Dreaming Away plus Kennedy - the Lurker returns

[lklasing 16]

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

What a great day! I of course woke up first and decided to be brave and head down to the fitness room of the Country Inn and Suites. It wasn’t the most modern exercise spot I’ve ever been in, but it was good to go there and try to do something before I turned into a total glutton on the ship. :D After sleeping to a more reasonable hour, Ray joined me and worked out too. :)

After helping Tiger wake up his kids, everyone got ready, had a healthy, delicious breakfast at the complimentary breakfast room (it was adequate, but not much more than that), then we had fun doing the final packing up and jumping in our cab to Port Canaveral! :banana:

When we were on the way, it seemed like the drive lasted forever. Finally we got there, and we all were blown away by the size and beauty.

This is Elise getting her fist glimpse at the ship:

We got to the port, made it through security, checked in for the trip, checked in for the kids’ club, then finally made it onto the ship! Despite the fact that it was all totally new and foreign to me, it was easy and fun. We wound up with our cabin having boarding group 4 and the others 5,but a CM told me that they don’t pay any attention to how many guests in with a particular card, so we all cruised in under my number. After a few pictures, we all headed to Cabanas for lunch. We were there and eating by 11:45 with an 11:00 boarding time. Not too bad!

In the Port:

My apologies to TCD for stealing this pic! But in my defense, I had no idea he was going to go on a cruise right before us and post the same pictures:

Like Ray’s shirt? This is a close-up:

Isn't it fun? I found it on Ebay. Ray was worried about having a used shirt, but I told him it was just "vintage". :)

More soon!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Here we go! Now walk through those ears and carry on with this report!!

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I am soo jealous!!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Looks like you guys are ready to go. Can't wait for pictures from the ship.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

:suspense: Can't wait!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Love the terminal pics!!!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I am aboard!

I love the report already!

Those mouse ear photos in the terminal are hilarious! I love seeing other guests do that.

I can't wait to see what is coming next.

I don't know what to think about Grandma Fabulous. She looks nice enough in the photos. But she won't wear matching T-shirts? I hope she loosened up a bit on the cruise.

TCD

[We4mickey 6]

Can't wait to read more. I'm sure your report will be as exciting as TCD's.

[LORNADUCK 261]

Thanks everyone for reading and commenting! For those who have never been to Kennedy but live close, you have to go! It was a really fun day not just for space geek Ray but for me too. Definitely take a tour or two when you go - I think we got so much more out of it than we would have otherwise.

Fortpartyof4, that is such a cool story! Sleeping under that rocket would be the neatest thing!

I also live close but haven't been there in years. That is going to change on Monday, Rich's son is coming down with the girls and we are taking the MH and going over for the day. They are 5 and 9. Thanks for sharing Leslie I always enjoy your TR's

[lklasing 16]

Thanks, guys! I really do appreciate the comments! We4Mickey is doomed to be disappointed, though - nothing can compare to a TCD report!

Entering the ship in just a minute!

[lklasing 16]

Finally on the ship:

After lunch, we all split up for a while. Grandmother Fabulous disappeared to do who knows what, Tiger, Evan, Elise and Jody hit the pools and the Aqua Duck, and Ray, Danielle and I scoped out the ship. We had a very long tour of the spa and workout facility, resulting in one 16 year old girl dying to have a massage. We’ll see how that works out for her.

Jody and Evan on the Aqua Duck:

Danielle checking out the Vibe and getting a tiny teaser massage at the spa (before they figured out she was only 16!):

Finally, I hooked up with Jody and took her also to the Vibe, then found Ray and Danielle partying on the deck:

Jody is tall, but not nearly as tall as she looks in this picture!

Check out Ray on the JumboTron!

As much fun as we were having, this chick was having even more fun:

After running into Tiger and his kids having ice cream, Ray and I finally retreated to one of the several adult only areas we visited this trip – the Cove Café:

Of course, the adult only thing isn’t really enforced, as evidenced by these girls at the adult only pool:

We eventually headed back to the room to unpack some more and then headed out to muster drill. No life jackets were required, thankfully, but we spent a decent amount of time spent standing on Deck 4 waiting on everyone to show up. It was a little warm, but not unbearable.

Finally, we were off to dinner at the Enchanted Garden.

(Check out my shirt – anyone know who else apparently was wearing almost this exact same shirt that night?)

I think we freaked out serving team by our unorthodox way of handling dinner. First, Grandmother Fabulous doesn’t really eat very much (despite me nagging her to eat more). Add to that the fact that she had a massage lined up that night and you end up with Grandmother bailing on dinner before the entrees arrived. Next, all the kids were about to have a fit to get to the clubs, so Danielle and Jody took Evan and Elise to their club, then hit the Vibe. The girls made friends, went on a night swim, played some midnight dodge ball – good stuff.

Next up - adult evening activities! (No, not that kind!)

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Thanks, guys! I really do appreciate the comments! We4Mickey is doomed to be disappointed, though - nothing can compare to a TCD report!

Entering the ship in just a minute!

Having read your TR's in the past, yes they are different from TCD's, but they are great TR's. The style is different but that is part of what makes it fun, everyone's own spin on things.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Beautiful family, long legs, super-crowded sail away party, adult only areas. Love the photos, looking forward to more!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Late to the party...but better late than never! I am in for the long haul. Great Start!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That sail away party looks like a zoo....does it feel as crowded as it looks?

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Did I see a rhino face in there?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great update, Leslie-

I think it's awesome that you and Goofy had matching shirts. Did you plan that?

Good job to Ray for getting on the big screen!

I'd love to hear some more details about your trip, such as:

1. Did you have the main seating? You didn't mention the show before dinner, so I am guessing that you did.

2. How did you all handle the cabins? Was GF in one of your cabins, or did she have her own? Were you all on the same deck?

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Great Update... I have to say that Ray looks to be having a blast!(reminds me of another fiend dad) DD is quite tall looking in that picture. Good for her for sneaking in a teaser massage.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Thanks for sharing! I would really love to hear about how the younger kids enjoyed thier activiities!

[Seals 111]

Enjoying this TR. We went to KSC last summer for a day and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would and my husband and sons, who are more into space stuff than I am, really enjoyed it.

Love the daughter Cinderella and the green sandal glass slipper picture too.

The Dream trip I thought I was going to be planning for this Dec. is likely not going to work out, but I'm determined to go on one in 2013 if it doesn't. So I'm following your fun closely.

[caveat lector 181]

Great TR. that mass of people on deck for the sail away party looks insane. Going to one of the adults only area seems like a super smart play

[lklasing 16]

Thanks for commenting, y'all! Here are a few answers to questions:

That sail away party looks like a zoo....does it feel as crowded as it looks?

Dave, the view from the deck above the pool deck makes it look far worse than it was. When you were down there in the mix, there was a bunch of elbow/dancing room. But you're right - it looks mobbed from above!

Did I see a rhino face in there?

You win the prize for the first rhino spotting! Yes, that was of course a rhino, though they are much fewer and farther between these days.

Great update, Leslie-

I think it's awesome that you and Goofy had matching shirts. Did you plan that?

Good job to Ray for getting on the big screen!

I'd love to hear some more details about your trip, such as:

1. Did you have the main seating? You didn't mention the show before dinner, so I am guessing that you did.

2. How did you all handle the cabins? Was GF in one of your cabins, or did she have her own? Were you all on the same deck?

TCD

Goofy and I did talk that morning about what to wear. I thought it turned out pretty well!

1. We had main (5:45 p.m.) seating for dinner so you're right that we haven't caught a show at this point in the report yet. Our dinners wound up being a little alternative, as you'll see as we go along. Plus, we only caught one show, sadly. There was just so much to do all the time!

2. We had a total of 3 cabins - Ray, Jody and I were in one, Tiger and his kids in another, and Danielle bravely shared with GF. She was a little hesitant about it as GF is not very modest, but it turned out that they were rarely there and awake at the same time, so it worked out perfectly for everyone.

Thanks for sharing! I would really love to hear about how the younger kids enjoyed thier activiities!

Tiger's kids are 6 and 9 and did enjoy the Club/Lab, but I will say that it wasn't a perfect match for them. Elise is exceptionally attached to her dad and he doesn't get to be with them as much as he wants in regular life, so they weren't in there as much as I expected. However, it was a great area and I saw bunches of kids looking like they were having a ball.

Now, the teen area was a totally different thing - my girls absolutly loved it. They were there all day and most of the night, every day and every night. We literally would see them sleeping in the mornings and rarely see them for the rest of the day. I missed seeing them, but Ray and I really had a great time being together and I knew the girls were blissfully happy where they were.

Great TR. that mass of people on deck for the sail away party looks insane. Going to one of the adults only area seems like a super smart play

Like I said, it wasn't as bad as it looked. Having said that, the adult areas are the bomb. You will see that we spent untold hours in them!

More tonight!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

She was a little hesitant about it as GF is not very modest, but it turned out that they were rarely there and awake at the same time, so it worked out perfectly for everyone.

Am I reading this right?

GF is not very modest?

I'm not sure I want to know what that means.

Please tell us more about GF- she sounds like a hoot!

TCD

[stefa70 205]

Great Aquaduck shot! :wave1:

I can't blame GF for bailing on dinner for a massage. I'll take a massage over food any day! :)

[lklasing 16]

Grandmother Fabulous is really that - fabulous. She loves her family to pieces. She loves to take her grandkids shopping, which of course they love too. But she also lets everyone do their own thing while she does hers. She's great to travel with for that exact reason - you get to see her but you never are pressured by her to do anything or go anywhere, as she's likely in the exercise room or spa on her own. She's a Southerner to the bone, with her wonderful accent that sometimes befuddles others not from the South. (You should have heard her trying to order a lime with her drink in France one time. Every time the waiter asked what she was asking for again, her accent got stronger - liime, liiiime, liiiiiime. It was ridiculous.)

The big challenge for Danielle is, again, that GF is not modest. She'll change clothes in her room whether Danielle was in there or not. It is, of course, GF's stateroom. However, to a 16 year old, seeing your grandmother strip down and change into a bathing suit can be a scarring experience. Again, though, they rarely were awake in the room at the same time, so thankfully everyone survived the experience.

I know. TMI. But, you all have TCD to thank for this newfound awareness about Grandmother Fabulous.