November 12, 2005....7 Night Eastern...Who Else?

[barkley]

o.k. awol-while dh did not propose in hawaii, we did experience a significant event there (though we did'nt realize until about a month after the fact)-dd (to be 12 in august) was a 'souviner" of the trip. and while we did'nt realize it until we researched it (after her birth) the name she was given "marissa", we learned means "of the sea"-which given the circumstances is very appropriate (i guesss technicaly-i fibbed when i told the resort scuba sample dip program in the pool "there's no way i'm pregnant" - though we'de been trying for a few months) .

as for us on sailing dates-our preference is to not have to travel (air wise) thanksgiving weekend (horrible air rates from anywhere and crazy travel conditions). we have no idea if we will be here or in a new "home state" at the time, and what the kid's school schedule will be like-so we favor something that tags such to include vet's day weekend or travel such that thanksgiviing is totaly inclusive or exclusive. of course-the whole goal of the trip is to travel with as many of you as is possible-so whatever the majority decide on, we will see if it is do-able given our ever changing lives and make a decision (we will not book to travel alone).

as for the ship-it realy depends on the itinerary. from what i've read on trip advisors and some other sites-you def. don't do this cruise for the cruise experience-it's only to have as one (of very few) postive prior cruisers posted "a self contained mechanism to travel island to island without the hassle of transferring luggage" (and again-this was one of the most positive comments-this cruise line def. should steer away from selling blocks of rooms to some of the entities that provide for prior user comments).

let us know what's happening.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

Same itinerary either ship we choose. I just thought maybe the newer ship would have the "cream of the crop" staff on board and we'd have a better chance for better service.
There IS a slide at the pool. There is also an indoor lap pool and one of their great kid's pools. There are 10 restaurants. The kid's area is a rain forest theme. For anyone wishing to get married (or maybe remarried) there's even a chapel.
I vote for the week before Thanksgiving - as much as I hate the actual Thanksgiving holiday and would love to be in Hawaii for it, I think we stand a better chance at lower airfare going the week before.
But we'll go whenever everyone else tells us to go. I will call NCL and see about the pricing for both weeks in a bit.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

OK - me again.
The Pride of Hawaii is slightly higher- when I say slightly I mean about $300 or so per family.
The week of Thanksgiving is even higher - but that's for any ship.
Would you pretend people rather be on the new ship at a slightly higher fare or the same fare for the week of Nov. 12.??????

 

[awoltoday]

This is starting to get dangerous... I just checked southworsts prices. Although their schedule is only open through Oct 27th, there are fares available for $151 ($302 RT), which would be significantly less than 2k ($1208). Which, strangely is cheaper than I could get to Orlando for at the moment. I'm not sure I should count on that kind of rate for planning an '07 cruise, though. Still, it's nice to see!

Oh, and it was $231 from PDX

 

[barkley]

OK - me again.
The Pride of Hawaii is slightly higher- when I say slightly I mean about $300 or so per family.
The week of Thanksgiving is even higher - but that's for any ship.
Would you pretend people rather be on the new ship at a slightly higher fare or the same fare for the week of Nov. 12.??????

sounds good to me-i love traveling vet's day week. nice low fares and dh/dk's only have to take 4 days off.

i too did a search on airfares for comparable dates in 2006 and found that week to be much lower in cost. if the rates are higher then, an alternative way to find a lower rate might be for people to fly into orange county california on one of the deals southwest tends to offer to encourage disney land tourists, and then book from orange county over to hawaii (most of the flights from northern california go down there before they cross over, and the rates have actualy been way cheaper going this route vs. sacto or san francisco direct to hawaii).

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

We will fly into CA a day early - we're not going all the way over in one day unless when you see me you want to see me hunched over drooling on myself. So if there are just 10 people that will be flying with me from any of the CA airports, I can get a group rate at some point - not yet of course but eventually. We don't care which airport so if there is one better than the other to join up with everyone that will be fine.
Everyone is going Awol..... like Haley tells me "just put it on your credit card!" haha!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Okay....first matter to deal with here.....I HAD NO IDEA I HAD PASSED 1,000 POSTS UNTIL AWOL MADE ME LOOK! THE FUNNY THING IS.......I went back trying to see WHEN I passed 1,000 posts and it seems the DIS boards have me stuck at exactly 1,000 posts since before we left for OUR CRUISE last Nov. 9th! What is up with that?

I will have to chew on "lbgraves" a few times or something!

Why am I stuck? Maybe I DID rebook the wrong Double Dip!

Second matter, I don't care about days of the week embarkment to days of the week debarkment.....just lower prices and palatable airfare!

So......we have for the past few years traveled around Vet's Day and came back before Thanksgiving.....I think that is the most economical and say I vote for that.

So, Jessica.....what are the options of the POH vs. POA around those dates?

See, Awol....I told you "they" WANT you to go to Hawaii! If the airfare was $1,400 pp from Pheonix, no one would go!

Interesting little tid bit from us too.......we were married on the Big Island 1995. One year later we returned to celebrate "one year" and little did we know that we conceived our DD there!.....I always tell Abby, "you have already been to Hawaii, you just don't remember it!"

June 1997 she was born......she turns 9 next week!

 

[DIS NURSE]

OH NOW LOOKY THERE!
A soon as I posted about me being stuck at 1,000 posts......I look again and the past several pages it magicically turned to "1,001" posts!

What is up with that?

A ghost is following me! AGGHHH!

......I know, maybe lbgraves has it out for me since I posted "didn't mean to pee on anyone's parade" the other day.
That was probably a little too raw.

 

[DIS NURSE]

That is sooooooo weird!

Now that I have posted the last one, it now says, "1,002" !!!!!!!!

This is too much like Psycho.
I am going to bed.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

Oh boy - I just had it out with NCL. I really hope I made the woman cry.
The Pride of Hawaii is actually a little cheaper than Pride of America the week we want. However - she informed me that the $25 per cabin is just so I can hold space - that is they want MY money just to say I am holding space. This is the only cruise line I know of that when you hold a group, to actually book someone into a cabin is $250 per person.
So now I look like an idiot - in 6 years I have NEVER done a group with NCL... dare I ask why?!?!?! I have always heard they are hard to work with when it comes to groups - lots of misinformation which I have now passed on to all of you - and I feel terrible.
I hope I did not shatter anyone's dreams of Hawaii..... I still want to go even though they are idiots.
Here's the pricing anyway - think about it if you like - again, I am SOOOOOO sorry!
I am basing these prices on 4 people/cabin.

Inside Total = $2550.64
Ocean view Total = $3133.94
Balcony Total = $4113.04

 

[barkley]

Oh boy - I just had it out with NCL. I really hope I made the woman cry.
The Pride of Hawaii is actually a little cheaper than Pride of America the week we want. However - she informed me that the $25 per cabin is just so I can hold space - that is they want MY money just to say I am holding space. This is the only cruise line I know of that when you hold a group, to actually book someone into a cabin is $250 per person.
So now I look like an idiot - in 6 years I have NEVER done a group with NCL... dare I ask why?!?!?! I have always heard they are hard to work with when it comes to groups - lots of misinformation which I have now passed on to all of you - and I feel terrible.
I hope I did not shatter anyone's dreams of Hawaii..... I still want to go even though they are idiots.
Here's the pricing anyway - think about it if you like - again, I am SOOOOOO sorry!
I am basing these prices on 4 people/cabin.

Inside Total = $2550.64
Ocean view Total = $3133.94
Balcony Total = $4113.04

so for 4 it would be $1000.00 holding fee-would that hold a specific cabin or cabin location? what would the refund policy be?

 

[barkley]

and what week are we talking about? original week was $500 less, balcony for family of 4. sorry-confused.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

and what week are we talking about? original week was $500 less, balcony for family of 4. sorry-confused.

Sorry this is the week before Thanksgiving. Nov. 12, 2007
Deposit is fully refundable. You can pick you cabin from any of the ones that are available.

 

[DIS NURSE]

Jessica......don't apoligize. Everything good comes with a price.

So is Nov. 12th a Monday? Is this the POH cruise that is Mon to Mon?

I do think airfare will be MUCH cheaper then, to and from Oahu.

I will be presenting this proposal to my folks who are now here for the summer from Arizona. So I will let you know more as I can make a decision.

Are there lots of staterooms left since it is so far out?
Do we have a month or so to think it over and have the prices not change?

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

YEs - this is the nice new POH - Monday to Monday.
I did not hold a group yet - but there is plenty of space. So if there is interest, I will hold the group and we will have about a month to get deposits in.

 

[4campers]

and...... so if DH says, well, NO

is 1 still considered part of a group? I may just consider coming alone........ think about it....just me...no children....no late nights....no MOMMY I HAVE to GO.....to be able to sit and eat ALL my meal....only one head of hair to get ready....I won't have to worry about peeing in the pool....and I could SLEEP IN!!!! ummmm, but would I miss them.......

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

and...... so if DH says, well, NO

is 1 still considered part of a group? I may just consider coming alone........ think about it....just me...no children....no late nights....no MOMMY I HAVE to GO.....to be able to sit and eat ALL my meal....only one head of hair to get ready....I won't have to worry about peeing in the pool....and I could SLEEP IN!!!! ummmm, but would I miss them.......

Does your husband not know that you are the "group leader" that picked this destination? So bascially, you are in charge of this group while we are sailing. I was even going to name the group "Kim's Group". I suggest you speak with him again and tell him that you have no choice but to go - with or without him!

 

[4formickey]

I guess that........

 

[4formickey]

claim the post for #.............

 

[4formickey]

3300! This makes me Mr.3300. Hi all we are on our way to Wdw this weekend for 7 hot days in the sun. If we pool hop, what are some of the better pools to visit?