Come Join The Valor Voyagers 6/12/05 Western Caribbean

[Marcys]

While we were out on a walk today, I informed my DH of the cruise plans, I mean the excursions, he knows we're taking a cruise!!;) I figured I had a captive audience for 30 minutes. He likes the idea of the 20 platform zipline in Roatan, followed by the beach with lunch. I told him about cave tubing in Belize (minus the snakes, botflies, and almost missed ships) and he said, fine. Parasailing and waverunners are OK in Grand Cayman, with finding a nice restaurant on the water for lunch. He suggested Paradise Beach for Cozumel...I guess he had a good time there last year. (By the way, Tom's having a baby...did you see the ultrasound picture someone posted? We can have a baby shower! We met him last year, he comes around and introduces himself and chats...ladies...he's very handsome:rolleyes: ) DH thought the all day dune buggy ride might be too tiring considering the night we have planned!!:D Would consider snuba if the family wants that at Chankanaab.

[Snowball]

Marcy - I don't know exactly how many people we have signed up. I am going to e-mail Kevin within the next week or so and ask him to give me an updated list of everyone that is booked with the official group. I haven't kept track of everyone on our roll call that booked on their own, so I have no idea what our total number will be. Hopefully everyone that has joined in the roll call here will come to our meet & greet onboard. It is always so nice to meet everyone in person after chatting for so many months as we wait for this cruise to get here.

Kim - I forgot that you were doing the 1pm stingray excursion with Soto's too. I am so excited about taking that excursion! :D


Here are my plans for each port:

Belize - Cave tubing with Wet N' Wild
Roatan - Tabyana Beach (ship excursion)
Grand Cayman - Stingrays with Soto's
Cozumel - Paradise Beach and Carlos N' Charlies


[b]Are we almost there yet? :p [/b]

[Marcys]

Check out this upbeat western review of Valor: [url="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=156644"]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=156644[/url]

Just found this one, sounds good but poster didn't have much fun! [url="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=156766"]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=156766[/url]

Back to work.....ughhhhh!:(

[emarismom]

Hello all,


I just wanted to check in and say hi as I have been away for a while. I see some of you have plans for all the ports, in GC we are doing the stingrays with Soto's and in Belize the cave tubing. I'm still working on Cozumel and Roatan. I thought I'd have time to figure it out last week as I was off from work. I didn't get to spend ten minutes on the computer. Ever notice how you work more when your off from work than when you go:confused:

I'm very sad to say that I did go shopping this week and I did try on bathing suits:(. I have to lose before the cruise!!! Very depressing.

Michelle

[Snowball]

Thanks for the review links Marcy!!! Just think - the next round of reviews will be for the cruise after daylight savings time goes into effect, so hopefully we'll finally know how the ship is going to handle the time differences at each port.

Michelle - good luck with your diet. My weight has been at a standstill for the past 2 weeks and I haven't really been doing anything different. I guess I've reached my first plateau - now I just have to figure out how to get off of it. :o

[VOLEYMOM]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We had a very nice one but this week has turned out to be not so great. My grandmother is now in the hospital and I really feel she will not be able to come home. I am fortunate to have had my grandparents for so long when you consider my age. It will be very hard on my grandfather as they have been married for 72 years, so much stress for everyone. It really makes you appreciate everything when you think about how things change so quickly.
Haven't called about Roatan yet but will really try and get it done soon. Just think it will be easier to do everything through your person Marcy. It sounds like we will have enough people for the tour. Really can't believe that our cruise is coming up pretty soon. My weight has really been at a standstill. Whenever I stress I just eat! Wish I could get out of that habit.
Take care everyone.
Rebecca

[parisolivia]

Hi everyone, I am having second thoughts about the cave tubing:( I have read the different posts about snakes in the water and the man that got bit by a pit viper. I am scared to death of snakes and if one would come near me I probably would jump on someones head. I also read about the 6 ft. snake that fell from a tree, right in front of a lady, walking to the cafe. We already booked our cave tubing tour. What do you all think? What tour are you all going on that needs more people to sign up, I am not sure if I read it right. Rebecca I know what you are going through, I had my grandmother for 57 years, and she was like a mother to me. I will be thinking of you and saying some prayers for you and your grandparents. Are ther any plans for you all to go to Carlos and Charlies together? Well, how about those diets, mine is not going all that great. What kind of dieting are you all doing. Well since I have on slept 2 hours, I better get going and try to get myself awake. :eek:

[lhall85917]

I've been reading about the snakes too and I'm not too fond of the little critters. However, I'm not going to let it keep me from this excursion. Out of the 100's (1,000's?) of people that have done this, there are very few stories of any problems of any kind. I'm sure you can find stories of people being hurt on the beach by some kind of sea creature or of someone being mugged while in a foreign port. It's certainly the exception, but these are the stories that stick in your mind. We'll definitely get bug spray with Deet to protect oursels and listen carefully to our guides (we are going to be in the jungle) and we will have FUN!!! :D
Rebecca, our thoughts will be with you as you are with your grandmother, I'm sure its very difficult.
Today is the last day of beautiful weather during our spring break - tomorrow we go back to rain and colder temps - possibly snow showers Friday night. :eek:

[Snowball]

Connie - I agree with Sharon about the cave tubing. Out of the hundreds of people just from these boards that have taken that excursion, there have been very few that have had any serious problems (such as snake sightings :eek: ). The odds are greatly in our favor that everything will be fine, in fact most people that take this tour rave about it. The one thing I am apprehensive about are the bugs (since they love me already), so I will also be bringing along bug spray with DEET for both Belize and Roatan.

Rebecca - I am sorry to hear of your grandmother's illness. I lost my grandmother six years ago, and there are still times when I wish she were there for me to talk to, but I cherish the memories of the times that we shared while I was lucky enough to have her around.

[Marcys]

Well...it hit a high of 74 today! Absolutely beautiful! I was driving with the roof open!

My 16 year old, 10th grade, daughter just got accepted to a teen leadership program (focus is on social activism) this summer at George Washington University in Washington D.C. It starts on June 26. So we have just enough time to get home from the cruise, do laundry, get some sleep, and repack to drive her to Washington D.C. I'd like to go a day or two early since I haven't been there in ages. It would be a nice mother-daughter outing before she's away for 3 weeks. I'll probably let her fly home on a nonstop flight. Ouch, did I really say that??:eek:

Rebecca, my thoughts are with you and your grandmother!

Sharon, are you also the designated bug sprayer?? :D Where are you packing all those hats????????? :D Seriously, I'm not letting the bugs and snakes bother me (although that botfly stuff was gross!). A few years ago, my son got bit by a snake on the first day of summer vacation right on the road in front of our house. (We live in a Cleveland suburb, not the backwoods!!) He bent over to pet a cat, and the cat must have been tormenting the snake, who bit my son! So, even if you stay home!!

[lhall85917]

I will definitely take on the role of designated bug sprayer AND suntan lotion provider! :p I'm planning on stocking up soon! I will NOT be the designated bacon applier and watcher for botflies - NOT IT!!! :eek:

[Marcys]

I'll apply the bacon...you do the tweezer thing!:eek:

[lhall85917]

oh no! Aren't you our resident nurse? Sounds like some good nursing skills would be required! I'll pass on the tweezers - thanks anyway!

[Marcys]

I was never very good in creepy, crawly class...I failed that part of nursing!! I'm a city girl!

Since they probably don't have raw bacon at the buffet, do you think that sushi might work??:rolleyes:

[lhall85917]

hmmmmm, sounds good to me. Now we just need to find someone to do the dirty work!

[Snowball]

Where's Gabby? This would be good nursing training for her. :p


Just imagine the packing lists we'll have: sunblock, bug spray, raw bacon...... :D

Marcy - congratulations on your daughter's acceptance into the teen leadership program!! You must be so proud of her!!

I just found out today that my daughter was accepted into the dance program she applied for at one of our city's high schools. Her dream is to become a professional dancer/choreographer - plus the school has a high academic standard too, in case the dance thing doesn't work out.

[lhall85917]

Yay! A good news day for lots of us!! :D The sun is out, the weather is warming up, the kids are doing great, the cruise is getting closer all the time...Life is good! :D
Congratulations to all the girls!

[Marcys]

Debbie, is this a fine arts school? Like a magnet school? Tell your daughter congrats!! My daughter is a figure skater and thought for awhile she wanted to be a choreographger, too, but she doesn't have enough of a dance background.

My son (13) told me a friend of his e-mailed him pics of Glory...he said it looked awesome and blew Explorer of the seas away! So, he gave his approval of Valor! (as if he had a say!) From the mouth of a 13 year old...and they know EVERYTHING!

[Snowball]

The school my daughter was accepted to is a magnet school that has an extensive arts program - it is not the school of creative and performing arts. It is a magnet school which means that students from anywhere in the city are eligible to apply there, unlike the majority of schools in the city where you have to live within the school's area to be eligible for enrollment.

It's great to hear that your son was so impressed with the Glory pics!! Isn't it great when the kids are as excited about the cruise as we are? :D

[Cybearsfan72]

On the cave tubing.. All I have heard is that there are a lot of bugs.. I mean a lot of bugs.. But I heard that exploring the caves is pretty interesting and fun...

To reintroduce myself.. My fiancee (22) and myself (22) are getting married june 11, and crusing june 12!!!

Our excursion plan is as follows so far:
Cozumel: Deep Sea fishing on small charter, 6-8 people. Then going to beach and carlos and charlies (heard it is crazy!!). We will probably check out senor frogs too since it is at our boats port.. We will take a taxi to carlos? What are you guys doing for transportation since C and C's is on princess's port?

Any recommendations on a beach for cozumel?

Belize: We are going snorkeling. I forget which tour off hand.. I heard that belize's snorkeling is the best of all the islands.

Isla Rota: We are going horse back riding on the beach and jungle.

I am pretty excited for this cruise.. I have heard only good things, and some bad things about service (due to newness of boat/staff.)

-talk to you later,
adam

[Snowball]

Hey Adam! Good to see you here again!

Does anyone know how much a taxi ride from the ship to Carlos N Charlies will cost? I doubt that it is more than a couple of bucks per person and we can always share cabs to keep the cost low. Unless everyone wants to go to Senor Frogs instead, if it is within walking distance of the ship. What does everyone think??? I've never been to either of them before, so I have no idea if one is better than the other.

[Snowball]

Hi everyone!!! My daughter got her braces off today, so she is on cloud nine and smiling non-stop!!! :)

I got an e-mail this week from someone that wanted to join the group. Our group space is all sold out, and the best price that Kevin could get for them was $1495 for a balcony cabin!!! Thank goodness we locked in our group prices when we did. :eek:

[Marcys]

Wow!! That's a big price jump! Pays to book early!

I can remember how happy my daugher was when she got her braces off! Your daughter must be thrilled!

70 again here today!! Just maybe spring is finally here!

[parisolivia]

:D :D Done some shopping today. I got 100% deet bug spray and some 40% deet bug spray, did not know which one I might need. Got some snorkeling equipment for my DH and me. Bought some water shoes, new hat for me, some insulated mugs and a few other doctoring stuff. I did not tell my DH because he thinks I am nuts for wanting to pack all this stuff and where are we going to put it. I guess I will go on the cave tubing and take my chances with snakes, but I tell you this, if I see one I will be on top of someones head. :eek: Congratulations to all your daughters. How are you all doing?

[Corl4]

Hi everyone!

Congrats to the girls!! I miss those days when DD was getting involved in everything...DS is a great student but isn't interested in being involved in stuff at school! He didn't even go out for the baseball team after playing for the last 7 years! Oh well...the difference between boys and girls!!

Rebecca - Hope your grandmother is doing better. My GM will be 91 next month and before falling and breaking her hip in August she was always on the go. That break seemed to send her health and her spirit on a downward spiral and we continue to worry about her. My thoughts are with you....

Which pier do we dock at in Coz? We've always docked right downtown at Punta Lagosta which is right across from C&C...by the way, Senor Frogs is directly above C&C unless there is another one somewhere else. DD had more fun at Senor Frogs...younger college crowd. I guess she thougt it was too weird hanging out with the "rents" in a bar!

My parents will be sailing on the Glory at the end of this month so I can't wait to hear their reviews. We wanted them to sail with us on the Valor but June is not a good time for dad..he's director of admissions at a college and they have their open houses every weekend that month!

Looks like it's going to be a wet weekend here in PA...hope the weather's better where you are!

Beth