All in one place: Please Post info from your DCL Med excursions HERE

[taysmom]

So whats your bottom line thoughts on florence/pisa.

I have to say that originally on the 6-16 cruise I couldn't get florence/pisa and was very disappointed. I called DCL to whine and they said sorry, keep checking back etc. So I signed up for Pisa only. I accepted it and moved on but last week there were openings on florence/pisa so I changed the excursion. We really want to be able to go up in the tower over florence. My 9 year old is really looking forward to that, so what would you do? would you change back to pisa only or hope that disney corrects their errors? Any feedback would be appreciated. I would hate to think that I spent all that money to not do what we really wanted to do..something stated in the brochure...aarg...what to do????

 

[Aurora1959]

Hope my three part series helps!!!!
ENJOY!!!!!!:grouphug:

Thank you so much for sharing. I hope others will continue to share like you have.

 

[Kouris_Family]

Hi
Anyone go to the soap factory in Marseille or buy any from another shop?
Just wondering if you took the tour or went on your own or if it is plentiful at the shops in town.
Thanks

 

[#1Fan]

Can you wear open toed shoes in the cathedrals? How strict are the rules about shoulders and knees being covered? I assume this is strongly enforced at the Vatican, but what about in Palermo or at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and other places with cathedrals we might be tempted to stop at while walking around?

Thanks, Lisa

 

[scottishwee35]

Hi Disneyfamilyforever

I would like to saying many thanks for giving us your information about the excursions and feedback too.

I find that this is helpful.

Thanks again

Have a nice times in Paris and London

Scottishwee35

 

[MrsG]

Can you wear open toed shoes in the cathedrals? How strict are the rules about shoulders and knees being covered? I assume this is strongly enforced at the Vatican, but what about in Palermo or at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and other places with cathedrals we might be tempted to stop at while walking around?

Thanks, Lisa

I am wondering the same thing. I was thinking of keeping a scarf and thin skirt in my backpack just in case we happened on a church and I was in shorts and no sleeves. It will be very hot there July/Aug. How fussy are they?

 

[iteachk]

Has anyone done this tour? My husband would LOVE to see the grand prix. At this point, I cannot get into it!

Also, did you leave any days without shore excursions? I have left Olbia free but have every other day booked. Is that too many days of tours?
I am traveling with daughters aged 18 and 21.
Thanks for your great info!

 

[padalyn]

I don't have time to do a full review of what we did - but I will give you feedback on specific questions:

Question for Rome and some excursions for Kids Menu.

For anyone who is going to Jumping into External - Rome - please let me know about kids menu?

I would be appreciated if anyone answer it.

thank you.

Scottishwee35

DO IT!!! Disney has booked a private train to take you into Rome. We found out the day we arrived the taxis had all gone on strike - the roads were a mess and all tours on busses lost over an hour of tour time.
The kids were given chicken of some sort I think - the restaurant was pretty accomidating about food requests. I don't like Tiramisu (can't stand coffee) and they replaced the dessert for me. The lasagne was the best I EVER have had...

So whats your bottom line thoughts on florence/pisa.

I have to say that originally on the 6-16 cruise I couldn't get florence/pisa and was very disappointed. I called DCL to whine and they said sorry, keep checking back etc. So I signed up for Pisa only. I accepted it and moved on but last week there were openings on florence/pisa so I changed the excursion. We really want to be able to go up in the tower over florence. My 9 year old is really looking forward to that, so what would you do? would you change back to pisa only or hope that disney corrects their errors? Any feedback would be appreciated. I would hate to think that I spent all that money to not do what we really wanted to do..something stated in the brochure...aarg...what to do????

Don't bother doing this excursion. It is over 90 minutes to Florence, the lunch - well we sat for about an hour between the app and entre - they kids at our table were done and bored (very well behaved - which is a tribute to their parents). we were given no shopping time at all in Florence, then were just dumped in Pisa. We had to walk through a flea market jungle with no guide to find the entrance on our own - then we had a whopping 10 minutes left of the 30 we were given to return to the bus. then an hour plus to return to the ship too late for our dining rotation.
We were extremely unhappy with this excursion.

Hi
Anyone go to the soap factory in Marseille or buy any from another shop?
Just wondering if you took the tour or went on your own or if it is plentiful at the shops in town.
Thanks

Marseille soap tour was awesome! yes we were able to purchase from the factory - they only take cash and only Euros - be ready for that.

I found the soap to be wonderful, the scents were very true, and the process was really interesting to learn.

The excursion lasted only 4 hours - we were given about an hour of free time to wander the market at the old port. After we retuned to the ship - we actually went back into town to wander some more.

This is a DO!!

Can you wear open toed shoes in the cathedrals? How strict are the rules about shoulders and knees being covered? I assume this is strongly enforced at the Vatican, but what about in Palermo or at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and other places with cathedrals we might be tempted to stop at while walking around?

Thanks, Lisa

open toes are ok - saw many sandles at the St Peter's Bascilica (can't spell - sorry). They actually have what I called the clothing police - hats off, handbags closed, shoulders MUST be covered, knees are a bit more lax - but if the shorts are well above the knee, the person was not allowed entry.

Has anyone done this tour? My husband would LOVE to see the grand prix. At this point, I cannot get into it!

Also, did you leave any days without shore excursions? I have left Olbia free but have every other day booked. Is that too many days of tours?
I am traveling with daughters aged 18 and 21.
Thanks for your great info!

umm- the Grand Prix ran 2 weeks ago. They are breaking the stands down and they will all be gone by next time the Magic is there.

Monte Carlo was a bust. the traffic was terrible - the bus dropped us off on the side of the road - we had about 18 inches to skinny (HA HA HA) past the cement barricade and other people to get to the elevator to walk up the stairs to see the atrium of the Casino. In my mind- smaller busses would do the trick, but that is not my decision. So, be ready to climb uneven steps, take water, and there is a 10 Euro to get into the Casino charge.


Overall:
be ready for wind and rain - showers occur
take extra water on the busses
when the excursion states mild...that is by European standards not American
Moderate - usually meant 5 miles of hard fast walking on uneven terrain
Active - huh....well, I climbed Mt Vesuvius - this was ACTIVE????? over a mile at a 40 degree grade in 40 minutes up and down???? right....the other actives were just as strenious.

Be ready with extra socks, good sturdy shoes, blister cream, water, snacks, and rain gear...and enjoy!!!

 

[vegs1]

Padalyn - Thanks for the great info. We are booked to do the Marseille Soap Tour also. Would you kindly answer a couple of more questions on that for me?
First off - I was in Marseille last year and bought wonderfully scented soaps at the market for I think it was 10 bars for 12 Euros. Was the cost about the same? Also...what was the rest of the tour like? We have a 9 year old with us and were wondering if she'd be bored with it. Thanks for the help!!!

 

[taysmom]

Thanks for the feedback on florence/pisa....I appreciate it!

 

[misbel]

Can anyone tell me how far the disney magic port in barcelona is from the grand marina hotel? THANKS!!

 

[Kouris_Family]

Thank you Padalyn for all the information on soap in Marseille.

 

[scottishwee35]

Padalyn

Many thank for your reply about jumping into external and Florence and Pisa.

I have to rethink about Florence and Pisa now as I have two children and I don't want they get boring as my son want see Florence but I think I better leave it. I think it is a long day for the kids.

But we can go to Florence in another times as we lives in Scotland and not long flight.

Scottishwee35

 

[Kissimmee]

Can anyone tell me how far the disney magic port in barcelona is from the grand marina hotel? THANKS!!

1.8 miles. The shuttle drops you off quite close.

 

[miclen]

After all the discussion and advice about the Florence/Pisa tours, we decided it might be best to book a private tour there. We want to see Florence, but we also really want to go to the top of the leaning tower. Then I read about someone almost missing the last tender to the ship and now i am nervous about a private tour. Does anyone know what time the last tender is?

 

[scottishwee35]

After all the discussion and advice about the Florence/Pisa tours, we decided it might be best to book a private tour there. We want to see Florence, but we also really want to go to the top of the leaning tower. Then I read about someone almost missing the last tender to the ship and now i am nervous about a private tour. Does anyone know what time the last tender is?

Hi

When is your disney cruise?

I beleive that private tour are very good. Look for experience one.

I have been booking Florence and Pisa but now I am having second thought about it because too long day for my two children.

Scottishwee35

 

[miclen]

Hi

When is your disney cruise?

I beleive that private tour are very good. Look for experience one.

I have been booking Florence and Pisa but now I am having second thought about it because too long day for my two children.

Scottishwee35

We are on the last Med cruise - August 8th. I booked though a company recommended by icunurse_celeste - Http://www.prestigerent.com. I've emailed with them and have been very happy with the service. I just want to make sure I know what time to be back to catch the tender.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

I am disappointed that the Florence/Pisa excursion is getting bad reviews. My DS11 REALLY wants to see the leaning tower. I wonder if maybe Disney will change the trip based on the comments from other cruisers. Let's hope so!

Maybe someone who goes on the excursion can update us and let us know their opinions. Please!

 

[Ltl Mermaid]

I will give a very brief update on the excursion my sister and I went on:

Barcelona: Barcelona City Tour: Very short but good for a quick first day excursion. We got to see the Sagrada Familia from all outside vantage points though we didn't get to go inside. We also went to the top of a high point to get a full view of the city...we even got to see the Disney Magic from above...very cool! Again, very brief and not at all long enough. However, good for a short tour before boarding the ship.

Palermo: Selinunte and Marinella: The ruins here were awesome and you got a good amount of time to walk around the two sites. the first stop was ruins of the Greek Temples and the second was the residential area/Acropolis. Very cool, though there were quite a few beetles in the ruins area which freaked me out! The stop at the beach was kind of a bust as it was freezing cold and cloudy. No one went in the water with the exception of two children, who didn't seem to mind the cold. Lunch was also a disappointment.....Antipasto only and mostly fish products. We don't eat fish so we pretty much went hungry. We actually tried to purchase pizza but that had anchovies on it also! Again, the ruins were awesome but the tour could have been much shorter with the weather being so bad. However, with better weather the beach stop should be very pleasent. the beach itself was very clean and the bathroons were fairly well maintained. Note: The restrooms at the ruins do not have toilet paper so please plan ahead!

Naples: Mt. Vesuvius Hike and Pompeii: This one was a nightmare! The weather was ice cold and windy. When we got to the top of the outlook, they had closed the hiking path due to bad weather/winds. I completely understand that! The problem is they forced us to wait a full hour in the horrible weather before finally letting us go up..then they only gave us 40 minutes to go from the bottom to the top. We then got completely rushed through Pompeii (which was very cool) and had only about 10 minutes to shop/go to the bathroom before getting back to the port, I now wish I had just done a Pompeii tour. The Mt. Vesuvius hike itself was neat, but not worth the time waiting around.

Olbia: Costa Smeralda: Nice short tour. A little bit slow to start but the afternoon gave us nice weather and quite a bit of free time. Very enjoyable overall. We were supposed to do the Day at Sea at Maddelana, but it was cancelled due to the problems had on the boat tours to Capri the day before. The nice thing about the Costa Smeralda tour was that we got back relatively early and had some time before dinner to relax...for once !!

Rome: Highlights of Rome and the Vatican Museum: The Forum was obstructed due to the special event parade being set up. wer did get to see the outside of the Colosseum, which was very impressive. However, our free time was cut from 2-2.5 hours to just over 1 hour! We were very disappointed but made the best of the free time we had. We basically ran to the Trevi Fountain, took the picture, and did a minimal amount of shopping on the way back. Lunch was great.. wonderful cheese lasagna and not too slow at all! We then went to Vatican City and had a long tour of the museums, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica. All was very nice. A long day but a fairly good way to get a taste of Rome.

La Spezia: Florence and Pisa: I echo what everyone else said...too much time spent in a bus, not enough time in Florence or Pisa, and WAY too much time spent on lunchtime. I found the food to be mediocre at best and way too long for a tour like this. i wish i had skipped lunch and done some shopping instead. Florence was lovely and we wished we had more time there. Pisa was nice from the outside but we had about 15 minutes or so to find out way to The Leaning Tower, take pictures, shop, and get back to the bus. Obviously not enough time to fit in all that we wanted to.

Marseille: Marseille City Tour: Short but pleasant tour...wish I had done the Soup tour instead. We saw the Notre Dame de La Guarda, stopped at a photo sport for the Chauteau D' Luf, and then had free time to shop at the outdoor market at the old port. They have lovely tablecloths and soaps here. make sure to save some room for these items in your luggage!

Villefranche: Nice and Monaco: Best tour! We had free time to look around Nice and see the antique flea market...very cool! We then headed over to lunch at Eze. Lunch was good (not great) and a bit slow, but good. The bus tour then took us to Monaco where we walked over to the Prince's Palace and then had some free time to shop. Monaco is a lovely little country...reminds me a bit of a fairytale city...everything was so well groomed and clean! We then went over to the Monte Carlo, had ice cream at the Cafe de Paris and then had some free time. We only went into the Atrium of the Casino to avoid the 10 Euro charge. Lots of very impressive high end cars here and just an overall neat thing to see. Our tour got bcak about 30-40 minutes late but we felt it was worth it. By far our favorite port and excursion!

Any questions?? Just let me know!

 

[MrsG]

Lil Mermaid,

You mention the Monoco, Nice excursion. What is the difference between this one and Monoco, Nice & Eze. Both visit Eze.

Thanks