Vacation? We are pros!

It all started back in January over our dinner table. We always try to ask the kids where they would like to go on vacation that year. We are indeed a blessed family as we usually get to travel and be away more then once a year but that's getting off topic!

We have taken vacations to the Southeast so many times (hey, it's cheaper then most places to go and near home and there is plenty to see and do) So we had that coverd. Literally MD to FL. check, been there done that.

North East? Pricier but we had fit in a few trips up that way too. PA to Bar Harbor, MN check.

We have vacationed in the midwest. totally awesome 2 week road trip. I think we can still hear "On the Raod again" in our brains as we moved from hotel to hotel for 14 nights. Big shiney arches? check. Those big guys carved in the rocks? check. Mountain goats? check Painted rocks and Red Rocks, and things that looked like rocks? check.. Mountains that define splendor? check. Miles and miles of nothingness to get from place to place? check. The biggest Visa bill we had ever seen? check! The memories? check check and double check.

How about TX and the deep south and TN mountains? check check check.

We finally realized there are just a few areas we had missed. New Mexico/Arizona, the whole of California (well, Mark and I spent a week in CA sans kids and had a blast flying in and out of Las Vegas and driving across that part of the dessert) OR Washington State and parts of the North West ? All very interseting options!

So I set off to research such a trip for our family of 6. I quickly realized it would be a duanting task. For one, transporting a family of 6 all the way across our lovely continental US of A is both , very time consuming and very expensive. Not much of either left once you arrive! huh.
We could fly, we could drive, we could cut some stops out, we could pair down our goals, we could go to just one place. . . seriously it was such a discouraging prospect. And the numbers where down right scary, like 5 digit scary or very near to it!! UGH!

We actually have a go-to plan when we want to make everyone happy, stay a little closer to home, and be fairly budget minded. No one believes us but Walt Disney World is one of the cheapest vacations we can find! We have been to WDW close to 20x in the past 25 years. However, my current two teenagers? Actually asked for something different this year. Did I really burn them out? Oh heaven help me if I did, Disney is my happy place. Maybe 3x in one year was a bit much. . . not for my youngest two, they would go back at the drop of a hat! They love it. HA!

BUT Disney was out for this year. The other part of that dinner conversation we had? Someone (not mentioning any names here) mentioned cruising. Mark and I have long wanted to try that out. The teens agreed it might be fun and different. Maybe I could look into that.

After I became discouraged with my land based vacation, I turned to researching cruising. Can I just stop for a minute and say? I love the Internet? And search engines and forum boards and and and all the readily available information at your finger tips? I dream of being a travel agent or a real estate agent or okay, well, I like pretty fun things!

So. yes, moving on! So many lines to choose from, so many prices, so many places to go. So many decisions. We settled on a Western Carribbean Itinerary as Mark has had opportunity to visit Grand Cayman for work (yeah, I know, poor banker just doin' his job) but I was not able to go along and was bummed about it! He was excited to show us what he had loved so much!
Lots of WCarrb. Itin's also include Mexico. How fun! We have never been out of the country except Canada when they almost didn't let Kiley come home with us . . .oh , sorry 'nother story!

so okay then! I was finding repeatedly which cruise lines were kid friendly and which ones where not so much. Can you guess? Do I even have to say? Disney is cruising the Western Carribbean this year! Let me request a quote for this cruise right away! The best of both worlds. The big kids get a cruise. The littles get a touch of Disney and the Mouse! I waited patiently for my quote to come back. Then not so patiently. Finally, I get the email! I open it up and what do I see? $10,878.40. What? That price does not get us to the Port in FL, it does not include any of the tips and extras you have to pay. . . I was heartbroken. No way we can come close to affording that. I left it alone for a few days, then I thought, I am a great bargain hunter, I can do this. I just need more facts. The next time I requested a quote? I had more information, best times to sail, which cabin to select, etc. This time my number came back at $7,432.40 . UGH! We obviously just can't afford this. Or maybe I just needed more information. Enough already, I will just say this: $5,266.40 (what's with the 40 cents anyway??) $4.211.40, and it just kept coming down! It was the end of season blowout spectacular! Who cares if we have to cruise during hurricane season? Who cares if we need to drive to FL and not fly? Who cares if we can't have a window in our cabin?

WE ARE GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE FOR A WHOLE WEEK!

No 2 or 3 or 4 day weekend cruises for us. No party cruise lines for us. No gambling and unacceptable stage shows, no sirree! We are going on the top rated cruise line sailing for families and even couples without children prefer it over most other lines!

I am estatic and dig in to real planning and learning the ins and outs of booking, paying, lingo, oh it just goes on and on forever and what an education I am getting.

Opps, forgot one thing. Need to have a discussion with the hubs. Might want to let him know what I've found. And ummm, yeah, maybe what I have booked. . .

Valentines Night seems like a good time don't you think? yes, well true love wins out over his shock that I had actually booked this and as he hears all about it, he is thinking it sounds good too. I still can not believe he is "onboard" with my plan! So we discuss what about if this job comes through? Well, we have time to worry about that before the cancel without penalty date.

Woo-Hoo! Up next? The plans take shape! And so does the new job!