Sept 13, 2012 Dream to the Bahamas

[JBeanBunny]

I know you're all excited... but I think I'm even more excited!

I'm finally getting married in 15 days!!!

 

[pdwimmer]

I know you're all excited... but I think I'm even more excited!

I'm finally getting married in 15 days!!!

Do you need any help with anything? I would be happy to deliver gifts to your guests rooms etc. if needed. It's been 14 years since I was married, 12Sep1998, but I still remember how hectic everything can be. Please feel free to ask for help if you need some.

 

[pdwimmer]

I just dodged a bullet. My work asked me to be in LA on the 17th. Seriously? Did they not see my vacation request indicating I would be on a cruise until the 16th? Still have to go home on the 16th and turn around and get on another plane for the 17th. Not ideal. But at least I don't have to fly from MCO to LAX on Sunday!

Can not wait. This time in two weeks I'll be on the boat!!!!!!!

 

[JBeanBunny]

Do you need any help with anything? I would be happy to deliver gifts to your guests rooms etc. if needed. It's been 14 years since I was married, 12Sep1998, but I still remember how hectic everything can be. Please feel free to ask for help if you need some.

I just need well wishes for my sanity! I have several friends recruited to distribute the favor bags and with only (hah! only) 20 staterooms, it shouldn't take too long to get things where they belong! I was going to let the cruiseline to send the bags to the rooms, but then I'd have to wait until 3PM to hand them over to DCL and then the bags wouldn't get to the rooms until during dinner... I'd rather just send them out at the beginning when they open up the rooms at 1:30! I'm also making door magnets, so you should see those spread throughout the ship! Most of us are on decks 8 and 9, but I have some 6, 7, and 10 too! AHH, I'm just so excited, I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away! I've been planning this cruise for over a YEAR and it's finally almost here!

 

[Beauty & the Best]

I'm headed to Virginia Beach today to visit family. So I'll catch up with you all next week.

Have you been to it before? I've been on the Fantasy only - loved the showers

Its my first time on this ship. I've been to Rainforest rooms (or similar) on other cruise lines, so I know I'll enjoy it!

I just dodged a bullet. My work asked me to be in LA on the 17th. Seriously? Did they not see my vacation request indicating I would be on a cruise until the 16th? Still have to go home on the 16th and turn around and get on another plane for the 17th. Not ideal. But at least I don't have to fly from MCO to LAX on Sunday!

Can not wait. This time in two weeks I'll be on the boat!!!!!!!

Well, at least you'll be relaxed when you have to go back!

I just need well wishes for my sanity! I have several friends recruited to distribute the favor bags and with only (hah! only) 20 staterooms, it shouldn't take too long to get things where they belong! I was going to let the cruiseline to send the bags to the rooms, but then I'd have to wait until 3PM to hand them over to DCL and then the bags wouldn't get to the rooms until during dinner... I'd rather just send them out at the beginning when they open up the rooms at 1:30! I'm also making door magnets, so you should see those spread throughout the ship! Most of us are on decks 8 and 9, but I have some 6, 7, and 10 too! AHH, I'm just so excited, I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away! I've been planning this cruise for over a YEAR and it's finally almost here!

Enjoy every moment.

 

[TifffanyD]

I'm headed to Virginia Beach today to visit family. So I'll catch up with you all next week.

Have fun at the beach!!

 

[TifffanyD]

Anyone else want to sign up for FE list "B"??? I think we only have one family signed up now!

 

[schimj]

Anyone else want to sign up for FE list "B"??? I think we only have one family signed up now!

Yes, there is still only one cabin that signed up for FE Group 2. I'm going to be accepting requests through Monday, so if you're interested feel free to send me a PM.

 

[Cruisefanattic87]

What a relief! I am finally done with all me FE shopping. This just means that the cruise is almost here. Starting to get the suitcases down.

 

[JBeanBunny]

Hi All:

Annette asked me to post this information for Shipping:

Many people find with the airlines restricting the amount of luggage you can have it is easier and cheaper to send a box of your items to the cruise ship. It is a great way to save room and weight in your luggage when you ship a box containing your Pirate costumes, diapers and baby supplies, snorkel gear, beach toys, etc. Before you ship anything, please be aware of the guidelines below.

Courtesy of the DIS Cruise Board

One box per stateroom, no exceptions.
The package must have the guest's full name, ship, sailing date, stateroom number or GTY if you have not been assigned a stateroom number.
The package also must have a packing slip attached to the outside of the box that details the contents of the package. For prescriptions, a copy of the prescription is sufficient. Your list may or may not be read but it must have one. Write packing slip on the outside of the envelope.
NO FOODS/DRINKS OF ANY KIND, LIQUOR OF ANY KIND, FIREARMS, ETC. Items that cannot be shipped to the Disney Cruise Line Warehouse and delivered to the ship include: food products (any and all food products including baby food/formula), beverages (liquor, water, etc.), chemicals, and luggage. These items will not be accepted at the warehouse and will be returned.
The required size of the cartons you are shipping down have to be about the size of a record storage box 12 inches on a side and should not weigh more than 20 pounds.

Address your package to:

Disney Cruise Line Warehouse

Guest Name/Stateroom # (GTY, if you don't know what your room number is)

8633 Transport Drive

Orlando, FL 32832

Phone: 407-566-8196

In the bottom left corner of the top of the package put the following information:

ATTN: Housekeeping

Name
Sail Date
Ship
Stateroom Number
Packing slip

If your box is hit on by the screening dog or chosen for additional screening they will open the list and the box and look through it. They will close it back up and provided nothing forbidden is in it, then it will be in your room as usual after boarding. These boxes will be coming on the ship with the crew mail among other things so they may be in the staterooms later than the rest of your luggage.

ALL PACKAGES MUST ARRIVE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE BY 3:00 P.M.

I know you posted this a couple weeks ago, but I'm SO glad you did! I bought the LARGE Animator dolls (Rapunzel and Snow White!) for my *future* nieces/flower girls on a whim and realized that... I don't want to carry those aboard with ALL of the other stuff I need to bring!!! I'm going to ship those along with the flower girls baskets and rose petals to their stateroom to get them out of my hair! Thanks again for posting this info!!!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

I have a weird question for repeat cruisers. Customs declaration says you have to declare items you purchased or acquired while you were away, including gifts. Since this will be our second cruise, we should receive a Welcome Back Stateroom Gift and lanyards. Has anyone declared them before?

 

[TifffanyD]

I have a weird question for repeat cruisers. Customs declaration says you have to declare items you purchased or acquired while you were away, including gifts. Since this will be our second cruise, we should receive a Welcome Back Stateroom Gift and lanyards. Has anyone declared them before?

Nope... Never do since we don't pay for em

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Nope... Never do since we don't pay for em

Hmmm...the Customs website says, "You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value." From what I've read, if you walk off the ship with something you didn't walk on with, it must be declared, even if you didn't pay for it. I just want to make sure I don't miss declaring something, especially in the event of a random search. I guess I could always ask Customer Service on board. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[schimj]

Nope... Never do since we don't pay for em

Hmmm...the Customs website says, "You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value." From what I've read, if you walk off the ship with something you didn't walk on with, it must be declared, even if you didn't pay for it. I just want to make sure I don't miss declaring something, especially in the event of a random search. I guess I could always ask Customer Service on board. Thanks for your thoughts!

I'm going to go with my wife on this one...and not just because she's right until proven otherwise (a very simple rule we live by ). Since it isn't something we purchased and something that is of little monetary (but high in sentimental) value, we don't declare the CC Gifts, the DU Gift Basket (on our most recent 7-nighter), or FE Gifts. It would be too much of a pain to figure out FMV for the stuff given to us, so we just declare stuff we buy in ports and on the ship.

 

[TifffanyD]

Hmmm...the Customs website says, "You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value." From what I've read, if you walk off the ship with something you didn't walk on with, it must be declared, even if you didn't pay for it. I just want to make sure I don't miss declaring something, especially in the event of a random search. I guess I could always ask Customer Service on board. Thanks for your thoughts!

Well the gift isn't that great and it never occurred to me. Also we are always way under $800 per person anyways

 

[TifffanyD]

I'm going to go with my wife on this one...and not just because she's right until proven otherwise (a very simple rule we live by ). Since it isn't something we purchased and something that is of little monetary (but high in sentimental) value, we don't declare the CC Gifts, the DU Gift Basket (on our most recent 7-nighter), or FE Gifts. It would be too much of a pain to figure out FMV for the stuff given to us, so we just declare stuff we buy in ports and on the ship.

Yup plus FE stuff had taxes paid when the gifter bought them. If you are REALLY worried then just add $20 to your "souvenir" category.

Ps we also don't count anything we consume before the cruise ends (bought in cruiseship shops or on land)

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

I'm going to go with my wife on this one...and not just because she's right until proven otherwise (a very simple rule we live by ). Since it isn't something we purchased and something that is of little monetary (but high in sentimental) value, we don't declare the CC Gifts, the DU Gift Basket (on our most recent 7-nighter), or FE Gifts. It would be too much of a pain to figure out FMV for the stuff given to us, so we just declare stuff we buy in ports and on the ship.

Well the gift isn't that great and it never occurred to me. Also we are always way under $800 per person anyways

Thanks! For us, it's not so much the $800 allowance or whether its monetary value is important enough to declare, it's more the legality of whether we are required to declare it or not. Since the Customs website says, "When you return, you will need to declare everything you brought back that you did not take with you when you left the United States", that makes it pretty clear, so we'll declare the gifts. I know we've been overseas before where individuals had random searches, whether they made declarations or not. So in case someone looks in our bag and sees Disney Cruise Line branded merchandise, since it would appear to be something purchased while on the cruise, we'll just play it safe. Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[TifffanyD]

Thanks! For us, it's not so much the $800 allowance or whether its monetary value is important enough to declare, it's more the legality of whether we are required to declare it or not. Since the Customs website says, "When you return, you will need to declare everything you brought back that you did not take with you when you left the United States", that makes it pretty clear, so we'll declare the gifts. I know we've been overseas before where individuals had random searches, whether they made declarations or not. So in case someone looks in our bag and sees Disney Cruise Line branded merchandise, since it would appear to be something purchased while on the cruise, we'll just play it safe. Thanks for everyone's input!

You know you don't list each item separately right?? We just put "souvenirs" and add it all up. Then like "jewelry" and add that up. Also how are you going to "guess" the value?

 

[TifffanyD]

Sorry, just not sure why you asked if you had your mind already set. If I remember I will bump my souvs line by $20 or so... but I do bring back branded merchandise from past trips (shirts, bags)

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

You know you don't list each item separately right?? We just put "souvenirs" and add it all up. Then like "jewelry" and add that up. Also how are you going to "guess" the value?

Honestly, I'm not sure, I've read mixed stuff again. I've heard people have written categories like Clothes or Gifts as categories, but were then asked to either list it out or explain what was in each category. Customs mentions that if there is no purchase price, you would just estimate a fair market value. So I would make my best determination regarding value.

Sorry, just not sure why you asked if you had your mind already set. If I remember I will bump my souvs line by $20 or so

My mind wasn't set one way or the other, I was just wondering what other people do before deciding. In searching the board and other websites, it seems answers are all over the place. I'll probably just play it safe and also ask Customer Service on board. We didn't buy anything last cruise and aren't planning on buying anything this cruise, so I didn't really think about it. But when I came across a thread topic of declaring gifts, it made my ears perk up because we should be getting a gift this time. But it's all good. Either way, whatever we do will be done in good faith and, if it's done incorrectly, it would be an honest mistake. Just wanted to make sure all bases were covered!