Wonderful Panama Canal Sept 2014

[mmbl]

We're researching Cabo. Is anyone doing any excursions not with Disney? Anything you guys can recommend?

We have about 3.5 hrs there because of short time and tenders. Having lunch/brunch on beach , quick dip in Ocean and if time a quick site or two within walking distance of marina.

 

[robinleesa]

Hey Cruisin! I'm looking at your avatar, and it looks like a Scout merit badge! Are you into Scouting? I've been a Scout leader for 25 years – my son grew up, but I never did.

Richard

My girls are scouts. one earned silver award this past year. They will be working on Scout badges on board. So if you (or anyone else) wants to help them earn stuff, yeah!!

Robin H

 

[Cruisin]

My girls are scouts. one earned silver award this past year. They will be working on Scout badges on board. So if you (or anyone else) wants to help them earn stuff, yeah!!

Robin H

Sure, Robin. What can we help them with? Just let me know and we will help if we can.

 

[robinleesa]

Sure, Robin. What can we help them with? Just let me know and we will help if we can.

well, thanks!! we haven't planned too much out that far. probably a traveler badge!!

Robin

 

[Cruisin]

well, thanks!! we haven't planned too much out that far. probably a traveler badge!!

Robin

I don't know anything about the badge stuff, but I am from Canada. So, if there is anything that I could bring from here that might help be sure to let me know.

 

[MickeysMistress]

I've only ever been on the Fantasy (don't shoot me! I like 7 day+ cruises in the heat because I'm flying in from upstate/rainy WA), I don't know the older boats.

Where are you coming from in WA?

 

[robinleesa]

I don't know anything about the badge stuff, but I am from Canada. So, if there is anything that I could bring from here that might help be sure to let me know.

thanks! sometimes people have talents they share and we find the badge to match.

robin

 

[Cruisin]

thanks! sometimes people have talents they share and we find the badge to match.

robin

 

[kdeans1010]

We have about 3.5 hrs there because of short time and tenders. Having lunch/brunch on beach , quick dip in Ocean and if time a quick site or two within walking distance of marina.

I am going to talk to Em about going back to the original plan: putzing around port, not doing a whole lot. Is there a beach near that you can put your feet in for free?

Where are you coming from in WA?

My group is coming from Anacortes/Oak Harbor area. I live in the smack center of Anacortes's main area. But I'm from Rancho Cucamonga, California. That was the big appeal to this trip. I'm planning to come down for a couple days before the cruise, see my brother and sister in law, maybe see my uncle and cousin, maybe see a friend from college, then go to Cucamonga and get BEST FRIEND TIME (!!!!!)... oh and Miguel Juniors. I want Miguel Juniors soooo badly. If you aren't from the IE here's what's the scoop on Miguel's: they're are like a dozen locations in Ontario, Cucamonga, Corona, and Riverside this is where I grew up. Craving the hot sauce.

Where are you in WA?

To the people traveling solo: if you want to photo bomb my group... Or find us and I can take photos of you.

 

[mmbl]

I am going to talk to Em about going back to the original plan: putzing around port, not doing a whole lot. Is there a beach near that you can put your feet in for free? My group is coming from Anacortes/Oak Harbor area. I live in the smack center of Anacortes's main area. But I'm from Rancho Cucamonga, California. That was the big appeal to this trip. I'm planning to come down for a couple days before the cruise, see my brother and sister in law, maybe see my uncle and cousin, maybe see a friend from college, then go to Cucamonga and get BEST FRIEND TIME (!!!!!)... oh and Miguel Juniors. I want Miguel Juniors soooo badly. If you aren't from the IE here's what's the scoop on Miguel's: they're are like a dozen locations in Ontario, Cucamonga, Corona, and Riverside this is where I grew up. Craving the hot sauce. Where are you in WA? To the people traveling solo: if you want to photo bomb my group... Or find us and I can take photos of you.

We take the tenders into the marina and , if I read map and directions clearly, walk to bend of marina and just head left down to a main beach area. All beaches are open but you can rent chairs, umbrellas or buy drink/lunch and get them from the restaurants.
Here are the links that I copied. The Baja Beach Club (restaurant) got good reviews on Trip Advisor.

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Hello Fellow Cruise Mates! For our 15 year Anniversary my husband booked our first Disney Cruise! We are so incredibly excited. It will be my husband, my daughter and myself.

Looking forward to chatting with you all before and meeting you on the cruise. Any tips for us first timers would be great. We are also looking to sign up for the Fish Extenders. Is there a sign up for our sailing? Also, is there a FB group setup that I can join?

Welcome. For more info on group activities, FE, etc. go to page 1 of the thread. For FB, message Padalyn with your email address and she'll add you.
Tips for first-timers: bring motion sickness pills just in case! Check out the Cruise Critic boards and these as there may be entire threads for first timers. Notify your credit card companies of where you'll be so you don't find your cards blocked; get an international calling pkg and text pkg and data pkg to save money; make sure your phones are off or on airplane mode or you'll end up with a fortune spent on roaming and cellular at sea charges; look at DCL suggested packing lust and don't bring items that will be confiscated; don't forget to pack passports and leave a copy at home where they can be found if needed, we always make an extra copy and keep it separate from the original. Hope these help. I'm sure there are more, but I'm not quite awake yet! Happy sailing.

Do you mean that you make a photocopy of your passport to leave at home?

Anyone ever cruise alone? I am looking for tips (beyond how to take really good selfies) for the Panama Canal crossing!

I've never cruised alone. I'm not even sure that I would even attempt it So hats off to you for being adventurous on your own.

Hopefully finishing up our FEs tomorrow afternoon with Mothers help.

 

[mmbl]

Do you mean that you make a photocopy of your passport to leave at home? I've never cruised alone. I'm not even sure that I would even attempt it So hats off to you for being adventurous on your own. Hopefully finishing up our FEs tomorrow afternoon with Mothers help.

Re Passport: I leave a copy at home with one of my kids; I bring a photocopy and leave it in safe or separate from original if original is in safe AND I have them scanned into the computer and uploaded into both my email files and photos. It's over-kill but God forbid something happens, I will be able to access a copy immediately!

 

[bbkeough]

Im from Wa. State, cant wait for our cruise

to the cruise neighbors We are from Puyallup!!

 

[gregs4414]

I live in Spanaway.

 

[gregs4414]

I signed up for theFE GROUP but haven't heard anything, not even sure if they got it, im trying to get 10 posts to message padalyn

 

[gregs4414]

to the cruise neighbors We are from Puyallup!!

Wow what a small world, do you have kids traveling withyou,? I have a 13 yr old boy and 4 yr old girl

 

[padalyn]

Anyone ever cruise alone? I am looking for tips (beyond how to take really good selfies) for the Panama Canal crossing!

My last trip to Cabo I was cruising alone for that cruise (it was a B2B2B and this was the first cruise) What kind of info are you looking for? I found that photos were the hardest part - I just got used to asking folks to take my picture for me- got some good ones and some not so good ones!

======================
This is a general announcement/comment about WHY I am keeping the FB group secret. I have gotten a couple of comments via PM that it seems overprotective to keep the group secret.

The other FB group that I admin voted to decrease the secrecy - now we are having all kinds of trouble. Since we have links to the FE list which contains personal information on that page, the FE organizer has been spammed beyond belief with request for everything from medications to money requests. All the links have been removed, but the problems still persist. The FE list had to be redone, since the google doc was hacked and all the information was "stolen".

Folks emails have been hacked, and posts have been made on their accounts. I warned folks on the Dis that having the FB group private rather than secret group was risky, and the worst I dreamed of happened.

Because of that - this group will remain secret. I am sorry that some feel this is a problem, but there is a lot of personal information available to all of us via FB. Each of the lists provides the dates of travel, add to that our names and home towns and we are leaving ourselves wide open for thieves. I can go on and on - but the bottom line is, the secret group protects us all.

Cayla

 

[gregs4414]

Has anyone have any experience with shutters,? This is our first cruise with 11 of us going, and for 14 days I would love ALL THE PHOTOS. IS IT WORTH IT..?.
..

 

[padalyn]

Has anyone have any experience with shutters,? This is our first cruise with 11 of us going, and for 14 days I would love ALL THE PHOTOS. IS IT WORTH IT..?.
..

On the EBTA last year the cost of the CD was about 400.00. If you take EVERY photo op possible, it might be worth it. You can talk to them about this, but you might be able to "downgrade" the package if you decide you don't want all the photos. The best price is offered either before we board or that day.

The cost of the "all the photos" CD changes depending on the length of the cruise - we mistakenly thought it was one price and found out that it also varies from ship to ship! A 7 day Fantasy disk was as much as a 14 day Magic...go figure.

Does that help at all?

 

[gregs4414]

Whats so special about Palo? My husband thinks im crazy for wanting to spend money on food when all the food is free,,!,,,