May 4th,06, who's with us???Disney Wonder

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Howdy everyone,

Just booked a last minute cruise on May 4, the Disney Wonder and I am looking for anyone who might be sailing with us.

If your coming with us, drop me a line and introduce yourself.

 

We are sailing as a couple this trip, no kids or grandkids, just us.

This will be DCL cruise #11 for us.

 

Let me know if your coming too.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

Kathy

[Maryandi]

Hi-we have been booked for a year and it's almost here.

 

We are a family of 9 -3 generations and all rarin' to go.!

 

From Palm Beach County, FL

 

MaryAnn:)

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Howdy MaryAnn,

It was great to hear from you!! 3 generations all together, that's awesome!!!

Is this your first crusise with DCL?

I have found a few people on other sites going with us, we are all going to meet at 3:00 P.M. on the first day at the Promenade lounge, your welcome to bring the entire gang and meet us in person.

So far only 4 families are coming, so I would sure like to have you come to, the more the better it is. We usually only take 15 minutes, just long enough to place a face with a name. It is fun to meet and then we run into each other around the ship for the cruise. It is great to have someone to chat with and see what their experiences have been each day.

I can hardly wait, this will be #11 for us and we only booked last week. A nice surprise from my husband. I made a door sign for our door and we have matching pirate shirts to wear on pirate night. I am all set!!

I am looking forward to hearing from you,

mom x4,grandma x4

Kathy

[pppiglet]

Lucky you! I don't know how I would be able to do it last minute! Have a great trip!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Thanks pppiglet,

I have been ready in as little as 2 days before. I have done this so many times that I have it down to a science now!!!

My old bones move really fast if it means I get to go on a cruise!!

I'll let you know how it goes,

mom x4,grandma x4

[Maryandi]

This is our first on Disney but about 20 all together. Still get just as excited no matter how many !

 

I'll be there if at all possible-3pm Promenade Lounge !

 

'Sea' ya soon, MaryAnn

 

PS We're staying overnight at Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach - anyone else ?

[mom x4,grandma x4]

We are close enough to drive to the port that day. Only a little over an hour away.

You are smart to come the day ahead of time. You will be rested and ready to go that day. That's the best way to start a vacation.

have you cruised RCCL? I would like to know what you think of them. We are thinking about taking our oldest daughter and her family on RCCL in 2007. Both her kids will be teenagers by then. They have doen DCL twice and loved it, just thought they might like something new to try.

mom x4,grandma x4

[Maryandi]

Haven't been in awhile (6yrs) but they have great -sounding ships and amenities. I'd go for it - in fact, in '07, I think we will.! After we go on the ones we have reserved, this Disney cruise and a 56 day Grand Med. & Africa in Mar. '07.

 

'sea' ya soon, MaryAnn

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi Mary ann,

wow,

You have some awesome cruising coming up in 07!!

I hope you give us a trip report when you get back!!

We are 96% sure we will do one 7 day on RCCL in 07, our daughter and grandkids would like to try it too.

we just spent the day at Epcot. They have their flwer and garden festival happening the next7 weeks. We love the "oldie" rock n roll concerts they have. The flowers are gorgeous!!!

Less than 2 weeks!!

We are suppose to fill out our documents tonight too!

My door sign is ready to go and this week I will look for a new blouse and I will be all set.

I watched the Wonder pull out on the web cam tonight, it really made me wish we were on it!!

we also have been watching movies from past cruises on the Magic and the Wonder. That really gets me excited!!!

see you soon,

Kathy

[Maryandi]

Mom - we are really looking forward to the 'big' trip - a first to Europe & Africa for me.

 

No one can make things always fresh & new like Disney does, we have been going since it opened !

 

What time do they let us on the ship ?- we'll be there from the night before but the rest of the family will be coming up in the morning.

 

TTYL, M.A.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi,

The terminal opens around 10. The reason I say around is there have been a few times it was closer to 10:30 beofre theyopened, but officially it is 10:00 a.m.

Check in is quick. They wont start the boarding process until 11:45 to noon, depending on when the ship has lunch ready to serve and the cleaning crews are off the decks. They will usher you to lunch as soon as you get on board. You can go to Parrot Cay restaurant or go up on deck 9 for the buffet. sometimes they try to get you to go to the restaurant because not as many people go there, but just say we want the buffet on dekc 9 and you will be ok to gwt onthe elevator to go, unless you want the restaurant. We prefer the buffet becasue we can sit inside, outside or by the pools and really get into the cruising mood!!! Kids often wear their swim suits under their clothes and zip off the lcothes and div eright in while others are eating too. You are allowed to go to your rooms at 1:30. The cleaning staff needs that long to get all the rooms ready.

For the first couple of hours they will give out boarding pass numbers so you wont have to stand in line to board the ship. after that first two hours the crowds are gone so you can walk right on without it.

If you arrive early like we do they have lots of seats, and small TV's playing cartoons or animated movies for the kids to keep them entertained. Plus there is a observation deck to go out on to see the ship while you wait. Also there is a kid sclub check in desk although you can register them on line now just before you cruise.

mom x4,gramdma x4

[Maryandi]

Thanks for the info. I want the buffet and get there when it opens. My cruise starts when 1 foot is onboard !! I don't care when it sails !!:)

 

We still have the 3pm meeting , lifeboat drill, too. Then sailaway ought to be fun.

 

The docs just arrived for the whole family and I'll check them now.

 

TTYL, M.A.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hey,

I forgot to tell you, keep your camera handy when in the terminal. Characters will appear for pictures on and of while your waiting. Also there is a model of the ship there that is opened so you can look in from the side to see where everything is. This makes for a nice keepsake picture too.

 

3 in the promenade is still on. Plenty of time before the 4 p.m. safety drill to have a quick chat.

 

It feels good to get your docs doesnt it!! It make it seem more real, you really are about to cruise!!

Talk with you soon,

Kathy

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Maryann,

One week, 7 days !!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!

 

We are on the final count down now,

 

It's almost party time!!!!!

no cooking

no cleaning

no washing dishes

no making the bed every day

 

Plus we will be cruisin with Captain Mickey and first mate Goofy and his first officer Donald.

see ya soon,

Kathy

[Miscoehill]

To: Mom4xgrandma4x...you've been alot of cruises. So I'm looking for some help. We are a family of 4 (two teens) and I'm wondering if the teens will like a Disney cruise? We've never cruised before, but have done Disney the past 5 years, six times! Yes, we love WDW. Is Disney the right cruise and will it be worth it ($$) for the teens?

 

Feel free, anyone, to give me some help. Thanks to all and hope you all have a super time on your upcoming cruise!

 

Laurie from Mass.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi Lauire,

It depends on the teen. I dont know your teens personalities, but i will tell you what I know and hopefully that will help.

We have taken a teenage grandaughter with us a couple of times.

She loved it!! She also loved WDW.

The teens do have their own club, called the Stack. No adults or pre teens allowed. They like that idea. They can check in and out as they please. The first day i know is the most important time for the teens to attend, even if they decide not to go back, because the counselors have some great games that the kids play to get aquainted. That is kind of a must for the kids to make friends to hang out with for the rest of the cruise. That is important for teens. Usually the older teens seem to hang together and the younger hang out together after the first night. it seems to be a natural thing for them.

The club has pizza parties, movies, hot tub and late night swims, karoake, vidoe games and music. A lot of the teens get together for lunch and dinner on their own too. But many parents want the teens with the families at dinner. If it wernt for that, we would never of seen our grand daughter the entire 7 days both times!!!

There are teen only excursions a few places too . The one on CC is really great. It has snorkeling, kayaking, bike riding and of course the teens have their own beach with volleyball nets. They like to hang out a tthe grouper game room too.Pool and Foos ball seem to be the favorites there.

Ana went on a different cruise site and found the cruise meets thread for our cruise and posted for any teens on our cruise to contact her, so they could get aquainted before the cruise. She loved this.i ttook 3 weeks before she got her first answer, but she made 3 friends whom she made arrangements to meet on board the first day. They used the private messaging board to communicate so they had their privacy. Another must for a teen. Anyway she met the 3 and by day 2 theyhad grown to 15 and stayed together for the rest of the cruise and still write often.

Of course they went to the late movies on board too. Free pizza and burgers by the pool was a popular stop for all of them too.

so, Yes I believe a teen can have a greattime on DCL. The Stack isnt themed Mickey mouse either, it is all done in a teen theme. They have an open house in the afternoon. So you can see the stack too.

They have a family night club called studio sea where all the family can do fun things together and lots of teens go together in there to do things too. If this sounds like something your kids would like, then maybe DCL would be for them. I fnot I have heard the RCCL has a good teen program, but I know nothing about it. We are thinking about trying a cruise with RCCL in 2007, so I will check it out then.

If you have a specific question about the teen club, ask me ans I iwll try to ask my grandaughter, if I can catch her at home. She lives 3500 miles away, but she loves to help people with their questions too, so please feel free to ask away.

mom x4,grandma x4

[Miscoehill]

Thank you Momx4....for all the info. I'm sure my 13 yr (DD) will love it, the 16 (DS) doesn't really care..he'll do anything. As long as we don't miss football or baseball season! LOL Now I just have to convince DH because of the price of the cruise! Have you done a 4 day cruise with Disney?

Thanks,

laurie

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Yes, we have done 3 4 day cruises and a few 3 day ones, 2 -7 day eastern one 7 day western too!

On May 4th we are doing a 3 day, 9/23 another Western and on 11/25 another eastern. So I have done them all a few times.

I love them all, but I like the 7 day best, just because they are longer and have more ports. If you have any other questions please ask i will be more than happy to try to answer them for you. I dont know it all, but I do know a fair amount. we have cruised with ages from 18 months to 14 years of age for kids and up to 51 with adults. So not much we havnt experienced one way or another.

We live about an hours drive from WDW and so we go almost every weekend. We have annual passes. Our youngest son works at guest relations too, so we know a lot about WDW too and what we dont know we can ask him and he always seems to know.

Only 6 days and we are cruising again, i cant wait!!! it is great living near the port. When ever hubby can get an extra day off, we can try to hop on the ship fpr a 3 day cruise. Sometimes for last minutes cruises DCL will give a florida resident discount which makes it affordable!!

Please let meknow if I can help with other questions,

Kathy

[Maryandi]

Hey, Kathy - I'm ready, too.:D But the grands are beyond ready !! So excited!!! I'm just looking forward to watching them.

 

Sea' ya soon and thanks for all your advise, M.A.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

I cant believe it, tomarrow is May 1st. We are almost there!!!!

WOO HOO!!!

 

Yesterday we painted stencils of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy on our pool deck. They look really nice and they really brighten up the area nicely.

That made us think even more about the cruise.

 

I am all ready to go, 2 people on our cruise have already left this weekend for Florida to spend a few days at WDW. We were going to zip over but were too tired after everything we did this weekend. Too much to write, but we old people are POOPED!!! must save up energy for the cruise. there I always have energy.

 

I'm happy to hear your entire family is ready to go, it is so much more fun when we have lots of excited people around!!!

 

See you VERY SOON!!

Kathy

[Miscoehill]

Kathy,

 

Have you found one time of year to be better than another? We're torn about taking the kids out of school. It's either January (only missing 2 days) or going April school vacation. We can stay a little longer in FLA after the cruise. I'm wondering if January will be swimming weather at CC? Also, what excursions do u do at Nassau?

Thanks for all info!

Laurie

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi Laurie,

Both months have advantages and disadvantages.

 

January, we love because it is usually warm but no too hot, no humidity and if you go the first week the price is lower than other months and the ship is still decorated for Christmas, which I love to see. We have had it warm enough to swim at CC twice and not hot enough a couple of times too. That is just the luck of the draw on that time of the year. You just dont know for sure until you get there.

 

April, it is a lot hotter. usually 80 to 85, some humidity , but not too much yet. Neither month is too rainy yet. June is usually when the rainy season starts. There is always a breeze. I'm sure the water will be warm enough to swim for sure on CC.

If your really into swimming activities, I would go in April for the best chance of warmer water.

Nassau will be nice either month, in January we were close to 80 on all our trips. The average temperartures in the Bahamas only varies about 10 degrees all year around, just summer is more humid so it feels hotter, just like florida.

Nassau has several fun things to do. Some people talk bad about it, but we like it there. The port may look a little run down in some areas, but dont let that stop you from going on the island and having an awesome time.

I dont know your likes and dislikes, so I will tell you what we have done and how we liked it.

Sunshine glass bottom boat, NO! Boat was dirty, it bounced around really bad, so easy to get queasy, although we didint. Step narrow stairs to get below to see things. Saw very few fish, one sand dollar and lots of sand. That was it. Kids younger than 5 had to be held up so they could see over the wall protecting the glass . That was hard for parents to do and to navigate the stairs. Didint get to see the ship wreck, to windy they said. Safety first, which I DO believe in. I have read posts from about 20 different families since we went and they had the same experiences as we did.

Paradise island , Atlantis tour, excellant aquarium.

I dont care too much for aquariums, but this one was very good. Lots to see, floor to ceiling windows for good easy vision It does move quickly and outside has a few stairs, so if you have a stroller, use and umbrella type so you can easily fold it up, for this part of the tour.

After the tour you can go back at your own pace to see the aquarium. Just keep the wrist bands on to prove you paid admission. You can do this a smany times as you want.

Pirate museum, walking distance from the ship. A large purple building , located 2 blocks behind the straw market. $12 per person. This was a very good museum. Saw several kids there and they seemed to be having a great time. The pirate who greets you out front is a HOOT!!! Watch your valuables!!! The first little bit of the museum is dark, but as soon as you walk past the water front setting it will be all lit up. Just in case you have a child who doesnt like the dark. I do recommend this place.

allow an hour to see this place.

Horse and carriage ride by the port. $10 per person about 20 to 25 minutes long. You ride through downtown Nassau, past the shops. Driver narrates, but with the noise of the traffic you cant hear him very well. But still it's a fun way to spend a few minutes, doing something fun, that you wouldnt normally get to do. Tips optional.

2 hour historical city tour

excellant tour, saw lots of historical places. 2 forts, queen anne's staircase etc... Young kids may be bored as you do drive in a van quite a bit, but it is a great fun, educational tour. You see some nice tourist areas and hotels along the way. There are a few vendors at each place too. Not too pushy like at the straw market. although we love to shop at the straw market too. It is a neat cultural experience and you can barter for some great prices. Late afternoon is best time to get the best buys since most people have returned to the ships and they want to make that last sale.

 

Others I know said the beaches are nice, but we have never done that, we always figured we would have a beach day at CC so we choose to see the city some. There are plenty of shops all on one street too for shopping if you want.

Hope this helps some. I will be there the end of this week, so if anything new is happening I will post and let you know.

Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions and I will try to help if I can.

kathy

[mom x4,grandma x4]

2 days, only 2 days!!!!!

 

YAHOO!!!!

 

I am so ready to cruise this week!!!

 

see you soon,

mom x4,grandma x4

[mom x4,grandma x4]

1 day

Hi MaryAnne.

 

one day left!!

I'm so ready to go!!

 

My husband found out he has a morning meeting tomarrow but we will still be on board by 1 p.m.. We are usually one of the first to arrive, but not this time. I dont mind, i will just pace back and forth and wear a hole in my new carpet.

I have been teasing my husband since he surprised me with this last minute trip, because yesterday he told me he found a new truck to buy and he wanted my ok on it!!! I knew there was an alterior motive behind it!!! Ha! Ha! We had talked about getting one the first of the year, so not a total surprise. Of course I tried to weasel a couple more cruises out of him before I agreed to it. Ha! Ha! Didnt work, but I will keep trying.

 

See you tomarrow, boy that sounds good!! Tomarrow!!

 

kathy

[luv2vacation12]

Hello momx4, grandma x4

 

I have another question for you. I got my booklet from DCL today, but it did not have luggage tags in it. Does Disney send out tags in advance or do we get them at the pier?

 

thanks

patrick