October 15, 2005 anyone?

[SamR]

the post said they were going to dry dock to be "stretched"...what does that mean???

I don't know, but it sounds painful!

But at least it doesn't sound like something that would require dental instruments! (Obligatory "Molar Express" commentary.)

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

They talked about it while we where on board. Sounds like it will be awesome. IT needed some updates. The pools are supposed to have a different theme and interactive fountains and wings that go out over the ocean that have glass where you can look down at the Sea.

They are adding more rooms too.

Still love the Disney ships best!!!!

I will have my cruise paid off by July 17th!!! I have too. I was able to access my reservation yesterday and make my wish list. ALthough I did not see the Spa treatment I want listed??? I may have to call?

Bye

 

[shmoogrrrl]

The pools are supposed to have a different theme and interactive fountains and wings that go out over the ocean that have glass where you can look down at the Sea.

That sound terrifying. I don't think any amount of safety assurances could convince me that was safe enough for me to swim in!

YIKES!

Maybe I am just a wuss. I'd be terrified that the thing would break off and I'd end up in the ocean!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Guess I would have too see it?? I saw computer pictures of what they were doing. I think they are even having bungy jumping from the ship???


Hey! I just booked our horse back ride on the beach in St.Marteen. I booked the 10:30 one hour ride and then I guess we will be dropped off at Dawn Beach for the rest of the day. I can't wait!

 

[llyolf]

Southwest finally came out with our dates!!! now begins the waiting game to get Click and Save or Dinged.... I don't think I'll reserve until it gets cheaper.... I am looking at 244 RT right now.... hopefully get dinged at 49,59,79 one way....

Later,
Paul

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

I will have to check prices out of STL,but will probably wait for a sale too.

Last year it was August when I booked the $49 rates for Orlando in October.
So it will happen!!! We just have to keep watching for those internet sales. They never discount the prices this far ahead....

Thanks for the info. How exciting!!

I am going to go check it out now...Although I need to get back to work!

 

[shmoogrrrl]

Guess I would have too see it?? I saw computer pictures of what they were doing. I think they are even having bungy jumping from the ship???


Hey! I just booked our horse back ride on the beach in St.Marteen. I booked the 10:30 one hour ride and then I guess we will be dropped off at Dawn Beach for the rest of the day. I can't wait!

That sounds even more terrifying! Yikes!

We did a Horseback excursion on our second DCL trip when it was still offered by Disney. It was blast! I wish that Katie was old enough to do something like that now!
I am not sure if we are going to do any excursions because all our kids are pretty young!

 

[PearlandPaige]

Southwest finally came out with our dates!!! now begins the waiting game to get Click and Save or Dinged.... I don't think I'll reserve until it gets cheaper.... I am looking at 244 RT right now.... hopefully get dinged at 49,59,79 one way....

I booked my tickets on Southwest today (Rapid Rewards/Companion Pass) so I, being the happy planner I am, can now put my flight confirmation numbers into my itinerary. I'll still watch to see if they go down in price (I'd hate to "waste" a free ticket on a $100 flight), but it sure is nice to know I have the reservations just in case. I am soooo ready for this vacation. Now if only I can be patient enough to wait until August 1 when I can book my ressies...

 

[PearlandPaige]

DH and I decided we really wanted to invite my 76 year old grandmother along on this cruise, so we went ahead and added her to our room. (Sorry crazyformickey, but this means we're no longer nearly neighbors. We had to change rooms - we're now farther down the hall in 7098, I think.) When we asked her if she would come along with us on an all-expense paid Disney cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, she said "Do I have to decide now? Can I think about it?" DH and I were floored. What's there to think about? I guess I had secretly hoped she would shout "Yes! Yes! Yes! You're the best granddaughter on earth!" Oh well, so we may or may not have another member in our group. I really hope she comes because I think it would be the experience of a lifetime for her.

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

I just have to wait a bit too see if prices come down.
That would be nice to have my airfare taken care of. They will come down,but who knows when??

Paige, I hope you can get your Grandma to go. I would love to take my Mom,but can't get her to commit either. I am finally getting her to Orlando next week!! So one thing at a time!

Hey guys, I just got my paperwork on the RCL cruise that I booked for next July 2006 and it says as of 12-31-05 a pass port will be required do to homeland security???? Is that going to be the case with all cruiselines or just RCL??? So for our 10-15-05 cruise we are still ok with BC and DL. Thank goodness.
I wonder if I will have to get a passport for Josie??? UGH! What a pain!

I am thinking about doing Animal Kingdom park next Friday? What do you guys think. It is our last day,but our plane does not leave till 7:20. So I figure we could check out early and jump the bus to AK for the day.

 

[SamR]

Is that going to be the case with all cruiselines or just RCL???

Regardless of which cruise line (or even which mode of travel), you will be required to have a passport as of 12/31/05.

I wonder if I will have to get a passport for Josie???

Yes, I'm pretty sure your daughter will be required to have one as well.

You can read the official government information at: New Passport Requirements

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Can you imagine the impact??? Most people travel on cruises with BC and DL. I just think it is going to be a mess with everyone trying to get passports and they are so expensive.

If it is going to be mandatory then they need to lower the price. It will add almost another $400 to a family of 4. I know they last 10 years,but it still makes me mad.
Just another way the Goverment is trying to screw us over. Money Money Money!! Guess that is what is all about??? Oh well guess there is nothing we can do about it?? Just had to vent a bit.

No Southwest sale for STL yet??? Guess it will be mid Summer before they have sale???

Ok....Have a good day everyone!

 

[oybolshoi]

I'm no fan of the government (be it democrats or republicans who are in charge) but I actually like using my passport rather than the birth certificate / drivers license. I thought it was much more convenient to whip that out on our cruise last fall and that way all the information anyone really needs is in one place - picture ID and confirmation of US citizenship. I actually use it domestically now when I fly - much easier at the airport with a passport, I've found.

It is expensive initially, but when you spread the $85 application fee over ten years that's a pretty good deal. And I think the renewal fee is only $55 each time after that. Be sure to apply early - it can take up to six weeks to receive your passport (we applied last August and got ours sometime in September).

On to airfare... we went ahead and booked our flights with Southwest. We decided we wanted to get it out of the way so that all of our plans were finalized. So, we're flying down on Thursday morning about 10:00 and we got a return flight to STL on the 22nd at 11:30 - both non-stop. We knew we could probably find something a little cheaper if we waited, but we needed those dates and we wanted non-stop and figured we'd rather spend a little more to get what we wanted. Still... $400 round trip, non-stop STL-Orlando-STL doesn't seem bad to this crazy lady (that's for two people, btw!).

Hope life is treating everyone well! Can't wait for that three day weekend next week. DH is in Atlanta this week and I've got to go back to Kansas City for a bit, so it will be nice to have some extra time together next week. Anybody on the Molar Express looking forward to Revenge of the Sith or are Jason and I the only Star Wars geeks on this ship?

See ya!

Brenda

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

It really would be good for me to have my passport,but I don't think they should require us to buy them for Children. You would think the BC would be enough for them. That is where the cost will get famillies. I just have never needed a passport.

I know "Homeland Security"..............That is the reason!! Still the bad guys will buck the system somehow and us innocent people will pay! As always.

$200 roundtrip is not too bad,but everytime I check the flights it says $153 one way STL to MCO. That's $306 without taxes and fees....As a single Mom I can't swing that. I am praying for a sale like last year. I got $49 flights one way in October.... Even $79 would be good. My times are flexible really and so that helps. Anytime on Thursday afternoon will work for us. Sat should not be a problem flying home and I noticed all flights are non-stop for those dates! That is nice.

Not a Star Wars fan,but know lots who are...I am sure you will find a few!

I got the cutest "RED" Flaminco style dress for the cruise from Newport news!! So cute and comfortable. I can't wait to wear it. You will know it is me cause it definetly stands out!

Ok,I better get some work done!

Bye

 

[PearlandPaige]

It really would be good for me to have my passport,but I don't think they should require us to buy them for Children. You would think the BC would be enough for them.

I certainly don't mean for this to end up as a political debate, but I thought this article might help you understand why we need passports for children as well as adults. I'm not sure the passport application process would really stop something like this, but maybe it slows a person down enough to enable some other process to catch him. Sorry this is such a gloomy article. After reading this, I definitely need some happy thoughts.

'Child used as suicide bomber'
31/01/2005 13:54
Baghdad - Iraq's interior minister said on Monday that insurgents used a "handicapped child" as one of the suicide bombers who launched attacks on election day.
Falah al-Naqib told reporters in Baghdad that 38 attacks were carried out on polling stations in Iraq on Sunday and that one of the suicide bombings was carried out by a disabled child.
"A handicapped child was used to carry out a suicide attack on a polling site," al-Naqib said. "This is an indication of what horrific actions they are carrying out."
He gave no other details about the attack, but police at the scene of one the Baghdad blasts said the bomber appeared to have Down's Syndrome.
Eight suicide bombers blew up near polling stations in Baghdad on Sunday, killing themselves and 19 other people.
Al-Naqib praised an Iraqi citizen who was killed while blocking one suicide bomber from reaching a crowd of people outside at polling station.

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Ecspecially if traveling to the middle East or other countries like that?

Maybe they could come up with a family plan and lower the cost. $200 is a lot for me when I am already paying a lot for a vacation. I will just have to buy mine and then in a few months buy Josie's and then we will have them. We don't need them till July of 2006,but the guy at RCL told me I should get them before Jan cause it is going to be a mess with everyone rushing to get them for 2006.

No since in gripping about it...Thanks for listening guys....

 

[oybolshoi]

everytime I check the flights it says $153 one way STL to MCO. That's $306 without taxes and fees....

Unbelievable! I bought our tickets last Friday afternoon and they were the $99 one-way fares. Now they aren't available for purchase any longer? Wow.
Well, you'll still probably end up getting a better deal by waiting than I did. I remember seeing those $49 fares last year after we had paid $99 and I had a Homer Simpson moment - D'OH!

I bought a dress this weekend, too! It's a green silk halter dress with a white palm leaf pattern... I thought it would be good for the Pirate night dinner when things are a little more informal. Of course I still have a lot of nice dresses from our Western cruise last year, but you can't blame a girl for wanting a few new things!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

See that is why you always have to watch Southwest..They will drop prices for a day or two and you have to catch it. Those $49 rates were a 3 day internet sale...So it was last minute.

$99 is not bad since you got your times and flights you want.

Dress sounds cute...I don't really need anything new either,but I just can not help it! Ya know at the end of Summer everything will be on clearance and that will make it even harder not too buy! Like ya said??? "What's a girl to do????"

Talk to ya later,
Michelle

 

[jenmack]

Wow P&P! ~Sad story.
~ I keep thinking what we will have to pay. We are a family of 5. We might purchase our passports at diffrent times too. My husband goes to Italy each year for the Navy & all he has to show is his government ID card. I'm curious to find out if that will change for him too. I used to have a passport, but I never had it changed to my married name & it's long been expired. We are planning all 5 of us to do DCL again, but we are waiting til our little guy is about 6. (If we can wait that long. 2 years to go). That should give us enough time to plan & purchase our passports.
~Brenda, We too are excited to see episode 111. We were going to take our 10 1/2 year old DS with us, but being pg-13, and hearing some stuff about it we have decided to preview it first. He's pretty disappointed. He's already read the book "revenge of the Sith" & I have lost count on how many times he's re-played & re-played the movie preview on-line. That's all I have heard about the last month & he's even watched ALL the Star Wars movies over again to be up to date. Anyway, we are going to attempt to see the movie this weekend.

~Well, I am so jealous of you people that can fly SW. Maybe we should move to another state. Besides the weather being horrendous it seems to be that flying at a reasonable rate is just as bad. Oh Well, maybe things will change.
~Hope all is well with everyone!!! Have a good day!

 

[wayneg]

Hi All
Didn't realise passports would be such a big thing for you all. Just presumed the majority of you would already have one. Being from the UK we all have to have one to go on Vacation, Furthest we can go without one is about 75 miles east or west, 200 miles south or 400 miles north.
This will be our 36th vacation abroad since DS was born 10 years ago so £150($270) every 10 years is only about £4($7) per trip. I suppose if you only use it once or twice it's not good value, you will all have to go on more vacations
I am still having teeth problems. Next appointment 22nd June.
I wish we could get flights for $49 each way. For the 3 of us it is costing about $2,500 return, paying a little extra to go direct this year.
Wayne