lmhall2000
May the road rise to meet you....May God hold you
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2002
- Messages
- 6,173
Well, you don't hear me mention about the guys...my son and his friend were seen in the morning, and perhaps again at dinner....during the day, my best guess is they spent it split b/w the Vibe/pizza counter/buffets/basketball...we just never saw them! They were all having a good time..oh wait, I did see them a few times in the room watching 'Megaminds' for the 10th time!! I might have seen the entire movie with all the snippets I caught them watching...for some reason they LOVE that movie...me, not so much. The big blue head is just off putting for some reason..
I'd much rather be out shuffle boarding than seeing that blue head! 
So, we've finished our time at Cabo, all stops are finished..we really did not have that much time in Cabo..tenders ran smoothly..never really had to wait long. On our long walk back from Medano beach to the port area...we were again approached by many, one local noticed the girls I was with and b/c we're just not used to that type of approach...one niece got sucked in to a little bit of too friendly? He asked me to take a picture of the two of them, hey, that's harmless, right? well, b/w the time I took the picture and he made his move...this happened...(gotta switch computers to get that picture added..will add soon) We hopskipped out of that restaurant area as soon as we could!
Our niece did an amazing rendition of a song from 'DreamGirls' for talent night...I did not get any pictures of her on my camera..b/c when she starts singing, it really hits me and I just get engrossed waiting for the next note...but she was awesome! And I cry a little...she's just really talented. Our girls did a bit of Irish soft shoe for talent night...they all had a great time and I highly recommend it...everyone was so entertaining!! Loved this little girl who did a dance with her big sisters..she had attitude..it was GREAT!
So, it's time to get some sea days and head back home. So far, the ship has been pretty stable...some crazy front was coming through..LA predicted 1-2 inches, high was 52 with gusting winds. That meant..CRAZY WATERS!! The first day wasn't so bad, but Saturday night was challenging...the ship was rocking left and right...I can handle that..my family used to spend a good deal of time on lakes and I could handle all kinds of rocking...but when we started lifting up in the forward and sinking in the aft along with the side to side...it felt like we were weeble wobbles....again, handled it okay, the occasional walking sideways and correcting yourself...
But, when I tried to start picking up to pack our bags...(had some WONDERFUL WONDERFUL fish extender gifts!! We were floored by the amounts and quality! Since all of our luggage had to be carryons, we made necklaces for the girls and coins for the boys...alas, when we packed them the coating we had put on them to seal them made them all stick to each other...so we were devastated and tried to save them...so all of you who wondered why one side of the necklace was a bit marred..yah, that's our luck and greenness with crafty things...next time...we're going to come up with some better options!)...the bending and bending and turning to get suitcases out from under the bed...within 15 minutes, nausea overwhelmed me and seasickness set in...I could not MOVE!! I only got 'sick' twice...but just trying to sit up made it feel it would come back...one of my sweet daughters felt so badly for me, that she packed my bag for me and got everyone else packing their own...love love these kids! My niece also got sick, but the rest of our party had no effect! My dh who can't even walk on a dock without being ill quickly, had no problem....
Sleeping put everything better and had no nausea in the morning...but I was in a panic to get everyone up and OUT!! We needed to get off the ship first thing..it was 6:30am and we were expected to dock at 7:00am...with niece's flight leaving around 10:30am..we had to get out!! Somehow, in the midst of my nausea the night before, I missed the announcement that we did not expect to hit port until 9:00am...I am SOO glad or else I would not have slept a wink.
So, it looks like we have time for breakfast now..so I wake up everyone and tell them to finish packing and get some food. On my way back from breakfast I see people already waiting in the lobby to disembark. Uh-oh! We better get our stuff!! So everyone meets in the lobby around 8:30 and we're still not near port! EEK! Our shuttle driver was at the port at 7:00am and he said "no ship, ma'am"...yep....no ship...we would have to be charged extra for the long wait...can't blame them...we just need to get off this ship!!
We meet another sweet family from Canada anxious about their flights home...we join efforts and keep trying to figure out which staff members look like they could help us...they kept moving people out of the lobby to keep them from forming lines...I explain to one nice gentleman that my niece has a 10:30 flight (actually dh had been told it had been moved to 10:47 but who's keeping track?) and we're worried...he said that we could hang out where we were and as soon as we were cleared he'd let us know. Well, the Canadian family (who vowed never to sail Disney again...I really tried to share my knowledge of new staff, first LA sailings in awhile etc..but they had a list too long for me to trump) were concerned that we would get lost in the shuffle..so she went and got a worker to help us to a special spot where they would let us off first! WOW!! Love this lady! We had all our luggage as carry ons so nothing to check made it easy!
We were the first ones off the ship at 9:30!!! EEEK! I start racing out...hoping customs will not be long...she needed ALL of us there to check us out...so we had to wait for Disney to check off my daughter, somehow her card was not working and they would not let her off! That took a few minutes and so happy Grumpy did not lose his cool...he was with her....he thought we had left them....uh no. We get outside and there was our shuttle driver! An angel of a man!! He had a wonderful life of stories to share with us and had that easy going California manner...we were sad when he told us about his father dying during a Howard Hughes film (he was an actor in the film)....he was only 6 when his father died..but Howard Hughes sent a check to his mother every week for the rest of her life and paid for all their college...amazing! Hughes also still owns all the land that LAX is on for atleast 70 more years! That man was a genius and a man that likely touched many lives in those counties!!
He gets us to the airport in great time...we get there at 10:05!! We go to the instant check in for my niece..I rush her to the security and we give our hugs...I tell her to call us from the gate to make sure she made it..SHE DID!!
Relief!! We had pre-bought 7 tickets for Knotts Berry Farm online....but with 2 inches coming down of rain..we weren't going anywhere...so we had 13 hours to kill at LAX....thus ends our ....no wait, one more moment of melodrama...
We finally board our 11pm flight to Atlanta..we were soo tired, no one really slept...so when we land we have 30 minutes to get to our next flight....we manage to get to the right concourse and our gate is 32...the girls now tell me that they need to use the restroom...we rush off to find a bathroom...it of course is 9 gates the other way...2 girls are taking awhile and me and my youngest daughter are done..I tell her to race back to the gate and give the boys their boarding passes (I had them all with me)...I would wait for the other girls. As soon as they come out of the bathroom, I turn to go to the gate, I quickly correct myself and realize I was headed in the wrong direction....I turn around and my other daughter says, "But, mom, DD2 went the wrong way!" OH MY GOODNESS!! We are supposed to be boarding our connection and my poor daughter has been going the wrong direction...now Atlanta concourses are NUTs!! It's Monday morning business traffic..so crowded....I RACE to the nearest gate and beg them to page my daughter...she is headed down a concourse that holds gates 1-28...it's a LONG way down!
This is where I want to SCREAM!! If you are on the side of the concourse that has gates 1-28...they can only use their PA system on the OPPOSITE side..gates 29-56..not their own!! HUH????
So, my options were either to go back 9 gates and have them page her or just start racing down after her myself...I start running through the airport screaming her name....I finally can see her about 15 gates ahead of me....it takes me a few minutes to run to where she could finally hear my screaming, I am out of breath....she had made it all the way to the end of that concourse and had started coming back..she had forgotten the gate number and they were not printed on our passes...she was in TEARS!! She sees me and wants to collapse in my arms..she was soo frightened!!
But, no time for mommy moments..I give her a warm swift hug and look her in the eyes and say "Honey, I've got you now, don't fret, but we have got to RUN to our gate or they'll leave us!!" So both of us start running through 28 gates and then an additional 4 to get us to the right part of the concourse...everyone is already on the plane....it is 3 minutes before we're supposed to leave the tarmac....thank goodness they waited for us!! My husband had explained that I had gone to try to find my lost child.
And, thus ends our melodrama...oh wait..when we landed in Huntsville, and headed to our van, we were blessed to have a flat tire...now, thus ends our melodrama....somehow...it follows us...but we've learned to handle it well...now we just expect it and compare it to previous dramatic events in our family vacations! It just wouldn't be the same without them!
We did rebook for Sep 2012...this time the Fantasy...I have time to get in my wedding size shape for our 20th anniversary ....I was happy to find I had lost a pound on this cruise, I'm sure that run through the Atlanta airport helped. So, I'm one pound closer to my goal..and I will be in my swimsuit waiting to ride the Aquaduck....only 18 more months to go!
Thanks for reading our report...I'd be glad to answer any questions and I highly recommend Masters Limo..they were incredible!! And recommend Crowne Plaza..but priceline your room! And, of course, highly recommend the cruise ship, but for us, we'll stick to off months..we like a little less crowded ship than what we experienced this time!
Safe travels everyone!!
MomT
I'd much rather be out shuffle boarding than seeing that blue head!
So, we've finished our time at Cabo, all stops are finished..we really did not have that much time in Cabo..tenders ran smoothly..never really had to wait long. On our long walk back from Medano beach to the port area...we were again approached by many, one local noticed the girls I was with and b/c we're just not used to that type of approach...one niece got sucked in to a little bit of too friendly? He asked me to take a picture of the two of them, hey, that's harmless, right? well, b/w the time I took the picture and he made his move...this happened...(gotta switch computers to get that picture added..will add soon) We hopskipped out of that restaurant area as soon as we could!
Our niece did an amazing rendition of a song from 'DreamGirls' for talent night...I did not get any pictures of her on my camera..b/c when she starts singing, it really hits me and I just get engrossed waiting for the next note...but she was awesome! And I cry a little...she's just really talented. Our girls did a bit of Irish soft shoe for talent night...they all had a great time and I highly recommend it...everyone was so entertaining!! Loved this little girl who did a dance with her big sisters..she had attitude..it was GREAT!
So, it's time to get some sea days and head back home. So far, the ship has been pretty stable...some crazy front was coming through..LA predicted 1-2 inches, high was 52 with gusting winds. That meant..CRAZY WATERS!! The first day wasn't so bad, but Saturday night was challenging...the ship was rocking left and right...I can handle that..my family used to spend a good deal of time on lakes and I could handle all kinds of rocking...but when we started lifting up in the forward and sinking in the aft along with the side to side...it felt like we were weeble wobbles....again, handled it okay, the occasional walking sideways and correcting yourself...
But, when I tried to start picking up to pack our bags...(had some WONDERFUL WONDERFUL fish extender gifts!! We were floored by the amounts and quality! Since all of our luggage had to be carryons, we made necklaces for the girls and coins for the boys...alas, when we packed them the coating we had put on them to seal them made them all stick to each other...so we were devastated and tried to save them...so all of you who wondered why one side of the necklace was a bit marred..yah, that's our luck and greenness with crafty things...next time...we're going to come up with some better options!)...the bending and bending and turning to get suitcases out from under the bed...within 15 minutes, nausea overwhelmed me and seasickness set in...I could not MOVE!! I only got 'sick' twice...but just trying to sit up made it feel it would come back...one of my sweet daughters felt so badly for me, that she packed my bag for me and got everyone else packing their own...love love these kids! My niece also got sick, but the rest of our party had no effect! My dh who can't even walk on a dock without being ill quickly, had no problem....
Sleeping put everything better and had no nausea in the morning...but I was in a panic to get everyone up and OUT!! We needed to get off the ship first thing..it was 6:30am and we were expected to dock at 7:00am...with niece's flight leaving around 10:30am..we had to get out!! Somehow, in the midst of my nausea the night before, I missed the announcement that we did not expect to hit port until 9:00am...I am SOO glad or else I would not have slept a wink.
So, it looks like we have time for breakfast now..so I wake up everyone and tell them to finish packing and get some food. On my way back from breakfast I see people already waiting in the lobby to disembark. Uh-oh! We better get our stuff!! So everyone meets in the lobby around 8:30 and we're still not near port! EEK! Our shuttle driver was at the port at 7:00am and he said "no ship, ma'am"...yep....no ship...we would have to be charged extra for the long wait...can't blame them...we just need to get off this ship!!
We meet another sweet family from Canada anxious about their flights home...we join efforts and keep trying to figure out which staff members look like they could help us...they kept moving people out of the lobby to keep them from forming lines...I explain to one nice gentleman that my niece has a 10:30 flight (actually dh had been told it had been moved to 10:47 but who's keeping track?) and we're worried...he said that we could hang out where we were and as soon as we were cleared he'd let us know. Well, the Canadian family (who vowed never to sail Disney again...I really tried to share my knowledge of new staff, first LA sailings in awhile etc..but they had a list too long for me to trump) were concerned that we would get lost in the shuffle..so she went and got a worker to help us to a special spot where they would let us off first! WOW!! Love this lady! We had all our luggage as carry ons so nothing to check made it easy!
We were the first ones off the ship at 9:30!!! EEEK! I start racing out...hoping customs will not be long...she needed ALL of us there to check us out...so we had to wait for Disney to check off my daughter, somehow her card was not working and they would not let her off! That took a few minutes and so happy Grumpy did not lose his cool...he was with her....he thought we had left them....uh no. We get outside and there was our shuttle driver! An angel of a man!! He had a wonderful life of stories to share with us and had that easy going California manner...we were sad when he told us about his father dying during a Howard Hughes film (he was an actor in the film)....he was only 6 when his father died..but Howard Hughes sent a check to his mother every week for the rest of her life and paid for all their college...amazing! Hughes also still owns all the land that LAX is on for atleast 70 more years! That man was a genius and a man that likely touched many lives in those counties!!
He gets us to the airport in great time...we get there at 10:05!! We go to the instant check in for my niece..I rush her to the security and we give our hugs...I tell her to call us from the gate to make sure she made it..SHE DID!!
Relief!! We had pre-bought 7 tickets for Knotts Berry Farm online....but with 2 inches coming down of rain..we weren't going anywhere...so we had 13 hours to kill at LAX....thus ends our ....no wait, one more moment of melodrama...
We finally board our 11pm flight to Atlanta..we were soo tired, no one really slept...so when we land we have 30 minutes to get to our next flight....we manage to get to the right concourse and our gate is 32...the girls now tell me that they need to use the restroom...we rush off to find a bathroom...it of course is 9 gates the other way...2 girls are taking awhile and me and my youngest daughter are done..I tell her to race back to the gate and give the boys their boarding passes (I had them all with me)...I would wait for the other girls. As soon as they come out of the bathroom, I turn to go to the gate, I quickly correct myself and realize I was headed in the wrong direction....I turn around and my other daughter says, "But, mom, DD2 went the wrong way!" OH MY GOODNESS!! We are supposed to be boarding our connection and my poor daughter has been going the wrong direction...now Atlanta concourses are NUTs!! It's Monday morning business traffic..so crowded....I RACE to the nearest gate and beg them to page my daughter...she is headed down a concourse that holds gates 1-28...it's a LONG way down!
This is where I want to SCREAM!! If you are on the side of the concourse that has gates 1-28...they can only use their PA system on the OPPOSITE side..gates 29-56..not their own!! HUH????
So, my options were either to go back 9 gates and have them page her or just start racing down after her myself...I start running through the airport screaming her name....I finally can see her about 15 gates ahead of me....it takes me a few minutes to run to where she could finally hear my screaming, I am out of breath....she had made it all the way to the end of that concourse and had started coming back..she had forgotten the gate number and they were not printed on our passes...she was in TEARS!! She sees me and wants to collapse in my arms..she was soo frightened!!
But, no time for mommy moments..I give her a warm swift hug and look her in the eyes and say "Honey, I've got you now, don't fret, but we have got to RUN to our gate or they'll leave us!!" So both of us start running through 28 gates and then an additional 4 to get us to the right part of the concourse...everyone is already on the plane....it is 3 minutes before we're supposed to leave the tarmac....thank goodness they waited for us!! My husband had explained that I had gone to try to find my lost child.
And, thus ends our melodrama...oh wait..when we landed in Huntsville, and headed to our van, we were blessed to have a flat tire...now, thus ends our melodrama....somehow...it follows us...but we've learned to handle it well...now we just expect it and compare it to previous dramatic events in our family vacations! It just wouldn't be the same without them!
We did rebook for Sep 2012...this time the Fantasy...I have time to get in my wedding size shape for our 20th anniversary ....I was happy to find I had lost a pound on this cruise, I'm sure that run through the Atlanta airport helped. So, I'm one pound closer to my goal..and I will be in my swimsuit waiting to ride the Aquaduck....only 18 more months to go!
Thanks for reading our report...I'd be glad to answer any questions and I highly recommend Masters Limo..they were incredible!! And recommend Crowne Plaza..but priceline your room! And, of course, highly recommend the cruise ship, but for us, we'll stick to off months..we like a little less crowded ship than what we experienced this time!
Safe travels everyone!!
MomT
.
You are soo lucky! I kept hoping I would run into him so I could give him a heartfelt thanks for helping make our trip so enjoyable...I can easily see where a cruise director really affects the passenger's attitudes! 
Your husband and mine would get along great! I would just keep my mouth shut everytime he would tell our nieces/guest to order TWO entrees...he wants to get the max for his money...he would always say, "Get whatever you want, they'll bring you as much as you want!" UGH!! I think it's a 'gift' that they may bring you two appetizers when you can't decide, not an obligation...but dh thinks paying for a cruise, includes all you can eat food, which I guess...technically...has some truth to it!! 
