A Christmas Ship Comes Sailing In (A Cam and Luke TR) Completed 2/18 - Page 18 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Sorry your shore excursion was canceled, but at least you got to do another one. I think getting to hold a turtle would have been a highlight for me. My kids would have thought it pretty cool too.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Bummer that your tour was cancelled but glad you were able to do another - that one is similar to one that we did with NCL - we went to Hell, the turtle farm (which I LOVED and would spend all day there if I could, I got to hold a little itty bitty baby!! ) and then a rum cake place. It was only a couple hours, so it was nice that we spent some time in town also!
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
When we went to the turtle farm, our son (who I think was 9 at the time) loved "catching" the turtles to hold. He'd then pass them to his 5 year old sister as she couldn't reach the pool well, but wanted to hold them. Afterward, we saw all these little holes in his shirt, and realized it was from the turtles' flapping fins, as they had a bit of a sharp spot on them!
The disembarking from the tender sounded harrowing!
Even though it was not the excursion you'd planned, it still turned out to be a nice day. The turtle farm was interesting. I think I would enjoy that.
The pictures of getting from tender to ship remind me of an America's Funniest Videos video montage that was on FB recently. I could not stop laughing. If you want a good laugh go to youtube and search for "AFV Somewhere beyond the Sea "
Had we been on the same tour my child would have been one of those fitting the world Hell into every sentence and greeting. Giggling the whole time. Sorry to read the excursion was canceled and the seas were rough but it sounds like you had a good time none the less.
Thanks for the review on the tour as that is one we're considering. I like that you get an overview and get to see the turtles and still back on the boat for lunch and pool time.
We did quite a bit of exploring in our morning on Grand Cayman, and it really was nice to be back on board so early.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryTink
All caught up. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time so far. My kids and I took our first ever Disney Cruise on the Dream 12/22-26. It was truly amazing. I am enjoying hearing about a different ship.
What a bummer that your excursion in Cayman had to be cancelled, but sounds like you made the best of it. Would love to visit the turtles!
The turtle farm was more interesting than I had thought it would be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
I'm sorry that your planned excursion was cancelled, but nice work Disney on getting you booked for something else so quickly. I've been on the fence with this port, we would love to see the turtle farm as I think it would be fun with all the kids in our group ( 6 of them...ages 8-3) but I read the drive is about 30 minutes. Is that correct you think? We also are tossing around the idea of staying on board this day and enjoying the less crowded pool decks with the kids, not sure what to do just yet.
I adore your red dress BTW, you guys looked really amazing!
I'm not a good judge of time, but Luke thinks it was a little less than a half hour from the turtle farm back to the port. It's quite possible you could do the farm and still get some less crowded time on the ship.
Well, you made it to hell and back-- how funny! The water is so beautiful, but it's not fun to nearly land in it from the tender. I can't even consider the tenders, so it limits what itineraries are good for me. Then again, there's nothing wrong with taking an extra sea day and staying on board. I don't like the sound of your teaser.
I much preferred the ports where the ship could dock without us having to tender to shore. But it was interesting to say the least. To help with explaining the teaser in the next update, I wish I now had a picture. But I don't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Wow, that is not a transfer I'd want to do from the transfer. I love your turtle photos and especially that one with his nose poking out - too cute!
That turtle had us laughing as he nosed along the side of the pool.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomhazel
Another fan of your red dress here.
The turtles are gorgeous.
Reading your discussions on Key West and the comments on Nassau have helped me decide. We are doing a 3 night on the Dream and I was hesitating about shore on Nassau as we have such a short time on the ship. Decided now we are having a ship day.
Your food sounded gorgeous.
We stayed on board at Nassau back in 2006 and felt we almost had the ship to ourselves. Loved it.
Great pictures from your tour! Sorry the seas were so rough!
I was very thankful I had the sea sickness patch on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunshinetaradise
Grand Cayman is one place I've always wanted to go! I love all of your turtle farm pictures!! That looks like something I would love to do if I ever get there!
The turtle farm was much more enjoyable than Hell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Sorry your shore excursion was canceled, but at least you got to do another one. I think getting to hold a turtle would have been a highlight for me. My kids would have thought it pretty cool too.
Holding the turtle was very cool in spite of my initial fear that he'd feel slimy.
Bummer that your tour was cancelled but glad you were able to do another - that one is similar to one that we did with NCL - we went to Hell, the turtle farm (which I LOVED and would spend all day there if I could, I got to hold a little itty bitty baby!! ) and then a rum cake place. It was only a couple hours, so it was nice that we spent some time in town also!
Now I'm wishing we had gotten some rum cake, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
When we went to the turtle farm, our son (who I think was 9 at the time) loved "catching" the turtles to hold. He'd then pass them to his 5 year old sister as she couldn't reach the pool well, but wanted to hold them. Afterward, we saw all these little holes in his shirt, and realized it was from the turtles' flapping fins, as they had a bit of a sharp spot on them!
The disembarking from the tender sounded harrowing!
That is too funny. I was still just a little afraid that I'd drop the turtle on the concrete, which we'd been warned not to do, that I kept him out and away. I'd have hated to get a hole in my giraffe tank top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMA
Even though it was not the excursion you'd planned, it still turned out to be a nice day. The turtle farm was interesting. I think I would enjoy that.
The pictures of getting from tender to ship remind me of an America's Funniest Videos video montage that was on FB recently. I could not stop laughing. If you want a good laugh go to youtube and search for "AFV Somewhere beyond the Sea "
That video is hilarious, and is exactly what I was worried would happen if someone didn't keep a hold of me.
Your up close encounter seemed awkward for both you & the turtle! Lol
Luke had asked me to turn around, but I couldn't as I needed to keep the turtle over the water. So I was in an awkward position so some of my face could be seen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roaminggnome
Had we been on the same tour my child would have been one of those fitting the world Hell into every sentence and greeting. Giggling the whole time. Sorry to read the excursion was canceled and the seas were rough but it sounds like you had a good time none the less.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.