WEEKLY RECAP
Thursday August 24 - 29
Pages 9 - 51 (42 pages)
onboard land line phone
There's no way I can hide the "American tourist" cuz the second I open my mouth nuthin' but Texas drawl comes out!
I believe I've mentioned living in the cultural wasteland of the universe, where getting "dressed up" means removing one's baseball cap.
...
Here in Texas dressing up is accomplished with a CLEAN baseball cap, still worn to the table!!
With one phone call at the top of the phone tree the Magic sells out of its advertised drink of the day!
WELCOME ABOARD
csworthy - " Hey folks. Late to register, but I have been reading things off and on for months getting ready for the cruise. We are the Worthy's from the FB group in Palo group #4.
We are Americans (texans) living in Napoli, Italia and are going home on the Magic for the first time in three years. long time from home, but will be fun to go back this way.
Want to say thanks for all of the great info and the help getting the Palo brunch - grazie mille!"
ANOTHER HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sinnika - Taina
Happy Birthday Karen
and
Happy Birthday Dan
Hope you both have a wonderful day
CONGRATULATIONS - WELL, MAYBE
magic123 (and grumpy1234) - Well just back from a quick drive up the motorway, DS passed his driving test. Another tick on my list great.... now to trackle motorway drive to London and the M25 and do some night driving..... but of couse now he knows it all
Follow-up: What ever made me think it was a good idea to take DS for some motorway practice on a public holiday. Came home and just had to go to bed for a nap, and to cap it all, managed not to buy anything at the outlet centre but a packet of prunes !!!!
DS decided to a have a sissy fit, after ignoring my advice and pulling out, then not being able to get back over for his exit!!.... then he managed to wedge the car sideways in the exit ramp of a multi-story car park
but then he passed his test and he knows it all now. Was hoping he would give us a lift to London city airport next week, but not sure my nerves will be able to handle it, so the train it is.
Maybe it was a sign I should have stayed home and completed my packing !! Sorry rant over !!
FLIGHT INFO LIST
If you would like your flight into added on the hotel post then please PM me your flight info. I will only be accepting PM's. Also if your hotel info is not on the hotel post please PM me the info.
Namsupak Lauren
easyJet LUGGAGE
Hand Luggage
You can take one piece of hand baggage into the cabin with you; maximum dimensions are 56 x 45 x 25cm. Hand bags, briefcases, laptops and laptop bags are all counted as one piece so if you have a hand bag and a laptop bag for example, you might want to consider putting one inside the other. Remember to plan your hand and hold baggage in advance though; if you bring too many items of hand baggage to the check-in desk, staff there will insist that they be booked into the hold; youll be charged £25 per item, as we will have higher handling costs if we register your hold bag only at the airport. If you checked in online and bypassed check-in and you arrive at the boarding gate with too many items of hand baggage, theres a charge of £40 per item if we need to book them into the hold at this stage. We charge this high fee to avoid delays at the boarding gate and ensure a smooth boarding process.
Check-through Luggage
If you buy additional hold luggage this does not increase your weight allowance, it just means you can spread your 20kg across another bag.
"Each passenger who pays for a hold bag can take up to 20kg of luggage. This weight allowance applies to the passenger rather than to the bag so purchasing extra bags is possible but will not increase the weight allowance. If you think youll need to take a little bit more with you, you can buy some extra weight its best to do this online before you fly as the online charges are considerably cheaper than at the airport."
Additional fees are £10 per additional kilo
NEXT STOP: MADRID
The hotel where we stayed was comfortable and an excellent location on Puerta Del Sol -
http://www.hoteleuropa.eu/?lang=en
Everything is within walking distance from this hotel and if you're not much for walking, there is a metro station right in the square. There's a fantastic bakery right on the square where you can get breakfast every morning. We've always felt very safe there and Madrid is a beautiful city with lots of squares - we prefer it to Barcelona, it seems less touristic and more of a cosmopolitan city like Paris.
It depends how long you'll be there, but the highlights for me are - Palacio Real, Retiro Park, Prado Museum, a drink in Plaza Santa Ana & then Tapas (I can recommend some restaurants), a pastry from the bakery on Puerta del Sol, and just walking around and discovering your own "hidden" spots in the city. The people of Madrid are night owls, so be prepared to eat dinner around 10 or 11 at night - but if you get a drink around 8 and take it easy, it shouldn't be a problem.
Here are some photos:
Palacio Real
Retiro Park
Retiro Park
Retiro Park
Plaza Santa Ana
Plaza Santa Ana
Hotel Europa
Puerta Del Sol
Street Scene
MIL STORIES: AND THE WINNER (OR LOSER) IS
At my wedding reception, during the photographer shoot, the bride and groom posed with everyone. Attendants, whole family, bride's family, groom's family. When we were getting together with the groom's family, my brand-new MIL pushed me aside and said, "This is just for family." Let's just say, it was the start of a long, strained relationship. The only reason my marriage survived was that we moved 600 miles away soon after.....
THIS IS WHY I LOVE THE DISBOARDS
"I had a lovely time meeting Binkytell today! My daughter Eilidh and I met up with Sarah and Ellie in Glasgow this morning and had a great time shopping and having lunch. The girls were both immaculately behaved...no worries for the dining room!"
2010 WBTA REUNION
"Thought I would post some photos from our WBTA 2010 reunion:
At our meal in TGI Fridays ...
Having lunch in the sun:
and me getting a bit of practice in :
We had a great weekend .... it was wonderful to see everyone again.
PETS AND PACKING
Does anyone else's dog get really upset when the suitcases come out? That's one reason we wait until the week before to pack.
- Yes animals can be so funny or not as the case may be, our cat gets very up set when it see's the suitcase. We have to make double sure she can't get into our bedroom because she like's to show her displeasure by doing something nasty on our bed !!!.... and then when we come back she always ignores us for a while
- My cats go to "grandma's" where they get spoiled with bits of ham. As long as someone feeds them and they have someone to cuddle up against when they sleep, they are fine. They do ignore us a little for a day or so when we get home, but they get over it quick. DH will be home with them this time, I'm sure they will be more than happy to take over my side of the bed. I will be hard pressed to get it back.
- My two don't bat an eyelid when the cases are work-in-progress in the spare room, but as soon as they come up to the hallway, they start howling and crying and stand guard by the cases. We literally take them from the spare room to the car to stop them sounding like the are being murdered
- Mine just mopes around when he sees us packing. No screaming or surprises in our bed, but a pouty face and very sad eyes to look at. Something like this:
- My dog always pouts... She used to get in my suitcase while I was packing.. and not looking.. and she would leave a little present.. guess she wanted to pack her s***. Anyway one time my DH was leaving to go on a trip for business. I told him not to leave the lid open on the suitcase if he was not in the room. He listened and all was well. Well... sorta... he was getting dressed the next morning and he was about to put his shoe on when..... well something came rolling out! She found a way to make sure he did not forget he left her at home!.... and really she is house broken! ... he is lucky.. he said he lifted it and sorta turned it as he was putting it on... and it fell out... how did a 5 lb dog do that?
- Our previous cat used to run and hide when she saw the suitcases come put. She knew they meant a trip to the vet for boarding was in her future....and boy, she knew how to hide! Our current cat though sees a case and just tries to climb in!
- Our 2 cats hate it as soon as the cases come out. One will try and sneak herself inside the bag to stow away with you. The other thinks that if he drapes himself over the top of the case then you wouldnt possibly be able to pack anything so will just stay at home!!
This is Poppy last year the night before we went away. I think she took the " if you're going, then i'm coming too approach!"
BEVERLY HILLS 09210..WHOOPS!
Well, it seems the company who I purchased the lanyards and badge holders shipped them to the wrong zip code. I specified UPS and they shipped USPS! Next instead of my zip code of 94062, they shipped to 49062 which is not Woodside, California but Kendall, Michigan.
Good grief!! Not only did they not ship it for signature only or insure it, they JUST SHIPPED IT!!!
Stay tuned!!
PROFESSIONAL/WHITE BACKGROUND PHOTOS
Q: This concerns those nice white background professional photos taken on the ship: is there an extra fee or are they just considered another 8x10 photo (requiring 2 credits or $19.95)?
Do you just walk up and get in line when they are working or do you make an appointment?
A: We had one done with a white background on our last cruise and we were really pleased with it; one of the best photos we've had done by a professional photographer. No appt needed; just join the line up. I think they advertise the times of the sessions in the Navigator if you want to make sure you don't miss the opportunity to get this done. We had bought a package of set # of prints and this one just counted as one of the photos in that package. We will definitely be having our picture taken with a white background again this time.
SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBRANCE
Toward the end of Thread Five, someone mentioned a 9/11 get together to remember those who passed, their families, co-workers and the countless rescue workers, etc.
I have not recently heard anything about it and wondered if anything had been planed. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
A: We are still planning to get together; the 8:46am NYC time (when the first tower was hit) is 2:46 pm between Barcelona and Gibraltar (they are the same time zone).
I've got lists of all the victims of the Sep 11 attacks. Wondered if we could split up the list and have individuals read the names (first only would be okay) simultaneously. For the World Trade center, I've got 13 pages with 3 columns - that could be 39 people. Then there are the 4 planes + the Pentagon. These lists aren't as long and could be combined. If we have more than 39 that want to participate, we could have multiple people with a list. No one person's voice would dominate and perhaps we would like to do it up on Deck 10 in the open air. Thought it could be interesting if we spread out all around the top of the ship, forming a large circle, facing the ocean.
...I remember that *flower* said
DCL might do something - and of course, there will be programs on the TV. The time of the first airplane strike was 8:46 am ET - which is 2:46 pm in our part of the Med. She had suggested 2:30 to gather. That would give us time to hand out lists and then have a moment of silence. Someone could be the designated starter and wave to the next person - like lighting bonfires along the coast of England or the Great Wall of China - and then the reading of names in remembrance would begin after you waved.
Since it seems we are not supposed to throw anything off the ship, we'll just throw our voices to the wind.
I think that port side, aft, would be a lovely place to gather. There should be an area with a few wooden benches surrounded by a wall. 2:30pm
On the starboard side is the entrance to Palo, so people can take the elevator to the top floor and come around the back side of Palo's or in front of the smoke stack (or up the stairs from the drink station/MM pool).
*Flower* - "I also found a logo for a shirt, but don't know if anyone else would want to use it. If you'd like to, let me know and I can send it to you. DH has already enhanced the file size to make a good quality logo. The file size is just under 700k."
WAVEPHONES
DCL-provided portable phones (2 per room) that allow you to call or text passengers and certain DCL numbers (Guest Services...).
Down side $250 fine if you lose one. They supply 2 in every room, along with your standard telephone
ELECTRICAL SOCKETS & HAIRDRYERS
Onboard
Some people have said there are UK and US sockets in the cabin - this is NOT so....NO UK sockets. They are the normal US sockets
Hairdryer is located in bathroom - though rather wimpy/weak.
Electrical outlets behind TV - handy for plugging in Wavephone (which blocks second outlet on desk when in use).
On Land
You will need a European convertor in Barcelona.
SECRET MICKEYS
just sent the last few PMs out with the remaining secret mickey recipients. have now assigned all people involved, the final cabin count is 33 not a bad turnout!
AIRPORT TO PORT SHUTTLE - SEPTEMBER 10
still two places available on the airport to port shuttle. 10 euros per person, PM me if interested (
karentan)
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays
Sep 4 - BD - MandyGirl's DD Sarah (5)
Sep 5 - TxMermaid1 (Jill)
Sep 5 - Brookspayne (Burnice)
Sep 12 - colkath2005's DS Billy (14) #5501
Sep 13 - melonz's DD Chanelle (15)
Sep 17 - jinxleprechaun - Michael
Sep 17 - DISNEYFAN_SD - Crystal (40)
Sep 18 - KJHarrold - Kj
Sep 18 - TotallyAngelic - Sarah
Sep 18 - Paul Hackett's DW Michelle
Sep 20 - KJHarrold's DS (3)
Sep 21 - Manon's DH
Sep 21 - Julie Nimmo
Anniversaries
Sep 2 - (33rd) cartmeller - Graeme & Margaret
Sep 2 - (30th) poohluv2u - Ed & Karen
Sep 4 - (35) babydiver - Richard & Sue
Sep 4 - (18th) 3canadianslovedisney - Ken & Leanne
Sep 9 - (11th) Seraphine - Steve & Dawn
Sep 19 - (24th) Squitty - Neil & Michelle
Sep 20 - (3rd) Donaldcp98 - Mike & Tabitha
Sep 20 - (8th) GatorMomInNC - (husband not on cruise)
Sep 28 - (20th) Tod&Copper - Stevie & Mary
Celebrating anniversaries:
(60th) Brookspayne's dear parents
(45th) missjudit - David & Judi (Oct 22)
(25th) magic123 + grumpy1234 - Margaret & Norman
(10th) hazelandannie - Hazel & Annemarie
(8th) tojam - TC & Jamie
CHAMPANGE GIRLS
Ok folks i've got an update for the
Champagne Girls!!!!
DCL have
finally been in contact with me & offered the 15th September, 3pm - 4.30pm at Sessions.
The cost will be $20 per person - I am still waiting for confirmation how much Champagne we will get per person for that price. I will also need more information from you guys, such as room numbers etc but i'll update again as soon as I hear from DCL.
Now the issue we have is the 13th September is the new date the Pub Crawl was moved to & quite a few people are signed up for both the Champagne Girls & also the Pub Crawl.
What are your opinions please? Is it possible to move the Pub Crawl again without causing too many issues with child care? We also need to bare in mind that Michelle is still awaiting the dates for the Mojito & Mixology tastings so they could clash with the pub crawl? Although she will hopefully have two groups for each so we can switch people around if need be to avoid any further clashes.
CHAMPAGNE GIRLS PLEASE READ!!!!
Ladies, I need to get some information from everyone who will be attending the meet. I need to send a list to DCL so they can charge the $20 fee's to our rooms once we are onboard.
Therefore if you are definitely coming to the Champagne Girls event please can you PM me with your full name & cabin number (or GTY).
Reminder = you WILL be charged by DCL even it you don't show up on the day.
If you have decided you don't want to come then please let me know so I can offer someone on the waitlist your place.
Thanks, I am really looking forward to seeing you all in your pink tops, Tiara & Feather Boa's.
FLASH MOB CHAMPAGNE MEET
How about meeting under the stars or even during the day on the "secret" aft deck on deck 7. It has enough room for all of us...we could be a flash champagne mob.
REMEMBER - the secret deck 7 aft overlook is CLOSED from 7pm until 7am.
FEs & ROOM ASSIGNMENTS
ATTENTION FE PARTICIPANTS!! IF YOU HAVE A GTY ROOM (OR ANY OTHER TO-BE-ASSIGNED CATEGORY) PLEASE SEND ME A PM HERE ON THE DIS AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOUR ROOM NUMBER!!! I will update the Google lists as quickly as possible (please remember I have to work 3 days next week, and pack, and finish FE gifts, and a number of other tasks before we leave). IF YOU POST YOUR ROOM ASSIGNMENT ON THE THREAD I MAY NOT SEE IT, SO PLEASE SEND A PM!! Thanks!! -
PFlamingo
MICKEY MOUSE CLUB NIGHT
I just have to share.... Curt and his mom are down in the basement going through old memorabilia in various boxes. He came across two
Disneyland shirts from his early years, a Donald and a Mickey. Both are ringer tees. I think that since he can't wear them, they look like they may fit Sarah, so I am going to have her wear the MIckey ringer on our DIS Mickey Club House night! (Need a little OxyClean though...) NOw... the name is not across the back, but diagonal on the front in one-inch felt iron-on letters... and of course spelled "CURT". I told Sarah "how cool is that" to wear a shirt and be able to point to your Daddy's name to let others know it was his about 30 years ago! Completely vintage.
HURRICANE IRENE & CASTAWAY CAY
Hopefully this is a little bright news for you cabana peeps! USAtoday says "The storm also closed
Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay, but damage was minimal. Dream will change its itinerary, rescheduling a Tuesday stop until Wednesday, giving crews an extra day to freshen up the popular call."
GTY ROOMS GET PORT SURPRISE
I am collecting names & room #'s for the Champagne Girls so I asked my contact what information she needs for those that still have a GTY status and her reply was those that have GTY at this late stage are unlikely to get a cabin number until they check in at the port.
IS THIS YOUR ROOM?
Also.. It would be nice if everyone had a magnet with their Dis name on it on their door. That way we know we are leaving our gifts at the right cabin.
MISC
- Earthquake in Virginia - felt in Ottawa by Chirpee
Darn butterflies flapping their wings in some other part of the world (Chaos Theory and its supposed impact on weather.....) GRRRR. Pixie dust the tracking path goes elsewhere!!!!!
I know some of you had kind of assumed that anyway but for those that were still hoping, it really doesn't seem too promising.....Sorry. 
to everyone who will be leaving from the USA next week and hopefully won't be affected by this or any other tropical storm 
aboard
