Pre Cruise Planning

Here is where it all starts...You want a cruise report...well here it is!

The trip planning started a few months back when B was at sea.I thought it would be worth trying out and seeing if we liked it.I had extra money while he was gone and thought it would be a blast to book a cruise.We couldn't talk about specific dates because of the whole security thing but I did get a feel for the times he would be home.So I started price watching...and they got lower and lower around the times we could go.So I booked and paid all in one night.And the planning began.
I wanted it to be kept secret from E and B but I couldn't keep it secret from him because he had to request the time off.So nix that idea..but from E..I knew I could do it!
I got busy on outfits for her to wear,Fish Extenders,planning excursions and my head was spinning.
I have done Disney Parks since I was 2..so no big deal planning things there.But we were stepping into something I knew nothing about.Terror swept over me because I have seen Poseidon and WOW that was enough to keep me off of a cruise ship.Yeh just a movie but I have a fear of drowning but I love the water.Go figure :)
Our itenerary was Port Canaveral to Key West,Day at Sea,Grand Cayman,Cozumel,Day at Sea,Castaway Cay and back to Port Canaveral.I started looking into shore excursions and knew that we had to have a dolphin something in there somewhere.So Cozumel is where I chose.Booked that without much hesitation beacause E has been wanting to do a dolphin swim like B and I did at Discovery Cove many years ago.So PERFECT...One shore excursion and other on our own beach days planned.
Time ticked down to B coming home.I was bursting with excitement and knowledge of what we were going to do and see THEN the swine flu hits..and our Cozumel port was put in limbo.They were canceling the ones that were sailing out before us and we didn't want Nassau as a substitute.Dang it I wanted to see Cozumel! Up until the Wednesday before sailing we didn't know if we were going to make it or not..Then late Wednesday afternoon...COZUMEL WAS IN OUR FUTURE!! yay
B comes home and tells me that he had a rough time getting leave because it was outside of the leave dates etc but he was told prior that those were the leave dates.So it was the Magic that just about didn't happen for us.Up until a week or so before he was stressing on telling me we might have to cancel.But it all worked out and we found ourselves packing before we knew it.There was lots to do and not much time at all.
Between him coming home,going to graduation,ballet recital,Sea World,my mama visiting us,B going back to work for a few days,Fish Extender gifts,packing,sewing and every day life...I had less than 3 weeks to get it all done! And as usual we procrastinated till the last minute...I had one hour of sleep before leaving out to go to PCan and had already forgotten the chargers and almost go a speeding ticket.We left out later than we planned but we got on the road and were on our way! E still had no idea where we were going.B told her we were going to Jacksonville to watch UP and to take clothes to Once Upon A Child.She was ok with that until we got to Cocoa Beach and she couldn't figure out where we were...Thank God for iPods and Leapsters :)

Next 5/30/09-Let the Magic begin!!