patsal
<font color=FF3399>I've discovered I don't need to
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2001
- Messages
- 9,060
Ok, I've always hoped to write a great trip report. You know the ones I'm talking about-- details, stuff to get others excited about their trip and to let me reflect on the great stuff that happened on mine. Only problem is well, I don't think I am nearly as humorous as those great ones that I read and I am not sure anyone really cares to read it! But here goes, and if after a day or two no one wants to read it no biggie I can just stop posting the details! So here goes!
We left for the Buffalo airport around 11am--the flight was to leave at 2:10 but with all the other spring breakers and an airport that is seeing very heavy Canadian traffic we figured we'd better leave a bit of extra time. Of course getting the kids out of the house and everything turned off, unplugged and locked up took a few extra minutes, but we were well on our way at 11:30. We arrived and almost immediately found we'd have to park the car in Chicago and hike to the airport entrance. We parked, locked up and readied ourselves for a hike when a shuttle bus showed up and helped us to get to the entrance--which is good because 6 bags and 4 people, well it doesn't take a genius to do that math!
No sooner do we sit to wait when they announce the flight is very over sold, we see families being turned away at the gate and crying children--they ask if anyone will volunteer to be bumped and offer a great incentive $400 per person plus the cost of the flight--I don't do math, but well money makes math work for my brain! We check out the offer--we'll get you to FL sometime in the middle of the week--not gonna work so we have to skip it.
The plane arrives a bit late so we get to the boarding stuff and all settle in, its Southwest so we know by the number of very young families there will be shuffling of seats and people will have to move. The only seats left are the emergency exits and the last four people on can't/don't want to sit there. They offer free drinks for people to move and by the miracle of booze we are all on our way to take off! We take off almost an hour late--this will mess with my dinner plans but I don't say anything and figure I'll adjust.
We arrive in Orlando closer to 6 and I collect the bags with the kids while Pat goes to get the car. He meets us we cart the luggage to the car--how do we get six pieces of luggage into a Pontiac grand am--well that was a neat trick--and when did we start classifying Pontiac grand am's as a full sized vehicle? Personally, I thought that was a small car, economy or whatever they call pea shooters. Pat smiles and says it's vacation we'll make it work. The kids, I'm sure loved the baggage wedged between them in the backseat! It all works we head to Port Canaveral where we have reservations for the night so we will have no hurries or worries in the morning. I am super prepared, and a bit paranoid, see last time we went to FL I didn't have exact change for the toll and they only had exact change lanes--we had to just drive through--I'm still waiting to be arrested for the 75 cents! So as I said, I am well prepared,a whole roll of quarters in my purse we muddle along without incident. We arrive at the Raddison and now I wish I had done more research and stayed on the ocean--mental note for next time (there will be a next time!). We settle and try to find the place I had planned to have dinner--oops I left the driving directions in the computer printer. Pat decides he's just going to wing it and go for a ride-- sure he'll find it. I think you know where this is going--we don't find it, we find everything else but not the place I was hoping for! He stops and gets directions--cool just the opposite way we were going and right on the ocean. We arrive at 7:45 to learn there is a 2 hour wait. Not gonna work, I'll have to rethink--go to the next place ok better, only 45 minute wait. We'll take it after all who wants Wendy's when there is fresh seafood right next to the ocean? Humm, seems like its been longer than 45 minutes, lets stop looking at the ocean and go back inside maybe remind them we are here. Quizzed looks on hostesses faces. what number is on your beeper? We say 30 --oops I wrote 20 no wonder it didn't go off. Ok, well duh... too much sun fried the poor girls brain no doubt. We finally get dinner, it was really good, but almost too late to really enjoy as I am more tired and anxious than I am hungry now. Mental note arrive earlier or suffer through Wendy's!
Back to the hotel where Pat discovers he's forgot the tiny little tapes he needs for his camcorder--cool 24 hour Walgreen's right down the street. Problem solved. Back to the room where the kids are having too much fun playing with the sleep number beds---annoying noise blow it up, hissing noise to deflate. I finally flip and threaten to tie them up with the corded remotes, they stop, we sleep!
It is finally here the day we get to go on our cruise the one I've been saving change for for five years--yup! I paid for half this cruise in loose change that I have been rolling and cashing in for 5 years (since it is Pat's birthday surprise I had to funnel the $$ from somewhere!). We'll start with the complimentary breakfast that came with the room pkg. OMG did you see that line, no way, we can get to McD's and back, eat, get our luggage to the shuttle and park the car before we'd even be seated. Cool looks like plan B--all good except the dude forgets my coffee--not good, afterall I've experienced the relaxing comfort of the sleep number bed combined with teenagers and I am well rested--NOT!
We enjoy breakfast in the room, I pack up the overnight goodies and pack swimsuits in my travel bag just in case they want to swim when they get on board and before the luggage arrives at the room. Luggage loaded and Pat drops us off at the shuttle while he parks the car around back where the free cruise parking is. He joins us, our luggage gets loaded and we are on the little bus. Within five minutes we see the ship and we are very excited. Quickly I tip the bus driver and luggage handler and get my documents ready so I can enter the port terminal. Pat, foolish boy, wears his cargo shorts with the metal grommets--he sets off the detectors and gets a pre boarding feel up--finally we're cleared and get on the escalators.
Next installment will tell about the port, boarding and night one of the cruise!
We left for the Buffalo airport around 11am--the flight was to leave at 2:10 but with all the other spring breakers and an airport that is seeing very heavy Canadian traffic we figured we'd better leave a bit of extra time. Of course getting the kids out of the house and everything turned off, unplugged and locked up took a few extra minutes, but we were well on our way at 11:30. We arrived and almost immediately found we'd have to park the car in Chicago and hike to the airport entrance. We parked, locked up and readied ourselves for a hike when a shuttle bus showed up and helped us to get to the entrance--which is good because 6 bags and 4 people, well it doesn't take a genius to do that math!
No sooner do we sit to wait when they announce the flight is very over sold, we see families being turned away at the gate and crying children--they ask if anyone will volunteer to be bumped and offer a great incentive $400 per person plus the cost of the flight--I don't do math, but well money makes math work for my brain! We check out the offer--we'll get you to FL sometime in the middle of the week--not gonna work so we have to skip it.
The plane arrives a bit late so we get to the boarding stuff and all settle in, its Southwest so we know by the number of very young families there will be shuffling of seats and people will have to move. The only seats left are the emergency exits and the last four people on can't/don't want to sit there. They offer free drinks for people to move and by the miracle of booze we are all on our way to take off! We take off almost an hour late--this will mess with my dinner plans but I don't say anything and figure I'll adjust.
We arrive in Orlando closer to 6 and I collect the bags with the kids while Pat goes to get the car. He meets us we cart the luggage to the car--how do we get six pieces of luggage into a Pontiac grand am--well that was a neat trick--and when did we start classifying Pontiac grand am's as a full sized vehicle? Personally, I thought that was a small car, economy or whatever they call pea shooters. Pat smiles and says it's vacation we'll make it work. The kids, I'm sure loved the baggage wedged between them in the backseat! It all works we head to Port Canaveral where we have reservations for the night so we will have no hurries or worries in the morning. I am super prepared, and a bit paranoid, see last time we went to FL I didn't have exact change for the toll and they only had exact change lanes--we had to just drive through--I'm still waiting to be arrested for the 75 cents! So as I said, I am well prepared,a whole roll of quarters in my purse we muddle along without incident. We arrive at the Raddison and now I wish I had done more research and stayed on the ocean--mental note for next time (there will be a next time!). We settle and try to find the place I had planned to have dinner--oops I left the driving directions in the computer printer. Pat decides he's just going to wing it and go for a ride-- sure he'll find it. I think you know where this is going--we don't find it, we find everything else but not the place I was hoping for! He stops and gets directions--cool just the opposite way we were going and right on the ocean. We arrive at 7:45 to learn there is a 2 hour wait. Not gonna work, I'll have to rethink--go to the next place ok better, only 45 minute wait. We'll take it after all who wants Wendy's when there is fresh seafood right next to the ocean? Humm, seems like its been longer than 45 minutes, lets stop looking at the ocean and go back inside maybe remind them we are here. Quizzed looks on hostesses faces. what number is on your beeper? We say 30 --oops I wrote 20 no wonder it didn't go off. Ok, well duh... too much sun fried the poor girls brain no doubt. We finally get dinner, it was really good, but almost too late to really enjoy as I am more tired and anxious than I am hungry now. Mental note arrive earlier or suffer through Wendy's!
Back to the hotel where Pat discovers he's forgot the tiny little tapes he needs for his camcorder--cool 24 hour Walgreen's right down the street. Problem solved. Back to the room where the kids are having too much fun playing with the sleep number beds---annoying noise blow it up, hissing noise to deflate. I finally flip and threaten to tie them up with the corded remotes, they stop, we sleep!
It is finally here the day we get to go on our cruise the one I've been saving change for for five years--yup! I paid for half this cruise in loose change that I have been rolling and cashing in for 5 years (since it is Pat's birthday surprise I had to funnel the $$ from somewhere!). We'll start with the complimentary breakfast that came with the room pkg. OMG did you see that line, no way, we can get to McD's and back, eat, get our luggage to the shuttle and park the car before we'd even be seated. Cool looks like plan B--all good except the dude forgets my coffee--not good, afterall I've experienced the relaxing comfort of the sleep number bed combined with teenagers and I am well rested--NOT!
We enjoy breakfast in the room, I pack up the overnight goodies and pack swimsuits in my travel bag just in case they want to swim when they get on board and before the luggage arrives at the room. Luggage loaded and Pat drops us off at the shuttle while he parks the car around back where the free cruise parking is. He joins us, our luggage gets loaded and we are on the little bus. Within five minutes we see the ship and we are very excited. Quickly I tip the bus driver and luggage handler and get my documents ready so I can enter the port terminal. Pat, foolish boy, wears his cargo shorts with the metal grommets--he sets off the detectors and gets a pre boarding feel up--finally we're cleared and get on the escalators.
Next installment will tell about the port, boarding and night one of the cruise!
Can't wait for you to come back and continue. Would there be photos as well?
. Others must be busy so we chat a bit, introduce and then split up. 
