This is a shout out from Cozumel! We’re having a fabulous time watching and discussing the Fangs and Fur favorites!

For those of you that could not join us on the cruise, you can enjoy our 2010 Fangs and Fur calendar, with different photo themes for each month, and filled with important dates and interesting trivia about your favorite Fangs and Fur actors, authors and historical characters.

Click here for the link.

I personally just flew to Florida myself and even giving myself 2 hours check-in time at JFK, I would have missed my flight had I not complained to the security team and they reluctantly let me cut ahead to the front of the line. Then I ran like crazy from security to the gate!

I was told that the unofficial rule right now is: if your baggage is not checked in by one hour before flight, it won’t make it onto the flight.

If you get to the airport and find that either the check-in (or drop baggage) line is very long, or that the security line is long – and you may miss your flight, save yourself undue stress and find the nearest security person there. With enough polite badgering, they will cut you through to the front of the line.

So:

1. Please get to the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled flight.

2. Check and double-check that before you leave home, you have your drivers license, passport and any medications you will need for the week. If you have a prescription that might run out on the cruise, you can show your pharmacy the cruise tickets and they can usually get an okay from your health insurance company to fill the prescription earlier than regularly scheduled (ie, a prescription that you fill monthly).

3. Make sure you have printed your e-tickets for the cruise at Carnival.com. If you don’t know how to do it, or have problems using their system, call their 800 number on the website while you’re online and have them walk you through each mouse click till you have finished!

4. It is supposed to rain or snow – according to weather.com – in the northeast over the next few days. This includes New Year’s Day and the day of the cruise. My advice to those traveling from the northeast is this: Call your airline and see if they will allow you to fly on an earlier flight at no charge – since they will be juggling people due to the weather, and flights will tend to be late and some even cancelled. If you were planning to fly on the day of the cruise, see if you can get on a flight the day before and then stay overnight in Miami, just to be safe. Most of our group flying in early will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, but they appear to be sold out at this point. If you go to www.maceddytravel.com, click on hotels, type in Miami,FL and then sort by “Price,” you’ll find a Days Inn near the airport for about $90 for the night. That’s about the best deal that offers an airport shuttle bus – and that is what is important to you – to find an affordable hotel that offers a free airport shuttle. On the morning of the cruise, you can take their shuttle back to the airport to be picked up by the Carnival bus.

5. On the day of the cruise, if you are flying into Miami (or Ft. Lauderdale) and/or are returning to the airport from a nearby hotel, do the following: Get yourself to baggage claim, either where your own baggage is, or any terminal. If you do not see representatives from Carnival holding up big Carnival signs, go to the information desk there (where they help with hotels, car rentals, etc.) and tell the person you need the Carnival shuttle. They will call and have them come to the door for you. Please note: most of you pre-paid for your airport transport. If you print the original cabin confirmation that I emailed you, it is noted there. It should also be noted in your cruise documents that you print from Carnival.com. Either way, you’ll have a record that you pre-paid for this service and you will be on their master list. NOTE: If you did not pre-pay for this but would like to have Carnival pick you up at the airport, you can pay them when you get on the bus.

Have a Happy New Year and see you soon!

Sharon

2. Those that are staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – a couple people have expressed interest in getting together the night before the cruise at the hotel, whether for a drink, dinner, or just to chat. If you are staying at the hotel and would like to be the “contact person” for the group of 8 or so people that will be there, please email me and let me know. What I’ll do then is email everyone that is staying there, so they know to ask for you by name when they arrive at the hotel, and can leave their room numbers for you. Judy and I will not be there – Judy is flying in the next day and I will be spending New Year’s Eve elsewhere in Florida with my family…so, one person needs to volunteer. That way everyone can connect via that person. The volunteer can then decide on a time for those staying at the hotel to meet in the lobby at a certain time, or the restaurant, etc., if they so choose.

Again, please email if you’d like to volunteer to do this, and I will then give you the names of the people that will be staying there.

3. Make sure you bring your passport!

Will be back in touch soon.

Sharon

Our Fangs and Fur CafePress shop is open! Check out items for the cruise, and items that are wonderful souvenirs.

Those joining us on the cruise will receive both items pictured on this page as a gift when you arrive on the ship.

Here is the link to our CafePress store.

2. Make sure you have a valid, current passport or the new passport card. At this late date, if you don’t have one, you will need to print your Carnival ticket and/or any plane ticket showing you’re flying to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, and take it with you with your expired passport and/or drivers license (and any other needed documents) to your nearest passport agency. You must provide proof that you are traveling within 2 weeks time and need same-day service to get a new passport. You will likely have to wait a few hours while they do a rush order for you. If you have any questions about what is needed in regards to a passport, here is a link for you: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html. And yes, the new passport card will suffice but if you ever plan to fly to a different country, you will need a full passport anyway, so we recommend you get the full passport instead of the new passport card.

3. If you don’t have your travel plans set up, please email me or call me at 646-321-8504 if you need help. Or go to maceddytravel.com and see what discount prices you can get.

4. We will provide you with special Fangs & Fur Cruise tote bags and button pins for ID, plus pens and some scripts Judy is putting together for you. If you are interested in our cruise tee-shirts, notebooks, postcards, mugs or anything else, we have set up a CafePress store for you. There are a variety of tee-shirt styles to choose from. I recommend you order immediately so that CafePress can deliver them in time for you. The mugs came out great, by the way, but I wouldn’t recommend bringing them on the cruise as they are breakable. CafePress store:  http://www.cafepress.com/fangsandfur

Below are some coupon codes that may give you a discount on your order at checkout. I think all of them work but not certain.

CANNYSHELL – $5 off purchase of $50+
ATTICSINROAD – $5 off purchase of $50+
FCPMAR1 – $5 off purchase of $75+
FCPMar2 – $10 off purchase of $100+
LASTHIP – Free shipping on orders of $60+ (but make sure it will arrive in time)
FreeNewMoon – Free Twilight gift with any online order

5. Make sure you pack smartly. Most airlines (JetBlue excluded) are charging a fee for checked bags. So- bring one large suitcase and keep the weight under 50 lbs. You can also have a carry-on plus a “personal bag such as a purse,” so bring a large duffel or other small suitcase with more fragile items, such as a laptop, camera, etc. If your large suitcase weighs too much filled, put some of the heavier items in your carry-on suitcase/bag. Make sure to leave a little room for any souvenirs you might get on the islands! (And yes, there are self-serve laundry rooms on each floor if necessary, but I recommend you bring a small bottle of Woolite so you can take care of any minor laundry needs yourself.) Important: keep any needed medications with you in your carry-on. Once you arrive on the ship, your suitcase may take take a couple of hours to arrive at your cabin. So anything you will need the first afternoon, keep it with you.

6: If you are flying, remember that you can only bring small sample 2 or 3 oz sizes of liquids (shampoo, mouthwash, makeup, etc.) in a carry-on bag. My recommendation is that you bring your favorite full-sized, unopened bottles but seal them twice in ziplock freezer bags (or similiar packaging) so that there’s no chance of leaking, and then keep them in your checked-on suitcase. Your carry-on is more important for fragile items like laptops, digital cameras, etc. Remember to bring a high SPF suntan lotion if you plan to go off the ship, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries – you can purchase them on the ship or the islands if necessary but you’ll be happier with the prices at home.

7. Regarding “formal” night on the ship, the definition of “formal” is very loose these days. As long as you don’t wear jeans, shorts or flip-flops, you can be as informal as you like. On the other hand, you can also wear a tux and/or formal gown, and there are ship photographers to take professional photos if that interests you. I’m sure that with our group, we will run the gamut in terms of how formal we dress for this occasion!

8. Due to the final mix of people that are on our cruise, we won’t be having any children’s events or a formal costume party. If you want to bring a costume you are welcome to wear it for our private party, group photo or “formal” evening. Plus we will be doing some scenes from the project we write together, and your costume may come in very handy if you want to be an actor for that project. However, a costume is NOT obligatory.

9. Most people in our group are very interested in writing, so if you have an ongoing writing project, whether it be a book, poetry, screenplay, etc., please print out a hard copy and bring it along for notes and comments.

10. For those of you staying overnight at the Miami hotel and that are interested in meeting up with others in the group also staying there, I will provide you with more info on that in a later email.

11. Wise suggestion – write down a checklist of everything you need to bring on the cruise, and add to it over the next day or two as you remember other things! Then actually refer to the list as you do your final packing! (smile)

I will be emailing you probably a few more times before the cruise, so please read the emails promptly.

Talk to you soon!

Sharon

Current cruise rates are approximately as follows (based on availability – so use as a guideline, these prices are not guaranteed):

Inside Cabin Category 4 -  $579.63 double occupancy
Ocean View Category 6 -$679.63 double occupancy
Balcony Category 8 – $809.63 double occupancy
Single person in an inside cabin – $1196.63

Prices include all port taxes and government fees. I have no idea when these prices will change…but will continue to update the website as Carnival’s price and availability changes.  Your best bet is not to delay if you are interesting in booking a cabin.  For example, when the inexpensive 4B inside cabins are sold out, the next category of 4C inside cabins will cost a bit more. When they go, the 4D inside cabins will be still higher, etc.. (Each letter designates a different cabin deck.) Today there are still some 4B cabins still available.  So – fill in the online registration form and we’ll contact you by phone to finalize your cabin reservation.

Remember too that at today’s current rates, a 3rd and/or 4th person in your cabin pays approximately $261.63.  You are welcome to have a cabin of 3 or 4 people equally divide the cabin costs when making payment. A cabin of 4 people could evenly split the tab and pay only about $445 per person (again, at today’s rates)!

Please note that these prices are not guaranteed until booked. You need to fill in the registration form. Then we’ll find the best cabin rate for your category and call you to finalize your cruise purchase. Note that full payment is due with booking. You are welcome to use a different a credit card for each person or to divvy up the costs as you choose.

Have a great weekend!

Sharon

David Thewlis as Harry Potter's Remus Lupin

David Thewlis is currently filming his final portrayal as the kindly werewolf Remus Lupin in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, parts 1 and 2. He is scheduled to finish his scenes in March 2010.

Spoiler alert! (If you haven’t read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.)

Remus Lupin is a romantic werewolf … a handsome if shabbily dressed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who surprisingly marries the sexy Tonks. They have a normal child and seem poised to survive and live happily ever after in the Harry Potter world, despite Lupin’s “condition.” But late in the series, author J.K. Rowling opted to spare the life of Arthur Weasley (Ron’s father) and instead sacrifice Remus and Tonks Lupin. Why?

Lupin is one of the characters we will discuss on the cruise, the reasons his personal story took the route it did, and the role of werewolves and vampires in the Harry Potter world.

Remus Lupin changes into a werewolf

In the meantime, here are some of J. K. Rowling’s comments on the character of Remus Lupin:

Barnes & Noble chat transcript, 8 September 1999:

Q: What is your favorite Harry book so far?
A: The first book will always have a special place in my heart, because it was the first book I ever published. However, I prefer the plot of Chamber of Secrets. And just to confuse the issue, I was looking forward to writing the third book from the start of the first because that’s when Professor Lupin appears, and he is one of my favorite characters in all seven books.

J.K. Rowling interview transcript: The Connection (WBUR Radio), 12 October 1999:

Chelsea: I wanted to know if Professor Lupin is going to turn up in any of the other stories?

JKR: Professor Lupin, OK, yeah. Now for people who maybe haven’t got that far, or haven’t read the books at all, Professor Lupin is the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in book three. Now he is one of my favourite characters in the whole series and – yes, he will be coming – he will – you will see him again. Quite a few of the characters that crop up in – in the books do – do come back, because, I mean, you know, they’re friends of Harry’s now even if they’re not actually living at Hogwarts. You will see Professor Lupin again in book five, not in book four.

Scholastic.com online chat transcript, 3 February 2000:

Q: If you had to choose one teacher from your books to teach your child, who would it be and why?
A: It would be Professor Lupin, because he is kind, clever, and gives very interesting lessons.

Scholastic.com online chat transcript, 3 February 2000:

Q: Who is your favorite character?
A: I love, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Professor Lupin.

JK Rowling talks about Book Four: cBBC Newsround, 8 July 2000:

Lizo Mzimba: Now the future. Lupin’s going to come back in book five isn’t he?
JKR: You’ll see Lupin again in five yeah, yeah – do you like Lupin?
Lizo Mzimba: Oh yes, he’s my favourite.
JKR: Yeah and me. I always looked forward to writing book three because of Professor Lupin, I love him. You see a lot of old characters in book five. I’m not even going to try and tell you what happens in book five, I’m just recovering from the stress of book four.

About the Books: transcript of J.K. Rowling’s live interview on Scholastic.com, 16 October 2000:

Q: Can you explain how Lupin turns into a werewolf, since he didn’t turn in the Shrieking Shack in Prisoner of Azkaban, but instead he turned only when the full moonlight hit him outside the tunnel? If he only turned into a wolf in the moonlight, why didn’t he just stay inside? Did it have to do with the potion? Or was the moon not up yet?
A: The moon wasn’t up when he entered the Shrieking Shack.

Harry Potter – Harry and me: The Scotsman, November 2002:

Professor Lupin, who appears in the third book, is one of my favourite characters. He’s a damaged person, literally and metaphorically. I think it’s important for children to know that adults, too, have their problems, that they struggle. His being a werewolf is a metaphor for people’s reactions to illness and disability.

J.K. Rowling at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 June 2003:

I was also playing with that [intolerance] when I created Professor Lupin having a contagious disease so people are frightened of him. I really liked him as a character but he also has his failing though he’s a nice man and a wonderful teacher – in fact he’s the one time I’ve written a teacher… the kind of teacher I’d have loved to have had. McGonagall is a good teacher but scary at times. Lupin’s failing is he likes to be liked. That’s where he slips up – he’s been disliked so often he’s always pleased to have friends so cuts them an awful lot of slack.

JK Rowling’s World Book Day Chat, 4 March 2004:

Kylie: What does the “J” in Remus J Lupin stand for?
JK Rowling replies: ‘John’. Boring but true!

JK Rowling’s World Book Day Chat, 4 March 2004:

Sirius Riddle: What houses were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Remus Lupin [sic] in? Everyone tells me they were all Gryffindor, but I won’t believe it unless I hear it from Ms. Rowling herself!
JK Rowling says: This is JK herself saying that they were indeed in Gryffindor!

JK Rowling’s World Book Day Chat, 4 March 2004:

Siriusstar: Is Remus a pureblood?
J.K. Rowling: Half blood.

JK Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival, 15 August 2004:

Q. Who is your favourite character in the books?
A. I have loads of favorite characters. I really like Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Dumbledore. I love writing Snape—even though he is not always the nicest person, he is really fun to write. I love writing Dudley. If I could meet anyone, I might choose Lupin. I really like him. My favorite new character is Luna—I am very fond of her.

The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview J.K. Rowling: Part Two, 16 July 2005:

JKR: Oh, how did you feel about Lupin/Tonks?
ES: That was -
MA: I was surprised!
ES: I was surprised, but not shocked.
JKR: Right.
MA: I think I was a little shocked.
JKR: Someone out there, and I don’t know if it was on either of your sites — I nearly fell off my chair. Someone, this is when I do my trawls — I mean, I sound like I spend my life on the Internet and that’s why I don’t get my novels finished more quickly. I swear that’s not true, and I’d like to make that clear for all the recording devices on the table. Because I’ve now got my site, I go looking for the FAQs and for fan sites that I like to put up, so that’s how I find out comments and things. And someone out there, I could not believe it, had said it. Had said, ‘Oh no, Tonks can’t marry so-and-so, (God knows who it was) because Tonks is going to end up with Lupin, and they’re going to have lots of little multicolored werewolf cubs together,’ or something.

The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview J.K. Rowling: Part Three, 16 July 2005:

JKR: Lupin was very fond of Lily, we’ll put it like that, but I wouldn’t want anyone to run around thinking that he competed with James for her. She was a popular girl, and that is relevant. But I think you’ve seen that already. She was a bit of a catch.

Owen Jones interview with JK Rowling, 17 July 2005:

OJ: Now that Peter Pettigrew has a silver hand, is he in a position to kill Lupin?
JKR: I was very interested in this, because when you won the competition to interview me, that was the one you mentioned, so I had warning about that one. And I’m assuming you thought of that because of the silver -
OJ: Silver and the werewolf.
JKR: Which is very, very good, because there’s this myth, which you obviously know, that you need to use a silver bullet to kill a werewolf. I’m going to say no, that Pettigrew does not kill Lupin, but I thought that showed … good knowledge and a good imagination to think of that.

J.K. Rowling’s Official Site:

FAQ: Who is your favourite character?
JKR: I love: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Ginny, Fred, George and Lupin. I love writing (though would not necessarily want to meet) Snape. My favourite new character is Luna Lovegood.

J.K. Rowling’s Official Site:

Rumour: Lupin will come back as DADA teacher.
JKR: Alas, no. Lupin’s exposure as a werewolf did irreparable damage to his prospects for a career in teaching, and with the likes of Fenrir Greyback out there, werewolves are unlikely to receive a good press any time soon.

J.K. Rowling’s Official Site:

Rumour: Professor Lupin has a twin.
JKR: No, but this obviously sprang from the fact that Lupin’s Christian name (Remus) comes from one of the mythical founders of Rome who had a twin called ‘Romulus’. (They were raised by wolves, incidentally).

Harry Potter: The final chapter, 29 July 2007:

Meredith Vieira: So what happened there? Why did [Arthur Weasley] get the reprieve?
J.K. Rowling: Well, I swapped him for someone else, and I don’t want to say who for the people who haven’t– read. But I– I made a decision as I went into writing Phoenix that I was going to reprieve Mr. Weasley and I was going to kill someone else. And if you finish the book, I– I expect you probably know and someone else who is a father. And I wanted there to be an echo of– of Harry’s loss of parents. And you probably know who I’m talking about if you’ve finished the book. But– so there are two characters who are killed in (book) Seven. So Mr. Weasley did get attacked, as you know, in Five. But he would have died if I’d have stuck to the original plan. But he survived. I had to keep him alive partly– partly because I couldn’t bear to kill him.
Meredith Vieira: But there were two that weren’t supposed to die that did end up dying.
J.K. Rowling: Yeah, yeah. I swapped them for Mr. Weasley. But they didn’t then die until Seven.

Harry Potter: The final chapter, 29 July 2007:

J.K. Rowling: I wanted there to be an echo of what happened to Harry just to show the absolute evil of what Voldemort’s doing. The fact that you leave orphans and you leave children who then have to make their way in the world uncared for and unprotected. And — so that’s why I killed the two that, you know, you know about in this book. Which I hated, hated doing because I love them both as characters.

Harry Potter: The final chapter, 29 July 2007:

J.K. Rowling: To hear that Teddy Lupin — Lupin’s son is obviously okay. That he has an ongoing relationship with Harry and that he’s — he must be quite happy and he’s got a very good-looking girlfriend because I think he’s kissing in the epilogue his– Bill and Fleur’s eldest daughter.
Meredith Vieira: And why is that important?
J.K. Rowling: Because he’s been orphaned. And I want– I want to show that he’s okay. And I want to show that because the world is a better place, he’s having a happier– and then I started to cry. So obviously Teddy Lupin’s very important to me. I just — yeah. I– having killed both his parents, I really wanted him to be okay.

Bloomsbury.com online chat transcript, 30 July 2007:

Tineke: Did Teddy grow up living with his grandmother?
J.K. Rowling: Yes, Teddy was raised by Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father’s friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.

Bloomsbury.com online chat transcript, 30 July 2007:

Casey Kunze: Who killed Remus and Tonks? I think if I knew this, I would get some closure over the very sad, but understandable, death of two of my favorite characters.
J.K. Rowling: I’m so sorry! I met a couple on launch night who had come dressed as Lupin and Tonks, and I felt dreadfully guilty as I signed their books! Remus was killed by Dolohov and Tonks by Bellatrix.

Bloomsbury.com online chat transcript, 30 July 2007:

Vio91: Is Teddy Lupin a werewolf?
J.K. Rowling: No, he’s a Metamorphmagus like his mother.

Excerpted from a website devoted to Remus Lupin. Link

The True Blood finale was a ratings hit, with the 2nd season finale attracting 5.1 million viewers!

As everyone takes a deep breath and sits back to await season 3…the Twilight Saga roars back to life! Two months before the movie release of New Moon, Fandango announced that 50 performances are already sold out!

http://fangsandfurcruise.com/?p=494

New scripts added to the library:

http://fangsandfurcruise.com/?p=341

True Blood 1-2

This page will be updated, so check back.