20th Anniversary Cruise, or not?

[NancyIL]

I know I wasn't supposed to check, but that little side of me that said hold off until Tuesday (for readers, Tuesday IS the day these rates seem to pop up!! ) just to give me that boost that I did the right thing! HA! After I looked at all the angles, I'm only out $700....extra OBC, the % bonus money for the room on my Visa..and when it comes down to it, I could see me asking how much it would be to upgrade from Inside to Verandah and if they said $700...I might have just done it...so I'm feeling much better about it now...and with the sight of college for three hitting in 2-5 years, we need the best memories of vacations we can muster!

Good attitude! It's not as though you bought 5 plane tickets on Monday, and on Tuesday the price for the same seats went down $700! The less expensive Fantasy cabins are just that - less expensive because they are smaller and lack a verandah! You'll have GREAT memories on this cruise.

 

[lmhall2000]

I feel as though we've had the trifecta of misfortunes...the rear end collision of our travel vehicle (to the cruise) a few weeks ago on the interstate, the horrific hail storm that covered the ground with an inch of white stuff and required a new roof, and then the snafu with booking...so from here on out - it is SMOOTH SAILING!!!

And if you believe that,

But, it does seem to come in threes, so maybe we'll have a few weeks before we hit the next trio. But, I can assure you, it will be there....part of me hopes that if I speak of such certainty, that will cause a cataclysmic shift in our Murphyverse and might buy me more time.

So now we WAIT...and WAIT...and WAIT...for

Room Assignments!

Where will we be? Will we see sunrises going or coming? Will I be right under the workout gym (oh please please!)...must not gain too much on this cruise and need to be able to get there quickly or else I'll find a lounge chair and finish my sleep! I usually wake up to see sunrises every morning...and I love doing my treadmill..just too windy sometimes to deck walk...I like to get 'er dun!! And I LOVE the showers near the gym! Ahhh!! Then I love walking back with little to no passengers out...and just taking in the smells/sights/sounds of this amazing world!! What a Wonderful World!! Cue Louis Armstrong...Oh and then BOUNDING in the room at 7:15 and turning all lights on, opening curtains and singing "Get up you sleepy heads, Get up Get out of bed, the sun is shining, it's time for rising! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!!" if that doesn't work, I go for the "It's a small world after all!" and the one that really gets them moving, "I'm headed to breakfast, anyone want food?"

Can't wait!! 29 more days!! I'll take a stab at when our room will be assigned, hmmm...I say at 9 days out ....there, only 20 days to wait!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...

Ahh, yes, that is better...while waiting on that room assignment, my mind will be right here....oh my goodness...now, I guess I need to start praying for smooth sailing and no tropical depressions to mess up this unbelievable view!!! I wonder if there is any way to pack these chairs on board....I want it to look just like this!!

 

[NancyIL]

Tara - I hope your "trifecta of misfortunes" is over, and the rest of 2012 will be smooth sailing!

Here's hoping your cabin assignments come sooner rather than later. In any event - you'll be sailing 4 weeks from today!

 

[lmhall2000]

Tara - I hope your "trifecta of misfortunes" is over, and the rest of 2012 will be smooth sailing!

Here's hoping your cabin assignments come sooner rather than later. In any event - you'll be sailing 4 weeks from today!

So far, so no Murphy!. Almost to the 20 day mark!! We all are so excited and ready for the trip! Even my low key teen son is getting excited!

 

[lmhall2000]

Kind of a Murphy??? Just confirmed our pet sitters and in addition to the 6 animals, they now may have to care for 4 more?? Feral cat found our sleeping bag in garage cabinet and had a brood!

 

[NancyIL]

Kind of a Murphy??? Just confirmed our pet sitters and in addition to the 6 animals, they now may have to care for 4 more?? Feral cat found our sleeping bag in garage cabinet and had a brood!

How precious!

 

[lmhall2000]

Whew! Came home from long drive to find the grey kitten missing! Then, only after dh made the hour drive to get kitty bottles and food did the momma come move the other three...think she just needed a more secure spot...she moved three in 30 minutes but waited 8 hours after moving the first one...hopefully they are all safe!

19 days before the cruise! Am nowhere ready! Getting weee nervous! These next two weeks will fly by, trying to make mental notes of surplus needs...dd (14) always takes her beanie Timon with her for travel shots, but puppy got hold of it, in need of beanie Timon!

 

[lmhall2000]

. So slow this waiting!!



Okay, for all you budgeteers...the officially lowest IGT for September cruises was $700 for first two and $400 for second two...that was for the week of September 22nd...ubless they come out with kids sail free...that is the best price point for cruising I have seen...hopefully, the trend will repeat next year!

Still no room assignments...just a wee worried they will be far apart...that would be tough to see....hoping for connecting as the big pixie dusting...not at all ready...son has no dress shoes, no nice shirts that fit him...losing 65 pounds does that to a wardrobe...I am down 73.8 and hope to hit the 80 pound clippie by dday...going good! Still have 30 pounds to lose after that....so hopeful I can be normal weight BMI by New Year's! And if we can swing it, start saving for a last minute cruise anywhere to celebrate....kids so want to visit WDW but it is so expensive! Any budgeteers have the skinny on deals for a week at the World?

 

[NancyIL]

Congrats again on your great weight loss!

It's getting closer...just 2 weeks from tomorrow! You ought to get your cabin assignments any day now!

A week at WDW for a family of 5 won't be inexpensive, but January and September are still in "value" season. You would probably get the most bang for the buck by renting a house for a week. Since you would drive, your single biggest expense would be the tickets. I'm sure folks on the Budget Board will have a lot of great money-saving tips.

 

[lmhall2000]

Congrats again on your great weight loss!

It's getting closer...just 2 weeks from tomorrow! You ought to get your cabin assignments any day now!

A week at WDW for a family of 5 won't be inexpensive, but January and September are still in "value" season. You would probably get the most bang for the buck by renting a house for a week. Since you would drive, your single biggest expense would be the tickets. I'm sure folks on the Budget Board will have a lot of great money-saving tips.

Thank you! While I love staying on site, an off site rental would be best...I will have o start checking those out, so many new things since we went last! The Beast castle looks really cool!

I am honestly ad joyfully surprised at how Murphy is taking a siesta! We did have a little hiccup yesterday...had to drive to St. Louis for an Irish dance competition...I had remembered a billboard right outside of Nashville that said Disney Warehouse Outlet...figured we might get lucky and find cheap FE ideas...and I knew we had to go through Paducah to get there...had traveled to Louisville the month before and my brain registered that you could get to Paducah off I65. The outlet was a BUST...do not waste your time...they advertise 80% off but most everything was 10-20% off...did find a Grumpy tshirt for Grumpy...but paid $15....probably could have found it cheaper at the online Disneystore.

Murphy comes to visit when I realize the Ipad is not working, I have no GPS now...call my excellent direction guru..Dad. He laughs ad says I missed my turn 75 miles back! Huh? I have seen NO signs to Paducah! So, now we struggle with Verizon's service, all my comments to my Dad are being echoed back as we struggle to write down a combination of towns and higways we must now find...only problem is those numbers did not exist..later my Dad would give me the old, "you must not have looked hard enough, oh wait, yeah, 185 connects through hwy 62...didn't I tell you 62?". Sigh...so to get to St. louis from AL, we visited SIX states in 8 hours...the only positive is that after my frustration (hitting every ding dong light in Bowling Green) we all got a big laugh about it and was treated by seeing roughly 8000 antique cars driving the opposite direction to Evansville, Indiana...it was really cool to see all those cars on the road and the scenery was gorgeous on the desolate country roads we had to take...thanks Murphy!

Still no room assignment!

 

[NancyIL]

Thank you! While I love staying on site, an off site rental would be best...I will have o start checking those out, so many new things since we went last! The Beast castle looks really cool!

I am honestly ad joyfully surprised at how Murphy is taking a siesta! We did have a little hiccup yesterday...had to drive to St. Louis for an Irish dance competition...I had remembered a billboard right outside of Nashville that said Disney Warehouse Outlet...figured we might get lucky and find cheap FE ideas...and I knew we had to go through Paducah to get there...had traveled to Louisville the month before and my brain registered that you could get to Paducah off I65. The outlet was a BUST...do not waste your time...they advertise 80% off but most everything was 10-20% off...did find a Grumpy tshirt for Grumpy...but paid $15....probably could have found it cheaper at the online Disneystore.

Murphy comes to visit when I realize the Ipad is not working, I have no GPS now...call my excellent direction guru..Dad. He laughs ad says I missed my turn 75 miles back! Huh? I have seen NO signs to Paducah! So, now we struggle with Verizon's service, all my comments to my Dad are being echoed back as we struggle to write down a combination of towns and higways we must now find...only problem is those numbers did not exist..later my Dad would give me the old, "you must not have looked hard enough, oh wait, yeah, 185 connects through hwy 62...didn't I tell you 62?". Sigh...so to get to St. louis from AL, we visited SIX states in 8 hours...the only positive is that after my frustration (hitting every ding dong light in Bowling Green) we all got a big laugh about it and was treated by seeing roughly 8000 antique cars driving the opposite direction to Evansville, Indiana...it was really cool to see all those cars on the road and the scenery was gorgeous on the desolate country roads we had to take...thanks Murphy!

Still no room assignment!

I have GPS on my phone, and we bought a Garmin for a road trip last year. However, I still prefer to look at a real map. So - between the route I print from MapQuest and the Rand McNally Road Atlas - I usually manage to get where I'm going...eventually! It's always easier the second time - after I learn from my many mistakes!

I love watching Irish dancing. I was in Milwaukee last weekend for their annual Irish Fest - and it was wonderful. I'll go to another Irish festival in Indianapolis mid-September. I am not Irish, but I love Celtic music - especially Off Kilter at Epcot (who perform in Canada)!

Two weeks from today!

 

[lmhall2000]

Milwaukee has a load of Irish feis!! So glad you can go see!


We got our rooms!!

5D I think, 6534 and 6530...no connecting, some poor soul is between us...wish there were a way for me to contact them and see if they would not mind switching one room so we could have connecting. Not sure we can let the kids stay in one room by themselves if it's not connecting, just do not feel safe...kind of bummed..but it'll work out

 

[NancyIL]

Milwaukee has a load of Irish feis!! So glad you can go see!


We got our rooms!!

5D I think, 6534 and 6530...no connecting, some poor soul is between us...wish there were a way for me to contact them and see if they would not mind switching one room so we could have connecting. Not sure we can let the kids stay in one room by themselves if it's not connecting, just do not feel safe...kind of bummed..but it'll work out

That's great news! At least you are only one cabin apart, and not on opposite ends of the ship or different decks.

 

[lmhall2000]

That's great news! At least you are only one cabin apart, and not on opposite ends of the ship or different decks.

Amen Amen!!!

I'm curious if they'll let me try and combine them to one larger room when we board?? Guess it can't hurt to ask and I take rejection pretty well

Only 7 days, have not done our FE gifts, having a hard time finding what I need....starting to freak out, ds has no dress shoes, probably no time to hem his dress pants...yes, he may be the only teen to wear crocs on formal night...sigh......girls are getting their clothes in order, son has no clue what to pack..he's lost so much weight this year that his wardrobe is quite small...I keep telling them just 4 outfits and we'll wash on the ship...surely they can find 4 outfits

Does anyone else get very nervous before leaving? I worry I'll forget to buy dog food, forget to tell housesitters important stuff, afraid our car will break down on the drive down...I am NOT a nervous person, but the week before I feel as though I'm walking in a daze trying not to forget important details! I need a lavendar bath or something!!

 

[Castaway April]

Been watching your thread. So excited for you and hope you have a great time. I don't think you can combine two rooms into a suite, I think I read that somewhere, especially being VGT, doesn't hurt to ask I guess. All the pieces will fall together. Have an amazing trip!!!!!!

 

[NancyIL]

You still have time to find dress shoes for your son and to hem his pants - especially since it's a 3-day weekend. Good luck!

 

[lmhall2000]

You still have time to find dress shoes for your son and to hem his pants - especially since it's a 3-day weekend. Good luck!

You are the best cheerleader! it is not that I have not tried on the shoes, he wears a 13.5 double width, near impossible to find..without ordering and risk not trying them on...we have been to over 8 stores...sigh.
Just read where someone upgraded to concierge from VGT...so maybe it can work! Need to get there early!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Murphy's Law kicking in....youngest dd has had fever now for five days...she hasbeen quarNtined in our bed...praying my immune system is strong enough to withstand this nasty bug....taking her back to doctor tomorrow if not any better ..... My nose is feeling itchy...argh....

Oh, and can not find my passport....

 

[NancyIL]

Murphy's Law kicking in....youngest dd has had fever now for five days...she hasbeen quarNtined in our bed...praying my immune system is strong enough to withstand this nasty bug....taking her back to doctor tomorrow if not any better ..... My nose is feeling itchy...argh....

Oh, and can not find my passport....

I'm sorry your daughter hasn't been well. I hope you won't get whatever she has!

As long as you bring your birth certificate - you can get by without the passport (if you still can't locate it).

Zappos can get shoes to you the next day - if you're willing to pay more for speedy shipping.