Sept 18 2010 WB TransAtlantic Pirates/Capt Jacks Re-Repoing Repossession Cruise Pt.5

[MrsMork]

We are sitting on the deck tonight, listening to the crickets and the creek and talking about what else... The cruise!!

So we were looking into snorkeling and parasailing and then got to St. Maarten adn started to think back to when we were first there, and what we did. And then moved onto St Thomas... I was reminded of the excursions we took...

Glenn and Stephen did the mini sub and I took Becca to the Aquarium. She was about 14 moinths old at the time, and the only child on the trip. I think everyone was waiting for the meltdown... Well, we pte the baby shark, saw the HUGE lizzards, and were doing great. Headed back to the bus and all was well... Driving down to the ship Becca started to fuss. I got out her pacifier and handed it to her thinking she would take it, put her head on my shoulder and sleep. Yeah, right... She took it alright... And tossed it off the bus... I was ready to cry, but she thought it was funny... She made it back to town, and to see daddy and all was fine... We learned that they stock Pacifiers on the ship - and they are pretty expensive if I remember right!

Sue

Our first St Marteen trip we did the Under 2 Flags, then the next time we did the Golden Eagle Catamaran (SP??). That was a FUN excursion! We snorkled in a bay somewhere, swam to the beach to have a sit for a bit, then sailed back. Dennis and I were singing "We will, we will rock you" with all the young folks on the trip. We were mid 50's then. Gots some "look at the cute old couple rocking out" comments! Guess the younger set does not know we are the original rockers!! That was one of our most fun excursions. YMCA rocking out coming into the harbor. Excellent crew and they made a GOOD rum punch!

Figured I'd jump back on the thread. I've been staying away because I was not sure we'd make the cruise. As it stands, I did PIF, but am still not entirely sure we'll make it. Reminiscent of the 2007 WBTA, my son is on the verge of not sailing with me. On that cruise, I ended up taking my mom with me. I've got until June 20 before cancellation penalties kick in so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. The Captain has informed me that my presence is required, so I hope I don't have to walk the plank.

Welcome back!! And to Laura too.

 

[MrsMork]

It was HOT and HUMID here today also.....almost 100!!!

It is still quite cool here. Upper 40s during the day, mid 30s at night. And rain showers everyday for the foreseeable future. But, this is good for the fire season. We had way too little snowpack this winter and forest fires this summer could be really, really bad if the weather warmed too much too soon or if we were not having this wet spring. It would be nice to be able to wear my cute, new crop pants though!! Guess they will still be new for the cruise.

 

[KrisannB]

KrisannB - I understand your reasoning about the passports, And totally agree. But Su_Kraft idea about taking the copy and leaving the original onboard sounds like a better idea to me. And that's what we'll be doing, Thanks Sue....again!

I am just too much a scardey cat - I fear the boat will leave without me and with my passport on board! Hopefully none of us will ever ever find out the best senerio!

Krisann

 

[LittleDisneyLovers]

I glad that you are feeling better.

It been one month since I got hit by the elevator doors and I'm still in pain, under weight restrictions, activity restrictions and highly medicated. Thank god for insurance. One pill I'm on cost $4.75 per pill and I take it twice a day. I have to go to physical therapy 3 time a week and the doctor once a week. They are not sure what wrong with my left arm yet. I have to go to the doctor again on Wednesday.

Only 17 weeks till cruise and I'm PIF

Wow, I remember when you hurt yourself, didn't realise It was still not healed, that's a long time to be in pain. I hope it starts feeling better soon!

We are sitting on the deck tonight, listening to the crickets and the creek and talking about what else... The cruise!!

So we were looking into snorkeling and parasailing and then got to St. Maarten adn started to think back to when we were first there, and what we did. And then moved onto St Thomas... I was reminded of the excursions we took...

Glenn and Stephen did the mini sub and I took Becca to the Aquarium. She was about 14 moinths old at the time, and the only child on the trip. I think everyone was waiting for the meltdown... Well, we pte the baby shark, saw the HUGE lizzards, and were doing great. Headed back to the bus and all was well... Driving down to the ship Becca started to fuss. I got out her pacifier and handed it to her thinking she would take it, put her head on my shoulder and sleep. Yeah, right... She took it alright... And tossed it off the bus... I was ready to cry, but she thought it was funny... She made it back to town, and to see daddy and all was fine... We learned that they stock Pacifiers on the ship - and they are pretty expensive if I remember right!

Sue

That is funny, well....now it's funny, It probably wasn't at the time!
I wish my DH would get excited about the cruise with me. Don't get me wrong, he is looking forward to it, He's just so busy with work that he doesn't even want to think about it until he's on the plane. ALL of the planning is up to me, which I love, but if I didn't have you guys to get excited with I would burst!

 

[MrsMork]

Wow, I remember when you hurt yourself, didn't realise It was still not healed, that's a long time to be in pain. I hope it starts feeling better soon!



That is funny, well....now it's funny, It probably wasn't at the time!
I wish my DH would get excited about the cruise with me. Don't get me wrong, he is looking forward to it, He's just so busy with work that he doesn't even want to think about it until he's on the plane. ALL of the planning is up to me, which I love, but if I didn't have you guys to get excited with I would burst!

That's why we are here!

 

[Buckeye Gal]

I've wondered which is the suggested "right" choice about carrying your real passport vs. a photocopy as well. No big surprise that there are opinions on both sides as we justify it different ways. For instance, my initial thoughts are to not loose the real thing, which means it's kept in the safe.

I wonder if there's a way to contact an Embassy to see what they recommend for cruisers. If not that, there must be a government advisory of some form out there. Any idea???

 

[MrsMork]

I looked on the US State Department website. It appears they recommend having a copy on your person and keeping the original in a secure place.

 

[su_kraft]

That is funny, well....now it's funny, It probably wasn't at the time!

It was way not funny when it happened. I was ready to pay the driver to stop so I could find that pacifier! But, she was fine, and I didn't have to toss her over board, so... We both survived and I do laugh about it now!

I wish my DH would get excited about the cruise with me. Don't get me wrong, he is looking forward to it, He's just so busy with work that he doesn't even want to think about it until he's on the plane. ALL of the planning is up to me, which I love, but if I didn't have you guys to get excited with I would burst!

Ok - we need to get our schedules synched up! DH is excited, but not EXCITED!!! I am having trouble working and concentrating... He is working extra hours... So, we can plan together!!

 

[KrisannB]

I looked on the US State Department website. It appears they recommend having a copy on your person and keeping the original in a secure place.

I have not gotten to that part yet but did read the part about registering your trip - has anyone ever done this before?

Krisann

 

[goiu]

ok I want people to tell me if I am just crazy or if what we do makes sense to anyone else because on the EBTA when someone saw us do this they got really freaked out.

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now that I have your interest peaked

I know disney tells you that you only need to have your Key to the World and "photo ID" which most people from the US take their DL - but when we go off the ship (even on closed loop cruises) we take our passports with us (copies remain on board of the ship) because if something would happen to us, accident, get arrested for doing something we did not know was wrong (has happened - not to us) miss the boat, or anything that you might need your passport to prove who you are and get back to the states by plane if need be.

Are we the only ones who think this way? I just don't want to get caught in a strange country with no citizenship "papers" so to speak to prove where I belong.

Any thoughts?

We do this too! I don't even think we'll bring our DL with us, since we aren't driving at all anywhere.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Thank you all for the advice regarding getting my nails done. I'll have to get them done right before we leave and bring glue and band aids with me just in case! LOL!

I glad that you are feeling better.

It been one month since I got hit by the elevator doors and I'm still in pain, under weight restrictions, activity restrictions and highly medicated. Thank god for insurance. One pill I'm on cost $4.75 per pill and I take it twice a day. I have to go to physical therapy 3 time a week and the doctor once a week. They are not sure what wrong with my left arm yet. I have to go to the doctor again on Wednesday.

Only 17 weeks till cruise and I'm PIF

That is terrible! My mom was on an injection for years that cost $3,000 per shot! Thank goodness for insurance is right! I hope you get better soon!

 

[goiu]

Ok - we need to get our schedules synched up! DH is excited, but not EXCITED!!! I am having trouble working and concentrating... He is working extra hours... So, we can plan together!! [/QUOTE]


My husband is not as excited as I am either. He'll be excited once we get on the cruise too. Tonight he even asked what are you going to do after we go on this cruise? Maybe I'm more excited because he flies out every other week for work and I'm at home with the kids everyday.

 

[eeyorelvr10]

We are trying to watch our $ and were wondering if anyone has advice as to which ports (other than CC) can be done on our own cheaper than through DCL. I am a little nervous about "missing the boat". If anyone has done some of these stops on their own and loved what they did I would love to hear about it.

I was on the WBTA back in 2007? 2008? The first time it came back, and we did not plan anything in Gibraltar. We ended up getting a van on our own and had our own mini tour. I can't rightly remember the amount we paid but I do know that it was quite a bit cheaper than DCL. I believe we went into the rock, the Gates of Gibraltar and even a small visit with the monkeys which I HIGHLY suggest you don't touch and then after we got dropped into town on our own. We were able to walk back on our own from town and we had PLENTY and I mean PLENTY of time to sit on the deck. We didn't venture very far and Gibraltar was easily done on your own. And pretty safe (if you don't touch the monkeys) Someone actually allowed their 3 yr old to touch one and got bitten so they can bite. Also, a woman put a banana in her pocket on the advice of her tour guide and the monkey almost literally pulled her pants off trying to get at the banana. So I advise against it. I'll see if I can find any old pictures and post them.

OH yeah, you can watch the planes leave from inside the Rock of Gibraltar and its exciting as they stop traffic on both sides of the road to let planes come in and out. Our guide did tell us that one or two planes have actually overshot the strip and ended up in the ocean. Funny but its not. You'll know what I mean when you see the strip.

Figured I'd jump back on the thread. I've been staying away because I was not sure we'd make the cruise. As it stands, I did PIF, but am still not entirely sure we'll make it. Reminiscent of the 2007 WBTA, my son is on the verge of not sailing with me. On that cruise, I ended up taking my mom with me. I've got until June 20 before cancellation penalties kick in so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. The Captain has informed me that my presence is required, so I hope I don't have to walk the plank.

Tea. A friend and I arranged a group tea on the 2007 WBTA and the 2008 EBPC but we were not able to do so ahead of time. We had to work with the Palo manager once we boarded. (PJ and Marco have been great!) You will need everyone's name and reservation & cabin number. And it may take a few days for them to finalize it for you as the often have to try to get other guests to reschedule. The reason high tea is so difficult to book is because they do not have a full staff at that time. I think they only have 3 servers scheduled for tea. So if you have a large group, you basically squeeze out anyone else who wants tea that day.

Hi Monica! I just got on today myself! Yippee!

 

[LittleDisneyLovers]

Ok - we need to get our schedules synched up! DH is excited, but not EXCITED!!! I am having trouble working and concentrating... He is working extra hours... So, we can plan together!!

It's very frustrating when I try and give him updates and he says- "baby, I'm glad your excited, but I just can't think about it right now, tell me on the plane". That's what we normally do, I tell him what we're doing on the way there.
It is 3:30 here now (daytime), what time is it there? I wonder if there are any 'awake' hours that we share?

My husband is not as excited as I am either. He'll be excited once we get on the cruise too. Tonight he even asked what are you going to do after we go on this cruise? Maybe I'm more excited because he flies out every other week for work and I'm at home with the kids everyday.

I think we get extra excited at the idea of not having to do cooking, cleaning and housework while we're on vacation. Also at the idea of having someone else look after the kids at kids club. It really is a break for Mum's (mom's in USA, lol) Don't get me wrong, my DH works hard, but it's different. The mum's will know what I mean.

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Good morning ....wow .... so much chat yesterday

This was the recipe I used..... (from the Sainsbury web site).......


Mascarpone & Lime Torte

A dessert that could also be made using the zest and juice of oranges or lemons.

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Cooling Time: 30
Nutrition per serving: 431 cals, 34g fat, of which 5g saturated fat, 15g added sugar, 0.3g salt

You will need
• 200g pack ginger biscuits, crushed
• 50g butter, melted
• 2 x 250g tubs mascarpone cheese
• 40g icing sugar, sifted
• Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes* (I used 3 for extra zing!)
• 50g dark chocolate, melted and made into chocolate leaves

Method
1. Mix together the crushed biscuits and the butter and press it into the base of a 18cm spring form cake tin. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, icing sugar, lime zest and juice. Spread over the biscuit base.
2. Chill for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the torte from the tin, by running a warmed knife around the inside of the rim, and decorate the top with chocolate leaves or shredded lime zest.



Enjoy!

Sounds divine ..... will have to try that one if we go to a party / BBQ in the next few months.

Oh, that sounds wonderful!!! Just look at the healthy nutritional information!!

It must count as one of your five a day though .... limes

Hello people

Not sure how many remember me - I'm Laura AKA eeyorelvr10. Seems Steve and I will be going on this cruise as final payment was finally made. I feel like I've been off DIS for years. Been on another site and avoided this one. Forgot how slow it can get. But at least I'm here and hoping to see some familiar faces on the cruise. I will be playing catch soon as DD gets out of school on June 3 and I will finally have some play time.

Anythign I've missed and need to sign up for? Or is it all too late?

Take care and talk soon

Welcome back Laura .... glad you are still with us

Since the buckeye tree is the state tree, The Ohio State University does have a mascot named Brutus Buckeye. Furthermore, in honor of the state nut, a special treat that a lot of people primarily make during the Christmas holiday season (because it's so labor intensive) are buckeye candies! Harry London Chocolates and Anthony Thomas Chocolates, both based in Ohio, also manufacture them. They are balls of peanut butter candy covered in chocolate, with just the very top of the PB ball exposed so it looks like the tree nut. They are SOOOO good, and all of you who love Reese's Cups in the US would LOVE these!

So there's your yummy lesson about buckeyes! (See....it wasn't THAT painful to get a lesson....unless you eat them! The treadmill could be painful to keep the calories off the thighs!)

They look delicious too ... and I love Reese's Cups .... that peanut butter / chocolate combo is wonderful

Figured I'd jump back on the thread. I've been staying away because I was not sure we'd make the cruise. As it stands, I did PIF, but am still not entirely sure we'll make it. Reminiscent of the 2007 WBTA, my son is on the verge of not sailing with me. On that cruise, I ended up taking my mom with me. I've got until June 20 before cancellation penalties kick in so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. The Captain has informed me that my presence is required, so I hope I don't have to walk the plank.

Great news .... welcome back Monica. Hope you are able to stick with us, if the Captain has given his orders then you have no option really

Right .... off to work. Just two more shifts and then I have 4 days off. Can't wait

 

[goiu]

[
I think we get extra excited at the idea of not having to do cooking, cleaning and housework while we're on vacation. Also at the idea of having someone else look after the kids at kids club. It really is a break for Mum's (mom's in USA, lol) Don't get me wrong, my DH works hard, but it's different. The mum's will know what I mean. [/QUOTE]


I totally agree! Vacation is still a lot of work with little ones, but at least I'm not doing all the other extra work too! You're soo right!

 

[PBader]

Figured I'd jump back on the thread. I've been staying away because I was not sure we'd make the cruise. As it stands, I did PIF, but am still not entirely sure we'll make it. Reminiscent of the 2007 WBTA, my son is on the verge of not sailing with me. On that cruise, I ended up taking my mom with me. I've got until June 20 before cancellation penalties kick in so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. The Captain has informed me that my presence is required, so I hope I don't have to walk the plank.

Yeah!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed

We didn't venture very far and Gibraltar was easily done on your own. And pretty safe (if you don't touch the monkeys) Someone actually allowed their 3 yr old to touch one and got bitten so they can bite. Also, a woman put a banana in her pocket on the advice of her tour guide and the monkey almost literally pulled her pants off trying to get at the banana. So I advise against it. I'll see if I can find any old pictures and post them. Hi Monica! I just got on today myself! Yippee!

Laura, I remember reading that in your blog........... Glad to see you are joining us too

 

[Buckeye Gal]

Since it's all seeming more real and there's been talk about people meeting up this summer, I just wanted to remind you that we have the Global Google Map for you to pinpoint where you are from.

So if you haven't taken a look at it or added yourself, I encourage you to check it out! Personally, I find it interesting to see the diversity of where we are all from!

Directions:

• Log into your Google account or create one.
• Click on this link to Google Maps.
• Zoom in to your location on the map.
• Click the [Edit] button in the direction of the upper left corner of your screen and right beside the map. This will pop up some iconic buttons on the upper left corner of the map.
• Click on the "Placemark" button that looks like a blue balloon. This is located on the top of the map itself.
• Click on the location on the map where you are located, which will put the Placemark on the map.
• In the "Title" Field, put your DIS name.
• Feel free to add your real names or whatever comes to mind in the Description Field.
• Click [OK] to save what you typed, and you're finished!

 

[granmaz]

This thread is really hotting up!!!!! How exciting. Now I just need to get to know you all more - like try and remember names etc.

I love this chart, and thanks for doing it. Just feel it is worth repeating!!!!!

Here's an updated list of overnight accommodations in Barcelona and arrival dates that have been provided to me. This should help people who may want to share rides from the airport or meet up at your hotel or apartment before we cruise!

I've been challenged to get the image to come in as a better quality and bigger, so I apologize for the poor quality. So if you have a PC and you need to magnify it, press [Ctrl] and [+] keys together. To reduce the size of your screen of back to where it was, press [Ctrl] and [-] keys together. I'm not sure what the commands are if you have a Mac (sorry!).

Sue will get this up on Page 1 of this thread in the near future so there's one go-to place to find the list, however, I thought this round, I would post it here to bring attention to it. If you have modifications or want to be included on the list, just PM me! (Sue, unless you ask otherwise, I'll just assume you'll copy the image file location. In the future, I'll just PM you the updated link.)

As a reminder, the color coding of the last column is for the arrival date, and the other color coding is based on the place you'll be saying "I'm too excited to sleep!".

 

[Buckeye Gal]

....I love this chart, and thanks for doing it. Just feel it is worth repeating!!!!!

Oh good! I'm glad you find it helpful! I've received several additions since this was posted about 9 hours ago, so we'll have a new revision out there in a day or so. In the meantime, keep 'em coming!