Wed Mar 30, 2016 4-Night Castaway Cay, Nassau and Key West From Miami

[mcmommy77]

Kristimc, sounds like a plan! This is our third Disney Cruise, first one on the Wonder. I am so excited! Only 366 days to go!!

 

[KristiMc]

Kristimc, sounds like a plan! This is our third Disney Cruise, first one on the Wonder. I am so excited! Only 366 days to go!!

Oops - got you mixed up with the others. You know you will have a great time

 

[thebwit]

My family and I will be on this cruise! Looking forward to it.

 

[Solarvista]

This will be our family's 3rd cruise. DD will be 8 and DS will be almost 6. Our first 2 sailings were both on the Magic (Oct 2014 and upcoming Oct 2015) for Halloween on the High Seas. This will be our first time on the Wonder. Any veteran cruisers, who have been on both boats, have some comparisons to share?

 

[shanie17]

Hi! I'm going to be on the cruise and it will be my families 3rd cruise... We have been on the Wonder and the Magic. Is there a fish extender group for this cruise?

Shannon

 

[Alexanders]

We are just signing up! Looking forward to crushing with everyone. Will will have one extra this go around as my niece is joining us. Her and my daughter are both 12. Does anyone know if this group is going to do Fish Extendors as the kids really love participating. See everyone soon, James

 

[maliniscruise]

Hi everyone!! We will be in this cruise and our first time. We have 3 kids-14G, 12B and 7B..I'm curious about fish extender.. Is anyone doing it??

 

[maliniscruise]

Hi everyone!! We will be in this cruise and our first time. We have 3 kids-14G, 12B and 7B..I'm curious about fish extender.. Is anyone doing it?? And how is this work?

 

[maliniscruise]

Hi all! This will be our third Disney Cruise, first on the Wonder and first out of Miami. We have three families total in our party! I am so excited this has worked out!! It's my husband and I, our two kids (ds-15 and dd-12), my brother in law, his wife and kids, and my MIL and FIL- all on deck 5.
Looks like we all are somewhat near each other. We are in Maryland!
The flight schedule and prices will determine what day we arrive in Miami. Right now, we just have to play the waiting game....

Hi there, do u know if the kids will be doing or joining fish extender?

 

[maliniscruise]

Hi! I'm going to be on the cruise and it will be my families 3rd cruise... We have been on the Wonder and the Magic. Is there a fish extender group for this cruise?

Shannon

Hi, did u find a fish extender group here?

 

[Murphoid Mouse]

Woops! Decided to book a different cruise, sorry.

 

[Leslie Hamilton]

We are just signing up! Looking forward to crushing with everyone. Will will have one extra this go around as my niece is joining us. Her and my daughter are both 12. Does anyone know if this group is going to do Fish Extendors as the kids really love participating. See everyone soon, James

I haven't seen anything about fish extenders either - are we looking in the right place?

 

[Murphoid Mouse]

I think this would be the right place. If want to do fish extenders too lets do it!

 

[Stacey R]

Hi everyone, this will be our first Disney Cruise. We have a 6yr old daughter and wanted to see if there is a fish extender group?

 

[Leslie Hamilton]

I think this would be the right place. If want to do fish extenders too lets do it!

ha ok! what do we do?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi everyone, this will be our first Disney Cruise. We have a 6yr old daughter and wanted to see if there is a fish extender group?

ha ok! what do we do?

For your information, I've written a little "how to" for Fish Extender groups:
Setting up FE group

There's really no "rules" as to how a FE program runs. Basically someone maintains the list of those who wish to participate. The group can decide on what information is necessary to produce FE gifts. A basic list may only have DISname/room number/number of people in the room. A more involved list could be first & last names/ages/room number/favorite character/favorite color/allergies/whatever is deemed necessary to know. Also a decision can be made as to size of FE. Some groups break out the list(s) at 10-15 rooms max, so that there are multiple lists (and some people will participate in more than one list). Other groups just make one big list (upwards of 20-30 rooms).

At some point the list will "close". Typically this happens 30-45 days out from the cruise, so that everyone participating has time to organize/prepare their gifts. Shortly before this time (about 2-3 weeks prior) the organizer will either post the list (usually via a conversation is best, as that's more private), or directly on the Cruise Meet thread, to confirm everyone on it is still participating. It’s important to make a statement about "anyone not confirming by XX date will be dropped" at this time. A little harsh, yes, but often there are people who will post on the cruise meet thread as soon as the reserve the cruise and say “I want to participate”, and are never heard from again.

Once the list closes, the organizer will post the final list. Also, a decision must be made as to whether to allow late additions. Sometimes there is a "pixie dust" list. That is, basically, a latecomers list that gets posted about a week out from the cruise that others may or may not add to their "final" list. Be sure the "pixie dust" list participants realize they may or may not get gifts from others.

The other "biggie" is no other social media sites are allowed to be linked or search directions posted as to how find that other site here on DISboards.


As it seems there are a few here on your cruise meet thread who would be interested in doing this, who’s going to step up and volunteer to maintain the list?

 

[Deb T.]

Hi Everyone! We just booked this cruise last night. It will be our 16th Disney cruise! We've been on all four ships and love them all! Just like Murphoid Mouse, it will be just DH and me this time.

I've organized many Fish Extender exchanges and would be more than happy to set one up for this cruise, too. I'll post more about it tonight.

Looking forward to this cruise! See you onboard!

 

[Leslie Hamilton]

Hi Everyone! We just booked this cruise last night. It will be our 16th Disney cruise! We've been on all four ships and love them all! Just like Murphoid Mouse, it will be just DH and me this time.

I've organized many Fish Extender exchanges and would be more than happy to set one up for this cruise, too. I'll post more about it tonight.

Looking forward to this cruise! See you onboard!

Yes! Thank you so much for volunteering! Looking forward to hearing more.

 

[Deb T.]

Hello Fellow Cruisers!

I’m really excited to see so much interest in starting a Fish Extender Exchange on our cruise! For anyone who's new to the Fish Extender Exchange, here's my best explanation:

Beside every cabin door is a large silver fish (or starfish, or seahorse) with an indentation in the back for cruise personnel to leave information, invitations, etc. DISboarders have taken the silver fish one step further... by creating hanging pockets (much like cloth letter holders) to hang from the fish - thus the name, "Fish Extender". Fish Extenders (FEs) can be made of practically anything (cloth, plastic, paper gift bags, etc.), as long as they have at least one pocket that can hold surprises. My first FE was just a medium-sized canvas bag purchased from a local craft store. A Google Image search of “fish extenders” will show dozens of unique styles!

Each "Cruise Meets" thread organizes their own little gift exchange. Some exchanges are set up with a lot of requirements, but I like to make it as easy and fun as possible. I always leave it up to the giver to decide what to give and when to pass it out during the cruise. Some people decide to give one surprise per family, some people like to give a little gift to each person in the cabin.

There are several DIS Boards threads that discuss ideas for FE gifts. Some gifts are from Dollar Stores, some are handmade, and some are bought in bulk from websites that sell trinkets like the Oriental Trading Company. Often, they are stickers, candy, glow sticks, lanyards, luggage tags, magnets, mugs, frames, etc., with themes such as pirates, beach, cruise, tropical, hometown, holiday, etc. The main idea is just to have fun finding little goodies in your FE throughout the cruise. Kids LOVE running back to their cabin to see if anything's been left in their FE. As an adult, I have to admit that I really love it, too!!!

I want everyone to feel comfortable with the number of cabins you’ll be exchanging with. I’ve participated in exchanges that had only 4 cabins participating on a 3-night cruise, all the way up to over 80 participating cabins on the longer cruises! Currently, it looks like there are at least 7 families who want to join the fun. I expect that number to grow a little. So, since this is a shorter cruise, I’ll break it down to either 10 in your FE group, 20 in your FE group, or “Sky’s the Limit” for those of us who believe the more the merrier!

The deadline to join this Fish Extender Exchange will be Saturday, March 12, to give everyone nearly two weeks to get their gifts prepared and packed. I will send all participants a Private Message (PM) through the DIS Boards on Sunday, March 13, with your FE group information. You'll need to print that final list of participants and pack it with your gifts so you'll know where to deliver them once you're onboard the ship.

To join the FE Exchange, please send me (Deb T.) a “Private Message” with the following information:
*Your Cabin Number
*Names of everyone in your cabin
*Ages of children
*Any allergy considerations
*The size of the FE group you want to be in: “No more than 10,” “No more than 20,” or “Sky’s the Limit.”

To send me a “Private Message”, click on my name (Deb T.) in the little box on the top left
Click on “Start a Conversation”
Enter a “Conversation Title”
Under the row of icons, type your message
To send, Click “Start a Conversation” under your message
(FYI: If you are new to the DIS Boards, you will need to have made at least ten posts on DIS Forums before you can send a Private Message.)


Can't wait for our cruise!!!!

 

[Leslie Hamilton]

Hello Fellow Cruisers!

I’m really excited to see so much interest in starting a Fish Extender Exchange on our cruise! For anyone who's new to the Fish Extender Exchange, here's my best explanation:

Beside every cabin door is a large silver fish (or starfish, or seahorse) with an indentation in the back for cruise personnel to leave information, invitations, etc. DISboarders have taken the silver fish one step further... by creating hanging pockets (much like cloth letter holders) to hang from the fish - thus the name, "Fish Extender". Fish Extenders (FEs) can be made of practically anything (cloth, plastic, paper gift bags, etc.), as long as they have at least one pocket that can hold surprises. My first FE was just a medium-sized canvas bag purchased from a local craft store. A Google Image search of “fish extenders” will show dozens of unique styles!

Each "Cruise Meets" thread organizes their own little gift exchange. Some exchanges are set up with a lot of requirements, but I like to make it as easy and fun as possible. I always leave it up to the giver to decide what to give and when to pass it out during the cruise. Some people decide to give one surprise per family, some people like to give a little gift to each person in the cabin.

There are several DIS Boards threads that discuss ideas for FE gifts. Some gifts are from Dollar Stores, some are handmade, and some are bought in bulk from websites that sell trinkets like the Oriental Trading Company. Often, they are stickers, candy, glow sticks, lanyards, luggage tags, magnets, mugs, frames, etc., with themes such as pirates, beach, cruise, tropical, hometown, holiday, etc. The main idea is just to have fun finding little goodies in your FE throughout the cruise. Kids LOVE running back to their cabin to see if anything's been left in their FE. As an adult, I have to admit that I really love it, too!!!

I want everyone to feel comfortable with the number of cabins you’ll be exchanging with. I’ve participated in exchanges that had only 4 cabins participating on a 3-night cruise, all the way up to over 80 participating cabins on the longer cruises! Currently, it looks like there are at least 7 families who want to join the fun. I expect that number to grow a little. So, since this is a shorter cruise, I’ll break it down to either 10 in your FE group, 20 in your FE group, or “Sky’s the Limit” for those of us who believe the more the merrier!

The deadline to join this Fish Extender Exchange will be Saturday, March 12, to give everyone nearly two weeks to get their gifts prepared and packed. I will send all participants a Private Message (PM) through the DIS Boards on Sunday, March 13, with your FE group information. You'll need to print that final list of participants and pack it with your gifts so you'll know where to deliver them once you're onboard the ship.

To join the FE Exchange, please send me (Deb T.) a “Private Message” with the following information:
*Your Cabin Number
*Names of everyone in your cabin
*Ages of children
*Any allergy considerations
*The size of the FE group you want to be in: “No more than 10,” “No more than 20,” or “Sky’s the Limit.”

To send me a “Private Message”, click on my name (Deb T.) in the little box on the top left
Click on “Start a Conversation”
Enter a “Conversation Title”
Under the row of icons, type your message
To send, Click “Start a Conversation” under your message
(FYI: If you are new to the DIS Boards, you will need to have made at least ten posts on DIS Forums before you can send a Private Message.)


Can't wait for our cruise!!!!

Thank you! I need to post more so I can msg you ha