has no idea that it's not just like Six Flags. This is the niece that they adopted from Russia just 2 years ago. Couldn't be more American now and really, really wants to go to Mickey Mouses House and see "Pirates of the Bean" as she calls it! LOL I am trying to help them maximize the 4 1/2 days that they will have.

That is all that is going on around here. Great weather this week once the rain disappeared, but this weekend it is hot again - mid 80's - I am looking for that cold front coming through here tomorrow night. This time of year I am done with hot weather. They are talking down around 48 on Tuesday night - that's what I call good sleeping weather!!

Everybody have a great rest of the weekend!!

 

[disneypoor]

Hi, everyone! I was so excited when I got on the DIS today and noticed that my "ticker" said that we only have 5 months 3 weeks and 6 days to go until our cruise! I love it when the months start falling off! Now, if I can only get the pounds to fall off before March 17th!

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Hey all! It looks like I'm not the only one that's been too busy to post. I hate trying to get back in the school routine. Hopefully the months until March will go just as fast as the last one has.

Maureen (Tia)--I hope your dad has good news. Your SIL is a lucky person to have a personal trip planner. I'm sure your neice will be blown away by WDW.

Jen--Thanks for the heads up about the trip reports, I haven't even been logged on to the boards for awhile, tomorrow's priority will be reading them and getting back into the cruise mood.

I need to keep on my husband about getting his passport, he's going to end up stalling and have to have his expedited with the baby's. We've just been busy trying to get settled in our new house before baby comes. We've painted and wallpapered in the kids' rooms. We have their bathroom/laundry to do yet. The Mickey paper is waiting patiently in the box for the lady to come and hang it, hopefully next week. The baby's furniture doesn't come until mid-October, that's making me a little nervous but it should be fine, we have a bassinet and as my mom keeps saying, he could sleep in a dresser drawer if he had to. NOT!!

5 months, 3 weeks, 6 days is A LOT better than 6 months. Talk to you all later.

 

[jenbrem1]

Happy Monday everyone! We certainly don't post much here anymore, do we? I jumped on to bump us back up to one of the top pages. We've now booked our airfare, the hotel the night before the cruise, and the port transportation. We need the Saturday night in Orlando prior to going home (we're thinking CBR at Disney) yet and then we should be all set.

I know the next 6 months are going to fly by!