Trip Report 2 Broke Guys - on a boat! 😃

Been debating when to post this. Some of you are already aware of our upcoming trip. (First cruise ever!) What came in the mail today inspired me to get started on this pre-TR:

My very first passport.

Note there is only one. Currently we are joking that I’m going alone because Brian’s got rejected. I’m sure his will arrive Monday.

When: September 5 to 9, 2022. Translation:

Who are going: Tony & Brian

Who is left out: Kylie, our nearly 14 year old German Shepherd Chow-Chow rescue.

Although she’s having a bath on the back patio right now, the pic of her is from a recent drive to the Florida Keys. We pretty much bring her on all trips now, including WDW. As she has aged, she doesn’t take being left alone as well, even with a trusted sitter. Even for one night.

So although we are very concerned about her, we’re trying to arrange multiple people visiting the house more often than just the sitter would, and offering the sitter extra money for more quality time. (Guilt money, for sure.)

And that will likely be the biggest out of pocket expense for this trip (except maybe the passports) because, true to form, we are doing this 4 night Bahamas cruise out of Miami (including all drinks, fancy meals, liquor tastings and souvenirs) entirely on Chase Disney Visa Rewards Points.

 

[Figgy1]

Just ignore the welcome package with airholes shipped from Jersey until you're out to sea

 

[SaucyBoy]

It’s been on ours as well…I forget how long ago I put the little blurb on my page here about planning our first cruise. The covid pause and then resumption left us perfectly timed for this particular celebration!

We’re also considering it kind of a test/gateway. If all goes well (seasickness, etc.) I could see us planning a longer trip to the Mediterranean for sure.

**All the welcomes to all the peoples!!** Thanks for reading.

I have horrible motion sickness. I never could stomach Dramamine but the last couple of times I've flown or had the misfortune of being a passenger on a road trip, Motion Eaze has worked wonders (see spoiler). All you do is shake the bottle and dab a few drops behind your ears. It has a nice eucalyptus scent that you breathe in that calibrates (for lack of a better word) your body.

Spoiler: Motion Eaze Package

 

[MickeyCB]

Who is left out: Kylie, our nearly 14 year old German Shepherd Chow-Chow rescue.

I'm in and looking forward to following along, but I have to tell you Kylie has a "say what"?! look right here!!

 

[Bullseye1967]

Can't wait for this one to start!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Yay! I can't wait to her how you like it! I second the Motion Eaze, we have used it at amusement parks and my son used it on his first cruise and it always works well in the car for us!

 

[meggo819]

I could see us planning a longer trip to the Mediterranean for sure.

My only cruise to date was in the Mediterranean and it was AMAZING!

 

[erstwo]

I’m in! Kylie is adorable! Seriously, such a cutie - I can see why it’s hard to leave her.
Happy Anniversary! Crossing my fingers that you’ll get extra magic at check in and Disney will assign you an amazing room/ cabin!

 

[Bullseye1967]

I’m in! Kylie is adorable! Seriously, such a cutie - I can see why it’s hard to leave her.
Happy Anniversary! Crossing my fingers that you’ll get extra magic at check in and Disney will assign you an amazing room/ cabin!

A twenty won't work here but I would definitely casually bring it up.

 

[MinnieM123]

I'm here, too, Tony!! Will be exciting to read your (upcoming) TR.. You have such an eye for detail, so I'm especially looking forward to your photos.

P.S.: As long as your pals check in on Kylie, she will be fine while you're on your trip.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

The occasion:

Our 15 year wedding anniversary.

Let’s see, almost 15 years married, Kylie is almost 14…yep, the math checks out.

Disney has played a huge part in marking our milestones over the years - from our first trip together while dating, to a hefty number of our anniversary celebrations.

One of the best ever was year 4 at the Flying Fish (Café) with wine pairings, which was really the beginning of our appreciation for dining experiences. (The pairings were gifted by a good friend, and we are still friends with our sommelier from that evening.)
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God, I miss that potato-wrapped snapper.

Another was year 10 at Victoria & Albert’s on the eve of a pretty big hurricane that kept us in Orlando for a few extra days. That trip was also all on Chase Disney Visa points.

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How to top that?

How about our first Disney cruise?

So what I learned from these pics is that you two ended up finding that Florida Fountain of Youth Ponce was looking for all those years ago.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

So what I learned from these pics is that you two ended up finding that Florida Fountain of Youth Ponce was looking for all those years ago.

There are funny things to mess around with regarding our ages. We were both born in 1971, but…

My birthday is 8/31. So I will be 51 on this cruise, but he will still be 50 until early December.

So I was “a year older” when we got married.

I was born before WDW opened. He was born after.

Bonus points: I picked September 8 of 2007 to get married because I knew it would be easy to remember 9-8-7.

 

[93boomer]

Late as ever but I’m here!! Hubby wants come aboard too! Early Congrats from us both on your anniversary!!
Looking forward to this cruise.

 

[Darstarr]

Tony….

I can’t wait for this!!!

 

[Wicked Sisters]

So looking forward to hear what you think of the cruise. Have been enjoying @TheMouseFan report as we have never done a Disney Cruise. Congratulations on your anniversary and Kylie is adorable and I would definitely dog sit for you even though I know it’s impossible.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

As a sometimes lurker in the Chit Chat thread I want to say that I hope you and Brian have an awesome trip because you both have been through so much these past couple years and you both deserve a fun and relaxing vacation.

 

[Swissmiss]

Despite the fact that Kylie is not going on the cruise with you, I hope she finds a way to occasionally infiltrate your TR.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

As a sometimes lurker in the Chit Chat thread I want to say that I hope you and Brian have an awesome trip because you both have been through so much these past couple years and you both deserve a fun and relaxing vacation.

Thank you for saying that. We're doing really well, and I didn't even get to post the latest on Chit-Chat yet, but to briefly catch everyone up:

Brian took the opportunity to change his career when COVID happened and enrolled in nursing school. It was supposed to have been an 18 month program, but he failed the final exam of the last class by 2 points. He re-enrolled, took the whole class over again, aced the class, but got the exact same test score again. He transferred to a different school (as many others in the class had done) and as of a couple of days ago passed with an A. (It's not completely over yet, they offer some weeks of prep for the state test, but he'll graduate after the prep time.) The first school was very strange, half the class failed, and we learned they weren't even accredited for nursing. The second school is. Everything happens for a reason, in my book.

In the meantime, he has been working the last few months with a home-health aide, seems to be good relevant experience, and the full-time income is taking some pressure off the household. (Whew!) We are hoping he will be able to sit for the State exam in August, right before the cruise (giving us one more thing to celebrate!)

During all this, we lost Brian's brother a few months back.

I will say this, to his credit, he just keeps on powering through. On the day he got his test results from the first school, he was enrolled in the new school. He took all the tests, midterms and final, in less than two weeks. There is no quit in my guy.

And it kind of brings him full circle because he originally wanted to work in healthcare going all they way back to college.

So things are looking good!

 

[Bullseye1967]

Thank you for saying that. We're doing really well, and I didn't even get to post the latest on Chit-Chat yet, but to briefly catch everyone up:

Brian took the opportunity to change his career when COVID happened and enrolled in nursing school. It was supposed to have been an 18 month program, but he failed the final exam of the last class by 2 points. He re-enrolled, took the whole class over again, aced the class, but got the exact same test score again. He transferred to a different school (as many others in the class had done) and as of a couple of days ago passed with an A. (It's not completely over yet, they offer some weeks of prep for the state test, but he'll graduate after the prep time.) The first school was very strange, half the class failed, and we learned they weren't even accredited for nursing. The second school is. Everything happens for a reason, in my book.

In the meantime, he has been working the last few months with a home-health aide, seems to be good relevant experience, and the full-time income is taking some pressure off the household. (Whew!) We are hoping he will be able to sit for the State exam in August, right before the cruise (giving us one more thing to celebrate!)

During all this, we lost Brian's brother a few months back.

I will say this, to his credit, he just keeps on powering through. On the day he got his test results from the first school, he was enrolled in the new school. He took all the tests, midterms and final, in less than two weeks. There is no quit in my guy.

And it kind of brings him full circle because he originally wanted to work in healthcare going all they way back to college.

So things are looking good!

You are the embodiment of a positive attitude. You guys deserve this cruise! Sending positive vibes for a stateroom upgrade or some other Disney magic by a CM.

 

[Tiggerish]

I'm late to the party, but as a Platinum Disney cruiser....

We have a stateroom guarantee for a “navigator’s verandah” room. They’ll assign us whatever is left as we get closer to departure, from what I understand. It will have a verandah with a partially obstructed view. (Hey, that kind of view worked well for us at Animal Kingdom Lodge, right?)

You are guaranteed AT LEAST a Navigators Verandah (the very cool port hole verandah)...(sorry for yelling, I couldn't figure out underlining). Basically, you might get a better class of stareroom. No way to tell until you check in. that you'll get an upgrade.

A twenty won't work here but I would definitely casually bring it up.

Not only will a twenty not work, bringing it up with the person who checks them in won't either. Staterooms.are assigned before sail date.

 

[Katiekitten]

I'm following and looking forward to hearing more about your trip!