Oh wow, Karen, that's a really early morning for you!

We come in around 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Don, we're getting that cold front today too. It's been in the high 50's here, unbelievable for late November, but we're expecting it to be down in the 30's by tomorrow, and freezing by the weekend (16C versus close to 0).

It leaves SFO at 10pm! We change in Detroit. We are going to take an immediate, looooooong nap when we get to the hotel.

Oh Julie, you will be a zombie like me! I thought getting up at 2am was going to be rough but now I feel lucky!

Julie and Karen :eek: Those are some rough flights!

I remember our first cruise, which also was our first flight. It was a red eye frlight from LAX to MIA on National Airlines (Carnival Charter). We got to the airport about 11 pm and we got into Miami in the wee hours of the morning and were put in a day room at the Holiday Inn for a few hours sleep before we boarded. :eek: Being a zombie was right!

A funny story. We were one of the last ones to board the plane. We had no idea what to expect. We heard all about being crammed into tiny seats, lousy airline food, etc. We didn't find that to be the case at all. We had two very large seats, great food served on china and crystal, etc. We didn't even know that we had been upgraded to first class and that there was an entire section of the plane behind us!!! LOL Oh, we found out on the return flight. I tried to tell the stewardess there was a mistake and we were supposed to be up front, but she just smiled! LOL

That's cute, Don.

I know I shouldn't be thinking of disembarkation, but I've never cruised through FLL, so when you get off the ship, can you just hop in a cab to the airport? That is, will there be a nice line of cabs ready for us, or do we have to pre-arrange something?

I know there will probably be the option of using a RSSC-supplied shuttle bus, but they tend to be outrageously expensive (and our flight is not until 2 p.m., so we won't be in a great hurry.)

Wendy -

There is easy transportation at the port to the airport. Our flight is at 4 - which leaves us a long wait. I was thinking of going to the nearest hotel, checking our bags with the bell captain and hanging out until after lunchtime and having my friend meet us for lunch there before we head back. You wanna do that? Very cheap cabride back and forth.

Kathy, that is an excellent idea. We did that after one of our cruises. We had stayed at the Embassy Suites there on 17th st prior to the cruise and then we had time before our flight so hopped a cab back to the hotel, had the bellman hold our bags and hung out at the pool and had lunch before going to the airport for our afternoon flight. They even took us in the hotel shuttle to the airport.

The airport's really accessible, right? Sounds like a good idea. Fort Lauderdale is a nice sensible airport, as I remember--how long before a flight do you think we need to check in? (Canada is considered domestic from most airports.)

We always like to be very early so I say 1.5 hours is good. I could order a van from Super Shuttle for all of us. Called Supershuttle. $60.00 for a van port to Embassy Suites for 6 people and 12 pieces of luggage.

Well so much for bathing suit shopping, I give up. I was laughing again in the dressing room today. I suppose I will just wear old suits.

Karen - you can shop in Florida before we board. They are in season there.

No thanks Kathy, I want my cruise to get off to a good start, bathing suit shopping ain't gonna do it! ;)

We have a department store here that has an entire floor dedicated to cruising with bathing suits, etc. I must of tried on 20 suits, that's enough for this year!

Oh well, it was a thought we can clear out from our already over extended brain! I am juggling packing, payroll, telephones, holiday gifts and regular work so I need the space!

Karen,
At least you were laughing--I'm usually cryin'!!!!
Jacki

Jacki, Karen weighs about 8 ounces. Not the "typical" lady going to buy a bathing suit, which is apparently the most stressful shopping experience for a woman! And those darned lights in the dressing room that throw shadows on everything from your face to your thighs are not a help! At some age (older than you), we just accept that "dimpling" is a part of it no matter what you do or what you weigh! And who cares, anyway?

Well, frankly, I just don't think they make swimsuits like they used to. ;) Now, when I try them on, they have all those bumps and bulges that aren't supposed to be there. :eek:

Oh Betty soooo true - those suits in the 60's fit me so differently!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Betty not only that but the sizing seems to have changed too. I used to be a size 4 - they just don't size them the same. :eek:

Jacki: Olivia weighs 12 ounces - neither one are "typical" I was a size 6 once - my ring finger -

Gee that's funny! When I was trying on that little red number, it was everybody else that was laughing! :D Now back in the 60's and even the 70's I could have pulled that off. No pun intended! LOL

This belongs in the weight-loss thread I think. Even in my teens I had body image issues, thought I was fat, was afraid to wear a bikini, etc. Now if only I had that body now! (I never had a waist, however, so was never smaller than size 12.)

I buy bathing suits (as infrequently as possible), from Lands End on line. I have my (ever changing) dimensions stored, so they can give me size recommendations.

Kathy, we're on for the shuttle. Do you know that Embassy Suites will do this for us (check our bags and allow us to sit around the pool?)


P.S. our nasty weather has started. Just crossing my fingers that we won't have some big stupid storm next Sunday, or freezing rain that would shut down the airport!!

I will call and check and I will arrange for pickup.

Shall we order a shuttle from the Yankee Trader to the ship as well? If the Embassy Suites won't I bet the Yankee Trader will. I will check into it.

I was wondering if we could share car service to the ship on Monday.

What time would you think about leaving for the ship?

Phyllis

Sounds good Kathy! I can't remember how many of us are staying at the Yankee Trader.

I hope you have time for all of this! Thanks!

I will see what the capacity of the shuttle is - 6 people I think for $60 plus tip at least to/from the Embassy Suites. Can't be much different from the Yankee Trader.

I would leave the hotel at 12-12:30 for the ship.

Has anybody dropped off their bags at the ship before they boarded in FLL. We will have the rental car, so my hopes are to drive to the port and drop the bags first, then drop off the rental car, and taxi back to board.

Don,

What we do at the airport sometimes is one takes the car and one stays with the bags. Easy to do there. Drop Diana off with the bags and have her wait for you. You drive right up to the porters there. Keep your own boarding ticket and meet Diana on board. Your luggage will be in your room by time you are allowed in it!

Don...Kathy's advice works great in FLL.

The airport is just a few minutes away from the Port Everglades. The car rental companies usually have shuttles running back and forth to the port so you'll be on the ship before you know it!

Thanks Kathy and Margo. I hadn't even thought about taking the shuttle back. I figured on grabbing a cab.

I know we looked at this before, but thought I would sneak another peek at cruisecal.com. I guess I didn't realize that it is just us and the Voyager in Ft. Lauderdale on the 11th and we both set sail at 5:00pm. Should be an exciting sail away.

We are the only ones obviously at the private island, but we are also alone in San Juan. I didn't see a single other ship.

In St. Thomas, we will have the Constellation and the Maasdam.

In Nassau we only have the Majesty of the Seas in port at the same time as us.

The day we disembark in FLL, we are joined by the Voyager, Carnival Legend, MSC Lirica, Enchantment of the Seas, and the Constellation.

We're lucky in St Thomas - It can get pretty crowded there with 9 or 10 ships at at time.

Just got back from three days in L.A. I have tickets to see Anita Baker tonight. I bought them before I had to go to L.A. I need to leave in twenty minutes to get to the show in the nick of time and then be up at 6am for a big day at work tomorrow. Boy, am I looking forward to this vacation! I thought about skipping Anita Baker, but she is sooooooooo good.

Julie: YES YES Anita Baker!!!

Ah, Sweet Love! What a smooth sound!

How can I check to see how many ships are in St Thomas on December 26th.

Doris, you can click on this site below, just plug in your dates.

Cruisecal.com

There will be five other ships in the day we are there <img border="0" alt="[bang]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

Do you know how many of us are going from the Yankee Trader?

Phyllis

Phyllis - As far as I recall, and my brain is on overload, Frank and I, David and Wendy and you. I think there are others too. Do you want to join in on the shuttle? That will be the 5 of us.

Less then a week 'til fun in the sun..
if don't catch up with you all at restaurant night before sail ..will have to have sail away in our cabin..got GS700.whoopee