Sept. 23, 2012 Pacific Coast - Wonder Cruise

[4boons]

Glindamood we'd like to do Alcatraz too but I don't know what to do with the boys during that time. There's loads we want to do in SF but most likely independantly from DCL. We'll probably stay onboard during the San Diego port day as we will have just spent a week there. Or maybe we'll go back to the Midway, I can see us going there more than once.

So far this sailing seems to be more adults with university/college aged children. I hope there's going to be plenty of little people in the kids clubs, one of my boys keeps telling me he's going on the Wonder 'to play with American children'.

We will do some touring on our own and some with DCL.

On the Baltic cruise we toured on our own quite a bit and used a private tour company in St. Petersburg.

For SF I like the Alcatraz at night. We did Alcatraz many years ago and it was very interesting.

Bill

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Thanks for the advice Gail and Bill. Part of me thinks the nearly fives will enjoy Alcatraz as they love boats, islands and the police (I can stretch the 'jail' theme') and part says the Kids Club is the way to go. I just know that Oliver will suddenly require 'mmmmuuuummmy' for some reason the moment I've set foot on the island and started to enjoy the tour. Alex won't care if we don't see him from dawn to dinner as long as he's got playmates. Chalk and cheese those boys.

I'm really looking forward to San Francisco, I've never been there and read so much about it. It's supposed to be a bit like NZ in terms of weather too. I really want to see if I can see the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, I saw the film and talked with Mark Bittner a bit on email when the film was still very art house - just to see the birds from a distance and take some photos would be the highlight of my trip!

 

[disneystick]

Well after we booked this cruise with a oceanview because no Cat 10A SPH was available during Sept. Happen to be checking tonight and found a SPH cabin for the sailing one week earlier. So we decide to switch to save some $ and still have a window.

We will take good care of the ship and get it ready for you folks.

 

[glindamood]

Thanks for the advice Gail and Bill. Part of me thinks the nearly fives will enjoy Alcatraz as they love boats, islands and the police (I can stretch the 'jail' theme') and part says the Kids Club is the way to go. I just know that Oliver will suddenly require 'mmmmuuuummmy' for some reason the moment I've set foot on the island and started to enjoy the tour. Alex won't care if we don't see him from dawn to dinner as long as he's got playmates. Chalk and cheese those boys.

I'm really looking forward to San Francisco, I've never been there and read so much about it. It's supposed to be a bit like NZ in terms of weather too. I really want to see if I can see the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, I saw the film and talked with Mark Bittner a bit on email when the film was still very art house - just to see the birds from a distance and take some photos would be the highlight of my trip!

My desire to get to SF is the reason I booked this cruise - DH went in his youth but I have never been there. I am so excited that we have two days as well - couldn't ask for more. Your boys may enjoy the trip sounds like. I so wish that DCL would post the times of the tours but we never know that until we go to book. At least I am platinum and have early access. As always, brunch will be done first and then the rest will just fall where it falls. I will have to do some research on outside tour vendors as well.

Well after we booked this cruise with a oceanview because no Cat 10A SPH was available during Sept. Happen to be checking tonight and found a SPH cabin for the sailing one week earlier. So we decide to switch to save some $ and still have a window.

We will take good care of the ship and get it ready for you folks.

Well, you get her all warmed up for us! Sorry to see you go but happy you got the cabin you really wanted.

Nippy here in Cadillac this morning but we didn't get as much snow as they predicted either so that is a good thing. Enjoy your day!

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Hey Gail, you and I booked the cruise for the same reason! We thought about the Mexican trip but decided two days in San Fran was the deal maker. Now that Air NZ flys direct from Auckland to San Fran, it's a taster trip for us. So I'm really looking forward to the SF days. It's our first cruise so we will have to wait until the 'beggars can't be choosers' bookings open up on DCL. I'd like the do the vintage fire truck ride with the kids, it's the only DCL trip we want to do but I'm worried it will be over subscribed by the time our bookings open up.

Wow I just looked at Cadillac, it looks lovely. And cold. We love to do a trip around America when we are old and retired and the kids education costs are done and Cadillac is the sort of place we want to visit. Right now in Kapiti it's our summer and yesterday we spent it at the beach as it's only 400 metres from the house.


Sorry to see you go DisneyStick. We got a SPR when we booked back in July last year. There were several all through September at that stage and we could have had ajoining SPR's on another date for an extra $800 but my husband didn't want to pay the extra.

 

[glindamood]

Summer - the beach??? There are two lakes here in Cadillac and at this point people drive their cars out to park on them, next to their ice fishing shanties. NOT my idea of a good time but my son does it. I prefer the sun, sand and HEAT with my water activities. But, to each his own. Cadillac makes most of it's money from the folks that like to play in the snow - skiing, snowmobiling and the fishing so I am happy for those folks.

I poked around a bit for Muir Woods today but that fun has only just begun. I will post links to anything I find that I think may be useful to anyone else.

Take care!

 

[4boons]

I poked around a bit for Muir Woods today but that fun has only just begun. I will post links to anything I find that I think may be useful to anyone else.

Take care!

Thanks Gail,
Any information would be appreciated.
Bill

 

[glindamood]

Well, it is a foggy Sunday here - or it is getting that way. There must be at least a foot and a half of snow and it has been single digits to low teens and we are not supposed to get some rain and it will be 40 tomorrow. I LOVE freezing rain. Hopefully I can get to the office tomorrow without any problems.

I spent some time looking at things for San Francisco and I think we will do Alcatraz on our own - http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/index.aspx and then do Muir Woods and Sausalito with DCL. I found a website that did tours but I have concerns about getting to the ferry building. http://www.sanfranshuttletours.com/ It makes it difficult to plan without knowing excursion times. I also want to do Walt's museum.

I think we will do the Zoo in San Diego but I will wait until DCL posts excursions before I do much with that.

Well, take care, have a good week everyone!

 

[4boons]

Just booked a room on the Queen Mary in Long Beach for the 2 nights before. We hope to get several nights at Grand Calif. villas after, but that will have to wait.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Gail I looked at the same site too and worked out it was a good way for us to get to Alcatraz (particularly as the kids are free as they are not yet five). I did say if we took them to Alcatraz and they got bored and whinged I'd leave them there.

Are you measuring temp in F or C? I can't work out, either would be cold but F would be shudderingly cold. I can't get over driving onto a lake, that's Documentary Channel stuff! Here it's mid summer and it's been windy the past couple of days but that hasn't stopped everyone heading out to the beach or out to parks. We have a regional holiday today and it's a nice slow way to spend a Monday before the kids start Kindergarten for the new academic year this week.

Bill - the Queen Mary looks a great place to stay before the cruise, I hope you get a room with all that terrific wood panelling. There is so much craftmanship onboard to look at. We are hoping to do a tour of the ship on the first day in America on the way down the coast. Give the kids some perspective on cruise ships and how travel has developed. At the moment all they can talk about is the C.Concordia and how the captain should have been looking where he was going and how DCL captains are the best in the world.

 

[glindamood]

Good morning (or afternoon, or day, or tomorrow maybe??)!

Raining here - supposed to get up into the 40's (always F, I should find a converter so I can post both) plus we still have the snow. That means the water has no where to go so it just sits on the roads. Later today it will get colder and we will have freezing rain and then snow again. I live here why???

The Queen Mary - how cool is that? I still think we will just try the GC when my 7 month window opens for the 22nd and be done with it. We fly home right after the cruise. I got my airfare last weekend and for giggles and grins took a look at the current pricing - each ticket went up $90! Pretty soon airfare is going to stop me from my favorite activity (cruising) as it is getting too pricy.

Enjoy!

 

[glindamood]

Just booked a room on the Queen Mary in Long Beach for the 2 nights before. We hope to get several nights at Grand Calif. villas after, but that will have to wait.

OK, so I took a look - mind if we join you for a little pre-cruise meet? That looks really interesting, and very nice as well. I might even be able to convince myself I am on a sea day! The price for Super Shuttle is no more from the airport to DL than it is to the QM.

 

[jetskigrl]

Hi Everyone, I hope it is OK to join the party I have had this cruise booked since Christmas but just decided to keep it for sure when I saw the that Wonder will indeed be leaving LA at the end of the year
And as an added bonus, I was playing around with the cruise on the DCL website (checking out available rooms) and notice the price has dropped for this cruise. My TA was able to rebook it for us at the cheaper price (woo hoo!).

This is going to be a second honeymoon (of sorts) for me and my DH. We haven't done a real vacation just the two of us since we got married 16 years ago. So we are leaving the kids with their grandma (DD will just be starting high school so I'm not willing to take her out for a week anyway) and DH and I will finally get to enjoy all the adult activities on the ship. Look out adult pool, tequila tastings, Palo, etc, here we come But don't feel too bad for my kids. As you can see by my signature line, they have plenty to look forward to

We live in So Cal (about 20 minutes from the port of LA) and are Disneyland AP'ers so if there are any details about the area I can help with, I would be glad to.

 

[glindamood]

Jetskigrl, glad to have you joining up with us. We are a small group but will have a grand time at that.

Nothing huge to report here. The dog went back to the vet today for another blood test (we just found out he has Addison's Disease) and he is doing great. He goes again in two weeks and then maybe not for 3 or 6 months! Not been an especially good year on several fronts but it is going to bet better, it just has to.

Foggy here, not too cold and we are supposed to get some ice pellets tonight (that would be hail wouldn't it?) so the drive to work tomorrow will be fun.

Take care and enjoy!

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Jetskigirl - welcome to the thread! Will it be your first long break without the kids? Seems there are a lot on the thread sailing without children this trip. I'll be the one hauling preschoolers around.

Wasn't it a complete shame that the Wonder is going 'round the other side' after it's done this season? I hope they let it stay for more than just Alaska in 2013, cuts our options down for future cruises as it is just so expensive to get over to the USA and LA and SF are our first entry points to the mainland. I was hoping they'd partially base the Wonder in Hawaii for island cruises.

I may pick your brains about So.Cal, we will be there for 15 nights before boarding the Wonder.

Gail - you measure in F and it's that cold at your place???? Crikey. Most of the houses here don't have double glazing, only a fireplace for a heat source for the whole house and we have some of the coldest inside temperatures in the OECD measures. The attitude is to 'harden up and stick another layer on'. Take our homes and put them in your town and people would die in the winter. *sigh* I loved living in Turkey where they had central heating and double glazing and I could walk around in shorts inside in -18C in the winter.

I looked up Addison's Disease as I'd never heard of it. Sounds a bit complicated but it seems to able to be treated with medication. Does you dog take the meds okay (our dog will eat anything wrapped in a bit of banana)?

Busy week here. It's Saturday morning and we are catching up after the start of the new school year and two days of 'Big Kid' Kindergarten sessions. Lovely to have an extra six hours to myself each week to clean up the bomb site that is our lounge. One of my boys decided to invite his favourite Kindy teacher on the Wonder with us! Bit of a cold snap here today, only 14C in the middle of summer - it was 25C a couple of days ago so we are wearing autumn clothes.

Does anyone know if I can bring bee products into the USA?

 

[jetskigrl]

Jetskigrl, glad to have you joining up with us. We are a small group but will have a grand time at that.

Nothing huge to report here. The dog went back to the vet today for another blood test (we just found out he has Addison's Disease) and he is doing great. He goes again in two weeks and then maybe not for 3 or 6 months! Not been an especially good year on several fronts but it is going to bet better, it just has to.

Foggy here, not too cold and we are supposed to get some ice pellets tonight (that would be hail wouldn't it?) so the drive to work tomorrow will be fun.

Take care and enjoy!

Thanks for the welcome I'm glad that your dog is doing good. I'm not familar with Addison's so I will have to look that one up.

Jetskigirl - welcome to the thread! Will it be your first long break without the kids? Seems there are a lot on the thread sailing without children this trip. I'll be the one hauling preschoolers around.

Wasn't it a complete shame that the Wonder is going 'round the other side' after it's done this season? I hope they let it stay for more than just Alaska in 2013, cuts our options down for future cruises as it is just so expensive to get over to the USA and LA and SF are our first entry points to the mainland. I was hoping they'd partially base the Wonder in Hawaii for island cruises.

I may pick your brains about So.Cal, we will be there for 15 nights before boarding the Wonder.

Gail - you measure in F and it's that cold at your place???? Crikey. Most of the houses here don't have double glazing, only a fireplace for a heat source for the whole house and we have some of the coldest inside temperatures in the OECD measures. The attitude is to 'harden up and stick another layer on'. Take our homes and put them in your town and people would die in the winter. *sigh* I loved living in Turkey where they had central heating and double glazing and I could walk around in shorts inside in -18C in the winter.

I looked up Addison's Disease as I'd never heard of it. Sounds a bit complicated but it seems to able to be treated with medication. Does you dog take the meds okay (our dog will eat anything wrapped in a bit of banana)?

Busy week here. It's Saturday morning and we are catching up after the start of the new school year and two days of 'Big Kid' Kindergarten sessions. Lovely to have an extra six hours to myself each week to clean up the bomb site that is our lounge. One of my boys decided to invite his favourite Kindy teacher on the Wonder with us! Bit of a cold snap here today, only 14C in the middle of summer - it was 25C a couple of days ago so we are wearing autumn clothes.

Does anyone know if I can bring bee products into the USA?

Thank you also Yes, this will be our first time being away from them for more than a weekend. We have done trips individually (for work, etc), but not both at the same time.

I am really sorry to see the Wonder go. We often go down to the port on Sunday afternoons to walk along the pier, let the kids ride their scooters, etc and just watch as she leaves for her next cruise. Even just standing on the pier I get goosebumps hearing the countdown and the horn play I'm still holding out hope that she will come back and stay here again after the Alaska cruises in 2013.

And sure, I would be happy to help with anything about So. Cal that I can.

 

[glindamood]

Temps - we do measure in Fahrenheit - lat weekend we got down to zero but it is 30 now so tolerable (I see no sense in single digits or lower, it can snow, those folks can be happy but I don't think we all need to freeze). That is all part of where we live so I have adjusted.

Walter and Addison's Disease meds - what he takes are drops and they must not taste to good. He doesn't hide under the table but lays down as flat as he can get on the floor. I have better luck getting them down that David does as I don't put up with the nonsense. No drops - no dinner. Must be I took my witch pills just fine .

Not much else to report, long week at the office so looking forward to some down time - and some cruise research. Did any of you book anything with the new announcements? My plan is for an eastbound PC next year - on the Wonder or on Celebrity so we shall see how that goes.

Take care and enjoy your weekend!

 

[meandmygirl]

I had forgotten about this thread. It is a cool, rainy day here today and I have a rare Saturday off work so have spent a lot of today googling and researching for our trip.

I am also looking forward to San Francisco. I have a list a mile long of all the things I want to see and do. Hopefully I can fit it all in. Mum has been to SF before but is looking forward to going back.

I am taking DD6 to Alcatraz - all part of the experience. I am not flying her all that way to leave her on the ship when she can be out and about experiencing new things. So whether she likes it or not, DD6 will be going everywhere I go.

We have a trip to NZ coming up next week. Once we are back from that it will be full steam ahead for booking and parting with lots of money.

BigDisneyOE - where are you staying in Anaheim? We are planning on Park Vue Inn before the cruise then 3 nights at Hojos before we fly home.

 

[amysings]

Wow! Excited to see some new folks on our cruise!!

Big Disney OE- don't worry, I'll have my kiddos there too- they'll be 4 and 6 and will totally be hanging in the Oceanears Club. When we went to Alaska, we left them there when DH and I explored Ketchikan, they loved it and we loved being able to explore without the constant "I'm tired, I'm hungry!" They might like Alcatraz, but there is a lot of walking involved, and the very first thing is a haul up a big hill although they do have a golf cart-like thing for those who need help. It is a great tour- I would recommend it.

We found that booking excursions ourselves saved us a TON of money. San Francisco has a great public transportation system, you can get anywhere by yourself!

Jetskigirl!- another local! How much fun to watch the boat sail on a Sunday afternoon. I'd be too tempted to stowaway- haha. We are AP's too, in fact we're heading there in about an hour to take the 5 year old on Star Tours for the first time. She has lately become a Star Wars FANATIC and she can't wait to ride it!

Have a great week- ya'll

 

[glindamood]

Good evening everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend and a good start to the new week. We sail 34 weeks from today so we should be at the show (late dining) about now (if my time was CA time that is, otherwise we are at the safety drill).

Didn't do much planning this weekend, airfare is done so there is lot of time but I did weed out 2 garbage bags of unwanted stuff from the bedroom and added to the pile of clothes that can be donated. I just need to keep at it and I have massively run out of steam. Sometimes I see those commercials on TV for that show about hoarding and I look around and sort of freak out. We have 32 years worth of stuff and it is time to get through it all. Not everything can be a treasure.

Take care!