March 31-April 7, 2007 Eastern...3rd try :-)

[dpuck1998]

Okay, hopefully I got it right this time. Third times the charm....anyone cruising with me. Right now I'm on deck 1 with three cat 9 rooms. Trying to move up...me, DW, DS8, DS6, DD2, MIL/FIL, Mom....

 

[minniesota]

dpuck -

I knew you could do it!!

There are 3 families in our group totaling 12. My family of 4 (DD15 and DS13); my sister's family of 3 (DD15); and my brother's family of 5 (DS17, DD15 and DD11). We are all on Deck 7 and my sister's family is new to the Magic and cruising. We've sailed once before on the Magic - 7-day Eastern - and my brother's family has sailed the 4-day and 7-day Eastern. None of the kids know we're going yet! Looking forward to a great spring break!

Anyone else coming along?

 

[ScrapinDisney]

We'll be there also! Total of 6 adults and 5 kids (B15,G15,G12,B8,G4) We can't wait!!!

 

[minniesota]

Welcome aboard ScrapinDisney !

Sounds like there will be a few teens on our cruise - fun for them! Have you cruised before? You will have a long haul from CA but making advance online ressies will be easier! I can't wait to tell our kids - but we want to all be on the same page as to when we tell them - so hope it's soon!!!

 

[ScrapinDisney]

Yes we cruised last summer when it came out to CA and have been talking about it ever since! We had a total of 16 with us, it was so much fun! We have already booked the cruise and hotel and still waiting to do transfers and flight...boy its been confusing!

 

[minniesota]

I know what you mean! What hotel did you book? With your bigger group, how do you plan to get to the port? I'm still working on that - though we did book at the new Residence Inn near the port. Still no plane ressies - the flights are looking pretty high right now. Lots of details but planning is half the fun - or at least I keep telling myself that!

 

[dpuck1998]

How come making advanced online ressies are easier from CA?? I'm a first timer What time and day can we make our 75 day ressies?

Minniesota, see above for my crusin' cast ;-) 8 of us total. Kids are all under 8.

 

[minniesota]

dpuck- Looks like you have the younger set in your group! I think there will be plenty of kids of all ages on thie cruise. Online ressies for Palo and the spa can be made at 75 days out (as long as you are paid in full) and 90 days out for Castaway Club members (previous DCL cruisers). You can make your ressies starting at midnight (Pacific time) on those dates. So if you are in the Midwest, you can call at 2 a.m. and East coast, it will be 3 a.m.! Yawn

 

[ScrapinDisney]

I know what you mean! What hotel did you book? With your bigger group, how do you plan to get to the port? I'm still working on that - though we did book at the new Residence Inn near the port. Still no plane ressies - the flights are looking pretty high right now. Lots of details but planning is half the fun - or at least I keep telling myself that!

We'll be staying at the Residence Inn also but we haven't made any transfer plans yet.

 

[dpuck1998]

dpuck- Looks like you have the younger set in your group! I think there will be plenty of kids of all ages on thie cruise. Online ressies for Palo and the spa can be made at 75 days out (as long as you are paid in full) and 90 days out for Castaway Club members (previous DCL cruisers). You can make your ressies starting at midnight (Pacific time) on those dates. So if you are in the Midwest, you can call at 2 a.m. and East coast, it will be 3 a.m.! Yawn

I see, I'm in the EST so 3 am for me. I'll be up though
Any idea what that date is for us? I got it as Jan 15 at 3am? or is it Jan 16 at 3am?

 

[minniesota]

It would be 3 a.m. on Jan. 15 and DCL will remind you when you pay your balance. We'll be up at 2 a.m. on Dec. 31 (90 days) - and I usually don't even see midnight on New Year's Eve! We really want to get into Palo so I'm sure I'll be up. At least the 30th is a Saturday and the 31st a Sunday! I know they hold out ressies for Palo that you can make once onboard but we're going to try anyway. I'm not as worried about excursions since there are many to choose from. We haven't talked about the spa yet but my guess is some of us will want appointments there too.

Gosh, Dec. 31 seems like a long way off...

 

[ScrapinDisney]

Are you trying for Palo brunch or dinner? We did the brunch last time and although it was yummy, not sure if i'd do it again.

 

[minniesota]

I think we'll try for both. Last time, we did brunch on the day of the character breakfast. We accompanied the kids to breakfast and had coffee and juice - and took the pictures! Then we went to brunch around 10:30. We enjoyed the large selection and it gave us a chance to visit with another couple we met before the cruise. I loved dinner at Palo and my sister is really looking forward to it so I'm pretty sure we will try to do both.

 

[ScrapinDisney]

Oh that's a great idea to do brunch during the character breakfast! Maybe I'll try the dinner, you just can't beat the price, thats for sure!

 

[ScrapinDisney]

When is everyone arriving? We're coming in the day before, we aren't doing the parks only the cruise. Haven't decided on when to fly home maybe spend an extra day or 2 close by.

 

[minniesota]

I think we're hoping to arrive sometime on Friday - late afternoon - and get to PC so we have a little down time at the hotel. We'll be going home Saturday right after the cruise. The piece I'm still trying to figure out is getting to the hotel and to the port Saturday. Rent a car? Town car/limo and then shuttle or cab? Still trying to figure that one out!

Anyone doing excursions? I'm waiting until we actually tell the kids and get their input. We'll see...

 

[ScrapinDisney]

We are still trying to figure out transportation to and from airport and then hotel. Wait til my hubby hears you are from Minnesota...he is a big Vikings fan, not sure why since he's grown up in CA all his life! LOL

 

[minniesota]

A Vikings fan in CA??? That is funny. They've been a little hard to watch the last couple of seasons. We're big Twins fans and our legislature just ok'd a new outdoor stadium which people have been clamoring for the past 10 years. Not sure about it - I like climate control!

I guess there's no big hurry on transportation - we just want to do what's easiset for everyone.

dpuck - When are you arriving? And where are you staying? By the way, I sent a PM to DebandBill who posted on your first thread (you know- the one where you were going on the Western intinerary ) I asked them to join us on this thread so hope they jump ship!

 

[dpuck1998]

A Vikings fan in CA??? That is funny. They've been a little hard to watch the last couple of seasons. We're big Twins fans and our legislature just ok'd a new outdoor stadium which people have been clamoring for the past 10 years. Not sure about it - I like climate control!

I guess there's no big hurry on transportation - we just want to do what's easiset for everyone.

dpuck - When are you arriving? And where are you staying? By the way, I sent a PM to DebandBill who posted on your first thread (you know- the one where you were going on the Western intinerary ) I asked them to join us on this thread so hope they jump ship!

Let me thanks you Vikings fans first off I'm a huge Dolphins fan!! Also, I have some friends in MN and have tickets to the Monday night game vs. Patriots...in a sky box...can't wait. I'll be cheering for the Vikings since I'm sworn to hate the pats.

We are arriving at least 1 or 2 days before the cruise. My Inlaws live in Stuart (Hutchinson Island) so we will get up early and drive up from there
on the morning of the cruise. Hopefully I'll be early enough to get some ressies if I can't get them on my 75 day windows. What time do the open and let us start boarding??

 

[ScrapinDisney]

Not sure how early they open the boarding in FL since I've only done 1 cruise when it was in CA. I thought I read somewhere that it was about 10am? For those that have cruised before, do you book another cruise while on the ship?