May 3rd-10th****Dis Maytees-May Magic send off

[Heather98012]

Just curious....are these hotels you posted about in Orlando or near the port?

 

[Dawn414]

Radisson is near the port and has a free shuttle that you would book a couple weeks ahead of time. Last year when we did the 4-night cruise, we were like the 3rd family to walk in (got boarding #2 (probably not #1 because we weren't castaway members). It was REALLY COOL to be in the terminal when it was for all purposes...empty. And they ended up calling #1 & #2 together anyway. Totally worth getting there the day before and then getting to the port earlier than later...

Dawn McG

 

[bobbi565]

CI&S is in Cape Canaveral.

 

[CruisinEars]

Just wanted to keep this thread alive and near the top.

We are under 7 months to go! My kids are starting to get excited and my almost 7 yr old dd keeps asking me questions about what we are going to do.

I read on another thread that Dis'ers are trying to have 3:00 in the Promenade Lounge be the universal Dis meet time. I think that sounds like a great idea. I know someone mentioned earlier about a meet time and I am putting my vote in for this time.

I am still trying to think/brainstorm a theme for this cruise. I am totally drawing a blank. We are the last of the Spring season cruise and near mothers day, I think. We just gotta have some fun with this.

 

[Dawn414]

Wow...time flies, huh? My kids have been talking about it since we got off the last cruise! You'd think the 3 trips to Disney in between would keep them happy. SHEESH!

Dawn McG

 

[LadyShiva]

Dawn: Man, it's just hard for kids nowadays, isn't it??? Oh, and to get you to chuckle... My TA tried to change my Sept 2008 reservation over to Main Dining... Guess what happened? DH and I are on Main dining (cabin one) and my Mom and Fiona are in Late Dining! (Cabin 2). I know, plenty of time to get it straightened out. I'm still hoping our families get to sit together!

CruisinEars: I'm drawing a blank, too. Oh, and either I started the other thread or Linda did (can't keep them straight!!), and I'm also over on Cruise Critic (probably with a bunch of ya! ).

Someone posted a wonderful image for shirts on my Sept 2008 cruise thread. It is Maleficient looking angry and it says "You mean we have to get off the ship??" I'm very tempted to get one made for disembarkation.

Have a great day and a great weekend!

Brandie

 

[Dawn414]

Well, in their defense, they ARE 4... They really don't know how lucky they are...I never even SAW Cinderella's castle until I was in my 20s. Good think I'm just a big kid at heart!

They'll be in for a rude awakening though because the Disney fun will end after the cruise...They start Kindergarten that fall and we won't be taking them out for these jaunts to FLA...I think they'll survive. It's me that will be in serious withdrawal. My husband declared last night that I am addicted to traveling. I think he may be right.

Dawn McG

 

[LJC1861]

Brandie,

I think I started the other thread, and you were one of the first to post.

We are also getting excited. Every time I see Karen, Robin, Nina and Barbara they ask what is new with the planning. We have our excursions in Grand Cayman and Cozumel booked and paid for and now I am working on the hotel the night before and a van to get us all to the port.

I send out a "Cruise tip of the Week" to all of them and am also in the process of having T-shirts made for all of us. As we are doing a 5 hour boat tour on Grand Cayman we have started referring to this cruise as the "Gilligan's Love Boat" Cruise. Of course I am the Cruise Director. I may just have to get a short skirt and a clipboard! ( Wouldn't that be scary!!)

We are also going to have hawaiian shirt night the night we dine at Parrot Cay and perhaps a few other themed events for our little group.

I am also going to order small gift baskets for each of our staterooms. All in all I am having an absolute blast planning this cruise for all of us and am counting the days, which will be here all too soon.

Linda

 

[LJC1861]

Actually I started THIS thread, and I think Imheather started the other one. I should check before I reply.

Linda

 

[CruisinEars]

Well, in their defense, they ARE 4... They really don't know how lucky they are...I never even SAW Cinderella's castle until I was in my 20s. Good think I'm just a big kid at heart!

They'll be in for a rude awakening though because the Disney fun will end after the cruise...They start Kindergarten that fall and we won't be taking them out for these jaunts to FLA...I think they'll survive. It's me that will be in serious withdrawal. My husband declared last night that I am addicted to traveling. I think he may be right.

Dawn McG

I am right there with you. My dh and I are planning our vacas for the next 3 years.

This is also the last year we can really pull the kids out of school for any length of time. My son is in 4th and my dd is in 1st and my son is already dreading the 2 weeks worth of homework he will need to catch up on when we get back.

 

[LadyShiva]

Well, in their defense, they ARE 4... They really don't know how lucky they are...I never even SAW Cinderella's castle until I was in my 20s. Good think I'm just a big kid at heart!

They'll be in for a rude awakening though because the Disney fun will end after the cruise...They start Kindergarten that fall and we won't be taking them out for these jaunts to FLA...I think they'll survive. It's me that will be in serious withdrawal. My husband declared last night that I am addicted to traveling. I think he may be right.

Dawn McG

You'll just switch to travelling in the summer, go ahead and 'fess up!

Brandie

 

[Dawn414]

You'll just switch to travelling in the summer, go ahead and 'fess up!

Brandie

You're saying that like we don't ALREADY do that too! I'm just not sure I can picture doing WDW in the summer with the hoards of people. we are SO SPOILED right now...WE've gone during mostly non-peak times and the crowds have been extremely manageable. It's also going to be REALLY hard not to want to re-book another cruise while on the ship. I just don't see how it is financially feasible...since we'd have to do it during one of the (GAG) off from school times which you KNOW is more expensive.

We're actually already trying to plan an August '08 trip to Myrtle Beach using our vacation club...we're in 'wait' mode right now because the facility is relatively new and we 'traded' our Orlando week. We should get it, but the wait is a killer...especially since we're trying to surprise DH's Mom with it.

Can't even think about '09 right now. My husband would have a stroke.

Dawn

 

[LadyShiva]

You're saying that like we don't ALREADY do that too! I'm just not sure I can picture doing WDW in the summer with the hoards of people. we are SO SPOILED right now...WE've gone during mostly non-peak times and the crowds have been extremely manageable. It's also going to be REALLY hard not to want to re-book another cruise while on the ship. I just don't see how it is financially feasible...since we'd have to do it during one of the (GAG) off from school times which you KNOW is more expensive.

We're actually already trying to plan an August '08 trip to Myrtle Beach using our vacation club...we're in 'wait' mode right now because the facility is relatively new and we 'traded' our Orlando week. We should get it, but the wait is a killer...especially since we're trying to surprise DH's Mom with it.

Can't even think about '09 right now. My husband would have a stroke.

Dawn

I am thinking of doing a booking on the Sept 2008 cruise and then moving it onto the new boats when they come out.

I'm home with a sick babygirl. She has a horrid cough and has an ear infection. She woke up about 4 am with a fever, so of course she falls back asleep NOW... when I'm at work. *sigh* Guess that's better than the alternative, right? Staying awake all day and being suitably grumpy.

I'm sooooo tired. Dawn, how do you manage it when both your kiddoes are sick? What about you, Mary?

Brandie

 

[Dawn414]

I am thinking of doing a booking on the Sept 2008 cruise and then moving it onto the new boats when they come out.

I'm home with a sick babygirl. She has a horrid cough and has an ear infection. She woke up about 4 am with a fever, so of course she falls back asleep NOW... when I'm at work. *sigh* Guess that's better than the alternative, right? Staying awake all day and being suitably grumpy.

I'm sooooo tired. Dawn, how do you manage it when both your kiddoes are sick? What about you, Mary?

Brandie

I don't think both kids have been sick at the same time. THANK GOD! Usually it's one or the other...I hope Fiona gets better soon...

Separately---I need to find a travel addicts helpline! I would REALLY like to do a mini-WDW (or other trip) around my birthday (which is 2 1/2 weeks before the cruise). I haven't booked anything, but I started to LOOK...that leads to booking...Kyle will totally freak if I bring that up...ok, he's a B personality so probably wouldn't freak...but he might actually said NO (which he never does).

Dawn

 

[LadyShiva]

Doc says croup, so Fiona is out of day care for a couple days. She also has a double ear infection, but it was caught early.

Dawn, DH has said no to me, too. *argh* I might be able to talk him into the Romance package for the Sept cruise, but that's about it.

Brandie

 

[Dawn414]

Timing is everything...Kyle wants an iPhone...he totally pulled a "DAWN" and said it'd be his presents for Christmas, his birthday and Father's Day. I still had the gall to say, "What' in it for me"? He said I could have another trip without whining....DING DING DING...I shared my 'thoughts' about the April thing and he didn't freak. So, I guess we'll see. Not ready to pull the trigger on that just yet.

Hope Fiona feels better soon!
Dawn

 

[Dawn414]

OK, so what excursions has everyone thought about. SUCH the quandary. As I sit here watching the Giants/Falcons game, I put together an itinerary for excursions and then almost fell off the bed because if we did everything I wanted to, we'd have to take out another mortgage. OK...not quite, but I did have to 'alter' a few things.

So where is everyone with this? (Keep in mind in my case, I have two (will be) 5-year olds so some things won't work even though I'd LOVE to do them).

Key West - thinking about the pirate scavenger hunt, but not sure...maybe take in the conch train or trolley and just see the sites. Pirate more fun for the kids...historical stuff more fun for Mom/Dad...I suppose we could do both and just not do the Disney tour version of the conch train/trolley.

Grand Cayman - This is a big ticket day. Snorkeling is awesome in GC, but the munchkins are too little for it so, we're going to do two things...in the morning, we'll do one of the submarine things so they can see the marinelife under water and then in the afternoon drop the kids off at the club and do an afternoon snorkeling tour.

Cozumel - DH is doing the Tulum ruins (painful at $97 for one person), but it is an all-day thing and it gets great ratings from the Passporter book. As for me and the kids...bit of a debate. I thought about the beach break which sounds like fun, but since we have 'beach' for Castaway, not sure if I want to spend the time/money doing that. Also thinking about a massage. I've been to Cozumel so other than maybe the beach for the kids and DEFINITE duty-free shopping , there isn't a whole lot that I specifically need to do. I could also do the massage thing on a 'sea' day too though (payback for the all-day Tulum thing).

Castaway - Did the snorkeling thing last time. Wasn't overly impressed and DANG that water was cold. Hoping it's better this time. We have our own snorkel stuff so that isn't a big deal. I think I want to do the banana boat. That sounds like a lot of fun. Obviously not for the kids. I'd also LOVE to parasail...haven't done that in probably 15 years...but kind of costly for 5 minutes in the air. Quandary on the stingray because again...kids might freak and I don't want to pay for them to be scared. So, probably banana boat, some snorkeling and the tube/rafts again.

Next???
Dawn McG

 

[LJC1861]

We are not sure what we are going to do in Key West. None of us has ever been there, so just exploring on our own might be a good thing.

On Grand Cayman we have a 5 hour boat tour booked with Scotch Bonnet Tours through Grand Cayman Excursions. We are on a 27' Boston Whaler with a guide and will be visiting Sting Ray City, a reef for snorkeling, a mangrove waterway, a starfish beach and Rum Point. This is a private charter and can be tailored to the needs and desires of our group. He also offers fishing and tubing if we want it.

In Cozumel we are all doing the Royal Swim with the dolphins at Chankaanab. We have a 12 noon swim booked and will most likely spend some time at the park, leaving a bit of time for some shopping as well.

On Castaway Cay we have a variety of things planned. Some of us want Cabana massages, some want to parasail and jet ski and some of us just want to be beach bums for the day. All in all it will be a blast!

Linda

 

[bobbi565]

I think these kids are getting addicted to Disney! Yesterday was the last day of a six week soccer course for DS4. He's been enjoying it, but for the whole session (warmup, goal practice, and the big game against the parents), he was whiney, crying, and clingy. The slightest setback had him descending into tears! Finally, at the goodbye "party" (Teddy Grahams and juice boxes) he revealed to me that he was upset because he wanted to be on the Mickey boat!

I think it's funny how chatty everyone was when we were 14 months out (that's when I posted the other thread on the meet board after IMHeather started a thread on the general forum asking about booking this cruise), and now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, only a handful of us keep talking. I am so excited, I can barely stand it, and obviously, so is DS!

As far as excursions go, we're looking at aquarium and butterfly conservatory in Key West, Stingray City with Captain Marvin's and Turtle Farm in GC (I've got two boys---a 43 yo and a 4 yo---who are turtle crazy), and Chankanaab (sp?) in Cozumel (on the recommendation of my sister who was there with another cruise line some years ago). On CC, we're just going to enjoy a day at the beach, no excursions required, just a tube/raft and lots of conch coolers.

DS also starts kindergarten next fall, but since we will be sending him to private school, we will still have the option of taking him out for vacations without the law coming after us! Of course, considering that I will probably be going back to teaching (I've been home with him for three years), I'll be the one who will have trouble taking time off school!

 

[LadyShiva]

I have no idea yet on the excursions. I'm still thinking about XCaret.

Brandie