First Med Cruise - Our excellent adventure!

[Disneyfalcon]

11 nights in the Mediterranean!! With the Mouse!!

I got a last minute travel agent special too great to pass up! Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Disney cruises. This was my fifth. 4 of which have been in the last 15 months. When this deal came out, I was scrambling to make it work.

Dh couldn’t get off work for two weeks, but he was beyond sweet and told me to go ahead! I knew the kids would love it too, but there was no way Ds15 could miss two weeks of high school. Dd12 however, no problem! I talked to Ds who insisted he could go at first. After a week passed, I decided to talk to him again.

The conversation went like this –

“So, about this cruise…” – Me
“Mmhmm” – Him
“You know there’s no way you can miss two weeks of school, don’t you?” –Me
“Yeah, I know.” – Him
“So you won’t be bitter if I go?” – Me, sounding hopeful
“No, I guess not.” – Him
“Would you be bitter if I took your sister?” – Me
After an eternal silence – “No, but you’re going to have to buy me off.” – Him (obviously my child):rolleyes1

Now, who else to bring? My parents were tempted, but Mom felt like it was someone else’s turn since she took advantage of the last travel agent special cruise with me. I started talking to friends, and one, Debbie, didn’t hesitate, she was in! She didn’t mind taking her dd14 out of school for this kind of opportunity. And bonus, she has a ds17 who could commiserate with my ds15 while we were gone. We talked to the girl’s teachers and got the green light. Woo hoo!

My parents were still toying around with going. I checked the military specials and there was a great one. They got a category 5, verandah, for an 11 night cruise for $2300. Total. For two people. :eek: Pretty amazing!
I realized my in-laws wouldn’t want to pass that up either, so they booked a verandah too.

Here we all are. These photos are your teasers for different parts of the trip!

Dd and I:
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Debbie and her dd:
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My parents:
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My inlaws:
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The scene was set, we were ready to plan! And we only had about 6 weeks to do it!

About three weeks before the cruise, we got our room assignment. A verandah!! I couldn’t believe it! With all of my cruises, we’d never splurged for one before. We’ve always been happy enough with our portholes. I was crazy excited to try a verandah, though. What a perfect cruise to have one on!:banana:

About a week before we left, the Icelandic volcano started to erupt, shutting down European airspace for days. We were flying directly into Barcelona, which thankfully wasn’t immediately shut down. I was pretty worried we weren’t going to make it, and incredibly thankful we purchased trip insurance. I DID NOT want to use it, but it sure provided some piece of mind.

I have to tell you, of all the reasons I thought we might have to use our trip insurance, illness, flight delays, etc., a volcano in Iceland never crossed my mind!:laughing:

I had also devised about 13 alternate plans to get there, including – flying into Madrid if it was still open, flying anywhere in Europe we could get to, flying into Morocco and taking the train/ferry/train to Barcelona, and meeting the cruise at any port we could get to.

Well, thankfully, about two days before we left, everything started to open again. Woo hoo, indeed!

After several days spent researching ports and excursions, little bit of shopping, and lots of packing, the big day had finally arrived!

[Disneyfalcon]

Thursday, April 22nd, Day 1 – Crazy long travel day to Barcelona

Our flight left at 6 am, so we left the house at 4. We were excited so it wasn’t too hard to wake up. We flew from Colorado Springs to Dallas, to JFK, then finally to Barcelona. Our Barcelona flight was delayed about an hour. It was an 8 hour flight, and to adjust to the time change, we really needed to sleep.

For some reasons I don’t understand, dinner wasn’t served until we’d been in the air about 2 ½ hours. It was 9:15! 9:15? Not Barcelona time, NYC time. That seriously cut in to our sleeping time. There were some movies to watch, but they seemed like really odd choices. Star Trek? Now, I loved that movie as much as the next person, I’ve seen it 3 times and I’ll admit, I watched it again. But that movie has been on DVD for months! What happened to new movies on flights?

I managed to get about 4 hours of sleep, off and on.

[Disneyfalcon]

Friday, April 23rd, Day 2 – Barcelona!

Well, we made it! We were in Spain. After we breezed through customs, we went to wait for our bags. We waited and waited. Our bags took an hour and a half! Mercy! I wasn’t too stressed though. I was just relieved we were there.

We didn’t take Disney transfers, but it was sure exciting to see them waving those Mickey gloves in the airport for the people that did!:banana:

We had a shuttle reserved and it was waiting for us. On the ride to the hotel, we saw the Magic in port, and we all cheered. I love that ship. It just makes me happy.:)

Our first night there we were staying in a brand new hotel that had only been open a few weeks. It had a great travel agent rate, and was one of the few hotels we found that would sleep 4 people in a room. It was called Hotel Novotel Barcelona City. It was very modern and nice.

Here's the lobby:

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We dropped off our bags in our rooms, and headed out for the day. We didn’t want to stay in the room too long, in case the beds seduced us.:lol:

We walked across the street to a mall for an early lunch. The girls and I ended up eating at a Subway. How very American of us.:rolleyes1

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After that we walked to the nearest metro stop and rode to Sagrada Famalia. Barcelona’s metro was great. Easy to use, clean and inexpensive.
Sagrada Famalia was crazy. When we got up to street level, we turned around and whoa! There she was. Ginormous! Still under construction. Has been for years and years, will be for 50+ more. It was beautiful, nonetheless.

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[Disneyfalcon]

Next we rode to the closest stop to Park Guell. Park Guell was quite a hike from the metro stop. Mostly uphill. Here's mom and mil taking a break:

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But everyone made it, and we were rewarded with some gorgeous city views and a fascinating park.

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After this we had planned on going to the Magic Fountains, but we were exhausted from the lack of sleep and amount of walking we had done. We went back to the hotel, stopping at Burger King on the way for dinner (:laughing:) in our room.

Everyone in my room started drifting off around 6:00. I tried to stay up until 7:30, but I was gone by 6:45. :)

Tomorrow we board the Magic!:banana:

[Redeemed&Loved]

Great pictures and report!

[Disneyfalcon]

Great pictures and report!

Thanks for reading!:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Saturday, April 24th, Day 3 – Sailaway Day!

We mostly slept through the night. I think we were all awake around 2, 4, and then 8:00 for good. Wow, we had 13 hours of sleep!

We walked across to the mall for breakfast, Dunkin Donuts. I know, shame on us again. :laughing:We would be more adventurous later in the week.

Our shuttle was supposed to pick us up at 9:30, but there was a miscommunication and they had scheduled us for 10:00. Okay, I guess I wouldn’t be among the first onboard this time. I’d live.:rolleyes: Well, then the shuttle as 30 minutes late! I was not very happy then. We had bigger problems with this company on our last day, but that’s a story for later in the report.

When we arrived at the port, we all cheered again. I love that welcome sign!
They had their own up in Barcelona:

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The terminal was very different then Port Canaveral, but just as exciting.

We checked in, took our picture with Mickey, and boarded fairly soon after. For you character collectors out there, a Mediterranean cruise has an amazing offering. Every day the gang was dressed in native costumes. I didn’t get pictures of all of them, but they were awesome!

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Since we had all booked so late, I didn’t have Palo reservations, so I went to Rocking Bar D to get some while everyone else went to Parrot Cay for lunch. I joined them just a few minutes later for our first grand meal of the cruise!

After lunch, we walked around the ship and showed it to our friends. Here's the crew pool and the port.

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The girl’s went swimming in the empty pools, and Debbie and I toured the spa and work out room. I’ll admit, this first day is the only day I ever see the workout room. :laughing: It’s beautiful though!

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Our rooms were ready so we headed down to deck 6. Our Castaway Club gift, and beautiful verandah was waiting for us.

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Our bags started showing up pretty quickly so we unpacked and ironed while the laundry room was empty.

We went to the lifeboat drill at 4:30 and got to try out our very stylish life jackets. Hopefully our only time to wear these. Not sure what I'm doing in this picture:

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We saw everyone else for our first dinner at Lumieres. Our servers were named Kris and Sandor. Sandor was from Hungary, and Kris was from Switzerland. Sandor was awesome. Kris struggled a little, we think he was new, but he was super nice.

[Disneyfalcon]

The first show of the week was great as always.

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The magician picked Debbie’s Dd for a volunteer. I’d seen both the acts before, but they were still funny.

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The Sailaway party is normally in the afternoon, but for the Med cruises it’s at 10:00! We were tired but it was still fun.

We had our first little towel animal waiting for us when we got back:

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[Disneyfalcon]

Sunday, April 25th, Day 4 – Sea Day

Today we woke up at 9:00 and had our own private Church services with our family. Afterwards, it was time to eat again! We went to Lumieres for a yummy brunch. The girls ditched us pretty quickly and went to watch Princess and the Frog.

We tried to read on Deck 4, but it was a little chilly! We went to the excursion desk to try to solidify our plans for Tunisia and got some more information.

Can you take too many pictures off your verandah?

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Next, Debbie and I went to a cooking demonstration, the first in a series of three. We learned to make a Tuna appetizer.

Debbie loved the tuna, but I’m not a big seafood person, so I passed. At this point, I hadn’t eaten in about 2 hours (!) and we went up to deck 9 for some wraps and ice cream.

The girl's enjoyed some room service:

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Disney brought a special speaker on board to give us information about some of our ports. Today he was giving a lecture on Pompeii so we went there. I learned a lot, but I may have drifted off a few times.:)

Afterwards we went to our first Origami class. We made some lovely flowers.
Then it was time for a Latin dancing class! We were learning all sorts of stuff today!

I also stopped by the rebooking desk and rebooked our Alaska cruises. In case you didn't know, rebooking onboard gives you a 10% discount as well as a large onboard credit! I always tell people if there is any chance you will sail again, rebook onboard. Of course I didn’t follow my own advice last time I was onboard, so I had to rebook a booking we already had. The price had gone up a little since we originally booked, but we still saved a lot. :thumbsup2

Rebook onboard! Do it! You can move your dates around later, but get something in the books! Counting both sets of parents, dd and I, there were 6 of us on this cruise that are cruising to Alaska next year, so I was able to rebook all 6 cabins of friends and family for our Alaska cruise.

Tonight was formal night at dinner, so we got all pretty and went to Animator’s Palate.

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Afterwards, we went to a family cabaret show the same magician from the night before. He was very funny again.

The show tonight was Twice Charmed. I’ve seen it twice before so I didn’t take pictures, but everyone enjoyed it.

Afterwards we went to a family dance party, and then the girls went swimming while we went to bed!

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Tomorrow was our first port - Malta!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I'm glad that you decided to post this over here as I always enjoy your pictures. I can't wait to hear all about your experience cruising the Med!

[pixie08]

Great tr!:thumbsup2

[2littlegirls]

great TR! The girls look so pretty in there formal dresses. Can't wait to read more. thanks for sharing.

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks for reading so far!:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Monday, April 26th, Day 5 – Malta

We ordered room service for breakfast, but I went up to Topsiders to supplement our order with some hot things. Like breakfast potatoes! I don't thing I went a single day without breakfast potatoes and I am going into serious withdrawal.:laughing:

Here we are pulling in:
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We got off the ship pretty early and walked into town. It was an uphill climb but very nice once we got to the top. We just walked around at a leisurely pace and enjoyed it.

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[Disneyfalcon]

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Little silly at times:

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Here's where my mom would want me to tell you that she wouldn't usually be caught dead in tennis shoes and black pants, but we were walking and walking!!:laughing:

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Everyone decided to tour St. John’s Cathedral, but I decided to stay out and take some pictures.

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[Disneyfalcon]

The gardens at the top of town were gorgeous, with amazing views.

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Debbie and her DD stayed in town to walk around some more, and the rest of us went back to the ship for lunch.

We ate out on deck 9.

[Disneyfalcon]

After lunch Debbie was back so we went to lay out, read and swim. It was just a gorgeous day! After looking at forecasts, I was worried we would have a slightly chilly cruise, but the weather most days was perfect. Not too hot, but plenty warm enough to swim.

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Afterwards we showered and went to watch When In Rome. It was cute.
We stopped by to see Lilo and Stich and Chip and Dale on the way to dinner at Parrot Cay.

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Few photos out on deck 9:

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We shopped for a little while after dinner and my sweet in-laws bought me a Dooney and Burke Mickey bag. You may have seen the Dooney and Burke line at WDW or DL, but there is also a special line for the cruises. I opted for the more subtle (?) navy pattern with Mickey’s.

Tonight was a comedy show with Heath Hyche. On one of my previous cruises, I made the mistake of sitting in the front row for one of Heath’s adult only performances. Suffice it to say, I still cringe a little when I hear his name, so I skipped that one.:laughing:

The girls went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

I went to the room to check emails. Then we went to bed!

[Redeemed&Loved]

Any chance you have a photo of the D&B purse?

[vron]

Lovely photos! We're doing our first ever Cruise next month and then spending 3 nights at the new Nototel Barcelona City Hotel! DD will be thrilled to bits having a Subway and Dunkin Donuts right on the doorstep! :)

[jinia]

I am really enjoying your TR and your pictures are GORGEOUS! Thanks for taking the time to do it!

[UKANGEL]

really enjoying your report thank you :) The photos are fab!

[Disneyfalcon]

Any chance you have a photo of the D&B purse?

I do! I didn't carry it on the cruise, but here it is on my table:

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Lovely photos! We're doing our first ever Cruise next month and then spending 3 nights at the new Nototel Barcelona City Hotel! DD will be thrilled to bits having a Subway and Dunkin Donuts right on the doorstep! :)

Good, I'm glad I helped someone! :laughing: We really liked the hotel. The second one we stayed in (Avenida Palace) was my favorite, but Novotel was super nice.

I am really enjoying your TR and your pictures are GORGEOUS! Thanks for taking the time to do it!

Thanks jinia!:)

really enjoying your report thank you :) The photos are fab!

Thanks ukangel!

[Disneyfalcon]

Tuesday, April 27th, Day 6 – Tunisia (Africa!!)

We were going to Africa today! I can’t tell you how excited I was to visit yet another continent. This was Disney’s first time to stop there.

We had done our homework and been warned about the aggressive tax drivers, but we didn’t want to pay for an excursion and decided to risk it anyway.

We ate a nice breakfast at Lumiere’s and got off the ship about 9:00.

I was very excited to see the camels waiting for us!

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We had planned on walking to the train station. On our way there after we’d declined about 30 (no exaggeration) cab drivers, one of them finally convinced us. It was a good price and we decided it was worth it.

We split into two cabs (which made my Dad exceedingly nervous) and headed for Sidi Bou Said. This little town was beautiful! It's know for its white walls and blue doors. We walked all over and did a little shopping. I took about 50 blue door pictures!:eek:

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[Disneyfalcon]

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[Disneyfalcon]

Our cab drivers picked us up two hours later. They insisted on taking us to the top of one of the buildings and I was very glad they did!

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He also insisted on taking some pictures with my camera. I'd rented a $1600 lens, and him holding my camera without the strap around his neck made me a lot more nervous then splitting into two cabs!!:laughing:

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When we arrived back at the port, we paid the drivers and tipped them at their suggestion.:laughing:

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[Disneyfalcon]

This time I couldn't just pass the camels. I mean, how often do you get to ride a camel? The guy said it was 5 Euro for a ride. I only had one coin left, so I asked for just a picture. He was shaking his head no, when Debbie found another coin. So we just kept saying 2 euros, no ride, just a picture. He finally gave in, and acted like we were a big inconvenience.:laughing:

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I have to say, this picture is one of my favorites just because, like I said, how often can you sit on a camel next to the Magic???:banana:

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Then the camel owner, whom we were inconveniencing so much, then started posing for pictures!!:rotfl:

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Afterwards we had a late lunch on deck 9, and spent the afternoon swimming, sleeping in the sun, and another Origami class!

This was the note the girls left us on the door. They left us notes all week to tell us where they were. This was their current situation:

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[Disneyfalcon]

We took some more pictures with characters before dinner. Are you ready for Italian characters?

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After dinner, we went to see Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer and the girls got called up! They won a pin and a trophy. Aren't they cool?

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The show tonight was for special itineraries only. It was called “Once Upon a Song” and was basically just 5 of the entertainers singing. They all had amazing voices and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Afterwards we went to the room to get some sleep! Tomorrow was all day walking in Naples and Pompeii!

[giftcard]

Fabulous review!!!!! Can't wait to read more! :surfweb:

Amazing pics! I love all the blue doors and the camel owner pulling out some "blue steel" for the camera!

[Tanzanite]

I am loving your trip report i so want to go next year love the outfits the charactors wear in different countries. thanks for sharing.:cool1::cool1:

[myershoney]

Your photos are beautiful! We are going to buy a new camera for our September 2010 Med cruise and are wondering what camera you used.

[2littlegirls]

Great post again! I am so glad you had a good time in Africa, so many post have been neg. good to hear that it was a good exprience.

[Disneyfalcon]

Fabulous review!!!!! Can't wait to read more! :surfweb:

Amazing pics! I love all the blue doors and the camel owner pulling out some "blue steel" for the camera!

That's exactly what he did! Lol!

I am loving your trip report i so want to go next year love the outfits the charactors wear in different countries. thanks for sharing.:cool1::cool1:

The character outfits were super cool!

Your photos are beautiful! We are going to buy a new camera for our September 2010 Med cruise and are wondering what camera you used.

Thank you! I have a canon 50D. If you're looking for a entry level SLR, I highly recommend the canon rebels.

Great post again! I am so glad you had a good time in Africa, so many post have been neg. good to hear that it was a good exprience.

We had a great time in Africa. Sidi Bou Said is so beautiful! And peaceful!

[shushh]

Love, love LOVE the photos. Thanks for posting! Glad you liked Tunis as well. I was beginning to think that we were the only ones who enjoyed it!

[eeyorefanuk]

Hello, loving your trip report and photos - how lovely your parents and your in laws get on :goodvibes

Had to laugh at the camel owner "posing" for the photo.

I know you have not got to it yet but Villefranche - the beach is close by and sandy???

[TotallyAngelic]

Wonderful report so far and fantastic photos !!! Thanks for sharing.

[Disneyfalcon]

Love, love LOVE the photos. Thanks for posting! Glad you liked Tunis as well. I was beginning to think that we were the only ones who enjoyed it!

Hi Shush! Definitely not! I'm very glad we stopped there.:)

Hello, loving your trip report and photos - how lovely your parents and your in laws get on :goodvibes

Had to laugh at the camel owner "posing" for the photo.

I know you have not got to it yet but Villefranche - the beach is close by and sandy???

It is nice we all like each other! In Villefranche we walked straight to the train station, so I didn't see the beach. Villefranche was beautiful though!

Wonderful report so far and fantastic photos !!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading! I'll try to get more up tonight!:)

[Kiss-im-mee2]

Hello, loving your trip report and photos - how lovely your parents and your in laws get on :goodvibes

Had to laugh at the camel owner "posing" for the photo.

I know you have not got to it yet but Villefranche - the beach is close by and sandy???

We went to the beach in Villefrench after we returned from Nice. It was a short walk from the tender pier along the road. The sand was real nice and DH said the water was not too cold for the first of June.

[pixie08]

By the way you have amazing pictures. Are you using an SLR? If you don't mind me asking...what kind?Thanks.

[Disneyfalcon]

By the way you have amazing pictures. Are you using an SLR? If you don't mind me asking...what kind?Thanks.

Thanks pixie08! I am using a Canon 50D. For most of this trip I had the 16-35L lens on, which I rented, as it is not in my budget yet.:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Wednesday, April 28th, Day 7 – Naples and Pompeii

Look at the first sight that greeted us from our verandah this morning! Mt. Vesuvius!

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We ate an early breakfast at Topsiders today and got off the ship early.

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We declined all cab drivers (including one who followed us literally for 5 minutes with us repeating no over and over) and walked to the train station. It was supposed to be a 20 minute walk, but took us around 35. We stopped a few times for directions. We were behind an older couple from our cruise doing the same thing. We did see some neat parts of Naples.

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The train station was fairly confusing, but with two other families from the cruise and some helpful Italians, we made it on to the correct train.

We decided that anything in Italy that remains still long enough, will eventually be covered in grafitti. It was everywhere!

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The train ride to Pompeii was standing room only. Luckily we were only on for about 20 minutes.

You can see how excited dd was about standing:

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[Disneyfalcon]

Pompeii was huge. Just stunningly, huge. There is no way you can cover it in a day. We spent several hours there though. It was super hot in the sun and dirt, and I gladly paid 3 Euros for a coke zero at some point.

You can see Mt. Vesuvius in the background of a few of these:

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[Disneyfalcon]

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We took the train back and started the long walk through the city. We toyed with taking a bus, but decided to hoof it. By the time we got back on board, we’d been walking for about 7 hours straight. We were earning our meals!

We ate a VERY late lunch (as in two hours before dinner) on deck 9 and went swimming again.

We ate dinner at Animators, and saw Oceans in the big theater. The part about the sea turtles was too traumatic that late in the day!:scared1:

We headed for bed right after. We had a long day ahead of us tomorrow - Rome!:cool1:

[lovesDCL]

Great TR! Thanks for taking the time to share! BEAUTIFUL pictures! :thumbsup2

[williamson_ja]

This is fantastic! You've sold me on a med. cruise!!

[Señor DonDuck]

Wonderful pics from all the ports! The camel pics were awesome.

I'm probably gonna come off sounding silly saying this, but I think it's cool that the characters have all the different outfits.

Can't wait to read about Rome.

[ProudMommyof2]

Wow!! What an adventure and soo many great memories to have with your family!
Thanks for your detailed report and stunning pics!

[DMMarla07860]

great trip report and pictures you got going here.

[ibouncetoo]

Really enjoying your report...glad we could deliver the Magic to you! :thumbsup2

Those few days with the ash situation were interesting for those of us on the ship too.

BTW, I agree about "Once Upon A Song". I loved it...very talented young people on the ship. The following morning was our Character Breakfast and those CMs were escorting characters, so we got a chance to tell them in person what a great job the did. :thumbsup2

.

[Disneyfalcon]

Great TR! Thanks for taking the time to share! BEAUTIFUL pictures! :thumbsup2

No, thank you for reading!:)

This is fantastic! You've sold me on a med. cruise!!

Yay! It's worth every penney!

Wonderful pics from all the ports! The camel pics were awesome.

I'm probably gonna come off sounding silly saying this, but I think it's cool that the characters have all the different outfits.

Can't wait to read about Rome.

Not silly at all. I was so excited to see their different outfits!

[Disneyfalcon]

Wow!! What an adventure and soo many great memories to have with your family!
Thanks for your detailed report and stunning pics!

Thanks ProudMommy! It is a great way for me to relive it too!

great trip report and pictures you got going here.

Thanks Dmmarla!:)

Really enjoying your report...glad we could deliver the Magic to you! :thumbsup2

Those few days with the ash situation were interesting for those of us on the ship too.

BTW, I agree about "Once Upon A Song". I loved it...very talented young people on the ship. The following morning was our Character Breakfast and those CMs were escorting characters, so we got a chance to tell them in person what a great job the did. :thumbsup2

.

Hi ibounce! I kept up with some of your transatlantic postings! They helped get us even more excited!

[Disneyfalcon]

Thursday, April 29th, Day 8 – Civitavecchia- Rome!

After a super long day of walking yesterday, today was going to be another one. My in-laws decided to take a Disney excursion, but we went on our own yet again.

We ate a quick breakfast and got off at 7:30. The walk to the train station was easy, but we just missed the 8:00 train. The streets were empty except for the cruise travelers. The street was filthy, not sure what happened there the night before!

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We bought all day public transportation tickets. For 9 Euros, we got to ride the train to and from Rome and then use the metro and bus as often as we liked. It was a great deal!

The train ride took about 45 minutes and we got off at the Vatican. The Vatican was packed and beautiful.

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It was a little difficult to figure out where to go at first. We had bought our tickets before hand, and since my in-laws decided to take a last minute excursion, we looked for someone we could give their tickets to. I offered them to two Italian women who spoke no English and it took about 10 minutes to convince them I was just giving it to them and not scamming them.:laughing:

St. Peter’s Basilica was amazing.

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[Disneyfalcon]

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[Disneyfalcon]

The walk to the Sistine Chapel was so, so long. We wound through halls and halls of artwork.

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There were signs all over saying no pictures in the chapel so I refrained. I think I was the only one though!

One more Vatican picture:

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Afterwards we hopped on a bus and got off at the Trevi Fountain stop. We bought some ham and cheese calzone type things and ice cold cokes (!) in a little café and ate on the street.

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The Trevi Fountain was beautiful and packed.

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Afterwards we walked to the Coliseum taking in the beautiful sights along the way. I loved being on our own for this. It was awesome to wander through the streets of Rome!

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[Disneyfalcon]

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Finally, there it was! What a sight to behold.

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[Disneyfalcon]

We had extra tickets for the Coliseum as well, and the couple we offered them to happened to be from our cruise! No communication problems there.

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[Disneyfalcon]

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After we walked around the Coliseum we caught a bus to the Pantheon. On the way we stopped for some gelato!

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Next we walked to the Spanish Steps. They were also packed, and beautiful.

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[Disneyfalcon]

There was a McDonalds there, and we stopped to use the facilities and get some cokes. The McDonalds was super nice.

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We were fascinated by the kiwis on a stick that they sold.

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We wandered some more:

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Finally, we caught the metro back to the train station. Our train broke before we left the station, but a friendly local told us where to go. The public transportation in Rome was great. It was inexpensive, clean, and easy to use.

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[Disneyfalcon]

Look who we ran into when we got back to the ship!

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We were very late for dinner but when we were boarding they told us to go on up. It’s remarkable how well the servers go with the flow.

There weren’t any big shows scheduled for tonight. I’m sure Disney knew that most people would be getting back very late.

The girls went to see Alice and Wonderland in 3D and the moms went to the hot tub.

All aboard time was 9:00. About 9:05 they started making announcements looking for 3 families. Apparently some people were really late!:scared1:

By 9:15 they were only looking for 2 people.

When I got back to the room, I went out on the verandah to see if I saw anyone. I wasn’t the only one, I could see lots of people on their verandahs watching. Sure enough, there were two ladies on the dock. We were pulling away and they were waving for us to stop.:laughing:

Amazingly enough, we pulled back in! They lowered a gangway and the girls walked on. When they took their first steps, the whole side of the ship erupted in applause and cheers. It was so funny!

Tomorrow is Pisa! I'm sorry this is becoming such a crazy long report!:eek:

[soxfan1495]

Wonderful pictures. This is making me think about buying a new camera before we go on our cruise in two months.:)

I had been on the fence about visiting Sidi Bou Said, but after seeing your photos I am looking forward to it more. You seemed to enjoy being in a smaller group. This makes me wonder if perhaps going in a big group on a ship's tour makes it harder to appreciate the place.

Looking forward to seeing your report and photos of La Spezia, Corsica and Villefranche.

[smeecanada]

Tomorrow is Pisa! I'm sorry this is becoming such a crazy long report!:eek:

No apologies needed. Enjoying your report immensely. Report on.

[Señor DonDuck]

Rome... so beautiful. Loving all your pictures. Too funny about the last 2 people late to return.

And that has got to be the nicest McDonald's that I have ever seen.

[Adsmama]

I love your report!! Did you have a map of rome? How did you know where the buses were and which ones to take? Would you recommend us doing the ancient sites early and book the vatican later? Did you go to the vatican museum?

[Disneyfalcon]

Wonderful pictures. This is making me think about buying a new camera before we go on our cruise in two months.:)

I had been on the fence about visiting Sidi Bou Said, but after seeing your photos I am looking forward to it more. You seemed to enjoy being in a smaller group. This makes me wonder if perhaps going in a big group on a ship's tour makes it harder to appreciate the place.

Looking forward to seeing your report and photos of La Spezia, Corsica and Villefranche.

We did everything on our own. I am sure we missed some information that way, but it was very relaxed and we got to go at our own pace. Maybe it is better to see Sidi Bou Said at your own pace. I definitely enjoyed Rome at our own pace. A few times I had to pinch myself and say, "Oh my word, we are wandering the streets of ROME!!"

No apologies needed. Enjoying your report immensely. Report on.

Thanks Smee!:)

Rome... so beautiful. Loving all your pictures. Too funny about the last 2 people late to return.

And that has got to be the nicest McDonald's that I have ever seen.

It was a gorgeous and ginormous McDonalds! I had to take a picture.

I love your report!! Did you have a map of rome? How did you know where the buses were and which ones to take? Would you recommend us doing the ancient sites early and book the vatican later? Did you go to the vatican museum?

We did have a map of Rome. I believe we picked one up at the train station. If you look at most of my pictures, you'll see my Dad's white head in front of us with a map. I have a pretty good sense of direction, and I think I could have made it without him, but it was so nice just to follow him and not worry about anything but taking pictures. :)

There were two easy ways to get help. One was a newsstand, and one was a visitor information booth. We found one of those whenever we needed to. They told us which bus. Then, when we were on the bus and discussing which stop to get off, a friendly Italian usually jumped in to help us.

I heard from a few people who went to the colisseum first and vatican in the afternoon and it was still crowded. I don't think you can avoid crowds at either of those locations. I do recommend booking tickets in advance for those two because it saved us a lot of time waiting in line. We did walk though the museum which was very very large.

[travelbug24]

I too am enjoying your report. I will be following in your footsteps on our September cruise. Your report has made me anxious and excited for our cruise.

[lovesDCL]

Another great installment in your TR! LOVE :love: all the pictures!!!

Can wait for more popcorn::!!!

[Disneyfalcon]

I too am enjoying your report. I will be following in your footsteps on our September cruise. Your report has made me anxious and excited for our cruise.

Yay! I'm glad I can help get you excited!

Another great installment in your TR! LOVE :love: all the pictures!!!

Can wait for more popcorn::!!!

Thank you lovesdcl!:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Friday, April 30th, Day 9 – Pisa

We started off the day with breakfast at Parrot Cay. A couple who sat down next to us told their waiter they’d missed their excursion - AGAIN!:scared1:

Debbie and her dd wanted to go to Florence, and I really wanted to see the Leaning Tower, so we split up today. Florence was about 2 ½ hours from the port, so they played it safe and took a Disney excursion. When you're going that far from the ship, that's when the peace of mind is worth it to take an excursion.

We tendered in. You can see the tender boats next to the ship:

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We walked to the train station and caught a train. We took a wrong turn on the way and walked through the beautiful town of La Spezia.

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On the train we had a private car. I was, once again, very impressed with the trains in Italy. Dd stood on her chair to take this. You can see my hand on her waist in the mirror:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise36.jpg

We ended up on the train with a ton of people from the cruise. When we got off, we all followed each other around looking for the correct bus. There were about 25 of us on the bus and when one person found out which stop, we passed it around! :)

The tower was great. Disney had some of their photographers stationed there to take passenger pictures. I'd seen some passenger pictures in front of the colisseum and other things earlier in the cruise. I just assumed that these were all taken on Disney excursions. I was excited to see them waiting for any passengers. We weren’t too hard to spot with our Castaway Club lanyards and dd’s DCL shirt. :laughing: They took some great pictures.

We took the standard, hold up the Tower picture.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise40_filtered.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

Several times actually :lol::

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise79.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise76.jpg

Then we just walked around for a while:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise75.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise72.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise58.jpg

After that we caught the bus back to the train station and rode back. When we got back in town, we decided to walk again. We tendered back:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise7.jpg

We got back at 4 and dinner was at 6. In fine cruise tradition, we had a pre-dinner-dinner of chicken fingers and fries. :cool1:

Our second dinner was in Lumiere’s for pirate night! The girls wore some fun outfits we bought in Tunisia:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise110_filtered.jpg

Here's Brent:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise112_filtered.jpg

The show was a magician who had some so so tricks, and a couple of amazing ones.

Afterwards we went up on deck for the pirate party and fireworks. It must have been too windy for Mickey to fly. We were way too stuffed for the buffet, so after a little partying we headed for bed.

[Disneyfalcon]

Saturday, May 1st, Day 10 – Sea Day!

This morning was our character breakfast. We’d been up so late the night before, Dd and I were the only ones who made it. It was yummy and the characters were great. Of course our servers made us lovely napkin hats.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise113.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise115.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise117.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise118.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise120.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise123.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise124.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise125.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

After breakfast I met Debbie for another cooking lesson. Today it was an entrée, and it was yummy! Apparently while we were in there, my parents were watching a pod of dolphins playing next to the ship.

After we learned about entrees, we stayed for a napkin folding class. That was awesome! I can make so many cute napkins now. At least I think I can!:banana:

Parrot Cay was having a steakhouse lunch. While we were eating, some of the servers called us to the windows. One of the dolphins had made another appearance.

After lunch we all went to see Alice and Wonderland in 3D. I’ll admit, from everything I’d seen, I was not very excited about it, and would not have paid to see it in the theaters. But wow! It was great! I was so pleasantly surprised. I’d definitely recommend it to people. I actually had to leave in the middle to go to a DIS meet! I watched the second half later in the week.

The meet was great fun. Yummy food - like we needed more:laughing:, and friendly people. It's always fun to meet fellow Disney lovers.

We went swimming afterwards, surprise, surprise.:)

After we swam, I noticed Pluto’s was serving Philly cheese steaks. I couldn’t pass that up! So again, I had a pre-dinner-dinner. I was beginning to feel like a hobbit.:rolleyes1

Tonight was semi formal night at Animators. We got all prettied up again:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise126copy.jpg

We met some very spiffy ducks:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise129_filtered.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise136_filtered-1.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise141_filteredcopy-1.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

The show afterwards was a new one, Villains Tonight. I had read some mixed reviews of it, but I really really liked it. Half the audience gave it a standing O!

Here's Hades:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise161_filtered.jpg

Ursula:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise163_filtered.jpg

Izma and Kronk, who was HILARIOUS:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise165_filtered.jpg

Evil Queen:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise168_filtered.jpg

After the show, the girls went swimming and we went to bed!

We had a sea turtle waiting for us:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise159_filtered.jpg

[giftcard]

[QUOTE=Disneyfalcon;37013029]
After we swam, I noticed Pluto’s was serving Philly cheese steaks. I couldn’t pass that up! So again, I had a pre-dinner-dinner. I was beginning to feel like a hobbit.:rolleyes1
[QUOTE]

Awesome!!! :thumbsup2

[Angie_Ohio]

My family is taking the Med. cruise in June of 2011. I wanted to get a private tour of Rome but you hit all the sights we're interested in and in the same order, starting at the Vatican. :worship:
How much research did you do ahead of time for the train and tickets? I had heard it best to purchase tickets ahead of time. :surfweb:
Ohh only a year and 2 weeks to go! :flower3:

[lovesDCL]

Yay! Another great update! :thumbsup2

Love the pictures from Pisa!

[Disneyfalcon]

[QUOTE=Disneyfalcon;37013029]
After we swam, I noticed Pluto’s was serving Philly cheese steaks. I couldn’t pass that up! So again, I had a pre-dinner-dinner. I was beginning to feel like a hobbit.:rolleyes1
[QUOTE]

Awesome!!! :thumbsup2

:cool1:

My family is taking the Med. cruise in June of 2011. I wanted to get a private tour of Rome but you hit all the sights we're interested in and in the same order, starting at the Vatican. :worship:
How much research did you do ahead of time for the train and tickets? I had heard it best to purchase tickets ahead of time. :surfweb:
Ohh only a year and 2 weeks to go! :flower3:

We bought vatican tickets and colisseum tickets beforehand online, and I would do that again. We tried to buy train tickets, but couldn't with American credit cards. I am actually glad that that didn't work, because the Birg tickets were perfect. We bought them in the newstand in the train station in Civitavecchia. Super easy and great price!

Yay! Another great update! :thumbsup2

Love the pictures from Pisa!

Thank you again!:)

[tink,too]

I have just found your review and must say that I'm really enjoying it. Your photos are awesome as always. :thumbsup2

[eeyorefanuk]

Thanks again for another great update - love the girls in their clothes they bought in Tunisia - and you all look lovely in your formal wear. How lovely to see dolphins playing - I love dolphins :goodvibes

[pixie08]

Thanks pixie08! I am using a Canon 50D. For most of this trip I had the 16-35L lens on, which I rented, as it is not in my budget yet.:)

I am envious lol! I do love my rebel but those pics are just wow...I bet the lens had a lot to do with it as well!

[Disneyfalcon]

I have just found your review and must say that I'm really enjoying it. Your photos are awesome as always. :thumbsup2

Thanks, tink!:)

Thanks again for another great update - love the girls in their clothes they bought in Tunisia - and you all look lovely in your formal wear. How lovely to see dolphins playing - I love dolphins :goodvibes

Thanks eeyorefan! They are so cute in their Tunisia wear! :)

I am envious lol! I do love my rebel but those pics are just wow...I bet the lens had a lot to do with it as well!

I have loved all of my rebels too. A great lens helps for sure, but the biggest change was when I finally took my camera out of automatic!:laughing:

[ArmandXG]

Loving your trip report. The photos are fabulous!:goodvibes

The girls look very pretty in their outfits from Tunisia.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip... Thanks for sharing!

[pixie08]

I have loved all of my rebels too. A great lens helps for sure, but the biggest change was when I finally took my camera out of automatic!:laughing:

:rotfl2:That's so true...a good lens and camera can only help so much! You have a wonderful eye for photography and your dh is so photogenic! Loving the reports!

[jagmom]

Your trip report is awesome!

[Disneyfalcon]

Loving your trip report. The photos are fabulous!:goodvibes

The girls look very pretty in their outfits from Tunisia.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip... Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for reading!:)

:rotfl2:That's so true...a good lens and camera can only help so much! You have a wonderful eye for photography and your dh is so photogenic! Loving the reports!

That's very nice of you to say pixie! Thank you!

Your trip report is awesome!

Thanks jag mom!

[gatzsd]

Love you trip report and pictures!
A couple of questions:
Was the newstand where you bought the train tickets to Rome inside the train station or outside? We went a few years ago and stood in a long line at the train station to buy our tickets.

When you went to St.Peter's Basilica - did you do that before or after the Vatican Museum? Was there a long security line to get in?

Is there a specific website you go to in order to pre buy your tickets to the vatican and collosseum?

So you didn't have a metro map in Rome - you just asked around and it worked out fine?

We are going to have our 3 year old with us when we do the trip in September, so just trying to map out our strategy.

Thanks so much!

[Disneyfalcon]

Love you trip report and pictures!
A couple of questions:
Was the newstand where you bought the train tickets to Rome inside the train station or outside? We went a few years ago and stood in a long line at the train station to buy our tickets.

When you went to St.Peter's Basilica - did you do that before or after the Vatican Museum? Was there a long security line to get in?

Is there a specific website you go to in order to pre buy your tickets to the vatican and collosseum?

So you didn't have a metro map in Rome - you just asked around and it worked out fine?

We are going to have our 3 year old with us when we do the trip in September, so just trying to map out our strategy.

Thanks so much!

Thanks, gatzd!

When you get to the train station go inside. The ticket window is on the left. There is a hallway on the back right that has the newsstand. The newsstand line was non existant, compared to a long regular ticket line.

We went to St. Peter's and the tomb of the Popes first. We didn't mean to, we just didn't know where to go in. If you see the picture with the giant courtyard surrounded by pillars, that's where the security line for St. Peters and the tombs is. It was very long, but moved at a decent rate. That part was free.

Afterwards, we exited security and walked a long way around the outside to the museum/Sistine chapel entrance. There was a line there that we bypassed because we already had tickets. Here is the website for Vatican tickets:

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do

and I believe this is where we got the colosseum tickets:

http://goitaly.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=goitaly&cdn=travel&tm=6&gps=357_470_1041_605&f=00&tt=13&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.ticketclic.it/Gb/index.cfm

Metro maps are posted everywhere inside the metro so that was super easy. If you are familiar at all with reading a metro map, that won't be a problem.

For the bus, we just asked at a newsstand or tourist information booth which one to get on.:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Sunday, May 2, Day 11 – Corsica

We had church services again and then headed off the ship. About two minutes after we started walking, it started sprinkling. We walked through the market, made some purchases and then got back on board. I didn’t get many pictures today because of the rain. :guilty:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/6MedCruise176_filtered.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise8.jpg

Not sure about the grammar on this sign::lookaroun

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/65MedCruise.jpg

We ate lunch, got our umbrellas and walked off again. I didn’t want to risk getting my camera wet so I left it. While we were out, I remembered my waterproof camera sitting in my dry stateroom. :laughing: The town was really pretty. It’s the birthplace of Napoleon, so there were monuments to him all over.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise3.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise7.jpg

When we got back on we went to see The Last Song. I’d read the book, which was certainly better, but it was still good. Total tearjerker, we all cried. A lot. At least the baby sea turtles made it through this movie.:)

After the movie it was time for ice cream!:cool1:

[Disneyfalcon]

The girl’s went swimming again. There was a pool party going on!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise10.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise14.jpg

After dinner, the show was another special one for the Med. It was a tribute to Walt Disney. It was excellent. I think I cried again.

Finally, back to bed again. Our towel animal was ginormous tonight! It took up a whole bed!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise20_filtered.jpg

Next up is Villefranche, Monte Carlo and Nice!

[Andrea_loves_Disney]

OH MY GOSH!!! Your report and your pictures are AMAZING!!!!! I am so jealous. We had Brent as our CD on the Magic last summer, so it was neat to see him in your pics too!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!! :goodvibes

[jagmom]

Can't wait for your next update!

[dolver]

Great Reports! I think I know which trip I'll choose next! Well, if Hubby and I survive our 1st cruise 3/24/11. It is just a 3 nighter, but we wanted to be sure we could handle 'the ocean' before booking a long one!

Can't wait to read more!

[Disneyfalcon]

OH MY GOSH!!! Your report and your pictures are AMAZING!!!!! I am so jealous. We had Brent as our CD on the Magic last summer, so it was neat to see him in your pics too!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!! :goodvibes

Thank you Andrea! :) My daughter loves Brent!:laughing:

Can't wait for your next update!

Thanks jagmom! I should get some more up tomorrow!

Great Reports! I think I know which trip I'll choose next! Well, if Hubby and I survive our 1st cruise 3/24/11. It is just a 3 nighter, but we wanted to be sure we could handle 'the ocean' before booking a long one!

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks dolver! You'll love your first cruise!:)

[gatzsd]

Thanks, gatzd!

When you get to the train station go inside. The ticket window is on the left. There is a hallway on the back right that has the newsstand. The newsstand line was non existant, compared to a long regular ticket line.

We went to St. Peter's and the tomb of the Popes first. We didn't mean to, we just didn't know where to go in. If you see the picture with the giant courtyard surrounded by pillars, that's where the security line for St. Peters and the tombs is. It was very long, but moved at a decent rate. That part was free.

Afterwards, we exited security and walked a long way around the outside to the museum/Sistine chapel entrance. There was a line there that we bypassed because we already had tickets. Here is the website for Vatican tickets:

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do

and I believe this is where we got the colosseum tickets:

http://goitaly.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=goitaly&cdn=travel&tm=6&gps=357_470_1041_605&f=00&tt=13&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.ticketclic.it/Gb/index.cfm

Metro maps are posted everywhere inside the metro so that was super easy. If you are familiar at all with reading a metro map, that won't be a problem.

For the bus, we just asked at a newsstand or tourist information booth which one to get on.:)

Thanks so much for the tips!! Jeesh - if I would have known about that newstand last time, it would have saved me a lot of headache as there was a huge line! I missed St Peter's basilica last time (walked around the square) because I thought the line was too long and didn't want to wait in it - glad to know it moves quickly and its going to be our first stop this time. Still debating on Vatican Museum with a 3 year old, especially when its such a hike to get to the Sistine Chapel. I'm glad you enjoyed Tunisia - sounds like other people didn't that went on the ship excursions. I'm hesitant on that one because we are on the 10 day cruise so was going to treat it as a sea day. Looking forward to the rest of your posts! Thanks again!

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks so much for the tips!! Jeesh - if I would have known about that newstand last time, it would have saved me a lot of headache as there was a huge line! I missed St Peter's basilica last time (walked around the square) because I thought the line was too long and didn't want to wait in it - glad to know it moves quickly and its going to be our first stop this time. Still debating on Vatican Museum with a 3 year old, especially when its such a hike to get to the Sistine Chapel. I'm glad you enjoyed Tunisia - sounds like other people didn't that went on the ship excursions. I'm hesitant on that one because we are on the 10 day cruise so was going to treat it as a sea day. Looking forward to the rest of your posts! Thanks again!

You are very welcome! The newsstand was great. A small line formed while we were there, but nothing like the normal line.

I could not believe how long the walk was to the Sistine Chapel! It went on and on and on.

We did enjoy Tunisia. I understand about needing a sea day break though. We got off the ship early, then were in Sidi Bou Said about 2 hours. So it was only about a 3 hour trip off the ship. The ship was nice and empty when we got back.

[Disneyfalcon]

Monday, May 3rd, Day 12 – Monaco and Nice

Okay, just to warn you, I took about a million pictures today. :cool1: I can’t believe I took that many, because when we got to the train station, I realized my battery was low. I was really conservative about what I took!

I was really taken with the beauty of Monte Carlo. Look at this city. It’s amazing!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise86.jpg

After breakfast at Topsiders, we ordered some Big Island Cookies :) from room service to get us through the day. We tendered off into Villefranche, and man, that tender was rocking! Even the Magic was rolling a bit.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise29.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise30.jpg

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http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise39.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

We walked through the edge of VilleFranche which was beautiful too!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise43.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise46.jpg

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http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise54.jpg

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http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise61.jpg

We went to the train station and went to Monte Carlo.

[Disneyfalcon]

The train station is at the top of the town which is built into the side of the cliffs. We started the walk down through the town with me snapping pictures the whole way.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise65.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise65.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise67.jpg

Every so often we would come across a public elevator in the middle of the sidewalk that would drop us several levels. Genius!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise85.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise79.jpg

They were setting up for the Grand Prix:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise75.jpg

We walked to the palace stopping for snacks on the way. French bread in France!

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise73.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise70.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise111.jpg

Then we waited for the changing of the guard which was very neat.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise101.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise102.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise99.jpg

Afterwards we walked back up, and took the train to Nice. Here’s the Monte Carlo train station:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise112_filtered.jpg

Nice wasn’t as striking as Monaco, but still pretty. We found a little restaurant that had excellent pizza, and ice cold cokes! In a bottle! Woo hoo!:cool1:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise114_filtered.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise119.jpg

[Disneyfalcon]

We walked down to the enormous stretch of sand to put our feet in the Mediterranean:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise121.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise122.jpg

Then we walked back to another train station. We tendered back to the ship and got ready for dinner at Palo.

Palo is amazing, my favorite by far. It’s a do not miss on the cruise. My mother in law wasn’t feeling well, so unfortunately she did miss it:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise132.jpg

The show tonight was a crew talent show. It wasn’t the entertainment people, it was the room stewards, the kid’s club workers, the engine room guys, etc. A couple of acts felt like an elementary school talent show:laughing:, but some of them were very entertaining.

Tonight was the midnight dessert buffet, but after a huge dinner at Palo, there was no way.

We weren’t even sure what tonight’s animal was. A dinosaur? Loch Ness Monster? It was cool no matter what.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m258/tammyfalcon/7MedCruise137_filtered.jpg

[jagmom]

Maybe an anteater? lol

More amazing pictures!

[Disneyfalcon]

Maybe an anteater? lol

More amazing pictures!

Maybe so!! :laughing:

[Adsmama]

I love your pics!!! Was it easy to know where to find the train? We were thining of finding the bus to monte carlo/monaco. Is it pretty obvious where all the public transport is when you get off the ship?

[Tigger-tastic]

Great review! I love your pics. Now can't wait for our Med cruise in Sept!!

:cheer2:

[lovesDCL]

:thumbsup2 Great Pictures!

I love Palo too! On our honeymoon cruise we went 3 times! Twice for dinner and once for brunch...:cloud9:

[Disneyfalcon]

I love your pics!!! Was it easy to know where to find the train? We were thining of finding the bus to monte carlo/monaco. Is it pretty obvious where all the public transport is when you get off the ship?

It was very easy to find the train station. After you get off the tender you walk into a building with maps and lots of information. We went out and took a right. Just follow the water and you'll see signs for the train. There will also probably be a crowd of fellow cruisers walking with you.:)

Great review! I love your pics. Now can't wait for our Med cruise in Sept!!

:cheer2:

Thanks Tigger!

:thumbsup2 Great Pictures!

I love Palo too! On our honeymoon cruise we went 3 times! Twice for dinner and once for brunch...:cloud9:

Ooh! Jealous!!:laughing:

[lovesDCL]

Ooh! Jealous!!:laughing:

Don't be! I gained 7lbs on that cruise! :scared1: I blame it mostly on Palo :p

[Disneyfalcon]

Don't be! I gained 7lbs on that cruise! :scared1: I blame it mostly on Palo :p

:rotfl: I will say, I didn't gain a pound on this cruise even with all my hobbit eating! We took the stairs everytime. I was literally on the elevator maybe 3 times in 12 days.

My problem was when I got home and kept eating like I was on a cruise and walking all over Rome and up stairs!!:laughing:

[Señor DonDuck]

So many wonderful pictures! Everything looks so nice.

That last towel critter... loch ness monster? :laughing:

[Disneyfalcon]

So many wonderful pictures! Everything looks so nice.

That last towel critter... loch ness monster? :laughing:

That was one guess!:laughing:

[melir]

Great trip report! Your pics are amazing!
I can't wait for our Med cruise !!!

Thanks a lot for sharing!

[ScottyBoomBotty]

I've just joined disboards in preparation for my DCL Med Cruise in September. You're photos and commentary have gotten me super excited!!

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[Disneyfalcon]

Great trip report! Your pics are amazing!
I can't wait for our Med cruise !!!

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Thank you, melir!:)

I've just joined disboards in preparation for my DCL Med Cruise in September. You're photos and commentary have gotten me super excited!!

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Welcome to the boards! You'll find lots of great cruising information. Glad I could help!

[Disneyfalcon]

Tuesday, May 4th, Day 13 – Last day :sad1: And what a day it was!

Today we woke up to a bit of rocking. The TV said the waves were 4-8 feet. I showered and got dressed while everyone else in the room slept. I took some pictures on our verandah. This is only 4-8 feet:

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After I got ready, I answered some emails and realized I wasn’t feeling great. I checked the TV again and the waves were up to 15-20 feet!:scared1: We were moving!

I knew I needed to try to get some air, so I went up on deck and got a croissant and coke. I couldn’t eat the croissant, but the coke helped. The kid pools were closed, but there were some men in the adult pool that had become an incredible wave pool. I was really wishing for my camera, but I didn’t think I could make it to the room and back.:laughing:

I met Debbie for the last cooking class, but after about 10 minutes I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I tried to go out on deck 4 for more air, but it was too windy to even open the doors. We went up to deck 9. The pools were almost empty and the water was all over the deck. We sat for about 5 minutes before they told everyone they had to go inside.

I gave up and went back to the room to go to bed. The captain came on at noon and apologized for the waves. He said it wasn’t forecasted at all. We were going to start towards the shelter of the coast but it would take another 2-3 hours.:eek:

The captain said the winds were 65+ knots and it felt like it on deck.

I stayed in bed for 4 hours. I slept and watched parts of several movies. Parent Trap, Swiss Family Robinson, Ratatouille, Tinkerbell, and who knows what else. I slept a lot and didn’t move the rest of the time.

Debbie felt fine and went to get me a coke at some point. I wanted to get up and take pictures of the waves so badly, but I didn’t dare.

The Captain was right, at 3:00 we reached the coast and all was well. We went to the top deck to get some food since I hadn’t eaten all day. They opened Topsiders so people could bring their food inside.

After we ate, we had to begin the sad task of packing.

Our last dinner was at Animators. Our head servers told us the waves were the worst he’d been through. He said he was in charge of Topsiders. They opened at 11 with 36 servers, and by the time they closed at 1:00, they were down to 8. I didn’t feel quite so wimpy after that!:laughing:

[Disneyfalcon]

The last show was the always excellent, Disney Dreams. After that, we went back to our room and put on some pjs so we could put our clothes in our luggage that was about to be taken. After our luggage was gone, we remembered the Till We Meet Again party. Oops! :)

I confess, we went in our pj’s.:rolleyes1

For those of you who are character stalkers, this is a character palooza! They spread out all over the lobby and you run around and take as many pictures as you can.

We were going from one to the next so quickly that I didn’t pay attention to my settings, or the fact that my lens hood was casting a shadow on my flash. So just get the feel for characters everywhere, and don’t look at picture quality!

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After we said goodbye to Mickey and Minnie, I went up on deck to get some night shots. It was raining! :rolleyes: Serves me right for waiting until the last night. I had to settle for pizza and ice cream.:laughing:

One more day to post! Thanks for sticking with this!

[Disneyfalcon]

Wednesday, May 5th, Day 14 – Disembark:sad1:

I hate, hate, hate disembarking day. It is so sad. The good thing was, we had one more day in Spain. :cool1: We never get up for our early breakfast time, so we all met at Topsiders for one last breakfast.

We caught two taxis outside the terminal to our hotel. This time we were staying at Avenida Palace where we got a great rate thanks to a TravelZoo special.

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This was truly a gorgeous hotel! We all loved the location and atmosphere. Our rooms weren’t ready so we dropped off all 24 :scared1: pieces of luggage and started walking.

It was sprinkling a little off and on, but we were fine with umbrellas.

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[Disneyfalcon]

We were about a block from Las Ramblas and we walked the length of the street. It was a wonderful shopping street. There were street performers, cafes, shops, a great market, etc.

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We stopped by the museum of music on the way down, and went in the cathedral.

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The market was awesome.

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At the end of the street, we crossed over to a mall to walk around and eat lunch. In the mall Dd had something on her clothes that was setting off the security alarms in some stores. It may have been her Old Navy pants that hadn’t been washed yet. She has a metal implant in her heart, and she thought that was it, but who knows. We were actually kicked out of one because we set it off on the way in. I was not a pleasant American at that moment. :rolleyes1 She told us she would make an exception for us and let us stay, and I told her we could spend our money elsewhere.

[Disneyfalcon]

We bought the guys some souvenirs in the FBC Barcelona store. Soccer jerseys for everyone!:cool1:

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It’s hard to tell, but this street performer was not sitting on anything:

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[Disneyfalcon]

After we were done, we walked back down Las Ramblas to the hotel. Our rooms were done, and ours was incredible. We were on the 8th floor with a balcony with gorgeous views of the city.

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We repacked a little and caught a 20 minute nap before we all met for dinner. We ate at Hard Rock Café Barcelona. Dd fell sound asleep after dinner:

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Then we jumped on the subway to the Magic Fountains.

The Magic Fountains don’t run some nights, and this was one of them. The whole area was just gorgeous though, and the weather was perfect.

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[Disneyfalcon]

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We relaxed and listened to a street performer for a little while before going back to the hotel for bed.

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I took my last pictures of the trip :sad1:, on the balcony.

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[Disneyfalcon]

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Thursday, May 6th, Day 15 – Home again home again

Our grand vacation was over. After 2 weeks, 3 continents, 8 countries (9 if you count Vatican City), and 1500+ pictures, it was time to head home.

We did end up with one last adventure, thanks to our transfer company.:rolleyes1

My in-laws flight was at 10:30, the rest of us at 11:00. My fil is the kind of man that likes to be at the airport 3 hours before a domestic flight, so he would have liked to have been there 6 hours before an international flight! :laughing: The transfer company assigned us a pick up time of 7:30. He wasn’t real excited, but decided to stick with us.

We ate the free breakfast in the hotel at 7:00 and waited for the shuttle.

And waited and waited.

The shuttle was 30 minutes late! :mad: The hotel said I should call my travel agent. I laughed and said I am the travel agent! :laughing:

They finally came, and then we drove down the one of the busiest streets in the city to get to the airport.

About half way there, the bus stalled. Hmm. That wasn’t very comforting.

About 5 miles from the airport, 2 hours before my in-laws flight, the shuttle bus died. In the middle of the highway.

We could not believe it. The driver got on his phone, but we had no idea what he was saying. I walked to the front of the bus and insisted he call us taxis immediately.

With the language barrier, we weren’t sure if he did or not. We waited and waited, and finally, with cars zooming past on all sides, we got out and started flagging down taxis. You should have seen us trying to get our luggage out of the bus and into the taxis. Dangerous doesn’t even begin to cover it.

My in laws and Debbie got in the first taxi and took off. It cost them 20 Euros. We flagged down another one, and just then, one of the taxis the company called showed up. We tipped the one who stopped 2 Euros for stopping and got in the other one. The company paid for it.

We rushed in to the airport with less than 2 hours before our flight. We ran into my in-laws in a separate line, and luckily (?) their flight was delayed 4 hours! Ours was delayed an hour, so we were all good.

Needless to say, I am not happy with the transfer company.

After 24 hours of traveling we finally made it back home. I couldn’t wait to see ds and dh! It was an unbelievable trip!

Thanks so much for reading! I know this is a crazy long report!!:)

[Melcatfish]

Thanks so much for writing this and for all the fabulous photos. I have loved it so much.

Mel
x

[cruiseletters]

Your trip has been so amazing, thank you for taking the time to write a trip report. We will be going on the 10 day med cruise Sept. 8, 2010 and your photos have made us so excited about our upcoming trip.:banana::banana:

[jagmom]

Oh, no! The trip can't be over already! It sounds like it was such an amazing trip and your pictures were breathtaking.

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks so much for writing this and for all the fabulous photos. I have loved it so much.

Mel
x

Thanks, Mel.:)

Your trip has been so amazing, thank you for taking the time to write a trip report. We will be going on the 10 day med cruise Sept. 8, 2010 and your photos have made us so excited about our upcoming trip.:banana::banana:

Yay, you are going to love it!:banana:

Oh, no! The trip can't be over already! It sounds like it was such an amazing trip and your pictures were breathtaking.

Thank you very much jagmom.:)

[CruisinEars]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your report and seeing all of the pictures. Thanks for sharing your fabulous trip.:thumbsup2

[eeyorefanuk]

Have really enjoyed your report and some gorgeous photos.

Your hotel in Barcelona looks so "rich" - might have to price that one up.

Thanks again :goodvibes

[TotallyAngelic]

Have loved every minute of your adventures ..... and your photos are in a league of their own. What fantastic memories you have :cloud9:

[travelbug24]

I know my med cruise will be here before I know it (9/8) and I have been trying to plan clothing accordingly. Do you have advice on what to take? I was thinking two capri's, one brown cargo pants, one pair black leggings, several tops to match, two short dresses and one long dress and four pairs of shoes. Too much? not enough?

[Disneyfalcon]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your report and seeing all of the pictures. Thanks for sharing your fabulous trip.:thumbsup2

Thanks for reading, Cruisinears!

Have really enjoyed your report and some gorgeous photos.

Your hotel in Barcelona looks so "rich" - might have to price that one up.

Thanks again :goodvibes

It was very plush! We found a great special on Travelzoo. It was 97 Euros a night.:yay:

Have loved every minute of your adventures ..... and your photos are in a league of their own. What fantastic memories you have :cloud9:

Thank you, TotallyAngelic! Very nice of you to say!

I know my med cruise will be here before I know it (9/8) and I have been trying to plan clothing accordingly. Do you have advice on what to take? I was thinking two capri's, one brown cargo pants, one pair black leggings, several tops to match, two short dresses and one long dress and four pairs of shoes. Too much? not enough?

September will be hot! Remember that when you are packing. You can't wear shorts in some places (i.e. the Vatican), but they would be nice to have when you can. That sounds about right as far as how much though. I did laundry once, on a port day when we were back early.

[travelbug24]

September will be hot! Remember that when you are packing. You can't wear shorts in some places (i.e. the Vatican), but they would be nice to have when you can. That sounds about right as far as how much though. I did laundry once, on a port day when we were back early.

I was wondering how hot it was going to be - I'll be sure to pack a couple pair of shorts - they don't take up too much room.:thumbsup2

[Disneyfalcon]

I was wondering how hot it was going to be - I'll be sure to pack a couple pair of shorts - they don't take up too much room.:thumbsup2

Good idea!:)

[smeecanada]

What a wonderful trip report. I've taken many notes. The DCL Med cruise is definitely on our to do list! Thanks mainly to the wonderful trip reports from this year's cruisers. Are you going to do the Alaska cruise?

Thanks for taking me along as you reported about your trip.

[disneychic]

Wow! What a fantastic trip report!!! We are booked for the Magic's Mediterranean cruise next August and I CANNOT WAIT!! Would you mind posting the name of the shuttle bus "Not to take"? I just want to make sure we DO NOT book that one!!!! Also, which hotel did you stay in prior to the cruise? Which of the 2 hotels did you prefer? Just wondering, as we've never been to Barcelona, and I want to make sure we stay someplace clean/nice. I don't minde spending more money for a place that I know is clean, safe and nice.

Thanks in advance! LOVED your trip report!!!

[Disneyfalcon]

What a wonderful trip report. I've taken many notes. The DCL Med cruise is definitely on our to do list! Thanks mainly to the wonderful trip reports from this year's cruisers. Are you going to do the Alaska cruise?

Thanks for taking me along as you reported about your trip.

We are! We have 5 cabins of friends and family booked on the May 31st sailing and this time we are taking dh and ds!:laughing:

Wow! What a fantastic trip report!!! We are booked for the Magic's Mediterranean cruise next August and I CANNOT WAIT!! Would you mind posting the name of the shuttle bus "Not to take"? I just want to make sure we DO NOT book that one!!!! Also, which hotel did you stay in prior to the cruise? Which of the 2 hotels did you prefer? Just wondering, as we've never been to Barcelona, and I want to make sure we stay someplace clean/nice. I don't minde spending more money for a place that I know is clean, safe and nice.

Thanks in advance! LOVED your trip report!!!

I will! It was A2B transfers. We have read many good reviews, but our experience was a nightmare. I sent them an email and they apologized for it being a nightmare (their words) and promised to look into it. I never heard another word.

We stayed at Hotel Novotel Barcelona City the first night. I liked them both for different reasons. Avenida Palace was such a great location. Literally one block from Los Ramblas. Novotel was brand spanking new and very modern, plus the rooms slept 4.

I probably would give the edge to Avenida because of its location, but if you have a family of 4, you'll have to split up.

Edit: Since this report has been bumped a few times, I wanted to say that A2b transfers refunded all of our money (even for the transfer to the ship that was late but otherwise fine) about a year after. Long story how it came about, but they definitely made it right. They also told me they have changed managers and suppliers.

[Juls2989]

Subbing

[smeecanada]

We are! We have 5 cabins of friends and family booked on the May 31st sailing and this time we are taking dh and ds!:laughing:


Great. I'll get to read your trip report before we go on August 23rd. :goodvibes

[cali cruiser]

You did such an amazing job on this trip report and your pictures are beautiful! We are going to be on the 9-8 Med and cannot wait!! I have a Cannon Rebel EOS Digital Camera (I think you recemmended that camera) but was wondering which lense you used for your trip. I have a telephoto, but was thinking maybe a wide angle?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I read about a website where you can rent lenses for a great price.

[Kewz1]

Yesterday I told my DH I would not want to take a Disney cruise in the Med.

Today I told him I was wrong. VERY wrong.

He now has a link to your TR! Thank you for posting and sharing your vacation with us!

Kristen

[castawaycayfans]

We did the same cruise two weeks after you and really had a great time. Loved looking at your pics, took me back to our time overseas! Can't wait to go back!

[Disneyfalcon]

Great. I'll get to read your trip report before we go on August 23rd. :goodvibes

Ooh! I'll remember to do it quick!

You did such an amazing job on this trip report and your pictures are beautiful! We are going to be on the 9-8 Med and cannot wait!! I have a Cannon Rebel EOS Digital Camera (I think you recemmended that camera) but was wondering which lense you used for your trip. I have a telephoto, but was thinking maybe a wide angle?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I read about a website where you can rent lenses for a great price.

I do recommend rebels! I loved all of mine. I rented a wide angle for the trip! I rented the 16-35L. It was awesome. It rarely left my camera.

Yesterday I told my DH I would not want to take a Disney cruise in the Med.

Today I told him I was wrong. VERY wrong.

He now has a link to your TR! Thank you for posting and sharing your vacation with us!

Kristen

I am so glad I brought you to the dark side! It truly was amazing! Thanks!

We did the same cruise two weeks after you and really had a great time. Loved looking at your pics, took me back to our time overseas! Can't wait to go back!

Thanks! I like looking at everyones pics to relive it a little too!

[ArmandXG]

Thank you for sharing your story with us. Wonderful photos! Your TR was very informative and convinced many people, including myself that a Med cruise is well worth it. It is now on my list of things to do!!!:goodvibes

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you for sharing your story with us. Wonderful photos! Your TR was very informative and convinced many people, including myself that a Med cruise is well worth it. It is now on my list of things to do!!!:goodvibes

That is very nice of you say! Thank you!:)

[JenBill5]

Is it 'legal' to ask where you are a travel agent? You TR is/was awesome! :thumbsup2

[FLVacationGirl]

You have the most stunning vacation photos I have ever seen. WOW!

[JenBill5]

I'm I correct that you and your daughter did not do any DCL excursions? Did you feel stressed going on your own? Is there a port where you would take an excursion next time?

[Disneyfalcon]

Is it 'legal' to ask where you are a travel agent? You TR is/was awesome! :thumbsup2

I don't know if I'm allowed to say! PM me and I can tell you. :)

You have the most stunning vacation photos I have ever seen. WOW!

Thank you FLVacationGirl! :)

I'm I correct that you and your daughter did not do any DCL excursions? Did you feel stressed going on your own? Is there a port where you would take an excursion next time?

We didn't do any DCL excursions. We were a little concerned about doing Tunisia on our own, just because it was such an unknown entity, but it worked out great.

I didn't feel like I would have to do an excursion at any of the places we went. Now if I had gone to Florence, I would have at least done Florence on Your Own like Debbie and her dd did, just for peace of mind. It's such a long way from the port.

[goofygal1975]

I LOVED your report and pictures. For a while now I have not been interested in a Med cruise...but OH MY after reading your TR and seeing pictures I am so ready to go. Not sure if it will ever be in the cards for me, dh and ds...but what a nice dream.

The sites and places you were able to experience will be memories to last a lifetime.

Thanks for sharing:grouphug:

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks, Goofygal! I really appreciate you reading!:)

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

This was a fantastic TR!!! We're in Colorado too, up in Denver, and are on the 9/8 Med sailing, I hope we can get pictures half as good as yours:worship:

Thanks for doing this, now I've got to take notes!

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you ColoradoDisneyFreaks! We've been back in CO for about 10 months. Dh is Air Force so we've been in and out a few times, and we love it! I hope you have an awesome cruise!!

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Thank you ColoradoDisneyFreaks! We've been back in CO for about 10 months. Dh is Air Force so we've been in and out a few times, and we love it! I hope you have an awesome cruise!!

My dad was Air Force too, I ended up graduating from High School in the Springs (Rampart) but I only went there for 1 year! Feel free to give us a shout if you guys are heading up to Denver (Highlands Ranch) any time soon!

[Disneyfalcon]

My dad was Air Force too, I ended up graduating from High School in the Springs (Rampart) but I only went there for 1 year! Feel free to give us a shout if you guys are heading up to Denver (Highlands Ranch) any time soon!

Awesome! Thanks for the invite! My Dad was Air Force too. We moved here my junior year (Air Academy for me!:cool1:) and my parents stayed. So Colorado is home to me now and it feels like it when whenever we come back.

[Melcatfish]

Hi Disney Falcon,

Just popping back to your report. I posted how much I enjoyed it a couple of pages back but thought I ought to come and let you know that your amazing photos were also a great tool in convincing my husband to let me turn our 8 night Dover to Barcelona Repo into a 19 night Repo and 11 night Med Cruise Back to Back!

As a fellow photography enthusiast I am hoping I can get some photos approaching the standard of some of yours!

Take Care
Mel
x

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi Disney Falcon,

Just popping back to your report. I posted how much I enjoyed it a couple of pages back but thought I ought to come and let you know that your amazing photos were also a great tool in convincing my husband to let me turn our 8 night Dover to Barcelona Repo into a 19 night Repo and 11 night Med Cruise Back to Back!

As a fellow photography enthusiast I am hoping I can get some photos approaching the standard of some of yours!

Take Care
Mel
x

Excellent Mel!! I would love to spend 19 days taking pictures of those places!! I'm glad I could help in some small way!!:banana:

[LendMeYourEars]

Hi. Everyone in our crew loved your photos. We are bursting with excitement for our Aug 18th trip.

I looked online for the lens you recommended -- I can see why you rented it. Can you share how much the rental was?

You said that no shorts are allowed in the Vatican. What is the dress code? Are there any other ports that also have restrictions? Let to our own devices, we will be wearing shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops everywhere...

Thanks!

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi. Everyone in our crew loved your photos. We are bursting with excitement for our Aug 18th trip.

I looked online for the lens you recommended -- I can see why you rented it. Can you share how much the rental was?

You said that no shorts are allowed in the Vatican. What is the dress code? Are there any other ports that also have restrictions? Let to our own devices, we will be wearing shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops everywhere...

Thanks!

Yes, that is why I rented it!:) It was about $150 with insurance for two weeks. A lot, but nothing like buying it.

The Vatican wouldn't allow shorts or bare shoulders if memory serves. I think the ship also recommended we not have bare shoulders in Tunisia if I remember. Other than that it was only a problem in some cathedrals and you certainly didn't have to go in there. We wore capris most days when we went into port just to be safe, but it wasn't August heat either.

Have so much fun on your trip!

[crzy4dals]

Disneyfalcon,

Love your TR

What bus did you take from St. Peters to Trevi Fountain???

We are looking to do a walking tour as well.

Leaving in 29 days!

[Disneyfalcon]

Disneyfalcon,

Love your TR

What bus did you take from St. Peters to Trevi Fountain???

We are looking to do a walking tour as well.

Leaving in 29 days!

Thanks, Erin! I don't remember the exact bus. After we came out of the Vatican, we went in a newsstand and asked which bus to catch and where to go. They were very helpful!:)

[lucy0558]

Hi,
I've just finished your report. WOW! The pictures were awesome; what wonderful memories you have made. Thank you for sharing.

[skibum]

Loved your trip report. We were on the Med cruise three years ago, and did everything on our own as well. Nice to learn about some of the new ports.
Just booked a Med cruise for next summer - taking the grandparents.
Your TR helped bring back memories, and gave ideas for us next year.
Thanks for an exceptional job!

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi,
I've just finished your report. WOW! The pictures were awesome; what wonderful memories you have made. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for reading, Lucy!:)

Loved your trip report. We were on the Med cruise three years ago, and did everything on our own as well. Nice to learn about some of the new ports.
Just booked a Med cruise for next summer - taking the grandparents.
Your TR helped bring back memories, and gave ideas for us next year.
Thanks for an exceptional job!

Thanks, skibum! I hope to repeat this cruise again one day. I feel like we learned so much!

[ytsyts]

Hi,

I am going on the med cruise end Aug. I have booked myself some excursions as this is my first cruise ever. But I think I might have changed my mind after I read your report.

For Tunisia, do u recall how much was the cab? We have only 2 in our party so I am not sure if it works out better. Also I like to take photos and my main worry for excursions is that there will be too many pple and too little time for photos.

Any advice?

Thanks.

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi,

I am going on the med cruise end Aug. I have booked myself some excursions as this is my first cruise ever. But I think I might have changed my mind after I read your report.

For Tunisia, do u recall how much was the cab? We have only 2 in our party so I am not sure if it works out better. Also I like to take photos and my main worry for excursions is that there will be too many pple and too little time for photos.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Hi ytsyts! The cab in Tunisia was 5 euros per person plus a small tip. That was for the round trip ride to Sidi Bou Said. Our cab driver dropped us off and then came back 2 hours later.

I definitely had lots of time for pictures and composing since we were on our own. I've seen some other trip reports where people took a ton of pictures on their excursions though. Most excursions seem to give you some roaming time.

I like to go at slower pace and not feel like I'm making people wait for me when I take pictures, so our own was great for me.

Have a great trip!!

[ytsyts]

Hi,

Thanks very much for the reply. One more question: Do you think I'll need to do a lot of pre-planning for my own excursions? If I just arrive at the ports and start to figure out transport (e.g. Pompeii, Pisa), is it workable?

I am visiting Italy after the cruise so I don't need to rush to Rome or Florence. But I don't want to spend the whole day on the ship as well.

[cali cruiser]

Because your trip report and vacation was so awesome, I see that you are getting lots of response and many questions. I again have another camera question...this time regarding Barcelona.
I just finished reading about what to carry and not carry in Barcelona due to the significant amount of thefts in the area. I know alot of people are buying the Pacsafe bags, etc. I was wondering if you carried a large camera bag during your stay in Barcelona and if so, had any problems. I read somewhere that carrying a camera bag was discouraged. However, my large cannon camera cannot just be placed in a small purse. It needs to be in a camera bag. Any thoughts???
We are also trying to do our own excursions like you all did. The only place that concerns me is Naples. If you could do it over, would you recommend doing a DCL half day tour of Pompei or do you think it was fine walking to the train station and doing it on your own. (we will have our 8 y/o and 12 y/o w/ us and my 62 y/o mom). Also, did you feel safe on the train in Naples with your purse and camera bag, etc.? Thanks again for answering my questions. I hope our trip goes as well as yours did!
Michelle

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi,

Thanks very much for the reply. One more question: Do you think I'll need to do a lot of pre-planning for my own excursions? If I just arrive at the ports and start to figure out transport (e.g. Pompeii, Pisa), is it workable?

I am visiting Italy after the cruise so I don't need to rush to Rome or Florence. But I don't want to spend the whole day on the ship as well.

We did spend some time on cruise critic beforehand to get an idea of where the train stations were. Other than that,we just decided what we really wanted to see so we wouldn't miss anything.

That was it!

[Disneyfalcon]

Because your trip report and vacation was so awesome, I see that you are getting lots of response and many questions. I again have another camera question...this time regarding Barcelona.
I just finished reading about what to carry and not carry in Barcelona due to the significant amount of thefts in the area. I know alot of people are buying the Pacsafe bags, etc. I was wondering if you carried a large camera bag during your stay in Barcelona and if so, had any problems. I read somewhere that carrying a camera bag was discouraged. However, my large cannon camera cannot just be placed in a small purse. It needs to be in a camera bag. Any thoughts???
We are also trying to do our own excursions like you all did. The only place that concerns me is Naples. If you could do it over, would you recommend doing a DCL half day tour of Pompei or do you think it was fine walking to the train station and doing it on your own. (we will have our 8 y/o and 12 y/o w/ us and my 62 y/o mom). Also, did you feel safe on the train in Naples with your purse and camera bag, etc.? Thanks again for answering my questions. I hope our trip goes as well as yours did!
Michelle

I was very worried about theft. I left my camera bag and extra lenses in the hotel room. All I carried was my camera around my neck. It's a little heavy but I'm used to it. I kept the strap aound my neck and held it in my hand in big crowds. I felt very safe that way.

If we were going to be gone all day, we also carried a small backpack with water and maybe ponchos. Nothing I would worry about being stolen.

The walk to the naples train station was a little long. I would probably recommend taking the bus to the train station. It's cheap as I remember! Everything else in Naples was easy and very doable on your own.

[bbn1122]

What a fantastic TR!!! I am contemplating med cruise in 2012. Family of 5 Dh, me and 3 sons. Your photos make we want to book, as soon as the dates are released. WOW....again what a great report.

You make me feel more comfortable about booking my own excursions. With 5 of us, DCL excursions will probably bankrupt us. I have only been abroad once and that was Italy. My DS and hubby lived there, it was over 25 years ago. It was fantastic because, they knew their way around, no tour guides. Just my brother in law driving around the streets of Rome.....!!!! I have always wanted to go back. I think DCL is the way to do it!

Thanks for sharing....very generous.:thumbsup2

[Disneyfalcon]

What a fantastic TR!!! I am contemplating med cruise in 2012. Family of 5 Dh, me and 3 sons. Your photos make we want to book, as soon as the dates are released. WOW....again what a great report.

You make me feel more comfortable about booking my own excursions. With 5 of us, DCL excursions will probably bankrupt us. I have only been abroad once and that was Italy. My DS and hubby lived there, it was over 25 years ago. It was fantastic because, they knew their way around, no tour guides. Just my brother in law driving around the streets of Rome.....!!!! I have always wanted to go back. I think DCL is the way to do it!

Thanks for sharing....very generous.:thumbsup2

Thank you, bbn! That's very nice of you to say. The cost was absolutely the main reason we did everything on our own. This cruise was so last minute I just didn't have time to budget for DCL excursions. I'm sure we would have enjoyed organized excursions, but being able to roam and go at our own pace was awesome. :)

[Angie_Ohio]

Your report was wonderful!
I keep coming back to certain parts to reread. I am hoping that my DS16 and my parents can do Rome as you did. DS is crazy about Roman history and would love to see the city in a less formal way than an excursion. Do you have any tips, pointers, make sures or don't forget toos for me - so we can experience Rome in a similar way as your family? :littleangel:
Thanks
BTW Your daughter is a cutey! princess:

[jedipup]

Great job on your posts! I will be taking the trip 6/8/11 and it will be my 5th trip to the med. (But my first Disney Cruse). I do have a suggestion for those planning on going ashore in Rome. Go to the Colosseum first (as early as possible), and wait on the Vatican until after 1:30pm (the lines are much shorter). Also, for the Vatican, go to the museum first, through the Sistine Chapel, and exit the "path" (the maps show paths to follow) for a direct path to St. Peters. You will wait in only one line, and the line will be a lot shorter that in the morning hours.

[Disneyfalcon]

Your report was wonderful!
I keep coming back to certain parts to reread. I am hoping that my DS16 and my parents can do Rome as you did. DS is crazy about Roman history and would love to see the city in a less formal way than an excursion. Do you have any tips, pointers, make sures or don't forget toos for me - so we can experience Rome in a similar way as your family? :littleangel:
Thanks
BTW Your daughter is a cutey! princess:

Thank you, Angie! Jedipup gave great advice below. We did the opposite, vatican first because we read that all the sights we wanted to see would be a downhill walk from there to the coliseum. We took the bus part of the way and got off at the Trevi Fountain. The rest of the walk was slightly downhill. There was not much of a line at all for the coliseum in the afternoon. There was a line at the Vatican though. We stood in two lines so I'd go with jedipup's advice on that.

I definitely recommend the Birg ticket for flexibility. Make sure you validate it whenever you use it.

I'd also recommend getting a good map and planning your route for must sees. We finished our must sees early enough that we got to wander a little and hit a few more places.

Have a wonderful trip!


Great job on your posts! I will be taking the trip 6/8/11 and it will be my 5th trip to the med. (But my first Disney Cruse). I do have a suggestion for those planning on going ashore in Rome. Go to the Colosseum first (as early as possible), and wait on the Vatican until after 1:30pm (the lines are much shorter). Also, for the Vatican, go to the museum first, through the Sistine Chapel, and exit the "path" (the maps show paths to follow) for a direct path to St. Peters. You will wait in only one line, and the line will be a lot shorter that in the morning hours.

[Angie_Ohio]

Thank you DisneyFalcon. My DS received a detailed map for Christmas as a way to let him know we were going on this cruise. I've been reading on trip advisor as well. Can you tell me if you prepurchased your coliseum/vatican museum tickets online? What about the leaning tower in Piza? :confused3
I would also like to get an idea of the fare for the train/bus ride.

I think I may be a trip planning junkie! :surfweb:

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you DisneyFalcon. My DS received a detailed map for Christmas as a way to let him know we were going on this cruise. I've been reading on trip advisor as well. Can you tell me if you prepurchased your coliseum/vatican museum tickets online? What about the leaning tower in Piza? :confused3
I would also like to get an idea of the fare for the train/bus ride.

I think I may be a trip planning junkie! :surfweb:

Trip planning junkies unite!!:banana:

We did prepurchase our coliseum and vatican tickets. That worked out well for us. We didn't go in the tower, so we didn't purchase those. We just walked around the outside and took pictures.

Did you mean the bus ride to Pisa? I don't remember what it was exactly, but it wasn't too bad. The bus station attendants all spoke some level of English making it an easier process.

[penguinmomma]

Just another huge THANK YOU! For the work you did in posting everything and coming back to answer so many questions. I've got tons of notes from your post. We leave the US on 9/7 for our trip and are staying 2 extra days in Barcelona at the end. I can't wait to be back in Spain... I lived there for a summer as a college student!

[Disneyfalcon]

Just another huge THANK YOU! For the work you did in posting everything and coming back to answer so many questions. I've got tons of notes from your post. We leave the US on 9/7 for our trip and are staying 2 extra days in Barcelona at the end. I can't wait to be back in Spain... I lived there for a summer as a college student!

Thank you for reading penguinmomma! That would really be neat to be back in Barcelona again! I feel like we need to do this cruise again because we learned so much at each place! If we did it again we would be so efficient!:laughing: Have a wonderful trip!

[janiebubble]

Just adding my thanks ... we've just booked for a 7 night Med cruise next summer, but reading your trip report made me feel totally capable of sorting out our own days in port, and your photos made me want to go!!

Now I just have to wait 11 months - I've never booked anything so far in advance before!!

[Disneyfalcon]

I'm so glad I could help! I was deperately searching for trip reports before our cruise but they were hard to find. Plus there were some new stops this summer. 11 months will go by in no time! Have a wonderful trip!:)

[Scrappy_Tink]

Wonderfull TR, and the Pictures to die for!!!

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs! :goodvibes

I've got to talk DH into a Med Cruise....maybe our Cruise next May will convince him, then we can take your suggestion and book onboard! :banana:

[MinnieDiva]

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs! :goodvibes
:banana:

We were CO Springs DIS'ers until 2 years ago.....plenty of lurkers, I bet!

[Disneyfalcon]

Wonderfull TR, and the Pictures to die for!!!

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs! :goodvibes

I've got to talk DH into a Med Cruise....maybe our Cruise next May will convince him, then we can take your suggestion and book onboard! :banana:

Hello neighbor! There seem to be a lot of Denver, Dis'ers! I'm glad to see one in the Springs!

Thanks for reading! Book onboard! It's worth it!! Show DH the pictures! Maybe I can help convince him!:)

We were CO Springs DIS'ers until 2 years ago.....plenty of lurkers, I bet!

You are probably right, Minnie!:)

[nifferearly]

Hi,

I loved your trip report! We're going to the Med next August. It'll be my husband and I, 60 yo mother and 6 yo son. I had planned to book private tours in Italy, but your report made me feel a bit braver about doing it on my own.

It's obviously significantly cheaper to do it like you did in Rome. But do you feel you knew or learned enough about the sights? I always enjoy tours because I like to learn the history of what I'm seeing. But the flexibility and freedom of exploring on my own also appeals to me. Any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated!

I'd also appreciate any advice on Naples and La Spezia. I'd like to do the Cinque Terre, while my husband really wants to see Pisa (he's a civil engineer).

Thanks!

[travelbug24]

I'd also appreciate any advice on Naples and La Spezia. I'd like to do the Cinque Terre, while my husband really wants to see Pisa (he's a civil engineer).

Some of our cruise mates did the Cinque Terre and loved it. We did Pisa and it was absolutely amazing. The church, baptistry and bell tower are exquisite! The little town of Pisa was quaint and charming. If your husband is an engineer, he will truly appreciate the workmanship and the story behind its completion. Our guide was Roberto who looked like Ben Kingsley. He was a hoot. IMO, Pisa is a must do.

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi,

I loved your trip report! We're going to the Med next August. It'll be my husband and I, 60 yo mother and 6 yo son. I had planned to book private tours in Italy, but your report made me feel a bit braver about doing it on my own.

It's obviously significantly cheaper to do it like you did in Rome. But do you feel you knew or learned enough about the sights? I always enjoy tours because I like to learn the history of what I'm seeing. But the flexibility and freedom of exploring on my own also appeals to me. Any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated!

I'd also appreciate any advice on Naples and La Spezia. I'd like to do the Cinque Terre, while my husband really wants to see Pisa (he's a civil engineer).

Thanks!


Hi nifferearly! Thanks for reading!

You would definitely get more history on a tour. We did a fair amount of reading before our trip, so we knew what we were looking for and at. The flexibility was awesome, but if you enjoy the facts and history, a private tour may be for you.

Naples was neat to walk through, but that's all we did there. We were on our way to Pompeii! I would recommend catching the bus to the train station and on to Pompeii. If I'm not mistaken, there were audio tours there that you would enjoy.

I really wanted to see Pisa. I agree with Travelbug, it was really great. Debbie did Florence on your own and she thoroughly enjoyed that too.

[Olaf]

Very good trip report, and amazing pictures. I also have a Canon, but I'm guessing you had a serious lens on yours? A low light lens? Your report has just about sold me on this cruise (Disney ought to pay you). Considering a Med cruise next summer, as we're currently stationed over here. Kicking myself that I didn't book something while on our cruise last year. Thank you taking the time to put this together.

Go Air Force! :cheer2:

[Disneyfalcon]

Very good trip report, and amazing pictures. I also have a Canon, but I'm guessing you had a serious lens on yours? A low light lens? Your report has just about sold me on this cruise (Disney ought to pay you). Considering a Med cruise next summer, as we're currently stationed over here. Kicking myself that I didn't book something while on our cruise last year. Thank you taking the time to put this together.

Go Air Force! :cheer2:

Hi Olaf! Thank you! I rented the 16-35L for this trip. It was a great low light wide angle lens.

You should definitely take a Med cruise since you're there!! The military discounts were awesome, so hopefully they'll do them again. I sailed on a travel agent rate, but my inlaws and parents both sailed on a military rate. They paid $2400 for verandah for an 11 night cruise!

Woo hoo, go Air Force!!:cool1:

[Michelle2]

I just found your report, after 5 or 6 months? LOL

I was on that cruise with you! We also had a blast! We were on the Transatlantic over so thankfully did not have any flight issues to get there, but we sure had them on the way back! It was just me and my teenage son who was 17. He saw me looking at your pictures a bit ago, and said "We were there!" I think it has great memories for him too although he didn't like all the walking at the time.

I had to just totally agree with you on these things:

We really enjoyed Tunisia too! I was thrilled to go to a new continent! (one of the reasons I really wanted to go on this cruise, I had already been to all the other countries except Malta.)

We did Rome on our own too and was probably on the same train over from Civitavecchia with you. We also BARELY missed that 8:00 train. :(

I also noticed the streets and how filthy they were...thank goodness it was quick to the station right?

We alsoLOVED Monaco. Loved loved loved it! I couldn't stop taking enough pictures of it either. It was probably our favorite stop, that and Amalfi/Pompeii. LOVED these ports!

Loved your pictures, you are a talented photographer! Did it take forever to learn how to fully operate a camera like that? Mine were just on a point and shoot. LOL

[Disneyfalcon]

I just found your report, after 5 or 6 months? LOL

I was on that cruise with you! We also had a blast! We were on the Transatlantic over so thankfully did not have any flight issues to get there, but we sure had them on the way back! It was just me and my teenage son who was 17. He saw me looking at your pictures a bit ago, and said "We were there!" I think it has great memories for him too although he didn't like all the walking at the time.

I had to just totally agree with you on these things:

We really enjoyed Tunisia too! I was thrilled to go to a new continent! (one of the reasons I really wanted to go on this cruise, I had already been to all the other countries except Malta.)

We did Rome on our own too and was probably on the same train over from Civitavecchia with you. We also BARELY missed that 8:00 train. :(

I also noticed the streets and how filthy they were...thank goodness it was quick to the station right?

We alsoLOVED Monaco. Loved loved loved it! I couldn't stop taking enough pictures of it either. It was probably our favorite stop, that and Amalfi/Pompeii. LOVED these ports!

Loved your pictures, you are a talented photographer! Did it take forever to learn how to fully operate a camera like that? Mine were just on a point and shoot. LOL

I am amazed every time someone reads it after all this time!:laughing:

You were on our cruise? Cool!! I have so much wonderful memories from that cruise.

My Dd definitely got tired of the walking at times. I just kept reminding her she could be in school like her brother!:laughing:

I agree, a lot of my excitement about Tunisia was hitting a new continent. Awesome!

We probably were on that same morning train. That one was packed!! We all had seats except my Dad. I was so glad because we were so tired.

Those streets were crazy!! What on earth?

Monaco was my favorite too. It was just so so beautiful!

Thank you for the compliment! I used my camera on point and shoot mode for years. When I finally decided it was time to learn how to use it, it didn't take long.

I am always learning new things about photography, but that's part of the fun.

Thanks for reading!!:cool1:

[heatherbelle]

What a great trippie, we're booked on the 08/20/11 med cruise and I'm so looking forward to it. We're planning on doing our own trips, so yours has already given me loads of confidence. Thanks for doing it.

[floydfamily4]

Oh my goodness what an exciting trip! I just found your TR (ok I'm supposed to be working but don't tell anyone! :lmao:) I am planning a 2012 7-night family trip but now realize that while on board I MUST book a med cruise. Thank you so much for sharing!! I cannot believe how beautiful everything was! I am just amazed. I do have 1 question though...it seemed like a lot of walking and my kids are currently 6 and will likely be 9 when we cruise. Do you think they could handle it? Thanks again for sharing:thumbsup2

[Disneyfalcon]

What a great trippie, we're booked on the 08/20/11 med cruise and I'm so looking forward to it. We're planning on doing our own trips, so yours has already given me loads of confidence. Thanks for doing it.


Thanks, Heather! You really can do it on your own. Don't worry. :)

Oh my goodness what an exciting trip! I just found your TR (ok I'm supposed to be working but don't tell anyone! :lmao:) I am planning a 2012 7-night family trip but now realize that while on board I MUST book a med cruise. Thank you so much for sharing!! I cannot believe how beautiful everything was! I am just amazed. I do have 1 question though...it seemed like a lot of walking and my kids are currently 6 and will likely be 9 when we cruise. Do you think they could handle it? Thanks again for sharing:thumbsup2

I wish I had a decent excuse not to work out! I just don't!:laughing:

Some cities were a lot of walking. I think a 9 year old would be fine. There are other options you can use though, we just wanted to walk. We could have taken taxis several times and were to cheap.:laughing: There were lots of places where busses were super cheap, like Naples, but we wanted to walk off our meals!:)

[jns]

Thanks pixie08! I am using a Canon 50D. For most of this trip I had the 16-35L lens on, which I rented, as it is not in my budget yet.:)
just wondering about renting a lence how do you go about doing this


Thanks for a great trip report
loved all your photos

[Disneyfalcon]

just wondering about renting a lence how do you go about doing this


Thanks for a great trip report
loved all your photos

Hi jns! In some big cities you can rent from local places. Then you don't have to pay shipping.

If not, there are several places online. I like borrow lenses.com and lens rentals.com.

[mkmommy]

I just thought I would bump this up as it is such a wealth of information for those going to the Med.

[Disneyfalcon]

I just thought I would bump this up as it is such a wealth of information for those going to the Med.

Happy to help!:)

[Kewz1]

Please don't think me to be a stalker but...I have your TR in my Fav's place. :blush:
DH & I were just referencing it the other night. We're not even taking the Med Cruise until 2012 and I'm already planning it. :surfweb:

I guess that makes me an anal stalker! :rolleyes1

Kristen

[Disneyfalcon]

Please don't think me to be a stalker but...I have your TR in my Fav's place. :blush:
DH & I were just referencing it the other night. We're not even taking the Med Cruise until 2012 and I'm already planning it. :surfweb:

I guess that makes me an anal stalker! :rolleyes1

Kristen

:laughing: Hello, stalker!

No I'm glad I can help! In fact, I want to come with you!:laughing:

[Kewz1]

:laughing: Hello, stalker!

No I'm glad I can help! In fact, I want to come with you!:laughing:

If you promise to take the pictures, it's a deal! :thumbsup2

Kristen

[Disneyfalcon]

If you promise to take the pictures, it's a deal! :thumbsup2

Kristen

You bet that's a deal!!:)

[Kewz1]

You bet that's a deal!!:)


LOL! I'll let you know our plans as soon as Disney releases their itineraries...;)

By the way, we're a retired Army family so I'm sure we''ll have lots to talk about in addition to Disney and cruising...:rolleyes1

Kristen

[Disneyfalcon]

LOL! I'll let you know our plans as soon as Disney releases their itineraries...;)

By the way, we're a retired Army family so I'm sure we''ll have lots to talk about in addition to Disney and cruising...:rolleyes1

Kristen

We totally would!! Here's hoping you can get a great military discount too!!

[nifferearly]

Thanks for your great trip report! It's so informative! Can you please give me some details on Villefranche? Was it easy to get to the train station? How long of a walk? Would you recommend seeing both Nice and Monaco? Where was a good place to hang out on the beach for awhile? I'd like to see Rothschild gardens, go on a beach, and I'm unsure of what else - too many options! Thanks in advance for any insight!

[the_cave_crew]

Thanks for posting this trip report. It is great.

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks for your great trip report! It's so informative! Can you please give me some details on Villefranche? Was it easy to get to the train station? How long of a walk? Would you recommend seeing both Nice and Monaco? Where was a good place to hang out on the beach for awhile? I'd like to see Rothschild gardens, go on a beach, and I'm unsure of what else - too many options! Thanks in advance for any insight!

Hi Nifferearly! Sorry, I missed this! The train station was very easy to find in Villefranche. It's a beautiful 5 minute walk. I would say Monaco is a don't miss. It just blew me away. Nice has a huge beach. We didn't spend long there because we were out of time but I would think it would be a good place.


Thanks for posting this trip report. It is great.

Thanks cave crew!:)

[nifferearly]

Thanks, Disneyfalcon!

[Phynixwh]

Thank you so much for the wonderful trip report. We set sail for the 11 night Med cruise May 28, 2011 (2 more weeks), but we arrive in Barcelona on 25th. I am so excited now after reading your report and someone else's. This is our first cruise of any kind. It will be me, my husband and 4 yr old son. This being our first cruise, we signed up for several excursions because we don't want to miss anything or risk getting back late to the boat. After reading your report though, I'm starting to think maybe we can do more things on our own. I've never been too keen on doing group tours, but we just wanted the peace of mind we wouldn't be running to catch the ship. So we are still deciding, but your trip report has given me some courage.

Also, your pictures have inspired me to start practicing using my camera out of automatic mode. I hope I will be ready!

By the way, we will be staying in the Novotel at the end of our cruise, so I really was happy to see your pictures of your stay there. When I look at your pictures, I can't believe that I will be seeing the same sights in a couple weeks! Just gorgeous, only what I have seen in the movies.

I gather that the itinerary changed since you went because of the unrest Tunisia had. We unfortunately will not get to see Tunisia.

Thanks again for all the great tips and information of what we have to look forward to. My only regret is that I didn't discover this board sooner!

Hope you have a great time on your Alaskan Cruise. I will look out for it as We would love to do the Alaskan cruise one day. Happy sailing!

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you so much for the wonderful trip report. We set sail for the 11 night Med cruise May 28, 2011 (2 more weeks), but we arrive in Barcelona on 25th. I am so excited now after reading your report and someone else's. This is our first cruise of any kind. It will be me, my husband and 4 yr old son. This being our first cruise, we signed up for several excursions because we don't want to miss anything or risk getting back late to the boat. After reading your report though, I'm starting to think maybe we can do more things on our own. I've never been too keen on doing group tours, but we just wanted the peace of mind we wouldn't be running to catch the ship. So we are still deciding, but your trip report has given me some courage.

Also, your pictures have inspired me to start practicing using my camera out of automatic mode. I hope I will be ready!

By the way, we will be staying in the Novotel at the end of our cruise, so I really was happy to see your pictures of your stay there. When I look at your pictures, I can't believe that I will be seeing the same sights in a couple weeks! Just gorgeous, only what I have seen in the movies.

I gather that the itinerary changed since you went because of the unrest Tunisia had. We unfortunately will not get to see Tunisia.

Thanks again for all the great tips and information of what we have to look forward to. My only regret is that I didn't discover this board sooner!

Hope you have a great time on your Alaskan Cruise. I will look out for it as We would love to do the Alaskan cruise one day. Happy sailing!

Hi Phynixwh! I'm so glad I could help! You are going to love this cruise, Tunis or not! There are some wonderful excursions so I'm sure you'll be happy whichever you choose.

It was definitely full of, "Wow, I cant believe I am seeing this" moments.

You will not regret moving out of manual once you get the hang of it. If you ever get stuck, just pop it back over to automatic. See what settings the camera picked and that will help you learn too!

Have a wonderful time!

[Toria]

I loved your TR and beautiful pictures!

[ALK$Disney]

Nice TR. Thanks :thumbsup2

[Disneyfalcon]

I loved your TR and beautiful pictures!

Nice TR. Thanks :thumbsup2

Thanks for reading! :)

[designertravels]

Hi, I am enjoying my first skim of your blog. We are sailing July 20 Med. Right now i'm just planning the basics. Do you recall what transfer company NOT to use? I am starting to lean towards just cabs from airport/hotel/port. We are just a party of four.

Nice Beach - I really want a beach day on our trip. Do you think this would be the best place? Do you recall how or where the beach in Nice was that you saw?

Thanks, Jill

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi, I am enjoying my first skim of your blog. We are sailing July 20 Med. Right now i'm just planning the basics. Do you recall what transfer company NOT to use? I am starting to lean towards just cabs from airport/hotel/port. We are just a party of four.

Nice Beach - I really want a beach day on our trip. Do you think this would be the best place? Do you recall how or where the beach in Nice was that you saw?

Thanks, Jill



A2B was the company that was such a nightmare. I will say however that they just gave us a complete refund, so I feel better about them now. They also changed suppliers recently.

The beach at Nice wasn't amazing, but it was nice. It wasn't really beach weather on our cruise so we didn't search a good one out. It wasn't bad though!

[KAZPRINCESS]

I've just spent the last 1/2 hour or so reading your trip report, what a great job you have done with fantastic pictures as well.

We are taking our first ever cruise in August around the Med with Mickey and I'm sooo excited. I love reading reports and looking at pictures of others. We are planning a few DIY trips to Cinquer Terre, Monaco and Pompeii, you make it sound relatively easy and well worth it.

Thanks again for a great report.

[Disneyfalcon]

I've just spent the last 1/2 hour or so reading your trip report, what a great job you have done with fantastic pictures as well.

We are taking our first ever cruise in August around the Med with Mickey and I'm sooo excited. I love reading reports and looking at pictures of others. We are planning a few DIY trips to Cinquer Terre, Monaco and Pompeii, you make it sound relatively easy and well worth it.

Thanks again for a great report.

Thank you for reading it, Karen!:)

[mickey1128]

Thanks for reading!:)

were going back to!2013 to the Med....we love the disney cruse:banana: great pic!!!! :thumbsup2

[Disneyfalcon]

were going back to!2013 to the Med....we love the disney cruse:banana: great pic!!!! :thumbsup2

Me too! June 15th for me! I can't wait!! :banana:

[Joanna71985]

Just saw this TR, and love the pictures!! My goal is to make it on a Med cruise someday (and wouldn't say no to Alaska or Hawaii either :blush: ).

And I didn't know you posted over here!

[Disneyfalcon]

Just saw this TR, and love the pictures!! My goal is to make it on a Med cruise someday (and wouldn't say no to Alaska or Hawaii either :blush: ).

And I didn't know you posted over here!

Joanna!!!! I do! Not very much here, mostly a lurker. :)

[Joanna71985]

Joanna!!!! I do! Not very much here, mostly a lurker. :)

Heh, surprise! Funny story, but I actually started posting here first. I love the cruise forum (and the TRs).

[Disneyfalcon]

Heh, surprise! Funny story, but I actually started posting here first. I love the cruise forum (and the TRs).

That is funny! I prefer the other board in general, but the cruise forum here is great!

[Pooh667]

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your trip report and the pictures were gorgeous!!! Thanks for posting!

[Disneyfalcon]

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your trip report and the pictures were gorgeous!!! Thanks for posting!

Thanks for reading, Pooh!:)

[MrsScooby]

Love this trip report:lovestruc
My DH and I are planning for DCL Venice in 2013 and plan to DIY all the ports as well.
Your TR is a great help. :thumbsup2
Thanks so much:goodvibes

[Disneyfalcon]

Love this trip report:lovestruc
My DH and I are planning for DCL Venice in 2013 and plan to DIY all the ports as well.
Your TR is a great help. :thumbsup2
Thanks so much:goodvibes

I'm so glad I can help, MrsScooby! :)

[simbasmom2]

Thank you so much for taking time to write this TR. I am a sponge right now, trying to learn as much as possible. We sail the Med. June 8th, 2013!:)

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you so much for taking time to write this TR. I am a sponge right now, trying to learn as much as possible. We sail the Med. June 8th, 2013!:)

Hi Simbasmom2! I am soaking a lot in right now too! We sail on June 15th, 2013! :)

[gailg3horses]

Loved your trip report. we're sailing June 15th 2013 also.

[Disneyfalcon]

Loved your trip report. we're sailing June 15th 2013 also.

Great! I can't wait!! It's going to be amazing! :)