May 13.2006 Eastern

[Verandah Man]

Our kids are dressing up for Pirate night, but I dont think we will be...

Anyone going on one of the Med cruises? We won't be, those prices hurt just looking at them...

No Med cruise for us, the earliest we will be cruising again will be the summer or fall of 2008. Our DD will graduate from high school in June 2008.

 

[nutz4dzny]

My Niece is busy making all the door signs and our first names will be on them.


We too think the DCL is overpriced for the European tour and I don't care for their schedule. Our next trip is going to be 3 weeks to Japan after our DS graduates Medical school. Hopefully he will have the time before he starts his rotations. But that is his dream so I hope we can go!

We bought most of our supplies at Michael's. I did buy a magnectic door sign plain with an eraserable magic marker so we can leave each other messages.

Purchased our airfare today. Roundtrip was $200.00 for my sister and niece and my family is going Spirit Plus so for three it came to just about $1000.00. Which really isn't bad. I need it because of my handicapp. Much more room and comfy seats etc.

My TA was on phone with DCL for various things and they have to charge an extra dollar for each of us for the Bus Transfers since we are leaving out of the AKL now. Wow! $5.00. I think that is the least amount I paid for this cruise. You would think they would let you go for $5.00 but they want their money! LOL!

The good thing is that I will be able to do everything at AKL, sign in for the cruise and get my cards there. I only need to show up at Port and get on ship!


It is getting closer now I am really excited! How about everybody else?

 

[Verandah Man]

We are really looking forward to sailing with so many family members this time, I think my niece said our group is now up to 12, plus she has some of her other friends that are traveling with us as well.

I will be going to the Philly airport to pick my mom up this morning, as she is coming up to see my DD in her high school musical this weekend, then we will be having my mom's surprise birthday party on Sunday. As far as I know, my sister still doesn't know that my mom and my family will be joining the rest of the group on the cruise, I'm hoping to at least surprise someone this weekend!!!

 

[littlebunny]

verandah man I hope the surprise goes well. It's so fun surprising the ones we love.

nuts4dzny your son sounds like he grew up to be a wonderful young man. Good to know taking him out of school never hurt him. Makes me feel better. I think only if my kids were struggling in school would I be worried.

DrCavin, thanks, yeah I wondered why no one responded. Good to know you did okay on excursions on your own.

I got so much done for the cruise yesterday! I ordered the bon voyage (chocolate covered strawberries, etc) package for my mom's room and our room as a surprise for my family. I also ordered from Shirley 3 small pail packages for my girls. And I received the new swimsuits I ordered for my girls and DH from Disney yesterday. I'm getting so excited!

I made door magnets for my kids, and I did put their first names on them. I was a little worried at first, but as someone else pointed out, they won't be checking themselves out, and will always be with either me DH or my mom in the hallways. I'll post a picture later if I can make them small enough for the screen.

 

[ragdoll]

Nutz4dzny, yes DH and I are getting excited! Time is flying. We will be cruising before we know it!

Hi, everbody! Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[littlebunny]

okay here's my mag door signs. I printed them out on my printer, and then used my xyron machine to laminate them on magnetic paper.

 

[Hanover]

Wow Littlebunny, those signs look great! Where did you get the photo/print shop program ? I ordered my mom flowers and the boys pail's from Shirley and can't wait to see their faces when they enter the room and find them.

Nuts4dzny-We've been excited since the day we asked for our trip quote and it's only building each day. I even have everyone's cruise clothes sectioned off in our closets just waiting to put them in our bags! The first thing my ds5 said to me this morning is when are we going to pack our stuff for our Disney trip? They know they are going to the parks a few days but nothing about the cruise. I bought our pillow cases and picture mats to drop off at guest services. The only thing left besides packing is to do our door signs and buy the boys new dress shoes and some waterproof cameras for the excursions we are doing. Thanks for your information on taking your son out of school. Our son has always missed a week of school (last year it was 2 weeks) since Kindergarten, and he's done very well so far. I also agree the Med cruise is out of our league price wise. I lived in Sicily for 3 years as a child and England for 4 1/2 years while in jr. high/high school when my dad was in the US Navy, so we have traveled to all those locations.

We did a land and sea vacation in February 2005 and stayed at AKL. We loved the resort (especially Boma) and the cruise check in was a breeze. This time around we'll be checking in at the port since we are staying in an Embassy Suites and I'm hoping that's a breeze as well.

Verandah man- Enjoy your mom's visit and have a great time at her surprise party.

 

[hooksenemy]

Spoke with TA yesterday, last she heard our ship was sold out by approx. 75% - We might be able to get the upgrade at the port after all! I am willing to pay for it, just not a huge amount! I would love a cat 7 or 8 We are in a 9 now! I want to be on the 5th deck, we are on deck 2 now - we booked what we wanted

Busy on the thread yesterday we must be close, we are completing signs not just talking about them, we are planning our special surprises for all of our loved ones For the record i love surprises but since I am the vacation planner, I rarely get the "special" surprises This trip, I am ordering the chocolate covered strawberries/champagne for myself and the other mother I am sailing with.

I also will be ordering baskets for my kids and hopefully some type of chocolate dessert mold from the kitchen. I need to talk to my TA - Dana about some other ideas, I don't want anything to be sold out so i know I need to act fast.

Sound like we are all in similiar boats with the kids and school. If we planned it right for those who get school work prior to leaving we could have a homework session in Rockin Bar D with everyone during the down time if day

Hanover, did you happen to see the scrapbooking weekend for August in Disney? they were scheduled to be I think at the contemporary but were moved to the Yacht & Beach Club - it was a great rate! I am seriously considering it! 4 days of scrapbooking, swaps, giveaways, vendors it looks awesome I have a few things from Michaels however I love A C Moore, I try to go to all of their cardstock and paper sales, the stickers I think are expensive no matter where you get them. I haven't seen the papers that is offered on mousememories at AC Moore, did they have it at Michaels - the pirate ship? I was ordering the gold paper with the black ship.

I am a true novice with the scrapbooking but I love it! i could stand going to some classes, I just don't have alot of spare time - do you attend classes? I used to go weekly now I am lucky to make 1 every couple of months.


Notified today we got our early seating! I am so excited! I haven't told the people we are sailing with yet!

 

[hooksenemy]

where did you get your graphics from? I love your door signs - did you find online or are they scanned images?

Nice job, your kids will love them.

I am thinking of not laminating my door signs to scrap them later - Creative Memories is offering a new 12x12 disney book which I already ordered - they are supposed to be available May 1?

Oh yeah! Our kids names will be on our door at some point - I am one of the lucky ones to have the mickey head paint chips from home depot - I grabbed a stack of them when I was making luggage tags for a friends daughter - I still need to get those laminated - I just remembered

 

[Cali-Mouse]

Thanks for the update Littlebunny. We probably will be doing alot of the same things. Maybe we can go together? Although DW and I really want to take our girls on a snorkel tour, we may see if we can get on one from the dock. I went to the Coral World website, I wasn't too impressed. For the most part we can probably see and do most of the same activities at SeaWorld! We have been to Coki Beach (honeymoon) and it was great, we may end up spending some beach/snorkel time there. It's right next to Coral World.

Dr. Cavin & Verandah Man, you two seem to be the most experienced here...on board, is there a place were guests can leave notes for other guests (a bulletin board?) I can't imagine trying to run all over the ship to leave multiple notes on various doors ~ talk about excercise.

Huey. Duey & Luey - Aren't your little ones all 4yrs?

 

[Verandah Man]

The only other thing I can think of other than leaving a message on someone's fish outside their cabin door, would be to leave a voice mail message on their cabin phone.

Just arrived home from the airport with my mom!!!

 

[littlebunny]

thanks for the compliments! I just did a search on google for example "tinkerbell wallpaper" then I would find a website that does free icons wallpaper screensavers and such and save the wallpaper image to my computer. Then I used Photoimpression 4, which I use to edit all my photos, and added the text. It was super easy. The only hard part was narrowing down all the fabulous pictures I found.

Hooksenemy I'm a scrapper too, and I think I'll just take a picture of the door mags on the actual door for my scrapbook. Never went to any classes, but it sounds like it would be lots of fun and you could get lots of ideas.

cali - wouldn't mind doing any excursions together, or just meeting up at those places. I'm nervous about getting the taxis and stuff, but know it will be okay. My girls are too scared to snorkel, but DH and I loved it in Hawaii.

 

[hooksenemy]

Both of my boys snorkeled last year for the first time in all of our trips they were 6 & 8 - They had mask and snorkel both on and did just fine with the coordination of it all one thing I will tell you is they tuckered out pretty quick and had to be aided back to shore by their parents

On DCL when they were 5 & 7 we did the Grand Cayman stingrays catamaran tour I LOVED IT the kids had a really rough time in the open water using just the mask - they both are good swimmers (for their age) and did great but the black moving things (stingrays) were very intimidating to our little one and the oldest guy was just intimidated by the whole concept - he was happy onboard the catamaran with fruit punch and chips That trip cost us close to $300 and I thought worth every penny just to allow me to do it! They loved watching from the catamaran I held at least 6 ranging in size from baby to big MAMA I fed them squid etc... In a nut shell it was great while we all didn't participate 100% we did what we could - in case you are wondering where DH was? He didn't want the kids onboard without one of us and there was NO WAY it was going to be me I had waited years to do a a thing like this

 

[DrCavin]

Cali-Mouse, the staterooms have voice-mail so that will be the easiest way to leave a message.

Little-Bunny, dont worry about the taxis each port has many right at the port & at the destinations you are going too - unless you go to someplace really seculded Our driver even offered to come back & get us. We told him be back in a hour, there he was waiting right outside for us

 

[bxirishrn]

Little bunny, your signs are great. I tried to download a trial of photoimpression 4 but could not. Do you get alot of user with it? I question buying it just to make door signs. I'll just have to go to Michaels and buy paper and stencils.

52 days and we'll be in Florida

 

[Verandah Man]

Hey Guys, we need a lot of Happy Thoughts and for this weekend. Our DD and many other kids that are in her high school musical have come down sick with colds, flu, strep throat and what ever else is floating around. The two lead characters did not come to school today because of illness, and my DD is sound asleep in the living room couch at the moment, but I have to have her to the school by 5:30 for practice. Tonight and tomorrow night are a dress run through, with opening night Friday evening. This is the first high school musical our DD has gotten involved in, and she has had such a fun time with it.

My mom said today she is so excited about getting back on the Magic and to be cruising with her two oldest kids, two granddaughters, and two great granddaughters. I know this is going to be a MAGICal cruise for us all!!!

 

[huey duey & luey]

Huey. Duey & Luey - Aren't your little ones all 4yrs?

As of today yes they are all officially 4 years old

 

[Hanover]

There are a ton of kids sick around here too. I helped out at my son's preschool today and when I first walked in the school I thought the sewer system was backed up it smelled so bad. The kids weren't there 5 minutes and one of the little girls had evidently just about blew her pants off. The director said they've had several kids out with the flu, high fevers, stomach bug and strep. I hope it's all over and done with by May 13th! Several of my older son's friends have also had that high fever virus going around. Fortunately we've been spared thus far.

Verandah Man, I hope your daughter and all her friends feel better fast and that the musical goes well.

Cali-mouse, I've also heard of groups using 2 way radios to communicate on board. We have them (our son got them as a birthday gift a couple years ago) but we didn't bring them on our last cruise so I'm not sure how useful they really are.


Hooksenemy- I had not heard about the August WDW crop. Soundy dreamy!
We go to the Outer Banks, NC each August so I won't be able to make it. Our boys did a pirate adventure cruise out of the Beach and Yacht Club last August and we loved the resort. Definitely on my list to stay at one day.

I have not seen that pirate ship paper anywhere but Mousememories.com. I have 2 friends that are Creative Memories consultants and run crops either once or twice a month. I don't get to make too many of their crops because of my husband's rotating police schedule and the fact he disc jockeys on most Saturdays. I tend to spread all my stuff out on a large table in our basement and when I finally get going, I like to just keep it out and do as much as possible. Most of the crops I've been to haven't been very productive scrapbook -wise but I hear a lot of good neighborhood gossip. When I do go to the crops, I try and stick to just cutting down my pictures and organizing them so when I'm home I can just pop them on my pages. Other than stickers and double matted borders, I don't do any other embellishments. I'd love to be able to use ribbons and eyelets and brads, but do not have any tools or know how to properly use them. My bows never come out like the cute little perfect bows on everyone else's pages so I don't bother anymore. My CM friends will only use CM stuff. I don't know anyone else that uses the embellishments I'm interested in to show me how. Recollections does run classes, but I'd never be able to make them. I really wish that DCL would run some scrapbooking classes on board. I get a lot of ideas off the scrapbook thread on Disboards and by searching "premade Disney or pre made Disney" scrapbook pages on Ebay. Twopeasinabucket.com also has a nice gallery you can view other completed Disney and Disney cruise pages.

Our year old beagle just tore apart our DCL dvd/trip planning guide from our bookshelf in the family room. Out of hundreds of same size scholastic books on 4 shelves, she chose the one non-kids book. She does have a Mickey necklace (rather dog collar), so maybe she recoginized him??? At least it wasn't the SOS pads tonight, which seem to be her favorite these days. We never had to child proof our home with 2 toddlers, but this dog finds everything. We even had to put locks on the pantry doors to keep her from opening them. She ate 4 cans of girl scout nuts/trail mix one day before we put the slide lock on. Luckily she didn't have an allergy or get sick. She has a couple dozen dog toys and numerous bones, but she insists on chewing books, sos pads, and trying to get the spindles on our stairs. I think she needs some doggy behavior boot camp classes. We try and give her a little independence in the house and have baby gates keeping her out of the play room and off the stairs, but she still finds things to destroy. I guess the books will be heading into the basement before long. I bought her $20 in bones last week to keep her busy chewing on those only to catch her trying to bury one in the corner with dirt from the plants.

 

[bxirishrn]

Hey Guys, we need a lot of Happy Thoughts ]



Lots of pixie dust going your way

Kathleen

 

[nutz4dzny]

littlebunny - Thanks for the kind words! I am glad you got all your questions answered! These boards are great and DrCavin and Hanover and Verandah Man are THE BEST! Thanks!

Verandah Man - So glad your Mom is excited about the Cruise. Tell her Happy Birthday from Nutz4dzny!

Hanover - I too want to start packing but we are in the middle of putting wood flooring in our Living Room and changing all our inside doors which are those cheap nondescpit doors to the solid wood 6 panal Honey Oak stained doors. We have 4 done and 7 more to go! Plus my new furniture for the Living room is in and waiting to be delivered. Whew! Good thing my DH is able to do all this himself but he is working so hard that I know he will ENJOY this cruise so much. He deserves a vacation!

There is a Flu type thing going around here in South Jersey also. My niece caught it and missed school and had to go to doctor's for antibiotics. My DH had a Bronchial infection 2 weeks ago and he was laid up for 2 days and he NEVER misses work. So glad it is starting now so it will all be gone by May 13th Yeah!

Hanover - Can you believe your dog knew how to go after the Disney stuff? He is a smart dog. I just ordered the new Passporter Deluxe 2006 edition. They said it will ship the beginning of April. Can't wait to get it.

Verandah Man - will be sending much 'Happy Thoughts' your way for your DD so she feels better for her musical. It will be nice that her grandmother gets to see it! Let us know how it goes! Tell her to 'Break a leg!'

hooksenemy- Your stingray adventure sounds neat. I booked the stingray adventure at CC for myself. All the others in my group are going Parasailing but due to my handicap, I decided against that one!

Here is a question for you experienced previous cruisers: I heard that if you are away from your towels and lounge chairs for an extended time period in CC, like going Parasailing, someone will remove your stuff, even if your beach bags are on it and put them to the side and take your chairs! Any truth to that? How do you stop that from happening? I mean it is not your fault that you must leave for a short time period to do an excursion etc. Your thoughts and suggestions please.


littlebunny - I too love your door signs. My niece is working hard on ours.