*Sept 10th 2011 WB Transatlantic* - From Spain to Space Mountain - Part 6

[Chris&Jeremy]

Our AA flight - as of August 30 - my friend had sent me this: 6 open in first class and 14 in coach but 17 stand-by booked (doesn't look promising 20 open and 17 stand-by already booked). And I don't think Curt/Jill were even listed. Most people list for standby just a day or two in advance. Often on AA you can book a rsvp but no seat assignment until at the gate since they save so many for "preferred" customers.

Jill (TX Mermaid) checked loads for me on our flight (AA 152) leaving this Thursday night. It was also booked solid. Irene canceled flights for like three days and it apparently is taking this long to clear everyone up!

 

[MandyGirl]

Jill (TX Mermaid) checked loads for me on our flight (AA 152) leaving this Thursday night. It was also booked solid. Irene canceled flights for like three days and it apparently is taking this long to clear everyone up!

Takes a while to unwind when you only have one or two flights a day between a city pair. Each day we are so thankful we finally bit the bullet last week to get Curt tix. Even with cockpit privileges on several carriers, it was looking challenging for him to attempt standby.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

PACKING DAY!!!!!!!!!! I packed a few things last night - some toiletries, underwear and socks, but today is the big day. Wish me luck!!!

I think I am going to cry right now. My friend just called to tell me that the Paris flight is oversold now. She is trying to figure out how we are going to get to Barcelona. This is why I hate flying standby.

Oh no! I hope you can find something else - what are your other options? You could also take the train from Milan or perhaps Lisbon?? Or fly out of Tampa, Miami or Fort Myers?

It may have been me... I swear by them! And now I am upset we don't have more. I am able to pack each day in one cube for all four of us. Helpful since we have some time in NYC, then Barcelona, then board the ship. Just pull out a cube for each day instead of digging through allllllllll that luggage. And saved me for those two weeks in Colorado this past July!

I love them too! And will be using them today

Now the only thing I have to do is packing. But when??????
I leave in a few minutes to go to Amsterdam, for a bookfair. All the new books that come in the next period are presented there and the writers are also there. (I go with 2 collegues, we are librairians) Monday work the whole day. Tuesday in the morning work, so I hope to pack in the afternoon.
Wennesday work the whole day. And then the last packing on thursday. And leave to the airport in the afternoon.
Paul is coming home on Wennesday evening and he must pack everyting yet.
So it will be busy days.

Maybe a little packing after work on Monday too? Then you won't be so stressed on Tuesday.

 

[karentan]

i should have started my packing today but still havent got round to it.....
procrastination is a wonderful thing

 

[GatorMomInNC]

My DH just took the kids to Chucky Cheese so now is my time to pack. Last night I made a 2 page list of things to pack and a 1 page list of things to do, so I better get a moveon!

But first - to all you former DCL cruisers, I need some advice. When we (FINALLY) got our room assignment, I googled it looking for reviews. But I also found postings on the cruise meets thread from the cruise AFTER us (leaving on 9/24) from the woman who will be in our room on the 24th after we disembark. So I pm'd her and I want to get a postcard or something (small and flat) and hide it in the room for her kids as a surprise. Turns out her husband has been deployed for the last 9 months, is home on leave before he has to go back, and they are taking their 3 young kids on this cruise to reconnect while he is home.

So I need suggestions on where I could hide something and the room steward wouldn't find it and throw it away. I was thinking I could tape a postcard under a drawer, but not even sure if there ARE any drawers in the staterooms (I have an OV). I would love to get them some kind of gift, to thank her and her husband for their service, but not sure what I could get them that I could also hide...

Ideas??

 

[GA-yaya]

Today is pre-packing day....tomorrow is the real thing, since we leave on Tuesday. Just have to decide what clothes actually make the cut, and get to go on the trip - I have waaaay too many tops set aside. I Love doing this, but it's so hard!

Funny story - my husband packed yesterday! (You have to understand that my husband travels every week with his job, so he typically packs about an hour before he leaves.) Well, he is finished and I haven't even started....guess he's excited about this trip! LOL!

And, my daughter brought home a "new guy" last week....he is absolutely Gorgeous! I told her that she can bring him home Anytime!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

 

[GA-yaya]

So I pm'd her and I want to get a postcard or something (small and flat) and hide it in the room for her kids as a surprise. Turns out her husband has been deployed for the last 9 months, is home on leave before he has to go back, and they are taking their 3 young kids on this cruise to reconnect while he is home.

So I need suggestions on where I could hide something and the room steward wouldn't find it and throw it away. I was thinking I could tape a postcard under a drawer, but not even sure if there ARE any drawers in the staterooms (I have an OV). I would love to get them some kind of gift, to thank her and her husband for their service, but not sure what I could get them that I could also hide...

Ideas??

I think that is a wonderful idea!!!! But I don't think I can be of any help with suggestions. You may be able to talk with the room steward before you disembark, and ask them to put the postcard/gift in the room for you.

That is a very sweet thing to do.

 

[granmaz]

We started our packing today with the garment bag and the bag that is mainly for Barcelona. Things aren't looking too good about getting everything in which is stressing me as I have been taking things away and cutting down the piles for a week or more. Ah well, we keep going. I don't know how those with less allowance manage. We have 30kg each between 2 bags each and 10kg hand baggage each. It will be hard to get to the weight for our hand bagage though.

 

[karentan]

yeah i was going to suggest talking to your room host and explain that you know the people in the room after you, and ask him/her to pass the gift onto them

 

[3canadianslovedisney]

i should have started my packing today but still havent got round to it.....
procrastination is a wonderful thing

Karen, we are just like you! However I am starting to freak out a bit as we are not home Tuesday, we're having hair cuts on Wednesday and we leave on Thursday!

 

[3canadianslovedisney]

I just talked with my DM and they are leaving today from Canada and going to London for 4 days. I'm so jealous, I wish we were leaving today, too, but we still have 3 1/2 days.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

i should have started my packing today but still havent got round to it.....
procrastination is a wonderful thing

Procrastination is the best nation in the world

But first - to all you former DCL cruisers, I need some advice. When we (FINALLY) got our room assignment, I googled it looking for reviews. But I also found postings on the cruise meets thread from the cruise AFTER us (leaving on 9/24) from the woman who will be in our room on the 24th after we disembark. So I pm'd her and I want to get a postcard or something (small and flat) and hide it in the room for her kids as a surprise. Turns out her husband has been deployed for the last 9 months, is home on leave before he has to go back, and they are taking their 3 young kids on this cruise to reconnect while he is home.

So I need suggestions on where I could hide something and the room steward wouldn't find it and throw it away. I was thinking I could tape a postcard under a drawer, but not even sure if there ARE any drawers in the staterooms (I have an OV). I would love to get them some kind of gift, to thank her and her husband for their service, but not sure what I could get them that I could also hide...

Ideas??

I think there is a Bible in every room - you could hide a postcard among its pages or underneath the Bible and the steward probably would not find it to remove it.

 

[granmaz]

A member of our thread, Laura, who is trying to get on stand by has said things are not looking good. Only maybe for Wednesday or Thursday. Still in Atlanta and been there since Tuesday. She is requesting pixie dust so let's all pray she gets to Barcelona as she is beginning to think they won't make the cruise.

 

[hazelandannie]

Considering that today was the last full non work day before we leave I really should have started doing something with my packing. Or even getting my bag out of the cupboard to at least look like I'm doing something!! But ..... No! I haven't touched it. I did do more shopping though and we picke up our money today!!!

I guess I'm going to be very busy for the next 5 evenings doing my usual panic packing!

Annemarie

 

[GatorMomInNC]

A member of our thread, Laura, who is trying to get on stand by has said things are not looking good. Only maybe for Wednesday or Thursday. Still in Atlanta and been there since Tuesday. She is requesting pixie dust so let's all pray she gets to Barcelona as she is beginning to think they won't make the cruise.

Sending Laura pixie dust!

I think there is a Bible in every room - you could hide a postcard among its pages or underneath the Bible and the steward probably would not find it to remove it.

Excellent Idea - I will look for a Bible and maybe put a postcard in there....

yeah i was going to suggest talking to your room host and explain that you know the people in the room after you, and ask him/her to pass the gift onto them

I think that is a wonderful idea!!!! But I don't think I can be of any help with suggestions. You may be able to talk with the room steward before you disembark, and ask them to put the postcard/gift in the room for you.

That is a very sweet thing to do.

I could give it to the room steward, but I thought it would be fun to hide it for the kids to find, and then see their names on it and know it was left there just for them...

 

[LindaBabe]

Do we have a link to the navigator yet? I'm traveling and don't have internet regularly. I just drove in to the local Barnes and noble in hopes it would be up but haven't been able to find the link. If it's NOT up yet, could someone download it and EMAIL it to me? O heck. that isn't going to work either because email won't work without internet either I hope I've got everything I need to know tranfered to my spreadsheet because it looks like the nav isn't in the cards for me.

On a happy note, I found my one sole shoes yesterday. VERY limited selection of tops, but the sole and fitting was the critical part. I can order tops on line later.

Hope everyone's packing goes well and I'll see you in Barca

 

[auntlynne]

Paul is coming home on Wennesdayevening and he must pack everyting yet.
So it will be busy days.

You are going to let him pack his own stuff so you aren't over tired, right?

 

[auntlynne]

Good morning all. This time next week we will be waking up to our first sea day. Which means of course that we board in 6 days.

Does that mean Palo Group 1 will already met? I can't believe the cruise is almost over.

 

[auntlynne]

Oh, no! Are you still waiting for your luggage? That's my fear, that I won't get my luggage before the ship sets sail (I have a 55 min connection time in Philadelphia). I'm packing several days of clothes in my carry on for that reason!

I am happy to say we are together again. It arrived in London on Saturday while I was in Bath and got delivered to our hotel outside London. When I got to the room, it was promptly delivered to me.

So glad to see my own stuff.

PS: neat hotel. My niece is soaking in the tub, watching BBC. Giant room, too. I'm fortunate to have had nice accommodations in England.

 

[liesbeth1012]

[Lizbeth, flying standby is a "perk" for people in the travel industry. It does not mean flying free a lot of the time, but you can get a reduced rate from time to time. You don't have a "confirmed" seat, so you must wait to see if there are un-sold seats left on the plane if so, then you get them. Those of us who do this have to be able to "think on our feet" so to speak. Meaning must have plan "A", then plan "B", and a backup plan "C" . I have done it so many times that you just get used to it (if you can). I did buy a ticket to come for the cruise, I am getting to old to stress this one

Evelyn

thanks for the explainating. I wouldn't handle the stress for such as the time you must be in Barcelona. If it don't matter it would different.
I understand that lot of people are on standby and not knowing if they can make it in time. All of Irene I understand.

Considering that today was the last full non work day before we leave I really should have started doing something with my packing. Or even getting my bag out of the cupboard to at least look like I'm doing something!! But ..... No! I haven't touched it. I did do more shopping though and we picke up our money today!!!

I guess I'm going to be very busy for the next 5 evenings doing my usual panic packing!

Annemarie

You are going to let him pack his own stuff so you aren't over tired, right?

I hope I am not panic packing. I have lots of cloths laying on the spare bed, but not sorted. And as I said all the stuff of Paul has to unpack and pack again, because he left his suitcase here with clothes and we buy some extra for him. But I let pack it himself. If he forget something it is his own fault and not mine.

Do we have a link to the navigator yet? I'm traveling and don't have internet regularly. I just drove in to the local Barnes and noble in hopes it would be up but haven't been able to find the link. If it's NOT up yet, could someone download it and EMAIL it to me? O heck. that isn't going to work either because email won't work without internet either I hope I've got everything I need to know tranfered to my spreadsheet because it looks like the nav isn't in the cards for me.

On a happy note, I found my one sole shoes yesterday. VERY limited selection of tops, but the sole and fitting was the critical part. I can order tops on line later.

Hope everyone's packing goes well and I'll see you in Barca

Paul is bringing his laptop with him and I bring a usb stick with the file on it, so you can set it on your laptop on the ship. And I think Noel brings some copy's with her and a little printer I had understand.