Itchy&Scratchy

well, we are out of $600 in Southwest money since they changed our pre-cruise flight by 6 hours on the day of the cruise, and then the funds expired last July right before they extended the funds' expiration dates... I thought we had a year to use them, but apparently that year starts ticking from the day I bought the flights, not from the flight date.

we usually fly on Spirit, and bring two 40# 28" roller suitcases for the 3 of us (we check them in, don't forget to pay for the suitcases before you check in to save money), and 3 school sized backpacks with electronics, meds and things we cannot cruise without (1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of flipflops, 1 swim suit or trunks/rashguard, and 1 sun hat per each person, toothbrushes). We cruise for 7-10 days. Here is our packing list for a 7-10 day cruise: Passports, covid vaccine cards, wallet, credit card, cash, itinerary/flight printouts Masks Medications (stomach, echinacea, cough, ibuprofen, prescriptions, diarrhea, laxative, cold, thermometer, children’s meds, afrin) Lysol wipes SPF lotion and spray Swimming suits, trunks, rashguard, sunhats, beach bags Sunglasses Swim ring, floaties, vest, nose clip and goggles Water masks Sand toys Shoes: flip flops or crocs, sandals, sneakers (we wear these while traveling), proper, water shoes Charging cables, laptop, phones, tablet and tablet holder Truvia, thermos cup, water bottle, zip lock bags for snacks Shorts, underwear, pjs, t-shirts, pants, dinner clothes Toothbrushes, hair brush, cosmetics, always pads and tampons Gloves and tall socks for skating Water and heat on vacation, unplug everything, turn off computers, take out trash My parents manage to cruise with one 40# suitcase and 2 medium backpacks (also flying on Spirit with us) for the two of them. just so you know, you have to pay for checked luggage on pretty much all airlines now, except for Southwest. On Spirit you pay MORE for carry on luggage than you pay for CHECKED luggage, so it makes sense to pack everything into 2 large suitcases and bring FREE personal items (backpacks) as carryons. Since you are going on a 4 day cruise, you will need even less stuff than we do, and your kid doesn't need sand toys...

and by that I mean - I borrow them from the county library. 🙂

probably soon. I started hearing about bid acceptances for our TG cruise about 3 days ago.

it was a regular inside cabin for 4. There were others available, so I don't think there was any interest in that in terms of upgrades/bids.

yes, that was the minimum. 🙂 Chances do not, apparently, depend on the bid amount. Thank you!

wow, that's cheap! My minimum bid of $210 pp for a 10 day Thanksgiving cruise, from inside to Deluxe Obstructed balcony, was just accepted. Good luck!

I got it!!!!!! We are now in a Deluxe Obstructed balcony in a good location (we once were in a cabin right next door). Min bid of $210 pp.

ok, so right before lunch today I couldn't help myself and placed another bid (this time for a Deluxe obstructed balcony cabin)... I am really desperate for a balcony, but the balcony prices weren't acceptable a year ago when I booked nor are they now. Two hours later I got an email that my bid wasn't accepted. I checked, and they rejected my first bid for the Standard Obstructed Balcony. I am now holding my breath that, maybe, we may get the Deluxe balcony... Standard would have been my first choice because of the pullman bed we all want for DS and easier access to the balcony, but I personally just want ANY balcony.

I am not sure why Princess says it's an all new menu, when it's a truncated version of the 2019 TG menu on Regal. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2714579-regal-princess-mdr-dinner-menus-thanksgiving-week-2019/#comment-58888250

wonderful review, thank you! Can't wait to be on Enchanted in 3 weeks!

I now always bring my own books. And just in case we get stuck in quarantine, I also load up the tablet with e-books.

because it leaves us (the actual 3 people) with nothing to choose from. That sofa is the 3rd bed. There are few cabins that sleep 3...

we got an email about the same party on our Enchanted Thanksgiving cruise. So, yeah, it's rolling out! Let’s party in honor of The Real Love Boat launch Dear valued guest, If you love The Love Boat or the '80s, you've got another reason to love your cruise on Enchanted Princess®. We're celebrating the debut of the new TV show The Real Love Boat! That means themed activities, photo ops, merch and more. But we're telling you RIGHT NOW because you need to throw a few white-and-gold clothes that evoke the '80s into that suitcase you're packing so you can join the debut of our Love Boat Piazza Party. It takes place on the second formal night of your voyage - so dress to impress and enjoy the fun: live music from the pop band and dancing interactive game show hosted by your cruise director and Fortuna Luck special food & drinks, including the "Love Potion" cocktail

You may want to calm down. I only expressed my hope.

ours is so dang expensive, I hope there are no last second unvaxxed people on it.

which is identical to the old 2019 Thanksgiving menu we had on Regal... Except we also had seared sole and some kind of beef tenderloin that day in 2019...

my 11 yo was always sick with something in preschool and kindy. It got better in 1st grade. And it had nothing to do with the pandemic. Right now RSV, covid, flu, cold and strep are making their rounds...

oh, yum! And my DH will love Gnocchi. I think they were pumpkin flavored back in 2019. We always sail during Thanksgiving. 🙂 I do it to escape hostess duties. Yes, there will be lots of kids. Including mine. But he is very well behaved. I found my menu post from our Thanksgiving Cruise in 2019: looks more limited this year (Thanksgiving Dinner, that is)

I am so sorry for your loss...

super necessary if you are on an Alaska or European cruise, imho, but if you are just going to the beach in the Caribbean - nope. Mine gave up his stroller at 14 months, so I am no help. I'd, however, bring a stroller and NEXT instead of a dolly and Next. This combination will be a lot more versatile to use. A couple of good links: https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a10635/traveling_with_children photos of kids traveling in car seats (not in cars) - https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a6680085/traveling_with_children_photos and this is how we traveled with our no back booster: Harmony Juvenile (very close to Cosco Rise). If your 5 yo is over 40# and at least average height, you could look into Bubblebum. It's an inflatable booster which has a 40# min and does have a good seat belt fit on children over 40#. We didn't travel extensively, so a $13 Cosco Rise/Harmony Youth/Juvenile booster which doesn't deflate was a good option for us a couple of times a year. And t

you know it will. But by this time the cruise industry just wants to make money, so they don't care.

no, we usually use forward cabins, like E332. I hate aft balconies. The inside cabins for 3 are also all over the place, not just aft.

are you bringing a car seat for the 2 yo? if you are going to take taxis, I recommend Cosco Scenera NEXT as a rear facing only seat. For the 5 yo you could get away with using a no back booster like Cosco Rise or Harmony Juvenile.

come on. They are super-duper busy getting the special holiday menu ready for thousands of people, and you want them to cook something completely different by special request? What if the other, say, thousand passengers also have their special requests put in for that night?