Sept 25, 2004 - someone's gotta be coming!

[MickeyzGirl]

I would love to book for the same time, same cruise...next year, but will be checking the Farmer's Almanac before we do. Marcy, sorry to say, but the FA is calling for 1 more hurricane to hit Florida before the end of the year. I'll write more later, just wanted to say hello to everyone & so sorry those of you I missed. I'm sure we all passed each other & didn't know it. Maybe we can post pictures of ourselves on the cruise & have a good laugh @ how many we actually saw on the ship & didn't know it. My DD "forgot" to bring her homework on vacation. She spent all day Sat & Sun doing it & still has more. I think she'll remember next time.

 

[kcashner]

To all the 9 gals who planned on the High Tea on Thursday--I'm really sorry, but I needed to make a judgement call. Since tea was moved to Friday AND I had no way to know who was sailing and who might have cancelled, I just decided that I could only make my own reservation. I did tell the guy doing ressies that we had started as a group of 9 and that if anyone asked, I'd love to have you join me.

I did meet some of you on the ship and everyone seemed understanding about the situation. I just didn't see any other solution. Thanks,
Kathryn

 

[allears]

Hi Kathryn, it was nice talking with you in the rain forrest room! It is so cool when we get to meet each other face to face!

 

[dinnysuw]

Alright, so I am nuts! just rebooked for the 9/17/2005 eastern (was going to do western the following week but wasn't real impressed with the itinerary) MissyOh8 will be there any other nut bags?? I will make it to Castaway Cay. By the way any word on how she held up during Jeanne?
darcy

 

[allears]

Not us, hopefully never again during huricane season! However, my DW and I are going to use our refund and discount to book a cruise just for the two of us this winter, mid-January through February some time. We're getting very excited about the prospect of the full seven nights on board and being alone together for a whole week for the first time in 17 years! WoooHooo!

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

We're unlikely to do another hurricane cruise, either, unless it's very early in the season.

We're looking at a 3 night for this winter with the 25% voucher (since we live so close to Canaveral, it's just a long weekend for us), and then a 7 night eastern in February 2006, when my youngest will be old enough for the Club.

Marcy

 

[allears]

We are planning on going in February 2006 also. Not sure which trip, but I think we're looking at the sailing of the 11th. We have friends from Canada that we met on the ship and have sailed with twice who are also planning on that week. We're trying to do a family cruise every year as our big vacation. It means very cheap trips any where else, but it's worth it.

 

[mmouse37]

Gosh....how did this thread get all the way to the bottom of page 2!!!

Did anyone on our cruise get their refund or voucher yet??

Jill and Tim....how was the second week of back to back!!! Miss you guys!!!! Post when you get home and settled!!

MJ

 

[kcashner]

No vouchers, no refund yet. Did get a postcard to review the resort we stayed at before the cruise. That just came today.

They've marked down the next 4 cruises......I'd like to go again, but I haven't recovered from last time yet!

 

[allears]

Well we've only been back a week, so we didn't expect to see a refund or voucher this soon. Our TA was told last weekend that the refunds are in process and they should be out within 4 weeks. She also had the totals we're due back. We'll be patient, as I can only begin to imagine the vast amount of work DCL has to do to get these last couple of hurricane cruises cleaned up. Stuff takes time.

We've already booked a trip for January 2005, just my wife and I! The discount and refund will more than cover the cat 11 we've booked. They should also cover air fare and maybe some shipboard spending. We're very excited about the prospects of being back on board for 7 nights, plus the chance to be alone with each other for a whole week. That's something we haven't done since our oldest was born 17 years ago!

 

[missyoh8]

wow alone without kids for a week.........wow..........good for you, you deserve it! Sometimes I think we forget to take care of eachother when we get so wrapped up in what is best for the kids, taking care of the marriage is what is most important to the kids!

we actually have received some credits to our Disney Visa (we paid our whole trip on it). Not done yet, I called to get refund amounts and we were pleased with the verbal refund offer we received. She said it could take some time..............

do you mean the next two cruises are marked down for this month??? I don't think I could take the kids out of school again? But you know taking care of the marriage is what is most important to the kids! wonder what grandma and grandpa are doing the next couple weeks? lol

have a good one,
missy

 

[allears]

wow alone without kids for a week

I know, this is so cool. We weren't sure we could do this without feeling quilty, but hey our kids have been on 4 cruises, so I think they've been spoiled enough! We're really getting excited about this concept, though it will be a different experience without the kids, we always have a great time with them.


"do you mean the next two cruises are marked down for this month??? I don't think I could take the kids out of school again? But you know taking care of the marriage is what is most important to the kids! wonder what grandma and grandpa are doing the next couple weeks? lol"

Not sure about this question. We have the January 15th 2005 booked, and we'll be using the refund and voucher. We're hoping some time after that to book a 7 night trip for February of 2006 with the whole family. We talked about trying to squeak one out this winter, but we couldn't get the numbers down far enough to have the refund pay for all of us. And we were also a bit concerned about taking them out of school again. We've acutally done this in the past, taken them out twice in a year, but we've come to like the idea of going alone even better. Grandma and grandpa unfortuneatley live in South Carolina, but my sister in law has already volunteered to keep our children. She said, happy parents make happy kids!

Our best friends, Annie's parents, were already booked on a Carnival Cruise for February. We briefly toyed with the idea of sailing with them. Our DCL refund would have been enough to cover an inside cabin, but we'd loose the discount. The thought of being on another ship and seeing the Magic across the port was too much to take, so we're sticking with the Magic.

This will be a whole different experience for us and one we're really looking forward to!

 

[kcashner]

What I meant was that I checked on the internet and saw that the cruises thru the first week in November are reduced in price. THey were starting at $799 per person for a cat 12 gty. Of course, that can change at any time as the ship fills.

There's no way I can do another one so soon, even though I'd love to.....we're already booked for next August, so don't know if I'll do another before that.

Yes, we really love cruising....the easiest way for Mom to travel!!!

 

[fourfoxesinpa]

We received our refund very promptly. It was on our Disney Visa when we got home. Was in several different parts. I think it was a refund on 1) on our $1K deposit 2) On the balance due 3) another refund for not going to Key West or Grand Cayman and possibly Castaway Cay since it's a Bahamian island? Now if I get reimbursed by the Travel Insurance Co. as quickly, I'll be one happy camper.

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by allears
I know, this is so cool. We weren't sure we could do this without feeling quilty, but hey our kids have been on 4 cruises, so I think they've been spoiled enough! We're really getting excited about this concept, though it will be a different experience without the kids, we always have a great time with them.

How old is your youngest? About 9 or 10? (and please forgive me if I've made him younger than he is . . . I'm really bad at guessing the age of anyone between 8 and 25 nowadays). We're counting down the years to a child-free guilt-free vacation!

As an aside, I looked at my Visa statement today and we've been refunded money from DCL on three separate transactions -- it totals about 30% of the gross vacation fare, which is probably about 40% of the net cruise fare. Much of that was refunded before the cruise was even over. I know that a lot of people are unhappy with the hurricane cruises, but in the end that cruise cost us $290 per person if you include the discount and the $300 onboard credit!

 

[allears]

Our youngest is 8. And I'm pretty dismal about age guessing as well. We haven't really given much thought to being empty nesters, but what a treat this will be. Though I think it will be a little weird and we'll miss the joy they bring to our times together on the ship. But we'll suffer through it We just can't believe how obsessed we already are with the idea of being back on the ship, I'm almost ready to pack.

 

[two-foxes]

Hey, all....
back from the back to backs....the 40% that we got back from the 9/25 allowed us a little more wiggle room for spending on #2, so we (or should I say Tim) went all out on the spa! It was a treat! Cruise #2 went off with out a hitch....other than me having to toss the patch after my eyes got all weird. Just took the sea calm all was just fine. CC was beautiful, despite the damage, but the crew there had to have worked their tails off getting it ready for us.

As far as booking in hurricane season again....we rebooked for 10/14/06 on board with the same group of Dis'ers that we met on the 10/02. I'll take the chance. We may utilize our 25% voucher to sneak in a 4 night cruise for 2005, the 9/25/05 cruise to be exact , because we were trying to ease up on our vacation expenses for 2005 (no more repo cruise!)

I am disappointed we didn't get to meet up as planned, but it was so good running into some of you!

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Okay -- we've taken the plunge and booked the February 4, 2006 Eastern. It seems like such a long way off, but most of the cat 9s were already taken.

Anyone want to join us?

We'll probably wait for a FL resident rate on a 3 day thi winter. ::crossing fingers::