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?!

The Incredible Shrinking "THINGS TO DO" List

As the countdown clock to the left continues to tick off the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until our glorious departure, I am left hoping that each of you is ticking off the things you need to be sure to do in order to ensure you are properly prepared for what promises to be one amazing excursion. So in the interest of being proactive and in the hopes of NOT having to be REACTIVE later on as we get closer to our departure, I wanted to post this little list of things you should:

• have already done


• be doing


• or be fixta gettin' ret to do ;)

before we depart!

Things that should ALREADY BE DONE...

• All birth certificates should have been secured


• All passport applications should have been completed and submitted

- Non-custodial parents of minors under the age of 16 must give consent to passport

- Passport photos can be obtained for $12 at Kinko's, $15 at the post office

• Financial plans should have been made for accumulating the final payments due August 22, 2008. Payments can be forwarded directly to the travel agent by using the Group Additional Payment Form that can be found on the website. Follow the instructions on the form and email the form directly to Tammy Roan as directed BEFORE 8/22/08. Payments can be made using a credit OR debit card. Remember to copy Sharon on your payment email to make it easier to track our group's progress on this task.

Things you should BE DOING...

• Researching/purchasing flights to Florida -- some of us have already purchased one-way flights to Florida, but due to the unexpectedly high ticket price for the return trip, we have decided to rent mini-vans and drive back in order to be more economical. Contact Sharon if you are interested in this means of return transportation.
• If you don't already have one, you should get a debit or credit card (adults only) as one will be required to "guarantee" any charges you make aboard ship with your Sign and Sail card.

Things you should BE FIXTA GETTIN' RET TO DO...

• Pack your bags for the cruise of a lifetime! Remember to resist the urge to overpack as some airlines are now charging a baggage fee (not Southwest, but AirTrans charges $0 for first bag and $10 for each additional bag per passenger).
• Catching the end-of-summer sales for cheap, cute, summer clothes and swim suits to bring with you on the ship.
• Purchasing formal wear if you don't already own it for the 1-2 formal dinner nights on the ship.
• Checking out the links to the left to see which excursions (if any) you and/or your family members would like to take so that you can budget accordingly for any associated costs.
• Saving cash for any spending monies you wish to have available.

So there you have it peeps....everything you need to scratch off your "TO DO" list in the next few weeks! Oh yeah, one more thing should have been included in the things you should BE FIXTA GETTIN' RET TO DO....

HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME TIME!!!

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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!