Merry Christmas!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. 

However, if you didn’t get that one special gift you were looking for, give me a call.  We can put together a cruise to someplace warm or maybe a Family trip to Disney!

Good bye Osborne Lights

In 1986 Jennings Osborne started a Family tradition.  He decorated in tons of lights for Christmas.  By 1995 it became too much for his town to take, so Mickey decided it would be nice to move it to what is now Disney Hollywood Studios.

In 2003, the Residential Street underwent a major refurbishment and the spectacular went dark, only to return the following year in the Streets of America.  Since 2004, they have been in their new home.  Unfortunately, January 3, 2016 will be its last show as the Streets of America is being refurbished to make way for expansion of Star Wars attractions. 

As we say Good-bye to these fabulous lights, we can only hope that Disney will find another home for them in time for next year

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Only one more week until Christmas! 

Have you finished your shopping?  Have you even started?  Did you remember to get a Family gift?  What about a gift for that special someone?  Don’t have time to shop?

I have the perfect solution!

Tree at Grand Floridian, Walt Disney World

Put a cruise or a Disney trip under your tree!

Contact me today and we will book that trip.  Then you can wrap a sand pail or a stuffed Mickey Mouse to put under your tree!  Then watch the smiles!

I’ll do all the planning for you, all you have to do is call….and of course you are on your own to find a sand pail or stuffed Mickey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I get ready to leave on our Family Trip a lot of things come to mind.  #1 is how thankful I am that my family is all healthy enough to make this trip.  Not everyone has that luxury. 

#2 is how grateful I am for loyal clients and friends who trust me with the planning of their own great Family trips!   I could not live my dream of helping others plan life changing trips without each and every one of you!

#3 is how lucky we are to live in this great Nation!  Yes, there are bad guys out there who want to make us afraid.  Afraid to spend time with our families.  Afraid to visit any place that is not our home.  But if we give in to them they have won. Simple. 

Please don’t think I am trying to make light of the terror threat, or the information that has come from the State Department.  But, let’s put it in perspective for a moment. 

Every year since 2001. The state department has issued Travel Warnings at the holidays. They are all worded pretty much the same way.  There is no additional intelligence to suggest we are under attack any more this holiday than last holiday.  The difference?  Those horrible events of November 13. 

Look at the wording, what we are being told …be diligent, be aware of your surroundings.  The same thing you hear each and every holiday.  In fact, information you should always follow…especially when Christmas shopping!  Not to be safe from terrorists, but those every day, common, run of the mill bad guys. 

If we live our lives in fear of what ‘may’ happen, we lose out on all those things that ‘will’ happen!

Please, everyone, stay safe this holiday season.  Enjoy time with your family.  Eat too much turkey.  Shop a little too much.  In other words, do the things you always do.  A handful of bad guys are not greater than us.  Because we are FAMILY!

Packing for Disney

We are going to Disney!

Can it be?  Less than a week before we leave for Disney! Normally my packing is done before we get to the month out… but this trip is different!  This is the first trip in years that I have not made shirts or outfits for us to wear.  When you make new clothes for a trip it is easy to pack ahead!  You make it then pack it. 

But, when you need to actually wear the clothes before you leave (pesky school!), it becomes harder and harder to pack things ahead of time!

Then, add in the unpredictable weather and it becomes a real guessing game.  The 10 or so days after Thanksgiving is my favorite time to visit Disney.  All the Christmas decorations are up and the whole trip takes on a particular Christmas Festivity that is hard to explain.  It also makes for some really unpredictable weather. 

We’ve been that time when we could swim every day…and we have been that time when we froze our selves a bit too much!  One particularly cold November trip we were without hot water for the whole trip!

I have been looking at the long range weather forecast for over a month!  I am still no closer to a final decision on what to take than I was before, but I am pretty sure it will be warmer than it is here in Georgia. 

In my ‘Disney’ traveling career, I have used a ton of different packing lists.  Some have an overload of ‘stuff’ for every conceivable situation; almost an overload of ‘stuff’; and others have a minimalistic approach to packing.  I have managed to pare it down a bit on what our ‘needs’ are for each trip, but on one hand we always take too much stuff; while on the other hand we always find at least one essential item we forgot!

When the kids were younger, I would pack all items for each day in a plastic zip top bag and label it with name and date.  That way those cute socks would be there when the cute outfit was to be worn.  Unpacking at the resort was easy…you only had to throw the bags into the drawers and you were all set!  Packing a bag the next morning was easy…just grab an extra bag of clothes.

Then they got older.

Then they got opinionated.

This is when it got harder to pack!

Since the kids are 14 and 15, we are trying something different this year.  They are packing themselves.  I cannot begin to tell you how nervous this is making me.  Neither child has made any effort to even consider that they might need clothes for the trip.  Did I mention we leave in less than a week?  I can truthfully see both kids ending up wearing the same outfit each and every day!

So, if you see us in the parks and get a whiff of dirty clothes, please know it was not MY doing!

A few Ramblings...

So very hard to believe that in exactly 14 days I will be in Florida!  We are about to embark on our annual Family trip to Disney!  I know we go so much it is hard to think of a single trip as being something we do annually, but this is my favorite time to visit.  Christmas!

OK, so technically it is not Christmas, but it is after Thanksgiving, which all the retail store will tell you...it is the same thing!

This year will be a bit bittersweet.  It is Osborne Family Light Spectacular's final year.  While I am one of those eagerly awaiting the new Star Wars and Toy Story areas at Hollywood Studios, I am very sad to see Osborne go.  It is so sad to me, that I have scheduled two times to view it this trip.  

It will also be the debut of Minnie's Holiday...whatever it is being called .. meal at Hollywood and VIne.  I have never visited Hollywood and Vine with characters, so this will be an experience.  Especially since the characters will be in Holiday wear!

It will also be another first...Fantasmic!  I know, how can I call myself a Disney fan if I have never seen Fantasmic!  We have attempted to in the past, but things just didn't work out.  This time it is a Must DO!

Another few changes this trip...Captain EO will be closing while we are there.  That one is not causing me much grief, as it is probably my least favorite attraction of all time!  And...we are not planning on visiting it this trip.  And if a certain little boy decides he wants to see it, I will find a nice place to wait while they go see it!  

And...Soarin' will be closing in January for an over haul.  I am so excited to see this one happen!  It is one of my favorites, and to see the condition it has come to, is very hard to take!  I cannot wait to see the final results, even though I find it odd, when it opens back up it will be the same show...the new show won't be premiered until later...Boo.

If Disney stays on schedule, the Frozen ride should be open next year...just in time for my two youngest Princesses to have their first trip to Disney!

I hope everyone enjoyed the Travel Agent Awareness posts last week.  It was a lot of fun sharing some ideas I had.  

I think next week's blog post will have something to do with packing for a Disney trip...or maybe something about Sun Pass... or maybe something about Thankfulness... or maybe something about coffee...(which I sorely need this morning!  LOL)

But... I will leave with a picture of where we will be staying this trip!  I can hardly wait!

Future of Family Travel

What are my predictions of the future?  My personal feelings on the future of Family Travel is  it will start to be more focused.  No longer just having fun and spending time together, Family Travel will be more focused on things like education, adventure, or service. More focused on things that make up those Family values.  

We see evidence of this with more and more families using the holidays to teach their children about helping in their communities.  Service ... like feeding the homeless is becoming a holiday ritual for many families.  A natural extension of this will be Service Vacations.  Where a family will spend their vacation helping out.  This could be in economically depressed countries or in helping out in a local organic garden where the food is produced to be given to those less fortunate. One example of this is a whole cruise line devoted to social impact. According to Travel Weekly ... " In its first year of operation, the Fathom brand is expected to deliver about 35,000 guests to the Dominican Republic, where they will help teach English, work on reforestation or water purification projects or help a women’s cooperative harvest cocoa and make chocolate."

Educational opportunities abound in travel!  How about a trip to the Galapagos Islands?  How about a trip to Germany to discover your German heritage?  How about a trip to Historic Williamsburg to learn about the early days of our country.  

Adventure travel has already started to become a very hot market.  Zip lining through a rainforest.  Mountain camping.  Even working in a Dude Ranch! Whole niches of travel have grown up around Family Adventure Travel.  Hike through Yellowstone, bike through the hidden paths in the National Park, then encounter bears, geysers, and rapids.  All the while ending each day in a comfortable hotel room and warm food!

Take any of these and add in a bit of fun and some family time and it could be your ideal Family Getaway for the future.  This is where the Travel Professional comes in.  Time is precious.  Busy parents already have full plates.  Planning one of these Family trips takes a lot of time.  Coordinating all of the intricacies of lodging, food and activities; scheduling the air, transfers, and ensuring the safety of the tours, is a full time job!  Having a Travel Professional who knows your family, their likes and dislikes, on your team makes it work!

Your perfect Family Vacation awaits!

How does a Travel Professional get paid?

Have you ever wondered how a Travel Professional gets paid?  Most people really don’t know. 

There are actually two ways.  The most common way is directly from the suppliers we book your travel through.  These suppliers (like the cruise line, tour operators, Disney) pay us to service your trips.  But only if you book your trip through us.  If you book your trip yourself through a website then the website services your trip.  Simple.

Unfortunately, a lot of people use a Travel Professional as a personal research tool and then book their trip directly with the cruise line.  This brings us to the second way we can get paid.  By charging a fee.  Sometimes it is a research fee; sometimes it is a Plan To Go Deposit.  They both work a little differently, but basically a fee is charged up front to plan your Family Getaway. And usually they are non refundable.  After the plans are finalized, you can take these plans and book it yourself if you choose, knowing that you will rely directly on the supplier to provide the customer service for your trip.  

How your Travel Professional gets paid depends entirely on your Travel Professional’s business model.  There is no right or wrong. 

Just remember, your Travel Professional is a Professional, with training and expertise.  Just like you wouldn’t expect your doctor to give out free medical advice, or your attorney to give out free legal advice; you shouldn’t expect a Travel Professional to give out free travel plans and advice.

TBT My Favorite Family Vacation

Hands down, my favorite Family vacation was a surprise Family trip when I was 13.  And yes, it involves Disney! (sort of anyway)

Disney was going to open in October; and my 13^th birthday was in October!  I had been hinting and bugging my parent almost every single day since I discovered the coincidence!  I mean seriously-Disney World was opening JUST for me!

The weekend before my birthday, my parent loaded us into the car for a ‘drive’.  (This was a normal routine thing for us back then.  We would all load into the car and drive for hours, then find ourselves back at home in time to make dinner-Exciting, huh?)

Map of Florida...should have paid more attention in geography class!

As we headed south I just knew we were going to Disney!  If I had known a bit more about geography I might have realized we were on the wrong highway.  When I saw the welcome to Florida sign I was ecstatic!  A few hours later we pulled up to…the beach!  My parents announced that this was my birthday present.  They brought me to Florida just like I wanted!   My dad had made a secret reservation at a hotel on the beach. 

While it wasn’t Disney, it was cool!  Dad unloaded our luggage (where had THAT been hiding!) and we had a fantastic weekend!

While it was not the trip I had hoped for I discovered that Family Time was wondrous and precious.  All it took was a change in scenery to change attitudes.  All 3 of us kids became suddenly nice to each other (if only for a while) and we truly enjoyed the time together.

From this I learned a couple of things – Family trips are necessary.  And I should be more specific in my birthday requests!

Why use a Travel Professional?

 I have two responses when I tell someone I am a Travel Professional. 

•       I didn’t know they still exist.
•       Why should I use a Travel Agent?

To the first one I laugh and assure them I exist.  To the second I tell them they shouldn’t use a Travel Agent.  They should use a Travel Professional!

There are several analogies that come to mind. 

-I can change my own oil.  It is not complicated, but I know it is something I’d mess up!

-Cutting (or coloring) my hair is something I can do on my own, but I get better results if I use a professional.

-Anyone can go online and book a room; but do you really like that view of the garbage cans?

Yes.  You can book online yourself, but then what do you do when you have a question or problem?

A Travel Professional is not an order taker.  We spend most of our time researching and learning about the various destinations and resorts.  We listen to our clients so we can craft the perfect Family Getaway for THEM.  We are there for our clients from the planning until after they get home.  We advise them on the travel documents they need for their particular travel (Do I really need a passport for this cruise?).  We double and triple check the information on their documents (Are you sure he spells his name with an I and not an E?).  We check in with them when they get home (Tell me about your amazing time.  Is there anything I or the resort could have done to make your trip better?).

You don’t get that if you book direct or online.  

Family Travel

Today I want to spend a few minutes talking about my specialty – Family Travel

Families have seen a lot of change in my lifetime.  But one thing remains constant.  Family life is Busy!  Between work, school, after school activities, and running a household there is not much time to be, well to be a family!

When is the last time your family was all together in one place simply enjoying being a family?  How many times have you looked at your child and wondered when did they grow so much?  How much longer do you have before they are completely grown and out of the house?

Best Friends for LIFE!

That is where I come in.  I help you plan the perfect Family Getaway based on YOUR family.  One that will give you the time (no matter how brief) that allows you to remember why being a family is so important.  One that will provide memories to last a lifetime.  One that will be the best Value for you.

I don’t do cookie cutter trips.  Each Family Getaway is custom designed based on your family’s interests and needs.

I help you find time for a Family Getaway.

I help you schedule Family Time.

I help you save Time. (Bottle to put it in is not included!)

Day in the Life of a Travel Professional!

I really wish I had something glamourous here – Travel for Free…I’m a millionaire doing what I love…Famous Clients…  But in truth, being a Travel Professional is WORK!

The Glamourous World of Travel!

Do I travel?  Yes.  For free?  Hardly!  Am I am millionaire?  Uh, not even close!  Do I love my job?  Absolutely!  Do I have famous clients?  Not really, but I do strive to make them feel like Rock Stars!

My job consists of research; dealing with suppliers; making plans and itineraries (and then changing them a million times to make them perfect); waiting on hold to make changes on a client’s trip (sometimes so long it is easy to forget why…or even who I am calling!); quoting different options; and more research. 

My job consists of explaining to people that I don’t get paid until they travel (and only then if they book through me).

My job consists of going over each families’ plans with a fine toothed comb to make sure their getaway is perfect for them.

My job consists of putting my own family life on hold when I have clients traveling  I’m constantly checking weather forecasts and scanning the news headlines in case there is something that may affect my clients currently traveling.

I answer frantic texts and phone calls from clients with questions or problems. 

Yup, my job is not glamourous.  But when you see your client post on FaceBook about how wonderful their Family Getaway was (and you know your part in it) and how precious the memories they made together as a family, it is all worth it!

How did I get Started as a Travel Professional?

How did I get started as a Travel Professional?

Having a Special Needs child can make small things big deals.  This is true for the small every day details of life as well as those seemingly impossible things like a Family Vacation.

Disney became our family’s escape.  At Disney we were able to enjoy some sense of normalcy that was missing in our lives.  Disney does Disabilities like no other!

Many many years ago ... Miss B and Mr D in Hollywood Studios

It didn’t take long for me to realize that I enjoyed planning those trips.  Almost as much as actually GOING to Disney.  Soon I was helping other special needs families plan their own trips.

It seemed a natural progression for me to go into the profession as a Travel Advisor.  I wish I could say it was an easy transition.  I wish I could say the transition was quick.  Actually it involved lots and lots of training and time before I was actually truly a professional.

But it has been extremely rewarding!  Knowing that I help busy families find or make time for precious Family Vacations filled with memories is my passion. 

#TravelAgents  #WeExist #TravelAgentAwareness

A little Rough Weather...

 First a bit of 'housekeeping'.  Starting tomorrow, you can look forward to a daily blog for the next seven days.  During that time I will be taking part in Travel Agent Awareness Week.  My final blog on the Norwegian Getaway will be on November 14.  

The Room:

Boys really appreciated the selection on the tv.  One channel had nothing but movies.  Some old, some new, and some new releases.  There did not seem to be a schedule giving you the options, you just turned it on and got what was playing.  Made it hard to plan ahead!  The same for one channel called "your favorite shows".  It was regular broadcast shows...some comedy, some drama, and even some kids shows.  Again, no rhyme or reason!  But there was almost ALWAYS something on they liked!

  

Beds were not comfortable.  And this surprised me!  The ship was only a year old... hard to believe they already felt like they were a million years old.  Hard as a rock!

Category – we had a family mini suite.  ‘family’ because it was near to the kids clubs.  Mini Suite meant it had a larger bathroom.  The actual cabin was small.  In size comparison, about the same size as the Carnival and smaller than the Disney family cabins.  Balcony was very small (again same size as Carnival)  The three of us could stand on the balcony, but if more than one wanted to sit, you had to play a game of musical chairs.

The bathroom was GREAT!  Spacious and the shower was to die for! Nice and hot, lots of water pressure.  The body jets was a nice touch!  Large sink.  Two people could easily be in there at the same time.  

Extra Special Guest - We had the added pleasure of having hurricane Joaquin join us on our cruise.  At Tortola on Wednesday we found out we would not be visiting Nassau on Friday in order to avoid the storm.

Seas were very rough from late Wednesday night until early Saturday morning.  On Thursday and Friday it was windy enough that the deck 8 deck was closed.  On Thursday I saw water coming in the doors at deck 8, not from rain but from the spray from wind and waves.

Looked more like a glass lake than an ocean

From the Atrium. Thursday morning

From the Atrium Thursday Morning

Also from the Atrium Thursday Morning

On Thursday, our waitress at Tropicana Room had some problems pouring water in our glasses.  It was really interesting to watch the ballroom dancers from Burn the Floor dancing on the floor.  Only a couple of times was I able to see a misstep due to the movement of the ship.  First class.  I was having trouble simply walking and they were dancing!  (lifting and spinning….)

It was all handled so matter of factly, it was as if it was a normal almost every day occurrence. (I was later to find out that was not the case!) There was no sense of concern by any passengers or crew.  

I have always heard that a cruise ship was the best place to be in a hurricane.  And I seriously believe it.  Even though it was cloudy and the spray from the seas made it impossible to be on the balconies, the pools were never closed!  It never rained more than a few minutes of sprinkles!  The way the ship is designed, the wind and rough seas never actually make it to the pool area.  It is completely blocked from the winds.  However, they did close the rock climbing wall and the ropes course.

Our cruise ship captain was a veteran and knew what he was doing.  He was warned about the storm, and its possible path and was given a course that would keep us out of harm's way.  He did not feel that was good enough, so he picked up the speed a bit so we would be even farther from the storm that it was thought we needed to be.  His decision turned out to be the right one as the storm quickly turned to a Category 3.  

I've been told that some of my pictures of the rough seas could be a bit scarey...but I think they make the point of how safe we really were.  The storm was raging all around us, but we were perfectly safe.  Although I will admit the seas were rough enough that normal life was affected.  You could feel the bed moving in ways it wasn't supposed to.  

Rough Seas

On port days the ship was deserted.  On sea days there was no room to walk on deck.  Since we ended up with 5 sea days, the ship felt more crowded.  We choose to stay on board during our Tortola day, giving us a bit of the deserted ship to ourselves. 

The pool situation is one of the worst.  There is a play and splash pool for the little ones, and a ‘general pool’ that has two sections…one 3 foot and one 5 foot (approx.)  there is a wall between these two areas so a small child cannot accidentally go into the deeper end.

There is an adult only pool, where all the action is.  The only lifeguards I saw were at this pool.  There are also two hot tubs.  This area was always packed to overflowing.  No swimming could be done, but you could stand in the water!

Four water slides kept the adventure seekers busy…there seemed to be a minimal wait for each.  (although they all seemed to stay busy!)  The ropes course was intriguing, with never a wait, but always a lot of people there.

My crew was spoiled by Disney.  They were used to having several movies playing throughout the day.  They found only a few family friendly movies during the whole cruise…including one we saw on the Disney a year ago, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in 3D.  They found the 3D glasses to be lacking.  So scratched that it was hard to view the movie.  They tried to exchange them, but they all were the same way.

It takes more than old movies (like Annie) and scratched 3D glasses to impress my crew.

Speaking of less than stellar.  The mini golf was in terrible shape.  For the ship to be only a year old, I was saddened to see the shape it was in.  While it has a cute theme, Pirates, the paint on the foam was peeling so terribly it looked like it was years and years old.  Peeling paint, broken areas, squishy floors, and nothing to keep the balls in the area made it one of the worst mini golf areas my guys had ever played.  They were terribly unimpressed.

Buffet selection.  Not impressed.  You could count on the same selection from breakfast to breakfast and lunch to lunch.  While the quality of the food was good and there was plenty of it, just felt like old cafeteria food after a few days.

Complimentary restaurants had pretty good food.  There was a selection of classics that were available each night with a few new things thrown in.  There was one Chef’s choice each night and every night I tried it was superb!  There is a problem with the way the foods were named… a Striploin could be roast beef, a steak, or prime rib.  Sometimes the fancy name was not as easy to discern.

Gluten Free- one mess up.  Since there was 7 nights having one mess up is pretty good!  One night, the waitress taking my order the previous night was not sure if the one I chose could be made GF, so I chose a second entree in case it couldn’t…and at dinner the next night I had BOTH entrees!  LOL!  Since the amount of food was overwhelming with just one entree, there was no way I could eat them both!  I hated wasting food like that.

On last day I discovered there was a bowling alley on board!  Had we known that, I know where my crew would have stayed!

Over all I would not hesitate to sail on the Getaway again!

My guys at St Thomas!

Boarding at Port Miami

We weren't sure what to expect, since we had only previously sailed from Port Canaveral.  I'll be the first to admit that the maps for the Port of Miami were less than helpful.  The reviews I had read talked about how hot it was to wait in the sun for your turn to board.  Every where I looked it said either terminal B or C.  My boarding pass said one and my company (as it was a conference) said another.

We had made a dry run the night before (as usual for us) and had an idea but was still a bit hesitant.

As it turned out, there was no need to be hesitant!  It was pretty straight forward.  There are indeed two terminals...but they are just two sides of the same building.  (as in front and back or aft and forward)  The difference just made it easier for the staff to get you boarded as there were two gangways.  

We arrived out front and dropped our bags off with the proters.  This is amazing.  For a dollar or two per bag you don't have to worry about them until after lunch and some exploring the ship!    We then waited out front while Dad parked the van and joined us.

After we were all back together again, we went inside and started the short process of checking in.  Of course the first thing was going through the metal detector.  I don't know why but this always bothers me.  Maybe it is all the extra metal in  my neck, but I always worry that I am going to trigger it.  (although I ever do it still bothers me!)

A short wait once inside, for the few people in front of us to check in, then it was our turn.  The actual check in process was a breeze!  Took all of a minute and a half!  Verified our names and passports, took a quick picture and we were directed to go upstairs.

Here I would like to add a note.  I had checked ahead with the cruise line about Mr D's problem with waiting in long lines.  Not knowing how the actual process would work I was plenty worried.  (Carnival had a lengthy wait in a long line to check in).  They had arranged for an alternative boarding if necessary, but as it turned out we had no problems with the regular line.

Once upstairs we were given a boarding number group...1!

Boarding number Group 1!

The actual area inside of the terminal was huge!  All the reports had said there was no place to wait outside...and that is true, but I have no idea why you would want to wait outside.  The process was smooth and quick, so the only time we were outside was while waiting on Dad to get the van parked!

Inside waiting room for Port of Miami

Inside Waiting room for Port of Miami

Inside Waiting room Port of Miami

COFFE = Happy Dad!

Once we were inside, we found snack and drink machines for sodas and whatever, as well as free water (some with lemon) orange juice and coffee. We grabbed something to drink and found a nice spot to sit so we could watch the people get off the ship.

Here is one thing I loved about Norwegian!  There is no mad dash to get off the ship.  No waiting in hour long lines for your turn to get off (like Carnival).  The people leaving the ship were actually leisurely strolling...as if they HATED to leave.  

To us, it seemed like it took forever for them to get off.  In actuality, it only seemed that way because they were literally in no hurry!  There may be 3 or 4 minutes between each family getting off! Seeing that made me feel a lot better about the disembarking part of our trip.  But first, we need to get ON the ship!

Think of the terminal as a long rectangle.  It had two ginormous waiting rooms with great views of the ship on either end.  In between the two rooms was a third waiting room.  It held the priority boarders.  Those who had sailed multiple times with Norwegian and had suites..you know the VIPs!  THEY had pastries and what appeared to be light snacks served to them.  

While we waited for our turn to board, we talked about where we wanted to eat lunch!  They do not always publicize which restaurants are going to be open for lunch in addition to the buffet.  We have always gone to the buffet for lunch after boarding, but it is always a mad house.  So far we had not had any problems with Mr D, and were wanting to keep the issues at a minimum.  

It wasn't long before it was our turn to board.  We boarded right after the VIPS!  The crew at the elevators informed us our choice for lunch was not going to be available that day and directed us towards Savor.  One of the smaller quiet complimentary restaurants.  Once we arrived, we found it was not quite ready and sat in some comfy chairs to wait the short 30 minutes for them to open!  It was worth the wait!

They did not have a large selection of Gluten Free (of course who does on the first day!) So I ordered a Salmon sandwich without bread.  It was fantastic, even though it did have sandwich bread.  I learned later that was gluten free.

Our view during lunch from Savor

After lunch we took a short stroll around the ship to get some bearings and within a few minutes it was announced that our cabins were ready.  

Oddly, I did not get many pictures of the cabin.  The cabin was on the small side (similarly sized to the Carnival Sunshine) but the bathroom was huge!  A large double sink and a huge (almost double) shower with wonderful body sprays!  I was in love with the bathroom!  Our cabin was a Mini Suite.  Basically the difference is the size of the bathroom.  The regular bathrooms were much tinier.  

Huge Bathroom

This is the way the third bed looked after opening.  Not much room.

Since it was Mr D's birthday I had sprang for the birthday decorations and ordered an Oreo Cake.  The Happy Birthday streamers were on the ceiling with Birthday sprinkled around and a small cake was sitting on the counter.

At this point I left the rest of the family.  Remember, I was on a conference, and our opening session was about to start.

After my opening session I headed back to the cabin to find that most of the luggage had been delivered and my guys had put it all away!  I also discovered, that the Happy Birthday Celebration also included a CAKE!  So the Oreo cake was delivered a bit later!  Two ginormous cakes and I could not eat ANY!

The guys went on to do some exploring and I sat in the cabin to get things ready for me to go and explore.  

Suddenly I noticed the time!  It was almost time for the Safety Drill.  I decided it was time to go find the boys...but I couldn't get out of the cabin!  The door would not open!  Something was blocking it!  (yes, a lot of exclamation points but this was important!!)

Seems the last two pieces of luggage were delivered and were placed right next to the door of our cabin!  So I did what any self respecting Mom would do...I yelled...and banged on the door.  Luckily another Mom was walking by and heard me.  She and her husband helped me move the luggage from the front of the door so I could get out..and then we placed them inside the room.  They were VERY helpful!

And now for the most unimportant important part of the trip...the Safety Drill.  I know it is important.  I understand why it is required. Each cruise line does it differently, and none seem to do it as well as Disney.  It is fun and they make a show of it.  Carnival is well, it is horrible!  Norwegian walls somewhere in the middle.  At least we were inside.

This was our Saftey Station

Well, that concludes the main part of our boarding.  Next installment will be...well, I'm not 100% sure.  You'll have to hang around to find out!

Sunset from our first night at Sea

Miami Airport Hilton

Because I had to arrive the day prior to boarding (for some work related stuff) we left our house at 6 am and headed to Miami.  Yes, driving of course.  I hate to fly!

My first observation was...Miami is a LONG way from my house!  LOL!  Next, while we have gone on the toll roads in Florida, this is the first time we traveled so far on the toll roads.  It is more expensive than we thought it would be, and once you get to Miami, there is practically no way to get anywhere in the Airport area without going on at least one.  I can't wait to get the bill from Florida...they had tag readers and will send you the bill...next time I know to get a SunPass.  SunPass tolls are half the rate for tag read tolls!

My next observation...they have Earl of Sandwich in the Toll Plazas!  YES!  Now if they would just start carrying something gluten free....

We finally arrived in Miami around 4, getting into the airport area around 4:15 ish.  By 4:30 we were all checked into the hotel.  

Hotel was nice, clean, and staff was friendly.  All in all it was a great place to stay.  We had a room with an airport view.  Now, I know some would think that was an ugly view, but not I!  I am one of those strange people who love to watch airplanes land and take off.  Since we had a great view of the international take off runway (I'm sure there is a more formal name for it!) I could have sat HOURS watching them!

Miami Airport Hilton view 1

Miami Airport Hilton view of beds

Miami Airport Hilton -important view of coffee!!

I was momentarily concerned about the noise interfering with sleep, but there was no need.

Miami Airport Hilton - view from room.

I know, I know.  I am fascinated with watching airplanes arrive and take off, but hate to fly! What can I say, I'm strange!

The second day we were there (after my work requirements were met) we went sightseeing.  I took a ton of great pictures of South Beach.  I LOVE the architecture of the area. Unfortunately, I am a horrible photographer, and it had been raining all afternoon.  Since we didn't get out of the car all my pictures were taken through the windshield...seems my camera preferred to focus on the rain drops rather than the buildings...but I do have one that is semi ok...

Random picture of South Beach.

 That night we found a restaurant close by our hotel. Great Cuban restaurant on 7th street.  Casa Juan.  I thought that sandwich was enough to feed an army!  Now I have to admit, it is the first Cuban restaurant I have ever visited.  So I really have nothing to compare it to.  But I can honestly tell you, if we ever go back to Miami we WILL be visiting it again!  Yummy!

Next morning, we pack up to head to our cruise...yay!  We decided to take the tunnel.  I mean seriously...this girl who hates closed in spaces and hates the idea of being under water...loved the tunnel!  It was pretty cool going through it.

Tunnel...

Inside the tunnel.

So, come back next week and see about our boarding.  How does it compare with Carnival or Disney?  What surprises do we have in store for us?