Sept. 23, 2012 Pacific Coast - Wonder Cruise

[erbie]

Hi everyone, I'm on the Sept 16th sailing and someone from your sailing may have already shared this info but in case they hadn't -

I emailed DCL and asked which nights were planned for 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!
"

Thanks! A couple of us have called a few weeks ago and got different answers (both from what you got and from each other). I booked Palo dinner based on not wanting to miss pirate or semi/formal nights, so I'm just hoping what they told me was accurate. If not, our cruise is only half full so far, so I should be able to change once aboard, or if we get any official word on when the different nights are. I can't remember, is it in the final cruise docs we get a month or so out?

 

[GromMom]

Wow Marian, a 7.0 is nothing to sneeze at! I've been through a couple of quakes, but not as many as Erbie I'm sure, as I've only lived in San Diego for 9 years. I remember once, my dog jumped in my bed and that woke me up, I thought that was strange, then I noticed I heard a rattling, then the whole bed shook as if on a wave and I realized that the dog felt the quake and the rattling was my glass shower door shaking...I of course only felt the big dip part of it...not scary but very strange!

Gail,
I hope your knee is doing well!

As for me, we took my 2 month old on our boat last night to see the fabulous San Diego Fireworks...we usually throw a party every year, but this year we just went with the 3 of us because it was too stressful to throw a party with a 2 month old. I guess we lucked out that we didn't have a party b/c the fireworks were about 15 seconds long...something went wrong and all 4 coordinated shows went off all at once, every firework set off at the exact same time instead of for about a 20 minute show . It was pretty crazy. I was afraid my son would be crying or scared, but nope, he just looked up at it and was asleep in seconds (my guess was it was the rocking of the boat).

I guess that bodes well for our cruise, although he did not enjoy having the life jacket on as my husband rowed us out...he cried about half the way out, then fell asleep, I'm guessing those things are not very comfortable for a baby.

Is there a rough count of rooms for the FE? My sister and I are strategizing on some crafts that need supplies so I'm not sure how much to buy...I suppose I can just guesstimate and anyone who gets added later will get an alternate gift...is that how most do it?

Thanks!

 

[4boons]

Or should I say still here.

Laura sent DU an email last night with some minor mods. to our reservation and as soon as that is done we will pay up. So much for the plat. early booking.

We are in for FEs, postcard exchange, or any other fun activity.

Looking forward to a great time.

Bill

 

[katds10]

Thanks! A couple of us have called a few weeks ago and got different answers (both from what you got and from each other). I booked Palo dinner based on not wanting to miss pirate or semi/formal nights, so I'm just hoping what they told me was accurate. If not, our cruise is only half full so far, so I should be able to change once aboard, or if we get any official word on when the different nights are. I can't remember, is it in the final cruise docs we get a month or so out?

Thanks for sharing! That is odd and kind of annoying. Like you, we booked our Palo night based on what we didn't want to miss! I don't think the info of which nights are which were on the cruise docs but yeah, we get them about a month out!

Last year on the Disney MR cruise, people got conflicting info about schedules too when they called/emailed in advance BUT they really did have different schedules based on when the sailing was so there was some confusion on the cast member's end which one to relay. Since there are only 4 sailings for CA Coast, I just assumed that they would have one schedule already decided...

 

[4boons]

Hi everyone, I'm on the Sept 16th sailing and someone from your sailing may have already shared this info but in case they hadn't -

I emailed DCL and asked which nights were planned for 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!
"

Laura called DCL a few weeks ago and got the same answer as above.
Bill

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Wow Marian, a 7.0 is nothing to sneeze at! I've been through a couple of quakes, but not as many as Erbie I'm sure, as I've only lived in San Diego for 9 years. I remember once, my dog jumped in my bed and that woke me up, I thought that was strange, then I noticed I heard a rattling, then the whole bed shook as if on a wave and I realized that the dog felt the quake and the rattling was my glass shower door shaking...I of course only felt the big dip part of it...not scary but very strange!

Gail,
I hope your knee is doing well!

As for me, we took my 2 month old on our boat last night to see the fabulous San Diego Fireworks...we usually throw a party every year, but this year we just went with the 3 of us because it was too stressful to throw a party with a 2 month old. I guess we lucked out that we didn't have a party b/c the fireworks were about 15 seconds long...something went wrong and all 4 coordinated shows went off all at once, every firework set off at the exact same time instead of for about a 20 minute show . It was pretty crazy. I was afraid my son would be crying or scared, but nope, he just looked up at it and was asleep in seconds (my guess was it was the rocking of the boat).

I guess that bodes well for our cruise, although he did not enjoy having the life jacket on as my husband rowed us out...he cried about half the way out, then fell asleep, I'm guessing those things are not very comfortable for a baby.

Is there a rough count of rooms for the FE? My sister and I are strategizing on some crafts that need supplies so I'm not sure how much to buy...I suppose I can just guesstimate and anyone who gets added later will get an alternate gift...is that how most do it?

Thanks!

Hiya, I owe you a PM but it's been crazy busy this week as it's the first week of the winter school holidays. Yep, 7.0 is nothing to sneeze at - I've got my left hand in tubigrip all the way to the elbow as I hyper extended my thumb hitting a wall when running for the kids for the kids. It's very sore and making FE gift sewing slow going.

So the 4th July fireworks were a bit of a fizzer as they all went off at once? Random, you think that the groups would have coordinated it. Oddly I just checked our NZ news pages and your fireworks were front page feature news - so it's a big deal here too.

Grom is probably like me, likes the rocking motion - my Dad used to stick me in the dingy tied to the jetty to get me to sleep when I was refusing to go down. Worked a treat.

For FE count as at 12 June it was 10 cabins including two cabins for one family. Adult headcount was 20, children 12 (age range was 3 - 16, one child has no age).

Anyone wanting in on the FE or postcard exchange needs to contact Gail (Glindamood) to get on the list. She's our List Master.

Hey Bill - thought we'd lost you for a while there. When we meet I'll give you some phrases in Turkish to get a good deal on anything you want to buy on your port days on the Med trip.

 

[socababy]

What should I do?? They have an OGT available right now but I was really wanting a VGT. THe Sept 16 cruise has both OGT and VGT rates available. The VGT rate for the Sept 16 cruise is less than $100 more than the OGT rate for this cruise. I think I should hold out until the PIF date passes and see if they offer a VGT rate but I so want to book it!!

 

[ShinyDaisy]

Mariam, I'm so sorry!! What a terrible ordeal!

Gail, hopefully, your knees are getting better.




Hubby has a work conflict, and we won't be joining in the fun.

Bon voyage!

 

[GromMom]

Hiya, I owe you a PM but it's been crazy busy this week as it's the first week of the winter school holidays. Yep, 7.0 is nothing to sneeze at - I've got my left hand in tubigrip all the way to the elbow as I hyper extended my thumb hitting a wall when running for the kids for the kids. It's very sore and making FE gift sewing slow going.

So the 4th July fireworks were a bit of a fizzer as they all went off at once? Random, you think that the groups would have coordinated it. Oddly I just checked our NZ news pages and your fireworks were front page feature news - so it's a big deal here too.

Grom is probably like me, likes the rocking motion - my Dad used to stick me in the dingy tied to the jetty to get me to sleep when I was refusing to go down. Worked a treat.

For FE count as at 12 June it was 10 cabins including two cabins for one family. Adult headcount was 20, children 12 (age range was 3 - 16, one child has no age).

Anyone wanting in on the FE or postcard exchange needs to contact Gail (Glindamood) to get on the list. She's our List Master.

Hey Bill - thought we'd lost you for a while there. When we meet I'll give you some phrases in Turkish to get a good deal on anything you want to buy on your port days on the Med trip.

Thanks! I'll try to plan for roughly 20 cabins then for a cabin count if there were already 12 before I signed up.

I think my little grom is going to be a pirate for life , loves the water already, and even wore his pirate hat to the fireworks, I hope it is not too small in Sept, but I can always make another one.

I'd better get going on the actual FE, I've cut out fabric and then got side tracked with laminating door numbers, Just so you know my dh bought some of these to make fridge magnets but they were so strong they'd stick to the fridge instead of coming off with the clips he glued them to, so we stuck them in the laminating pouch and it worked great to make a magnetic door sign

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-10mm-x-1mm-100-pack-13516

 

[glindamood]

Evening everyone - and yes, I left the good out for a reason as it isn't! I LOVE my dogs, I really do but they have bad taste in playmates. Cute little black animals with white stripes down their back should be avoided. They have had bathes and hopefully I won't stink when I go to work tomorrow. Walter got mixed up with one last year, and I will say, while I had to bath two (in the bathtub), it was no where near as bad as what he got last year, even with the two of them. It literally made my eyes water last year but I didn't even notice it until I got to work this morning - had on a new dress and all of a sudden thought it had a strange odor. I got home tonight and could smell it in the house, let the dogs out and can smell it some on them too. Oh well, they both have 'big fur' .

Sorry to see you go Angel.

Welcome back Bill! If you could just send me a PM with cabin number and and email address, that would be awesome.

Knees - they are doing although they were doing better before tubbytime with the dogs. Good think it is about bedtime and I can just relax.

Take care!

 

[erbie]

What should I do?? They have an OGT available right now but I was really wanting a VGT. THe Sept 16 cruise has both OGT and VGT rates available. The VGT rate for the Sept 16 cruise is less than $100 more than the OGT rate for this cruise. I think I should hold out until the PIF date passes and see if they offer a VGT rate but I so want to book it!!

Shoot, I was looking at the 9/16 cruise. I bet we get similar OGT and VGT rates next week. I'm seriously considering it if they're e same as they are on the 9/16 cruise.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

What should I do?? They have an OGT available right now but I was really wanting a VGT. THe Sept 16 cruise has both OGT and VGT rates available. The VGT rate for the Sept 16 cruise is less than $100 more than the OGT rate for this cruise. I think I should hold out until the PIF date passes and see if they offer a VGT rate but I so want to book it!!

Nip over to the 16 Sept thread and see if they already had a VGT offer prior to the one being offered now. We've already had one VGT offer, prior to Easter. That may affect whether or not another is offered. They may only be looking to fill up OGT and IGT and upsell at port or something on our cruise. If it was me I'd be going with the VGT on the 16th if you really want a verandah - at least that way you know you'll get one on the cruise at a good price. You just don't know what they'll do on this cruise and you may only see the OGT or something and then you'd miss a verandah. It comes down to if you want the verandah on the 16th or the date of the 23rd is much better for the family and it doesn't matter about the verandah so much.

Gail - oooohhhh nasty. Now you see I don't have to contend with Choco playing with skunks (which we don't have thankfully, or snakes or deadly spiders). Ick. I can't imagine how you'd get rid of the odour and your knees must be crippling now, all the work you've done on them dashed by one black and white bandit.

Sad to see you go ShinyDaisy. I hope you guys can rebook a cruise at another date.

GromMom - too cute. Grom might suprise you and sleep the entire cruise as he's so comfy onboard. I saw some great 'Wipe My Booty' onesies on Etsy a while back, bet he'd look great in one!

 

[katds10]

Nip over to the 16 Sept thread and see if they already had a VGT offer prior to the one being offered now. We've already had one VGT offer, prior to Easter. That may affect whether or not another is offered. They may only be looking to fill up OGT and IGT and upsell at port or something on our cruise.

I'm sailing on the 16th and we definitely did not have a prior offer of VGT like you guys did!

 

[bbangel]

Ah the wonderful smell of skunk. Not pleasant to have to try and get out of dogs (or people) Although it makes me want to go explore imagination with Figment.

The fireworks misshap made the news here too!

OGT is tempting....

 

[erbie]

OGT is tempting....

It really is, isn't it?

Though I actually prefer the 11B to any of the outside rooms except the 9A. I don't like being all the way down on decks 1 or 2, and I don't want the two small portholes. I think I'm safer waiting to see if there's a VGT or the opportunity to upgrade to a 9A or higher at the port. But if I did the VGT, I'd have to cancel and rebook, right? So I'd lose all my excursions and Palo ressies and my deposit. But it still might be worth it for the savings, depending on how much.

Has anyone upgraded at the port? Do you remember how the prices were? I remember looking at the prices last time, and thinking they weren't too bad, but I already had gotten pixie dusted up to a 5C. The only thing I'd want to upgrade further to would be to a Concierge, and those prices were too high. DH says if we can get what we want for $300 we'll do it, and I think that's reasonable. Otherwise, we'll save that money for onboard spending.

 

[GromMom]

GromMom - too cute. Grom might suprise you and sleep the entire cruise as he's so comfy onboard. I saw some great 'Wipe My Booty' onesies on Etsy a while back, bet he'd look great in one!

Oh I *need* to make one, that is so funny! Perfect for pirate night!


So what do people do for their fe if they upgrade at port? Erbie's question got me wondering.

 

[glindamood]

So what do people do for their fe if they upgrade at port? Erbie's question got me wondering.

If everyone can bring their FE list with them to the DISmeet, we can make an announcement there. I can make calls to anyone else that has forgotten their list or doesn't make it. I will also post DISname and cabin number on my door (which is actually the easiet I think anyway) in case anyone gets missed or boards late.

Well, I must say, I am not all that happy with my new 'cologne' - it must be on my hands but unless someone hugs me, I don't think it is too bad. Walter will need his neck done yet again but I am not so sure that tonight will be the night for it unless we go outside and use the hose, which always makes me feel bad because that water is so cold.

Not anything else to report - we have another heat advisory according to the paper. I didn't bring my lunch and walked two blocks (very leasurly) and I survived, just reminds me why I dont' live somewhere where it is in the 90's on a regular basis, just too dang hot for me!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

 

[BigDisneyOE]

ERBIE - THERE IS A VGT UP THIS MORNING FOR OUR CRUISE. Sorry for yelling but I want you to see this!

Anyone PIF on the VGT in Feb..... did you get another email from DCL in the last 12 hours? This time with a fairly sizeable refund? We have been refunded well over what we paid in difference between a 10A and the VGT.

Gail - my friend in Mangalore told me that they are in wet season with no wet. The average daily temp is 41C or 105F. Can you imagine that?

Eww on the stinky not going? Is there any odour neutraliser for this type of thing? Walter needs to make better choices in playmates. He might like a cold hose off if it's been so hot however I'm like you, Choco always gets in our ensuite shower with the two jets - outside even in summer I worry about the dog 'feeling it'.

GromMom - yeah an "Argh, wipe me booty" onsie would be so cute on pirate night!

 

[erbie]

ERBIE - THERE IS A VGT UP THIS MORNING FOR OUR CRUISE. Sorry for yelling but I want you to see this!

Thanks for telling me! I was looking earlier and it wasn't there yet.

Whoa! And it's only $250 more than the 11B we have booked. Though with our OBD, it's a bigger difference, but hmm. Now I'm in a quandary! I think I'd have to completely cancel and rebook, which would mean waiting for the refund to clear on the card and the funds to free up. Ack!

There's no way we'd be able to go from an 11B to even a 7A for the same amount at the port.

 

[peja]

Okay I checked out the VGT. It works out to about 3200 for the four of us. We are presently an 11B stateroom, which we got with the Canadian discount at 2500 for the four of us. We are travelling with my MIL who is in another stateroom. DCL told me if I cancel and go the VGT route, their is no guarantee that we will be placed together cause the cruise is apparently filling up.

Should I upgrade and take my chances and pay the 700 dollar difference, or use the 700 difference on expenses on the ship??? What would you do????And did I get a good price for the 11B cat???