September 30, 2012 - "To San Francisco and Beyond"

[Kribar]

This is great, thank you!

Another tip I read that I think is great? One of those plastic hanging shoe bags for the back of your cabin door. Will hold so many extra things!

 

[Meganyvemarie]

Another tip I read that I think is great? One of those plastic hanging shoe bags for the back of your cabin door. Will hold so many extra things!

I've heard this too! Its so smart! Does anyone have any other tips? Like mickey bars and milk and cookies from room service even though there not on the menu yummy!

 

[silversae]

No docs here yet...but then we are driving to the port as we live in So. Calif.

Weird that they send you your luggage tags, most cruise lines let you print them yourself when you do your on-line check-in. We are taking our own onboard so not too concerned about tags and , right, they do have them at the dock.

I wasn't aware you COULD bring your luggage onboard yourself (and this is like my 8th disney cruise )

I wasn't sure if they'd have them at the dock, as it's not canaveral. Either way I think that my docs were attempted to be delivered yesterday - which means either disney or my TA have screwed up since i always get them sent to work since there's rarely anyone at my place to sign for the package. ah well... c'est la vie. Just frustrating since we're nowhere near the fed ex pick up place and don't have a car to drive out there.

 

[BinkYABT]

Anyone heard if there's a possibility to visit the Pixar Studios, which is just across the bay in Emmeryville?

 

[stsomewhere]

The luggage that you are planning on carrying on must be able to fit through the xray machine at port.

 

[Exskygoddess]

My DH is bringing his tux for formal night too.

Yup, have done this at the port in San Pedro many times....carry on our own luggage...and it DOES have to fit through the x-ray machines....but ours does, no problem. We discovered this when we were invited to the Inaugural of the Mariner of the Seas when it first came to LA and RCI had no one doing baggage handling for that short trip. We were doing the Inaugural and then the first 7 dayer....so had 9 days worth of luggage to handle on our own. Have done it in San Pedro ever since, altho' they want to tell you to check it...we remain steadfast.

Mar~

 

[silversae]

[SIZE="3
Yup, have done this at the port in San Pedro many times....carry on our own luggage...and it DOES have to fit through the x-ray machines....but ours does, no problem. We discovered this when we were invited to the Inaugural of the Mariner of the Seas when it first came to LA and RCI had no one doing baggage handling for that short trip. We were doing the Inaugural and then the first 7 dayer....so had 9 days worth of luggage to handle on our own. Have done it in San Pedro ever since, altho' they want to tell you to check it...we remain steadfast.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

That's cool. We travel light enough that we could likely do this as well. Good to know for other cruises though just in case

 

[wenuwish]

Anyone heard if there's a possibility to visit the Pixar Studios, which is just across the bay in Emmeryville?

Only if you know someone who works there, they don't open to the public. Even then it depends on how busy they are, when I was in SF for my graduation they were in crunch time for Brave and only a very small group who had had Pixar animators for mentors were able to get in.

You are able to stand outside those famous gates and take a picture though, and you can always visit http://www.fentonscreamery.com/ which is the ice cream shop from Up.

Tours of ILM work the same way, you have to know someone who works there, however, apparently if you let the security guy know you're there to see the Yoda fountain you can get to the lobby and see a few Star Wars things they have there.

 

[Belle1997]

We dress for formal. My hubby got a tax at a second hand shop a few years ago. I have a long dress.

For business he wears a suit and I have a nice black dress. We never dress up so this is fun for us. Also we make sure to get a nice photo of us dressed up.

Though many people tend not to do formal. You will see many in just regular clothes though a little dressier. So if you do not have the items do not stress.

 

[Meganyvemarie]

After posting about not having cruise documents a few days ago guess what arrived in the mailbox today! Every new thing gets me more excited 2 weeks until we leave NZ!

 

[LiseG]

No docs here yet...but then we are driving to the port as we live in So. Calif.

Weird that they send you your luggage tags, most cruise lines let you print them yourself when you do your on-line check-in. We are taking our own onboard so not too concerned about tags and , right, they do have them at the dock.

I wasn't aware you COULD bring your luggage onboard yourself (and this is like my 8th disney cruise )

We've carried our bags off before... I really shouldn't re-pack so late

It actually worked out pretty well. A little akward dealing with bags and breakfast, but we bypassed the rows of bags and went straight to the customs agent. I don't think it really saved much time as the baggage are very well organized when you disembark. I wouldn't recommend draggin' a lot of bags, but if you don't put one out on time don't let it stress you either.

 

[silversae]

We've carried our bags off before... I really shouldn't re-pack so late

Oh I have no issues carrying bags OFF the boat - we actually do that all the time because I don't like feeling rushed on the last night since given our second seating dinner, sometimes it's easier to have them out before dinner or 90% packed so you can run back and throw dinner clothes into them.

It's the carrying them ON that I didn't know you could do

 

[MickeyFan23]

Hey guys, I know I'm late to the party but we just booked. It's going to be me, Justin, and my friend Susie. This will be Susie's first Disney cruise experience and my second, we took a western Caribbean on the Fantasy in June. We are both from southern California and go to Disneyland almost every week. Been reading all the post and I am so excited. Hopefully we can meet up with you guys at some point. We LOVE to pin trading, anyone else on here traders ? Also I read that some of you are coming in early and hitting up DL, that Friday before our cruise is the first Mickeys not so Scary Halloween Party. We're going to this event and would love to meet up with any fellow cruisers. Can't wait to here from you guys, only 16 days left

 

[adnil530]

Another tip I read that I think is great? One of those plastic hanging shoe bags for the back of your cabin door. Will hold so many extra things!

I've heard this too! Its so smart! Does anyone have any other tips? Like mickey bars and milk and cookies from room service even though there not on the menu yummy!

I love my over the door shoe holder. Mine is made of all cloth and the pockets are netted. You can find similar ones at Big Lots for less than $10. A small investment to keep things well organized. I keep all kinds of things in there from sun glasses to first aid kit, sewing kit, sun screen...everything is close at hand and easy to find. We keep it on our door at home too!

Speaking of room service...we bring plenty of $1 bills so we can easily tip the room service waiters. We normally do $2 for the first item and $1 for each item ordered thereafter.

Hey guys, I know I'm late to the party but we just booked. It's going to be me, Justin, and my friend Susie. This will be Susie's first Disney cruise experience and my second, we took a western Caribbean on the Fantasy in June. We are both from southern California and go to Disneyland almost every week. Been reading all the post and I am so excited. Hopefully we can meet up with you guys at some point. We LOVE to pin trading, anyone else on here traders ? Also I read that some of you are coming in early and hitting up DL, that Friday before our cruise is the first Mickeys not so Scary Halloween Party. We're going to this event and would love to meet up with any fellow cruisers. Can't wait to here from you guys, only 16 days left

Welcome aboard Justin and Susie! I like pin trading also. Haven't done much of it lately but there is usually opportunities on board to trade. You will find some of the staff will have lanyards and then there is usually an officers pin trading event one night. Sometimes at Bingo, they do drawings for some of the pins also. In other words, you should bring some pins for trading. What do you collect in the pin trading world? I do Mickey ears and heads, body parts. I also do Haunted Mansion. We won't be going to MNSSHP this year though Our DL trip will be in November.

I'm sure someone here might be going to MNSSHP the Friday night piror to the cruise. There is also Meet and Greet...Promenade Lounge: 3:00 pm...09/30/2012 to meet your fellow cruisers. Hope to meet you there

Linda

 

[Exskygoddess]

Oh I have no issues carrying bags OFF the boat - we actually do that all the time because I don't like feeling rushed on the last night since given our second seating dinner, sometimes it's easier to have them out before dinner or 90% packed so you can run back and throw dinner clothes into them.

It's the carrying them ON that I didn't know you could do

SilverSae....I can see we think alike.....we don't put our baggage out at the end, and we do take them off ourselves for that very reason...I like to wear something nice for
2nd seating dinner on the last night and don't want to rush back to pack it...also take our time in the AM of disembarkation since we live locally.

On embarkation we like to get on when cabins are available(12:30 to 1pm) and just put everything in the cabin and hang our stuff we keep on hangers...then go to lunch and come back and unpack the rest so by sailaway we are organized and all unpacked.

About taking the luggage on...they will tell you that you can check the bigger bags, but we always stand our ground and say how many times we have done it before. Plus we know some of the terminal folks that work there and they kinda know what we do by now. If it fits through the xray scanners, it is no problem.

My itinerary says that we depart at 4pm so I am assuming the Boat drill will be prior to that....not much time for a meet and greet if you have to go to the Muster Drill at say...3:30.
We will likely be unpacking...but will try to make it.

 

[MickeyFan23]

Welcome aboard Justin and Susie! I like pin trading also. Haven't done much of it lately but there is usually opportunities on board to trade. You will find some of the staff will have lanyards and then there is usually an officers pin trading event one night. Sometimes at Bingo, they do drawings for some of the pins also. In other words, you should bring some pins for trading. What do you collect in the pin trading world? I do Mickey ears and heads, body parts. I also do Haunted Mansion. We won't be going to MNSSHP this year though Our DL trip will be in November.

I'm sure someone here might be going to MNSSHP the Friday night piror to the cruise. There is also Meet and Greet...Promenade Lounge: 3:00 pm...09/30/2012 to meet your fellow cruisers. Hope to meet you there

Linda

Thanks, I am for sure bringing a lot of pins on board... My favorite is Mickey and Haunted Mansion too, hopefully we will get some good ones on board. I went to a pin release a few months ago and saw a special pin for these cruises.

I also hope some people make it to MNSSHP with Susie and I, counts us in for the meet up at 3 we have a one o'clock boarding so we should be able to make there.

 

[Meganyvemarie]

My itinerary says that we depart at 4pm so I am assuming the Boat drill will be prior to that....not much time for a meet and greet if you have to go to the Muster Drill at say...3:30.
We will likely be unpacking...but will try to make it.

The all aboard time is 4pm but we wont set sail until at least 4.30 (When the Sail away deck party is scheduled) This means that Disney wont to the boat drill until everyone is on the boat (4pm). I think there will be enough time at the meet up because you don't have to wear life jackets for the boat drill anymore so we can go straight from the promenade lounge of need be. Hope this helps

 

[SDDisneyFamily]

Hi I am the DD Nicole and my son just asked me to do some pin trading on this cruise I would love to chat with you guys more about how this works

 

[Hollywood Glitter]

Since there has been so much talk about luggage recently I thought you might like to see what happens before your luggage reaches your stateroom

 

[Disney-ite]

Hey guys, I know I'm late to the party but we just booked. It's going to be me, Justin, and my friend Susie. This will be Susie's first Disney cruise experience and my second, we took a western Caribbean on the Fantasy in June. We are both from southern California and go to Disneyland almost every week. Been reading all the post and I am so excited. Hopefully we can meet up with you guys at some point. We LOVE to pin trading, anyone else on here traders ? Also I read that some of you are coming in early and hitting up DL, that Friday before our cruise is the first Mickeys not so Scary Halloween Party. We're going to this event and would love to meet up with any fellow cruisers. Can't wait to here from you guys, only 16 days left

Welcome to the cruise thread! Looking forward to meeting you and Susie at the "meet and greet"

I have pin traded at Disneyland and WDW in the past but have not done much pin trading in the last couple of years. I do attend the officers pin trading night on the ship...in the past they have had quite a few hidden Mickey pins and a few I had never seen. I plan to bring a some pins with me in case I see some I would like to trade for.