November 13, 2005 Wonder - I'm a rookie, any pros on board?!

[miatamel]

I'm in the process of booking my first cruise EVER - and thanks in no small part to this board, it's going to be a Disney. I'm on the 11/13/05 4 night wonder. ANd I'm wondering about ALOT!!
Anybody else out there on this one?

 

[mkcmom]

I just booked this cruise last week as well. This will be our first cruise ever. I will be traveling with my husband and dd8, dd6 and ds4. They are ecstatic!

Christina

 

[miatamel]

Christina,
Goodie! We can be rookies together! I found out from another poster that this is a "pin trading cruise" so there are going to be alot of pros out there. I tried to book Palo's ressies on line, but no luck so hope to try on board. Some posters on this site have gotten me a wee bit worried about flying in the same morning as boarding but I just can't let everything get to me. I did the best I could on my budget!!
I got so worked up the first few days after booking--read these boards for hours and got more and more worked up--about how much people spend on board, flying in the same day, what to wear and not, where to eat, and all that. I DID order a deluxe Passporter and expect it in this week-I hope it answers alot of my questions. I've never been on a vacation before where I felt like I needed to study!!
Glad to have you on board--what room are you booked for? Our 4 year olds should be in the Oceaneers together.

 

[mkcmom]

Hi Mitamel! I thought I had done lots of research regarding this -- but didn't even know this was a pin trading cruise! Also, what is a deluxe Passporter?

I too tried to get reservations for Palo but it was booked up. I read somewhere that they hold some of the reservations back for booking on the ship.

I can understand your concerns about flying in on the day of the cruise. I suppose if there are delays you will be booking it to get to the port on time. Hopefully all will go without a hitch. We are actually driving in from Virginia on Saturday and staying at a hotel near the port.

We actually have two rooms booked -- 6024 and 6026. We booked so late that all of the family suites were taken. I guess it works out well in the end, even though it costs a bit more -- now my husband and I can have some privacy.

 

[ak1372]

Hi! We're also rookies at this. We will be cruising the same time. DH, DD12, DS10. Can't forget grandmom! Everyone is so excited. We're doing the land/sea. We'll actually be in Universal for two days, then Disney for four. Then we'll go on the cruise. Everyone is so excited! It'll be here before we know it! Feel free to feed me any info. you have.

 

[1773H]

Hi Everyone,

My girlfriend and I are also rookies on this cruise. We have three children (ages 10,12,13). We will be in Disney for three days prior to sailing. I cannot believe how fast this vacation is approaching. Have any of you heard about what excursions are good for young teens?

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Hi All!

Our family is in for the 1st time for the 11/13/05 cruise too! Land/sea package staying at GF before hand.

Sailing with DH, and 2 sons (13 & 11). I booked this trip in March and have really been obsessed ever since! You will love the Passporter book, but I found these message boards just as informative.

On Nassau we booked a room at the Atlantis. It gave us full access to the water park, beaches and pools and gives us a place to clean up before heading back to the ship. The cost was less than if we had taken the beach day and the Atlantis day. I got the room for about $270.00 ( I know it sounds expensive, but it was less than the other two tours for 4). Plus you only go to Paradise Island for the first time once!

Do any of you have late dining time? I still am unsure about that one.

We are just so excited we can't stand it! Trip of a lifetime!

 

[miatamel]

Alot of newbies on this trip! This should be fun! Anybody think we should all meet up sometime?
We were flying in on the same day as embarkation, but after losing hours of sleep over it, we are now flying in on Friday, staying at POR and getting to go to the park on Saturday and then the cruise on Sunday. I feel much better about it. However, since we've now tacked on lots of extra $$, I don't foresee us getting off in Nassau. I really wasn't too keen on it anyway. My 1 and 4 year old won't get anything out of it and coming from a very small, rural area (and state) I'm not so sure how I would handle all those people hollering at me to buy stuff and the like. I really think I'd rather stay on board and roam the boat.
We also have late dining. We're waitlisted for early but I'm not holding my breath. Some people with small children say it's actually better so I really don't know if I should pursue the early time or not. I've been so anxious about doing all the right things on this expensive vacation that it was losing it's fun value, so I'm trying not to worry about things anymore and just go with the flow. It will work out one way or the other.

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

I know what you mean about the expense and remembering to make it fun!

A friend of mine and her family went on the 3 day cruise in June and they really liked the open air market in Nassau, but she did say that some of the vendors were very aggressive. I'm not up for that at all! I think my family would freak!

We'll take a cab to the Atlantis resort. That was one of the selling points for me so I wouldn't feel right going all that way and missing it.

Your babies will love this trip! Our boys are older and I'm hoping they'll be in to the clubs at least some of the time. But I am not sure if we'll work out the late dinner time either. We've been on the wait list for an early dinner since March. I hear that having the later time allows you more time on shore, but you'd probably miss the show. I'm still trying to figure out how to get all of my men to the shows every night!

Nice to chat with you! Keep in touch and maybe we can meet up at the resorts, at the terminal, or onboard!