Any idea when ABD will announce add on for Med. Cruises??

[tufbuf]

Well, that's interesting. I thought Tozzie was told the Madrid add-on was only for the shorter cruises. Conflicting information already!

Sayhello

Yes, and I made it clear to the rep that we are booked for the 12-night. She kept asking me why I wouldn't do the one with the cruise itself and told her I was interested in the Madrid one and she went through the whole highlights and what is included in the price. It makes sense since it's a pre-cruise tour, unless there are conflicting or overlapping dates, which I doubt since only one ship is doing the Med cruise.....unless they are doing just one tour for all the Med cruises? They don't have the dates on the website....hmmm... let me look into that.

 

[sayhello]

Yes, and I made it clear to the rep that we are booked for the 12-night. She kept asking me why I wouldn't do the one with the cruise itself and told her I was interested in the Madrid one and she went through the whole highlights and what is included in the price. It makes sense since it's a pre-cruise tour, unless there are conflicting or overlapping dates, which I doubt since only one ship is doing the Med cruise.....unless they are doing just one tour for all the Med cruises? They don't have the dates on the website....hmmm... let me look into that.

The only thing I could guess would be maybe a conflict of Adventure Guides? Perhaps some of the ones doing Madrid are also doing the one on the ship? That seems silly, but you never know.

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

Okay, clarified. The pre-cruise Madrid is only for the 4-night cruises on July 9 and Aug. 6. Bummer.....

 

[sayhello]

Okay, clarified. The pre-cruise Madrid is only for the 4-night cruises on July 9 and Aug. 6. Bummer.....

Well, at least you've been spared the flight from Madrid to Barcelona (unless that's included in your flight to Barcelona like it was mine). HORRID, horrid flight!

Have you been to Barcelona? Barcelona is an amazing city. I know you wanted to do the Madrid add-on, but have you considered Barcelona? I wish they'd had an add-on when I went in 2010.

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

Well, at least you've been spared the flight from Madrid to Barcelona (unless that's included in your flight to Barcelona like it was mine). HORRID, horrid flight!

Have you been to Barcelona? Barcelona is an amazing city. I know you wanted to do the Madrid add-on, but have you considered Barcelona? I wish they'd had an add-on when I went in 2010.

Sayhello

Yes we have. We did the Med in 2010 but was too late for the ABD. I only found out 3 weeks after they released the itineraries. We have seen most of the highlights except Montjuic, which I was planning to do when we go back.

Anyway, now that I read the itinerary for the 12-night, we did most of the activities already except for Capri, Gozo and Murano Island but I can probably just join an excursion which goes to those places. The Italy part of the cruise have activities similar to their Italy ABD and I am not sure it is worth doing them all over, especially considering the cost.

The Croatia activity sounds really nice too! I would love to bike in Dubrovnik and kayak the Adriatic. Decisions! Decisions!

 

[pxlbarrel]

Well, just looked at the day to day itinerary for the ABD add on (Greece) and I think we're going to pass. It's a tad expensive considering we're already paying for accomodations and most of the food. Most of the activities are stuff we already did on our last cruise. And the sea days are all on your own...and this cruise has 4 sea days.

We'll probably do private tours for the cities we went to last cruise and do DCL excursions for Greece and Turkey.

 

[SCFamily4]

Hello everyone!

I posted this in another thread as well (sorry for any duplication) but am interested in the ABD add on for our 7/25/13 Med Cruise.

Of note, the itinerary posted includes a tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel while in Rome. From what I can tell (and based on some internet research) the Vatican is only open on one Sunday a month - the last Sunday of the month - and it is free admission. So, (per internet) the lines are horrible, and no group tours are allowed.

Of course ... looks like our cruise will be in Rome on the last Sunday of July. So I am wondering if somehow Disney Magic works in at the Vatican and they can still get us in for a private tour, or if these stops will be skipped.

Other than the Rome question, the itinerary sounds awesome. Now just trying to figure out how to sell this to my husband ... a bit of sticker shock from the cost. Yikes.

Happy travels -

 

[tufbuf]

Booked today:

Adult $3149, child $2989

Not a lot of details, but didn't want to miss out, so booked ASAP.

Gratuities NOT included this time, photos still are. TA going to let me know as soon as more details released.

I think the photos are the ones taken by the guides while on excursion. The DCL photos are separate, right sayhello?

 

[sayhello]

I think the photos are the ones taken by the guides while on excursion. The DCL photos are separate, right sayhello?

Both the photos taken by the Guides *and* the photos taken by the DCL photographers are included in the add-on. We got the CD of pictures from Shutters on the last day of the cruise.

(Obviously, this assumes they're doing it the same way they have in the past.)

Sayhello

 

[AStamm]

Both the photos taken by the Guides *and* the photos taken by the DCL photographers are included in the add-on. We got the CD of pictures from Shutters on the last day of the cruise.

(Obviously, this assumes they're doing it the same way they have in the past.)

Sayhello

Yet another reason to book the add-on...free DCL pictures! Keep coming up with ways for me to justify the added expense for 3 people @ $2,299 per person. One of the posters on the cruise boards ABD add-on threads said that the Naples "Signature" excursion she did through DCL was $425 per person for something potentially comparable to ABD.

Does anyone know if the ABD add-ons sold out quickly last time the Magic was in the Mediterranean? Is this a case of go ahead and book it now and then make up your mind as you get closer to the cruise?

 

[Skylarr29]

Does anyone know if since the balance is added to your cruise fare if the cancellation policy will then be the same as the cruise cancellation policies or will the same ABD policies apply?

 

[WeLoveABD]

Does anyone know if since the balance is added to your cruise fare if the cancellation policy will then be the same as the cruise cancellation policies or will the same ABD policies apply?

We asked this very question--and were told that the more liberal cruise cancellation policy applied

 

[Skylarr29]

We asked this very question--and were told that the more liberal cruise cancellation policy applied

Thank you.

I also inquired about it to my TA and ABD and was told the same, that it would follow the cruise lines typical cancellation.

 

[Tozzie]

We asked this very question--and were told that the more liberal cruise cancellation policy applied

They can do the liberal Cruise Cancellation Policy because they don't have to worry about Hotel Contracts and a few other issues becuase the lodging is on the Ship

 

[2littlestitches]

Hi there! I'm just a little confused, and maybe you all can clarify for me? Are either the 3 day or 4 day Barcelona ABDs available as a pre-cruise add on for the 12 night Meds? Thanks so much!

 

[sayhello]

Hi there! I'm just a little confused, and maybe you all can clarify for me? Are either the 3 day or 4 day Barcelona ABDs available as a pre-cruise add on for the 12 night Meds? Thanks so much!

I think there have been conflicting reports. Some say it's just the Madrid add-on that isn't available for the 12 nights, some said it's both the Madrid & Barcelona 4-day add-ons that aren't. In this case, I'd suggest calling DCL and see what they tell you.

Sorry!
Sayhello

 

[booger73]

I wanted to add some information that I found out myself since I was looking at this and had questions:
(I don't work for Disney.. i seriously do want to consider the ABD from what i've heard (never been on one myself).. but I haven't decided based on my current research... posting this just so people can maybe chime in what they think as well.. as we all know it's expensive so that goes without saying.. but is it 'worth it' this year)

12 night - Venice

2013 - Pricing = $3299/3129
(Note 2011 pricing for 10/11 night was 2699/2429)
(per night ~ 275/night.. for 2013 vs 10 night in 2011 so fairly unchanged)

But.. for 600 dollars more

a) Villefranche - seems like same tour described before (Monaco/Palace/Eze)
b) La Spezia - same tour (Florence+Gelato)
c) Rome - same tour (special vatican/coliseum/etc)
d) Naples - same tour (pizza making+capri)

e) Venice = gondola, walking tour, lunch, and glass blowing (NEW)
f) Dubrovnik = walking tour, lunch, and kayaking (NEW)

g) Malta = same tour (ferry, lunch, glassblowing, swimming)

And also non-excursion changes1) No onboard gratuities include now ($12/d*1 people *12 nights is appx ~150 LOSS)
2) Picture CD included (~?600) - same as before
3) No Palo - ? different from before (?~100)

So in my mind, 600 more in price, and losing 150 for gratuties
I"m not sure how much the Venice and Dubrovnik tours "cost" but seems like a lot in difference

The closest comparison (and this may be off obviously) I can make from the list per person and previously mentioned tours is approximately.. (and I'm giving benefit of the doubt on the high side)

1) Reception = $40(? my guess)
2) Villefranche tour - comparable (?) normal tour listed @ ~$199
lunch @ fairmont ~$40 (my guess)
3) La Spezia - Florence + Michangelo normal tour @ (~$229)
Gelato tour ($~?60 my guess)
4) Rome - Private "Behind the Scenes tour" - ~$599
Lunch ~$40 (my guess)
5) Naples - Pizza making tour (?~$60)
The Island of Capri tour ~$149
6) Animation class @ Sea - ~$100 (my guess)
7) (NEW) - Venice = Gondola tour private (~75)
Walking tour of venice (~?? 150)
Lunch (~40)
Glassblowing (~ ?? 150)
8) (NEW) - Dubrovnik = walking tour (~?? 125)
Lunch (~?? 40)
Kayaking in the Sea ( ~?? 125)
9) Malta = City tour (~50-75)
Kayaking (~75-100)
10) Reception farwell = ~50

Is about ~$2400-2500 on the high side.. although tough to make a specific comparison in excursions sometimes
Losing the gratutities hurts a little (150) in addition to the additional price change (~600+)

I know obviously there's a lot of gain in 1) private tour guides, 2) not having to worry about anything, 3) first off tenders/etc, 4) smaller group.. but balancing about $800pp ($3299-2400 or so) for four people is about 3-4k more possibly (on top of airfare!).. a whole another cruise!

Anyways.. just what I've been thinking about as I consider this... DCL also said it's going to be a hard '40' limit of people.. no changing.. for what that's worth

Can anyone who did the tours before give me an idea more so about them - it's not like I'm going to get to go to the Med a lot so I do want to try to see/do as much as I can

I've read trip reports, but I'm most interested in
1) sounds like the regular villefranche, le spazia tours through DCL could be comparable
2) how good really was the rome tour and could you do it separately (note: the day 6/30 we're there it looks like the vatican/etc closes early @ 2pm!) unless there is special disney magic for ALL tours
3) Venice and Dubrovnik are new, so all bets are off how much they are really worth and could just be planned alone instead

Addendum: From talking the ABD, there still might be a problem with the Vatican museums/etc that day (6/30) and they may be 'tweaking' the trip that Sunday.. no further info they could give, so stay tuned.. This might still even be a problem with 'regular' disney tours too very disappointing if it's true

 

[sayhello]

Can anyone who did the tours before give me an idea more so about them - it's not like I'm going to get to go to the Med a lot so I do want to try to see/do as much as I can

I've read trip reports, but I'm most interested in
1) sounds like the regular villefranche, le spazia tours through DCL could be comparable
2) how good really was the rome tour and could you do it separately (note: the day 6/30 we're there it looks like the vatican/etc closes early @ 2pm!) unless there is special disney magic for ALL tours
3) Venice and Dubrovnik are new, so all bets are off how much they are really worth and could just be planned alone instead

Addendum: From talking the ABD, there still might be a problem with the Vatican museums/etc that day (6/30) and they may be 'tweaking' the trip that Sunday.. no further info they could give, so stay tuned.. This might still even be a problem with 'regular' disney tours too very disappointing if it's true

Have you read my Trip Report? (link in my signature) I give a pretty detailed idea of what all the tours & extras were like.

1) Don't know about the DCL tours, but the ABD for Villefranche was great. It actually didn't include Eze in 2010, but another activity got cancelled, so the Guides took us to Eze, and we loved it. I don't think the DCL tours have the leeway to make choices like that.
2) I really enjoyed our Rome tour. We hit most of the highlights, skipped the lines (we walked right in to St Peter's Basilica), had a really nice lunch at a hotel. With a much smaller group.
3) Can't comment on 3).

If anyone can arrange for you to get into the Vatican museums, it'll be Disney. They arranged for one of the other ABD-add-ons to have a tour of the Accademia where the David is, when the Accademia was closed. It was a private tour, just them. The mouse has clout. I hope they work it out for you. Unfortunately, unlike a land-based ABD, they can't switch days around for you, which is what they usually do.

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

Walking tours are generally inexpensive, so I would assume the one in Dubrovnik does not cost a whole lot. I researched on the gondola ride in Venice before and back in '08, it costs 90 euros for a half hour. The mask-making in Venice is quite an experience, not sure if you can arrange that on your own, but DCL has not released their itineraries and that may be an option. Walking the streets of Venice can be challenging since the street signs mainly direct you to bridges. You'll get it after a while.

 

[DisneyKevin]

The Madrid add ons are only available for the 4 night sailings from Madrid.

Barcelona add ons are available for the twelve night sailings.

Here is some info....

Pre-Stay
3-Night Pre-Stay Barcelona
Adult - $1899.00 per person
Child - $1799.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Privately guided tour to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Montserrat and the Gothic Quarter.
Experience the culture and meet the people through activities including stained glass making and a Flamenco dance performance.
Get access to special experiences such as an archeology experience and a mountain hike.

4-Night Pre-Stay Barcelona – 4 NIGHT ADD ON ONLY AVAIALBLE WITH 4 NIGHT MED. & 4 NIGHT MADRID SAILINGS
Adult - $2899.00 per person
Child - $2749.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Visit the site of the 1992 Summer Olympics for a group photo with your fellow Adventurers.
Privately guided tour to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and the Gothic Quarter to discover the genius of architect Antonio Gaudí.
Experience the culture and meet the people through activities including privately-held cooking class and a Flamenco dance performance.
Tour the Codorniu Cellars, owned by one of the oldest winemaking families in Spain - dating back to 1551. Explore the vineyard grounds by train and tour the cellar before sampling their famed cava while Junior Adventurers sip grape juice.

4-Night Pre-Stay Madrid - 4 NIGHT ADD ON ONLY AVAIALBLE WITH 4 NIGHT MED. & 4 NIGHT MADRID SAILINGS
Adult - $2899.00 per person
Child - $2749.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Take a privately-guided tour of the splendid Palacio Real and then set out to the countryside for a visit to the medieval Alcázar of Segovia.
Learn how to cook authentic Spanish cuisine from the chefs at Foxa Molino de Cantarranas, a former mill turned restaurant, hotel and museum.
Ride a bike or take a walking tour through the vast Parque del Retiro, with 350 acres of shade trees, gardens, fish ponds and a lake.
Experience the culture and meet the people through activities including tapas "pub crawl" and a Flamenco dance performance.


Onboard Experience

7-Night Mediterranean Magic
Adult - $2299.00 per person
Child - $2179.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Visit Monaco, playground of the rich and famous, for a tour of the opulent palace where film star Grace Kelly once resided.
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Grom Gelateria (gelato maker) in Florence.
Take a private tour of Rome's most famous landmarks, including the Coliseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, as well as the Vatican City Museum and Sistine Chapel.
See how to press olive oil, make mozzarella cheese and harvest fruit at Agriturismo La Galatea Farm in Sorrento and enjoy a private pizza-making session with the chefs.
Cruise around the isle of Capri on a private boat and swim in the Mediterranean waters.

12-Night Mediterranean Magic (with Greece)
Adult - $3149.000 per person
Child - $2989.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Take a private tour of Rome's most famous landmarks, including the Coliseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, as well as the Vatican City Museum and Sistine Chapel.
Visit Panathinaiko, the historic venue where the modern Olympics were first held with Junior Adventurers able to join in a mini marathon just for fun.
Enjoy lunch in the heart of Ephesus where you'll get to try Turkish coffee.
A chef will teach you how to prepare some classic Greek favorites in a cooking class with an idyllic setting on the island of Mykonos.
Enjoy swimming off the coast of Malta.

12-Night Mediterranean Magic (with Venice)
Adult - $3299.00 per person
Child - $3129.00 per person (Ages 4-11 but recommend children 6 and older)
Additional Deposit due at time of booking: 20% of ABD Add-On (Per Person)
Adventure Highlights:
Take a private tour of Rome's most famous landmarks, including the Coliseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, as well as the Vatican City Museum and Sistine Chapel.
See how to press olive oil, make mozzarella cheese and harvest fruit at Agriturismo La Galatea Farm in Sorrento and enjoy a private pizza-making session with the chefs.
Enjoy a private gondola tour of Venice.
Take the family on a scenic kayaking experience in the Adriatic Sea along the breathtaking coastline of Croatia in Dubrovnik.
Enjoy swimming off the coast of Malta.


*Deposit-20% on all reservations, even onboard bookings.