Christmas Fantasy Cruise December 15, 2012

[MinnieDisneyCruiser]

This Transatlantic cruise we just completed last week was our 2nd cruise with DCL. I too wondered about the Castaway club lanyard. I was pleasantly surprised to find a gift in our stateroom upon arrival. In this gift were many items, including the lanyard.

 

[eacdabney]

The cruise hasn't been booked yet but my mom is taking me, hubby, my daughter (6) and son (6months). We are all getting so excited. We are all staying in the same room. Anyone have any experience with the bed situation in the staterooms?

 

[Tink rules]

since the Fantasy isn't online yet... it's hard to tell, but we think it's gonna be the same as the Dream.

Check out here and under staterooms, there are even stateroom reports from people who have stayed in those rooms

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/

 

[LuvEeyore]

Here!

Glad you are with me.More to come soon.

 

[LuvEeyore]

I'm on this sailing with you - so decided to come on in for your Pre-trip report!

More to come soon...stay tuned

 

[LuvEeyore]

thank you so so so much! and i have another question? i am going on my second disney cruise in august and will i be getting my silver castaway club lanyard when i check in or no?

You should get your lanyard at checkin

 

[LuvEeyore]

Working on getting more plans in concrete.

Waitingon Raonoke county to publish next years 1st sememster calender before we can begin looking at travel arrangements. I the girls will not be out of school until Dec 20th then we will probably fly to Orlando on Friday evening so the girls can attend at least 1/2 day on Friday. If they are out as of Dec 17 then we will leave Thursday evening and use Amtrak down and then probably fly back Dec 22 pm. Anyone used Amtrak out of Raleigh NC?

We are looking at a private sail charter in St Thomas. I think we can get a good value and cater to Mom's needs better while sailing some of the most beautiful waters in the world. Got to do some more research. We are also thinking of just walking around San Juan or taking a cab to the Barcardia Factory.

Got overhalf of the cruse paid for

Started FE gifts...our FE has not been organized but a cruiser list has been started. Someone have even started a Webpage for our cruise.

Tink has already picked out her semiformal and formal outfits. (she is going to use this years homecoming and prom dresses. Yes she has already picked out her prom dress, bought the dress, has the date and has the dresscovered and hanging in her closet.)

Ticker done.

Well guess I just need to keep plugging onward to the destination. We have way too long to wait!!

More to come soon!!

 

[pjstevens]

Hi!!! We (dh and I) are on this cruise too. Looking forward to your PTR. We have one cruise in between so we have to plan that one first

 

[LuvEeyore]

PJStevens, glad to have you on board. Guess I need to get busy with my PTR and update again...I have somethings to update...Maybe more tomorrow.

 

[davidls]

Anybody out there??

Hi LuvEeyore. My DW, me, our daughter, her son - (our 6 yr old grandson) and our 13 yr old granddaughter are all going with you on this cruise. We will be reading your report as you post. This will be DW's and my 5th Disney cruise- going GOLD after this cruise. This will be granddaughter's 3rd Disney cruise and our daughter and grandson'a first Disney cruise. We are all as excited as kids in a candy store!!!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Hi LuvEeyore. My DW, me, our daughter, her son - (our 6 yr old grandson) and our 13 yr old granddaughter are all going with you on this cruise. We will be reading your report as you post. This will be DW's and my 5th Disney cruise- going GOLD after this cruise. This will be granddaughter's 3rd Disney cruise and our daughter and grandson'a first Disney cruise. We are all as excited as kids in a candy store!!!

Mom and I are silver and the girls are on their first Disney cruise. Tink has cruised, TVBF has not. Tink is really excited. When she was about 7 or 8 she said she wanted a Disney cruise for her Graduation present. About 3 years ago, she said she and her VBF wanted to go on a Disney cruise for their graduation trip. I was the adult that could book and go with them. They are going for their graduation about 5 months early and celebrating 18th Birthdays about2 months late. They are planning on celebrating their birthdays at Palo.(I have to pay for their birthday party, They are thinking about taking me to Remy for my birthday which will be less two weeks away.(They decided that they could put away money from their part time jobs-baby sitting etc to pay for themselves and everyone including my Mom each pay for themselves. Tink said that is 100 dollars a peice for dinner. "Not bad!" Dont you love the way teens think?!?!

 

[Doppler]

I'm on this cruise! First time doing a FE too

 

[Doppler]

Also FYI this will be my 12th cruise and I'm platinum

 

[LuvEeyore]

Doppler,
Glad you are on the cruise with us. Any teenagers or college students with you? I will have 2 high school seniors.

Check out the cruise thread and tasira's webpage!!

Lee

 

[LuvEeyore]

Hello everyone. Happy Thanksgiving.

Update on planning.

We are having a sail away party!!
March 31, 2012 and we are going to watch the Maiden voyage sail away.
By then I will seriously need to sit down with both girls and their parents and the school calender for next year so that we can begin to look at transportation to Florida and back. I also want input on shore excursions,etc. We also need to design a fish extender and get to work on FE gifts which have already been started.

Guests
Me, Mom. Tink, her very best friend, best friends parents, Tinks Mom and step dad

place
Tinks Moms house

Food
Disney cruise line recipes and non alcoholic drinks of the day if I can find some recipes

Other needs-
large hd tv and cord to attach laptop for our enhanced viewing pleasure.

I can use any excuse to party, DIS with help and plan.

What do you all think??

 

[LuvEeyore]

THe Roanoke County school schedule for next year is out(not to the public but to teachers) So we know what they girls will miss. More than we thought. At a minimum the girls will be missing 3 days of schools since the last day of school before the Winter holiday break is The Wednesday we are cruising.

So what to do about traveling?

One of the considerations is weather. Doesnt take much for flights to get delayed out of Roanoke. The drive to Charlotte is just over 2 hours if bad weather looks immenent.
Next Consideration-On Mom's 100 things to do before she dies or cant remember is train.

The option I think I like Is fly out of Roanoke 12/14 late afternoon or evening with connection in Charlotte NC. Girls miss one less day. If weather is threatening, I can drive to Charlotte in two hours. We arrive late but can stay at hyiatt(more expensive but sometime convience is worth the expense).

Coming home, probably train to Raleigh. do a day rental and find something to do for the day after getting off the ship. We would get into Raleigh NC on Sunday Dec 23. This option means we drive to get to Roanoke but dont leave car at Airport because Tink's Moms and VBF parents can take us to airport. Tinks Mom is willing to come to Raleigh to pick us up(about 3 hours from her house) We shall see what the rates rate do when they come out.

We are having a Fantasy sail away party on March 31. Hopefully there will be some great rates by then.

Tink was funny on the phone yesterday. I called her from work to tell her about a link to the floatout on You Tube. She was so impatient with the slow loading download!! Then she started laughing "She floats!!"

More to come in the next post. Maybe even some pics of the players.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Didnt realized that it has been so long since I updated. Got several updates to share.

Getting to Florida
We have decided to leave December 13 as soon as they girls get out of school and drive to Cary NC and take Amtrack to Orlando. When we arrive on Friday morning we are renting a minivan from Hertz at the train station and driving to Port Canaveral. When we return the next Saturday, we will rent a van to return to Orlando, play for the day and then take Amtrak back to Cary. We get home 12/23 in the am and will drive home.the train tickets are paid in full!!!

Hotel for 12/14
We have a reservation for Country Inn and Suites and breakfast Saturday is included. We might go to Jetty Park and have dinner Friday and watch ships leave the port.

Sail Away Party
Last tme I posed I said we were going to have a Sail Away Party for the maiden voyage and discuss the trip with parents. Well with 2 now 17 year olds planning is difficult. So we are having a 'Making Fantasy Reality dinner" on Friday March 21 to look at cost, getting documentation, passports, etc. I'll let you know what all the girls are thnking about wanting to do after we meet.

St Thomas Shore Excursion
Knowing the girls well and what they like to do, I have booked a shore excursion on our own. We have booked a sailing charter that only allows 6 persons. This is a day sail and can be catered to our schedule. Transportation from port is 44 dollars for all of us and is preaaringed for roundtrip. This includes lunch, beverages, 2 snorkel and beach stops and snacks. If anyone wants the info to be the other two, then pm me for info.

I started buying Disney giftcards every paycheck to pay for things we want to do such as tips, Palo, Remy etc.

I think Tink may make us a Duct Tape FE. Her VBF is working on making our family gift. I am the cruise FE coordinator. our cruise thread is very active, already at page 70 and have a website. We have already started making gifts.

I have started reading my Passporter and I am keeping up on DIS. The girls have started to look at pictures. I have loved checking out pictures and cant wait for trip reports over the next few weeks that have info on the Fantasy.

I hope you are all enjoying the spring weather that we are having in Virginia. So good that I can do this

Have a great Saint Patty's Day

 

[trish.]

Fellow 12/15 cruiser...checking in!

 

[trish.]

oooooo...look! I'm at 100 posts!

Well...now it's 101.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Fellow 12/15 cruiser...checking in!

Welcome!!After midnight is will be only 9 months Congrats on having more than 100 posts

So what next until we cruise??More planningin the 80 degree weather we are having.