Oct 3, 2009 Wester Carribean

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

yeah U can click on me...LOL Now can someone tell me how to make it appear at my signature and how do I get a countdown ticker??? Feeling deprived over here =(

 

[disneydiva16]

Hi Michelle, Very lovely picture of your family! I have never been on a disney cruise, but I know that my traditions will be the tea with Wendy, pictures by the "Mount Rustmore" characters, and matching outfits when boarding the first day. My dh (Matt) may be hanging with your husband at the pool while I also run to the cabin to lay out the girls birthday presents "from" Mickey. We sail the day after both of their b-days, so they will be surprised that Mickey knew it was their birthday:

Are you dressing up for pirate night? My girls have the cutest pirate costumes. I want to have the family picture taken with the white background in these costumes oooohhhh another tradition .

Talk to everyone soon.

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Robin, That is so exciting that they have b-days the day before. What a bday week they will have. My nephews will be while we r at Castaway Cay if my sis and family decide to go.

No I don't dress for pirate night, not in costume anyhow. In Feb the girls wore skull shirts ,denim skirts and skull leggins...sorta Hannah Montana like.
I haven't decided what were wearing except my DH he has a cool polo shirt with black skulls all over it.
I am excited about this fish extender, I have thought of some cute ideas that represents Ohio! I hope our group doesn't get real real large...that's alot of FE's...LOL

 

[disneydiva16]

I think I have a change in my original plans before we cruise. What I was originally planning on doing is flying in the night before (Oct 2) and then getting up and going to the pier. But now I find out that in 2009 Disney is letting people in FREE on their birthday. It is their new theme for the parks.

2009 Celebration Vacation

In 2009, Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be featuring "Celebration Vacations". A highlight of this celebration is free admission to a theme park on your Birthday**. COMPLIMENTARY BIRTHDAY THEME PARK ADMISSION

** You can either pre-register for your complimentary birthday admission or fill out forms at the gate. The following restrictions apply:

You must be 18 to register online. If you are under the age of 18, an adult must register for you
You must produce proof of your birth date and appropriate ID which includes a Driver's license, State or Government issued ID or Government issued Passport. If you are under age 18 and do not have any of the above, either an original or notarized birth certificate must be shown
This offer applies to guests ages 3 and up and is open to all
If you arrive prior to your birthday, you can pick up your birthday ticket up to seven days in advance at a "Will Call" window. The ticket will only be valid on your birthday
You can upgrade your ticket at an additional cost and it can only be used by the birthday celebrant. Select guests who receive the One Day/One Park ticket which is valid for 12 months may not upgrade it.

So, seeing as how it is my girls birthday on the 2nd of October, I think we will be paying a visit to Magic Kingdom. I guess I will be flying in on Thursday now. I just think this is great timimg for us

Lisa, are you going to go on your birthday next year? I just love FREE!!!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I think it is time to come out of lurkerdom. I found this thread while we were still in Florida, but somehow I did not find the time to finish reading it, never mind posting. We are Corinna (34 at time of cruising) and Graham (50 at time of cruising) and live in Manchester in the north west of England. Our first ever cruise was the special 5 night cruise on the Magic on September 1st followed by a 4 night cruise on the Wonder on September 7th. We really got the cruise bug bad and rebooked for this cruise while we were on the Wonder. We will be in stateroom 6521. This is one of the sideways category 11s. We had this on our cruise on the Magic and absolutely loved it. We had a category 9 on the Wonder and although it was nice to have the port hole, we preferred the lay out of the sideways cabin and the location. We were really thrilled when we found out that it was still available for the October 3rd 2009 cruise.
We are considering having a vow renewal on the cruise. We celebrated our 10th anniversary this year and were planning on having a vow renewal this year, but lots has happened over the last 12 months and this was put on the backburner. I was lucky enough to attend a vow renewal of one of the couples on our cruise meet thread on the Wonder and I decided this is the right thing for us as well. The original plan was to have it at Crystal Cathedral in California. DH was happy enough to go along with this idea as he knows how much Crystal Cathedral means to me, but he is not religious and the place means nothing to him. He fell in love with the Magic just as much as I did so this seems to be a much better venue as it is meaningful to both of us.
Well, we only came back from our vacation yesterday and are still jetlagged. I suppose I better think about going to bed. We have one more day off work and then it is back to the grindstone for both of us on Tuesday.

dolphingirl47

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

I think it is time to come out of lurkerdom. I found this thread while we were still in Florida, but somehow I did not find the time to finish reading it, never mind posting. We are Corinna (34 at time of cruising) and Graham (50 at time of cruising) and live in Manchester in the north west of England. Our first ever cruise was the special 5 night cruise on the Magic on September 1st followed by a 4 night cruise on the Wonder on September 7th. We really got the cruise bug bad and rebooked for this cruise while we were on the Wonder. We will be in stateroom 6521. This is one of the sideways category 11s. We had this on our cruise on the Magic and absolutely loved it. We had a category 9 on the Wonder and although it was nice to have the port hole, we preferred the lay out of the sideways cabin and the location. We were really thrilled when we found out that it was still available for the October 3rd 2009 cruise.
We are considering having a vow renewal on the cruise. We celebrated our 10th anniversary this year and were planning on having a vow renewal this year, but lots has happened over the last 12 months and this was put on the backburner. I was lucky enough to attend a vow renewal of one of the couples on our cruise meet thread on the Wonder and I decided this is the right thing for us as well. The original plan was to have it at Crystal Cathedral in California. DH was happy enough to go along with this idea as he knows how much Crystal Cathedral means to me, but he is not religious and the place means nothing to him. He fell in love with the Magic just as much as I did so this seems to be a much better venue as it is meaningful to both of us.
Well, we only came back from our vacation yesterday and are still jetlagged. I suppose I better think about going to bed. We have one more day off work and then it is back to the grindstone for both of us on Tuesday.

dolphingirl47

Hey cool....sounds like a fun time. It looks like we are going to be acrossed the hall from each other in Oct. 09. We are in 6520. I am dying...to far away.

Is anyone look at excursions they are planning on doing?
We haven't decided, but thinking of a dolphin swim...researching cause I think I can do it cheaper --at least $100 booking myself!
Also looking maybe to do the Turtle farm.

As for the FE...I was reading some other posts and it seems people cut off the being eligable for it like 3 months before cruise so people had time to buy for it. Some took a day and others did one per family. Any ideas??

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am not really decided on excursions yet. We are probably going to do our own thing at Key West and there is nothing that is calling out to me a Grand Cayman either. At Castaway Cay we might well have another go at booking the parasailing as this excursion got cancelled on both of our cruises. At Cozumel, I am torn between the dolphin swim at Dolphinaris, the Trainer for a Day at the same facility or the ruins at Tulum. Still, I have nearly a year to make up my mind.
I am all for a cut off date for joining the Fish Extender gift exchange, but think three months before is a bit early. Maybe a month or 6 weeks prior to sailing would be a good idea. On the two cruises that I just did, we had a 10 day cut off on the first and no cut off at all on the second. With both I would have wished some more time to finalise stuff.

dolphingirl47

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

I don't know how many days it should be, but definately a cut off cause I am making something and supplies are limited. How many did you have on your last cruise? On one post I saw some had 30 and others had 130. wow! I can't find 130 of what I am making...LOL I have found some cute ideas. I am excited about it and I am sure the kids will love it too!

 

[dolphingirl47]

For our 5 night special cruise on the Magic I had 127 staterooms (over 300 people, but I did one gift per stateroom). For the September 7th cruise we had 9 families that participated. A bit of a difference there.

dolphingirl47

 

[dismom73]

Welcome dolphingirl47! It's nice to have a new family. I'm so glad you had a good time on your cruises! It is contagious isn't it? I think a cutoff for the FE sounds good too. We could see what everyone else thinks, maybe 4 weeks? I'm easy! Just let me know and I'll go along. I also think it might be a good idea to break into groups if it gets to be too big. Of course, most of this can be decided, I don't know, maybe a little closer. We are getting excited that we are almost at the 1 year mark. It will be so nice to be able to say that we are going in less than a year, but now the pressure of getting it paid for!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Thanks for the welcome.
DH has a countdown on his homepage that gives him the time until our next cruise in hours. At the moment it stands at 9001 hours so we are about to hit the first landmark.
Cruising definitely is addictive. We can't wait for the 2010 itineraries to come out. If the Magic will really come to Europe then we will book a cruise as soon as we can.

dolphingirl47

 

[disneydiva16]

Welcome dolphingirl47 . It is a pleasure to have you join us!!!
I also am in favor of a cut off date for the fish extender. I dont care when it would be, as long as it gives us enough time to get everything together. I know our group is going to get bigger, but I wish it would kinda stay small and cozy. That way we are not lugging so much stuff for the fish extenders .
I have been checking airfare for this October, just to get an idea of what it possibly could be for next year and I found a flight out of Syracuse, NY on USair for $216.00 incl taxes. That is a really good deal!!! I know it wont be that low when it is time to actually book, but I am hoping

Kristi, How are things? How is the baby? How is the selling of the house coming along? We miss you!!!!!!!!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Robin...People freak at what I pay for airfare. i belong to spirit club and I usually fly with them or southwest. Last year the 4 of us flew roundtrip from Detroit to Orlando for $80 total. Yes total!! In Feb we flew roundtrip for $300 total. I mean that was only $75 a piece. I think your $200 is good too. Though because I am spoiled w/cheap airfare I hope I can find the same for next yr. I prolly won't book until the summer unless I find something real good or outta cleveland which is where I prefer to go out of!

I am so excited about the fish. I started looking for what I need for our present from Ohio! I hope our crew stays kind quiant too. Cause I definately can't get 300 of the one thing I am doing...LOL

Were you all talking about shirts? Is that what I heard or something to wear like beads so we all recognize each other. I am getting excited even this far out and finding I need the time to get things done I need..LOL I didn't get as much into decorating the door and all on our last 2 cruises but this thread is definately making it more fun!!
Koodos to u all!!!

 

[dismom73]

Michelle, I can beat your great airfare deal...our trip to WDW last year I paid $0 for 5 round trip from San Francisco to MCO. Well, ok there's a catch. We have to fly stand by and I have had to put in 13 years in the airline industry. I'm not sure if I will still be working there next year though, so we may have to buy plane tickets, for the first time
I was thinking about the FE thing, with 300 people if you were to get each person a gift that cost $1 that would still be $300. OK, I don't know about anyone else, but that is not in our budget.

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Ok Andrea, that is not fair--flight attendent doesn't count for good airfare deals...LOL My Aunt's step son is a pilot and they fly stand by and hate it and I say hey free don't complain..LOL Of course they are 70 so I guess a little different then us youngins....=)

No I agree with ya....would rather swim w/dolphins then spend crazy on FE. I just hope it stays fairly small. I think it makes it more personal and fun. Hey has anyone heard from Kristi...is she getting the baby now?
Off to make lunches for school. BTW Andrea, I think I have family who live close to you...have to ask mom if I am right!

 

[2Pirates&1Princess]

Hi People, How is everyone? Welcome dolphingirl47 to this crazy group of characters . I should post my fish extender because Tiffany made it and I absolutley love it!!!! I know we have lots of time left, but I guess we do need to decided if we are doing a gift per person/cabin or family.

Wow Andrea and Michelle, both of you guys get awesome rates for airfare! Especially Andrea Cant beat free!!

I think shirts would be cute to have done. Something saying Disney dreamers on it. Then we can have a dis meet and get our picture taken all together. I dont know if my husband will wear a matching t-shirt though.

I am very excited as we are almost hitting the one year mark. Cant wait to hang with Mickey!!!

 

[dismom73]

OK, you're right, I guess mine doesn't count. But if you knew the hoops we had to jump through to get there(and make sure it's on time)we would get credit. Last time we had to change our plans from leaving Friday morning to leaving Thursday night, and we made that decision at 3pm on Thursday afternoon (while my DH was still at work), and I wasn't done packing. We have decided that next year if we are financially able we will be buying plane tickets, but who are we kidding? We wont be financially able, and even if we are we will tell ourselves "we could use that $2000+ to put as a deposit for our next cruise".
I don't know if I'll be able to get my DH to wear a matching shirt either unless...A) I tell him it's just our family wearing them or B) Wait untill he has consumed a couple of the "drinks of the day" to try and put it on him.
I am wondering if Kristi has gotten her new baby? I haven't heard from her, so it would make sense. I hope all is well with her and her family.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am also an airliner, but no free flights here. I work as a reservation supervisor for an international airline. Unfortunately we don't fly from UK to USA and if I was to fly standby with another airline, it would still cost us at least $400 per person and I am simply not brave enough to fly standby. I get bumped often enough when I am flying confirmed!

dolphingirl47

 

[beansf]

Hello everyone!

My husband and I (John & Ann) are going on this cruise, also. We will be 37 at cruise time. We live in San Bruno, CA. (Not too far from dismom73 in Vacaville.) We don't have any children, just the furbaby pictured by my disname.

We go to Disneyland about once a year, but are hoping to go a little more often this year, since we got Annual Passes on our last visit a couple of weeks ago.

This will be our first cruise of any sort and I am a bit overwhelmed by what I don't know and need to know to be prepared. I have ordered the Passporter book on cruising, which I hope will clue me in. I booked through Dreams Unlimited and opted to let Disney book our airfare. That was a bit scary. I have no idea when we will be arriving. I guess we have a year to figure it out though.

Anyway, I have read your entire thread and thought I should pop in and say HI. The hubby and I are anxiously awaiting our Adventures By Disney trip to Australia which we have waited oh so long for. The great part about that is, once you have paid for ABD, the cruise seems cheap!

Maybe I should add: Cat 10 Deck 7 for us.

 

[dolphingirl47]

We felt quite apprehensive prior to our first cruise, but I got a Passporter and that combined with the disboards proved to be an invaluable resource. We were well prepared and really enjoyed ourselves right from the start.

dolphingirl47