May 12, 2007 -- Taking the Magic to the Mediterranean -- 14 day Repo Cruise! Part 2

[AuntyBrat]

I almost forgot...I got the mail and was SOOOOO excited because there was a thick envelope from DCL!!! I thought AHH HAAA I got my special surprise. Get into the house and rip it open and it was.....




The travel planning dvd and booklet I ordered at the same time I booked the cruise!!!

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!!!!

 

[Hoagie Pie]

well my TA called DCL armed with the details about what the gift was...and they denied to her that any such magnets exist or were being sent out.

Oh that DCL!!! They're sure lucky they throw a super fun cruise or I'd start to get a little irritated about how poorly they communicate and coordinate their information and activities internally!!

"Yes I konw you can't book your excursions online...nobody can. Nobody on the cruise has been able to do so......oh, you have friends who have? Let me put you on hold...."

"No, you're the ONLY person who has had all their bookings erased by accessing the discounted rates...everyone else has kept their reservations....oh, you have friends who have the same situation? Let me put you on hold...."

"No, we're not sending any gifts out...there are no magnets for this cruise....oh, you have friends who have gotten them already? Let me put you on hold...."






Erik

Okay, Erik cracked me up! I know you must be mad, but it was a good laugh. I know a lot of people have used TA's, but why wouldn't you just call DCL to make your reservation and I am asking because I seriously do not know. I have been in the travel industry and always wanted to know why people use TA's. I actually worked for Disney Travel in Burbank for the studios, and I knew we got a better price for airfare, but isn't it more difficult to go through a third party?

 

[Hoagie Pie]

Out of curiosity....does anyone actually HAVE a Castaway Club card? Do they actually exist? Because Jason and I never got them either!



ERik

I actually have a card in my wallet right now and I got it after 5 weeks of my very first cruise!

 

[ssnyder]

I think we got about 20 inches here at my house. East of me about 30 inches. Saturday night east of the city got pounded with 24 inches overnight. It finally ended around 2 pm today. So it was around 117 hours of continuous snow in the area.

Someday, probably when we are on the cruise, spring will arrive. The baseball games scheduled for the next 3 days are being played in Milwaukee in the dome because they just can not clear all the snow from the field and get it in playable condition!

Here are a few from my neighborhood. Take notice of the drifts off of the porch roofs.

Debbie

Your pictures of the snow covered houses in the midwest make me actually a little homesick (I grew up in Iowa City) - well just a little homesick. I don't think I would give up San Diego weather for anything.

I sure hope that things settle down a little. After all I do have to fly through Denver on my way to Orlando next month. And during the times I lived in Wyoming and had to fly through Denver to where ever I was travelling, I do remember a few questionable times, even in May.

 

[kpros]

Here is the lastest lanyard list.

Lanyards brought to you by:
BobandLee - Bob, Leora
charwac1 - Charlene, Andy
first timers - Alex, Carolyn
gydell - Gydell, Betsy, Brent
kpros, spros - Ken, Shari
littleowensmommy - Kathy, Ted, Owen, Amy
milestogo - Kelly, Jonathan, Zoe
Scott H - Scott, Lynn
seaulater - Linda, Robert
tig82174, jasonroo - Erik, Jason
Tigrrtum, DzneLin - Terry, Linda
wrabitdad - Bob, Dale, Gordy

Name badges completed:
aarato - Andras, Eva, Adam, Alexandra
AuntyBrat - Laura, Jeannine
BethE, Harry in Michigan - Beth, Harry
Bilbo UK - Ann, Albert
CACruisin' - Anna, Emily, Sarah, Rebecca
CONNIEOSCI - Connie, Frank
cquick - Connie, Chuck, Patrick, Michael
crazy4pooh&eeyore - Nancy, Nicole
cupcake - Cynthia, Jim, Ruth (peony)
disneycruising - Cindy, Mike, Ali, JC, Chris, Katie
disneylisa89 - Lisa, Mike, Lynda, Tom
DizzneyDAnn - Deanna, Scott, Jonathan, Daniel
eller - Lori, Mike, Jessica, John, David
EpcotKilterFan - Debbie, Jeanette
Euchre_U - Kurt, Marlea, Kyan Grace, Kristopher
EyeHeartDisney -Maribeth, Molly, Luanne
fizzymagic - Dave, Karen
gailadams uk - Gail, John
gismo1554 - Sarah
hksilverfox - Greg, Cyn, Sarah
Hoagie Pie - Sandi, Darrell, Abby, Bert, Sandra
hopemax - Hope, Jason, Kathy, Jim
Juergen - Juergen, Maria
juliekatie - Susan, Jim, Nicholas
jw2736 - Jerry, Sherry
KarenNY/iluvdisney - Karen, Mary
KaptainJack - Cynthia, Stephen, Kodiak, Elora
KathyOnA1A - Kathy, Mary, Sandy
kayleeshae - Shannon, Kaylee, Colton, Lori
Kissimmee - Rick, Heloisa, Hannah, Kevin, Aliisa, Helen
ladypoo - Patty, Misti, Dominique
lrk - Larry, Mary
maleficent1959 - Tina, Patrick, Prescott, Connor - (no dis name) Mike, Jo
Michelle2 - Michelle, Jared, Chase, Tyler, Hayley, Courtney
mickey squared - Marguerite, Steve, Max, Sophia, Stephen, Mackenzie, Joann, Joe
misseulalie - Jennifer, Rachid, Sophia, Lena
mom_rules - Anita, Paul
nanaguide - Anna, Carl
NHdisneylover - Hadley, David, Marika, Rio, Hank, Jan
NoWorriesMate - Michelle, Chris, Nick, Lilly
OH 6 - Nicholas, Michael
padalyn - Cayla, Barbara(BFL)
pixie3 - Kimberly, Mark, Shane, Riley, John
pooh & tinker - Carol, Tinker
Ready to Travel - Martha, Colette, Apryl (faithfullyeeyore)
rikimuk - Lindsay, Martin
roserae - Stacy, Glen (OCDisney), Emily
rufustee - Alex, Karen, Mackenzie
Scoobypop - Chris, Robert
ssnyder - Susie
Suecot2000 - Sue, Kelly
taxtracker - Bettie, Chrissy
tazzmacd - Pat, Joyce, Eric, Jason
txaggie94gigem - Elizabeth, Owen, Alexander, Karen
(no dis name) - Michael, Keith, Gary

In process:
BarbWhite - Barb, Zach, Maggie, Aimee
ottosmom - ?, Lauren, Lani, ?, ?, ?, ?

Not sure what's going on:
Magical_Dreams
TADSMommy, TADSDaddy - Karen, Dave, Tiffany, Ashley, David
WeLuvDCL - Dawn, Robert


As always, please check to make sure your listing is correct.
Ken

 

[hksilverfox]

More and more newcomers - GREAT! Anyone have an idea how many people we are up to?

Thanks for the info on the corkage - I want to take a special bottle of the grape juice for our anniversary!

I recall somewhere in one of the earlier posts that someone is going on a shore excursion to see the horse show in Cadiz. I cannot find it anywhere and would love to take the girls. They are both horse mad and it would be a super treat for them. Can anyone help me out with where to find out about it?

 

[gismo1554]

OK gang. I have a question or actually, questions.

OK, to the fun fun stuff...I'm up for any games, I'll just need a how to guide on some of them!

All happy now!

~Apryl

I'm the same as you. Don't mind games but would need instructions I'm afraid!

 

[gismo1554]

Erik--The free dining plan promotion was made available to Disney Visa holders today (goes to the public Thursday I think) to take advantage of the free dining plan you'd have to book a package including a stay at a WDW resort (no DVC points-sorry ) and at least a one day ticket (you wouldn't have to buy entrance for your entire stay--I know you have APs). The plan is the one you can usaully purchase if you have a package for $35 per adult per day (adult being 10 or over). Here is what the plan gives you:

1 sit down meal credit per person per night of your stay (2 people staying 9 nights would equal 18 credits). A sit down meal is one appitizer, one entree, one dessert and one non specialty drink. Tax and tip are included!!!! Or one character buffet. Also included is one casual service meal credit per person per night. This is for coutner service and one credit equals one combo meal, one drink and one dessert. Also one snack credit per person per night. Snacks are pretty much any food or drink that costs less than $4 (a soda, treats at Kring La, pacakged cookies, etc at the hotel gift shop, etc.). A few places are specials that cost 2 credits to dine at (dinner shows, Cindys, Artists Point). You can mix up your credtis and use lots on one day, none on another, share one credit between two people and then do the same again later, etc. It is a majorly good deal (for those of us who love to dine at the world).

I did the dining plan in Jan (not through the free offer) and it was actually really good value (you can pay to add it on to your room if you buy your disney park tickets at the same time). It was good cause I would use my snack for breakfast ($3.69 fruit salads ) and then the counter service for lunch and sit down for dinner. It's great value even when you pay for it but you have to be eating in Disney for the entire holiday really to make the most of it.

 

[gismo1554]

Changing the subject off of the cruise - but for those of you that visit DL often, which hotel would you recommend with a 6 year old? Pools are important as well as ease to the parks. I have stayed at the DL hotel but not at the others. We will be staying for 3 or 4 nights. If memory serves me right that should be enough time to do the parks.

I've only stayed at the Disneyland hotel but did go around them all recently. The DL hotel has a nice pool area now (renovated from when I went years ago) but the Pacific Point (was it called that?) was more kid orientated (I think this is like the All Star resort type thing). It had loads of fab decorations and a tv room that was done out like a beach. The pool area I believe was shared with DL but maybe I was wrong and didn't find the pool. This hotel is further away than the Disneyland but within easy reach.
The Grand Californian had a nice pool but was more adult orientated (if you've been to the Wilderness Lodge in WDW then its exactly like that). It is however closer to the parks.

 

[gismo1554]

Even non DVC types must buy the dining plan for the entire length of stay and for every person on the reservation. So, don't feel you are being singled out!

Rockin Bar D Question--We usually end up at a family event in the evenings, but being of a certain age we did make a point of going to the 80s nights at ROckin Bar D the last two cruises. We had so much fun, and we really enjoy the little show the dancers put on. Being a bit slow, it has only recently ocurred to me that the dancers probably do similar shows for the other theme nights (I'd go just for the show). Do they do this for 70s night? How about other theme nights (I think there was a 50s, but I can't recall)? I'm trying to figure out how many nights to warn the kids we will be ditching them for

Yes the themed nights are like these. There is a 70s one definately. Can't remember about the other ones.

 

[Scott H]

Debbie, if I were you I would have shot six holes in the freezer....

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

More and more newcomers - GREAT! Anyone have an idea how many people we are up to?

Thanks for the info on the corkage - I want to take a special bottle of the grape juice for our anniversary!

I recall somewhere in one of the earlier posts that someone is going on a shore excursion to see the horse show in Cadiz. I cannot find it anywhere and would love to take the girls. They are both horse mad and it would be a super treat for them. Can anyone help me out with where to find out about it?

Well....

Adults: 149
Children: 57
Statetrooms: 79

And that is as of RIGHT NOW Things change quickly here

Debbie

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

Debbie, if I were you I would have shot six holes in the freezer....

Ugggg... now they are predicting rain and 44 tomorrow! Can you say flooding Luckily it will not be 55 and rain.

This is getting soooo old

Debbie

 

[NHdisneylover]

Sarah--thanks for the theme night info. We'll have to kick the kids over to the grandparents room a few time Lucky for me the kids and grandparents all like this idea

Hank and Jan are actually flying to Cabo today to visit one of David's sisters. Jan is averaging about a vacationa month these last couple of years. I think I want her life when I get older!

 

[gydell]

More and more newcomers - GREAT! Anyone have an idea how many people we are up to?

Thanks for the info on the corkage - I want to take a special bottle of the grape juice for our anniversary!

I recall somewhere in one of the earlier posts that someone is going on a shore excursion to see the horse show in Cadiz. I cannot find it anywhere and would love to take the girls. They are both horse mad and it would be a super treat for them. Can anyone help me out with where to find out about it?

It is probably full with DCL. Check the ship as soon as you get on to see if there are any openings. I don't know if you can do it on your own or not.

 

[Scott H]

Ugggg... now they are predicting rain and 44 tomorrow! Can you say flooding Luckily it will not be 55 and rain.

This is getting soooo old

Debbie

Thought that may be a problem, and we are in a drought out here...
anyway I hope it dosen't get ya down, remember you have a vacation to do here real soon.

 

[rikimuk]

Well....

Adults: 149
Children: 57
Statetrooms: 79

And that is as of RIGHT NOW Things change quickly here

Debbie

I have only made 80 presents so Im OK at the moment lol!!!

Lindsay

 

[milestogo]

Goodmorning all, interesting on the meal plan. Is it a better deal than the DDE?

Debbie, you guys have made our news every day between the weather and the baseball.

Hoagiepie, Lots of people go through DCL in the first place then transfer to a TA to get their onboard credit.

 

[milestogo]

Which berth are we going to at the port?

 

[gismo1554]

Sarah--thanks for the theme night info. We'll have to kick the kids over to the grandparents room a few time Lucky for me the kids and grandparents all like this idea

Definately need to! The 70s night is fab!