Come Join The Valor Voyagers 6/12/05 Western Caribbean

[MizzouMary]

We'll be thinking about you and praying for you, lyndamr.

Take care!

[Snowball]

Good morning and TGIF to all the Valor Voyagers!!! :D I hope that Lynda and all the Florida residents make it through ok today with Frances.

[b]We are down to 40 weeks left until our cruise![/b] Has anyone started packing yet? :p LOL Has anyone decided what excursions they are going to take at the ports? I was looking through them again last night, and there are a few things that I am leaning towards, but still nothing definite.

Enjoy your long weekend! :)

[lhall85917]

Not sure on excursions yet - but here's what we're thinking...
Belize - cave tubing - trying to figure out do I book it online from an independent operator (Reggie's) or wait till we get there and go with someone on the dock? I've read that there are guides waiting on the dock and its much cheaper, but if we really want to do this - do we take the chance??
Roatan - looking for more information on the zip gliding or whatever its called
Grand Cayman - maybe Captain Marvins - went with him about 4 years ago, lots of fun and we have someone with us that hasn't been - if not, probably the beach and shopping
Cozumel - ??!!

The kids want to go to some ruins somewhere - not sure about that either

Other than that, for now just watching the boards, waiting for some ship reviews and saving money!!!

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you soooo much Debbie and Mcfinn, your prayers are working!! Hurricane Frances now is down to a Category 2 but still is way too large. The only problem she is now at 4mph and will soon be in warm water where she can gain strengh again, but knowing she went down to a 2 is sure a relief to us here. We are waiting and so far I have electricity as some do not already. They say it could take another 24 hours for her to get here. But your good wishes and thoughts are working and thank you again so much, can't wait till this is over but we aren't taking down our shutters after this one as Hurricane Ivan is out there, number 3 for us this month. So when this one passes we still have to watch the next one. Yikes again!!! Well back to the wait and see what happens.....I will fill you in when this is all over here. I can't say enough thank you's to you.

[heather307]

Debbi,
Steve & Erin T. are BIL and SIL and they will be having late seating as well. As of now, they will be taking the othe cabin but BIL does not like to plan things in advance so I mentioned it to SIL and she told us to book them a room and we will just tell him about it when final payment is due.

[Snowball]

Sharon - what is zip gliding? Is that the same as the canopy tour?

Lynda - did part of your hurricane preparations include building an ark? From the news reports it sounds like now they are more concerned about all the rainfall from Frances than they are about the winds. I continue to keep you and your family in my thoughts. Please let us know if you are ok when this is all over, ok?

[lhall85917]

yep, sorry about that - zip gliding is the canopy tour - I hear there are 2 different ones, one shorter than the other. We want to do the long one, but are looking to hear more about purchasing at the dock. Just don't want to get there and not be able to go because we were being too frugal!!

Good luck to everyone waiting and watching for the hurricane to pass. You are in our thoughts.

[Snowball]

Heather - thanks for letting me know who Steve & Erin are - I will make sure to show that next time I update my list. Now we are only down to 2 cabins that are unaccounted for - that's not bad at all, but I am still hoping that they start posting here too. :)

[Cruisegirl6]

Hi Debbie,

Well, thankfully Frances decided to become a Cat. 2 hurricane. We mostly got winds here in Ft. Lauderdale not much rain at all, although other parts of Florida got the rain. Just broken down trees, minor things here around where I live. Now we have to worry about Ivan. We lucked out here where I live with Charlie, then Frances, now need to worry about Ivan. Florida sure is having a bad hurricane year! Thank you for asking, we are all fine, only took down a few pieces of the shutters on some windows as we don't want to redue everything if Ivan gets here. We lost power 2 days and cable thankfully we got them back at least here where I live. :)

[Snowball]

Lynda - thanks for the update. I am glad that you made it through Hurricane Frances with minimal damage, althought I am sure that being without power for two days must have been a pain. Hopefully Ivan will continue on its southern path, and will not come north enough to reach Florida. I guess all you can do is take it one hurricane at a time. Good luck!

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you Debbie for your kindness and caring!! Lynda :)

Oh now I must worry as the kids missed school and still aren't back if they need to make up the school days, they are suppose to finish on June 2, if they must make up a week or more I am worried that I must cancel, I need to call school board and ask them when kids will make up the school time they lost, oh nooooooo!!!!! This can't happen!

[Snowball]

No thanks needed - just be sympathetic to me when I am complaining about whatever snow we get this winter. :(

I hope they reopen schools there soon so that they will be able to make up the days before June 12th!!! Even if they finish up a day or two later, would it be a big deal for them to miss those last couple of days? I know at my daughter's school they hardly do any work during the last week or so anyway. Just something to think about.

[sebastian01]

Hi everyone. I beleive I have the remaining two cabins that are unaccounted for. My husband Steve and I will have one cabin and our friends Tony and Ellen Cash have the other one. We have the early seating for diner. This is my fourth cruise, my husbands third cruise, Tony's 2nd cruise and Ellen's first cruise. We are looking forward to going and are debating on if we should book the excursions with the ship or booking with an outside company. The only thing we are sure of is that we want to do the tubing in belize. We are planning on arriving on saturday, but i have not started looking for hotels yet. I plan on keeping an eye on travel zoo for their specials. I want to think Debbie for putting this together. We are looking forward to the cruise. Kim

[Snowball]

Hey Kim! Welcome aboard! :D I am happy to see that you found our roll call. So now all of our group members are present and accounted for - YAY!! :)

Have you ever been to any of the islands that we are visiting before? If so, what did you do there, and would you recommend it? What ships have you sailed on? This will be my 5th Carnival cruise, and my first time sailing the Western Caribbean.

Here is a link to our [url="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=98"]group board[/url], where we have been listing information on the different ports of call, hotels, and airfare. Feel free to add any information that might be helpful or post any questions you have.

Don't be a stranger now, ok? :p

[Cruisegirl6]

Debbie,

I thought of that last few days they do nothing....but worried if this Ivan comes here they will be off more...anyway, they go back tomorrow so far we are safe, CAN'T WAIT TILL THE VALOR!!!!! WE all need a cruise so baaaadddddd.

[sebastian01]

Debbie, I have been on the fantasy, tropical, on a ship from premier before disney bought them out. I have been to cozumel and grand cayman. But, as you can see the ships I have been on are all old ships. That was pre children eight years ago. I have a disabled son that I am finally comfortable with leaving behind. We have been on mini trips, but I was able to check in every night. This is the first time I will not be able to check on him. I have very nice parents that are going to keep my son and daughter for me. Kim

[Snowball]

Lynda - Get those kids off to school, so that you can cruise with us in June!!! LOL :p Today is my daughter's first day of school, and I can't believe that my baby is in 8th grade now. Where did the time go? :rolleyes:


Kim - It is so nice of your parents to take care of your kids for the week so you and your hubby can get away. Just wait until you see the size of this ship - it is going to be much bigger than the ones you sailed on before. :eek: Plus it will be all shiny and new - I love sailing on the newer ships. :D

[Snowball]

Well, after making calls to several hotels in the downtown Miami, Miami Beach and South Beach areas, I am convinced that the best deals are to be found using priceline. :rolleyes: The lowest rate I found for a 3* hotel in downtown Miami was $89 plus tax, and did not include a shuttle, breakfast, or anything extra. In Miami Beach and South Beach, the lowest I could find for a 3* was 109 plus tax at the Wave Hotel, which included breakfast but not a shuttle.

I just can't see myself paying $109 for a 3* when I can probably get a 4* for around $85 according to what I've seen on biddingfortravel.com. Plus to qualify for a group rate, we must have at least 10 rooms booked with the hotel, and I am not sure that we could get that many people to book with the group.

So I think I am going to make a reservation with a 3* Miami Beach hotel, then if I am successful in bidding on Priceline I will cancel that reservation. This will be my first time using Priceline, so I am a little nervous but understand the bidding strategy. I will probably start bidding sometime in January or February - don't want to start too early or too late, especially since I will be bidding for 4 rooms. If you've used Priceline before and can offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

If others from our group end up staying in Miami Beach or South Beach the night before our cruise, maybe we can plan to meet for drinks somewhere and get this cruise started right. ;)

[Cruisegirl6]

Debbie, McFinn,

Here we go again.... Its a cat 5 going over Jamaica and My Poor Grand Cayman Favorite Island!! I do hope that Ron can get to see the Caymans when we go on the Valor. I love that island. Now we are waiting to see what Ivan does, they are evacuating the keys now, think it will go straight up from the keys to me, I am in Broward will expect alot of severe damage unless Ivan goes down to a cat 3 but its a strong 5. Here we go again. Only can wait and see again. Traffic lights still out in local areas around me, and your right, no electricity the heat and humidity was awful! I booked up a room starting tuesday at a hilton close by they have a generator that will keep ac going so I can go there. I cannot take no ac breathing was awful and I also have asthma thanks to my fibro. Well guys can we have your prayers again?? Thank you!

[Snowball]

Oh Lynda, you and the rest of Florida sure are being hammered this year. :( You and your family will be in my prayers, and I hope that Ivan decides to take a sharp turn and heads out to sea somewhere. Wishful thinking, I know. :rolleyes: It looks like Jamaica is really going to be hit hard. I hope that Ivan weakens so that hopefully it can minimize the damage that will be caused. Again, once things are back to normal please let us know how you made out. You will definitely need a cruise by the time this hurricane season is all over.

[Cruisegirl6]

Oh Debbie,

Yes, Valor please get here soon my cruise our cruise we need you!! Ok, I am going crazy. My pains are severe now (fibro), Jamaica may luck out if the hurricane goes to the right of it, but it doesn't seem likely. I don't know what those people are going to do, many of them live in not so good built homes, I've been there seen and seen what happened to Grenada. I found pieces of my roof today outside, worried....I didn't take down my hurricane shutters and have supply of food and water here. After loosing power from Frances and going through the heat and humidity and difficulty breathing, my parents who lives 6 miles away made reservations in a hotel nearby who suppose to have a generator. We can go there if we choose....I can't afford it though so I am unsure if I will go there or not. Luckily they accept animals/pets in as it is an emergency. I could never leave an animal home under such conditions. Not sure as I just made my mortgage today nothing else in my account. Too much pressure waiting long wait....thank you so much for all your concerns, kindess and prayers, Debbie, a big hug to you! And everybody else out there who have written with kindness thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snowball]

Oh Lynda I feel so bad for you having to deal with all of this hurricane stuff plus having a fibro flare up. :( I'm sure that all of the stress you've been under probably has a lot to do with it - my MIL has fibro and her worst flare ups always seem to happen during times when she is under a lot of stress. You can't control what's going to happen - all you can do is prepare as best you can and try to have faith that everything will be ok. Material things can be replaced, but people can't.

I am glad that you were able to find a place to go in case you have to leave your house, and that you can take your pet(s) there with you. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats (Snowball is one of my dog's names), and agree that I wouldn't be able to leave them in the house under those kinds of conditions either.

I heard this morning that Ivan has dropped to a category 4, but that is still incredibly strong. Hopefully the storm will continue to weaken with each passing hour.


Where are all the rest of the Valor Voyagers hiding??? Stop by and say hello so we know you are still out there. What is everyone doing this weekend? I am going to Atlantic City tomorrow, so hopefully the casinos will be nice to me. :)

[heather307]

I have been around. However, western NC is sufferring the effects of Frances. We have had severe flooding. I run a daycare and we have been closed for two days due to water outages. Our main water treatment facility had all of their transmission lines broken so all water customers have been offline. It appears we will suffer the flooding again with Ivan unless it changes course.

[Cruisegirl6]

Debbie,

I remember going to AC!! I used to live in New Hyde Park, NY for 25 years, then 2 years NH and the past 15 years down here. I always went to Bally's..but now there are newer hotels there. I loved it, actually when I visited NY last year, I went there for a couple of days and actually won. So you have a great time and win some money! Lynda

[Snowball]

Heather - I am sorry to hear that you are having problems from Hurricane Frances. I think that you see so much on the news about the hurricane hitting Florida, that you forget that other states are affected too. :o I hope that they can get the water system fixed quickly, and that Ivan takes a different course.

Lynda - Thanks for the good luck wishes - I hope they work!!! :D I am only about an hour away from AC, but since I'm not much of a gambler I don't go there that often. I'm not sure what casinos we'll visit, but I am looking forward to just walking the boardwalk and shopping too. :)