October 13, 2012--Magical Galveston Cruise!!!

[ukintheus]

I know how all the fur baby parents feel about finding a good place to leave them. We have 2 dogs and 3 cats and are lucky enough that one of my friends has a retired Mom who comes to pet sit & house sit while we are gone. It is so hard to find a good kennel.

 

[shaned]

Madmommy17 - Do any of the Banfield animal clinics have kennels or doggie hotels? Possibly your vet can recommend a good doggie hotel. Had an idea , one of my bosses wife use to walk dogs for a part time job. Your dog wouldn't have a constant companion but someone to let her out and play with her. Oh! Wait there is a new doggie hotel on Red Bluff just off of Spencer. I believe it's across the street from Red Bluff animal hospital.
Dena

 

[shaned]

Madmommy17 - talked with my daughter, I was wrong it's not Banfield it Petsmart that has the doggie hotel, also Bayport Animal Clinic on Fairmont has a kennel/hotel for puppies.
Dena

 

[DisMs]

Thanks Dena this is our first Disney Cruise 3 of us me, Hubby and 6yr old son. Oh almost forgot the "real reason" for the cruise that is what I tell my 24yr daughter to celebrate her and my son in law's college graduation! It was our gift to them. Anyway we are deck 6 anyone else on this deck....

What a nice graduation present for them! (and fun for you!!)

We have two 6-year old girls in our group, so your son will have similar-aged friends in the kids club.

 

[DisMs]

Hi, Everyone,

Hope this link works - it's precious! It has all our ports of call on the map, in the shape of Mickey's head

http://www.4shared.com/photo/5IoFmcnz/7_Night_Galveson_itinerary_mh2.html

Another nice DIS-er had this on a thread for free Disney Magnets. I saved & printed this one. I will put our cabin # on one ear, and Sail date on the other, laminate and put magnetic sheet on the back, for our stateroom door.

It's so cute! Thanks to the Creator on these boards.

 

[ukintheus]

Hi, Everyone,

Hope this link works - it's precious! It has all our ports of call on the map, in the shape of Mickey's head

http://www.4shared.com/photo/5IoFmcnz/7_Night_Galveson_itinerary_mh2.html

Another nice DIS-er had this on a thread for free Disney Magnets. I saved & printed this one. I will put our cabin # on one ear, and Sail date on the other, laminate and put magnetic sheet on the back, for our stateroom door.

It's so cute! Thanks to the Creator on these boards.

Very cute! There are some VERY creative people over there! They have way more patience with Photoshop etc. than me!

 

[dbaudoin]

Good morning! Could someone please tell me what is the FE list? This is my 3rd Disney Cruise and I'm ashamed to say I don't know what everyone is talking about. Looking forward to cruising October 13th. Still anxiously awaiting my OGT assignment. Traveling with my two boys 12 and 8 and a friend of mine with her 6 year old boy. I wonder if the boat will be low capacity. Might be nice! We have the whole week off of school for fall break. Thanks!!

Any excursion recommendations??

 

[ukintheus]

Good morning! Could someone please tell me what is the FE list? This is my 3rd Disney Cruise and I'm ashamed to say I don't know what everyone is talking about. Looking forward to cruising October 13th. Still anxiously awaiting my OGT assignment. Traveling with my two boys 12 and 8 and a friend of mine with her 6 year old boy. I wonder if the boat will be low capacity. Might be nice! We have the whole week off of school for fall break. Thanks!!

Any excursion recommendations??

Welcome! I'm sorry to say that our FE list is officially closed. You can sign up to be an optional cabin if you would like (meaning that any "extra" pixie dust by those already participating will be shared, but you won't be on the formal list). In a way it is similar to a secret santa, although most people put a note on the gift to say who it is from. You can give one gift per cabin, one gift per person, or any combination you choose. It's all up to you! There is a TON of info on these boards...here's a good starting point. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2660789

As for excursions - again - tons of information on these boards, and plenty of ideas in previous pages on this board if you want to take a look back and see what others are doing. It's different from family to family - everyone likes something different, if you can give us some more info on what you and your family like to do, we may be able to throw some ideas out. The DCL website is a great resource to look for excursions as well.

 

[ukintheus]

I knew there was a thread somewhere with excursion reports - just had to find it! Take a look at this thread for reports on excursions - it covers a lot of stuff & may help take some time off the websurfing for you

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2873059&highlight=western+excursion

 

[dbaudoin]

Thanks for the information. I had a feeling it had to do with gifts/door decorating. I remember seeing cabin doors with lots of stuff on them. Sounds like lots of planning though. I'm sure the kids think it's fun.
As for excursions, I'm currently booked for Stingray city (grand Cayman) and the Fury Catamarin excursion (Cozumel). I'm sure they will be fine. I just don't see anything thrilling in Costa Maya. Might have to just take a taxi to a nearby beach or stay on the boat. I really wish we were sailing to Castaway Cay. That's a big disappointment. But love the idea of not traveling to Port Canaveral this time.
I've seen posts about holding a spot at the port in Galveston. Is it really necessary to do that in advance? Think there will be any Halloween activities planned on board?

 

[Madmommy17]

Madmommy17 - talked with my daughter, I was wrong it's not Banfield it Petsmart that has the doggie hotel, also Bayport Animal Clinic on Fairmont has a kennel/hotel for puppies.
Dena

Dena Thanks yeah my daughter checked out Petsmart and did not like it Reagan is an English Springer Spaniel and she should be a ranch dog with all the energy she has but Petsmart does not have an outdoor area. I told her about Bayport and she is checking that out today. Thanks again hopefully it will work for her.

 

[shaned]

Thanks for the information. I had a feeling it had to do with gifts/door decorating. I remember seeing cabin doors with lots of stuff on them. Sounds like lots of planning though. I'm sure the kids think it's fun.
As for excursions, I'm currently booked for Stingray city (grand Cayman) and the Fury Catamarin excursion (Cozumel). I'm sure they will be fine. I just don't see anything thrilling in Costa Maya. Might have to just take a taxi to a nearby beach or stay on the boat. I really wish we were sailing to Castaway Cay. That's a big disappointment. But love the idea of not traveling to Port Canaveral this time.
I've seen posts about holding a spot at the port in Galveston. Is it really necessary to do that in advance? Think there will be any Halloween activities planned on board?

In Costa Maya, hubby and I are going to the Tropicante, beach area along with a place to eat. You can reserve chairs/loungers or a table. I don't have the email address to Steve the owner of the little resort place. But if you google, you can find, also there is a thread on the main page about this place also.
Dena

Went back and looked for email - steveuhl@sandalsandskis.com - everyone that has gone there raves about it.

 

[Madmommy17]

What a nice graduation present for them! (and fun for you!!)

We have two 6-year old girls in our group, so your son will have similar-aged friends in the kids club.

Thank you. We booked our trip first thru DVC but I felt bad and just decided to get them a room as a gift. It will be fun although not sure if I will see them they will probably be at the adult bar area the entire time. Even at 24 and married she thinks she is still our princess so of course she is still spoiled!

I know he will enjoy the kids club every year when we go to WDW we do a night out and either use Simba Club or Beach Club and every year he gets upset when it is time to leave. I think I will take advantage of the program they have where children eat first & they pick them up to go back to the kids area, not sure what it is called.

 

[Madmommy17]

Very cute! There are some VERY creative people over there! They have way more patience with Photoshop etc. than me!

Those are sooo cute! At least you know what Photoshop is I have to get help from my teenage daughter for anything "computer"

 

[ukintheus]

Thanks for the information. I had a feeling it had to do with gifts/door decorating. I remember seeing cabin doors with lots of stuff on them. Sounds like lots of planning though. I'm sure the kids think it's fun.
As for excursions, I'm currently booked for Stingray city (grand Cayman) and the Fury Catamarin excursion (Cozumel). I'm sure they will be fine. I just don't see anything thrilling in Costa Maya. Might have to just take a taxi to a nearby beach or stay on the boat. I really wish we were sailing to Castaway Cay. That's a big disappointment. But love the idea of not traveling to Port Canaveral this time.
I've seen posts about holding a spot at the port in Galveston. Is it really necessary to do that in advance? Think there will be any Halloween activities planned on board?

Very true that there doesn't look to be much at Costa Maya. We are doing the ruins tour but I've heard good things about the place Dena suggested and is going to.

I don't think you would need to book ahead of time at the port, although there is another cruise ship leaving the day that we leave, but I would think the Port parking has plenty of space.

Reports are that there won't be any Halloween activities on our cruise. Apparently they sent out an email to those cruisers that will have stuff going on, and it's the cruise after ours plus the one that is gone over Halloween.

Missing Castaway Cay is a disappointment, but I think they figured out that they could sucker us all in by offering it next year! We decided to switch a cruise we were doing on the Fantasy in April next year and go out of Galveston again on the Magic - it's just too handy to not have to fly, which in our case turns into a "few" days at WDW. So just much easier on the pocket book in the end.

We are meeting up in the Promenade Lounge at 3 pm before muster drill on the first day - come join in the fun if you can! Depending on what part of LA you are from you may speak the same language as my hubby!

 

[ukintheus]

Thank you. We booked our trip first thru DVC but I felt bad and just decided to get them a room as a gift. It will be fun although not sure if I will see them they will probably be at the adult bar area the entire time. Even at 24 and married she thinks she is still our princess so of course she is still spoiled!

I know he will enjoy the kids club every year when we go to WDW we do a night out and either use Simba Club or Beach Club and every year he gets upset when it is time to leave. I think I will take advantage of the program they have where children eat first & they pick them up to go back to the kids area, not sure what it is called.

The adult areas are so much fun - you will be wanting to join them I think the kids program is called Dine & Play - it sounds like something that would work well if your son ends up enjoying the kids clubs, plus it gives you some more time to enjoy dinner. I don't have kids, but I think it would appeal to me if I did!

 

[ukintheus]

I decided to check cruisefish to see what they say about our cruise, although I've never looked at their stuff before, so I don't know how accurate it is. Anyway, saw a post about it, so went to check it out. It's showing 100% availability for stateroom categories on our sailing. It's the only sailing (Magic & Galveston) this year that has 100% against it. From what I gather from reading other threads it shows the percentage of categories available, so you can gather if it's 100% that our ship is going to have lots of availability - ie - not so many people.

 

[dbaudoin]

Thanks Jenny! I know the price was just so right to go out of Galveston. We went on the Fantasy this past June, which turned into a few days in WDW. I cannot drive all the way to Port Canaveral and not visit the parks. Which can be an unbelievable expense, LOL. But I just love the parks! This way I have no temptations. Have you been on the Fantasy? My kids are asking if the Magic has all the same things. They've been on the Magic once but don't really remember it I guess. I hope it's holding up. It had a few signs of wear and tear the last time. I still think they will have just as much fine minus putt putt and the detective game.

I live in Lafayette! So does your husband speak french?? My kids are in french immersion so they speak french, along with my husband. I'm the only one not bilingual in the house. That could be dangerous.

That's a bummer about Halloween. How cool that would be if they could trick or treat on board.

I guess I will just go to a small beach on Costa Maya. Really the kids prefer staying on board but they do like snorkeling. I did check out the link you sent and it was helpful. I hope the snorkeling is not a disappointment on the Fury Catamarin trip. Have you done that one?

Thanks for the invite to join y'all in the Promenade. I will be with a girlfriend and her son. No hubbies. I'm sad about that, but I think he's ok with it! I wear him out with Disney.

Thanks again for the help. You are truly Disney qualified.

 

[shaned]

The availablity doesn't really surprise me, our date is inbetween the maiden voyages and then after us Halloween. That's okay , the pools wont be crowded and there won't be any long lines.
Dena

 

[Madmommy17]

Interesting....I wonder what the answer for a free upgrade would be..LOL