Day 1 & What's in the future for Disney!

Our first evening in Disney World included a press conference at the Disney Wide World of Sports which will re-open within the next couple of weeks as the ESPN Wide World of Sports. We were informed about several new and exciting developments happening at Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines and the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Photo courtesy of Disney World

One thing that is really exciting for me, is the return of "The Main Street Electrical Parade." I LOVED it as a child and the music alone brings back fond memories.

It will headline a season of after-dark excitement. WDW parks will light up the night with "Summer Nightastic!"

The Tower of Terror will have new surprises as well. New lighting effects and a new drop sequence which was created especially for "Summer Nightastic!"

I, personally, am also looking forward to the return of "Sounds Like Summer" concert series in Epcot.

Photo courtesy of Disney World
A huge Fantasyland expansion is scheduled to break ground in 2010 qnd construction will last approximately 3 years. They call it the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history. I cannot really do it justice, so here it is straight from the official press release:
For the first time, guests will be able to step into their favorite Disney fairy tales to have more magical & immersive encounters with Disney princesses. Each princess will have her own themed village within Fantasyland Forest. At Dreams Come True with Cinderella, guests can meet Cinderella face to face in her country chateau, share a dance or train to be one of her Royal Knights. At A Birthday Surprise for Sleeping Beauty, it is a party inside the Briar Rose Cottage, nestled in a lush, forest setting. The three good fairies give Aurora the Sweet 16 party she never received, and everyone's invited to join in the surprise celebration. An enchanted mirror will transport guests from Belle's father's cottage to Beast's castle for an enchanting storytelling performance during Enchanted Tales with Belle.

The new district will include the Be Our Guest restaurant inside Beast's castle and another themed eatery in Belle's Village called Gaston's Tavern. The area will also includ a ride through adventure called "Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid."

Photo courtesy of Disney World
One other addition to Fantasyland will be Dumbo's Flying Circus. This will be twice the size of the current attraction and will fly high above the new circus grounds. There will be midway games and other fun activities inside the tent.

Although I know that change is good, I stll miss a lot of the "oldies". I hope that I still recognize Fantasyland after this change.

Disney Cruise Line will be welcoming the Disney Dream in 2011 and the Disney Fantasy in 2012. The new ships will be two decks taller than the Magic & the Wonder and will more than double passenger capacity.
The new ships will have virtual portholes. The virtual portholes hang over beds in inside staterooms and stream live footage from video cameras mounted around the ship, with 24-hour views of the water and sky, punctuated occasionally by the appearance of a Disney character on the screen. Passengers have the option of turning the video off, so no worries.

Another addition to the new ships is water coaster, called the AquaDuck. It will send a two-person raft on a flume ride around the perimeter of the ship's top deck, propelled up and down by water blasters. One loop of the ride juts 13 feet over the side of the ship, 150 feet above the ocean.

As for the Magic, she will be sailing to Europe in 2010. In the Summer of 2011, the Wonder will sail to Alaska for the 1st time.

After the press conference, we were led to the Tailgate Dinner party. We were treated to fun food & drinks. Including peanuts & Cracker Jacks in keeping with the Sports theme. I could have sworn that I had taken pictures of the food but I can't find any on my drive, except for this one :

This was our table!

I found the food to be very good. Actually, I had the best hot dog of the entire trip at the Tailgate party. Oh and Beer Cheese Soup with croutons... 'nuff said! Yummy!

We were also entertained by a DJ, Mickey & the Gang, Streetmosphere Characters and a performance by the cast of High School Musical 3.

On the way out we were given ESPN Wide World of SPorts caps to add to our SWAG!

It was a great night and a fantastic beginning to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference.

Although I did pay a greatly reduced rate for this event, all opinions are my own. I was not asked to write about the events or The Walt Disney Company.

Next Up Day 2: Give a Day, Get a Day & Dinner Impossible!

Disney Social Media Moms Conference: Arrival

This past week has been an amazing ride! I just returned home at 2:00 AM this morning from Disney World. I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Conference thanks to an open invitation from 5 Minutes for Mom! I am still getting my thoughts together and I will post each day separately. For now, I will share our arrival. The beginning of the magic and a glimpse of what was yet to come. Just a glimpse,mind you, because I would never have even imagined how magical it could actually be!

I was looking forward to the conference since it would be a great learning experience and give me the opportunity to connect with other moms. On top of that, it was being held at Walt Disney World and I was also invited to bring along my family! To me, that is what it's all about! Those that know me, know that my family is my heart, my soul and my every single breath. More on that later. For now, I'll start with our arrival at Walt Disney World.

I drove to Orlando with my husband and younger daughter. My oldest had classes that she couldn't miss andn would not arrive until Friday. We were set up at Disney's Polynesian Resort. For those of you not familiar with Disney or their resorts, the Polynesian is one of Disney's first resorts. This is a Deluxe resort right on the Monorail line. This alone makes it a very desirable property for quick and easy access to The Magic Kingdom and to Epcot. I have mentioned before that I stayed at the Poly soon after they opened. I was 5, yet I remember quite a bit. In short, I will tell you that it is still magical. I have stayed in about 80% of the Disney hotels that are now available but I still hold the Polynesian very dear to my heart.

We arrived at the Polynesian at 2 PM on Wednesday, February 10th. We were greeted with a warm Aloha and a flower lei for each of us. Check in was a breeze and my building request was honored. The girl checking us in was "earning her ears" (in-training) and she was as nice as could be. Actually, all staff that I came in contact with were friendly and greeted me with a smile each time.

Once I was checked-in at the resort, I was directed the the Hospitality Suite to check in for the conference. There I received our credentials & itinerary for the next 3 days.I also received (4) 7 day park hoppers for me & my family, a bag of SWAG and the Media Fast Pass! Oh my, how am I ever going to be able to do Disney without this!

From there, I proceeded to my room in the Tokelau building! For this part, I will show you in photos.

Our standard Garden View room was large and comfortable. The room was clean and the Polynesian theme was consistent throughout. I just love this resort! Not only for the nostalgia but for the convenience of practically being in the Magic Kingdom.

Next up: Day 1 & What's in the future for Disney!

Although I did pay a greatly reduced rate for this event, all opinions are my own. I was not asked to write about the events or The Walt Disney Company.

I Procrastinate

I should be packed and ready for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. I'm neither packed nor ready! Don't get me wrong, I am super excited but I just hate packing. Plus, seeing that it will probably be cold, I really don't have anything to pack.



We leave on Wednesday morning, so I have all day tomorrow. I will be tweeting from the conference and if we get wi-fi, I will blog as well. I can't wait to hear what Disney has up their sleeves for the coming years.



There will also be fantastic guest speakers including Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan & Maxine Clark. This is my first social media/blog conference so aside from the excitement, there is a little bit of nerves. The not knowing what to expect always gets me.



The icing on the cake is where we will be staying. All conference attendees are staying at Disney's Polynesian Resort. This is one of Disney's deluxe resorts, right on the monorail line and has a Polynesian theme! Can't get any better than that. It also happens to be the very first Disney owned hotel that we stayed at when I was a kid... I was 5 years old! Believe it or not, I remember it like it was yesterday. Although I have stayed at practically every resort on Disney property, I still hold the Poly very dear to my heart.



I can't wait!

Go Red for Women on Feb.5th

It's that time of year again. Time for my annual public service announcement. This may sound like a broken record for those that are my regular bloggy friends, but I put this out there as much as I can. If it helps just one person, it's worth it.
The following is from the American Heart Association:

One in three American women die from heart disease, making it the leading killer of women in America. In 2002, heart disease killed more women than breast cancer, lung cancer and strokes combined, according to statistics from the National Heart Lung and Blood institute.


I dodged one major bullet. On February 10th, 2002, I had a heart attack. Fortunately, I was not one of those women that lost their life in 2002. I was 35 years old. Who would have guessed that there was trouble lurking inside my body. Quite frankly, I should have guessed. I should have taken steps to make sure that everything was ok. Why should I have guessed? To start with, I have a family history. I ignored a history and it could have cost me my life. I thought that since I was a woman, that I was not a risk. Aside from hereditary aspect, I was not heavy, I exercised, I did not and do not smoke. So you never really know.

Simple tests can detect trouble. Don't ignore this advice. Go to the doctor. Get yourself checked. Whether you have a history or not. Use the great tools at Go Red for Women, Keep your heart healthy, you can't live without it!


Don't forget to wear red on February 5th! Everyone looks good in red!!!

Orbitz

The reason that I chose Orbitz is because I generally find the lowest rates for Hotels through them. I have not used them for flights yet, so I cannot comment on that.

** If you find a lower rate on another site for your same prepaid hotel room, they will refund the difference and give you $50 toward your next hotel booking. You have all the way until the hotel's cancellation fees apply to try to find a lower price.

** They do not charge booking fees on hotels & flights. Plus they they dont charge change or cancel fees on hotels, because heck, plans change right?

** Orbitz is also the only one that offers a Price Assurance on both Hotels & Flights.

DHC

DHCcare.com is your exclusive online source in the U.S. for authentic DHC products - skincare and cosmetics from one of Japan's top beauty companies. We are also a provider of fine foods and nutritional supplements - products that help you be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Look for new sales and liquidation specials every month for a savings of up to 50% off! Get 4 free samples every time you order.


DHC USA Incorporated is my #1 go to brand for skin care. I use their Deep Cleansing Oil exclusively. It is the only product that cleans and removes my make-up quickly and without harsh chemicals. Don't let the name fool you, there is no oily residue. Nor does it clog pores. I even it to remove waterproof mascara without irritating my eyes. I use the "Olive Essential Set" as my nightly routine. I also ADORE the "Velvet Skin Coat" as a primer or on it's own. I love how my skin looks and feels after using the Velvet Skin. Try it, you will not be dissapointed. Do yourself a favor, go to the DHC USA Website and see what they have to offer. Plus, you get to choose 4 samples with every purchase. If you decide to order, be a pal and please click through from here.

Hawaiian Airlines

A few days ago, I mentioned that I would be placing ads on my blog. Just to see how it goes. I decided that any ads that are placed on my site, would be from companies that I actually have done busines with and use frequently. That is why I decided against the Ad-Sense, since I would have no control over what is advertised. So for now, I have chosen the following.

Hawaiian has a wonderful 77 year history. We are renown for our inflight service (including not only offering a tasty complimentary meal but a choice of three meals in Coach on daytime flights) and for our punctuality (we've been America's number one on-time airline for over 2.5 years). We operate from more U.S. mainland gateways to Hawaii than any other airline: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. All our mainland gateways offer one or more daily nonstop flights to Honolulu while San Diego, Portland and Seattle also have nonstops to Maui. We also operate nonstop service from Honolulu to Sydney, Australia, Pago Pago, American Samoa and Papeete, Tahiti. Our entire mainland to Hawaii and South Pacific service is operated with 252-seat, Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The 767-300 is the ideal aircraft for this service as it offers widebody, twin-aisle comfort in a 2-3-2 seat configuration in Coach.

Hawaiian also operates over 115 daily flights between the Hawaiian Islands with state-of-the-art, 123-seat, Boeing 717-200 aircraft and the convenience of seat assignments like our long-haul flights. Besides providing Hawaii's best interisland service, our flights make easy connections to/from the mainland and South Pacific.


I chose Hawaiian Airlines because it is my all time favorite airline for my travels to Hawaii. I love their planes, their service & especially their On-Time record. I have used them for both flights to/from the mainland & interisland and I have never been dissapointed. I have also received very good customer service via phone & email. I will hopefully be booking my October trip with them real soon!

Danny & I on our way to Maui onboard Hawaiian Airlines

Now I need a new pair of shoes!

There was a time when I wouldn't be caught dead wearing Crocs. I have really skinny ankles and the big bulkiness just looked odd. Then they came out with all these cool & cute styles. Now, I live in them. I LOVE my Cleo's. So much so, that I have 2 pairs. I just bought a pair of Ithaca & a pair of Athens. Now I am seriously considering getting a pair of Cyprus for the Disney Social Media Moms Conferfence. I would love to be able to wear heels to the evening events. But those events would also require quite a bit of walking. I really don't want to choose between comfort & cute with just a little bit of height for my short self. The Cyprus Crocs could be the answer.

So do any of you own the Cyprus Crocs? Are they comfortable? Will I be able to be on my feet all day? Ay, chi chi, decision, decisions!


**This is NOT a paid or sponsored post**

Momma needs a new pair of jeans!

I was at the mall yesterday, trying to find something tho wear for DisneySMMoms Conference. Have I mentioned that I'm going?? LOL As some of you know, since I've gained some weight, my relationship with clothes shopping is a love/hate type. I LOVE seeing all the gorgeous stuff. Especial the Spring & Summer lines. Everything looks fantastic & cute...on the hanger or the rail thin mannequins. In a way, these miserable trips to the fitting room encourage me to try harder at losing the weight. But it definitely sucks at the moment.

I stopped at Aeropstale and saw that you can take in any brand of your gently worn jeans to any Aéropostale store from 1/19/10 - 2/14/10. To say thanks, Aéropostale will give you an additional 25% off your next pair of jeans. All collected jeans will go to homeless teens. Their jeans are very well priced to start with. What I like about Aeropostale jeans, is that they have short, regular & long. Did you get that? SHORT! I have such a hard time finding jeans for vertically challenged people! Geeze, it's descrimination I tell ya!

**This is NOT a paid or sponsored post**

22 More Sleeps

A Lifetime of Magic

I currently have Disney on my mind because of the Social Media Moms Conference. Have I mentioned that we’re going? Well, in case I haven’t mentioned it in the last 20 minutes or so, we will all be there with bells on in February.

Anyhoo, my first ever trip to Walt Disney World was on January 20, 1972. I had just turned 5. ( I know ya’ll are doing the math and all. Just to save you the trouble, I’ll let you know that I stopped at 29! ) Although, it’s been (cough) 38 years, I really do remember that day clearly. Back then, the characters would stroll around the park on their own. To me that was just the most amazing & fascinating thing ever. I even met my idol at the time, Snow White. She spoke to me for over 5 minutes. I have home movies to prove it. Unfortunately, there is no sound. I clearly remember telling her how I had a record that played her story and that I would follow along with the book. I also explained that there was a little chime when I was supposed to turn the page. You know, just in case she didn’t know how that worked. I also asked if the apple tasted bad. She seemed so very interested in what I had to say, and I was in awe. Those were also the days of tickets for rides. Sometime that same year Eastern Airlines opened a ride in Tommorowland, which did not require tickets. We would ride it over and over. If you had wings, If you had wings, If you had wings, had wings, had wings! I LOVED it! It was love at first sight for me with Disney. It’s a love that has endured the test of time. Heck, I’ve loved it almost as long as I’ve been alive! On a side note and totally useless piece of information, we stayed at the Polynesian a few months after our first visit and my mom tells me that the nightly rate was about $35!!!

Fortunately, I have lived in Miami all my life, and road trips to Disney were the norm for me growing up. When I got married, my dear sweet husband took me on an around the world honeymoon... to Epcot. Once we had kids, we couldn’t wait for them to be old enough to appreciate the magic. There is nothing like seeing Disney through the eyes of a child. We were fortunate enough to be members of the Disney Vacation Club, which facilitated our many trips to Disney, Vero Beach, Hilton Head & several Disney Cruises as well. My girls, still love Disney and are looking forward to our upcoming trip, with the same anticipation as when they were five.

Next up for us, Disney with the grandkids. There’s no rush, but when I do have grandkids, I will be ready to take them to the happiest, most magical place on earth!

Don’t forget that this year is Give a Day, Get a Day. You just volunteer your time with a participating organization and Disney will give you one FREE day at either Disneyland or Disney World! It’s a win-win situation. So head on over and see what’s available in your community!

I’m sure that I will have a ton of things to report on after the conference. So Stay tuned!

This is just for the audio . The video is irrelevant.

Your Shape & Jell-O Mousse Temptations

As I posted before, my non-resolution resolution is to try to lose some weight and get in shape. I was fortunate enough to be chosen by House Party.com to host a Your Shape & Jell-O Mousse Temptations party. My party was supposed to be on Saturday the 9th, but due to the frigid weather here in sunny & warm S.Florida, I postponed it till the 14th. Only 11 ladies were able to make it, but we had a blast!

Your Shape



Let me start with the Your Shape for Wii by Ubisoft with Jenny McCartney. A tiny webcam is included with the Your Shape disc. I like that I don’t need to use the Wii Remote or Nunchuk. You work out on your own and let the USB camera track your movements. It's really easy to set up. The camera comes with a base that allows it to easily be attached to the top of a TV, or to your Wii sensor bar. You do need quite a bit of room to use it, because the camera needs to be able to see your entire body to properly track your movements. We got the basics down & the exercises are fairly simple (so far). I’m not too thrilled about watching myself on the TV but not having to use a controller is a huge plus.

Of course, the game is not without a few, shall I say, inconveniences. I have french doors that face my TV in the family room, I have to close the curtains in order see my awesome self on the TV. You’re supposed to avoid having direct light hitting the camera but the room is supposed to be well lit and avoid shadows. My image on the TV is just like most webcams that I have used. Somewhat dark, and a slight delay is the norm. Nothing like the picture below. Which brings me to the actual tracking of my movements. Although, I believe that my movements are correct, Miss Jenny keeps telling me otherwise. I totally blame this on the webcam delay. It can also be that I don’t have the recommended space for the webcam to track correctly. They recommend 10 feet from the TV which, for me, means rearranging furniture before and after the workout. Or it can also be that I am only 5 ft tall. Maybe the webcam can’t properly track the movement of my short arms and legs.

I like the calendar that sets up my workout schedule for the month and I can adjust it as needed. Most exercises are standard aerobics moves like steps, lunges, jumping jacks, squats, etc, along with walking, marching, running, and swimming motions. You can also use your own exercise equipment to kick to up a notch since the game supports the use of items like an exercise ball, hand weights or a step. When you choose your workout, you can set the length of time for your exercise and what part of your body you want to focus on. You will have a choice between one to three styles: Burn, Strength Training, and Toning. Next, there is a list of exercise equipment that you may want to use. If you choose one, the game will incorporate exercises using the equipment chosen. You don’t have to use any extra equipment if you don’t want to.

I was able to unlock an extra challenge by following Your Shape on Facebook & @yourshape on Twitter.

We did sweat. The jury is still out among my friends though. I will have to use the Your Shape some more before rendering a definite opinion. All in all, like any other exercise routine, it requires commitment. As long as you do the exercises, you will benefit. I ignore the score and just work out.

Right now the Your Shape is priced at $49.99 on Amazon.com. I have $10 coupons left over if you are interested, just let me know. It’s only good towards the purchase of Your Shape at Amazon.com.





Just Dance

My House Party box also included a Just Dance game for Wii. This was a blast! You do have to hold the remote for this one, but you are dancing. That alone, is a workout! You can play single or multi player. There is a choice of 30 songs ranging from Elvis to the B-52’s to Katie Perry. I found it to be a fun party game. That being said, I don’t think that I would pay retail for this game. Plus it definitely isn’t for real gamers. But, it is a lot of fun. Especially for making a fool of yourself in front of your friends!






Jell-O Mousse Temptations


The Jell-O Mousse Temptations come in single serve cups, just like the pudding.

They come in 3 flavors:
Caramel Crème Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 1g; Fiber: 0g
Chocolate Indulgence Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 2g; Fiber: Less than 1g
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 2.5g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 2g; Fiber: 1g

I personally loved the taste. I had some texture issues, as did several of my friends, but nothing that I can’t overlook for a chocolaty treat at just 60 calories each.

Maybe I will meet my goals this year after all!


**I received the You Shape for Wii by Ubisoft, Just Dance by Ubisoft, and coupons for Jell-O Mousse Temptations for free from HouseParty.com**

We're going to Disney World... AGAIN!

I had recently decided that I would like to start a new blog aside from my personal blog, or maybe merged with my personal blog. I would really like to get into the reviewing/sweepstakes aspect of blogging. I currently write reviews on a private level directly to companies via mystery shopping. Since I am such a huge travel junkie, I am fortunate that many of my assignments are travel reltaed. I have also done public reviews for sites like BzzAgent, HouseParty and a few others.

So pretty soon, there will be a change or maybe an addition to this blog. Stay Tuned.

Which brings me to Social Media Moms Celebration at Disney World! When this amazing opportunity presented itself, I just couldn't pass it up. I'm looking forward to learning as much as possible. Not only from the guest speakers & the conference experience, but also from all the ladies (& gents) that I will meet! This is the 1st conference of this sort that I will be attending, so I really don't now what to expect. One extremely fantastic perk is that I can take Danny & the girls! How awesome is that? And it's at Walt Disney World to boot!

I would like to thank 5 Minutes for Mom, Resourceful Mommy Media, Mom Bloggers Club , Mom Select and of course Walt Disney World for hosting this event.

Orange Craisins!

I should be used to it, whenever I fall in love with a product, it is discontinued. Be it a scent, a nail polish, cosmetic, candles... you name it!

I LOVE Orange flavored craisins from Ocean Spray. I use them in salads, for baking and just on their own. To my dismay, my local grocery stores no longer stock them Why? I don't know. They told me that the Orange flavored ones were discontinued. They lied. I called Ocean Spray myself. Although they were very nice, they didn't really give me any options to purchase. I go on vacation and make it a point to check the grocery stores there, with no luck either. Even Amazon did not have them available.

So after looking around online, I finally found Buy the Case.com. Not only did they have it available, but the prices are very comparable to my grocery store's prices. Plus they ship really fast and send a coupon for a future order to boot! Needless to say, I am a very happy camper! I got them in time for my holiday baking, so my friends were happy campers as well! :-)

Does it ever end?

I would have never, in a million years, ever dreamed that would be such a worry wart. My mom used to tell me that what goes around, comes around. Let me just say that I was a good kid. I just had a problem with getting home on time. Mind you, this was before cell phones, so I had an excuse ;-)

Nowadays, I can't get to sleep until the girls are both home. They call to keep me posted as to where they are. You know, just in case there is a fire somewhere, I will know that they are not there! Have I mentioned that my girls are 19 & 20? At 19, I had already purchased my 1st home, a townhouse. I had 2 jobs and was going to school. I was totally independenet. Different times I guess.

In my defense, they still live here, so I guess that justifies my neurotic behavior. I wonder how I would act if they did not live at home? Geez, they are just little girls, they were just born yesterday! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr

We are finally getting around to putting away all our Christmas decorations. Slowly but surely. Meaning that I started on Tuesday, and still have not finished. It's been way too cold and it's kind of hard to work with a Snuggie on! Boy did I make fun of this thing when I first saw it. Heck, I was still making fun of it just a few weeks ago. I even got one as a joke gift for Kari! Actually, that's the one that I have been wearing. Sort of indian giver-ish. I guess. But it keeps me warm and that's all that matters. Only problem is that it is made for giants, not for 5'0" humans.

Welcome 2010

I hope ya'll had a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa... whatever you celebrate, I hope it brought you much joy. We had agreat holiday. We started with a great reunion of friends that I have not seen in over 20 years. Then we had Christmas eve dinner at my house. So two back to back parties at my place and I'm still recovering! My Christmas gift won't be here till mid January. But it's ok, I can wait. I'm patient like that ya know.

I have mentioned that my New Year's resolutions are usually broken within 2 months. So once again I will not be making any. I will try to blog more often and I again, will try to lose some weight. I'm trying, not committing! LOL!

May the new year bring you much love,happiness & health and a little bit of money won't hurt either.

In recovery mode

We have been home for a week now and I am ready for another vacation! Now if only my bank account would be as ready as I am...

The trip was great! NYC was fun like always. We had the opportunity to see 'In The Heights" on Broadway and we highly recommend it. I really want to see Billy Elliot and it is on my list for next time.

We boarded the Norwegian Jewel on the 28th, on a dreary cold day in the NYC. After two days at sea, we arrived to the very welcomed heat of the Caribbean.

As some of you know, I review hotels & cruise ships for a living. This is a personal review and no compensation was received.
This was our second journey on the Jewel and we were not disappointed. I don't think that I will be able to go back to 7 day cruises any time soon. This was our first time sailing for longer than a week and we LOVED it! I was a little concerned at first, thinking that 14 days was too long. But I find that it is just right. The Cruise Director/Activities Staff was fantastic! We were never bored!

Food is subjective and I will not dwell on that, except to say that we did not go hungry! We ate ate every specialty restaurant on board and were not disappointed!

We bought our Future Cruise Reward certificate on board, so we are set for our next journey! If you sail with NCL, I highly recommend buying one or 10! Actually, I think you can only buy four, but it's so worth it!

Oh, and three words...Spa Pass Rules!

I arrived home very tan, somewhat rested and 3 lbs heavier. If ya'll ever get to visit Belize, definitely go cave tubing! That was the highlight of our shore trips. If you do, go with Vital at cave-tubing.bz. I highly recommend them for their professionalism and attention to safety.

Anyhoo, back to reality.

I cannot believe that the holidays are already here. Seems like I just took down the darn tree the other day! Now it's going back up next week.

Looks like I will be hosting Christmas Eve at my house this year, so I am not signing up for Thanksgiving as well. If no one decides to do it, then I see us at Cracker Barrel! No stress.