We invite you, if you dare Summer plans 08/04 Day 25

[annmarieda]

Isnt life funny how you get the bad and good all combined? Sometimes it may be hard to see that good when you are dealing with the bad... but in your case.. the nice package and the booking of BCV are not hard to see. I do hope Tom feels better soon! Pain is not fun to deal with and I can't imagine that long plane ride with back pain. Have him get LOTS of rest!!!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Oh, Karin, how exciting!!!! A Dis Meet and Wishes Cruise - sounds like a dream come true!! Sooo happy for you all!! For many years, we would rent a pontoon boat every stay - we were usually at the Poly or CR. I miss those days and know what fun you will have (even better at ngt and seeing Wishes!)

The photos are fabulous - as always!

Ahh, the Cruise....part of me would love to try one, but the other part of me is terrified! I would want a cabin midship, where I understand there is less feel of the ship movement. Have the 2014 Cruise discounts already been released? Which Cruise are you doing that February? (Can't believe I am even asking...but it would be great to step out of my comfort zone!). (Rosie, it would definitely mean off site in December and lots of QS!)

ETA: So, I just spent about an hour reading about Disney Cruises on the Disney site and Mousesavers. I was just telling Rosie on our thread, that the Dream and Fantasy have deluxe inside staterooms with a fake window - which has a live feed of outside the ship! I am not sure if it would be too weird...but it is the most cost effective and the fake window would be kinda cool. Very few of those though and I wonder if they book up fast....just wonderin'...

I know I'm chiming in late, but I just have to say, you are so close to "pulling the trigger" just do it! DH gets motion sickness most of the time, but he has cruised 3 times and did just fine and loved it! The stabilizers are so good you don't even notice you're moving, and yes, midship is best. Take Meclazine instead of Dramamine before you get on, and again later that day - by the next day you have your sea legs and you can just take it every am and you'll be fine!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Wow! Some exciting news since I last checked in! BLT, DisMeets, fireworks cruise and BCV!!! I'm glad it is all coming together for you!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I know I'm chiming in late, but I just have to say, you are so close to "pulling the trigger" just do it! DH gets motion sickness most of the time, but he has cruised 3 times and did just fine and loved it! The stabilizers are so good you don't even notice you're moving, and yes, midship is best. Take Meclazine instead of Dramamine before you get on, and again later that day - by the next day you have your sea legs and you can just take it every am and you'll be fine!

Tammie, we are booked!!! We are going to cruise with Karin & Tom in Feb 2014!!

Thank you for the encouragement! I will look for Meclazine - is it a more natural option than Dramamine? That is what I am hoping to find.

 

[dizneeat]

What lovely lovely bright spots in an otherwise rough week!

You will LOVE BCV and you must check out the villa pool, I honestly like it better than SAB. So very very lovely.

What an incredibly sweet and thoughtful gift, lovely things for lovely people.

There has been lots going on last week, but getting that parcel and scoring on BCV made up for some though.
I didn't even know there was a villa pool, Cynthia, thanks for pointing it out for me - I really need to do my homework more carefully.
This is the second time we have received such a lovely gift from Ron (he is a server at the CG, that's how we got to know him) and I am blown away by his generousity.

Isnt life funny how you get the bad and good all combined? Sometimes it may be hard to see that good when you are dealing with the bad... but in your case.. the nice package and the booking of BCV are not hard to see. I do hope Tom feels better soon! Pain is not fun to deal with and I can't imagine that long plane ride with back pain. Have him get LOTS of rest!!!

You are right, very mixed feelings for us last week. I am just glad, Tom finally made it to the doctors as he usually just tries to live with it. But this time it seems to be even worse. So the prospect of sitting through a 10 hour plane ride was a scare thought too.
He's home now, taking it easy and we are positive that he will be better by the time we travel.

I know I'm chiming in late, but I just have to say, you are so close to "pulling the trigger" just do it! DH gets motion sickness most of the time, but he has cruised 3 times and did just fine and loved it! The stabilizers are so good you don't even notice you're moving, and yes, midship is best. Take Meclazine instead of Dramamine before you get on, and again later that day - by the next day you have your sea legs and you can just take it every am and you'll be fine!

They did book in the end, Tammy! We are cruising with them in February 2014! I already linked our reservations for dining, so this should be so much fun!

Wow! Some exciting news since I last checked in! BLT, DisMeets, fireworks cruise and BCV!!! I'm glad it is all coming together for you!

Yes, we had a few changes around here.
I was amazed that BLT came through, as amazed as I was to be scoring a Wishes fireworks cruise only 5 weeks out! And then to share the cruise with some DISfriends! This will be such an awesome event!
And scoring BCV last week was another happy event. Now I only have one more part of our vacation not covered - the last 5 nights at WDW. But my booking window is opening soon and then we will be all set!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 4, February 19

Castaway Cay Day

We will be up early today, as we will have ordered room service breakfast. So once we have showered we will wait for breakfast, which we will enjoy out on the veranda,

while the ship will dock at Castaway Cay.

Once we are cleared, we will then put on our wristbands and head down to disembark and enjoy our day at the island.

We won’t have to pick up towels, so we will head straight for the tram to the first stop. There we will have a good look around the shops and pick up any items we have set our heart on. Then we will hop on the tram out to Serenity Bay. Once there we will check in for our Cabana

and a Cabana host

will take us there and explain everything to us. After he has left we will make ourselves at home,

take pictures

and just sit out in the sun until the suntan lotion will be absorbed by the skin. And then it will be time to hit the ocean.
In February the water can be pretty chilly, but once your whole body is in the water it’s okay.

We will stay out there for a while, enjoying the ocean and watching out for shells and fish.

When we finally feel cold we will head back to the Cabana, take a freshwater shower, towel off and change our swim suits. Yip, there is even a changing room in there. I guess then it will be time for a nice drink and some snacks and fruit out of the fridge.

Around midday we will just walk along the beach to the barbeque station and enjoy a nice lunch.

After lunch our Cabana host will take us back to our Cabana and we will change into the hopefully dried off swim suits to head back into the ocean.

Another drink and another swim later

it will be time to say goodbye to our home for the day and ask our Cabana host to take us back to the DREAM.
After getting back and having showered we will head up to deck 11 and pick up a few snacks from the self service counters.

I guess, then it will be time to hand out some more Fish Extender goodies before we will either watch a show or have a pre dinner drink in one of the bars. Depending on our mood we will either head to the assigned dining room of the day for the pirate dinner, but I would much rather just order something from room service.
A little before the fireworks are about to start we will head to deck 12 to watch them

and after them we hopefully will make it to the Pirate night buffet at Cabanas (hence the room service dinner). Bellies full we will wobble back to our stateroom and sit outside on the veranda with a beverage for some time before we will go to bed.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Karin, what a lovely day! Is lunch on Castwaway Cay included or is that a separate cost? I was happy to read there will be a shop or two!

It is to know there will be a couple of shops and lunch for nonswimmers - Disney thinks of everything!

Very nice update - beautiful photos. Speaking of photos - does my avatar look familiar?

 

[jenseib]

I hope Tom gets to feeling better soon!

What an awesome gift. That is so nice of him.

 

[englishrose47]

First let me add that I too am hoping for Tom's injury to heal soon and not spoil his enjoyment of the cruise !! I would also like the link for the Nassau walk !!! Great news about the Resort change !!

 

[englishrose47]

Looking forward to my first day in Castaway Cay (Key) in May !!!!!I will take a dip in the oceon , or at least paddle a bit !!! The Free Trips are getting closer and I am getting calls from Patti about all sorts of things !!! She is still trying to get me to do a May Disney trip, but I am NOT giving up my cruise !!!!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Rosie, I thought our cruise was through P&P too?

Karin, please include me in the Nassau walk? TY!

 

[dizneeat]

Karin, what a lovely day! Is lunch on Castwaway Cay included or is that a separate cost? I was happy to read there will be a shop or two!

It is to know there will be a couple of shops and lunch for nonswimmers - Disney thinks of everything!

Very nice update - beautiful photos. Speaking of photos - does my avatar look familiar?

Yes, Christine, lunch is included in your cruise fare. We pay extra for the Cabana and the fruit, soft drinks and chips are included in the Cabana cost.
All YOU need to pay for on CC are soft drinks (apart from the barbecue stations), water and alcoholic drinks.

The shops on the island carry CC specific merchandise and are pretty small. But fun to browse.

Christine, Disney thinks of everything. There are LOADS of loungers and hammocks on CC and the water is VERY shallow, so wading is always an option.

I did notice your avatar! Looks VERY familiar!

I hope Tom gets to feeling better soon!

What an awesome gift. That is so nice of him.

Thanks for the well wishes, Jen! He does a lot better at home without having to push his mailcart around.

We were blown away by Ron's gift. It was VERY nice of him.

First let me add that I too am hoping for Tom's injury to heal soon and not spoil his enjoyment of the cruise !! I would also like the link for the Nassau walk !!! Great news about the Resort change !!

Thank you, Rosie!
I really hope it gets much better with the treatment and rest at home.
I sent you the link for the walk in a PM!
You know what's best about the BCV reservation, Rosie? We paid DVC in full and all we have to pay now are dues, so for this "smallish" amount of money we get to stay at OKW, BCV and "one more resort". This is the first year we fully get to "use" our points and just booking without actually having to hand over money feels great! :cloud9.

Looking forward to my first day in Castaway Cay (Key) in May !!!!!I will take a dip in the oceon , or at least paddle a bit !!! The Free Trips are getting closer and I am getting calls from Patti about all sorts of things !!! She is still trying to get me to do a May Disney trip, but I am NOT giving up my cruise !!!!

You got it right, Rosie, it is spelled Cay (pronounced key)! You are going to love it there - such a beautiful island. Disney did an awesome job creating an island paradise.
Before our first cruise we were very sceptical about it, but once we set foot on the island we were hooked - fell in love with it. I am sure you will have the same experience.

 

[dizneeat]

Rosie, I thought our cruise was through P&P too?

Karin, please include me in the Nassau walk? TY!

Christine, I sent you the link in an email!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Karin, how is Tom feeling today? Does he have something to take to help relieve the pain? Please give him our wishes for a quick recovery. I feel so bad for him.

Thank you for the link! I did check out the cabana rental - it is good we'd not likely get one anyway because I'd rather use the cost toward some cute things for Sophia.

Funny about the BBQ - that is what I want! Do we charge it to our onboard account or can we pay cash? I hope we are not overdoing the questions, Karin!!

 

[dizneeat]

Karin, how is Tom feeling today? Does he have something to take to help relieve the pain? Please give him our wishes for a quick recovery. I feel so bad for him.

Thank you for the link! I did check out the cabana rental - it is good we'd not likely get one anyway because I'd rather use the cost toward some cute things for Sophia.

Funny about the BBQ - that is what I want! Do we charge it to our onboard account or can we pay cash? I hope we are not overdoing the questions, Karin!!

Tom has a lot of rest and yes, he has some meds and needs to go to the doctors for some shots every day. He feels better today and I hope he is good as gold again at the end of next week.

I hope we will snatch another Cabana - it helps a lot with my sensitive eyes. Whenever we have had a Cabana, where I can get out of the sun for a while my eyes don't hurt as much.

Christine, the BBQ IS included in your cruise price - so no extra charge. Soft drinks are included there too!
Purchases at the stores will be charged to your onboard account. No cash while cruising!
Ask as many questions as you wish! If I can answer them I definitely will.

 

[eandesmom]

Tammie, we are booked!!! We are going to cruise with Karin & Tom in Feb 2014!!

Thank you for the encouragement! I will look for Meclazine - is it a more natural option than Dramamine? That is what I am hoping to find.

We used Bonine this last trip, one per day and chewable and they were fabulous! I usually get vertigo after a cruise and NADA this time. I am sold!

There has been lots going on last week, but getting that parcel and scoring on BCV made up for some though.
I didn't even know there was a villa pool, Cynthia, thanks for pointing it out for me - I really need to do my homework more carefully.
This is the second time we have received such a lovely gift from Ron (he is a server at the CG, that's how we got to know him) and I am blown away by his generousity.

As you head into the villa lobby, instead of turning right to the elevators, just keep going and you will hit the pool. It is lovely!!!!!!! One of my very favorite quiet pools so far. Not that I've tried them all by any stretch of the imagination but in the top 3 out of the 7 or so I've been at.

You are right, very mixed feelings for us last week. I am just glad, Tom finally made it to the doctors as he usually just tries to live with it. But this time it seems to be even worse. So the prospect of sitting through a 10 hour plane ride was a scare thought too.
He's home now, taking it easy and we are positive that he will be better by the time we travel.

I am keeping him in my prayers! I have very sensitive eyes too and pretty much wear sunglasses 24/7 if there is any kind of brightness, not just "sun", cloud glare can kill me too. Have you ever had any testing done for them? I'd always thought they were just sensitive but in reality it turns out that I have some other issues going on that are behind the sensitivity and now have a few extra tools that do help me. It will always be an issue but I'm at least able to manage it better.

 

[dizneeat]

We used Bonine this last trip, one per day and chewable and they were fabulous! I usually get vertigo after a cruise and NADA this time. I am sold!

As you head into the villa lobby, instead of turning right to the elevators, just keep going and you will hit the pool. It is lovely!!!!!!! One of my very favorite quiet pools so far. Not that I've tried them all by any stretch of the imagination but in the top 3 out of the 7 or so I've been at.

I am keeping him in my prayers! I have very sensitive eyes too and pretty much wear sunglasses 24/7 if there is any kind of brightness, not just "sun", cloud glare can kill me too. Have you ever had any testing done for them? I'd always thought they were just sensitive but in reality it turns out that I have some other issues going on that are behind the sensitivity and now have a few extra tools that do help me. It will always be an issue but I'm at least able to manage it better.

Cynthia, not that I have problems with seasickness, we sailed through a few hurricanes and while most people had to "say goodbye" to any food they had enjoyed previously, I was just overly hungry. But ...... and here goes, do you need a prescription for Bonine? Can you buy it in a drug store?
When I asked about something like that here, all they offered was travelgum.
We will definitely try the quiet pool! I just LOVE quiet pools. Good to know that there is an awesome one.
As for my eyes, yes I had them tested and it seems that my eyes don't produce enough tear fluid, so the bright sunline and reflections of the water, even with sunglasses give me pain. I do have some medicine, which I need to apply to my eyes daily and even more when exposed to extreme sunlight and it helps a lot - but having a Cabana to get out of the sun is such a relief too!

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia, not that I have problems with seasickness, we sailed through a few hurricanes and while most people had to "say goodbye" to any food they had enjoyed previously, I was just overly hungry. But ...... and here goes, do you need a prescription for Bonine? Can you buy it in a drug store?
When I asked about something like that here, all they offered was travelgum.

No, you don't need a prescription for it. They sell it at the drug store although here it doesn't seem to be as prevalent as dramamine. I ordered it either through drugstore.com or amazon, can't recall (probably amazon).

We will definitely try the quiet pool! I just LOVE quiet pools. Good to know that there is an awesome one.
As for my eyes, yes I had them tested and it seems that my eyes don't produce enough tear fluid, so the bright sunline and reflections of the water, even with sunglasses give me pain. I do have some medicine, which I need to apply to my eyes daily and even more when exposed to extreme sunlight and it helps a lot - but having a Cabana to get out of the sun is such a relief too!

I have the same thing, I don't actually produce tears at all and what I do is non-nutritive. I have Rx drops for 2x a day and then a couple of different kind of drops to provide immediate relief though I find that doesn't last long so don't really use them much though I probably should.

For me I find that wind causes tremendous issues, as does driving at night or in the rain, basically anything that causes my eyes to strain at all. I do wear Rx sunglasses which helps as I'm not straining to see and have extra large lenses to keep as much air out as possible. Too vain to go to goggles.

I don't know if you've ever tried a sleep mask at night but it can really help them to recover since it blocks the air out whereas when we sleep we don't close our lids 100%, as can a cold or warm compress for more immediate relief. I always joke that I look like Doris Day with the eye mask but it really does help, especially at certain times of the year. In bright sun like that I do tend to double dip these days with a hat and glasses and that aids a little as well. Flying kills my eyes, they usually take a couple of days to recover, they get very dried out in the cabin.

I feel your pain, literally! NO fun at all. For me it's become more a matter of how bad do they hurt, it is rare that they don't hurt at all.

Have you considered the plugs or looked into tear duct surgery? I'm apparently not a candidate but they have the dissolvable ones and then the more permanent ones and we have chatted about trying them just to see if they'd help, though my doc thinks they most likely won't given that the few tears I do make are non-nutritive.

 

[pas130]

It is SOOOO cold here too! I really need some sun and a Florida vacation. Thank god, there is one on the horizon in just three short weeks.



Your dates would work out WELL for us. We will arrive Aug 7 and stay until Aug 10 when we board the Disney Fantasy.
But end of August would work too ...... just keep these dates in mind Aug 24 - 28 so we overlap and can meet!



I am keeping my fingers crossed, Sophia will LOVE WDW, so you'll get your triip in August too!



Just keep the dates right, Jeanette! With end of August you might run into Labour day crowds.

Another change Lovin' it!!!! I was actually looking to change back to 23-29th at ahem...YC then we can head home for Labor Day fireworks

 

[englishrose47]

Karin I have never had motion sickness travelling and have faired well crossing the English Channel, 2 Whale Watches and of course my cruise 20 years ago. I did however experience Vertigo after the cruise , but not severe or long lasting !!I had NO idea that cruising could cause that but a friend told me and my doctor confirmed it !!! I am looking forward tothe shopping!! I am a little leery about thus charging to the ship account for when I go with P &P in May. Can you explain in detail how this works !!!!