December 4,2004 !!!

[AnnMorin]

ok we just booked AGAIN while on board.. who is joining us???

 

[lbgraves]

OMG!!! Are you serious?????? I will get to meet you next year?!?!? We just missed the last SPH for 12/4 but have a cat 10 on deck 7...last one. There is always hope. We also have a hold on 9/11 for a SPH & there are 2 for 1/29/05 but DH & I decided that we enjoyed the Christmas decorations on the ship too much to miss them. OK, NOW I know that we picked the right date to sail! Have to make the deposit in the am. Guess I need to add another countdown clock.

 

[AnnMorin]

oh yes this will be a special cruise!!!
The famous Rae is on our trip and Natsmom is considering it!

 

[lbgraves]

NO WAY!!! I am going to sound like a totally crazy person but Rae is REALLY going to be on this cruise too? I am in tears here. Oh this is going to be such a great cruise!!! Here DH & I were sitting hoping that we would have a good time even though we wouldn't be sailing with the great group that we had on the 11/15 cruise. I get to actually meet Rae?!?!?!? Oh, you don't know how much all of this has brightened my day. Our house has been so sick. Well, YKWIM. Kailtyn had strep & they missed the flu, which turned into pneumonia 2 weeks ago today. I had strep & DH had the flu. William had an ear infection & the only reason he has been sick is the drugs he has been on. DD woke up ill last Saturday night. DS was sick Christmas evening & then again woke up last night. DD was back at the urgent care Friday morning with strep & the pneumonia still hanging on. DS has a fever tonight. I am actually smiling for the first time in many days.

 

[AnnMorin]

only too happy to give you a smile!!!

 

[rae519]

Hey, Lisa - here I am sick (bronchitis/pneumonia/asthma) and I get out of bed so my coughing won't wake my DH and see these notes from you and Ann!

NOW I AM ELATED! Doing the happy dance and couldn't be hapier than to know that you are going to be with us!!!! This is going to be the best cruise of 2004 EVER!!!!!!

Okay, we are going to get this intro/info out of the way -

Rae (then 49), Tom (then 54) and Michael (9) - Stateroom 5622 - that's Deck 5 AFT, early dining
Driving from Indy - staying the week prior around Orlando area
Spending night before cruise in Port Canaveral

Hugs!
Rae

 

[AnnMorin]

Our intro..
Ann (turning 43 day after cruise), Jay (then 42) Michael (then 11)
cabin 7120 Deck seven aft. Early seating, still waiting to see if inlaws and friends are joining us.

 

[rae519]

Oh great, I'm older than you are. (I think I already knew that, but OUCH! Coming up on that 5-0......OUCH!)

What time do you think is "best" to have dinner at Palo? I dislike the Tropicalifragilistic/Mexicalifragilistic menu GREATLY - so I know what night I want ressies, but what about a time?

Also, I'm going to have a Brunch and Ladies High Tea list started - obviously, I'm on both already!!!!!

When are you coming in and where are you staying? Maybe we can do a Dis Met with others the night before - generally people are going with Radisson (we've used Days Inn and liked it there).

Just more excited about this cruise than the one in 109 days, but maybe that will change in time.

Looking out my window at a dreary, rainy, foggy miserable Indiana morning and remembering the blue skies, clear seas and mountains of St. Thomas with great fondness.....


Rae

 

[AnnMorin]

I don't knwo where we will be staying yet, I am gonna use priceline and can't start until 330 days out. We will fly in the day before though for sure.

 

[lbgraves]

Sorry, just got back from the doctor office with the kids. William has the flu. He had a 103.5 temp this morning so I didn't even call the office, just dressed & went when they opened the door. Kaitlyn probably has the flu too. Chances are I had a mild case of it & Mike probably is getting over it too. All the bleaching I did yesterday...well I will be doing it again Thursday since you aren't contageous until you start feeling better.

Anyhow, our intro & ages at cruise time...Mike (36), Lisa (37), William (6), & Kaitlyn (5). We have early seating too. I think that we may try to celebrate Kaitlyn's birthday on the cruise since William got the attention this past year. Only problem is her Bday is 9/4 instead of 12/4. We will have to see! I will definantly join you for high tea & brunch sounds nice. I know that DD will definantly be PTd by then so we should be able to let her stay in the club more often & try out Palo. Brunch would be nice though. My least favorite menu was Monday night in Lumiere's but I also had to deal with taking both kids to the club & Kailtyn kept tripping on the octopus legs so I was worried about leaving her & her getting hurt. We really enjoyed our tablemates & servers so much that we were glad we didn't miss out on any evening.

Now, I am pretty sure Rae knows about my ILs, but let's just say they weren't too happy when they heard we went on a cruise. NOW...MIL wants to go with us on the next one! BIL also said to call him when we decide what to do. Who knows? We may be able to have a little family reunion thing onboard...but I will still need time away from them.

I guess with the three of us right now, we don't need anything set up but I can play around with a website to help keep things organized as more people join us.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Ann and Rae?? O.K........so, as you see I left a deposit on the 10 day cruise(Several months back when they first offered it). Yes, we just returned 12/7/03 from our Eastern sailing and WDW. The last two years we have done the WDW Thanksgiving thing and 7 nighter. Yes, although cancelled last year, we still went and did 3 nights at WDW, 4 night cruise and 2 more at WDW. As we (myself and DW) are sitting on the verandah looking at Castaway Cay she says "maybe we should try the Western next". So I'm looking to see if it sailed the Sat after Thanksgiving...... that would be great....it doesn't. So I check the week of thanksgiving and it's 6600.00 for the 4 of us, cat 6. Now, I would be spending 10200.00 for the Christmas 04 10 dayer. So I check the price of THIS cruise and it's 4900.00!!! And..... too my surprise, as I check to see if there is a "thread" for this sailing, look who are the first to "pipe up"....Rae and Ann.

 

[AnnMorin]

they may still have some of the reclassified cabins left (we snagged 7120) but we had our choice two weeks ago. I would love it if you came along! Of course you do know you will be forced to sing happy birthdya to me it is a requirement.. infact they make everyone do it at the lifeboat drill

 

[LAMPSKIES]

I don't want to be called 'cheap" but, after Christmas eve and Christmas day I see DW is not ready to not be home on Christmas. And, we are taking our RV on a 2 week vacation in June to the Black hills and Estes Ntl park. 7 days for lass than half of a 10 day?? The novelty would be nice, but............is it worth it? If we do go, once I sing happy birthday in public they will ban that from all public drills. I'm not that worried about specific cabins , as long as we can get a verandah aft. Starboard is also nice since they "back in" at CC. Would I have to give a big enough notice or will the just "expect" Rae and I to wrestle the shrimp out of each others hands??

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by LAMPSKIES
Would I have to give a big enough notice or will the just "expect" Rae and I to wrestle the shrimp out of each others hands??

I'm in for the wrestling part!!!!! But if you'd rather, you can pull up a chair with me at the buffet line and we can block the shrimp bowl and orange/mango soup bowl and just eat right there. Hey, whose going to mess with a red headed menopausal woman????

Now if we could only get Fidelio for our cruise - okay, that was my shameless plug for Dueling Pianos!

By the way, do you ride horses? If so, why not meet us at Royal Center at Crooked Creek when the weather gets nice for an afternoon of riding and fun? It's not that far from where you are, Lampskies!!! That way you can "size up" your Shrimp competition!

Hugs,
Rae

 

[AnnMorin]

Originally posted by LAMPSKIES
iIf we do go, once I sing happy birthday in public they will ban that from all public drills.

Ahh just think of it, you would go down in history.,. kinda like when they retire a jersery of a famous ball player... "from this day forth there will be no more birthday singing at the drills..." Maybe they could put a little plaque up on deck four describing the infamous Lampskies and how the crew jumped ship during the lifeboat drill

 

[lbgraves]

Alas...in my excitement of finding out that I would meet Ann & Rae I totally forgot about the buffet shrimp factor. Rae, I promise not to eat ALOT of them, but when I walk by if you could just put some in a bowl for me, I would appreciate it.

 

[AnnMorin]

I am going to personally write the ship a week ahead of time to warn them they need to stock up on mango soup and shrimp, and of course that wonderful iron horse champagne!

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Rae....it looks like we'll be in southern Indiana the first week of April. Brown County State Park or Spring Mill. DD's are on spring break and we will be at one of those parks that week.
Ann, if we do switch dates, could you have them make sure they have enought miller lite? Both signals and pinnocios ran out by Thursday!!! I can't imagine why? LOL

 

[AnnMorin]

No problem, I will add Miller lite to the list..
BUT I don't know how much pull I have just to warn you.. they FORGOT my birthday this year

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by LAMPSKIES
Rae....it looks like we'll be in southern Indiana the first week of April. Brown County State Park or Spring Mill. DD's are on spring break and we will be at one of those parks that week.
Ann, if we do switch dates, could you have them make sure they have enought miller lite? Both signals and pinnocios ran out by Thursday!!! I can't imagine why? LOL

WE want you with us - I'll bring a case of Miller Lite in the van if I have to.

Okay, lampskies - we need a PM to get together set up - I'll pm you later.

Rae