November 26, 2011 Western Carribean

[kristyk13]

I will put you on our FE List. Again, I can not stress enough, do not add worrying about what to use as part of the FE, to your pre-cruise planning! It is supposed to be fun!

Some ideas I read included calling your nearest tourist office and seeing if you can get some free state magnets, bumper stickers, postcards. Another idea is go to oriental trading's website to the sale item, you can always find useful items that usually come in a dozen per pack, or with Halloween ending before our cruise, stock up on the remaining Halloween candy, put it in a bag, and there is your FE!

I will put out a final list two weeks before but right now we are @ 16 cabins participating.

Thank you so much, after carefully reading your original post I felt better, do you need our cabin numbers? I saw others posted them. So we will be at #6640 & 6642.

Any other tips you can provide to us newbie cruisers is greatly appreciated!

 

[kristyk13]

So happy to find this thread! We just booked our cruise.....and we are first timers for cruising. I have 2 kids, dd11 and ds6; they will be 12 and 6 by cruise time. I would love to have the kids meet the first day! Great idea! Any other tips from those of you who have cruised before?

Would be great to meet up after reading all the posts and great advice from everyone, especially for the kids!

 

[TJGorman]

Thank you so much, after carefully reading your original post I felt better, do you need our cabin numbers? I saw others posted them. So we will be at #6640 & 6642.

Any other tips you can provide to us newbie cruisers is greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much for the cabin number!

The best advice I can give to newbie cruisers is: 1. Don't try to do everything. A vacation should be relaxing. Look at the navigators to find those items you might like to do.

2. Also if you haven't heard about the pub night on the final night of the cruise, you absolutely must go! I am not going to give it away, but it's worth the stop by the pub on the last night.

 

[kristyk13]

Thanks, I never heard about the Pub Night! Just when I thought I read everything about our cruise, LOL, I am finding something new every day!

 

[CherylA]

Hubby's new boss said he could take the time off!!! Yippie horray I'm going on a cruise!!!

 

[BethC1952]

That's wonderful news!

 

[TJGorman]

Hubby's new boss said he could take the time off!!! Yippie horray I'm going on a cruise!!!

Yes! That is great news! Let the planning star...err...continue!

 

[kristyk13]

Hubby's new boss said he could take the time off!!! Yippie horray I'm going on a cruise!!!

Great news!

 

[candmfox]

Anyone else out there notice a small credit post to your account last night? Received an email from DCL with just enough back to pay for a Palo visit with the wife. I'm guessing it is probably a true-up on port fees or taxes. Hoping the next message from them includes either a Florida resident discount or a stateroom upgrade. Crossing fingers...

 

[kristyk13]

Did you book thru DCL?

 

[candmfox]

Yes, which was something different for us - we usually go through an agent...

 

[CherylA]

So what is everyone doing at the Ports? I think we're going to do... (all on our own) Jey West- the hop on hop off trolly tour, a late lunch at Blue Heaven, and sunset in the square. In Cozumel I'm going to book Nachi Cocom, anyone else booked this? In Grand Caymen I think we'll take a taxi to the turle farm followed by the afternoon at 7 mile beach. In Castaway Cay we're going to rent bikes.

 

[cado]

we have booked the Cozumel Highlights and Mayan Ruins tour is this any good

 

[HakunaMatata15]

By the way - while we're docked in Key West, there are two festivals going on:
1) Pirates in Paradise -- go to: piratesinparadise.com

2) Key West Bight Before Christmas - at the Bight (marina area) - holiday crafts, food, Santa . . .

We're not booking anything, but we'll just head over to the festivals for a while with our kids.

 

[CherylA]

By the way - while we're docked in Key West, there are two festivals going on:
1) Pirates in Paradise -- go to: piratesinparadise.com

2) Key West Bight Before Christmas - at the Bight (marina area) - holiday crafts, food, Santa . . .

We're not booking anything, but we'll just head over to the festivals for a while with our kids.

Thanks for the info. I'll look these up!

 

[kristyk13]

we have booked the Cozumel Highlights and Mayan Ruins tour is this any good

This is our first cruise, I also booked this tour, sounded interesting.

 

[EEsloveDis]

Just found this thread!!

This will be my family's first cruise and we are very excited!!!

It will myself, dh, ds (10) and dd (7).

Right now it looks as though we will go on our own in Key West and go to the Aquarium and tour the island a bit and hopefully get some yummy chocolate dipped key lime pie. I was interested in getting an electric car but I've heard parking is tough so we may just hop on and off the trolley.

Grand Cayman we will also be on our own. I'm making arrangements to get a day room at either the Ritz, Marriott or Westin.

We are booked for the Dolphin Discovery.

We will be spending a few days at MK after the cruise to hit the new Star Wars and see all the decorations at the parks!!

 

[BethC1952]

Glad you found us!

 

[DesertGal]

Getting so excited for our cruise!

I wondered if there is anyone here on the boards with kids similar ages as ours. Alec turned 5 yesterday and Olivia is 2 years 10 months.

We were hoping (still are) that she will be completely potty trained by then so she can go in the kids club with her brother. So far, we aren't quite there so I've made back up nursery ressies for her.

Alec is on the shy side so we wanted him to have her as a buddy to make it easier. We would love to meet up with someone else with kids early on.

Our kids don't spend a lot of time there, but since it is my hubby's birthday during the cruise, we have Palo reservations and would also like to do a few martini tastings and at least visit the bar once. We did solo tastings our last cruise so we could kid swap.

If anyone on our cruise wants to arrannge a meet up, let me know. We are also on early dining and would love to find table mates.

 

[DesertGal]

Just found this thread!!

Grand Cayman we will also be on our own. I'm making arrangements to get a day room at either the Ritz, Marriott or Westin.

We are booked for the Dolphin Discovery.

We will be spending a few days at MK after the cruise to hit the new Star Wars and see all the decorations at the parks!!

If you don't mind me asking, how much is the day room?