Memorial Week Cruise May 24-29, 2009

[hillfam]

g-ma: Just made my spa reservations and I am so excited! I saved most of them for the last day, but I'm sneaking the first massage in the night we sail. I went on and did our shore excursions as well. We couldn't get Palo for brunch because that's my girly day and dinner is "sacred family time", so I think we are going to miss that....boo hoo. We are definitely going to have to book a 7 day next time. I'm running out of options! haha Take care.

 

[g-ma]

Awww Monique, I'm so happy for you. This is when it really becomes real!

What spa treatments did you choose? I keep reading about these and dreaming, awww, I think I am going to also add the rain room. It sounds restful, and of course our duo massage (which I hope I can get early the last day). I can't wait to book ours and excursions. I so hope we are able to at least get most of what we want.

I've been all over this site and STILL learn soooooo much, lol. It's better than a movie. My poor husband comes home from work and has to yell up to me, "I'm home". I just can't seem to break away.

Went today to the dollar store and bought an erase board for our door.(just in case the kids are trying to find us (we'll probably be hiding on deck 4 in those comphy chairs I keep reading about).

Take care---M

What excursions did you book?

 

[hillfam]

Well, I got a stone massage late night that Sunday, and I got a package called Alone Time on that Wednesday, which is a facial, wrap and half massage, and a pedicure, manicure, body composition analysis and me and my husband got the rasuel room - (its like aromatherapy, body paints, champagne, etc.) - remember this is our fourth honeymoon! haha
Do you know what stateroom you guys are in? We will be on deck 6, 6110.

 

[twokats]

Well, I got a stone massage late night that Sunday, and I got a package called Alone Time on that Wednesday, which is a facial, wrap and half massage, and a pedicure, manicure, body composition analysis and me and my husband got the rasuel room - (its like aromatherapy, body paints, champagne, etc.) - remember this is our fourth honeymoon! haha
Do you know what stateroom you guys are in? We will be on deck 6, 6110.

Sounds like a lot of pampering. Still have not quite decided what I want to do yet.

We are on deck 6 - 6080. I was told that is midship.

 

[hillfam]

Sounds like a lot of pampering. Still have not quite decided what I want to do yet.

We are on deck 6 - 6080. I was told that is midship.

From what I understand, they get reserved very quickly and trust me, it is well deserved. I heard they are fabulous!

 

[g-ma]

Wow, that is alot of pampering. You will be the most relaxed person on the ship, lol. Just kidding, that's great. I've also read about the rasuel room. It sounds perfect for another honeymoon, .

Wish we could book now, but gotta wait. What was the date again???

I've been reading up a little on Nassau excursions. Think we'll stick with our original plans.

Has anyone checked out the pic of the day on here? Fabulous pics, makes you wanna be there. And oh, those sunsets!!!

 

[Kelly Lou]

I'm hooked on the pic of the day, I went to the begining and checked out the whole thread. Now I look at the new ones everyother day or so. You should check em out. They're great. I can't wait! My 7 yr old says we have 98 days left til we go to Disney World, (a few more til the cruise)! (He can't wait either!)

 

[g-ma]

Calling all cruisers...

We need to talk FE. I'm new here, hoping someone with experience might lead this. Any takers???

Who all plans to participate? I guess this can be handled anyway that works for all of us. Some give out everynight, some only one night (I like this way), and others seem to take turns picking nights so there is something everynight. (I like this way also).I guess we leave something for each person in the room.

I'm not real sure about this, but I guess we buy dollar store items, or bring things from our home towns.???

Anyway, I'm trying to get the ball rolling Any idea's, suggestions, jump in.

Take care all-----------Marlene

 

[lilouisianagal]

I haven't gotten a chance to read through the whole thread yet but I wanted to say hi

name or what you go by...Claire
State I reside in...Louisiana
Traveling with...well he'll be my husband then!
land and sea or sea only....sea
have you cruised before...never ever ever (neither of us have)
What will you celebrate...its our Honeymoon!
Dressing up for pirate night. ..probably
Favorite character...just one? I can't do it. I'll get back with you on that.
Favorite disney memory...running the Disney marathon!
3 must do's...have fun, have fun, have fun
Time of dinner seating...main
Just for laughs...
coke, pepsi, or pina colada's...I'm not a big soda person unless they are frozen. But non-alcoholic pina colada's are quite yummy!
sun or shade...depends on how cold it is and how sunny the sun is.
morning or night person...I used to be a night person until I started running. Now as long as I get to bed early I love getting up early.
Last book read...the Bible. I'm a full time grad student (Rene Descartes anyone?) so I don't get much time for pleasure reading. I love kids/young adult books though (Harry Potter!) and I am slowing reading through 'On Food and Cooking' in my "free time"
Taking a book on the cruise...yes, though reading it isn't really a high priority
Feel free to add your own...........
I'll add tips if I see any good ones!

Has anyone heard anything about parasailing excursion? Is it worth it?

Only 94 days!

 

[g-ma]

Hi Claire, Great to have you onboard with us!

Most of us on here so far are new to cruising.Can't wait to go So you're a runner. My daughter Kelly Lou (she's on here), will run her first race in March. We've all (the family) been trying to loose weight here and Kel said it was always on here bucket list to run a race so she's gonna give it a go in March. Any pointers for her???

What deck are you on? We're on 7 and 2. Sorry, I don't know anything about the parasailing offered, but my kids and hubby have tried it in Myrtle beach and they loved it.

Nice to meet you----Marlene

P.S. We have main dining also

 

[Kelly Lou]

Hi Claire,

Welcome to our dis. I'm excited to see someone new, I was wondering how many new people we'd see before the cruise.
Are you getting married at Disney, or at home and just honeymooning on the cruise?
And, my mom was right... I was excited to see you ran the Disney marathon, I'm so jealous ! I have a 5k coming up in March, I've never run before in my life, and right now I am run/walk/jogging for practice (lol) I have a long way to go before I could handle a real marathon .

Can't wait...

 

[lilouisianagal]

g-ma (Marlene) from Ohio; traveling w/DH, adult children (KellyLou), spouses, and kids land&sea; 1st cruise; celebrating son's b-day/alone time/family; main dining; Deck 7 & 2, Room?

Kelly Lou (Kelly) from Ohio; traveling w/DH, DS 8, DS 7, and DD 3 (and parents (g-ma), siblings, in laws, and neices and nephews- 17 total); Land&Sea&Land; 1st cruise; celebrating family; main dining; Deck? Room?

twokats (Kathy/Kat) from Texas; traveling w/DH; land&sea&land; 1st cruise; celebrating 25th anniversary; late dining; deck 6, Room 6080

hillfam (Monique) from Georgia; traveling w/DH, DS7, DS2; Sea?&Land?; 4th cruise; celebrating DH's return/4th honeymoon; main dining; deck 6, room 6110

lilouisianagal (Claire) from Louisiana; traveling w/DH; Sea; 1st cruise; celebrating Honeymoon; main dining; deck 2, room 2078

 

[lilouisianagal]

We are getting married on Saturday afternoon here in Louisiana, spending the night in town, then flying to Orlando for the cruise.

Question: Can you get on and off the ship at Nassau? How big is the island?

Here are some running/jogging/wogging tips:
First head over to WISH here on the Dis. If you go into Competitions and to the weekly thread it's a great group.

Get fitted for some good shoes. Go somewhere where they know what they are doing, not a big Academy Sports-type place. It can be a little more expensive but it's definitely worth it for at least the first pair. Our specialty store keeps a clearance rack that they check first for you, so I can get cheap shoes there.

Running clothes are nice, but not necessary. Once people find out you are running you will end up with plenty! Good socks are important though. Find some that don't give you blisters. Since you are a lady, do make sure that you get a good running bra if you need one.

Warm up. Walk a few minutes. Jog slowly a few minutes. Then think about jogging/running.

Start slow with slow short runs/jogs. Intervals are great! I did my first marathon doing like 2 minutes of walking 3 minutes of running/jogging. It will feel too easy at first but after 40 minutes you will be glad!

You get hurt if you go "too far, too fast, too soon".

I like to start out the day running, that way nothing else gets in the way.

I usually run 4 days a week when I'm marathon training and 4-5 days a week when I'm not. If you miss a day it's not the end of the world, just run the next day.

Crosstrain! Doing stuff like biking, skating, playing sports, strength training, swimming, rock climbing, etc makes you a better runner and makes running easier without risking getting hurt.

If you have somebody that will run consistently with you buddy up with them. I have yet to find somebody and I am fine running alone. It is really good reflection time (you can work out some serious issues on a 3 hour run!). Some people like to run with music. If that's your thing do it! I prefer not to. I sometimes carry little cards with verses on them. It gives me some good scripture time/prayer time.

Running when you are sore is okay. Running when you HURT is not.

The book I started out with was Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham. He also wrote The Courage to Start and No Need For Speed that are good non-marathon books.

One more thing:
Have fun!

Maybe we can hit the on-ship track together to make room for dessert!

I can't wait!

 

[twokats]

Welcome Claire!!

Great start to the list, but where is jenelabri, churchlady and candlemakerw/twins? Hope ya'll are still with us!!

g-ma: yes we need to decide on the FE's. If I get to slow down this weekend I am going to try to figure out what mine will look like. I have not even thought about that much yet.

I want to really get into my magnets also, but I know I will not get all my work done, so that will have to wait a while longer also.

I finally got my little booklet from DCL. It was really neat!!

Hope the weather has settled for everyone. We have had some really nice days this week. It has been nippy the last couple, but very tolerable. We just really need rain around here desperately.

Was waiting in a doctor's office yesterday with my Mom so I spent it reading up on my Passporter's Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call. That is a really good book for the DCL.

I will try to get back soon. Have a great Friday!

 

[lilouisianagal]

jenelabri (Jennifer) from ?; traveling w/DH, ds 9, dd 5 and both sets of grandparents; sea only?; 1st cruise; celebrating?; ? dining?; Deck? Room?

?churchlady (Leigh) from Georgia; traveling w/DH, DD12, DD14, DD16; sea only?; 3rd cruise; celebrating?; ? dining? ; deck 2, rooms 2594, 2596

candlemakerw/twins (name?) from Massachusetts; traveling w/DH, DD5, DD5; land&sea; 4th cruise; celebrating?; ?dining?; deck 6, room?

g-ma (Marlene) from Ohio; traveling w/DH, adult children (KellyLou), spouses, and kids; land&sea; 1st cruise; celebrating son's b-day/alone time/family; main dining; Deck 7 & 2, Room?

Kelly Lou (Kelly) from Ohio; traveling w/DH, DS 8, DS 7, and DD 3 (and parents (g-ma), siblings, in laws, and neices and nephews- 17 total); Land&Sea&Land; 1st cruise; celebrating family; main dining; Deck? Room?

twokats (Kathy/Kat) from Texas; traveling w/DH; land&sea&land; 1st cruise; celebrating 25th anniversary; late dining; deck 6, Room 6080

hillfam (Monique) from Georgia; traveling w/DH, DS7, DS2; Sea?&Land?; 4th cruise; celebrating DH's return/4th honeymoon; main dining; deck 6, room 6110

lilouisianagal (Claire) from Louisiana; traveling w/DH; Sea only; 1st cruise; celebrating Honeymoon; main dining; deck 2, room 2078

 

[churchlady]

Hi, I'm here! Been studying the main board and working on some land plans! We will be at the Poly for 3 days before the cruise and then offsite 2 more afterwards. We moved up to adjoining cat. 8s on the 6th floor. We figured it was worth the $100 extra per room to almost never have to use those crowded elevators! We're in 6524 and 6526. We have the late dining and plan to parasail at CC. We'd also like to do the beer and wine tastings. We'll be bringing some of our own beverages on board. Anyone like pin trading? I just got 25 pins to trade from Ebay for under $2 apiece. Oh yes, and DH and I will be dressing for Pirate Night. I love him in Pirate wear!

My favorite tips are: bring a highlighter for your Navigators, night light for the cabin, power strip for camera charging and curling iron, stack of ones for room service tips, get the All Hands on Deck platter for daily Happy Hour, cheap lanyards from Walmart to carry around your KTTW.

We just paid off the balance of our cruise this morning- so this is really going to happen! Yeah!

 

[Kelly Lou]

Churchlady- what's the all hands on deck platter and where do you get it?

Claire- thanks for all the tips! Can't wait to get out there and put them all to good use! I've got a return to make to the library so I'll check out John Bingham while I'm there. And, I would so love to run with you on the cruise. I was planning to jog in the mornings before my kids and dh got up for the day. I'm on the big diet and work out plan here, and will still have weight to lose past May, but on the trip I figured I wouldn't count calories, but I won't go crazy eaither, and I'll definitly keep up with my running on the ship (at land I figure walking the theme parks will be enough!) also at Castaway Cay I understand that there is a biking/running trail that leads to a look out over the whole island

For the roster- I'm in room 7039 and g-ma's room is pretty close to mine, one of my sisters her dh and 3 kids have adjoining rooms on deck 2, and my other brother and sister are near us on deck deck 7

Those of you who are doing land and sea, where are you staying on land and what are your plans? We're at Caribean Beach Resort 5/21-swimming at hotel & dinner at Chef Mickey's, 5/22- Magic Kingdom , 5/23- Hollywood Studios then cruise , then 5/28 staying at Pop Century & doing Downtown Disney, 5/29- Epcot, 5/30- Animal Kingdom (& park hopper back to magic kingdom) 5/31 we go home (that's so sad already and we're not even there yet )

 

[g-ma]

Hi all,

We're in cabin 7035. It's an inside cabin. Not my first choice, but hey somewhat affordable and I'l be on the cruise. Yay!!!!!

Does anyone have experience with the dining plan? We assumed we could add it for the days after the cruise as well, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It must accompany tickets. The deal is though, we are buying tickets with the land and sea package. ??????? (they will only offer it for the first few days). All I can say is Epcot is going to be expensive! I think I will eat my way through it and now with no dining plan.

Does everyone plan to participate in the fish extender exchange? We should start to get a count and ages so we can plan and shop when we're out.

Made a few more ADR. today, can't wait to book excursions, spa, etc. for the cruise.----------M

 

[twokats]

I got my e-mail last night from the Animal Kingdom Villas which is where we will be the day before the cruise. They have my Wanyama Safari and the Sunrise Safari booked. I am so excited. I have read so many good reports on these safaris.

DH and I also made the decision to rent a car back to WDW like we have already planned to get to the Cape. That option will save us quite a bit over the transfer fees that the transport would cost us. He used to live in Cocoa Beach, so he knows that part of FL fairly well, although he says it has changed so much since he was there. But what hasn't changed!!!

When we get back from the cruise we will be staying for 10 days at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. Still thinking on what restaurants I will get reservations for. We always do a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace and dinner at Chef Mickey's. We love 50's Prime Time and dinner at Cinderella's Palace. When I figure the others out I will let you know my ideas. I want to try the luau at the Polynesian this year. We did the Hoop De Doo Revue last trip and it was neat, but I want to try something new so I am leaning towards the luau.

 

[churchlady]

Kelly Lou, the All Hands on Deck platter is available from room service (free, of course! ). It comes with a variety of cheeses, grapes in the middle and crackers. We always enjoy it while we're getting dressed for the evening, especially with a glass of the wine we'll bring on board. The kids each order a bowl of fruit, or sometimes mac and cheese, since we take the late dining. Don't forget you can take some room service sandwiches with you on your excursions. Just bring some baggies

G-ma, the dining plan is only available during your days staying at a Disney resort. I love to eat my way around Epcot, too. We have reservations at Le Cellier and Tappan Edo! We can't do the dining plan because we got the AAA room only discount to stay at the Poly- so we don't have a package. Boo Hoo!