Sept 17 2005 Magic - am i alone on the ship?

[TeaforWendy]

REAS was $299. last year, I think it has gone up to $329 or something. It is very nice. Yes, the kid's club stays open until 1am and there are lots of kids up there in their pj's -- they have pallets laid out and movies showing. One night they even have a "pj party", depending on the age of your kids.

If you are looking for something frisky there is a spa treatment that 2 people do together (mainly couples, I think), no therapist, and rub different muds and treatments and there is a private steam room, etc. I think it is called Rasul. We booked it last yearbut dh got sea sick and we cancelled. DH keeps asking if we will try it this year. We'll see, I say.

Congrats on the blessings Karen and prayers for your dad and g-ma. Good luck on the interview! I lived in Miami for 3 years from 90-93. I miss the weather and the glorious beaches, etc., but not the cost of living. Maybe again someday...

 

[jennat]

Karen, So sorry to hear about all the trouble with health. I hope all turns out well for your dad and grandma. That is so hard. We are thinking of you. Hope your interview goes well also. I would love to live in Miami so I could just hop on a cruise ship and not have to fly 4+ hours and $$$$ , but I'm not sure if I would like the weather. The only experience I had with it was 2 weeks in Orlando in 2001. My hair immediatley went flat and the makeup fell completely off of my face. I later learned that if you are quick enough you can catch the makeup falling off and use it the next day. I would have to cut all my hair off and get a tight perm! I concede it could be because of an anomily...a tropical storm blew through about 5 days after we got there ....I am just not used to humidity. It is DRY here! Okay, so there are no trees or lakes , there also aren't frogs, snakes, bees or alligators ( yeah there are a couple bears and mountain lions...but no crickets!) Anyway, just goes to show, you take the good with the bad! It sure is pretty in Miami! Good luck, I hope you get what you want! We are cheering for you (had to put that so I could use the cheerleader!!)
It was sunny and warm here yesterday and today it is overcast and snowing...brrrr! I hope it wasn't my jinx that did it.
I downloaded a journal for my kids to do for the trip...there are some great specific ones for Disney World and I just used the generic (Disney) ones for the cruise off of http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/kids/journal.shtml
I think my kids will enjoy doing it. I'm going to have it bound at Kinkos and it will give them something to work on and to remember the trip by....or they will completely ignore it but it gives me something to do with my time prior to the cruise Anyway, thought it was cute!
Hope everyone is Happy!

 

[TeaforWendy]

Jen-I have curly hair and very dry skin so humidity is good for me. Whenever I visit Colorado to ski, etc., I bring a humidifier. It can be pretty dry here in the winter but is very humid in the summer. Hard on houses I think. We have an 80 year old house and I swear it is still settling -- I think the transition from dry to humid does it. I think your weather is coming our way. The bank said 78 degrees here today (78!!!) but it is suppossed to get down to the 30's tonight and high in the 40's tomorrow. Crazy Missouri weather.

I'm taking a short break from a work project. I'm all steamed up b/c I'm having to rewrite someone else's work who did this b/c I didn't have time. Last night I was up until 12:30 or so, who knows tonight? Enough ranting. I will be ready for the cruise when Sept comes. And this is why I'm really hoping for some hours alone with a good book this year on the cruise. Decompression. Hard to do when the precious toddler is enthralled with everything she sees, though, you don't want to miss a second of that (at least I didn't last year)! Back to the grind...everyone take care.

 

[getoutthere]

Hi everybody
Wendy- Even though you are several hours north of me it sounds like we have the same weather. Yesterday it was beautiful and 70 something degrees and today it is mostly cloudy and 40 degrees. I am hoping we don't get the snow that Jen got. I am really, really ready for summer. It gets pretty humid here also and my hair is wavy and the humidity makes it "big". In the winter my skin gets really dry, too. I would still rather be sweating in the humidity than freezing in the cold. My husband likes it the other way around.
Karen- (Are you Karen D.?) Sorry to hear about your two bad unexpected events but, congrats on your to good events. I hope the job thing works out for you.
Jen- By the way, you can't blame all that bad weather on me. Your the one who said "it never rains here" and "it will be hot in June" . All that weather is on you. However, if we get a hurricane in September, you can blame that on me. Then we will both be the bad seed! Just keep thinking good thoughts

I'm still going crazy waiting for September to get here. Maybe we can use pixie dust to make the time go faster. Anybody have any other good ideas? I love these little smiley face characters This one is for you, Jen

Everybody else, chime in and tell us how you are doing.
Trisha

 

[jennat]

Still makes me laugh out loud. Reading your e-mail was like those books the kids have with the words replaced by pictures . I got your e-mail....finally but now my e-mail is out so I didn't even get to read it! hopefully, it is a temporary thing. If you see the sun, send it back this way! Nothing much here. Ever since my hubby bought the business he keeps wanting me to work!!! , I told him I that I married him for his money and if I wanted to work I would have married that cute plumber (no offense to plumbers) from college! He didn't buy it! Darn!

 

[skycon]

Hey Gals. Yes Trisha I am Karen D. Okay I don't know why but I can't use the smiles on my reply post. Oh well.

Thanks for all the well wishes. Dad is doing as expected and my grandma is no longer having hallucinations from the drugs and went thru surgery great. I have to say I wish I had my notebook with me bc I could have written some really funny stories with all she was saying and doing. The really strange part of it is that she remembers everything that happened when she was "out of it". It was a bad dream to her. Strange!

I think mother nature is messing with us. We are getting teased with the warm weather. It was warm here this week in VA but now it is cold today. It will be in the 40's the next few days with lows in the 20's.

Jen I love the planner for the kids. My daughter will love it too. Thanks for the great idea.

With regard to Florida - I should hear something today or tomorrow regarding a trip down there to interview. It is on the west coast side so no cruise lines depart from what I know. that's okay I don't mind driving so I can drive to the ports. Okay a banana dancing would be here if I could get it to work. Ha-ha.

Gotta run - don't you all freeze under all that snow. Take care.

 

[jennat]

Karen, Look under you otions when posting (box below this one) and see if disable smilies is checked. That could be why.

 

[skycon]

Thanks Jen but I think it was the computer I was on. When I use my laptop downstairs the smiles work. Go figure

WellI need to run and get dinner going. Talk at ya soon

 

[missyoh8]

, I told him I that I married him for his money and if I wanted to work I would have married that cute plumber (no offense to plumbers) from college! He didn't buy it! Darn!

I right out loud!! I tell my husband that I married him for his looks not his money or his brains. When he does not agree with me I am always telling him to and just stand there and look good ! Good thing 15 years later we still laugh about it.

Hope everyone else is doing well, we are getting in central Ohio tonight. It is unfortunate that it won't be enough to cancel in the morning .

I tried to delete as many words as I could and use smilies jennat hope you enjoy!

See you all soon,
Missy

 

[skycon]

Just some thoughts... Does anyone know how to find out ahead of time what dining rotation you have? Also anyone know what nights are what on the eastern. I have all my navigators from last year but don't know if they stay the same or not. We did antigua instead of St. Maartine. I am guessing the activities would be the same. I want to schedule REAS for us and want to do Palo on a night when nothing is happening. We did it both years on Pirate/Carribean night. I don't want to do that this time.

also we got late seating which I am not thrilled about. We are crusising with Tracy and her family (she has posted). We all want early seating. I wish they could just switch us now. Anyone got connections. Our TA Dana at Cruise Planners said we were waitlisted for early. I'm gonna cry like a baby okay... "I want it and I want it now and I want the rotation I want" Okay I feel better. Ha-Ha.

Hope everyone is doing well. It is finally cold here in VB (40's).

 

[jennat]

I'm not sure about the nights. I think the navigators are posted on http://www.dcltribute.com/navigators/east_carib/ (Dave's site) but don't know if it will change before then or not. Wait as long as you can and then ask someone who was just on. I know the show is changing in May...the new cast is boarding with a Princess show instead of Hercules, so I don't know what else is changing.
We (trisha and I ) also have late dining, when we wanted eary. I wonder, since we booked relatively early, if they tell everyone that and then get to be the good guys later. Sounds dumb but seems a little fishy. The good thing about late is you have breakfast at 8 am the last day and then stroll off the ship. On Princess we had to be out of the room by &:00 Hated that! I have never had late seating before but Trisha always (right?) does so I am willing to try it.
Missy, cute posts, you should write children's books

 

[Maryoh8]

We were on the Western last Oct and we were wait listed for the early seating, too. We were switched to early seating with no problem prior to check in.

Now, MissyOH8 has booked us for the late seating. We will be the very loud but fun grouping of 11 with wine bottles at the table.

We did Palo's on the last night (at Missy's suggestion). It was a great way to end the cruise.

See you soon...

Mary

 

[jennat]

Since a lot of us are traveling with another couple....i thought this was interesting from Dave's site.......
*******
You can make one confirmed dinner reservation. You may be able to have dinner there more than once, but you will have to wait for a cancellation. Keep in mind that while you are limited to one reservation per stateroom, more than one couple can dine on a single reservation. So if you're traveling with another couple and you'd like to dine at Palo as a foursome more than once, you can make one reservation for four, and the other couple can also make a reservation for four.
*******

 

[donaldsgal]

Hello everyone!

I'm 99% sure my sister Melissa and I will be joining you ono the 9-17-05 Eastern cruise. I'm very excited that there's a thread started already. I'm not entirely sure I'm proficient in participating in the boards, but I'm ready to learn by trial-and-error.

I think we'll be in a category 5 room on deck 7 mid-ship. Anyone in the thread going to be our neighbors? We don't have any kids - just a couple of Disney lovers in the mid-twenties/early-thirties wanting to have some fun in the sun! Our parents are much for cruising - they prefer to babysit our pets while we get our tans.

Anyways, just wanted to say hi. I look forward to taking advantage of all the good tips you guys share on here. See you in a few months!

Jenny from Ohio

 

[constanze]

I am sooooo excited. We just booked our first Disney cruise and will be sailing with all of you. My husband and I will be taking our two kids who will be 8 and almost 5. We also have two other couples traveling with us who are taking their kids as well. We all wish we were leaving tomorrow! We can't wait.

 

[jennat]

Welcome both of you. We are so glad you are joining us and hope you are big chatters! It makes it so much more fun. Constanz, what gender are your kids. I have a 9 DS and 6 DD (then anyways). I am printing out a book of mazes and word searches (Disney related of course) for my kids to do on the plane right now, so I will check back later. Glad to have you.

 

[donaldsgal]

Is there a key somewhere on the DIS boards about what all the abbreviations mean? I am a little clueless when it comes to what DS, DD, DH, DW (can't remember anything else) mean.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[constanze]

My DD is 4 right now, but will be just about 5 when we sail, and my DS will be 8. They are both so excited. I'm not sure who is more impatient, them or my husband and myself

 

[4kidsandadog]

Hi there.. It's Karen #1 (I think). I'm still here! Real life intrudes on my DIS time... we're about 3 months away from a move to California and trying to get our house ready to put on the market.


About early/late seating: On our first cruise, we wanted early, but got late. In some ways, it worked well. We could watch the early shows, then eat dinner (our servers made sure the kids got their food right away, then the kids would ask one of us to run them to the club; we wound up eating our actual dinners alone quite often), and then we often had time to ourselves afterwards before picking the kids up. A few times our youngest (3 at the time) fell asleep during dinner. Even then, we could take him to the club afterwards and the staff would make him a pallet to sleep on so that we could go do something on our own.


This time, we have early seating (I guess when you book 18 months ahead of time, it's easier to get your requested seating). It will be strange, but I think I will like eating earlier. One downside I have heard about is that you have to stop what you're doing in the late afternoon to get ready for dinner.


Donaldsgal: DH is dear husband, DD is dear daughter, DS is dear son, DW is dear wife...

We stil haven't booked our airline tickets yet. Hopefully in the next month or so, though.


Karen

 

[skycon]

Welcome to Jenny from Ohio and Constanze. Nobody is a pro at any of this bc life always throws new ones our way to if you have anything to ask please do. Just come and chat and help make this cruise come sooner.

My girlfriend Tracy and I were talking this morning about the cruise. She thinks it is funny that I have been having dreams about it. Ha-ha. She asked if I have thought anymore about excursions we can do. To be honest I really don't care if I do anything on the islands but sit at the beach and shop. I really just want to get on the ship and go.

Karen #1 - I understand what you mean about real life getting in the way. I am also packing up my house to move. Very frustrating trying to get it ready for market. What makes me laugh is we end up doing all those things we should have done in the past for the new "homeowner".

Take care everyone -- Happy thoughts and Disney Dreams.