Me again........

[Disneycruiser#1]

You all have been so helpful to us. Well we finally received news (80% accurate) that the deploying training will have started Labor Day so the 9/4 CP is out :( and my DH told me this in the car where I did not have access to the internet BUT the CP does have a 8/28 sailing the eastern route I want so as long as we get the go ahead for leave it is good choice BUT here is my question. I mentioned last night I LOVE to cruise. I cruise about 4 to 5 times a year even at 35. My sons who are 3 and 6 have already been on 4 cruises with the 5th in the fall on the Magic again with my parents and me so they love it too :) BUT since this is a vacation for my husband before he deploys to Iraq for 7 plus months and suppose to be couple time with out our sons I have to let him "decide" of course I can suggest but I do want him to have fun and relax and while in Iraq be able to go to his happy place and be ok remembering our last trip and us of course.

 

So, I have narrowed down the choices for him based on the info from Trip Advisor and price. We have been to Mexico several times and due to the deployment we are taking our boys to Playa del Carmen for a week at the end of July for family time so Mexico's out and I am tired of Grand Cayman and Cozumel ports too.

 

So the choices I have to give him are:

 

CP eastern 8/28/04 will it be overun with children? I have a quote on a balcony category BB is that good?

 

Jamaica:

San Souci Resort and Spa Ocho Rios adults only all inclusive

Couples Negril adults only all inclusive

Riu Tropical Bay children allowed all inclusive

all the resorts are "suppose to be 5 star"

 

Anyone have any thoughts or opinions?

 

Thanks again!

[srphnx]

I am prejudiced towards cruises to begin with but HATED Jamaica the two times I have been there, they would have to pay ME to go. Clear vote for the cruise. Thankyou and yours for the service to our country.

[ahracer]

I don't think the 8/28 sailing will be overcrowded with kids. Some of the school systems are already in back to school by then and others are starrting the next week which is a busy time for parents. I'm sure there will be kids but not as many as July.

 

Scott

[Disneycruiser#1]

Here in the Carolina's my oldest son will start Kindergarten the August 3rd but in San Diego where we recently transferred from they do not start until late August...............anyone else talk my dh out of the land/air trip.

[GloriaF]

because I think it will be the most relaxing and memorable.

 

I haven't been to Negril in nearly 20 years, but the "hagglers" and drug dealers were everywhere then. Walking on the beach, you would be approached to buy psychedilic mushrooms, hash hish, etc. I know that as long as you remain on the resort grounds you will be protected, but that seems awfully confining. And reviews from cruise pax stopping in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios have reported the same thing today.

 

Nothing beats cruising!!

[Disneycruiser#1]

Also, specific's where did you go in Jamaica and why did you not like it, thanks!

[GloriaF]

We had a rental car in Negril, and could not go anywhere without being accosted by young boys to "watch the car". If you didn't pay them, they damaged it themselves. Also in town, constantly asking you to buy something. And the rental car company charged a $500 security deposit because we were taking it to Negril, a drug area (which we were not aware of). It's been 20 years, so maybe it's changed, but I doubt it.

[sue d. miller]

I would always pick a cruise over a land vacation. On land you are not surrounded by ocean, and your hotel does not take you to different ports, or give you so many choices to dine or choose entertainment, or have a huge built in kid zone. Cp has a movie under the stars, 24/7 freshwater pools and hot tubs, an adult pool that faces aft, and service and pampering That you don't get at a resort, and 24/7 food. What is not to like?? :D

[StephenJohnson]

Well, we've done both - Sandals Royal for our honeymoon, bunch o'cruises since. Both will be fine choices, so I wouldn't sweat it too much - if lots of water sports (Scuba, snorkel, etc.) is really important to you, I'd give the edge to the land package, but if you're more interested in seeing a bunch of places, nighttime shows, etc. I'd say go for the cruise.

 

Hope it works out well for you!

[cynbar]

I would definitely pick the cruise. You'll all get to spend time together but also time apart -- the kids' program can happily occupy the children for part of each day and evening, so you and your husband will have plenty of time alone together while the kids are happily playing. I also hear that a lot of parents work out their dinner schedule --- at least some of the time --- so they feed the kids first at the buffet or grill, then take them to the kids' program and have a romantic dinner alone. Have you seen the thread about the private dinner served on your balcony???? Anyway, sounds like the best of both worlds to me!!

[ahracer]

I just got an email frorm Princess offering $699 balconies on the 8/28 sailing. You aren't going to beat that for value.

 

Scott

[sue d. miller]

Those won't last long!!! :(

[tadjr]

I did Ocho Rios about 2 years ago and can now say "I've done Jamaica". We were at the "beach" there and were joined under the pavilion by 3 or 4 guys who wanted to sell us beer, lotion, etc. I did not have a good time and would not go back unless there were no other option. Just my personal opinion.

[srphnx]

I just got an email frorm Princess offering $699 balconies on the 8/28 sailing. You aren't going to beat that for value.

 

Scott

What is up with that?... I don't get spit from Princess, no magazine, no emails nuthin, I do BOOK 5 a year but I guess that doesn't count.

[isujim]

I just got an e-mail (not from Princess) for the 9/4 sailing on the Caribbean Princess at $754pp for a balcony stateroom.

 

I have though gotten e-mails from Princess with special offers from time to time and we don't have our first cruise with Princess until November 6th!!!

 

Based on your choices I would go with cruise first and Jamacia last on anything. If I go there again on a cruise, I won't get off the ship...... but we have had some wonderful land vacations as well in Puerto Vallarta Mexico that I would do again for a change of pace.

 

Good luck in your decision...........but I would go cruise.

 

Jim

[ahracer]

What is up with that?... I don't get spit from Princess, no magazine, no emails nuthin, I do BOOK 5 a year but I guess that doesn't count.

 

I don't understand how the system works. My wife has got 2 emails this week with specials. I haven't gotten one since March. I don't think we have ever both received the same special.

 

Scott

[sue d. miller]

I get them all the time. Dick doesn't get any!!! Maybe they think the Girls make all the decisions!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!! :D

[Nice Boat]

If you and your husband decide on the 8/28 CP cruise, there's a roll call thread for the 8/28 itinerary so please join us on the thread.

[LARGIN]

hmm Me too.. my wife gets them and I don't.. Wondering if they are trying to tell me something? :confused:

[Beryl]

I'm not sure if you are planning on taking your children on your cruise or not. I just wanted to encourage you to do so. Your kid's Daddy is going to be away from them for a looooooong time too. Seven months will probably seem longer to them than it does to you. Do you remember how long it took between Christmas vacations when you were 6 years old!! As the "aged" wife of a retired military pilot I urge you to spend all the family time together that you can find! Your little ones will be grown and gone all too soon!! I pray that God will keep your husband and your family safe while you are apart. God Bless you all.

[Disneycruiser#1]

Thanks Beryl but I have also been at this game of being a Marine Wife awhile now and always, always put our boys first. Everyone knows a good Mom is a happy mom and for over 250 days I will not get one day off, I will be on call for any and everything. I will not sleep in one morning or have one un-interuppted shower or moment.

 

Maybe I was not clear. My husband is not leaving until February 1, 2005. We are taking the boys to Playa del Carmen for 7 nights at the end of July. My husband will be home and "with" our boys until he deploys unless he is in the field/training. That is why we need to get away on an adults only trip soon so it is not an issue. We are going on our adults only trip 4 weeks after our family vacation and then of course we will have all of September, October, November with Thanksgiving, X-mas and the New Year.

 

We do everything with our boys. Many would not like this but we have never left them with a sitter or anything. We value our time together.

 

We just took our boys on a cruise over Memorial Day and are taking them to Mexico for 7 nights at the end of July.

 

Being in my shoes you know that when your husband is gone everything is your job, keeping the strong face, taking care of the bills, working, the house, preschool, school, sports......everything. It is like being a single parent every now and then but you have the knowledge your husband/Dad is in a war.

 

A little background. My husband has been a Marine Officer for over 18.5 years and he is only 38. I have been his wife for almost 10 of those years. He has gone to wars and deployments way before I met him but in our 10 years there have already been many time when I have been the one left to hold a screaming 3 year old crying for his Daddy when his world is falling in.

 

I have been the one over and over again to become educated about soccer and tball and everything a Dad does and learn to play both roles.

 

I do not feel as if I have to justify why we want to go away alone together but I will. Since we are taking the boys on a long trip next month we want to go away too. We are going at the end of August because it is the only time he can go and it will be right after our family vacation then we will have 5 months leading to this deployment and will not separated until he leaves.

 

This time we actually have warning, which is not always the case. When my oldest was newly 3 and I was 8 months pregnant with our youngest son my husband was gone the whole time training across the country. I had been on maternity leave for 2 days and my husband was coming home for one week and then leaving again for 4 more months. I was ready to have the new baby by myself, go back to my career and take care of a 3 year old and newborn. This is not uncommon with military families.

 

The trip home for one week was a surprise for our son so I took him to the airport and while waiting for his plane I fell to my knees with the worse pain I had every felt and passed out, I was in and out but managed to crawl to a chair, hold onto my son and give a stranger my name and begged him not to let anyone take my son.

 

My husband flight arrived minutes later and even though my son and I had not seen my husband for months he rushed me to the hospital because something was really wrong.

 

I had an emergency c-section and my baby was not breathing and rushed to the NICU. He was intubated while they tried to figure out what was happening to me. They did not try very hard and they sent me to the recovery room where I woke up screaming in pain and the doctor's kept giving me pain med's.

 

All of a sudden I flat lined. A code blue was called, CPR started and I was rushed back to the OR where I was bleeding out, I had no pulse and the OB's had no idea what to do.

 

An angel surgeon arrived intrigued of why a mother would code in labor and delivery. The OB's were calling my time of death but this surgeon would not give up. He said he refused not to try, he said he refused to find out what the OB's did not find on autopsy. He cracked open my chest (his first), got my heart going again and spent the next 14 hours saving my life while my husband watched on with a Navy Chaplin giving me my last rites.

 

My baby and were the 14th woman and baby in the medical books to have survived a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm. It was a miracle and I can tell you for sure there is a God. I lost my spleen, half my pancreas, had a emergency thoracotomy and received over 34 units of blood. They did not think I would make it and told my husband to call my parents and tell them to hurry.

 

The chances of having a SAA aneurysm are rare, the chances of a mother nad baby both living from it are unheard of. God saw us through it and some how that aneurysm waited to ruptured until my husband was minutes away from landing when it could have ruptured at anytime in the 5 months prior.

 

I spent a long time in the ICU and I spent a long time in the hospital and I have been trying to recover for 3 years.

 

In my family we know the good and bad. We know in one second it can be taken from you and it can be taken at the most unepxected times.

 

Then 9/11 happened 3.5 months after my aneurysm and the Marine Corp sent my husband away for a long time. He has been back since November 2003 and as stated above will be leaving again. He can retire but feels he needs to go and do this and I respect him for it.

 

We may be different. We know the value of life and family. We put our boys before anything and they and my husband are the reason I have fought so hard to live.

 

I do know how devastating this deployment will be to my boys, my MIL, our friends and me. But I respect my husband for the job he does. I do what every good Marine or military wife does, cry in private, put up a brave front, take care of everything and more and love my children more than life itself.

 

Sorry so long but it touched a nerve. Not a bad one but one I needed to explain. We only have one week we can go away together and that is why we are taking it. We are making sure except for work our boys will have 5 months of Dad and even that will not take away their pain, confusion, worry, sadness and their tears. But we are at war and this is the life of many families I know. This is what we do and know.

 

I will do my best like I always do. My husband told me today as we watched our boys play in the sand at a local beach that when it gets bads over there he will go to his happy place which would be his us his family, today our outing at the beach, our upcomming family vacation and taking me away for couple time.

 

It will be hard but we have to do it but don't worry our boys always come first.

 

Tiffiny

[sue d. miller]

Tiffiny, I appreciate the fact that you wanted to explain your couple time. As important as my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, with a new great grandson on the way as we speak, are to us, they ALL know if we are not happy as a couple, the children suffer. When the children grow, and move away, you will still have a wonderful, loving marriage. It starts with mom and dad, it ends, with mom and dad. I hope this cruise is everything the both of you want it to be!!! :)

[Disneycruiser#1]

Thank you Sue, you have been so helpful. I am sitting here crying because that was a hard post to write and share. It is important the foundation stay firm with husband and wife and that type of love only helps children. Writing this post makes me doubt us going, it makes this all so real and I wish it would not be happening (husbands deployment) but this is where we are.

[sue d. miller]

Tiffiny, this is a VERY hard time for both of you. You are both, and also your sons, making the sacrifice for the country. You have to remember, even though he is gone in body, he is always by your side, as you are with him. That bond never tolerates a separation.You have to be strong for your husband and the boys, and he has to as well. Don't concentrate on the hell that it will be, concentrate on the homecoming. Do things with the boys, to keep him in their heat always. Make scrapbooks, take pictures, put a place setting for dad at the table. When a special day comes, take pics and write a journal, so dad knows EVERYTHING that happened that day. You will build memories for the two of you, that will last forever. Also , when he is gone, you can always hang out with us sometimes. You will always have support here. :)

[Beryl]

DisneyCruiser, I did not mean to imply in any way that your children were not your first concern! If you misunderstood my message I am very sorry! Of course you must do whatever you feel is in the best interest of your own family. I had misunderstood your note in that I thought your DH would be leaving for Iraq immediately following your cruise and did not realize that you would have plenty of family time immediately prior to his leaving.

 

I know from personal experience how hard it is to be home and alone with little ones. I also know that you will find all the strength you need to carry on while your husband is away. God bless you all.