Is there anything to plan for a second trip?

TestingH2O

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 10, 2014
Not sure what this post will become, but I'm super excited that we booked our second trip today. :yay::jumping1::banana::cheer2::cool1::Pinkbounc

My parents, DD, and I will have a 1 bedroom suite on the 5/2/2016 Dream. I cannot wait for another 4 nights of luxury.
 
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We are confirmed! Dream 00T 12024. We would prefer to be starboard, so I'll stalk the DCL site to see if anything opens up. However, a view of Castaway and the fireworks was not enough of a reason to not book this trip.

It was kind of neat to see that we have Castaway Club numbers this time.

Next up is deciding what we want to do for our hotel night before and transportation to the Port. With 4 people, DCL transfers are an option, but I don't want to mess with long lines and hassles.
 
Woohoo! I hopped on DCL today and 12524 was available. I emailed the TA right away and she was able to get us switched. It took about 30 minutes though because, since I had looked at the room, DCL put a hold on it. :confused3

Anyway, I'm super excited that we get all the benefits of being on that side of the ship.:jumping3::Pinkbounc:jumping3::Pinkbounc
 
Trying to come up with little cabin warming gifts for my parents. I just got a great Disign from Barb so I can make labels for their luggage tags on the last day. Necessary? No. But I want to do something small. Now to wait for a free labels from Shutterfly. Should only take a couple weeks. :laughing:

I'm also trying to figure out how to get Palo brunch for them as a surprise. I think the easiest way will be to get Disney gift cards to put on the account then make reservations from the concierge when we get on board.

DD will be easy. In fact, she may just get the same goodie bag as before since she didn't have much time to play with it last time.
 


Labels are acquired and look great. I got a set for my family too. Now we only have to write our state room number on the bag tags and one set will last multiple trips.

I also just ordered a set of playing cards for my parents with pictures from our last trip.

I think if I combine those things with a brunch or tasting, that should be a nice welcome gift.

Our 125 day mark arrived too, and I got all our requests emailed to concierge. I'll know on Sunday if they all went through.

Thank you Internet for giving me a spot to organize my thoughts and keep from chattering the ears off my family about the trip.
 
Cabana 5: check!
BBB on Nassau day: check!
Requests for CPAP supplies for my dad: check!

Love shoreside. It's cold here and cruise time can't arrive soon enough.
 


We have our pre-cruise hotel all booked. We decided to stay at the Homewood Suites by MCO. While the Hyatt at the airport would be very convenient, it's hard to imagine paying $400 more for that.

Plus, we can get a 2 bedroom suite! One bedroom has a king and the other has 2 queens which is perfect for us. After DD goes to bed, we can have a glass of wine in the living room. Then we can all eat in the kitchen area and get back to the airport early. That's going to be much more convenient than 2 separate standard rooms.

Homewood is next door to a Longhorn steakhouse for dinner (meh but I know what to expect) and they offer free hot breakfast.

I think we've decided to take DCL transport.
 
There is also a Bonefish grill, TGI Fridays, Cracker Barrell, Panera and Chili's right there. :)

Have a fantastic cruise! :)
 
There is also a Bonefish grill, TGI Fridays, Cracker Barrell, Panera and Chili's right there. :)

Have a fantastic cruise! :)
Great! That is awesome. Panera will probably be more our speed. No need for a huge meal before we leave. :D
 
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This was today. Luckily it's less than 3 months until we sail away again! I spent part of the day reading trip reports and dreaming of delicious beverages.
 
Interestingly, someone posted that concierge might be able to book tastings ahead of time. That would be intriguing so I could book my parents a whiskey tasting.
 
This week, we will hit the 45 day mark. That means it's really time to get cracking!

Concierge got us Princess Gathering and Frozen tickets mid-morning on our sea day. So, we moved our BBB reservation to that morning. DD will be all decked out for her princess pictures.

Also, I'm involved with a cruise meet group this time. What's funny is that our neighbors on both sides are in the group!

I'm organizing a get together on embarkation day and someone else is trying to put together Mixology. Those will be fun.

We are not doing FE though. That's something I'm interested in exploring for our 2017 trip.

I've started making a mental note about things I want to do this time that I didn't do last time.

1. Eat at Cabana's. We had lunch there are embarkation day and I never went back. In fact, I don't remember eating lunch most days.

2. Eat breakfast at least once. I always grabbed some meat and muesli in the lounge last time.

3. Let DD try the clubs. I just loved having her with me all the time before, but I'd like to give her a chance to see if she likes them.

4. Have a couple mixed drinks. Not that there is anything wrong with champagne, but I'd like to try some of the other specialties. Mixology would help that too.

5. Order room service. Since we will have a suite, I think we are going to do dinner in our room on Pirate Night. That should allow us to spend more time on Castaway Cay.

Second String

1. See the shows. I know, I know. You're supposed to see them no matter what. But there is always so much other stuff to do!

2. Take part in a spa special. There are some good deals later in the cruise.

3. Hang out on the sundeck. Now that there is a hot tub and some shade, I'd like to enjoy the area a bit more. Maybe also see Staelite Falls since that wasn't there before.

4. Vanellopie's. I'm curious and love a good ice cream.

5. Ask about getting another grand mariner souffle. It was, by far, the best dessert I had on the trip. If not that, then just skip dessert entirely. It's really not worth it.
 
Play me a sad song on a tiny violin. :charac2:

The new itineraries are out and I have a 0% likelihood of booking one. With a February 2017 cruise already booked, there's no way I'm booking another one for summer.

Those double dips look so cool though. And the 9 day Alaska?! Sigh. Here's hoping for summer 2018.
 
Hand soap! I almost forgot to get a bottle for the trip. I really hate bar soap to wash my hands so I've started brining a bottle with me. It's a decent $0.80 investment for my comfort.
 
Last day of work before we leave! Now, it's a 15 hour day so I can take care of everything and go to an evening event, but it's still the last day.

DD's ring calendar is VERY short. Only one more ring until the airplane. She's so excited.

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Today's the day! (That should be obvious since I'm wide awake before 4:00 am.) Let's get this party started!

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