Sept 16 2012 - WONDERing who's on the Calif Coastal with me?!

[GatorMomInNC]

I sent a PM also, but PLEASE can we still get in the FE? I am booking today, right now! My kids love the FEs - I promise I will bring something really nice

PM CruiseTink (Susan) ASAP, it would be her call. The group is over 50 people as it is.

Thanks, I did that and she graciously allowed us to be added!!

Just to make it official, we have booked this cruise today. I will be going with my DM 79, my DS 8 and my DS 5. This will be our 2nd DCL cruise - our first one was the WBTA at the same time last year on the Magic. The kids are so excited, especially because they are huge PIXAR fans. They have never been to California before and are also looking forward to seeing LA, SF, and SD.

We live in NC but are from Orlando originally and are plan is to drive down to Orlando and fly from there so we can do some stuff at WDW before we go.

I need to go back and read all the posts on this cruise meet to see what is going on and get to know everyone!

 

[Tink - Hon!]

Welcome!! We are going to have an awesome cruise. Looking forward to meeting you and your family.

 

[SamandWill1921]

Hi everyone, I emailed DCL and asked which nights were pirate, semi-formal and formal night on our cruise before I booked Palo & nursery time and got this reply. Thought I'd share with anyone else interested!

"7-Night Pacific Coast Cruise
*Nights 1, 3, 4, 7: cruise casual
*Night 2: "semi-formal night" - semi-formal wear for men: suit/jacket;
for women: dress or pantsuit.
*Night 5: "formal night" - formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for
women: gown or dress
*Night 6: pirate night with deck party - cruise casual or bring your
best pirate outfit!
"

I know we talked about this a long time ago but is semi-formal night or formal night the Golden Mickey's? Is the other one Captain's Gala?

 

[katds10]

I know we talked about this a long time ago but is semi-formal night or formal night the Golden Mickey's? Is the other one Captain's Gala?

On our last Disney cruise (MR), semi-formal was the Captain's Gala and formal was the Golden Mickey's.

I am just hoping we have a character breakfast since we only have 2 sea days and all the port days are early mornings ...

 

[anc876]

Hi everyone!

This will be our family's first cruise and we can't wait! Got a great deal (VGT) last month but wished I had paid more attention to the military discount for this cruise - would have been about half off regular price for a verandah!

I lived in California for most of my childhood, and now live in the southwest (it's unfortunate that Disney is all but pulling out of LA after this year). Mainly interested in the San Francisco port and hope to hit the following:

Golden Gate Bridge and Park
Muir Woods
Alcatraz
Exploratorium
Ghirardelli Square

In addition, we are adding on 3 days of DL and DCA after the cruise. This trip is our son's first Disney experience so we are excited to see it through his eyes.

 

[GoGoJulie]

My Husband Dave and I just booked. This is our 3rd Disney cruise (and I believe my first post)
Our son and his wife will also be on the cruise. This will be his wife's first cruise, and I believe her first Disney experience.

I am looking forward to a meet with everyone!

Julie

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Welcome! I haven't even begun to do excursions yet because I just booked 2 days ago, but when I saw your list I thought - those all sound good to me! I hadn't heard of the Exploratorium so I looked it up and it sounds really great.

How old is your son?

Hi everyone!

This will be our family's first cruise and we can't wait! Got a great deal (VGT) last month but wished I had paid more attention to the military discount for this cruise - would have been about half off regular price for a verandah!

I lived in California for most of my childhood, and now live in the southwest (it's unfortunate that Disney is all but pulling out of LA after this year). Mainly interested in the San Francisco port and hope to hit the following:

Golden Gate Bridge and Park
Muir Woods
Alcatraz
Exploratorium
Ghirardelli Square

In addition, we are adding on 3 days of DL and DCA after the cruise. This trip is our son's first Disney experience so we are excited to see it through his eyes.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Welcome to the cruise and welcome to the DISboards!

My Husband Dave and I just booked. This is our 3rd Disney cruise (and I believe my first post)
Our son and his wife will also be on the cruise. This will be his wife's first cruise, and I believe her first Disney experience.

I am looking forward to a meet with everyone!

Julie

 

[minniefaye]

Has anyone been to Ensenada before? I booked the cooking tour for my kids and I, but am a bit nervous about the "many" problems in Mexico right now....... anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[GuardMusic]

Any ideas on what the dining rotation order might be? I need to make sure our Palo doesn't conflict with the Grand Marnier Souffle from Triton's! Of course the ship seems so empty, onboard changes shouldn't be a problem.

 

[MadLove]

Hey All - another quick question. My younger sister wants to scapbook while on the ship each night. Are we allowed to bring such supplies - like scissors if packed in check-on luggage??

 

[CruiseTink]

Hey All - another quick question. My younger sister wants to scapbook while on the ship each night. Are we allowed to bring such supplies - like scissors if packed in check-on luggage??

We have taken supplies like that in the past, and we made sure they were in checked luggage, and didn't have any problems.

 

[CruiseTink]

Any ideas on what the dining rotation order might be? I need to make sure our Palo doesn't conflict with the Grand Marnier Souffle from Triton's! Of course the ship seems so empty, onboard changes shouldn't be a problem.

I don't believe there is a way for them to tell you your dining rotation ahead of time. In the past we have asked our travel agent to put in some requests for us, which they have usually been able to accommodate, but I agree you probably won't have problems asking for changes once on board.

 

[CruiseTink]

My Husband Dave and I just booked. This is our 3rd Disney cruise (and I believe my first post)
Our son and his wife will also be on the cruise. This will be his wife's first cruise, and I believe her first Disney experience.

I am looking forward to a meet with everyone!

Julie

Welcome! We can't wait to meet you!

 

[katds10]

I'm so surprised that main seating for dinner is still available! That is usually the first to go. It was definitely booked before the 75 day mark on our MR cruise last year (early December so during the school year too). That cruise wasn't selling well either and after the GT discounts, they ended up offering cast member and travel agent discounts and it was nearly at capacity by the time we sailed. I would be totally happy if this ship doesn't fill up Shorter lines to see characters and at buffets, more tables and chairs available up on the deck...

 

[dennes]

Good morning all (good evening to all the northern hemisphere people )

Welcome to all the newbies. 40 days to go and we will be cruising!!

Another wet and cold day here today and only one sick child at home. Can't wait to feel the heat of the September sun!

Ensenada - we have booked the Disney excursion - city tour. I really want my children to experience some culture of the Mexican people while we are away. I think there are quite a few people staying on board. I would love some more silver Jewellery and some wee knick knacks for the kids.

I must say I am surprised at the lack of interest in this cruise but then we are foreigners lol. We snapped it up on the day the bookings opened as we thought it was a perfect way to end a Disney holiday. Also we wanted the kids to experience San diego and San Fran without all the driving. I think the timing of the cruises could be the issue since school has only returned.

I must say I was surprised to see main dining still available. That really surprised me!

We have started working out our game plan for CA and DL - I have decided that we will not line up for any character meets in the parks since we will have better chance for better ohotis on the ship also will give Mickey bars a miss at the park since we can get them free on board

Its four weeks today when we leave New Zealand. Very exciting

Well have a great day all
I had better get those morning chores out of the way
Cheers
Deb

 

[sunshine1259]

Good morning all (good evening to all the northern hemisphere people )

Welcome to all the newbies. 40 days to go and we will be cruising!!

Another wet and cold day here today and only one sick child at home. Can't wait to feel the heat of the September sun!

Ensenada - we have booked the Disney excursion - city tour. I really want my children to experience some culture of the Mexican people while we are away. I think there are quite a few people staying on board. I would love some more silver Jewellery and some wee knick knacks for the kids.

I must say I am surprised at the lack of interest in this cruise but then we are foreigners lol. We snapped it up on the day the bookings opened as we thought it was a perfect way to end a Disney holiday. Also we wanted the kids to experience San diego and San Fran without all the driving. I think the timing of the cruises could be the issue since school has only returned.

I must say I was surprised to see main dining still available. That really surprised me!

We have started working out our game plan for CA and DL - I have decided that we will not line up for any character meets in the parks since we will have better chance for better ohotis on the ship also will give Mickey bars a miss at the park since we can get them free on board

Its four weeks today when we leave New Zealand. Very exciting

Well have a great day all
I had better get those morning chores out of the way
Cheers
Deb

Hi, Deb.

We will be some of the folks staying onboard in Ensenada. I have been several times, so I thought that I would stay on the ship and enjoy it for a change.

As for San Diego and San Francisco, have been to both of those several times as well. But, for some reason I have never been to the San Diego zoo.

And I just love San Francisco. Looking forward to doing a couple of excursions there. Plus, we are hoping to catch a Giants' game while we are there. I'm a Dodger fan, but I think that it will be fun.

We are going to at Disneyland a couple of days before the cruise celebrating our 5 year anniversary. I hadn't thought about the Mickey Bars, so thanks for that suggestion. Why waste money at Disneyland when I can have all the Mickey bars onboard that I want? I just went to Disneyland this weekend. I will post the small trip report here in a few.

We have main dining. I just don't like that second seating. I think that you are right about why the ship seems to not be filled. Most schools around here will have just started back and alot of folks won't take their kids out of school for a cruise. So, that could be why the main dining room isn't filled.

The next four weeks are going to fly by. Look forward to seeing you then.

 

[sunshine1259]

So, for our Disney fix, my husband and I went to Disneyland this weekend and met up with some friends of his and their two teen-aged kids. Well, my husband and I arrived at 7:30am and had time to take pictures with both Minnie and Mickey before the rope drop at 8:00am.

Then my husband went off to Indiana Jones for fast passes while I headed to Star Tours. When my husband joined me, we did Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear and then Star Tours again. For some reason, I did NOT want to do Space Mountain, so we skipped that.

By then his friends had joined us. Then we took the train from Tomorrowland over to New Orleans Square. We did the Haunted Mansion, had to put off the POTC because it was down, and instead headed over and rode Big Thunder Mountain.

After that, we went to Fantasyland and rode the Storybook Canal Boats and did It's a Small World.

Then it was off to Adventureland where we rode the Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones and stepped onto the POTC at 12:00 noon. That was a total of NINE rides by NOON!!! That was fantastic!! We had a very leisurely lunch, went to Adventureland one last time to see the Tiki Room, rode the train around the park a couple of times, watched the parade and participated in the flag retreat. That was the perfect end to a really great day!!!

 

[dennes]

We are going to be some of those naughty parents who leave their children on board in San Fran. I dearly want to do Alcatraz and DH has already done it. He wants to go agin so we have booked tix for the very first morning we are in SF. We will leave the kids on board for that and pick them up straight after.

Again its the miser in me I want to eat lunch on board with the kids and then head back off the ship to explore SF. I paid through the nose for my ocean view stateroom so want to get good value for money lol

I think Ceejay my nine year old would love Alcatraz but not so my younger one. They have already told me that they want to spend as much time at kids clubs as they can so who am I to argue

We plan on doing the exploratorium and science centre and possibly a hop on hop off tour. San Diego will be a hnag out day Perhaps one last day at sea world or legoland... we will have been there the week before hand (Carlsbad). And Ensenada will be the tour and then back on board.

The main aim of the cruise is to take it easy as we would have had a week at Anaheim and Hollywood, and then three days at Carlsbad. Its planned as much needed relaxation time

Well I had better get ready for work, I only have one student to teach today so am on working an hour. Thank heavens for mother in laws who can baby sit as ceejsy is sick.

Have a good night
D

 

[caladbolg]

We're going on the Ensenada city tour as well. My son wants to step foot in another country even though I tease him and say that we can "see" Tijuana, Mexico from San Diego's mountains and hills.

We probably won't be getting off the boat in San Diego though.