Mickeystoontown's Gang hits the Bahamas & WDW! Who gets choked or stuck this time?

[leamom2princesses]

Hi Lisa! Just stopping by to let you know I'm still out there lurking. Loving your pre-trippie!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hi Lisa! Just stopping by to let you know I'm still out there lurking. Loving your pre-trippie!

Hey! Thanks for letting me know you're lurking! You are pretty close to your vacation too.

How about Mr. Can Fall Asleep Anywhere at Anytime? Or, how about Mr. Always Has the Phone in His Ear?

Oh yeah, I need to add those to his list of titles.

aaaaahhhh, the cruise!! I'm jealous especially since we were supposed to do a cruise this trip but that plan changed.

We went to Cocoa Beach too on our last trip and i remembered about an hour or just over. Keep in mind that google map overpredicts. Maybe they make time for unforseen things like red lights?? toll booths?? i'm not too sure but we've found that they are always a little over in their time estimates. Better to plan for a later arriveal anyway though.

I think they over calculate too but at least it's more of a "worse case scenario" than the opposite. I hate arriving late for anything so I'm sure I'll be pushing everybody out the door as soon as I can.

Sounds like Hunter is going to have a great 15th birthday day!!! Cruise ships are incredibly massive, even if you have seen them before, at least I still stand there looking at them in awe. They really are like floating cities!

He's been one traveling guy lately. He went to Branson, Missouri a few months back. He's going to Dallas, Texas next weekend. He's going to the Bahamas and Florida in May. There's also a possibility that he'll travel to NYC in May. That's only if he makes it onto the waiting list. Right now, he's number 7 on the list and there's still about a month and a half for him to move up and get to go.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate Hunter's birthday! I remember the first time I got on a cruise ship it was much like I imagine your family's first view will be!

I think it is fine to be a picture taking fool! And POR is the perfect location to snap away!! so many photo ops!!

I can't either! I wish I had spent my birthdays going on a cruise.

LOL, your boat comparisons are perfect!

I, too, have no problem following any signs that say "Disney." What does that say about us? Maybe we belong on the seventh floor of your local hospital...

Show me a sign that says Disney and I'll follow that sucker in a heartbeat.

Love the boat/ship comparisons!! The first time I had seen a cruise ship, I just stood there with my mouth open! They are HUGE!! I have never been on one though.

Love the "Country comes to town" I can also see a reality show in the making!

I could not believe the parking prices for the cruise!

Take lots of pictures!!!

It's good to know that there are others who stand there with their mouths wide open. I know that's what we'll be doing.

Have ya'll watched Duck Dynasty? Those guys are based right here in my hometown. As a matter of fact, I've met 'em before as had my daddy.

I'm hoping we will bump into each other too! We'll be the other family talking about how big the boat is!

I think you'll love Port Orleans! And if you don't - at least you'll have Caribbean Beach to go back to. I enjoyed staying at POR; it has its own feel - love how Disney creates different worlds!

I'm sure we'll bump into ya'll as we are looking way up at the cruise ship and then knock into somebody with that somebody being your family looking way up at the ship.

Another thought too for parking fees at the port. I think it's $20 a day, but I do believe they charge your for disembarking day as well, so it would be $80.

I need to check those fees out. I thought I read on the Port website that it was $60. Hum?

Your update reminds me of DH and I the other day in the back yard. We were clearing out an area to have playground stuff installed and he kept bringing over sticks to burn saying "That's not a stick. THAT'S a stick!" like Crocodile Dundee.

Your pictures of the little boats compared to the ship made me giggle because I could totally hear somebody saying that.

That's cute and it soooo sounds like something we would say too!

Great update! Like everyone else, I love the bigger and bigger boats you posted. Like Chief Brody says in Jaws "We're gonna need a bigger boat!"

I can't wait to read all about your cruise. What a fantastic thing to be doing on Hunter's BD!

Oh I forgot that line from Jaws! I can't think of a better place to be celebrating a birthday either.

I love you boat descriptions...............

BUT


I got you beat!!

I have been on this one!

Granted it never left the dock, but I have been on it..............

Shut the front door! You've been on that ship before? We always pass by it but never stop. Got other places on the mind.

Well I didn't have time to read the other comments so this may be old info by now...

Remember that you have to pay parking for every day that your car is there, even the day you leave at the crack of dawn!

The ride to the port is only an hour, so don't fret over that. And it is soooooo easy to find out where to go. There are signs everywhere and it was much easier than I expected. You will need to pull up to the curb, drop your bags with a porter and then park your car in the garage. People normally tip the bag guy too.

Also, I have read that they don't enforce the arrival times. I can't say if that is true or not though, but I have read of lots of people arriving before their appointed time and having no problem being allowed in. I know they never asked us what our arrival time was so it may be true.

And I'm going to tell you again... don't forget the quarters!!!! Bills won't work!

Oh, and we won't be using the garage next time. They have a park n' cruise thing where you can park your car and they will shuttle you to the port. It was $6 a day when we checked into it last year. Much cheaper than parking at the port.

Just a note... there is no food or drink available in the port, so if you think you'll need a snack or drink while you wait, bring it with you.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! for all the tips. I need 'em badly. So, the park 'n cruise thing is close by? I need to look that up. Oh and I already have "Quarters" on my "for the car" packing list thanks to your trip report.

Love your boat comparisons!!!

Ooohhh....I can't wait to see and hear all about your cruise! We are hoping to do one in a couple years. I've already been researching every thing I can. Hopefully by the time we go, I'll be all prepared.

What a wonderful way for Hunter to celebrate his 15th birthday!!!

I'll be sure and make notes of anything and everything while on the cruise so I can come back and post them. I am a little bit overwhelmed with everything that the cruise entails.

 

[jenseib]

Glad I'm not the only one who is having major issues with Dis today. it's whacky.

Once you board they will tell you where to eat. Cabanas or Enchanted Garden. both are buffets for lunch and pretty much have the same food, but I have heard that Cabanas has more kid friendly food, which might be better for Hunter. I've only eaten dinner in Enchanted Garden, but it is beautiful.

Be sure to do as much of your checking in as possible online before you go in and have all your papers signed. Keep all your paperwork, license and birthcertificates/passports on you at al ltimes till you board the ship. Also when You get off at port (except Castaway cay). yo ualso need to keep your KTTW card on you at all times. And they swipe it when you get off and on the ship, even CC. Some people have thought they wouldn't need it for CC and then get mad when they have to go back to the room to get it. I just kept mine in my lanyard and on me at all times.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay, you had me at your boat descriptions. But I completely understand what you mean. I remember the first time I saw a cruise ship up close, all I could think to say was, "It's so big!!!" I think you guys are going to love seeing the Dream up close and in person.

Just a heads up with the check-in time. I had that same mistake when I did on-line check-in and got a time of 12:30. But we caught a ride with some family who dropped us off wayyy earlier than that (I think it was around 10:30) and when we checked in they gave us a card that said we were in Boarding group 19. And if my memory serves me correctly, we were being called to board around 11:45. Long story short, if you arrive at the port earlier, you might be able to board before your scheduled check-in time. (Of course, this was only experience with cruising so I can't say for sure if this is a common situation or not.)

Glad I was able to give you a chuckle over my boat descriptions.

Thanks for the heads up about earlier check-in times. I'm one of those people who can't stand to be late for anything and would rather show up early. It's good to know that we can probably check in earlier than the time that they gave me.

Lisa, I am so excited for you and your Disney cruise. I am just falling over myself excited about our Alaska cruise in May, even if it isn't Disney. There is just so much to research about cruises! Have you been to the Cruise Critic boards? They are a companion to TripAdvisor and operate very much like Disboards. They have a section just for Disney cruises, so I know you will learn a lot there, if you haven't already been. Here is the link. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/index.php

I'm be busting at the seams if I had an Alaskan cruise booked. I've always wanted to go to Alaska and cruising seems to be a great way to go. I have been over to the Cruise Critic site and it's been very helpful. As a matter of fact, I need to get back over there and do more research.

Just found your PTR and after 15 pages of catching up...whew , I'm in!

I have followed a few of your PTR's and TR's before, but they move so quickly that sometimes there's too many pages to catch up on and sorry, I've given up. With 3 crazy kids screaming around me all day, every day, I don't always have a lot of quiet Disboard reading time.

Your posts and pics are fantastic, especially your Dinosaur pic. That is priceless.

I can certainly understand your Disney obsession. I always want to be planning a trip. We are also taking our first Disney cruise this summer, so we don't have a WDW trip on the horizon and it's killing me. I guess that's why I've subscribed to so many PTR's lately, to live vicariously through you!

You should be ashamed of yourself for the 2 ADR's. I have never done that ever and certainly believe you should be immediately delivered to the fiery depths of WDW hell.

I am sure you will love POR; the boat to DTD is wonderful.

Looking forward to reading more.

Let me pull myself up outta the flaming depths of WDW hell so I can reply. Seriously, great to have you along! I meant to look at your ticker before replying....when are ya'll going on your cruise? Are you super de duper excited?

Lisa, you crack me up! I feel like "Country come to Town" when we hit Milwaukee.

I'm surprised Disney doesn't have a shuttle to and from WDW for cruises that is free. Spending all that money and no ride!


Spending your Birthday at Disney, is the best way!

I just realized that I didn't respond to your earlier question about Kadence's note. I loved it. As a matter of fact, I had it on my computer table up until this past weekend when I had to clean it off so that Hunter could research a school project. Do you know that we had those cookies eaten up in no time at all? Those suckers are delish!

Get us in a city bigger than our's and we are definitely "country come to town". But, I like smaller cities and our's is just the right size for us.

Oh, Lisa, you had me cracking up over your descriptions of all the boats!

What a great way for Hunter to get to celebrate his 15th birthday! We've never done the Disney cruise, so you'll need to take lots of pictures, please!

Glad that I have you a few laughs over the boat descriptions. You know what though? It's all true....that's sooooo sad.

HAHAHA!!! You can take the McBrides out of the country… but I KNOW you can't take the country out of the McBrides!! I'm sure this is gonna be a wonderful trip! Too bad we can't get a film crew to follow ya'll around! That would be an awesome reality tv show!

I'd totally let a film crew follow us around! I think it'd be a real kick for us and for the film crew.

Based on my limited experience most folks want to get on board early so they can start grazing at the ships buffet line. I've never been on a cruise where you got to schedule what time you wanted to board. So far you just show up sometime after they start boarding and get in line. I haven't run into a line of more than 4-5 people yet. I'll be boarding a cruise ship this Saturday for a Caribbean cruise and probably won't board until sometime after the noon hour.



This John is the exact opposite. I get up early each morning and have done so since I was a kid. Dad NEVER let us sleep in and the US Navy wasn't into letting you sleep late either. I'm retired now and still consistently get up around 5am.

Before you drive to Cape Canaveral you might take a look at Google Earth to get an aerial view of where you're driving to. You should be able to see which roads to take at the port and where the parking lot is located.



I believe it is more proper to call it a ship, A general rule of thumb is a boat can fit into or can be carried by a ship but not vice versa. And the Dream ain't about to fit onto any other vessel I can think of!

I am not sure how long your cruise is but you may still be away. Hope you are having a great time if you are!

I've never been one who is a late sleeper but John and Hunter can sleep until Noon if I'd let 'em. John does have an excuse though since he takes a handful of meds every night.

I can't wait to see the pictures you take of that boat and I'm sure it will be many pictures!

Oh you can bet on there being tons of pictures!

Lisa the ride to the port isn't that long...maybe an hour. Are you taking the 528? Don't forget to bring along quarters for the tollls each way.

Lisa, check this out for parking. A bit cheaper than port parking and they have a shuttle.

http://parkcruise.com/

Thanks for the link Jen! I need all the help I can get on planning the cruise portion of the trip.

But the Magic might actually fit into the Dream.

What a great way to celebrate your 15th birthday. Way to go Hunter!

I think you have the perfect time to board. That way you can enjoy a little of POR before you leave and still be on the big boat early. The riverboat is the biggest boat we have been on too.

That would make a good reality show Country comes to Town!

That's what I am thinking....a little time to see the resort before we leave and then head out for the Port.

I think all of us need to pitch the Country Comes to Town reality show! Wonder if I can get somebody to come follow us around while on vacation?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Well, as you can see, I was able to post replies but my pictures aren't showing up in the last post. Hopefully, they will soon.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Morning! I hope that you all are having a good day! Last night, I saw that my pictures were showing up but then, this morning, they are back to just links. Is everybody else still have problems with the Dis?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hi Lisa!!!! I'm here! Wow.......so you are going on a cruise. I cannot wait to read a trip report on that, because like you, I had never even had a cruise on the horizon. I just don't like the fact that I wouldn't be able to see land. Oh, I can swim, but I'd rather not have another epic Titanic movie happen! And my loving husband cannot swim, so he'd be shark food. Maybe your tr will change my mind, so we'll see......

anyways, can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[leamom2princesses]

Hey Lisa, I was listening to last weeks podcast and they were saying the DIS is changing servers and that the process should be complete by the end of the month. It's supposed to be a little rough until then as they migrate but the result should be something much better.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh gosh, I cracked up over you saying John was watching Swamp People!!! I have to confess that every time I see that show, I think of you! I don't mean that ugly at all, just that you live in LA, so it makes me think of you. Actually, those people on that show are VERY much like all the people who live in my community. The only difference is that we don't hunt alligators. We hunt deer, racoons, rabbits, squirrels, quail, and doves. That's about it. Other than that, we all live a lot like they do. And contrary to what people would think by watching that show, it's a pretty darn good life.

Anyway, to answer your question from earlier, yes the park n' ride is near the port (5 miles I think they said). You park your car there and then they shuttle you to the port, and back to the lot when the cruise is over. It's worth looking into if you want to save some money.

Now, once you get to the terminal, you need to take the escalator upstairs. Go straight to the check in counter. Give them all your paperwork (you have printed off your paperwork and signed it, right? If not, go to the DCL website and sign in to your account and get that done. It will save you time at the port). You'll also need your birth certificates or passports when you check in so make sure you don't leave that stuff with the luggage guy at the curb! Also make sure that John and Hunter are with you. Both of you will need to show your driver's license too.

When you check in they will give you your cards which are just like KTTW cards at WDW. You need these with you ALL the time. It is the only way you can buy anything on the ship (I think) and you MUST have them to get on or off the ship. It's also your room key and one of the cards must stay in the 'light switch' slot in your stateroom for you to have lights in your room! That's pretty important!

The check-in gal will also give you a boarding number. The smaller the number, the better. Then you just have to wait until your group number is called to board the ship. There will be characters doing M&Gs while you wait. Other than that, there is nothing to do. Our boarding number was 5 and we were on the ship around 11:30 so that should give you somewhat of a timeline.

Once you are let in, they will take your picture before you get on the ship. This picture pops up every time you swipe your card to get on or off the ship. They will also take a nice picture with a pretty backdrop that you can purchase later on. Once you are introduced in royal fashion, a CM will pull you off to the side and tell you where to eat lunch. You'll want to go straight on and do that first. Your room will not be ready, so don't bother going there first. Seems like they told us our room would be ready at 1:30.

After lunch, there are plenty of things to do. We took our bathing suits and changed in the bathrooms. Then we hit the AD before the line got huge. The pools will be insanely crowded around that time though. There is a mini golf course at the back of the ship. I think that is what we will do during this time on our next cruise, and just save the swimming for nighttime when all the crowds are cleared out. It would also be a good time to walk around and get yourself used to the layout of the ship. Trust me, that is going to take some time! If your son wants to go to the teen club, then you might want to try to find that. You won't be able to do any shopping though as the stores are closed when the ship is docked.

You will have a big bold letter printed on you room key. That letter tells you where you need to go for your drill. Ask your stateroom hostess where that letter meets at, and don't be late! Again, you need your room key for the drill, but you do not need your life jackets. When that is over, you can go straight up to the pool deck for the sail away party. If you don't get there early, you will not be able to see a thing! There will be a huge mass of people up there! You don't want to miss the ship horn going off though. And watching the ship sail out to sea is wonderful! After that, you are home free! The rest of the cruise is a breeze!

BTW, your room key will also tell you what order you will dine in. It will say: Dinner: 5:45 (or 8:30)- AER. The AER stands for Animator's, Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace. That was the order we were in. Yours might be different. It will also give you your table number so all you have to do when you get there is go to the table with that number on it. I know you didn't ask about this stuff, but no one told us that all this info was on our card and we didn't figure it out until the last night. It would've been VERY helpful to have known all that beforehand!

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with info, but like you, I had a TON of questions about what we were supposed to do from the time we entered the parking lot until dinner. I hope this helps you some. And don't worry about looking like country come to town. I felt the same way. If we didn't look like rednecks, you won't either!

 

[mindystar]

I have never been on a cruise either, so I won't be of any help for you on that front. But I do plan to learn from you, your research, experience and pictures. . .do look forward to your TR
The rooms look lovely!!!

 

[wakica]

wow, 2 upgrade!!! NICE Your going to have such a good time on the cruiese!! I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.

 

[Caretames1]

You have me rolling and laughing so hard, I had to share with the whole family just what I was reading!


I have a hard time keeping my itchy typing fingers to myself as well.


My own Mr. Changer of Plans is hard at work here too! He's talked himself into upgrading our dining plan.


I can't wait to see this trip of yours!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Glad I'm not the only one who is having major issues with Dis today. it's whacky.

Once you board they will tell you where to eat. Cabanas or Enchanted Garden. both are buffets for lunch and pretty much have the same food, but I have heard that Cabanas has more kid friendly food, which might be better for Hunter. I've only eaten dinner in Enchanted Garden, but it is beautiful.

Be sure to do as much of your checking in as possible online before you go in and have all your papers signed. Keep all your paperwork, license and birthcertificates/passports on you at al ltimes till you board the ship. Also when You get off at port (except Castaway cay). yo ualso need to keep your KTTW card on you at all times. And they swipe it when you get off and on the ship, even CC. Some people have thought they wouldn't need it for CC and then get mad when they have to go back to the room to get it. I just kept mine in my lanyard and on me at all times.

Thanks for the info Jen! I had read about keeping your KTTW card with you all the time but I had forgotten to write it down in my notes.

Hi Lisa!!!! I'm here! Wow.......so you are going on a cruise. I cannot wait to read a trip report on that, because like you, I had never even had a cruise on the horizon. I just don't like the fact that I wouldn't be able to see land. Oh, I can swim, but I'd rather not have another epic Titanic movie happen! And my loving husband cannot swim, so he'd be shark food. Maybe your tr will change my mind, so we'll see......

anyways, can't wait to hear more!!!

Thanks for coming over! This was the first time that we ever seriously considered taking a cruise. I knew if we were ever going to do it, it HAD to be a Disney cruise. John was more hesitant that I was but he's actually looking forward to it now.

Hey Lisa, I was listening to last weeks podcast and they were saying the DIS is changing servers and that the process should be complete by the end of the month. It's supposed to be a little rough until then as they migrate but the result should be something much better.

I sure hope that it gets better soon. I'm not even getting email notifications any more.

I have never been on a cruise either, so I won't be of any help for you on that front. But I do plan to learn from you, your research, experience and pictures. . .do look forward to your TR
The rooms look lovely!!!

Since this is our first cruise, I'm going to make sure that I take as many notes as I can so I can come back and possibly help other first timers.

The rooms do look pretty don't they! Hopefully, though, I won't be staying in it much because I want to explore the ship as much as I can.

wow, 2 upgrade!!! NICE Your going to have such a good time on the cruiese!! I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.

I know! I couldn't believe that I upgraded two times (it was actually three steps up from what I originally booked) and for less than $150!

You have me rolling and laughing so hard, I had to share with the whole family just what I was reading!


I have a hard time keeping my itchy typing fingers to myself as well.


My own Mr. Changer of Plans is hard at work here too! He's talked himself into upgrading our dining plan.


I can't wait to see this trip of yours!

I was very serious about the Dennis the Menace mentality I was in right that moment. I could NOT keep that itchy finger still.

Wooooooo hoooooo! I'm excited that Mr. Changer of Plans decided to upgrade the dining plan.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh gosh, I cracked up over you saying John was watching Swamp People!!! I have to confess that every time I see that show, I think of you! I don't mean that ugly at all, just that you live in LA, so it makes me think of you. Actually, those people on that show are VERY much like all the people who live in my community. The only difference is that we don't hunt alligators. We hunt deer, racoons, rabbits, squirrels, quail, and doves. That's about it. Other than that, we all live a lot like they do. And contrary to what people would think by watching that show, it's a pretty darn good life.

Anyway, to answer your question from earlier, yes the park n' ride is near the port (5 miles I think they said). You park your car there and then they shuttle you to the port, and back to the lot when the cruise is over. It's worth looking into if you want to save some money.

Now, once you get to the terminal, you need to take the escalator upstairs. Go straight to the check in counter. Give them all your paperwork (you have printed off your paperwork and signed it, right? If not, go to the DCL website and sign in to your account and get that done. It will save you time at the port). You'll also need your birth certificates or passports when you check in so make sure you don't leave that stuff with the luggage guy at the curb! Also make sure that John and Hunter are with you. Both of you will need to show your driver's license too.

When you check in they will give you your cards which are just like KTTW cards at WDW. You need these with you ALL the time. It is the only way you can buy anything on the ship (I think) and you MUST have them to get on or off the ship. It's also your room key and one of the cards must stay in the 'light switch' slot in your stateroom for you to have lights in your room! That's pretty important!

The check-in gal will also give you a boarding number. The smaller the number, the better. Then you just have to wait until your group number is called to board the ship. There will be characters doing M&Gs while you wait. Other than that, there is nothing to do. Our boarding number was 5 and we were on the ship around 11:30 so that should give you somewhat of a timeline.

Once you are let in, they will take your picture before you get on the ship. This picture pops up every time you swipe your card to get on or off the ship. They will also take a nice picture with a pretty backdrop that you can purchase later on. Once you are introduced in royal fashion, a CM will pull you off to the side and tell you where to eat lunch. You'll want to go straight on and do that first. Your room will not be ready, so don't bother going there first. Seems like they told us our room would be ready at 1:30.

After lunch, there are plenty of things to do. We took our bathing suits and changed in the bathrooms. Then we hit the AD before the line got huge. The pools will be insanely crowded around that time though. There is a mini golf course at the back of the ship. I think that is what we will do during this time on our next cruise, and just save the swimming for nighttime when all the crowds are cleared out. It would also be a good time to walk around and get yourself used to the layout of the ship. Trust me, that is going to take some time! If your son wants to go to the teen club, then you might want to try to find that. You won't be able to do any shopping though as the stores are closed when the ship is docked.

You will have a big bold letter printed on you room key. That letter tells you where you need to go for your drill. Ask your stateroom hostess where that letter meets at, and don't be late! Again, you need your room key for the drill, but you do not need your life jackets. When that is over, you can go straight up to the pool deck for the sail away party. If you don't get there early, you will not be able to see a thing! There will be a huge mass of people up there! You don't want to miss the ship horn going off though. And watching the ship sail out to sea is wonderful! After that, you are home free! The rest of the cruise is a breeze!

BTW, your room key will also tell you what order you will dine in. It will say: Dinner: 5:45 (or 8:30)- AER. The AER stands for Animator's, Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace. That was the order we were in. Yours might be different. It will also give you your table number so all you have to do when you get there is go to the table with that number on it. I know you didn't ask about this stuff, but no one told us that all this info was on our card and we didn't figure it out until the last night. It would've been VERY helpful to have known all that beforehand!

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with info, but like you, I had a TON of questions about what we were supposed to do from the time we entered the parking lot until dinner. I hope this helps you some. And don't worry about looking like country come to town. I felt the same way. If we didn't look like rednecks, you won't either!

We love watching Swamp People! My Daddy worked for the highway department and built roads and highways for many years but, when he retired, he became a commercial fisherman. He passed away many years ago but every time I watch the show, I think about my daddy. I know that his favorites would be Troy and Joe and Tommy.

If you ever get the chance, watch Duck Dynasty. It's on A&E. The people who are on the show live right here in my town. As a matter of fact, Willie lives about 5 miles or so from me and just down the road from my sister. The family is a down-to-Earth, what you see is what you get, kind of family. The show is a family oriented show and you'll never hear them cursing so there's no constant "Bleep Bleep Bleep" but you will see them having fun and praying over their meals.

Okay, enough about television. Thank you sooooooo much for all the tips and information. I'm printing this out and I am going to put it in my notes.

I have a question about the parking and maybe you can answer it. Is the parking at the Port in a parking garage or simply a parking lot? Our car is just 5 months old and John's still having me park way out in Egypt in the parking lots. If the parking is covered, then I have a feeling that he's going to want to park there even if it does cost more. He is afraid that a storm is going to blow through and our car might get hail damage or something.

I remember that ya'll did the Aqua Duck first thing. So, you think that our best bet of getting to ride the AD would be first thing? I wonder what time it closes in the evenings.

I read on another cruise trip report about the letters would indicate which restaurant you would eat in on each night. But, thanks for mentioning it again. Am I remembering correctly that your husband word polos and khakis to dinner? John's a preacher's kid and was made to dress up when he was younger. He vowed that when he grew up he wasn't going to dress to the nines for anything besides weddings and funerals.

You did not overwhelm me at all! As a matter of fact, if you have any more info. please post it! I love all the details!

 

[jenseib]

Yes, it's a parking garage at he port.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We love watching Swamp People! My Daddy worked for the highway department and built roads and highways for many years but, when he retired, he became a commercial fisherman. He passed away many years ago but every time I watch the show, I think about my daddy. I know that his favorites would be Troy and Joe and Tommy.

If you ever get the chance, watch Duck Dynasty. It's on A&E. The people who are on the show live right here in my town. As a matter of fact, Willie lives about 5 miles or so from me and just down the road from my sister. The family is a down-to-Earth, what you see is what you get, kind of family. The show is a family oriented show and you'll never hear them cursing so there's no constant "Bleep Bleep Bleep" but you will see them having fun and praying over their meals.

Okay, enough about television. Thank you sooooooo much for all the tips and information. I'm printing this out and I am going to put it in my notes.

I have a question about the parking and maybe you can answer it. Is the parking at the Port in a parking garage or simply a parking lot? Our car is just 5 months old and John's still having me park way out in Egypt in the parking lots. If the parking is covered, then I have a feeling that he's going to want to park there even if it does cost more. He is afraid that a storm is going to blow through and our car might get hail damage or something.

I remember that ya'll did the Aqua Duck first thing. So, you think that our best bet of getting to ride the AD would be first thing? I wonder what time it closes in the evenings.

I read on another cruise trip report about the letters would indicate which restaurant you would eat in on each night. But, thanks for mentioning it again. Am I remembering correctly that your husband word polos and khakis to dinner? John's a preacher's kid and was made to dress up when he was younger. He vowed that when he grew up he wasn't going to dress to the nines for anything besides weddings and funerals.

You did not overwhelm me at all! As a matter of fact, if you have any more info. please post it! I love all the details!

That's funny about the 'reality' show family near you! I don't even know if we have A&E, but I'll have to check.

As Jen said, it is a covered parking deck at the port. I have no idea what the park n' cruise is though. It might be a parking deck as well, but I don't know. Parking at the port is definitely going to be the easiest option even though it does cost more.

First thing after lunch can be a good time to ride the AD. We boarded the ship pretty early though so I think it will depend on how soon you get on and finish lunch. I went back and checked the time on my photos and I would say by around 2:00 it was getting crazy in the pool area. Until then though there was really no line for the AD. I wouldn't worry though if you don't get to ride the AD at that time b/c there were no lines at night either and I think it stayed open pretty late. Maybe 11:00? We would go up right after the show ended and it was practically empty (except on Pirate night of course).

Yep, polos and khakis will be perfectly fine. People have very different opinions on that topic. Some think that everyone should dress like they are going to a ball, but I say, it's YOUR vacation... dress how you want!

I read a great tip on the boards tonight that I will share with you. Remember I told you that you have to place one of your room keys in the 'light switch' in order to have lights in the room? Well I was always so paranoid that I was going to walk out of the room and leave one of our cards in the slot. But I read tonight that someone placed a different card in the slot and it worked fine (library card, grocery store discount card, any plastic credit card sized card will work). I thought that was a great idea. I will be using my library card on the next trip! She said she just left it in the slot without pressing it down (so the lights weren't running while they were gone), and then she didn't have to worry about leaving one of the cards behind! Brilliant! And by the way, it doesn't turn off your A/C so you don't have to worry about coming back to a hot room. It only controls the lights and maybe the outlets.

I thought of something else too. Don't put anything in your luggage that you drop at the curb that will break b/c they are really rough with it, just like at the airport. And don't put anything in there that you will need that day on the ship. You might not get your luggage delivered to your room until much later in the day.

If I think of anything else, I'll pass it on to you, but that's all I have right now. Trust me, the more you know before you go, the better!

 

[jenseib]

I had used "used" gift cards in our slot and left it in the slot at all times. But one day it was gone and I assume our stateroom host (who I never saw and I don't think was very good ) took it. I would've reported it if it had something on it, but I didn't since it was empty. I have been saving used gift cards for our next cruise. LOL

I did write about that on my TR.

 

[jenseib]

Also keep any giftcards that you put on your room credit. If you don't use all your credit, then you will have to have the gift card to refund it to you.

I also suggest wearing lanyards and that way you have your KTTW card with you all the time.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I had used "used" gift cards in our slot and left it in the slot at all times. But one day it was gone and I assume our stateroom host (who I never saw and I don't think was very good ) took it. I would've reported it if it had something on it, but I didn't since it was empty. I have been saving used gift cards for our next cruise. LOL

I did write about that on my TR.

Please accept my sincere apology as I am deranged and slightly demented these days. Now that you bring that up, I clearly remember reading about it on your report. I guess because I hadn't sailed yet when I read your TR, it just didn't click with me at the time what you were talking about. So you are indeed the one with the BRILLIANT idea! Sorry about that Jen!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I also suggest wearing lanyards and that way you have your KTTW card with you all the time.

I agree Lisa, and if all three of you plan to get in the water at CC (which I HIGHLY recommend!) then you should consider getting a waterproof pouch/box for your lanyard so you can take your cards in the water with you. That's what we did when we went snorkeling. There are no lockers on the island, so think about that when bringing valuables. The very first gift shop that you get to on the island sells the lanyards w/ waterproof boxes. I think they were only about $5. You'll need to think about what to do with your camera as well. I only brought my waterproof camera on the island and I just strapped it to my wrist whenever we went into that fabulous clear blue lagoon!