Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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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.
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11-26-2005, 04:11 PM
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#1
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: second star to the right
Posts: 13,308
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Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO
Earlier this year we decided to get tickets to go to the Homestead Miami NASCAR race. My husband is a HUGE Rusty Wallace fan and this would be his last race since he was retiring. So as soon as the tickets went on sale in April, I got us 2 seats near turn 1, 2 tickets to the Coors Light pre race party and 2 pit passes.
At first, we planned to just go down for a long weekend and hang around down near Key Largo then my mom says "Why don't you just make it a week since I have lots of vacation?" Since mom was watching the kids and she almost insisted we go away longer [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] we started looking. Wendy (wendyismyname) posted a trip report here of her cruise on the Jewel of the Seas and it sounded fabulous but figured it wouldn't fit into our plans. Well, it turned out it left on Sunday Nov 13 out of Ft Lauderdale and returned on Saturday Nov 19. The race was on the 20th so we were all set. I called our travel agent and had her snag the cruise. All that was left to do now was pack our bags and wait about 7 months.
THE CRUISE
We left Easton at 6 am on Sunday NOvember 13. Last time I had been up this early was b/c I was still up from the night before [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] Our driver Lenny came and took us to Newark which is about 50 minutes away from here. No traffic - that was awesome. I had checked into our flights online and printed our boarding passes so when we arrived at the airport all we had to do was check our luggage. So we checked our luggage and immediatley headed thru security - no problems there either (for once). We flew on Continental - I hadn't flewn with them in a few years but was very happy with their staff and the condition and cleanliness of the planes.
The flight was uneventful. They showed a "Hope and Faith" episode and some random short shows. I think I took a little nap.
We arrived in Ft Lauderdale and easily found our luggage and the Royal Caribbean rep. Hopped on a bus and went directly to the pier. At the pier, hopped right off the bus and bypassed the lines. Since we are booked in a suite, we don't have to wait in line to check in and can just go right up to the priority area and check in. That was done in no time and we headed onto the ship.
The ship itself is just gorgeous. It is currently the newest in the Royal Caribbean fleet. We quickly found the buffet and ate some lunch. All the food was pretty good but I was so hungry I could have eaten almost anything.
After lunch, we head off to find our room. WOW Wait until you see these pictures.........
To be continued...
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11-26-2005, 04:37 PM
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#2
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Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Hurry back!!! I can't wait to read (and see) more about your trip.
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11-26-2005, 05:16 PM
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#3
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Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Dreaming of the Future
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 24,867
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Ohhh Hurry Back I am so enjoying this so far!
Amy
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Sponsored links
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11-26-2005, 05:40 PM
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#4
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Connecticut Shoreline
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 8,250
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
You left us hanging.... I can't wait to see the pictures.
KathyL [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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11-26-2005, 06:08 PM
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#5
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 18,767
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Definitely looking forward to freading and seeing the pictures from your trip!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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11-26-2005, 11:30 PM
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#6
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Dopey's biggest fan!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: China Spring, TX
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 26,975
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Great start!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Sponsored links
Check out the many e-books by PassPorter. The e-books are free to download if you have a PassPorter's Club pass.
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11-26-2005, 11:58 PM
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#7
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Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Great start Crystal!!! Can't wait to see the pictures!!!
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11-27-2005, 09:52 AM
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#8
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NC
Posts: 12,270
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] I can't stand a cliffhanger!! I need those pictures!
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11-27-2005, 12:06 PM
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#9
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Edmonton, KY
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 17,823
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Crystal I'm so glad you've started this TR!! I can't wait to see the pictures of your suite AND of course pictures of my guys!!!!
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11-27-2005, 02:57 PM
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#10
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 34,171
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Anxiously waiting Crystal!
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11-27-2005, 03:11 PM
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#11
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: second star to the right
Posts: 13,308
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Day One - Finding our room
After lunch, we head down to deck Ten to find our stateroom. We managed to get ourselves turned around and go the wrong way. We finally figure out where we need to be and go to open the door. Slide key once, nothing. Slide key twice - nothing. Slide DH's key twice - nothing. We make the trek all the way down to deck 4 Guest Relations and wait in a big line. The guy gives us new keys and we are on our way back to deck 10. At this point, I'm thinking if these things don't work I am gonna be so POed.
We get to the room and enter with no problems. The room is just absolutely freakin' gorgeous. When I go away, I want to be spoiled and this did it for sure.
The Sleeping Area
The Vanity next to the bed
The sitting area
The bar and dining area
Part of the bathroom - there was also a toilet, shower and bidet
Half of the Balcony and my DH
The other half of the balcony
The view of Port Everglades from our balcony
Finally, we got a chance to sit down and take it all in. I really feel like I am on vacation now. We looked thru all the papers about what was going on tonite aboard the ship and the letter from the concierge explaining the benefits. If you stay in a suite or are a Diamond member of the Crown and Anchor Society (RCCL frequent cruiser program), you have access to the concierge. He can make arrangements for you like special dinners, shore excursions, priority tender tickets and priority debarkation. They also provide a lounge where they serve Continental breakfast in the morning, muchies in the afternoon, cocktail and hors duerves in the evening and desserts and appertifs later. Like you need more food on a cruise, but it was nice since it was just around the corner from our room. We made frequent use of it especially since you could get drinks - soda, beer, alcohol for no extra charge.
It seemed like no time passed and our luggage arrived. Another benefit of staying in a suite is your luggage is routed differently so you get it almost immediately. I unpacked it all in record time and it was almost time for the muster drill. For those of you who haven't cruised, this is a safety event that is mandatory for all aboard. You have to put on your life jacket and go to a predetermined location. They make a bunch of announcements to explain it all. The bells sound and its time for the drill. We get to our spot and they even take attendance. We were chatting with a very nice gentleman in a wheel chair during the drill. When the drill was almost over, they told us we could leave early since he was in a wheel chair. He said If they think you guys are with me - lets go. SO we got out before the crowds of people.
Back to our room, we decided to just relax on our balcony for the sail away from Port Everglades. I like to sit out there and jsut watch it all go by. Pretty soon, we are away from the port and out in the ocean. Maybe a little snooze before dinner since we had late seating and that was 8:30pm.
Up next Our First Night aboard....... |
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11-27-2005, 03:13 PM
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#12
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RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Great start Crystal [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zwavin.gif[/img] Now where are the pictures [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/questionicon.gif[/img]
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Sponsored links
Check out the many e-books by PassPorter. The e-books are free to download if you have a PassPorter's Club pass.
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11-27-2005, 05:46 PM
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#13
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Edmonton, KY
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 17,823
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Gee, your room was just a little bit bigger than mine [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img] I love the pictures Crystal!!! Isn't the Jewel GORGEOUS???
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11-27-2005, 08:50 PM
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#14
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But why is the rum gone?
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Needville, Texas
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 12,286
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Re: Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
Great Start Crystal!!! You are making me ready for my cruise!!
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11-27-2005, 08:52 PM
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#15
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Cruise and Miami NASCAR - A Trip Report
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] Glad you started your trip report Crystal. You're really going in style. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] Seven-night and longer are the only way to go. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] Hope to read more before we leave. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]
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