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

[fast43]

Hi guys

Sorry that I haven't been on the boards lately as school has been taking up all of my time. We were informed today that our school system is NOT going to let our daughter miss the final two weeks of May as that time period is for final exams (SHE is an 8th grader) and they will be tested on our President's famous equality test that will determine how much money our school system will receive next year. They told us that she can miss the two weeks but would not be able to make up her exams.. She is a straight A student and I wouldn't want to mess this up for her. They will be holding graduation and the final 8th grade farewell on May 24 so they have really made it difficult for us to attend. We will have a meeting tomorrow and the decision will be made. We currently are booked in stateroom 5520 which is a category 10 secret porthole room. E-mail me and I will let you know when I cancel the reservation and this room becomes available if anyone is interested.

IT has certainly been a pleasure reading all the posts and after we had such a good time on the West Bound Panama Canal cruise, we were looking forward to this cruise..............

 

[padalyn]

sorry to hear you might not be able to attend, good luck to your daughter with her testing.

 

[gydell]

Being a straight A student, why can't they let her take the exams early? Or just grade her on her normal work? It's a shame that the good kids get punished!

 

[milestogo]

fast43: Sorry to hear about that news. It is the same problem that CACruisin has been having with the May cruises.

FYI DP's: during my Tenerife searches yesterday I found several websites that were very welcoming to gay and lesbian travelers!!!

 

[kpros]

Good morning everyone.

I will post an updated name badge and lanyard list a little later today.

Here are the repo excursions we are looking at.

Tenerife Wine Experience
Cadiz - Seeing Seville
Gibraltar - City Under Seige
Barcelona - Barcelona and Codorniu Cellars
Then maybe the toursit bus around Barcelona

Ken

 

[kpros]

Here is the latest version of the name badge and lanyard list

aarato - Andras, Eva, Adam, Alexandra
BethE, Harry in Michigan - Beth, Harry
Bilbo UK - Ann, Albert
BobandLee - Bob, Leora
charwac1 - Charlene, Andy
CONNIEOSCI - Connie, Frank
cquick - Connie, Chuck, Patrick
cupcake - Cynthia, Jim
EpcotKilterFan - Debbie, Jeanette
fast43 - Scott, Vonda, Emily, Adam
first timers - Alex, Carolyn
gydell - Gydell, Betsy, Brent
hopemax - Hope, Jason, Kathy, Jim
KathyOnA1A - Kathy
kpros, spros - Ken, Shari
krdisneybound - Kay, Harry
ladypoo - Patty, Misti, Dominique
littleowensmommy - Kathy, Ted, Owen, Amy
maleficent1959 - Tina, Patrick, Prescott, Connor
milestogo - Kelly, Jonathan, Zoe
misseulalie - Jennifer, Rachid, Sophia, Lena
mom_rules, Anita, Paul
myfairygodmother - Elizabeth, Mechelle
nanaguide - Anna, Carl
NoWorriesMate - Michelle, Chris, Nick, Lilly
OH 6 - Nicholas, Michael
padalyn - Cayla, Barbara
pixie3 - Kimberly, Mark, Shane, Riley, John
PrincessTToo - Terri, Bob
Scott H - Scott, Lynn
seaulater - Linda, Robert
ssnyder, CSNYDER - Susie, Curt
Suecot2000 - Sue
TADSMommy, TADSDaddy - Karen, Dave, Tiffany, Ashley, David
tig82174, jasonroo - Erik, Jason
Tigrrtum, DzneLin - Terry, Linda
Timeless - Jeff, Andrea
txaggie94gigem - Elizabeth, Owen, Alexander, Karen
WeLuvDCL - Dawn, Robert
wrabitdad - Bob, Dale

Remember, what you see is what you get, so if something is spelled incorrectly - please let me know.

I would still like to here from these MIA groups
Disneyfan21 - Susie, Rachel, George
Debm - Debi, Jeff, Josh, Aaron, Beka, Jacob, Jonell

Ken

 

[hopemax]

Other useful information...

Internet Cafes

Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Cyberdream opens at 6 PM on Sunday
http://www.cyberdream.es/public-access-internet.html

Cadiz

I found reference to two, but they don't seem to have websites. One is enred@2 which is supposed to be near Torre Tavira (the watchtower). The other is Cyber Cadiz which is at the Plaza Ingeniero La Cierva (but I haven't looked where that is).

Gibraltar
Cafe Cyberworld http://www.gibnet.gi/~cybercaf/
Location: Units 14-16, Ocean Heights Gallery, Queensway
Price: 2.5 pounds for 30 minutes; 4.5 pounds for an hour
Hours: noon-midnight

Barcelona:

inetcorner http://www.inetcorner.net/gracies.html
Location: around the corner from La Sagrada Familia
Price: 20 minutes for 1.8euros additional minutes .05 euros
Hours: 10-10

 

[kpros]

Page 143 has been update for internet cafes!

 

[padalyn]

I thought I saw a post a while back (unsure which board unfortunately) that gave the exact time that we could begin to book excursions online. I live in the Eastern time zone...

Anyone else recall that post?

thanks...

 

[seaulater]

I thought I saw a post a while back (unsure which board unfortunately) that gave the exact time that we could begin to book excursions online. I live in the Eastern time zone...

Anyone else recall that post?

thanks...

it is midnight pacific time, so I think that would be 1 a.m. mountain time zone, 2 a.m. central time zone and 3 a.m. eastern time zone.

At least in the pacific and mountain time zones it works a little better from us than getting up in the wee morning hours to call and book when new itineraries open up!

 

[gydell]

3am eastern standard time is correct! I'll be setting the alarm and hoping I don't sleep through it.

 

[gydell]

Did you notice that on our cruise that DCL is now offering 3/4 person of any age for $99? Our ship must be pretty empty.

 

[CACruisin']

These prices are killin' me!!! I sooooo want to get back on this cruise. This darn school thing is really getting in the way. DD11 would be able to do an independent study contract for the time missed, I think, but would miss the second week of STAR (state) testing which is really not good. She'd also miss Open House and Grandparents Day, but I don't think she would be too upset about that. Middle school does not have the "short term" independent study contract available, but all the teachers post assignements online. She brought her report card home yesterday - straight A's! But missing 11 days of school would be really bad. Could she just call in sick? Probably not...

If there is still this kind of availability when we cruise in March, I've told DH I just might book it for myself and the kids and I'll figure out the school thing later. After all it is 14 days on the Magic for $3k! Let's see, I'll need a new laptop with wireless so the kids can log on and get class assignments, there's tips, drinks, spa, excursions, taxes on the FF flier tickets .... ok, I can scratch the spa, let's see, I know I can make this work somehow.... anyone have any other bright ideas?

Thanks for letting me ramble on. I know you are all going to have such a wonderful cruise, I just wish I could be with you!

 

[tig82174]

Well I've refrained from making a joke of this nature this long...but I just can't contain myself a second longer.......I think all you parents for whom school is the major hurdle should send letters directly to the White House and let them know that because of school the Disney Magic is making the most FABULOUS trip ever and leaving your kids right here........whatever happened to that darn NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND plan?!?!?! Sounds to me like we're leaving a bunch!!!

(I promise that'll be my only remotely off-color political joke...and that was a REALLY tame one...so count yourselves lucky!! )



Erik



p.s. We can count in HOURS the deadline until we book excursions!!

 

[padalyn]

it is midnight pacific time, so I think that would be 1 a.m. mountain time zone, 2 a.m. central time zone and 3 a.m. eastern time zone.

At least in the pacific and mountain time zones it works a little better from us than getting up in the wee morning hours to call and book when new itineraries open up!

Ok - just to clarify (I am being pretty dense these days - just look how long it took me to find that listing post!!!)

I have to call at 3am on the morning of the 11th?? That is GREAT!!! I am a night owl - no problem at all!!

Anyone needing wakeup calls - PM me with phone number

 

[misseulalie]

These prices are killin' me!!! I sooooo want to get back on this cruise. This darn school thing is really getting in the way. DD11 would be able to do an independent study contract for the time missed, I think, but would miss the second week of STAR (state) testing which is really not good. She'd also miss Open House and Grandparents Day, but I don't think she would be too upset about that. Middle school does not have the "short term" independent study contract available, but all the teachers post assignements online. She brought her report card home yesterday - straight A's! But missing 11 days of school would be really bad. Could she just call in sick? Probably not...

If there is still this kind of availability when we cruise in March, I've told DH I just might book it for myself and the kids and I'll figure out the school thing later. After all it is 14 days on the Magic for $3k! Let's see, I'll need a new laptop with wireless so the kids can log on and get class assignments, there's tips, drinks, spa, excursions, taxes on the FF flier tickets .... ok, I can scratch the spa, let's see, I know I can make this work somehow.... anyone have any other bright ideas?

Thanks for letting me ramble on. I know you are all going to have such a wonderful cruise, I just wish I could be with you!

$3,000 for 4 people, that's why we switched! We figure if we downgraded rooms, then take what we would be paying for hotels and food, we are at the same price of a 14 day repo cruise!!!

I'm taking my kindergartener out of school for the last 7 days. Her teacher is fine with it and very excited for her.

 

[kpros]

Good morning everyone! Another day closer to the cruise!!!!

Ken

 

[milestogo]

"No child left behind..." We said the exact same words last night after reading CACruisin's posting!!! CACruisin, we're feeling it for you... there was another post with the exact same problem yesterday.

 

[milestogo]

I should add, I had lunch with a headmaster last week who told me "while I have answer No, we'd rather you didn't take them out of school for vacation" That is not what he believes and said he'd take his kids out in an instant to do the Disney cruise.

 

[misseulalie]

My opinion (as a former teacher) as long as they are not going to keep your child from moving up to the next grade or put you in jail. GO FOR IT!!!

Colleges want to see life experiences, they want to see that the student has travelled and is aware that a whole other world is out there. Grades are not the only thing schools look at...

Your child will be able to say "I've sailed across the Atlantic ocean; I've seen the Barbary Apes, I've Travelled through the Canary Islands..."

How many school Principals or teachers can say that???