May 6, 2006 - 7 nite Western - Anyone Crusing?

[ganurse]

I have not been to Paradise Beach. We head over to the American Run Miniature Gold..ITs really cheap, tropical, fun, they bring drinks out to you when you call from your walkie talkie, see some animals and get tanned...Perhaps we will at least drive by the beach this year!

its so nice that our counters now say 29 days..less than a month to go.woohoo

amy

 

[MickeyD]

Chris! Welcome back! Hope you feel better. I imagine your wife is enjoying the quiet.

Heather, We are not booking an excursion in Coz either. Been there one too many times to spend the money on it. I think we are going to grab a cab to one of the beaches either Mr. Sanchos or Paradise. We may do mini golf, unless it is too hot! Just be aware that the cab drivers drive like crazy people...or like Washington drivers, only fast! LOL

new2cruise: you will love the Tropical Jeep Safari! At least we did the last two times we took it! It was a blast!

I finally got some shopping done today and can start "staging" stuff for packing!

Are we going to try and have a Dis meet? I, for one, would love to meet everyone, especially Chris...bet you are a hoot to party with!

Lisa

 

[new2cruise]

new2cruise: you will love the Tropical Jeep Safari! At least we did the last two times we took it! It was a blast!
Lisa

Lisa, Thanks for that - DS really wants to do it (actually he wanted the dune buggy one but I screwed up when making the ressies and then they were all gone) but I had been having second toughts about it and was thinking of canceling it. But, I think we'll give it try.

Also, it would be great to meet everyone.

 

[DDF]

Yes I will be having my younger DD try on some of her stuff from last year. She probably won't have much because she was hard on last summers clothes. We only have warm weather the first few weeks school starts up so I tend to get them skirts and capris instead of shorts to start out. The skirts they wear most of the year. But she does have stuff that was too big on her last year that might fight this year. She is such a bean pole that she really only changed in the length of her clothes. My older DD has alot of jean capris that won't work for the dinning room so I'll have to get her some that are different. She still needs sandles. Having a hard time finding something that is appropriate for a almost 12yo that fits her feet. She is out of childrens sizes.

I'm on the fence about doing the dolphin excursion that we have to take the ferry to the mainland. How bad is the ferry ride Dee Dee? Seems you have some experience with it. I would hate for my family to be "green" on such a expensive excursion.

The ferry is pretty big so it's not too bad...just depends on the waves that day. I've been in Playa Del Carmen when the waves are so bad they have cancelled the ferry...other times it's smooth as can be. Anyone find out if they changed the Xcaret excursion time? I read on another thread that the tender company, not DCL, sets the return time and it could change once we are on board. They announce the "official" time in the navigator.

 

[DDF]

Are we going to try and have a Dis meet? I, for one, would love to meet everyone, especially Chris...bet you are a hoot to party with!

Lisa[/QUOTE]

Yes, yes, yes!! Let's meet each other!

 

[pearlieq]

It seems like a lot of groups meet after the boat drill somewhere up on deck 9 or 10 so they can celebrate at least part of the sailaway together.

What does everyone think?

 

[MickeyD]

It seems like a lot of groups meet after the boat drill somewhere up on deck 9 or 10 so they can celebrate at least part of the sailaway together.

What does everyone think?

Or deck 7 secret deck? It gets pretty crowded on deck 9 and 10, but 10 would be better.

Lisa

 

[MickeyD]

Lisa, Thanks for that - DS really wants to do it (actually he wanted the dune buggy one but I screwed up when making the ressies and then they were all gone) but I had been having second toughts about it and was thinking of canceling it. But, I think we'll give it try.

Also, it would be great to meet everyone.

We almost went with the dune buggy one, but it looked like more snorkling than riding. The jeep tour is a blast and my ds was grinning from ear to ear all day (of course that was when he was 12 and 13 and now at 16, he's much to cool for that!

Lisa

 

[pearlieq]

Or deck 7 secret deck? It gets pretty crowded on deck 9 and 10, but 10 would be better.

Lisa

Deck 7 aft is definitely less crowded, but I love being part of the action up on deck 9/10. It's such a fun party!

 

[mazzarafe]

I'm in for a meet, but I don't want to have DD's miss their first "wave" from the port. Would we be able to see it from Deck 7? We could just meet at a specific spot and move to someplace else near the action that is not as crowded. Maybe up on 10 so we can still see below and not be in the middle of it all. I know my DH does not like to be in the middle of huge crowds, so we would probably be not in the thick of things anyway.

Dee Dee, we have decided to go for the trip on the ferry to swim with the dolphins, so here's to water as smooth as glass...

 

[jcfowler]

All seriousness aside, "THE PLACE" to be is on the upper deck port side directly in front of the ships horns! The most incredible memory of our first cruise was standing next to a rail, waving to some folks on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship who were taking pictures of US when from over the intercom came a soft female voice with the words: "We are about to sound the ships horns. Prepare for the sound. It will be rather loud".

There was NO preparation that could have been imagined for what happened next. Suddenly, over the horns, the first 7 notes of "When You Wish Upon A Star" played on the Richter Scale. It was a moment to remember-----then THEY DID IT AGAIN!!! WOW!!! I thought "So this is what it feels like to be Sue Thomas F.B.I.!"

Next as we were leaving the mouth of Port Canaveral literally hundreds of people along the canal and parked on the beach jumped to their feet and waved madly going totally beserk when the horn SOUNDED AGAIN!! I remember on a pier (which ran parallel to the canal) watching grown people with children on their shoulders running to "keep up" with us, all the while taking pictures and falling over sleeping drunks. It was incredible - not to mention funny.

This same public reaction repeated itself in every port and every ship we passed. It filled us with a since of pride and a sense of ------ snootyness. WE WERE on a Disney Cruise and THEY WEREN'T!!! Hahahahahahaha! Everywhere we went you could see cameras clicking away as we smiled and "mooned" people across the Caribbean! I GOTTA push that horn button!! (Hope a cat is asleep in front of the boat when it happens! )

I, too, look forward to putting faces with these wierd ID's (pearlieq, slg, mazzarafe, etc.), but suggest a "gathering" be sometime after we leave port. The level of activity and excitement is world class and spread out all over the ship. We should have time to "get together" when things settle a little. Remember we will be on the ship 120 hours and in four ports only a total of 37.5 hours. (That's 240 souffles at 30 minute intervals - they have to be cooked - for the entire trip! )

Have a great weekend all. Our thoughts and prayers to the folks hit by the tornadoes this week. Kinda helps put a "vacation" in prospective, doesn't it? Gotta

Chris

 

[imheather]

I can't wait~

Is anyone staying at Ron Jons the night before?

What excursions are you doing?

We did not book any because I have a crazy three year old.

We are going to Paradise beach in Cozumel and Sea Grape at Grand Cayman.
Trolly or golfcart in key west.

We did get Palos Brunch Sunday AM and Palos Tuesday night.

My 9 year old daughter is so excited she can't stand it.

I was thinking of picking up the passporter book at Barnes and Noble this weekend and really making a plan.

Heather

 

[MickeyD]

I agree, let's meet after we leave port. And yes, it is lovely to be sitting right in front of the horns when they blast! Please people, take them at their word: they are LOUD!! We did not believe it the first time and dh still claims that is the reason he can never hear what I say!

Lisa

 

[ganurse]

I came home from work to find 16 trees down in my neighborhood and the wind knocked my back door open..ready to relax..hubby is out of down and puppy had to have emergency surgery...i havent had a good week but i look forward to meeting all of you!

 

[jcfowler]

"Have a great weekend all. Our thoughts and prayers to the folks hit by the tornadoes this week. Kinda helps put a "vacation" in prospective, doesn't it?"

Amy - this includes you and Michael too. Hope your puppy does well. No kidding!

We were in our house when Huricane Ivan blew through at 145 mph and Katrina at 125 mph. A "small' (?) tornado missed our house by about 20 feet and took our some huge pecan trees all around us. Scary stuff for certain. I am thankful you were safe.

5 weeks from today we are all in Key West! Is everybody ready??

Later!
Chris

 

[pearlieq]

5 weeks from today we are all in Key West! Is everybody ready??

PSST! Might want to bump this up a week or we'll never get to meet!

Amy, I'm so sorry to hear about your rough week. I hope things get cleaned up and the puppy is on the mend soon. Put youself down for an extra Konk Kooler or two--you earned it!

 

[DDF]

"p:

5 weeks from today we are all in Key West! Is everybody ready??

Later!
Chris

I am soooo ready!!!

 

[new2cruise]

26 Days to sail away !

 

[jcfowler]

My "sundial" stopped when we changed time. (You've gotta remember in some parts of Alabama we still use 1998 calendars! )

Henry Ford said "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it." I represent that remark!

Speaking of taking a "look" at ourselves, we had dinner with a friend who is the director of a regional mental institution in our area over the weekend. I asked him what was the criteria they used in determining if a person should be institutionalized.

He answered, "Well, we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said to him. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug."

He asked me "Do you want a room with or without a view?" Now you know why we have an oceanview stateroom as opposed to a balcony!!

BTY you might want to check your drivers license ID against the same database used by Disney. We found a glitch in mine but DW's worked fine. Here is the link www(dot)license(dot)shorturl(dot)com. This will probably save you some time and headaches. I think it has something to do with the Patriot Act.

Have a great < FOUR WEEKS (inclusive)!!!!!

Chris

 

[DDF]

Chris, you got me!!!!! I immediately checked my drivers license! I will be using that on our friends we are cruising with. 4 weeks from today...a leisurely day at sea (those are my favorites)!

Dee Dee