Wherever we lay our head is our home....

SLEEP INN & SUITES, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Another item checked off the things to do list! We have a home for the Thursday night we will spend in Florida before leaving on our cruise. We will be staying at the Sleep Inn & Suites. I will be sending out an email to the heads of each family and you will need to follow the directions included to reserve your family's room(s). Everyone except Mary and family requested one room. Keep in mind that we have received a discounted rate for booking as a group and in order to get this rate which is $112.66 (including taxes) per room per night ($20 cheaper per room than the regular rate), we MUST reserve all ten (10) of the rooms that I blocked off by no later than Thursday, September 25th.

The amenities at the hotel include a courtesy shuttle which will pick us up from the airport and deliver us to the hotel on Thursday in addition to transporting us all to the cruise port at Port Everglades on Friday. Also included in the price is a complimentary continental breakfast to send us on our way with a full tummy on Friday. The hotel is located just minutes from both the airport and cruise port, in addition to being only a short distance from the Fort Lauderdale Beach and Sawmill Outlet Mall! As you can clearly see, though our cruise doesn't start until Friday, OUR VACATION definitely starts on THURSDAY!!!!

Just so you know what to expect, here are a few snapshots of the hotel to get your juices flowing....72 days and counting and then WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Each Room has 2 Queen Beds and a sofa sleeper

Complimentary Continental Breakfast included

Heated outdoor pool

Gonna get in the HOT TUB....gonna make me wet!

Gonna get in the HOT TUB....gonna make me sweat!

Complimentary Fitness Room.....so we can keep our girly figures straight!

TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK....72 days and counting and I for one can not wait....what about YOU?!

Your Wish Is My Command

At the request of one of one of my favorite bloggers (that would be you Mega!), I am posting all of the pertinent information regarding our CRUISE OF A LIFETIME vacation.

The trip is scheduled to begin on Friday, November 21, 2008 as you will be reminded by the counter in the left margin immediately upon arriving here! November being what it unpredictable weather-wise in the midwest and with the ship departing from the port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 4:00 PM that Friday afternoon, many of us plan to practice the old addage "it's better to be safe than sorry" and travel to Florida on Thursday. For that reason, I have added links in the left margin to two "economical" hotel chains which have establishments in the local area that provide breakfast and pick-up from the airport as well as drop off at the pier. The hotel research was provided by another of our cruisers, Valerie E. so a big thank you to her for making my life that much easier!

Once we embark, here is the path we will follow:

The prices shown above are the current per person price based on cabin category if the cruise were purchased directly through Carnival. As part of our group, the prices that have been contracted are as follows:

• Interior Cabin $644.56 per person


• Ocean View $744.56 per person


• Balcony $934.56 per person

These prices are not dependent on a minimum number of individuals actually participating and thus are not subject to change in the event someone decides not to go at the last moment. In Carnival's system we qualify as a group as long as we have a minimum of 8 cabins booked, and currently we have 13 cabins booked. As a group we will receive a few additional perks (have not yet determined), including a private reception/party in one of the ships public areas which will be reserved for our group exclusively during that time period.

The original deadline for booking at these prices was June 11, 2008. However, last week I spoke with the travel agency and was told that they are still holding 11 cabins at these same prices for our group. Seven are inside cabins, two are ocean view, and two are balcony category. I don't know how long these will be available as the cruise line can release the hold at anytime at this point; so if anyone is interested in joining us, NOW is the time to make the decision as you can see there is a significant financial penalty involved if you later decide to book directly through Carnival.

To reserve your cabin, you will need a $300 per person deposit. Once that deposit has been made your reservation will be held and the balance will be due to the travel agent by August 22, 2008. So, if you do wish to reserve a cabin simply contact me as soon as possible and I'll take it from there.

So there you have it friends and countrymen...Here's hoping more of you will decide to join us!