Roll Call 2/20/12

45 days and counting down!  We are so excited.  Who else is going to be on board?  We are bringing the family........hubby and I and 4 kids (18, 17, 12 and 7)  Can't wait to relax and have some fun.  We have cruised before, this will be our fourth.  Would love to meet some people to hang out with while the kids are off doing their own thing.  

My husband and I are looking forward to it.. we'll be celebrating our five year anniversary! 

Congrats on your anniversary!  This will be our 4th time cruising to Ensenada.  We are really looking forward to getting away and relaxing.  Maybe we can meet for a drink one night.   

That would be neat! What kinds of plans do you have for Ensenada? I was looking to do some shopping.. for cooking equipment or musical instruments. Are you coming into Long Beach the day prior?

Yes we are planning on coming to Long Beach (or somewhere close) the day prior.  Is that what you guys are doing as well?  where are you coming from?  I'm sure you figured out from our name that we are from Vegas.  We don't have anything planned for Ensenada.  Usually we just walk around and check out the shopping.  

We're coming from Northern California, taking Amtrak down, which will drop us off right in front of the Queen Mary!! We'll be down two days prior. The day we disembark, we're going to check into a hotel in Anaheim and go to Disneyland and then train back the next day. 39 days now.. getting closer!

Wow!  Amtrak.....that sounds exciting.  It will be nice for you guys to be in Long Beach for a couple of days before the cruise.  You can relax and maybe do some sightseeing.  And Disneyland after??? That will be great.  One of our favorite mini vacations is going to Disneyland.  Sometimes when the kids are gone for the weekend, Hubby and I will take off and drive down.  I think we have more fun at Disneyland than the kids do.  LOL  Sounds like you guys have a fun vacation planned.

We are planning to drive from Vegas, the day before.  We usually stay in Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga and then drive to the port the next morning.  We like to go shopping in Ontario for all of our cruise stuff.  It's become our family tradition I guess.  

39 days!!!  Yippie!!  We are all really excited.  I forgot to ask if you guys have cruised before.  

This will be our first cruise! I have found memories of my parents planning and going on cruises and my husband and I are just beside ourselves with excitement :D Today it's 38 days.. now it's really starting to feel soon. Time to start folding and sample packing, putting together my travel bottles of shampoo and conditioner, picking out a few magazines and a book :) 

We love to take the train, considering the rail time as part of the vacation experience. I've only just recently referred to train travel as land cruises, however I have yet to see a hair back contest in the observation car, lol. But anyways, we *LOVE* taking the train.. I'm fantasizing about that trip as I type :)  

I haven't been to Disneyland since my senior year of High School,though my family went several times a year when I was growing up. What are some of your favorite attractions there?  I remember my favorites to be Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted House and the Mickey Mouse Pancakes!!   Rooms at the Clarion Hotel 2 blocks from Disney are pricing now at around $60 including tax, cheaper than the hotels we were looking at close to Amtrak's Union Square station and MUCH cheaper than a room in Santa Barbara where we had considered training to on Friday and pick back up the Coast Starlight on Saturday. See how it's almost a shame not to go? lolol

What kinds of things to do you buy for your cruise? How long is your drive time from Vegas to Ontario, is it scenic? 

We took our first cruise in 08.  It was just Hubby and I.  We had a great time.  We decided it would be a fun family vacation as well.  So, this will be our 3rd as a family.  The kids have so much fun.  Thank goodness they are old enough that we don't have to worry about them too much.  They always find other kids close to their ages to hang out with.  They pretty much come and go as the please.  Ontario is about 5 hours from Vegas and about 1 hour from the port in Long Beach.  There is a big outlet mall in Ontario.  We always go there to pick up any last minute items.  Usually clothes.  The drive from Vegas is not scenic.  Lots of desert.  I am usually asleep during the drive.  LOL

Disneyland is awesome.  Are you doing a park hopper ticket?  If you are only going to be there one day it might not be worth it.  We actually like California Adventure better than Disneyland.  My favorite rides are Soaring Over California & California Screamer.  Both of them are at California Adventure.  

We have never been on a train trip.  Hearing you talk about it, we might have to try it.  Sounds like fun.

38 Days.......so exciting.  What deck are you guys staying on?  We are on Empress Deck.  We have 2 rooms. We are Rob and Hollie, BTW.

Anyone else coming??? 30 days........WooHoo!!

HiDoll, where are ya?