Weekly Recap
Thursday June 30 - July 6
page 171 - 207 (36 pages)
Happy Canada Day
Happy 4th of July "My condolences to all our American Disers for the anniversary of leaving the British Empire"
NEW CRUISERS
*Flower* - I'm *Flower* and my DH is Mr_Smee. There's just us two sailing..... he's retired Navy, but loves cruising Disney!!
yogitxtx - "Hi! I'm
Sandy and I will be sailing the WBTA. No cabin number yet. Sailed last year with my husband, but he has to work this year, so I'm sailing solo. We are sailing the Dream 9/4-8. I'll stay 1 night at WDW--then fly to Barcelona on 9th. Guess you could call it back to back!!!!"
giraffe104 - "Hello everybody! I haven't been on the board lately, I've been super busy with work and graduating university. After much deliberation and excellent deal with disney/priceline, i decided to bite the best feeling bullet ever. I'm officially a proud owner of a WBTA interior room, yet to be assigned! Its going to be great to be on the ship."
dreamscomealive -
Tiago & Helena from Sao Paulo, Brazil
CONGRATULATIONS
melonz - Five grand-furbaby kittens
steamboat will for winning the UK community board quiz!
Claire & Lee (
Pinky166) on their 10 Year Wedding Anniversary
pkicinski@yahoo.com for reaching 10 posts!
THINKING OF YOU
goofieslonglostsis - This coming Wednesday/Thursday at the hospital for a procedure.
magic123 - My DD suffered a fall on her trek for the Duke of Edinburgh award. Thankfully no broken bones. Shes now back at base camp while her friends continue. I feel for her, although this was a practice for the real trek next year. She can no longer receive the full award without having completed it, after eight months of preparation its upsetting for her.
I'm really missing her now, because she sounded so upset about it and she won't be home until tuesday, but at 17 she's still my baby and as a mum I still want to protect her from life's down's" -
Margaret
All who have been ill 
Carrying wine onboard - Yes, We Can
"Disney does not care how much liquor you bring on board. We had a suitcase packed with nothing but liquor and it weighed 50lbs You would think we were alcoholics...lol Many of the EBTAers brought lots of liquor and we meet at Promenade lounge every night around 10:30 and shared drinks and socialized til around 1 or 2 AM! We would take our glass of wine to dinner and there was no problems with that. However as mentioned before, if you take the bottle to dinner, you will be charged a $18 uncorking fee..."
ONBOARD CHARGES
Onboard expenses: drinks, excursions, tips, spa, photos, shopping
Tips: recommended by
DCL: $12 per cruiser per day ($168)
Disney VISA 0% interest for 6 months on deposits to your stateroom account made at least 3 days before cruise embarkation (>$101)
VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) - worse than most states' sales tax
"Last year on the TA, they charged VAT on everything until we past Gibraltar. I know because I was sending out something to be drycleaned (yes, they charge that too) when the steward told me to hold off a day or two if I could. It wasn't much just like $0.50 but it can add up. I thought it was kinda weird but it did stop once we past it. I have always filled out the VAT charges and dropped them off at the airport or the last time mailed it in but never got anything back so its a bit frustrating to me. The only one I wanted back was my DD's prom dress VAT I bought from Paris but never saw hide nor hair of it. But that's ok, it was worth it. Anyway, make sure you consider this when your onboard. ..."
Reconsidering the "price of the vacation"
"
When it comes to packing for a holiday, women aren't exactly renowned for travelling light and the average woman spends £200 more on the clothes for her holiday than on the trip itself.
According to a survey women pay about £500 for their summer vacation, and then splash out just under £700 on the latest bikini, sarong and maxi dress to complete their holiday wardrobe.
The poll, on behalf of fashion event Clothes Show London, also found that women spend a further £170 on beauty products and treatments to ensure they have that sunkissed, glamorous look before they've stepped anywhere near the beach.
In addition, they will spend 15 hours giving themselves a full holiday makeover, including applying fake tan, waxing their legs and polishing their toenails.
When the cost of clothes and beauty treatments are combined, women spend an average £855 getting ready for their holiday - £350 more than the trip itself.
According to fashion industry experts, women are so pleased to have picked up a bargain trip from the travel agents they feel they can splash out on their summer holiday wardrobe.
Four out of five women surveyed said that when the price of their holiday is less than they expected, the amount they spend on their wardrobe increases.
Experts also say there is increasing pressure for women to look good on the beach and be seen wearing the latest trends and accessories.
Maryam Hamizadeh, marketing manager of Clothes Show London, which takes place in Earl's Court this weekend, said: 'The fact that women are willing to spend more on their wardrobe than on their summer holiday shows that even the bargain break isn't quite as cheap as first thought.'
'It's clear from our survey results that looking good while on holiday is just as, if not more, important to women as actually getting away.'
She added: 'Women simply love getting dressed up for an occasion and a week's holiday provides a number of opportunities to dress to impress.'
According to the survey, women shell out about £350 on dresses, £160 on flip-flops and sandals, £125 on bikinis and £50 on accessories such as sunglasses and jewellery.
In the days leading up to their holiday they will spend an average of six hours applying fake tan, one and a half hours on waxing, four hours flicking through magazines to ensure they are up to date with the latest trends, and three and a half hours applying nail varnish and shaping their eyebrows.
Unsurprisingly, men are far less concerned with attaining the perfect 'summer look'. A survey in 2007 found they spend just £100 getting ready for a holiday: £20 on a haircut, £30 on shorts and the remainder on sunglasses and flip-flops. Read More
DIS Meet
Promenade Lounge 3pm Before Lifeboat Drill
birkner - "I was planning on being in the Promenade Lounge about 3:00PM to distribute pins and lanyards. Anyone not planning to be there during that time should ensure I have their cabin number so I can get them their items."
"Also someone wondered about an evening gathering which also would be a great idea for those who would like a wee drinkie along with others to aid getting to know each other even more Now I wouldn't be at this one, but do you think it is a good idea?"
Gather on Deck 10 for "Sail Away Party"
Crispy Coconut Chicken
1 C. dessicated coconut
1 Tablespoon Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 C. butter or margarine, melted
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix coconut, salt, pepper, splenda (if desired) and garlic powder in medium bowl. Dip chicken strips into egg, then coat with coconut mixture.
Deep fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Or, place in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.
Makes about 2 dozen. -
from Seraphine
Reminder: US Cruisers: Order Your Pub Crawl T-Shirt!
If you are interested in participating in the DIS Pub Crawl and would like to order a t-shirt commemorating this (burp) momentous occasion, please visit the following site by
Friday, July 22:
Pub Crawl Shirt Order Form
The final design of the shirt can be seen on that site.
Simply enter the size(s) and quantity you would like. I will gather all individual orders into one large order and coordinate from there.
PLEASE include your DISBoards user name in the comments section so I can follow up with you directly on shipping and payment!
When the order closes, I will follow up with you individually to secure payment via PayPal and get your shipping address.
The estimated cost is approximately $15 each plus shipping. -
Chris&Jeremy
Palo Brunch
Groups 1 and 2 requests have been submitted to DCL
Notification of approval is expected around August 10.
Dogs
Liz's dog Lucky:
I can't tell if he's smiling or if he's just hot.
This one is Lucky on the porch of the cabins where we stayed.
auntlynne's puppy nephew:
Mark & his service dog and his wife's "dog"
Chris & Jeremy's Bella
"Forget the pub crawl tee shirts (just kidding) - we need dog shirts that show those we have left at home."
Already got 'em.
Karen (poohluv2u)'s internet pet Billabong
karentan's cerby at 2 months old:
and here's a more recent one:
PFlamingo's Senorita Juanita:
Back away from the pig!
It's hard work guarding my pig.
CHILLING THAT BAD KNEE
"I was checking to see if there were fridge's in the room. It only says "cooling Box" Am I to assume that there is no freezer compartment in them. I have a very bad knee and Ice packs help a lot. I was hoping anyway."
As far as I remember there is no freezer and the refrigerator doesn't really get very cold.
"Is there perhaps something you can bring that can be filled w/ cold water & ice or just ice? You can get ice daily in your stateroom from your cabin steward. Maybe there's a water bottle type of ice pack you could get that is filled w/ ice?"
"
We have taken ziplock bags and filled them with ice from the soda machines on deck 9 but getting one of these type of things as Beauty & the Best suggested is a great idea"
"You can get Ice twice a day delivered from your room host = plus snag all you want from the ice machine on Deck 9. I keep a gallon bag of ice in the bottom of my cool box at all times, on a small towel to catch the drips. That cold towel feels good on the achey spots, too."
Follow-Up on Claire's Burglary Incident
"Not a great week for news as we got a letter on Thursday from the courts about our burglary incident in April and the scumbag basically got let off with an 8pm curfew for 12 weeks. On top of that because he has no means (aka unemployed druggie) he doesn't even have to pay us the £300 ($450) cost of repairs to the door he busted open."
CREDIT CARD CHIP & PIN
"Americans - have you seen the article that our credit cards won't work in Europe because they don't have a chip like the European ones do? What's your strategy for dealing with that?"
"
I have traveled all over Europe and never have a problem. I do call my Bank and let them know which countries I will be using it in so that it does not look as if it's stolen. I heard about the "chip" thing a few years ago, but I have never had any trouble."
"Since we are Americans living in Europe and only have American credit cards, I can hope to give some advice:
1. We have been traveling all over Western Europe, our most recent trip was earlier this month, to Barcelona, in fact, and we had not problems using our credit cards as long as we alerted them to where we were traveling.
2. Debit cards. This is different from a credit card. I know in the U.S. you can sometimes choose credit on a debit card at stores. That option can sometimes not work in Europe. However, you should be able to use your debit card in most ATMs. In Barcelona, we had no problems using our debit cards to get cash (again alert your banks that you are traveling.) You just need to match the symbols on the back of your ATM with the ones on the machine. I have never had problems with my Bank of America card, but occasionally have issues with the ING (finding an ATM it is compatible with), so I usually use the BOA card first.
3. We normally use lots of cash in Europe, which I know some people are not comfortable using or carrying, but in most major European cities, you can use all major cards. I would suggest a Capital One card as they have no currency conversion fees."
"
When I would start to hand cashiers my card, they would point at the cc machine that allowed for the chip and pin. I would say "American," and gesture the downward swiping motion. Worked every time."
"However, some self-service machines required a pin, so I would have to go to a cashier - like when buying train tickets in France or Italy."
"
Thing with the chip is that some stores don't just swipe the CC and ask for your signature, like you'll be used to as the standard in the US. At some you will actually use yout CC like you'ld use your ATM card and need a PINcode for that. This is also where the chip comes into play, sometimes the strip is used for that, sometimes the chip. Now I will say that is the absolute exception. I use my CC a lot on vacation and have never once needed to use my PINcode on it."
"Yesterday, I called Chase about the credit card. They sent me over to special services who said yes, they had had some reports of cards not being accepted at certain places (including some automatic ticket machines) in Europe."
"
We went to the UK and France in 2009 (and I was in the UK, France and the Netherlands in 2006) and never had a problem using a credit card EXCEPT for what you mentioned - purchasing RER tickets at an automated machine in Paris."
"Apparently attempting to use credit cards at train stations sends up a red flag and gets your card frozen. I tried to buy RENFE (Spanish train) tickets online from my home computer last year and got 3 different cards frozen. And Chase has an industry reputation for locking out cards faster than any other company."
"
Another option for any US based person is to get a prepaid Chip and PIN card from TravelEx.
They call it the Cash Passport and will issue it in most/all TravelEx locations as well as online. Obviously they charge fees for some transactions, but it looks pretty reasonable on their website.
Also its re-loadable. Check out their website for more details."
We use the TravelEx option. Whatever you don't use they will buy back. Great for purchases but don't use for hotel or car rental. Here is there link:
TravelEx
as of July 3:
Important - Renaissance Hotel Shuttle share
Hope I got everyones attention
We have decided to book the shuttle with
http://www.barcelona-airport-transfers.com/
This company come highly recommended on the boards.
Every email I have sent them they have gotten back to me promptly.
I need to get this booked asap.
If you
definitely want to share the shuttle then please contact me via PM or leave a visitor message on my profile page.
I need to know how many in your party and how many suitcases & hand luggage you are going to have with you. Their mini buses hold 12-16 passengers.
This is from the website:-
*Normal luggage includes one big piece per person. Any extra luggage should be detailed.*
Payment for the shuttle needs to be made at time of booking so I would request people send payment via PayPal (gift option) so that I don't incur any extra charges.
Once we have all the people who are definite then I can book and work out how much it will be per person.
Cut off date to add your name to the shuttle share list would be 17th July 2011. This should give a bit time for people to see this post. Also posting this on the WBTA FB page.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Shark dive in St Maarten's?
Anyone interested in doing a shark dive in St Maarten's? We have a choice. We can do a 1 tank shark dive ($84) in the afternoon. Or a 2 tank morning dive, (no shark dive), ($90) or possibly a 1 tank dive and a shark dive. Let me know who is interested and what you would prefer. If I have enough people interested in the 1 tank shark dive then that is what we will do. otherwise it will be regular dives.
All dives include gear and transportation to and from the dive shop. Price includes gear if you need it.
Please PM me if you have questions or are interested... Once we decide which way to go I will post all the details.
Thanks and happy bubbles.... -
TxMermaid1
Upgrade Talk Has Begun...
"On the ebta in May, there were lots & lots of empty rooms (many verandas), but due to construction in bathrooms (chiseling out the tile to get to pipes, replacing pipes & drains, etc.), there were just a few upgrades in the last month, that we were aware of, and NO upgrades at the port whatsoever. Then there was a lot of complaining at GS due to the noise & stuff, and a few people were moved around a bit then...some of them half way through the cruise."
WINE GLASSES
"I've seen a number of posts now mentioning taking glasses of wine into dinner. Where do you get the glasses from? Is this something else that we need to add to our packing lists?"
"
No, you can ask your stateroom host to get you some."
"We just ask our room steward for glasses every night. On the first night we just asked for a wine opener which we kept for the rest of the cruise."
"
Another option, besides those mentioned, is to pop by any bar and ask for some glasses...they are always accommodating & it works well when you don't want to wait until you see your room host. We do that or call room service for glasses through out the cruise."
Photo CD
"I was wondering if anyone who is familiar with the $399 photo cd (I think this is what they are calling it) can tell me what comes with this? We haven't cruised DCL since they have done this. Do you get any prints with that or is it just a CD like you would get at the parks if you buy it there? I am just curious and wondering if there is any way that it is worth the price. I love my photos, but this is a lot of money! Thanks for any info!?"
"
You get all your photos from the entire trip of people in YOUR stateroom along with a copywrite release so you can have as many prints made as you like. Additionally, our experience has been - any photos you buy after that (on the same trip) from DCL were half price. There are NO freebies of stock photos like you can sometimes get on photopass."
"It is strictly the CD, no prints, but purchasing it does allow you to buy any pic packages at a discount....25%, I think (?), maybe more."
...and then there's the Exotic Rasul spa treament for couples ... PM birkner Noel for more explicit details
We have been more busy than ever!
I think that the size of glass that Melanie was looking for 
Apparently even grown women sometimes need their daddies to make small miracles happen. Anyway, coming wednesday I need to sign in, on thursday I'll get the tube placed and should be released on friday if all goes well. With only 8 weeks to recover it'll be tight, but a lot better than what I started to fear by now. Carefully starts to look like there is no need to drag me down to the port.
