November 7, 2009 ~~~~ AHOY ST.CROIX ~~~~

[AverysMommy]

I can't believe it but it seems like this may be the first Cruise Meets for the November 7th, 2009 Cruise.

I am so excited about it - We were on the Western Cruise in October 2007 and had a great time. We talked to so many people on the DIS boards before we went, tt was almost like a family reunion when we got on the ship even though we had never formally met before.

There are 4 of us travelling - the 2 of us plus 2 kids. Our son, Spencer, will be 10, and our daughter, Avery, will be 7.

Can't wait to talk to other people who have booked.

Talk to everyone soon - Jessalynn




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[AverysMommy]

We decided not to tell the kids yet about the cruise. Its still 23 months away and I dont think they can understand that its still a long wait.

This year we booked the cruise in May 2007 for a cruise in October....and that seemed to take forever!

We just asked our neighbour to think about coming with us. They have 2 boys and we all get along really well. The Dad doesnt like the idea of being on sea - I sure hope he changes his mind.

If you are booked on this cruise -post a reply so we can start to get to know each other!

Jessalynn

 

[AverysMommy]

I have been looking into St Croix to see what there is to do there - some interesting things:

Sites to Look For:

Estate St. George Botanical Garden
Consisting of lush woods and rich land, the Garden covers 16 acres and contains ruins of a 19th-century sugarcane village and rum factory including workers' homes, manager's house, a bake oven, stone dam, a blacksmith's shop and foundations of a watermill. A small admission fee is charged.

Buck Island Reef
Here is the only United States National Monument (we call it a "National Park") that is underwater. The Park itself covers over 850 acres including the island proper, with a sandy beach, picnic tables and barbecue pits. The reef has two major underwater trails -- Turtle Bay Trail and East End Trail.

Rain Forest
As you head towards Frederiksted, you'll come upon Creque Dam Road and the 15 acres of the Rain Forest. The dam itself is 150 feet high. You will also go along Mahogany Road, which is lined with beautiful mahogany trees, yellow cedar, and Tibet trees (also called "mother's tongue" because of the pods that rustle in the wind). The air is filled with the scent of many of our island fruits, and also the call of mountain doves.
The Forest is private property; the owners have graciously consented to let visitors tour.

St. Croix Leap
Also in the Rain Forest, you will find a group of talented woodcarvers. You can order wood sculptures and chairs and tables all made from local mahogany and have them shipped to your home.

Salt River
Here's where Columbus first arrived in the Virgin Islands in November 1493 on his second voyage to the New World, with 17 ships and 1500 men. He called this island Santa Cruz.

Whim Greathouse
A restoration of one of the finest greathouses from the late 1700s. There's the main house, windmill, watch house and bathhouse, cookhouse and apothecary; also a museum and gift shop. This is one of St. Croix's showplaces. Small admission fee

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Hi Jessalynn, I've been searching for a thread on our cruise, and I'm glad I finally found it! It will only be DH and I for this cruise since we don't have any kids yet and no other family's planning on traveling with us for this one. I have to admit I picked this cruise because I liked the idea of getting relaxed for the holidays and Kenny Chesney sings about the Virgin Islands and ST. Croix!! This will be our first 7 night cruise so we're definately looking forward to a longer Disney cruise. WDW is one of our favorite vacation destinations and we went on our first Disney cruise last January. We fell in love with DCL and decided that we had to be back. On our last trip to WDW in Sept. DH and I talked about how much we missed the cruise so we decided to book one for '09. We're leaving for Hawaii at the end of the month so that's going to be our big trip this year. After finding out where DCL was heading to in '09, we decided on one of the special cruises and St. Croix! Well, I better go. I can't wait to meet you and your family and hear from other cruisers scheduled to sail out Nov. 7th!!!
Bridget

 

[AverysMommy]

Hi Bridget - Welcome Aboard

Glad that other November 7th cruisers are starting to find the thread. My last cruise's DIS meet team was huge - there was probably 30+ families that were constantly talking to each other.

Trip to Hawaii - that sounds great - I dont think I have ever met anyone who didnt have a great time there. You will have to let me know all about it.

2008 is going to be a small vacation for us - probably down to the East Coast. Maybe to Nova Scotia and PEI (we live in Ontario). Where abouts do you guys live?

What was your favourite part of the cruise? Mine was all the little fun things the cruise team had you doing on the stage by the family pool. My kids and I had so much fun learnign dance moves, playing hot potatoe, etc.

Talk to you soon - Jessalynn

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Hi Jessalyn and Bridget!

I was originally going to book the 11/14 special western... but SPH room 5520 came open on this one... so I took it! I saw it as a sign

At cruise time we will be me (39... yikes that looks old!), DH 39, DD 12 and DS9. This will be our first 7 day as a family. My husband and I just did a 7 day on Princess last month for our 15 year anniversary. We loved it! Next November (08) we're doing a land/sea with 3 more WDW days for a total of 10 days of Disney! That will be our first DCL cruise as a 4 night Wonder.

I'm wondering too about keeping this a secret from my kids... unfortunately, DD has already heard us discussing it, and has been asking me if a secret porthole room has opened up for the 7 day. It would be nice to let them know next year, either on our cruise or at Christmas. I could keep it a secret for a few months, but for a year?? I don't know! I will say we booked our 08 trip in September, and 14 months seemed like forever. Now we're down to less than 11 months, so it is going by faster. I just don't know if I can keep it a secret that long. I'm no good at secrets!

Can't wait to get to get to know everyone! My previous cruise meet was fun too.

Christine

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Hi Christine! I'm glad you joined us. Maybe our little group will grow by the day.

Yeah, we're really excited about Hawaii. It will be our first trip there and the whole family's going. We're counting the days down. My family owns a turf grass farm in Tennessee and Alabama so we usually take the majority of our vacations in the winter months because it's our slowest time. Sometimes we're able to sneak off during the summer, but that's rare!

I've finally sat down and realized how long it will be before we actually cruise. I might have to sneak a 3 or 4 day in there somewhere . I know DH will be fine with that. I've turned him into a Disney nut!!

Jessalyn- you asked where we lived. We live in Tennessee (2 hours from Nashville, 3 hours from Memphis, and 6 hours from the Smokey Mountains) and love it. I love to travel and see other places but it's always good to be back in the South. We've traveled to Canada twice. The first time we stayed in Toronto and the second time we went fishing at Minnaniska (sp?). We were out in the middle of nowhere, but we caught a lot of fish !!

I don't know if I could say what I loved about the cruise the most. I loved all of it. It was truly one of the best Disney experiences. I guess the one thing we talk and laugh the most about was the adult karaoke. That was one of the funniest nights of our life. I've grown up going to WDW, and I love it. I still try to make it a point to visit WDW at least once a year, but I was just so surprised at how great the cruise was. DH and I thought we would give it a try and ended up loving it. I can't wait to get back on the ship. Since we've only sailed on the Wonder, I'm really excited about giving the Magic a try.

I better get off here and get some work done.
I'll talk to ya'll soon.
Bridget

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Bridget -
Where in Tennessee do you live? My inlaws live outside Paris, on Kentucky Lake. It's beautiful. We spent 2 weeks in Tennessee this summer, a week at the lake house (my inlaws just retired there) and another week doing Chattanooga and then the Smoky Mountains with my other inlaws (DH's dad and stepmom) and his brother and wife. My BIL went to UK and to Auburn for vet school. Chattanooga was a great city, we stayed on Lake Chicamauga. Smoky Mountains were pretty but oh so touristy and crowded. We did go in July though. This summer I think we'll do a week at the lake and a week around Nashville, maybe drive up to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

And where are you going in Hawaii? We LOVE Hawaii. In fact, the sad thing about booking 08 and 09 on DCL means no Hawaii for us We've been to both Oahu and the Big Island. We totally fell in love with the Big Island!! It's a quick flight for us here on the West Coast, too. It'll take me longer to get to FL, than to go to HI. You wil love it. Hawaiians are as laid back as you think, and everything is on island time, brah! Family is most important to them and material possessions are not. If you're fortunate enough to get to know some Hawaiians you'll see it's really a different culture.

I still can't decide if I can manage to keep this a secret for a year! Jessalyn, how do you think you'll do it? Did you keep it from them awhile for the last cruise?
[/I]

 

[AverysMommy]

Good Morning Bridget and Christine - wow, we are up to 3 families now!!

Last time we booked a cruise, the kids knew about it from Day 1 as it was only a few months away and it became part of our conversation every day. This time is different. The kids know we are going again as we re-booked while on the cruise but they dont know when or where. Its too hard for them to comprehend as its so far out. We probably wont tell them this time until we are about 2 months out.


We were able to re-book as we WON JACKPOT BINGO!. It was very excited on the Thursday night of the cruise. The kids were in the Kids Club getting ready to go on stage at 5pm for their little show and we decided to try the BINGO. My better half was very UNinterested but I did some arm-twisting and off we went. We got to the final draw and the prize was $5,800 - very exciting - and wouldnt you know it - our number gets called and we tied wtih 1 other person - so we each got $2,900. WOO HOO.

We saw it as a sign and we re-booked.


Back to work as I am leaving early today to get my haircut as we are going to a concert tonight - Andre Rieu.

talk to you soon
Jessalynn

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Jessalyn-
WOW what a deal!! I've never done bingo before (except in school lol) and now I just might play! Holy cow. What a good sign! I would've booked with it too, hee hee! I'm going to Vegas (annual family post-Christmas trip) at the end of the month, maybe I'll try a little bingo!

So did you get the same cat as you had on the Western? We'll be in SPH room #5520. I think I have seen that Bridget got 5020! We have 5020 for our Wonder cruise next year. If we end up not liking that room, I figure we can either upgrade or downgrade on ship for the 09 cruise. But I think I will really like deck 5 because of the proximity to the clubs.


So your kids are now 8 and 5? My daughter Rachel is 10 and my son Kyle is 7 (almost 8). They are in 5th grade and 2nd grade. They'll be 12 and 9 at cruise time. Our boys are close in age!

Have fun at your concert!

Christine

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Hey Guys! Yep Christine you're right, I've got 5020 booked. Thanks to the grace of a great TA we have a SPH!!

That's pretty awesome about winning the Jackpot Bingo. We didn't even go play . I didn't realize there was that kind of money involved. Wow! I think if we won, I would be planning my next trip!! We'll definitely have to give it a try on our next cruise.

Isn't it funny how small the world is? My husband is at Land Between the Lakes on a hunting trip right now. It's about 15 minutes from Paris, TN. I've never been up there, but he says it's beautiful. We live in Lutts, TN. It's about 30 minutes from the Alabama state line. Tell your BIL War Eagle for me! I definitely agree with you about the Smokies. I've always said all Gatlinburg is one big t-shirt shop. We go to East TN because we have family up there and of course for our football games!! The mountains are pretty but don't compare to the Grand Tetons! Now those are pretty mountains.

Yes, we're getting really excited about Hawaii. We leave in 16 days. We'll fly into Oahu and spend 3 nights there. Then we're off to Maui. We do plan to do a day trip to the Big Island and see Hilo and Volcano National Park. I've heard about the Hawaiian lifestyle and how everything is really mellow on the islands. So, I'm excited to experience it first hand.

One of the places I have always wanted to go is Las Vegas. DH and I keep planning to go for a couple of days and go to a UFC fight. Do you know what Ultimate Fighting- (mixed martial arts) is? Call me crazy but I love it. And then on to Disneyland for a couple of days. We've just never got our timing right yet. I would have loved to have been at the fight Dec. 29 but we already had Hawaii planned. Vegas sounds great. Let me know how much fun you have.
Jessalyn have fun at your concert. Let us know how it went.
Bridget

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Bridget, that's funny that your husband was up at Land Between the Lakes! That's really close to my inlaws. We cruised all around there on their boat this summer.

I've been listening to Kenny Chesney too and am so ready for the islands! LOL. When you go to Volcano National Park, be sure to ask if there is lava flowing that you can view. Be ready for a hike down to see it (tennis shoes!). I missed out on seeing it when we went because my friend's son who we were vacationing with was so whiny about wanting to go snorkeling. Boy was I ticked! Also down at that far end of the island is the Black Sand Beach... Punalu'u I think. Incredible!! We saw turtles resting on the rocks and the sand is so soft.

So far we are keeping the secret about the 09 cruise.... gosh I hope DD doesn't figure it out, she's so smart. I'm sure not to put that one in my signature incase she sees it!!

I hope everyone is getting ready for a wonderful and relaxing holiday!

Christine

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Nick and I would like to wish our fellow cruisers a very Merry Christmas. We hope you and your families are blessed this holiday season!

 

[DenverVal]

Just checking in here - we have booked this cruise as well. We will be a family of four, me, DH, DD17 and DD14 at cruise time. I just added the countdown to my signature ... it's such a long time away! There's a lot of life to live between now and then, and we have a vacation in Hawaii planned in the meantime. Since DCL doesn't cruise in Hawaii, we're going to give NCL a try.

When you go to Volcano National Park, be sure to ask if there is lava flowing that you can view. Be ready for a hike down to see it (tennis shoes!).

You can track what is happening with the volcano on their website: Kilauea Update Wear sturdy shoes and bring water. If the lava is flowing, it is worth the hike.

 

[AverysMommy]

Hey everyone - Sorry I havent been on lately. So busy with family visiting and getting ready for Christmas - not enough hours in the day.

4 Families now - welcome to DenverVal. At first I was afraid that I would be all alone for the first 6 months but people are signing up.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We got Guitar Hero for Spencer but I think it might be a bit for me as well. Great toy that everyone can play. My arm is sore today and I think its from holding the guitar (too funny!). Of course that wont stop me from playing tonight!.

I have never been to Hawaii but I hear its one of the most beautiful places in the world. Try and post pictures when you get back.

Is anyone going to WDW before the cruise? We are hoping to go for 5-6 days before hand. We loved the cruise but really felt we missed something by not going on the rides. We will probably fly down on Sunday morning, visit the parks Sunday-Thursday. Relax by the pool and do laundry Friday morning. Then go over to the Port area and stay over night on Friday. We will want to be at the Terminal early on Saturday morning.

Jessalynn

 

[AverysMommy]

Jessalyn-
WOW what a deal!! I've never done bingo before (except in school lol) and now I just might play! Holy cow. What a good sign! I would've booked with it too, hee hee! I'm going to Vegas (annual family post-Christmas trip) at the end of the month, maybe I'll try a little bingo!

So did you get the same cat as you had on the Western? We'll be in SPH room #5520. I think I have seen that Bridget got 5020! We have 5020 for our Wonder cruise next year. If we end up not liking that room, I figure we can either upgrade or downgrade on ship for the 09 cruise. But I think I will really like deck 5 because of the proximity to the clubs.


So your kids are now 8 and 5? My daughter Rachel is 10 and my son Kyle is 7 (almost 8). They are in 5th grade and 2nd grade. They'll be 12 and 9 at cruise time. Our boys are close in age!

Have fun at your concert!

Christine

We had a Category 4 last time as my neice who lives with us went as well. But she will be in Grade 11 for this vacation and i cant afford to take her out of school that long. Her grandparents will stay with her. So we downgraded all the way to a Category 9. We realized that we dont really care what room we are in as we hardly ever were in it. We might change our mind afterwards (LOL)

 

[AverysMommy]

WOO HOO - we made it to Page 2

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Welcome DenverVal! I agree with you. There is a lot of life to live between now and our sail date. Hopefully, we'll be able to get a few more WDW trips in between then and now, maybe even a short cruise . Even though we have been to Disney during the holidays, it is always after Christmas so we miss MVMCP. I'd really like to try that party. We loved MNSSHP and the P&PP. I just know we would like MVMCP! DH and I always try to make it to WDW at least once a year. I truly believe it is one of the happiest places on earth.

I love Guitar Hero! Isn't funny how your suppose to outgrow video games yet Nintendo, Playstation, and XBox come along and make everything even better then when we were young! Seriously, how am I suppose to turn down a guitar that lets me play November Rain???

The countdown has begun for us. Nick got a lot of Tommy Bahama for Christmas! I'm determined to pack only a few t-shirts for him and the rest hawaiian wear. That way, I know he'll look tropical in our pictures!!! Hopefully, all our flights will go smoothly and the weather will be pleasant. I'll post pics when we get back. Talk to you soon.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Welcome DenverVal! Glad you will be joining us.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We did, the kids got Wii... so we've been playing A LOT! Wii is really fun, even my inlaws have been playing. I already had Guitar Hero 2 on my playstation, I asked for it for Mother's Day! LOL. I can only play on Easy but it's still really fun. The kids got Guitar Hero 3 for xmas, you know I was the first one to hit that on Christmas night after dinner!!

We'll be at WDW next November. We're doing a 3 day land/4night cruise, then adding on 3 more days afterward. I'm hoping to get to MVMCP, but not sure if it will start before we leave. Crossing fingers! It will have been 5 years since we have been to WDW at that point. I can't believe it. So we may end up adding on a day or two before the Eastern, ssshhhh don't tell DH. LOL. We do live about an hour from DL so we go there a lot, as we have annual passes. I'm trying to figure out a day we can go before school gets back in the 7th. I'm hoping Small World Holiday won't be down already.

DenverVal, have you cruised often on DCL? My inlaws love NCL. Seems people either love it or hate it. They did the Hawaii cruise on NCL last year and had a great time. I hope you do too! It's one of our very favorite places. The worst day in Hawaii is better than any day on the mainland. Okay, except maybe a day at Disney...

 

[DenverVal]

DenverVal, have you cruised often on DCL? My inlaws love NCL. Seems people either love it or hate it. They did the Hawaii cruise on NCL last year and had a great time. I hope you do too! It's one of our very favorite places. The worst day in Hawaii is better than any day on the mainland. Okay, except maybe a day at Disney...

I dream about cruising a lot. We've been on two, both with Disney, a Western and the PC repo. I've been to Hawaii a bunch of times, but this will be the first trip there for my younger DD, and our first NCL cruise.

We just returned from a vacation at WDW over Thanksgiving. It's become a tradition these last few years - I'm not sure I remember how to cook a turkey! FWIW, I don't think MVMCP will be starting until after the cruise, so you may be able to attend during your post-cruise days.