~~~ May 16, 2009 ~~~ Western Magic ~~~

[Hudson5&Lennon3]

Faith&Hope (Kym) and Pooh's-Honey-Pot (Sonya)--do you have a pic you want me to add to post #1 with the rest of your info?

[NoodlesMom]

Sorry, this is a dummy post. According to the rules, I can post a picture after post #10 and I think this is #10.

[austin77]

Originally Posted by NoodlesMom

Sorry, this is a dummy post. According to the rules, I can post a picture after post #10 and I think this is #10.

Lol, i rember having to do that!!!

[lucyddr]

Originally Posted by texfinn

Hi Everyone!

I am amazed (and excited) -- I was gone to Vegas for a long weekend and 6 NEW pages to get back to!

WELCOME to all the newcomers!!!!


Tim -- can you send me the navigators? I am at matpitk@sbcglobal.net

lucyddr & 2_Eagle_Mom -- We should be on the FE list. Please add us. We have 2 kids (DD 7 and DS 4) and in cabin 6568.

lucyddr -- can you send me the FE list AND please please please help me with ideas?? This is my first time and am a little lost and you seem to be an EXPERT!!!!

Ok, those are all of my questions I think. I'll try to catch up on everything elase and respond with our excursions, dinner res, etc later tonight.

Hope you had a great time in Vegas! Reading that you were going made me think about missing some of my friends there and the simplicity of my fellowship/urgent care job!

I'm actually not an expert in FEs, but I am a great organizer and I LOVE giving gifts to people! Anytime a "creative" gift is involved that requires a "budget", I'm all over it!

Here are some items I've considered based on others' experiences: mini-highlighters, princess necklaces/stickers for the girls, pirate eye patches/stickers for the boys, temporary tatoos, candy of any sort, ginger candies (for sea sickness), nail clippers (maybe personalized for the cruise), zip ties for the FE (to prevent theft), door/frig magnets, Christmas ornaments, ziplock bags (the really big ones are VERY handy), emory boards, pre-packaged meds (Tylenol, Dramamine, etc), themed pencils/erasers/pens/crayons/markers/coloring pages for the kids, glow necklaces, pirate necklaces, acryllic photo holders for the frig, post-it pads, paper clips, bandaids, tiny baby shampoo (good for kids, snorkel mask defogging, rinsing swimsuits), "cruise" music CDs, etc.

Here are my personal ideas (which I haven't read about, but I'm sure others have probaby done them for ages): Personalized pillow cases for the children (to be given to GS for character signatures), movie theater-type candies and Pringles potato chips(since these are expensive on the ship), for the adults beer from a Smokey Mountain brewery or tiny bottles of alcohol, something from the Smokey Mountains (I live right at them...), water-tight card case (maybe personalized), afterburn or aloe vera gel, etc.

PS To Everyone: I'm going to start adding room numbers to the FE list. I also have a spot for special considerations for those with food allergies, who wouldn't want alcohol, etc. Please feel free to email me anything you want on the list (lucyddr@yahoo.com) and I'll place it. I think I'll start an email folder so that I can "mass email" the list with updates as they come in. If you don't want to be included, just let me know.

[NoodlesMom]

Ok, here we go. These are a few picks of me and DH on Paradise Beach with the best pina colada in the world, swimming with the stingrays in GC and a pic of us on formal night last year. I will follow up with a pic of the family. I think you can see why were not taking the kids on the stingray adventure. I was scared to death because the stingrays were huge. I can imagine their reaction.

[2_Eagle_Mom]

Welcome to our new cruisers! If you would like to be added to our FE list, just let us know.

I've just combined my FE list with the one that Lucyddr created and have emailed it to everyone that had requested it previously. I too have the overplanning/organization gene (good thing for a Meeting Planner to have).

I'm going to have to search to find some photos and re-read the post on how to get them on the page. Once we get closer to the trip I can create a "Getting to Know Your Fellow Cruisers" where I'll copy the photos from the posts and create a document that has all the FE info and small pics and email them just prior to the cruise. That way all the info will be in one document. I do it all the time for one of my meetings and it really makes a great one stop document.

I posted a question on the Cruise board about the cooking class in Cozumel and got one really great review so it looks like we might try that. Not sure if I want to book a spa treatment before we get on the ship or just wing it when we board.

The only ressie that I'm really nervous about is the Palo brunch. I'm not sure what time we should shoot for. We don't want to make it too late as to really block most of the day, but I don't want to make it too early either. Hmmm.... decisions, decisions....

[dznyacct]

update on info on page 1 ~ Can my info on page #1 be reflected to show that we have 2 cat 12 guarantee cabins and Jake's friend Johnny is joining us. I'll try and get a picture to post later. Thanks !! ~ Kathy

[Hudson5&Lennon3]

Originally Posted by dznyacct

update on info on page 1 ~ Can my info on page #1 be reflected to show that we have 2 cat 12 guarantee cabins and Jake's friend Johnny is joining us. I'll try and get a picture to post later. Thanks !! ~ Kathy

Gotcha taken care of!

[texfinn]

Originally Posted by 2_Eagle_Mom

I've just combined my FE list with the one that Lucyddr created and have emailed it to everyone that had requested it previously. I too have the overplanning/organization gene (good thing for a Meeting Planner to have).

You guys are so AWESOME for organizing this! I tell EVERYONE about the FE exchange and they think it is soooo cool!

Originally Posted by lucyddr

I also have a spot for special considerations for those with food allergies, who wouldn't want alcohol, etc. Please feel free to email me anything you want on the list (lucyddr@yahoo.com) and I'll place it. I think I'll start an email folder so that I can "mass email" the list with updates as they come in. If you don't want to be included, just let me know.

This would be very helpful. You have me thinking of some fun things and it would be good to know if you don't drink or have allergies. Also -- will we have names in case we do any kind of personalizing? I don't mind sharing on our end.

Originally Posted by 2_Eagle_Mom

I posted a question on the Cruise board about the cooking class in Cozumel and got one really great review so it looks like we might try that.

I so want to join you BUT if DH goes diving then the kids are alone on the ship and I don't think I can do that for the whole day.

Originally Posted by lucyddr

Hope you had a great time in Vegas! Reading that you were going made me think about missing some of my friends there and the simplicity of my fellowship/urgent care job!

THANKS! I had a BLAST in Vegas. The JW was beautiful! I can't imagine you woke up to mountains every day --so different my view from home! I looked for the sandwich shop but we never found one. I kept talking about it and my roommates were getting frustrated trying to find it but it didn't work out. The only issue I had in Vegas was laptop withdrawal. I also didn't have time to read and my new Passporter is burning a hole in my pocket!!!!

Originally Posted by NoodlesMom

Ok, here we go. These are a few picks of me and DH on Paradise Beach with the best pina colada in the world, swimming with the stingrays in GC and a pic of us on formal night last year. I will follow up with a pic of the family. I think you can see why were not taking the kids on the stingray adventure. I was scared to death because the stingrays were huge. I can imagine their reaction.

Beautiful pictures! I don't think we have one but let me dig around. I know I have one of the kids -- just have to figure out how to post it! Your pina colada does look amazing!!!! The pic of the sting rays does make me wonder. We booked with Moby Dick for the stingray tour in GC. My daughter is an animal lover and am thinking she will LOVE it -- not so sure about my son. Think it is a mistake?

Ok, back to planning. Right now we have the following booked/planned:

KW day -- brunch at Palo, no excursions, maybe a trip to the aquarium on our own with the kids
Sea day 1 -- tea at Palo
GC day -- stingray tour with Moby Dick tours
Cozumel -- DH is diving with DCL, no clue on us yet -- maybe dolphins?
Sea day 2 -- massages for me and DH, dinner at Palo
CC -- just hang out on the beach?

Should I book another kind of spa treatment or look into specials on board?

Also -- debating on the wine package or bringing our own. What is y'all's experience like?

There is a STORM brewing here so better get done before I lose power. Have a good night!!!

[Hudson5&Lennon3]

Originally Posted by texfinn

The pic of the sting rays does make me wonder. We booked with Moby Dick for the stingray tour in GC. My daughter is an animal lover and am thinking she will LOVE it -- not so sure about my son. Think it is a mistake?

He doesn't have to get off the excursion boat if he doesn't want to (he's 4, right?). I was the only one in our family that did last time (through Cap'n Marvin's) because the boys were scared, and I didn't want to upset them even more. They seemed to be fine with me being out there with them, though! Justin stayed with them on the Cap'n Marvin's boat while I checked out the 'rays. Other families took their small children off the boat with them, and the kids were NOT HAPPY!! (I personally would not intentionally do that to my kids...) I'm not sure if it was because they were scared of the 'rays or if it was the choppy waters. You're literally miles away from land, and the waves were pretty big (see below). It was very hard to stand in one place with the rush of the waves. I'm glad my kids didn't get in, but I'm glad I did! The man with the snorkel mask is sliding the 'ray across my back! So soft and smooth!!

[lillygator]

morning all!

do we want all the FE's trinkets to be a surprise? Just curious, I am wanting to order things, but not sure what to order.

[Tink113]

Honeymoon Cruise




All of us

[texfinn]

Ok, so here I go again. I am back at work, sitting at my kitchen table (WFH) and listening and glancing at a training via live meeting. I should be focusing on that BUT instead I am reading DIS boards.

I am all caught up (yes, I did read them all last night instead of focusing on DH after being gone 4 nights) and am now thinking about our FE -- going to hunt online!

Still debating the excursions. I better nail it down before the weekend in case we want to do something popular with DCL.

Hudson5&Lennon3 -- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the pictures and your thoughts on the stingray tour. My DS (Kai) is 4 so yes, he could stay in the boat. I am searching for snorkel lessons for him and his sister before the trip but so far have only found them for 5 years and up. He is in swim lessons so quite comfortable in the water but may be freaked with the stingrays.

Another question -- do you think this is something that I could do (take the kids on the tour) without my DH?

Ok -- and another controversial topic I am sure -- have any of you ever left the kids on the ship at port while you went on an excursion without them? Not sure I want to do this but it would make it easier if DH is diving. I thought I would get everyone's feedback on this.

Oh -- and one last thing. I freaked out last night that my DS would fall off the balcony on the ship (ok, I was really tired) BUT it did stay in my head as a concern. How safe are the balconies?

Tink113 -- beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks!

[lillygator]

texfinn - what stingray tour are you doing? We are booked for the Rays Reef and Rum Point with native ways and my 4 year old will be along as well.

[indigodisney]

texfinn - the balconies are really safe on DCL - there is plexiglass everywhere. My DD was 5.5 years old and she was able to see through the plexiglass and she is very tall and the railing was still pretty high.

One other thing I noticed was that she tried to put her foot on the rail (the lower ones that you can see through the plexiglass) which is human nature especially if you are a kid and she was not able to (because of the plexiglass).

I was nervous about this before our first cruise with our DD and I was so glad that it was not a concern. (We had a verandah room too and it was fine).