Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Our Home Away from Home

This will be our home away from home for one glorious week in June! We will be sailing on the Disney's newest ship, the Disney Fantasy.

Disney Fantasy

The Bow of the Ship

The Atrium Lobby

Because Disney Cruise Line offered a great deal on staterooms with verandahs, we'll be staying in a Class 4B stateroom on the 8th Deck. This is bigger than the stateroom we were in on our Disney Wonder cruise so I can't wait to see what it looks like!

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom 
with Verandah

We're also excited to try out the AquaDuck! Hopefully, the lines won't be too long.

AquaDuck 

Our last port during the cruise will be at Castaway Cay. The last time we were there, it was a little too cold and windy to be able to enjoy the water. This time, though, it will definitely be warm enough!

Disney Fantasy at Castaway Cay

We are really looking forward to enjoying our home away from home!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Check...Check...Check

Part of what I love about our upcoming trip is not having to wait a long time for it to get here. The part that I hate is trying to fit months of planning into a few short weeks. But I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!

So, the first thing we needed to do was decide if we were flying or driving. Airline prices are OUTRAGEOUS right now so we picked driving. That meant making parking reservations at the port. We chose Park 'n Cruise because they only charge $6.99 a day compared to $20 a day at the terminal. They have a secure, fenced parking lot, and you take your keys with you. They drop you off at the terminal and pick you up after the cruise. Can't beat that! We also loaded our SunPass with enough money to cover all those pesky tolls between here and Orlando and then Orlando to Port Canaveral and back. No more stopping at toll booths!

The next thing we did was make sure that one of our dog/house sitters could be here when we were out of town. I lucked out, and the first person was available. (We love her!) It is so much less stressful, on us and the dogs, to be out of town when you know there is someone staying at your house. No worries!

I also made reservations at Walt Disney World before and after the cruise. Although they are usually booked 11 months in advance, we were able to snag a Club Level 1-Bedroom at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We stayed there after our last cruise and fell in love with it. They have a keyed-access lounge that has lots of drinks and snacks available at all hours of the day, and the service there is wonderful. Can't wait!

After the cruise, we are staying at Animal Kingdom Villas. We plan to chill out, swim, and really enjoy the resort without having to rush to a park. This will be our first park-free trip on WDW property, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm totally looking forward to it. We're still a little "parked out" so I don't think we'll miss the hustle and bustle. 

Our door magnets are finished, our Fish Extender is ordered, and I'm almost finished working on our Fish Extender gifts. We've already finished clothes shopping so we're set there, too. Only a few more days, and I can start packing. 

I CAN DO THIS!

Friday, May 25, 2012

School's Out for Summer!


I love my job! I really, really do! But this has been an extremely stressful year. I moved from teaching 2nd grade to 4th grade so it was like starting all over again. That wasn't the stressful part, though. We have a new superintendent this year, and everyone has been walking on eggshells. Thankfully, I was blessed with a wonderful group of kids this year, and they worked so hard. We exceeded our goals, and I'm very proud of them!

That being said, I'm ready for a well-deserved break! Happy Summer!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

And Another Excursion Booked!

We're going snorkeling! 

Marc and I are going to do something that we've never done. We're sailing on a catamaran from St. Thomas to St. John, and then we're going to snorkel. 


Since we're in St. Thomas for such a short time, we decided to book our excursion at this port through Disney Cruise Line. It's a little bit of added insurance that if for some reason we're running late getting back to the ship, they won't leave without us. Wouldn't want that to happen!

We booked the St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail and Snorkel. We'll get to take a short ride on an open-air safari vehicle to a marina. Then we'll sail for about an hour on a catamaran from St. Thomas to St. John where we'll get to snorkel and explore a coral reef. We can also choose to swim or take a dingy to the beach. Fun stuff! On the sail back, you get champagne, fruits, cheeses, breads, and crackers. 

I'm so excited about being able to not only sail and snorkel but to be able to see the islands. My camera is going to get a workout!

Friday, May 11, 2012

We Booked Our First Excursion!

When Marc and I went on our first cruise, we really had no idea what we were doing. We had no idea what Nassau was like and whether we wanted to book an excursion through the ship or if we wanted to venture out on our own. Big decisions! 

This time, though, I feel like we have a better idea about what is going on. In the past few days, I've joined our cruise group on a DisBoards, and Marc and I both joined the Facebook group for our cruise. We've met some really great people there, and they've been really helpful when it comes to gathering information about our ports of call. So, I asked them if they had any suggestions for excursions, and within minutes, we were invited to join a group going on a Bernard's Tour


This tour takes you to some of the best spots on the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. We're going to both the Dutch and French areas, Oyster Pond, Orient Beach, Cayhill, Marigot, Great Bay, and Maho Beach. Maho Beach is in the picture above. The planes land right over the beach!

We're really excited about being able to see so much of the island, and that we're going to visit several beaches. Can't wait to swim in the Caribbean!



Tuesday, May 8, 2012

I Can't Believe We Just Did This!

We booked a cruise on the Disney Fantasy next month!!!


Marc and I had been looking at July cruises on the Disney Dream and had narrowed it down to a 5-night Castaway Cay double-dip. We weren't thrilled about going back to Nassau, but we really needed to get away. The past few months have been so hectic (and emotional!) that we needed the break!

So, tonight I got an email about a FANTASTIC(!!!) deal for the Disney Fantasy. We could book any stateroom room with a verandah, excluding concierge and suites, for a really great price. I was on the phone for almost an hour, but we were able to book a 7-night cruise for the same price as a 5-night cruise. The best part? We're going to St. Maarten and St. Thomas/St. John!!! 

Let the obsessive planning begin!!!