Pre-trip report: UnDisney Family in denial about Gold Status -Norwegian Fjords - August 16-26 2018

Conorama

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Well, this is embarrassing.

Having inadvertently achieved a Grand Slam, and then having accidentally Star Wars-ed our way to gaining Gold status as we debarked the Fantasy last February, we now must admit to booking yet another trip.

Sigh.

Well, it’s go big or go home, I figure, so we’ll go all in (I’m sure I can fit more clichés in one sentence if I try harder), and I’ll do a pre-trip report, since this particular jaunt requires a LOT more planning than the last (oh dear) 5 cruises.

So yes. We’re going back. To the Magic this time, on a longest-cruise-ever-for-us 10-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords and Iceland Cruise - August 16 to 26, 2018.

Let’s see what DCL says:

10-Night Norwegian Fjords and Iceland Cruise from Copenhagen to Dover

Drop anchor in picture-perfect ports of call and enjoy 3 fun-filled days at sea. Visit Norway—the land that inspired the magic of Frozen—with sensational Scandinavian stops in Kristiansand, Stavanger and Alesund! Experience the geothermal wonders of Iceland in Reykjavik and explore Scotland’s iconic ruins via Invergordon before debarking in England on the windswept shores of Dover.

The itinerary is:

Screen Shot 2018-06-17 at 6.54.13 PM.png




Before I delve into how this happened, AGAIN, let’s catch everyone up on the family/introduce ourselves to those who don’t know us, shall we?

We are a family of 3. DH, turning (cough, cough) 50 on this ship, and on whose shoulders I lay blame for this mess we’re in, loves travel, and is honestly frustrated by how he keeps getting “sucked in” (his words) to Big Mouse’s Big Ships. Then we have me, who is not (ha!) turning 50 on the cruise, and who is still often irritated by Big Mouse, but who loves well-done logistics, and who marvels at how DCL does that part of things. We’ll be just shy of 15 years of marriage when we are on board.

And we have Conor, who is now 10. He loathes Disney princesses and Frozen, loves the ships, loves food and is turning into a Kid Chef, loves the kid’s clubs (so far), and is a raging extrovert child of 2 rampant introverts. He’s also a figure skater, karate aficionado, piano player, and generally (we think), cool kid and great friend.

Oh, and DCL Queen, from trip 2, and her 2 sons (ages 13 and 17) are also with us this time. They’re Platinum now. We refrain from bowing. They don’t require it.

That seems like enough for the first post. In the next thrilling instalments, I’ll explain the “Really? Really? Really? You want to book another cruise????” thinking, and get into some of the rather complex, but actually kind of up my alley planning, which is the main reason I'm writing this pre-trip report.
 
So why exactly are we flying to Europe to get on the Mouse Boat?

We shall go back to our 5th cruise… SWDAS, January/February 2017. DH and I decided to book a placeholder, just because, well, because. We really didn’t know what we wanted to do, but we nabbed a 7-day something or other just before Christmas. We basically ignored that for a month, until one day I came home and DH had an odd look on his face.

He sheepishly admitted that he had been perusing the latest DCL offerings and this one cruise kept popping up. (Really????)

It hit a lot of key points:
  1. It was a cruise we had never done
  2. It was a cruise to places we had always, always wanted to go (bucket-list-ish – especially Iceland)
  3. It was at a time when I could take 2 weeks off work (miracle)
  4. It was far enough out that we could save up (key, when talking DCL)
  5. We figured Conor would be old enough to appreciate the trip
  6. He would back in time for school

Oh, and day 2 of the cruise was DH’s 50th birthday. And it was about 1 month before our 15th anniversary. :o

So, I agreed we should move our placeholder to this cruise. We still hadn’t committed at that point (March 2017).

Much debate occurred in the ensuing months. I’ll spare you the details, as they were rather boring.

In the end, when we figured out we could get a decent price on Icelandair, we finally committed, all in, no returnsies, in September 2017, when we booked the flights. (We do not rush these decisions.)

And then, since then, we planned a bit here and there in dribs and drabs until the last month or so when we entered Full Cruise Planning Mode, but I’ll expand on this in future posts, since I found info about planning for this type of cruise to be far less plentiful than for the other cruises we’ve been on… and, thus, the pre-trip report was born.

Next up: Flights and timing issues.
 
Because when one is going to Iceland, we should go 3 times in 2 weeks…

I’ll admit that the flights part of things was causing me the most stress. I flew on a long flight twice before… when I was 16, and one of them was overnight. DH did it a lot when he lived in Japan, but that was, well, a long time ago. Conor has never done it. We’ve done lots of flights, but the longest was 5 hours from Montreal to Vancouver (for cruise #4), and I thought *that* was late (we left at 8:00 p.m.). We were also rather unpleasantly unprepared for the jet lag on the way back from Vancouver (see Alaskan trip report).

So, we asked around, and got 2 completely different sets of opinions:

a) Of COURSE you should fly overnight. You would want to sleep through it, right? Then you can use your first day to actually be out in day light (good for jet lag) and see stuff.

b) Of COURSE you should *not* ever fly overnight. You won’t sleep well anyway, and you’ll just be a mess when you arrive, so fly when well rested and then sleep for a bit in a real bed when you arrive.

That, of course, helped immensely. :rolleyes:

Really- it came down to price and what was available, especially since we had to fly to Copenhagen, but out of London or somewhere nearby. Prices varied incredibly. Icelandair was recommended by a lot of folks, and the price was right (as in, I didn’t fall over when I saw the total). It’s supposed to be a bit of a budget airline, with cool quirks. This sounds like us. (Cheap and quirky?)

Plus- I like the hats their flight attendants wear. That's good enough for me.

On the way to Europe, we ended up with:
  • Leaving Toronto (there is no avoiding my old non-friend of #YYZ for this trip) at 21:00, arriving in Rekyavik at 6:20 a.m. (so 5.5 hours or so) … which actually means arriving at 2:30 a.m. our time (stellar)
  • Leaving Rekyavik at 7:45 a.m., arriving in Copenhagen at 12:45 a.m. which amounts to 3 hours – so arriving at 7:00 a.m. is our time (maybe?)
Suffice it to say, that first day in Copenhagen will not see the UnDisney family at their shining happy best. However, it should permit natural light, and being outside for long enough to start timeshifting which is the goal.

For our return, it’s less scary.
  • Leaving Gatwick at 13:10 p.m., arriving back in Rekyavik at 15:10 (3 hours ish).
  • Leaving Rekyavik at 17:00, arriving back in Toronto at 18:55. (6 hours ish) – but it will feel MUCH later to us, of course.
Really, what I need is near-instant teleportation, but, hey, that’s not happening, so, we cope.

How do we cope? We research the crap out of the plane… (there are all kinds of folks on YouTube who will tell you everything you need to know about your airline …. I LOVE THEM), and anything you can get your hands on re: surviving and overnight flight. More on that later.

We splurged a bit for “Economy Comfort” after listening to friends and looking at DH’s 6’6’’ frame. It mostly gives us extra room, but that’s enough for us. They block off the middle seat of 3 in Economy, and you get food.

I also did a bit of a dance of joy at the 2 checked bags per person luggage allowance. We’re usually good at the 1 checked bag per person deal, but this is a longer flight, and it’s in Europe, so even if we just use 1 extra bag for the 3 of us, I will feel giddy. See last TR for the Big Purple disaster re: weight limits on flights. (I have recovered, albeit only barely.)

As you can tell, this was exhausting figuring this out. We then rested. Well mostly. 8-)

So- to recap. We will visit Iceland 3 times. Granted, on 2 of the trips we won’t leave the airport, but, well, it sounds cool.

OK … now on to other travel-to-and-from-cruise planning.
 
Lol, I love how you keep going on Disney cruises despite being an 'UnDisney' family. I look forward to reading your trip report--you have such a fun writing style. We will be getting off the Magic the day you get on! Enjoy! (This will just be cruise #2 for us!)
 


Getting To and From our Magical Mouse Conveyance

When planning these trips, you feel relieved when you book your flights. Then, if you’re me, you have about 10 seconds before you start to have anxiety about the following:

  • How will we get to the airport (3 hour drive for us)?
  • How will we get to a hotel in a country we’ve never visited before?
  • How will we find a hotel in a country we’ve never visited before?
  • How will we get around in a country we’ve never visited before?
  • How will we get from the hotel to the ship?
then (brief pause for air)
  • How will we get from the cruise to the airport in a country only DH has visited before?
  • What do we do the night we get back to Toronto?
  • How do we get back to small-town home-town?
So- much debating takes place. Here's how it breaks down.

What's the plan for the trek from small-town home-town to Big Smoke airport?

We are buddying up with DCL Queen & her boys, and we’re taking some kind of crazy SUV limo. Sounds ridiculous (it is) but it’s the least expensive option for 6 people, and luggage … as it avoids parking at the airport (or nearby) for 2 weeks, and, well, it will amp up the fun for the kids. (No, we sober adults will not be giggling at driving down the 401 in this beast. Nope. We are way too mature for that.) It's just plain simpler than all the other options.

Copenhagen Airport to hotel?

There are many options, it seems, but this falls under “just pay for a taxi already as you’ll be so tired as to not be able to cope with anything else”, so that's what we're doing.

Oh, and while we’re at it- how does one find a hotel in Copenhagen?

Many, many hours on websites work, it seems. DH found this nifty place. Basically- Copenhagen is EXPENSIVE, and you just need to accept that. We’re really only there for Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday all day. We’ll walk (that’s free). And, when we need to rest/escape, this place sounds awesome. It includes breakfast, which looks amazing, so that’s one less cost. Plus.. they have free wine hour every day, which somehow, makes it all better. Oh and it's near the Lego store, because Lego makes everything better.

https://www.andersen-hotel.dk/en/

How about getting around Copenhagen?

Fortunately- it’s a lovely walkable city from all we’ve read. We like walking. We need to be outside to deal with the jet lag, so it’s all good. We’ll be hitting the hay early anyway both nights, so no worries there.


And then getting from the hotel to port?


We’re still sorting this out one, but likely sucking it up and getting a taxi will win again. There is public transit, but it will likely stress me out more than any savings would justify, just because I like to know what time I'm getting places.... but, there remains some debate on this front right now.

Then, we get to relax about these matters for 10 nights. :thanks:

We don't need to think too much until we arrive at Dover.

So... how does one get from port to airport?

We aren’t doing DCL transportation as our flight is a tiny bit earlier than DCL recommends (we had no choice) but it should be fine. DH booked us in with some firm or other (I should figure out who that is), and we're planning on walking off with our bags just to make sure.


And then, after travelling straight for 14 nights….???


We *will* book the airport hotel in Toronto. This falls under ‘worth every penny’ in terms of preserving sanity. It will feel quite late to us when we arrive (LONG day of travel), so we would like to not have to face driving at that point. Plus, as noted in previous reports, I find there is a “cinderella’ effect (note the Disney reference)… as in, I go to sleep as “travelling mom” and I wake up as “back to the real world mom”. This makes for a smoother transition... or it least it always has when we've returned from hot weather to frigid winter, so I'm hoping the same will happen here.

So- the next morning, we will, what? Walk home?

Kind of no great options here. We will have split from DCL Queen & her kids, so the SUV limo is no longer an option (or not a cost effective one anyway). This leaves us with the short-hop flight option (notoriously unreliable), the take-a-subway-thing-to-a-train-and-then-home which is the least expensive option (other than a bus) but has way too many moving parts when we're sure we'll be exhausted. Thus, we have booked an airport limo (less fancy one). The cost made me weep initially, but better than figuring out how to haul luggage around.

At that point, we will collapse... that would be Monday the 27th, and happily for us Conor starts back at school on the 28th (he loves school, so that's good), and I'll drag my butt back to work.

With various transportation issues resolved, we then started to think what we'll do at the various ports .... but...... (FORESHADOWING HERE)


Up Next: Pixie Dust… or Is Big Mouse trying to SUCK US IN AGAIN?
 
Lol, I love how you keep going on Disney cruises despite being an 'UnDisney' family. I look forward to reading your trip report--you have such a fun writing style. We will be getting off the Magic the day you get on! Enjoy! (This will just be cruise #2 for us!)

Yep. Sucked in AGAIN. I'll trust you'll leave the Magic in great working order!

Thanks for reading.
 
Pixie Dust… or Big Mouse trying to SUCK US IN AGAIN?

As we sat in a rink in early April, freezing, as usual, but this time, doing so while watching the Grand End Of Year Skating Show (please note we Canadians rocked the figure skating events at the Olympics, and this was beyond thrilling for someone whose sport rarely gets air time), DH hands his phone to me, to let me know that we got an email from Icelandair.

We pause, briefly, to show you Canadian Boy figure skating at a lovely outdoor rink in Old Montreal… during the Olympics. Since we were saving up our sad little Canadian dollars for this trip, we only did a short winter trip down the road to Montreal this year… but this day could not be provided by Mickey. Buddy basically lived in his Olympic gear for 3 weeks. You can keep your Summer Olympics, folks. We live for the freezing cold ones around here.


Now, back to our story. I *hate* getting these emails from airlines. Generally, they are telling me that my carefully planned itinerary has gone to heck. They’re not usually letting you know something great happened. In my past, we’ve had:

“Oh hi. We forgot to tell you that we’ve now invented this budget flight experience, so you get a seat with much less leg room and you have to pay for everything now.” (Trip to Florida for our Dream cruise.)

“Oh hi. We forgot to tell you that your carefully selected flights across your huge country aren’t convenient now. Fear not- you’ll still arrive on time… but you’ll first fly East for an hour (when you want to go West), and then instead of a reasonable flight that is broken up as you had hoped, you get a 5 hour jaunt… because you went the wrong way first.” (Trip to Vancouver for Wonder’s Alaskan cruise.)

“Oh hi. We’ve cancelled that flight. But that’s OK, we’ve booked you on this one. Oh wait… you can’t get to the airport that early because you’re on a cruise? Well, then, you can sit and wait for 6 hours at the airport then, because that’ll be fun and about all you can do with all your luggage.” (Back from Vancouver after the Alaskan Wonder cruise)

Yes, I know this should be filed under major first world problems, but it does explain how I hate getting these emails.

However… If this actually comes to pass … we got GOOD news. No. We got GREAT news.

Icelandair is ditching their Economy Comfort level.

How is that good? Are we foisted back into regular “DH won’t walk after the flight due to no leg room” Economy?

Nope. We have basically won a lottery, and we’ve been automatically upgraded to “Saga Class”, which is their business class.

Before you get TOO excited, it’s not the lie-down type of business class (so, many reviewers say it’s not real), but, for us, this is a huge thrill. Bigger seats. More room. We think, less noisy. Better food? Oh my.

This lovely Vlogger took a very similar flight… so if you’re interested, enjoy.


(We have been, in pathetic fashion, watching MANY of those videos. No, there is nothing weird about that. No judging.)

We’ve read the fine print. So far, we think this is happening. Part of me refuses to believe it. We checked that we’re still sitting together (Conor and I are travel buds) but as we’re on the flight with DCL and her boys, she has pointed out to me we own about 25% of Saga class, so likely we’ll have a good Plan B if something unexpected happens.

This calls for ... way too many smilies!

:yay::flower1::rockband::hyper2:

Well, that was thrilling.

With that, I've covered the big stuff. Next up- what are we doing in our ports? (After I sleep... super-long day!)
 


Woohoo! I'm so glad you're traveling again. I love reading your reports.

We just left the Magic in Barcelona and she was in great shape. I can't wait to hear how things go in Iceland.

Also, my daughter survived her first transatlantic flight for the trip. She did great so stay positive!
 
Port Planning without Paddles of Power

One thing we knew for sure is that were were just plain done with any more DCL organized excursions. It's kind of funny now that I look at it in retrospect:

  • Cruise #1 - Both excursions were DCL (scared newbies)
  • Cruise #2 - Our one excursion (short cruise) was DCL (still newbies and one excursion was perfect for us back then)
  • Cruise #3 - We go "off DCL" for our first time for 1 excursion by plan, 1 by accident (weather meant we couldn't dock where we were supposed to, and we didn't buy DCL's line of "it's only an extra 15 minutes by bus" after looking at maps. We felt very courageous and proud (that's kind of sad but true), and it was pretty easy. Our final excursion was DCL all the way, and it drove us a bit nuts.
  • Cruise #4 - We did all but 1 excursion on our own, by plan, and the 1 we did with DCL had us cringing at times... particularly the 'it's a whole day excursion, and, um, no lunch" part of things.
  • Cruise #5 - We avoided paddles of power like the plague and went rogue/totally out on our own, and it was glorious. (We did stuff at both ports.)

So.... from #5 onwards, we have (we think) freed ourselves of paddles, and stickers of random Disney characters we don't know, and people who are lovely but don't read the instructions.

Thus... we are now needing to figure out what we're doing in a whole other continent. Eek.

Here's the current (near final) plans.

Copenhangen

No plans. :)

Well, we have planned to have no plans. We will be dealing with fatigue/jet lag/confusion, so we decided to be aware of what is offered, but not sign up for anything in advance. We are staying near Tivoli and the Lego store, so we'll probably hit those up. We know of some good places to eat, so we'll see how we feel, and decide in the moment. We'll walk- a lot.

We have contemplated the Copenhagen card, and we might get it... but, well, that's too much commitment for now.

Kristiansand

Well, this might be a theme. We are doing nothing. Well, we might do something, and we will definitely get off the ship, but we may just wander around. We are definitely not spending a lot of money. This trip is not what you'd call a budget trip, so we decided to spend money in a couple of ports, and behave ourselves in others. Again- the goal is a lot of walking ... where, we have not yet decided.

But really- we're just keen to meander, explore, shop a bit, and eat locally.

Stavanger


Here, I wanted a Fjord. Up close. I loved that about our Alaskan trip, so this was my only request for this cruise. I got my wish. We're doing a morning trip out to a Fjord on a boat, and then we'll chill out for the rest of the day.

Alesund


This is a super-short port stop so we're just going to walk around, explore, eat, and, well, you know. Of note, Conor is dead keen on the Norwegian men's curling team's trousers so, at all 3 ports in Norway, the boy will be on a mission.

Seriously- go google "Norwegian curling pants" and you'll see the glory that are their trousers. Yep. That's what my kid wants. We have doubts we'll find any, but we live in hope.

Rekjiavik

We are here for 2 days-ish. DH tells me we've hired a "Monster Jeep" to take us around (same person both days), including to Blue Lagoon (hot springs). This falls firmly under "this is not a port where we are saving money" because, well, ICELAND!!!!! (Bucket list.) We booked this eons ago, to be honest.

Details as to what else we're doing are still being debated, so I'll update once we have reached some kind of consensus. We have possibilities of glaciers or volcanoes, plus a beach.

Invergordon

Here, we had an odd array of requests.

Me: Nothing
Conor: Selfie with the Loch Ness Monster & Castles
DH: Scotch (lifelong devotee) - must visit distillery.
DCL Queen: Sweaters

We have booked someone who can accommodate this rather odd list. Once again, a few details are being worked out, so I'll report back once that is finalized.

So- to summarize, only 3 formal bookings, and except for the Fjord trip, nothing that requires a "we must do X and Y o'clock", which is the way I like it on vacation.

With that, I'll end this post. Next up ... what's happening on-board. Or maybe packing. I've got packing on the brain, so that may need to be next. We shall see!
 
Woohoo! I'm so glad you're traveling again. I love reading your reports.

We just left the Magic in Barcelona and she was in great shape. I can't wait to hear how things go in Iceland.

Also, my daughter survived her first transatlantic flight for the trip. She did great so stay positive!

Ah- thanks for taking care of the Magic for us. Is the renovated Cove Cafe still good? (Main concern.) The new restaurant seems like a vast improvement as that other place (forgetting the name?) just didn't do it for us.

Surviving the transatlantic trip will be the subject of a future post... any brilliant tips????

Thanks for reading. :)
 
So.... from #5 onwards, we have (we think) freed ourselves of paddles, and stickers of random Disney characters we don't know, and people who are lovely but don't read the instructions.
Last week the stickers were little ovals as we're the paddles. Think the port adventures logo. I think this might be due to the assumption that criminals somehow know that Disney cruises are expensive and therefore target Disney people. I've heard that sentiment from cruisers before. Regardless, the paddles and stickers, while still annoying, are less obtrusive.

I did one DCL excursion with my daughter (~4 hours to Pisa) because for just the two of us, I couldn't bring myself to figure out logistics.

Is the renovated Cove Cafe still good?
Yes! I spent a couple lovely afternoons there. My parents also enjoyed it. Franco from South Africa was lovely if he's still on board.

The new restaurant seems like a vast improvement as that other place (forgetting the name?) just didn't do it for us.
This was our first time on the Magic, but we did enjoy it. The things are quite entertaining. Did you like Tiana's? The show aspect does make it a bit louder and there are segments of rhythmic clapping. Lol

any brilliant tips????
Figure out early how to turn off the seat back screen as it does give off a lot of light. DD used a sleeping mask to get a good rest in. I might invest in one before my next overnight flight. Drink water. Lots of water.
 
Enjoying following along. This trip is on my bucket list. I’m pretty sure the Norwegian curling pants are from loudmouthgolf.com, my husband loves them! If they are not they have some very similar ones and of course the patterns change all the time. Take a look.
 
Woohoo, I knew your trip was coming up but couldn't remember your dates so I kept looking....and yahoo, I've found your PTR!!!

Another epic UnDisney trip, cannot wait to follow along with your adventures!!!
 
Last week the stickers were little ovals as we're the paddles. Think the port adventures logo. I think this might be due to the assumption that criminals somehow know that Disney cruises are expensive and therefore target Disney people. I've heard that sentiment from cruisers before. Regardless, the paddles and stickers, while still annoying, are less obtrusive.

I did one DCL excursion with my daughter (~4 hours to Pisa) because for just the two of us, I couldn't bring myself to figure out logistics.


Yes! I spent a couple lovely afternoons there. My parents also enjoyed it. Franco from South Africa was lovely if he's still on board.


This was our first time on the Magic, but we did enjoy it. The things are quite entertaining. Did you like Tiana's? The show aspect does make it a bit louder and there are segments of rhythmic clapping. Lol


Figure out early how to turn off the seat back screen as it does give off a lot of light. DD used a sleeping mask to get a good rest in. I might invest in one before my next overnight flight. Drink water. Lots of water.

Fascinating on the sticker front.

I totally get the need for DCL excursions in some circumstances and that sounds like one for sure. 4 hours would perhaps alarm me and make me worry about missing the ship otherwise!

Very pleased to hear the Cove Cafe is in good shape. Tiana's is the new restaurant- so much better than the old one from what I can see- but we'll see how we feel about the clapping! :)

Conor sleeps in full light at times, but the tip about the screen will be worth it for me anyway. I'm thinking of this: https://www.nitehood.com/nitehood-shop/ - it's Canadian, and, in my opinion, awesome because of how dorky I'll look. Bonus parenting points... :)

Thanks again!

Enjoying following along. This trip is on my bucket list. I’m pretty sure the Norwegian curling pants are from loudmouthgolf.com, my husband loves them! If they are not they have some very similar ones and of course the patterns change all the time. Take a look.

Those pants look awesome... but not in kid sizes. Oh well - we shall keep our fingers crossed.

Thanks!


Woohoo, I knew your trip was coming up but couldn't remember your dates so I kept looking....and yahoo, I've found your PTR!!!

Another epic UnDisney trip, cannot wait to follow along with your adventures!!!

Thanks- and I'm glad you're following along!
 
Planning for Packing Planning

So- my ticker thing says I'm 1 month and 23 days away from our cruise. This is why I'm in full planning-for-packing-planning mode.

This may seem excessive to some, but they are clearly not me, and they're wrong. :)

Seriously, though- due to the nature of my work, I have to plan my time leading up to vacation very carefully- because I am generally working longer hours at work as I head into vacation, so packing time is limited, and my brain is tired. This leads to egregious errors (forgetting socks). I am usually ready for bed at 9:00 p.m., so this system is necessary for sanity purposes. This trip is no different- I am working the weekend before the Monday we head to the airport, so you can see how packing is not going to happen just on Sunday. Couple this with the "I left my short-term memory in my 30s" issue many of us have, and this requires lists... most specifically, spreadsheets.

(If you don't care about packing - and there is no judgment - just skip right over this post!)

So- at the 2 months out stage, here's my plan.

A) Start to craft the spreadsheets- one for me, one for Conor; (happily- this time, I'm just digging up the Alaska sheets and editing). DH laughs at spreadsheets, so he's on his own, but has to put up with me asking 20 questions a day. :)

B) Use these beauteous spreadsheets to figure out what we need to get- basically- this means stuff Conor has outgrown, stuff that depletes (Sunscreen) and stuff that I just plain need - I HATE shopping, so you know that it's desperate if I go out to buy it. The goal is to avoid, at all costs, needing to go out in the days before the cruise to buy stuff. Right now, on-line shopping is very doable for many things, though I will have to ruin Conor's day at some point by making him try on clothes in a store since he persists in growing at an excessive rate.

C) Start to put stuff in an empty suitcase or designated laundry hamper that we won't need between now and then. At this point, it's not a lot- but we've got a few Fish Extender things, some clothing (as we're firmly into our summer- fall-type clothes are not needed as often), and an odd array of random bits.

The weekend about 2 weeks before, actual packing starts in earnest- it's not done, but there is a lot that can be done in advance at that point (on the weekend I'm not working).

With that thrilling insight into my process, I'll comment here on some concrete what do we pack and what do we not pack thoughts.

Things we don't pack:

Laundry hamper - we designate a drawer for stuff to be tossed in... and as it fills up, we do laundry. This helps with a few things- avoiding the horror of the laundry-line-ups at the end of the cruise (keeps us doing it a few times), and it means we only pack a bag to haul the laundry around.

Not-actually-over-the-door-hanging-things- We don't bring any extra storage, except that we all have a small toiletries thing that either can hang (DH and Conor) or that fits nicely in the bathrooms (me). Honestly- that's it. Granted, there are only 3 of us, so that helps.

Food & drink (with rare exception) - I'll preface this by saying we're very lucky but we don't have any food allergies. This means that other than what we bring for our FE gifts, we don't worry about food. DH may bring wine on board, but having done it once, we're not sure it's worth the hassle.

A whole lot of fancy clothes - we'll have stuff that is nice for the formal/semi-formal nights, but mostly we recycle them. :) No one actually cares if I wear the same thing to Palo twice, EVEN (gasp) if this is the same thing I wore to semi-formal night - there is laundry after all (most of what I wear can be washed). I accessorize, and all is well. This trip too- no costumes -as we don't do Frozen (except Olaf- we like him) and we're kind of past pirate night. No Star Wars on this cruise... so that's not needed. And well, we've never packed anything vaguely resembling a princess!


Things we DO pack:

Binoculars and good camera - I mean... FJORDS!!!! Totally worth it.

Laptop - I bring mine for 2 reasons- one to back-up photos and two - I type WAY faster on a keyboard, and we stay in touch with my elderly dad that way. Plus- in unexpected situations (like when our port changed in Jamaica), I am fastest at searching on my laptop. Yes, we use some data, but worth it. I don't stream movies or anything, or upload anything other than a few pics. (Note- I do not check work email... I pay the price for that by working extra long hours before and after vacation, but worth it for wellness). Plus- if you plug the laptop in, you can then charge at least 2 other things through USB ports so that helps. :)

First aid kit - we are not exactly clumsy, but I've used everything in my personally designed kit at some point or other on a trip, so it gets replenished and packed for sure when going away.

Decent backpacks - we all have one, because we love to be out and walking. We don't use all 3 on every trip, but they all have different features (and are different sizes) so we can pick and choose.

Layers - we are Canadian. We layer. This cuts down on packing actually. Plus we have a lot of 'transformer' clothes- e.g. - Conor is the king of zip-off pants/trousers. Probably half of what we pack can be used in more than one way.

Clothespins - useful on many fronts, though not always sanctioned (badness). (Yes, we have dried things on our veranda- but usually only for about 1 hour and they've been thoroughly tied or anchored via multiple clips to our chairs.)

Travel mugs/cups - we all have good insulated spill-proof mugs. They work for hot or cold. We do NOT use them at the drink stations (largely because we're not big on soft drinks and also because it's against the rules for good reason) but we will transfer a hot or cold drink from the Cove Cafe, to keep it, well, hot or cold. Plus, when not on board, we hope to use them for drinks and skip the plastic where it's permitted. (We do this at home all the time, so we're used to it.) Some folks feel the need to have dishwashing liquid to wash them... I find any liquid soap works fine so long as you rinse well... but that would be easy to add in.

Laundry detergent/dryer sheets - We bring our own- we don't do scents, etc., and strange detergents can precipitate rashes on Conor so they are to be avoided at all costs. It's easy though - we just use ziplock bags or the equivalent for our powdered detergent and double-bag it, and it's fine. Takes up virtually no space.

Fish Extender/Magnets
- These have become a tradition, so they come along!

Fun Stuff - While we very much enjoy at sea days- these also need to involve time away from other humans. Thus, we all know I pack my Kobo (Canadian Kindle) packed with new books to read; DH packs actual books, and Conor packs books, some Lego, and a few other selected activities that keep him happy. For this trip, we'll be packing our Harry Potter trivia game (easy to pack), plus a few other family games. We do have our electronics, but we definitely unplug for most of the time on board. For the flight and for the need to escape, we are all fans of audiobooks, so we have some new ones saved up with good headphones packed.

Now- I feel as though I accomplished something productive (yes, that's a total delusion.. work with me!!!). After I do some thrilling laundry and equally exciting banking, I'll start to update the spreadsheets in earnest.

Next up... probably things we booked on-board, or, as we call it... SERIOUSLY you platinum folks take most of the good stuff! :) (Fear not- it was all fine- just feel bad for those for whom this is a first cruise...)
 
As a fellow Canadian...It's great to see another Canuck on these boards! And I love your writing style! And I love to plan my vacations too ! (so much so, I became a travel agent!) And although I am a huge Disney lover, I can appreciate your un-Disney-ness. I have read all your TR's (probably didn't comment because..well...I'm a lurker) and have loved them all. I can't wait to read the TR as this is one cruise I'd really really love to do!
 
On board bookings... in which we kindly leave all but one character event to others

Being astute reader folk, we knew that this cruise would be FULL of Platinum cruisers... they tend to jump on these 'only offered once in a while' cruises, it seems. So, we knew that our first foray into booking as Gold Folk would be less open than it would be on other cruises.

We still ensured that DH would be up at midnight (not a hard thing) to book a few key things, and then we would (being wild folk) just see over time if we wanted to book anything else.

Mostly- we are opposed to too many on-board bookings, as this starts to venture into "Too Much Schedule", which I in particular oppose with vehemence, because I AM ON VACATION (otherwise known as "I have control issues and I don't like someone else controlling what I do every day" :) )

We nabbed on Palo supper on the same night as DCL Queen (and same time), with the hopes that we will be able to actually sit together (rather likely, we understand). There was no Palo brunch available (see... Platinum folks are keen on those). DH booked a few tastings and stuck me in for a champagne tasting (apparently he wants me to fall asleep that day ... and/or he wants my champagne ... either is very possible).

And, we booked what is known as the Frozen character meet, but the goal is to actually skip politely past those princess types and wait to see Olaf.

And... that's about it. Yes- please control yourselves. The thrills never end, really.

The goal onboard on day one is to make sure we are sitting with DCL Queen at Palo, and see if we can snag either a Palo Brunch or another dinner. DCL Queen has a very early port arrival time, so she'll go hold a place in line and then DH will join her when we board (we have 11:00 a.m. so that's fine for us).

Fear not- we do occasionally darken the doors of other events on board- drawing class has been attempted (successfully); we hope to find a cooking demo or two this time (Conor is now known as Kid Chef- he caught the cooking bug this year and it's awesome). It's good to have goals. :rolleyes:

That is a particularly uninteresting post. Hm. I shall ponder how to liven up the next one... Ok. We'll tackle FE and getting sucked into MORE exchanges on board- how did THAT happen????

Now- It's Canada day here. It'll be approximately 300,000 degrees out later today (seriously- 45 degrees celsius with the revolting humidex, which is 113 degrees in US terms), so KidChef and I are heading out (at 7:30 a.m.) to experience fresh air before we all experience a literal meltdown.

Happy Canada Day!
 
As a fellow Canadian...It's great to see another Canuck on these boards! And I love your writing style! And I love to plan my vacations too ! (so much so, I became a travel agent!) And although I am a huge Disney lover, I can appreciate your un-Disney-ness. I have read all your TR's (probably didn't comment because..well...I'm a lurker) and have loved them all. I can't wait to read the TR as this is one cruise I'd really really love to do!

Hey- Happy Canada Day! Thanks for reading.

There appear to be lots of Canadians on this cruise- probably because it times out well in terms of school mostly - Conor will be heading to school the day after we get back (sorry teachers!)... his board starts the week before Labour Day. Oh well... it's not like they learn the secret of the universe on the first day of grade 5 anyway, I think. Knowing him, he'll be fine, and I'll be falling asleep in the midst of conversations at work. :)

Off to enjoy things before we hit the humidex from hell.... :)
 
Hi! Just following along your pre trip report. We're Canadian and also going to be on this cruise. Glad to hear that they'll be a lot of Canadians.

We're arriving a few days early and spending time in DLP, so we're flying directly into CDG.

And yes, it's definitely hot out on this Canada Day weekend. It's way too hot for me to go out to celebrate. It is a zillion degrees out there.
 
The Perils of Social Media... with respect to FE and other exchanges.

Well, in case any one was wondering about the heat... here we have what greeted me at 5:55 a.m. this morning when I woke up...

Screen Shot 2018-07-02 at 6.02.02 AM.png

Yep- that's "feels like 32" at 5:55 a.m. We're lucky in that this afternoon it will "only" go up to 41 (vs. 45 elsewhere).

So, having done our "get stuff done while it's 'cool'" gig by 8:15 a.m. (all school crap has been sorted (90% into recycling), laundry has been folded, camp stuff has been organized for the kiddo), I figured I'd procrastinate and discuss frivolous matters.

Yes, in addition to FE, this time we are doing more exchanges... details to follow (and all in all, they're not bad).

FE fun

Long-time readers will recall some not-so-stellar FE experiences in my first cruise, with what I now know to be over-the-top-controlling-rules, we figured out our own happy zone in the land of FE, to the point that we did just a regular-old FE experience on SWDAS. We've abandoned pretense of craftiness, but go with creativity/stuff people like/use, and in a way that keeps us from going bonkers.

This cruise has a super-well-organized (THANK YOU) organizer, with the bonus (though it seems like cheating) factor that all our cabins are on our own floor. Somehow, I feel I'll still get my 10000 steps in other ways...

In case (unlikely) anyone from our group is reading this, I won't reveal our grand plans, but it may involve hitting up sales on the day after Canada Day for some Canada bling, but will also have truly yummy local stuff and useful things.

So- that's that for now.


Tsum Tsum - they breed like rabbits.

Many years ago, Conor got interested in these hamster-like stackable stuffies of different Disney characters. He had a collection of about 10. He had one big one of Winnie-the-Pooh in honour of one of his favourite figure skaters. I didn't mind the things because they're small and don't take up much room. Most of his were from Star Wars initially, plus Pirate Stitch.

Then... someone suggested the Tsum Tsum exchange.. and, Conor saw it. He has signed up for 3 different groups... this means we had to procure 12 Tsum Tsums to give to others and (of course) we will get 12 back. DCL Queen was kind enough to pick up a bunch on her last cruise for us. We still needed more so last week I raided the Disney store in Ottawa, and (oh happy day) found a discount bin of a truly random assortment of the things. By random, I mean the usual issue we have with "what character is this anyway???" but DCL queen helped us figure that out. (We're good with Star Wars and Pixar movies and a few of the classics... anything new is confusing to us.)

In the meantime, Conor has somehow accumulated more of the things... so we're now at 21, not counting the big ones. This means, we'll be up to the mid-30s by the end of the cruise, even if Conor doesn't buy any on board, which is hugely unlikely. Oh, and did I mention there is THE Lego store in Copenhagen about 5 minutes from our hotel? :scared:

Anyhow- it's still not too bad- i mean, the things are super-easy to pack, and reasonably cute. If he doesn't like any he gets, he'll totally Pixie-dust them (he loves that), so we may not have quite as many.

And, I'm not sure about the US, but they seem to be few and far between now in the Canadian Disney Stores... there were only about 4 for Incredibles 2 when I was there. (Edna Mode, though, is awesome as a Tsum Tsum...)

So- there you go. We are now packing some bazillion little fuzzy hamster things - some to give, some to keep, and any that happen to get created in there.

Recipe Exchange

This one was a no-brainer. First, it's totally easy (print out one of your favourite recipes on cards and give them out to those in the exchange). Second, it's right up Conor's alley. Dude has always helped us cook, but now he makes full meals by himself... and designs his own salad dressing. This is a Major Parenting Win. Not sure how it happened, but it's great. Equally great is that if he is in a bad mood, i get him cooking, and it goes away. (On that note, he's up for supper tonight- it's a stat holiday here so he's got all day to plan- must remind him.)

So- our only problem will be narrowing down the recipe. This may kill me and/or everyone will be very lucky and get 5 recipes for the price of one... :)

DH is all over the printing side of things, so they'll look good, with a cool pic of the kid cooking... perhaps like this. :stir:

IMG_5892.jpg

(Tomato, sausage & "not-vodka" vodka pasta sauce... from the MasterChef junior cookbook... which he made on his own.)

Things we did not do

Lest you think we've totally lost our minds, here is a nice long list of things we did not sign up for.

Magnet exchange
Candy exchange
Adult-only FE
Mixology
Open bar
Flash Mob
Ornament exchange
Group t-shirt purchase
Meet & greet in Copenhagen
Google hangout

Now- I've got no issues with any of this... if it (ha!) floats your boat... then go for it! We could have done the magnet exchange, but that started to feel like Too Much Work for vacation. Plus, it might have stifled DH's creativity on the magnet front, and we wouldn't want to do that. He may have (ahem) purchased a laminating machine, claiming that it will be good for Conor's school work in grade 5 and up (ha!) but really, he just doesn't like rules. :)

Hopefully that was less dull than then last post. I now return to my thrilling stat holiday plans of laundry, organizing, and, we hope, deep air-conditioning, perhaps at the movie theatre...

Up next.... hm. Dunno. I shall ponder.
 

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