WONDERous adventures on the Panama Canal - 4/23/17

[o&smom]

I updated Post #1 and underlined and bolded the events that are open for anyone to join in. I know that my DH and I plan on signing up for a whiskey tasting and a choc/liquor tasting once onboard. We like to do trivia and may try out bingo this time around. I'm sure with two weeks on the ship we will bump into each other! Hopefully you can stop at the Meet and Greet on embarkation day to meet everyone!

My husband and I may be joining you at the choc/liquor tasting.

 

[tutumomickey]

Started the dreaded packing. Now that the Mickey Mail arrived, it finally seems real.

 

[o&smom]

Started the dreaded packing. Now that the Mickey Mail arrived, it finally seems real.

Need to start packing, too! I have grouped clothes together in our closets that are going with us, but time to actually start getting everything in our bags.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Not counting today's Wonder cruise, we're the 4th cruise from now.

Packing starts in earnest today.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Woot!! I am so excited to go. I've already started packing while my parents haven't. Will do my pins this week

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Hey All, can anyone offer lessons learned, or suggestions on returning the car on Embarkation day and getting to the Port? We've always used Disney to get us to the port before this.

We're picking up the car from Budget in Orlando on Friday night (fingers crossed this time) and dropping off in Port Canaveral at 8401 Astronaut blvd the morning of embarkation. We're staying at the Residence Inn in Cape Canaveral. We're hoping/expecting to get to the port as on time as possible as I'm hoping (but not expecting) to try for buying an upgrade at the port. We have a 11am PAT time so hoping to get there a few minutes before if possible.

Drop off the car around 10am as I'm assuming it will take a few minutes to return it? Then use their shuttle? Or might we be better off with a Taxi?

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[dcr]

Hey All, can anyone offer lessons learned, or suggestions on returning the car on Embarkation day and getting to the Port? We've always used Disney to get us to the port before this.

We're picking up the car from Budget in Orlando on Friday night (fingers crossed this time) and dropping off in Port Canaveral at 8401 Astronaut blvd the morning of embarkation. We're staying at the Residence Inn in Cape Canaveral. We're hoping/expecting to get to the port as on time as possible as I'm hoping (but not expecting) to try for buying an upgrade at the port. We have a 11am PAT time so hoping to get there a few minutes before if possible.

Drop off the car around 10am as I'm assuming it will take a few minutes to return it? Then use their shuttle? Or might we be better off with a Taxi?

Any suggestions are welcome.

Don't hold your breath on the upgrade, unless you are willing to pay for that $15K suite that was still available a few days ago. It's normal for the Canal to run sold out, albeit with lower per cabin occupancy.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Don't hold your breath on the upgrade, unless you are willing to pay for that $15K suite that was still available a few days ago. It's normal for the Canal to run sold out, albeit with lower per cabin occupancy.

I know. In my 5 cruises, only 1 has ever had rooms available. But there's always hope. I buy lotto tickets too.

Any suggestions on the rental return?

 

[INDY1919A4]

Hey All, can anyone offer lessons learned, or suggestions on returning the car on Embarkation day and getting to the Port? We've always used Disney to get us to the port before this.

We're picking up the car from Budget in Orlando on Friday night (fingers crossed this time) and dropping off in Port Canaveral at 8401 Astronaut blvd the morning of embarkation. We're staying at the Residence Inn in Cape Canaveral. We're hoping/expecting to get to the port as on time as possible as I'm hoping (but not expecting) to try for buying an upgrade at the port. We have a 11am PAT time so hoping to get there a few minutes before if possible.

Drop off the car around 10am as I'm assuming it will take a few minutes to return it? Then use their shuttle? Or might we be better off with a Taxi?

Any suggestions are welcome.

I am all ears on this also, Doing just about that you are doing.. Was planning on dropping my bride off early in the morning with the Luggage, taking the car to the rental office... At worst one can walk.. About 3 miles... But did not know if there are shuttles or taxis there... Would be nice...

 

[tutumomickey]

Blessed Easter everyone. See you in one week.Better get packing! (Work sure gets in the way)

 

[GoofyNewfie]

I am all ears on this also, Doing just about that you are doing.. Was planning on dropping my bride off early in the morning with the Luggage, taking the car to the rental office... At worst one can walk.. About 3 miles... But did not know if there are shuttles or taxis there... Would be nice...

It doesn't look like it's walkable. I just googled the walking time and it says the direct route is restricted to walking. It's kinda funny, you have to walk all the way around. 11 hours walk.

Dropping the family off with luggage first makes sense. I hadn't thought of that. Anyone have any idea if that can be done before the PAT? Otherwise I'd expect to take an hour or so to drop off the car, and get back.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Ok, I think I've got it figured out. We're staying at the Residence Inn. On Sunday morning, DS and I will drop the car off at Budget (0.6m) at 8am and then walk back to the hotel. As long as the cruise shuttle for the hotel looks promising the day of, we'll take the hotel shuttle at $6/pp to the Port. If it doesn't look promising, we'll take a taxi.

The reason is that after reading some stories online, the car rental shuttle seems pretty busy so we'll avoid that by dropping off early.

Has anyone done taxis? I've been really stuck in lines on the DCL bus so I assume the price is rather random? Any extra fees for entering the port?

 

[INDY1919A4]

It doesn't look like it's walkable. I just googled the walking time and it says the direct route is restricted to walking. It's kinda funny, you have to walk all the way around. 11 hours walk.

Dropping the family off with luggage first makes sense. I hadn't thought of that. Anyone have any idea if that can be done before the PAT? Otherwise I'd expect to take an hour or so to drop off the car, and get back.

I will not argue with you on the bridge being walkable... I have seen people on it before, I have read on cruise critic
both people saying it is an they had done it and it is not... So we will have to run a couple of reconnaissance missions over the area to get the lay of the land that morning.

As yoda would Say "The Dark Side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is."

Per dropping off luggage before PAT. We have always got there before the port even opened and waited in either the parking garage or the parking lot before the port opened, so that is an option.. In the morning there will be a flow of cars going in to pick people up. we have in the past drove in and dropped off.. Then the wait for you to enter the terminal.. But at least you are there.

But we are worriers and best there 3 hours before anything opens then 5 mins after the boat sails.. ha ha ha ha

 

[jubjubrsx]

I know. In my 5 cruises, only 1 has ever had rooms available. But there's always hope. I buy lotto tickets too.

Any suggestions on the rental return?

strange been on 4 cruises and upgraded twice.... second time was to a disabled person (dont know PC term now....) either way that was the best upgrade to be honest.

 

[Huskiesrule]

It is handicapped accessible. I wouldn't count on any of those being available as I haven't seen them online since December but you never know. The only thing I see online is an inside, a verandah and the 1 bedroom concierge.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Per dropping off luggage before PAT. We have always got there before the port even opened and waited in either the parking garage or the parking lot before the port opened, so that is an option.. In the morning there will be a flow of cars going in to pick people up. we have in the past drove in and dropped off.. Then the wait for you to enter the terminal.. But at least you are there.

But we are worriers and best there 3 hours before anything opens then 5 mins after the boat sails.. ha ha ha ha

So it would be possible to get a taxi to drop you off early? Where would you ask to get dropped off?

We're also worriers. I barely made the WCPC in 2015. Went from a planned 20 hours to spare to 2 after all was said and done. I'm doing what I can to make this one flow smoother.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

strange been on 4 cruises and upgraded twice.... second time was to a disabled person (dont know PC term now....) either way that was the best upgrade to be honest.

2 of my 5 were repositionings. They're normally pretty full I believe. In 2015, we got there so late that there wasn't an opportunity to find out. Any rooms would have been sold out hours previous. Our others were peak times except the 1 that had extra rooms to sell at the port. So probably not so strange? But your reply fills me with hope.

 

[INDY1919A4]

So it would be possible to get a taxi to drop you off early? Where would you ask to get dropped off?

We're also worriers. I barely made the WCPC in 2015. Went from a planned 20 hours to spare to 2 after all was said and done. I'm doing what I can to make this one flow smoother.

Oh my goodness when you say 2 hours to spare as in boat sails at 5 and you are getting on at 3??????? All I can say
is that my Bride would not take that well.. There would be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.. And she would get a little testy also..

In the past we would just drive the car in just like we were picking up someone and go and park in the Garage like normal and park.

I know this may not be according to Hoyle and the rules.. But no one seems to care

We then set over in the parking garage looking at all the long faces of the poor folks they just kicked off, we try not to express any schadenfreude over the others predicament, for we will be there also someday. Then when they open the port we go across with our luggage..

Because we will be dropping off the car, I am planning on pulling up either up to the garage and let my bride off with the luggage or where people are standing waiting for a pick up. Then wait on the curb till the port opens up.

I will drop off the car then walk, swim or take the shuttle or taxi depending on convince or necessity.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Oh my goodness when you say 2 hours to spare as in boat sails at 5 and you are getting on at 3??????? All I can say
is that my Bride would not take that well.. There would be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.. And she would get a little testy also..

Indeed, 2 hours before the boat sails away. I cannot recall exactly how much time was left, and it's possible that the time continues the shrink the more times I tell the story, but considering (1) how far we had to travel and (2) we were supposed to be in Miami with about 18 hours to spare, we were down to almost zero time. I tell the story more accurately (probably ) in my trip report that I never did finish . The situation starts on the post that I linked to.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...t-wasnt-a-wbpc-2015-tr.3413131/#post-53717606

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Can you believe it, the weather was looking OK for our flight a couple days ago. Now we have freezing rain, snow, AND fog. I so am starting to hate fog...

Here's our forecast for our flight tomorrow -> "Snow changing to freezing rain late this evening. Fog patches developing near midnight. Snowfall amount 5 cm. Wind north 40 km/h gusting to 60. Temperature steady near zero.
Freezing rain changing to rain mixed with freezing drizzle in the morning. Fog patches. Rainfall amount 10 mm."

My fingers are so crossed. I've got a little more time for travel this time though so I'm not too worried yet.