HEEE HAW~~~ the CRUISE IS ON!!!!!

Hi gang,
This is great news!!! No surgery, therapy and cortisone, back to work in approx 6 weeks...and the cruise is paid for and on!!!!
Ok, where are those Cruizin' Nuts for the VALOR??? We are planning a big shebang.
Debi, Billy, Charley,new Cruizing friend, Jim C...we are now on the OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN TO THE CRUIZIN' NUTS - VALOR CRUISE....OCT. 1...
88 DAYS..
Let's PARTY, People!!!!

ps, can you tell we're excited? huh?

YAHOO!! YAHOO!! YAHOO!!

Doin' the crazy white guy frolic dance. I am so happy to hear your news. The prayers were with you I know it. YAHOO!!!! We just made our final pymt and awaiting the docs. Then the dancing will get down-right ugly. YAHOO!!!

can you tell i'm excited for ya???? Big hugs!!!

Billy

Okay, we're down to 85 days and counting...Billy, are you getting your jumping shoes polished up....we are going to get you jumping at day 50... and again at SD's (single digits).
I really think a meeting on Sat. Sept. 30 is in order. We have another couple going with us, Kim and Rose (his name is Kim, too). This is Roses' first cruise and their 40th birthday's too!!!! I am going to try getting in touch with Carnival and see if there is a cost for our own little get-together, or maybe we could just hijack some space in one of the Lounges. Any suggestions?
We especially need to party for you birthday kids. Mine's not til Nov. 12. And we won't discuss how old I am.
Since we're staying at the Holiday Inn-Downtown, it may be easy for us to meet on sat. night, pre-cruise. If not, we'll wear something noticeable for identification. We definitely want to meet up when we board. In fact, you guys could come to the Holiday Inn around 930 or 10am and we could go over to the pier together. Just a thought.
And yes, the prayers are coming. Satan's been a busy boy this week. My sisters (2) and I, and both DH have all been to the doctor this week. UGH!.
Talk with you later. and start brainstorming for cruise ideas...we're not the CRUIZIN' NUTS FOR NUTHIN!!!!

Hey,

I think the idea of a lounge take-over is cool. Since my father was a marine, I can get into "recon" mode in no time. I am game for a definite pre-cruise meet-up. The only thing is that I will have to work Saturday night, 9/30. But Debi is right here, and thinks a meeting early the morning of 10/1 will be great. We intend to leave our place by 9:00 to be in Miami by 9:30. I drive fast. LOL!!

From a recent post, I mentioned that I would wear a bini with prop on top, and am haveing NO luck finding one. Plus Debi said I would be single if I wore it. So, I'm still searching for it. LOL!!!What I'll do is send some pics of Debi and I from out Legend cruise last Oct to your e-mail so you see what we look like.

What part of the country are you coming from again??? Can't wait to meet Rose and Kim also. Take care. We are so happy that you are coming now!!

Billy

Hi Billy,
We are from South Carolina, the Upstate. We live about 20 minutes from Greenville in a little town called Woodruff.
And that's fine about Sat night. It might be too much anyway, what with traveling, and checking in. Why don't we meet in the hotel lobby about 930-1000 for coffee, etc. then go over to the pier together? Sound like a winner?
By the way, did you get the pix of us? I started to send you the Halloween pix of us on Adventure of the Seas, we were Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Those were some more outfits, but we "fit" right in with the others onboard.
You know, I really think it ought to be a sin to live just 30 minutes from the pier. That is one of our big expenses is the travel to and from, and staying over. Airfare from GSP to MIA is $497, cheapest. And I started looking in March!! If we lived near a hub like Cincinnati, we could fly really cheap.
What about Charley lucking up on the Holiday Inn with someone in the family working for them! and getting such a good rate.
Anyway, it's getting late and I was seeing my first patient at 830 this morning. I really have some sick folks at the moment. So, sleepy am I. Talk with you later.
Kimmy

Hi kids,
Cruizin' Nuts~Valor cruise Part I...where is everyone??? we can't let our thread get too far down the trail, then no-one will see it.
Charley, where are you bud? Haven't spoke to you in awhile. You said the youngest member of your group is 24. Are you sailing with your parents, aunts, uncles, etc? We will surely meet up with you all on the 30th as we'll be staying in the same Hotel. If all of your group doesn't want to go out for dinner on Sat. night, there is a local pizza place the desk clerk told us about, and they deliver to the hotel to your room. The pizza is awesome but we got a sub.....a small was too big for one person. I'm sure they can tell us the number if we ask.
But the Bayfront Marketplace is awesome and they have several good eateries. I think we're going to try Bubba Gumps this time.
Debi, tell me a little about yourself. you can email me directly if you want.

OK ...we have 83 days...we need to be planning our onboard party. Those of you who've sailed carnival recently, where is a good place to meet? I'm totally unfamiliar with the newer ships and lounges. Suggestions for day and time? Doesn't have to be the first day or night because we can exchange room numbers so we can get in touch.
Thinking Caps on...Billy, twirl your propeller.
Kimmy

Hey dudes & dudettes,

As I search for my beanie hat with prop on it, I will tell that it is hard to find such a thing. You can always find me in the lounge where the jazz is playing. I love jazz. For those that have sailed out of the port of Miami, I think you will agree it is not the most guest-friendly place to organize a meeting. Way too much commotion!! I say we meet somewhere on the ship. Perhaps a good plan of action would be to plan something after we have all had a chance to explore the ship.

Becareful of Bybba Gumps....a little pricey and you don't get that much food. At least that was the situation last time I went there.

Billy

Heya Dude,
I think we got our wires crossed. I wasn't wanting to plan the meeting in Miami, either on this thread or on board. I was just offering suggestions for those staying in Miami. Personally, I like to get off the street by dark myself. We're not city-kids and Miami can be dangerous, especially after dark. We poked around and call the pizza place for a wonderful meal in our hotel room watching a movie. Saved some $$ and had a good time.
So Bubba's is NOT a good place to eat huh. How about the Hard Rock, still pricey due to location? We may just amble around the shops and go back to the hotel and chill.
Back to the gathering, I agree with you, we can plan it on Monday, as I think it's a sea day, is it not? Even if we try for that night, we won't miss anything. This will be a totally new ship design for us, so we'll spend most of Sunday and Monday am exploring and taking pictures.
I have a book called Oriental Trading Company which we use for parties, etc. I may just find you a beanie cap and send it to you.
you'd HAVE to wear it, ha ha

Hey guys I am still here I have just been working alot and my husband and I just got back from Kentucky. It was our 2 year anniversary on the 10th of July so we went to kentucky for the weekend and went to six flags. We had a really good time. I had not had a vacation since last Sept. when we went on our cruise. The youngest member in our group is 24 and that is me. We will be with my parents, aunt and uncle, his kids, my best friend and her fiance, and her parents. We can't wait. We are staying at the holiday inn for $49 dollars a night (so excited about the price). I think we might eat at hard rock cafe because so of our group has never even been to a Hard Rock before so they want to eat there. I found this website where you can view the valor 24hrs and see where it's at in the caribbean and you can see people walking around on the lido deck. I will talk to you guys later.

charley

Hi Charley,
Didn't realize you were a gal like me. Glad you got away for a vacation...been there and done that. So you're the young chickie, huh. I was there once...ho hum. we won't talk about it. I am not sure how good the Hard Rock is but from the Holiday Inn, you can see the big guitar advertising the restaurant. Please be careful about Miami. We have some friends who visit often as they cruise often, who told us to be extremely careful about the town at night, don't go walking on the streets at night, use a taxi or drive. Lots of street folk. Good thing is we're just right across the street from the Bayfront Marketplace. So we have usually felt pretty safe, but people are so crazy these days, you can't be too careful, but with a group your size, should be ok, just watch the kids. What is the 24 hr web site you found???? love to see it.
Talk with you later...81 dayssssss...

The website is www.mediacons.it/infoCarnival/ShipInfo.asp?name=Valor
It is pretty cool if you look at it on sunday you will see the ship in Miami.

Hey buddies!!!!

I'm not too sure that the Hard Rock is even open anymore. You might want to double check. I was in Miami a while ago, and it looked closed. FYI. Bayside is really nice, but can be pricey. Kimmie makes a great point in NOT being in Miami after dark. DON'T DO IT!!

81-freakin' days people!!!! Can you feel it???!!!!

I went on my first cruise last yr. on the Carnival Pride and loved it. We bought the Carnival Cruise package for future trips but have not used or even booked any trips through it. I recently heard of this website from a cousin. He said that there were an over abundance of negative reviews on the Carnival package (not the cruise itself.) Do you or anyone else out there have any experience (good or bad) using the Carnival VIP package?

quote:

Originally posted by Charley:
Hey this is Charley. This will be my 7th cruise and I can't wait. We are all so excited. We got a room at the holiday inn for saturday night. We got it for 449 dollars a night because one of the guys going with us works for the holiday inn and we got an employee rate. We also got a car for saturday. So we are all set.

Sorry ReubJ,
not acquainted with it. this is our first Carnival cruise in about 5 years.

I am not familiar with the cruise package either.

Hey guys,
So does everyone know what excursions they are going to do at the islands?? We have a book that has all the islands and the shore excursions they offer so we have all been kind of looking at that to decide what we want to do. I can't wait til it's time to get on the ship and let our vacation begin. I took this week off from work for vacation and of course it has RAINED everyday so far and we have had a few tornados. I went to Kentucky Sunday thru Tuesday and it was nice weather but now it has been raining So I am really excited to catch the plane to Miami and let the fun begin.

Our travel agent that we are working with through Carnival sent me a list of all the menus on the valor, the drink prices, the prices of the spa, all the islands excursions, and things you need to know before boarding the ship. If anyone would like to see a copy of it just sent me your email address to cadams2004@woh.rr.com and I would be more than happy to forward you a copy.

Hi all,
Charley, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of price did you get on your airfare? We can find no less than $400 pp from even Charlotte to Miami. That's driving 2 hrs to Charlotte and paying to park for the week, too.
I guess we're going to end up driving, because I know it won't cost $800 to drive for us, probably about $130, because it takes us about 1 1/2 tanks to drive to Miami.
Everyone have a nice weekend, and keep thinking C R U I S E !!!!!

We got our airfare for $518 total for two people roundtrip. There is a good website that has cheap flights and this is where we booked ours through. It's Kayak.com.

Hey Samdel I sent you the stuff about the cruise. Email me if you did not get it or have trouble with it but I think it should have went through okay. Hope you enjoy reading it because it has alot of interesting things on it.

Have a good weekend.