May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 9

[lillygator]

about to leave work. John has his xmas dinner at Outback tonight. It's managers only, which is just as well, no babysitter.

I will pick up something for the girls and myself, no cooking tonight!

 

[granmaz]

YEA! I just finished all my Christmas shopping. I did everything online...click click and it's delivered to my door. That's my kind of shopping! I bought gifts for me, John, the kid and Ray. The grands and the nephews get money because they're all teens. Sandi and Joe don't get Christmas gifts because they're adults out of our house....we only do birthdays, mother's day and father's day with them...and this year they'll get a card with a deduction off their loan like gydell suggested. I really like that idea.

Now it's time to go pay bills. YUCK!

That is a great day's shopping!!!

I just ordered my Christmas present to myself.....a Nikon D40 SLR camera w/ 2 lenses...18-55 and 55-200. Can't wait for it to come in!!

Deb - cute picture in my mind of Ella....sweet.

Did anyone ever hear from AuntyBrat/Laura? I hope everything is ok.

Can't believe I'll get to meet Jackie (ibouncetoo) and Peg (I think) on Wednesday at DTD.....that should be loads of fun.

I'm sure Marilyn and John are having a blast on the Wonder. Can't wait to hear all about their 1st cruise once they get back online.

I am only half way through reading through the backlog of posts, so your question might have been answered, but I will go ahead anyway. This board is sooooo slow it is taking me ages to get through the posts.

I had an email reply from Ivanova whose PM I found after some research. She is a friend of AuntyBrat/Laura and she said Laura had had the double mastectomy back in Aug/Sept and is doing well and back at work full time. She is still planning to be on our cruise. Ivanova will be telling Laura we are missing her.

I will eventually get to share a little about the cruise, but I have a lot to catch up on.

Were they cruising with their friends from GA too? Or just meeting them in WDW? I can't remember. Did they do a long or short on the Wonder? I think they did a short, which means they'll be going to Nassau. I wonder if they'll go to Atlantis? It sure was a beautiful place.

We did the 4 night cruise, on our own, though we met a few from the cruise thread. Our GA friends were down for the week before the cruise and we had some good times with them.

 

[LiserAnn]

I think we may do the pirate one as well not sure what John will say, knowing him, yes!

You won't be disappointed with that one. I'll have to post pics of it later.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Home safe and sound and back at work. Don't know if I'll be able to catch up as home computer is ill...and I don't want to sit here in the office till midnight!

Any cruise BUSINESS discussed?

Did Monica post pictures from our meet? Loved meeting her....she's going to be our ambassador, as she'll have met so many of us by cruise time

OK...back to work.

 

[gydell]

Any cruise BUSINESS discussed?

Excursions are out!

Welcome back!

 

[gydell]

Where is everybody?

 

[lillygator]

oh my, just got on the PC. Fed and bathed the girls and they are in bed trying to be quiet and go to sleep.

 

[lillygator]

John isn't home yet. They usually give away Sanibel Island stays...the owners of his store have a condo as well as a house down there. This afternoon they gave John a weekend stay in June July or August (we'll go in August) and he still has a chance to win one tonight.
They thanked him for all his hard work this year.

 

[lillygator]

All is quiet...no tv, no radio, the dog is asleep....now if only I could get the girls to sleep.

 

[gydell]

John isn't home yet. They usually give away Sanibel Island stays...the owners of his store have a condo as well as a house down there. This afternoon they gave John a weekend stay in June July or August (we'll go in August) and he still has a chance to win one tonight.
They thanked him for all his hard work this year.

Good for him! Hope he gets another one.

What's looking good to you on the excursions? We may do the sea lions in PV. We have done the dolphins.

 

[umber]

Does anyone think there will be excursions offered in LA?

 

[lillygator]

Good for him! Hope he gets another one.

What's looking good to you on the excursions? We may do the sea lions in PV. We have done the dolphins.

There are a few I would love to do but don't include the girls.....and after being late back to the ship and worrying so much since Haley was in Flounders and they were closed when we got back!! I don't want to leave them again, plus it's our family time together.


Here's what I think:
Aruba - we are doing the group jeep rental. Figure we will go around the island and see all the significant sights and end at one of the beaches. Anyone is free to break away or leave whenever they are ready. I think so far my best quote is $75 for the jeep rental (fits 4 people) I have to go back through all the quotes I received. They are at the cruise terminal as well so we don't have to go far.

Cabo San Lucas - my plan was to get a water taxi for about $10pp (including round trip) to go around Los Arcos and the sea lions and taking us to Medano Beach for the day where we will set up camp at one of the restaurants which offer chairs (as long as you purchase food or a drink) The restaurants are all on the beach, which I love! I grew up with that here but now it has all pretty much been taken away. Organized excursions I looked into were:
Cabo Resort Getaway $216
Nikki Beach Escape $280
Talofa Tall Ship $308
Cabo Beach Break $124
Harbor Cruise and Scenic Drive $134
Lands End Coastal Cruise $100 - which is a RIP OFF I think, it is only an hour long! That is what the water taxis will take you to see!

Acapulco - not too sure, I would like to see the cliff divers as well as hit the beach. I priced all the all ages tours though:
Acapulco Beach Break $188
Acapulco HIghlightsm Shopping and Cliff DIvers $196
Cultural Walking and Shopping Tour $98
Acapulco City Tour with Cliff Divers $158
Shoppng Flavors and Traditions $308

Purta Vallerta - not sure here either...thinking of the pirate ship thing, both the girls and John would love it, I am sure I would too.
All ages tours:
Paradise Beach Break $178
Las Calentas Hideaway $268
Pirate Boat Sail and Snorkel $270 ($178 if I book on my own or there abouts)
PV City Tour $120
HIstoric Towns and Tequila Making $158

 

[lillygator]

what is amazing to me is what is offered for children under three....4 hours of a walking tour? Oh yeah, Haley would do cart wheels over that one!
Come on, I could easily drag her on a boat and throw her overboard to snorkel and play on the beach! My girls love all water, except bath water....that's a struggle. So any snorkeling would be done on our own.

Which we all love, but I have found when you go with a group you are really held back as most people are not used to the ocean. In St Marteen there was one adult male who freaked when some water went in his mask. Luckily they never said a word when John and I broke away from the group. And I do believe where we are headed does not have the most colorful and tropical fish around.

 

[gydell]

We are on our own too.

Aruba - jeeps and then if time the water park.

Aca - fort, cliff divers from hotel so can see, and maybe chapel in hills with view.

PV - DGS wants to do sea lions if the age doesn't change. When we were there this summer you had to be 8yo.

Cabos - water taxi to beach same as you, making sure to see arches and sea lions.

 

[lillygator]

If I picked what I really wanted at the ports, we could probably cruise a seven nighter for the same cost!

 

[lillygator]

John is home and I gave him all his reading material. He looks thrilled!
He didn't win anything more, BUT, we got upgraded from the condo to the house. We've stayed in both and the house is GORGEOUS!

 

[gydell]

BUT, we got upgraded from the condo to the house. We've stayed in both and the house is GORGEOUS!

And when should we all be there?

 

[lillygator]

And when should we all be there?

the hottest weekend in August!

It's really nice. pool, right on teh canal and bay...huge boat out back although they are sensible enough to not leave the keys. It has such an awesome kitchen that I don't want to eat out, I want to cook three meals plus snack a day there!

 

[gydell]

Where is Deb tonight? Holly should be here anytime.

 

[LiserAnn]

Here are some pics from our 2005 DCL Cruise:

The Margilante (PV), taken from the private beach they take you to...

Oh no! We're being boarded by PIRATES!!!

Pirates, during the show...

My son (in yellow) and his buddy on the way back to the ship...

CABO SAN LUCAS. These pictures were taken from the beach at "The Office"...

The beautiful Magic from the beach (DH and DS are the jet ski closest to the Magic)...

DH and DS on the jet ski (we rented it for $40 for half hour)