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

[AuntyBrat]

Michelle--We have found the best rate (even factoring in fees) is to use our ATM in port (Dave does this on business trips and our friends do this when they go back and forth also). We are getting some Euros from friends just to have cash on hand in Tenerife in case we don't see an ATM machine right away in port.

Laura--My house was all clean. 2 girl scouts, and two science experiments later (string tie dye came out better than i expected and really not messy at all) it is ready to be cleaned again That will have to wait--heading to the weaving studio now.

On the agenda for tonight: coloring my hair. Also have to try to squeeze in an oil change this afternoon. Still hoping to do nails tomorrow. I found a place that has a coupon for BOTH for $35. Much better deal. Thanks to all of you for letting me know what the price should be so I would search it out.

Ok, my har is done, my manicure, pedicure are at 11am and then a facial at 215pm. Then child and I are going to my parents to drop off paperwork so they can get the child spayed or neutered while I am gone. Or get her a flea collar (no ticks here!!)

Then child and I are going out to dinner then home for the last sleep!!!

 

[AuntyBrat]

Sub Tropical Storm Andrea
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/091443.shtml



Someone at work is going to send me home soon...I am making them crazy!!

 

[first timers]

Does anyone have an opinion of which is the better exchange rate for getting euros. The ship, the MCO airport, or a bank at home. I would think they are all the same, but I could be wrong because it seems like everyone is getting them before the trip. Sorry, I am getting a little freaked out.

I personally think it's six of one a half dozen of the other. The exchange rates are constantly changing and everyone adds an exchange fee. We got some Euros from Bank of America. Some branches have Euros on hand, others require ordering. Most international airports have a currency exchange. Alex

 

[Brooklyn]

Ok, so I checked the website again and that one room was available. I called DCL back and got one of the most helpful reservation agents ever! She changed our rooms.

We are now 7618 and 7621.

I feel so much more at ease that we are all closer together.

Now today was supposed to be an easy day. DD is off school b/c they are having fine arts day later in the afternoon. We were supposed to go and enjoy the day along with getting last minute things done. I had to make 6 dozen cookies and decorate 4 cakes for the event. Usually not a problem for me but DD woke up with her ear draining and in pain! Uggghhh! So I have started on the cookies, decorated the cakes and now running out to drive an hour to my DD doctor. Somehow I need to make it back home in time to make the rest of the cookies and get to the event by 2:30 to volunteer in the kitchen.

Good thing all the packing is almost done!

 

[Brooklyn]

Ok when I was on the phone I asked about the chocolate museum. She said that it is not cancelled as of now. She checked with a supervisor and they confirmed. They sent an email to the shore excursions desk and she said they would be contacting me. So who knows at this point

 

[tazzmacd]

OK in my many attempts to repack I accidentally took out my phone charger. Anyone have a Nokia phone charger they can bring with them? Not that we need our phones onboard, but for later or emergency. BUMMER.

If I can find my old one I will bring it along.

Pat did not know about the Ipod and Pics, will have to check that our 34 gig might be pussing it LOL. We have a 40 gig portable HD that we use for digital Pics.

One more day at work adn my project downloaded ok overnight. KEWL....

Just cut a report or two and all wil be groovy here at work.

Kelly, you could try a rental car desk and see if they have one in the lost and found.

I was going to bring an external HD but when I foudn this out I figured that it would be easier just to remove about 10 G of music on the iPod to store the pictures. I figure 14 G will be enough for me. That is about 9100 pictures, I don't think I can take 9100 pictures but then again that is only 650 a day, hmmm......might have to make some more room tonight.

Ok, my OCD is really kicking in. Yesterday I went to the bank with a spreadsheet from the cruisetip calculator and got the money I needed for tips by the types of bills I wanted. Then this morning before work, I sat at the computer and sorted it all and put it into envelopes, and labeled them. My euro's are all sorted into even amounts of money for each port. EVERYTHING is packed and dusted and vacuumed and washed. One last load of laundry tonight and then there will be nothing left to do!!! My kid is going to have to hit me with a tranq gun to get me to go to sleep!!!

ONE MORE SLEEP!!!!!

You want to come help us!! We will be trying to pack, do laundry and clean tonight and some of tomorrow. Now if I have everything planned properly then I won't have to work past say 6:30 tonight Maybe

Only 40 hours left!! I gave up counting in days, it is takign too long for them to go by now. I like the hours feature time seems to go by faster

Cheers!!

Pat

 

[newgeneb]

Sub Tropical Storm Andrea
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/091443.shtml



Someone at work is going to send me home soon...I am making them crazy!!

Not to worry this storm is moving West it is only raining here with a little wind on the SC coast

 

[disneycruising]

Scott-Thanks for the Mickey Tie Dye directions. We made them for the entire family a couple of trips back (felt it was appropriate for staying at POP). It is FUN. I do not think it will work so well for the girls today. We do real tie die with soda ash and Ritt dye on all our camping trips. So, just to do something different for this badge the girls asked to do use the died strings today (you actually tie strings around wherever you want die to be and then soak it in water). It makes for a different (whiter) look and should be so non messy. I really think they will wish they had gone for the real thing, but it is always good to try something new.

Seems like more and more people are at the world now. It is all getting so exciting. And I love that pppiglet posted from the ship to tell us the crew is getting antsy too.

Kelly--we haven't had a nokia in years, but sometimes Dave hangs onto chargers forever--just for guests who forget (we can't offer you a hair dryer, but we do have a charger for you!). I'll ask him to check tonight.



Does everyone know you can go online to have the mail held? We always do it that way. Our post office said it is actaully better to take that route as then the notice goes multiple places and nothing slips through the cracks. True we never have had a problem with the online hold and we did have a couple of times back in the yellow hold card days when we would get weekend mail (from the part time deliverer) having sat it the box for a couple of weeks becuase that person missed the hold.

I love not having to drive to the post offfice. I was also able to stop the paper the same way. Two more things to mark off my list!

 

[seaulater]

ONE MORE SLEEP!

My list of things to do keeps getting longer, and my days keep getting shorter. Looks like I won't get any sleep tonight. So forget the One More Sleep for me.

1. Work all day
2. Go to Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors BB Game at 7 p.m.
3. Get home, say hi to my parents who arrived that are sitting in my dirty house
4. Look at my kitchen table....no look at all the scrapbook stuff on my kitchen table and figure out where in the world I am going to pack it all since NONE OF IT GOT SHIPPED EARLY
5. Get out suitcases
6. Think about packing
7. Find cruise documents (probably buried under scrapbook stuff
8. Go to Kinko's and copy Mini-Navigators if I don't get done today
9. Go to alterations place and get clothes
10. Go to bank
11. Go to scrapbook store one more time (at least)
12. Go to Walmart
13. Work all day tomorrow
14. Do laundry
15. Pack
16. Pay bills
17. Get passports out and WDW annual pass, Disney Dining Card
18. Weigh luggage, decide how much it is going to cost me being over the limit
19. Check in for flight on line
20. Rush home from work tomorrow
21. Throw clothes and stuff into suitcases as we are running out the door to the airport
22. Give mom money to handle teenage daughter while gone
23. Sleep on airplane!

VACATION...............30 MORE HOURS.

I probably forgot something.

 

[DonaldnMe]

Not to worry about Andrea. NWS 5 day forecast map released 11 am today shows Andrea possibly landing north of Pt. canaveral Sunday. (not at Pt. Canaveral) Lot can happen btwn now + then, but bet we're ok!

Nothing's gonna keep us from our cruise, right??

Greg

 

[mom_rules]

Not to worry about Andrea. NWS 5 day forecast map released 11 am today shows Andrea possibly landing north of Pt. canaveral Sunday. (not at Pt. Canaveral) Lot can happen btwn now + then, but bet we're ok!

Nothing's gonna keep us from our cruise, right??

Greg

My problem is flying through it on the way to Florida on Friday.

 

[cquick]

Careful or you might start a Suggestive Psychosomatic Epidemic... Sea sickness is extremely contagious.

Actually it's true.

We have never requested the "sea sickness patch" from our Dr. before, but I did this time. So we should be all set for almost anything.....we got dramamine, boromine, sea bands and patches!

But to be honest, I don't anticipate any problems. I just hope we don't have to bypass Castaway Cay! I wanted to ride the JetSki's!

 

[cquick]

VACATION...............30 MORE HOURS.

I probably forgot something.

I am tired just reading your schedule! YOU NEED A VACATION!

 

[DonaldnMe]

We have never requested the "sea sickness patch" from our Dr. before, but I did this time. So we should be all set for almost anything.....we got dramamine, boromine, sea bands and patches!

But to be honest, I don't anticipate any problems. I just hope we don't have to bypass Castaway Cay! I wanted to ride the JetSki's!

Yes! And pet the sea rays!


Greg

 

[jw2736]

Whole freaking state is on fire. I am currently surrounded by 3 brush fires. Sounds worse than it is, however, everything is smokey and ashy. Although I have to admit looking at the flames while we were driving home from In & Out for burgers was kind of neat. Of course my teen looked at me and said, "you know what this makes me think of?" I said "BBQ?" She rolled her eyes and went back her iPod.

Unfortunately you're gonna feel like home here in Florida. There are fires burning around here and in Georgia. The winds from sub-tropical storm Andrea are blowing that Georgia smoke all the way to Orlando. It was even dropping some ash here. At least at sea, we should have smoke free air.

 

[gydell]

Just spent 20 minutes talking to DCL and hopefully the chocolate disaster is cleared up. They said - our tour on the 25th is good to go, that some of the later dates have been canceled but that some have not and we have not. I like this answer better than the earlier one that I got!

 

[cquick]

I just phoned DCL to check on the availablilty of one of the accessible 1 bedroom suites, but nobody has cancelled from them I guess! Good thing we have a stateroom we like! I am SO READY to go!

Oh, and I went to have a pedicure today.....The place my friend recommended is doing a special....$15 for a pedicure or manicure...$25 for a "deluxe" pedicure.....It was wonderful, and I am going back on FRiday to have the manicure....It was as good as the one on the Wonder! I sure wish there was a smiley for painted toenails

 

[pixie3]

I have some questions:

1. Can anyone join the "Grass Skirt Fraternity"??? Is it just a man thing?

2. When you give little "fishy gifts" do you put your name on them or does it remain anonymous??


My FIL called the passport office yesterday and they said it will be finished and mailed in the next 48 hours by overnight. So we are looking at tomorrow I think.

 

[Kissimmee]

We should be the "Guinea Piggies". Now we get to inaugurate ship-wide Internet and Cell Service....

Just got off the phone and Then Magic is scheduled to go live with ship-wide wireless INTERNET and (stateroom only) Cellular service May 12Th for the Transatlantic Crossing

Cellular service will include

Cingular / ATT
T-Mobile
Sprint

(She did not mention Verizon and I forgot to ask)

The rates will be whatever your specific carrier'ssets for the Magic. Disney does not charge for this service. Their arraignment is directly with the Carriers.

My T-Mobile seems to be $4.96/min Yikes

It is important that you activate international roaming before you cruise as it may not be possible from on board for some carriers. i.e. the system won't even see your phone unless it is activated.

 

[Kissimmee]

I have some questions:

1. Can anyone join the "Grass Skirt Fraternity"??? Is it just a man thing?

You meant to say "A MANLY THING" didn't you???