Med Cruisers...Let's Discuss Planning!(Updated Tour Info, Links & BCN Info on Page 1)

[Celestine]

LOL I guess the rest of us will have to make do with the scraps.

I am holding tight for Rome as I think the new Pope will bring many visitors into the city especially on a Wednesday (when the pope comes out to wave).

I didn't plan on going into the Sistine chapel with my boys, but will may give it a miss completely depending on how popular the Vatican City is when we are there.

Don't forget they don't release everything to book on-line so you may get what you want on board if you head straight to the Palo reservation area

Celestine

 

[tinkertaylor05]

LOL I guess the rest of us will have to make do with the scraps.

I am holding tight for Rome as I think the new Pope will bring many visitors into the city especially on a Wednesday (when the pope comes out to wave).

I didn't plan on going into the Sistine chapel with my boys, but will may give it a miss completely depending on how popular the Vatican City is when we are there.

I'm there with ya

I don't want anything so it's all good just to do kids club and pat.

We're bypassing Vatican City all together I will look at it a smile from the other side of the Tiber and that suits me just fine this time around.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

WOW. The cruisers on my 6/1 Med cruise are no joke. It's probably b/c there are alot of Gold & Plats doing back to back w/the EBTA.

I logged on "late" at 12:23 a.m. EST. Checked Palo Brunch, and Palo Dinner. Availability looked good. I'm Silver, btw (will be Gold after this cruise).

For our 9 people, I booked our DCL excursions first since we have nothing else planned. Pretty important, got what we wanted.

Then I booked our DCL excursions for ports which we may or may not need it. Offerings for Rome don't look that good.

Returned to Palo Brunch & Dinners---hardly anything left, can't get a table of 4 for anything. Alright, that's fine. We'll eat 2x2.

No more good Swedish spa appts or manicures. Only things left are on Port days....

OK....

Returned to Palo & Brunch ressies at 2:21 a.m EST, and there is absolutely no Palo Brunch left at all. None. I know things will open up but this is ridiculous

It's like BLACK FRIDAY but for DCL ressies. My goodness.

This doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Makes me feel better about staying up past midnight to book Palo. We wanted brunch the second sea day and had no problem getting a seating for 2.

Not doing DCL excursions or spa so....that was it. Didn't do check in will have to do that later.

 

[Disney mam]

Don't forget they don't release everything to book on-line so you may get what you want on board if you head straight to the Palo reservation area

Celestine

Thanks

I'm there with ya

I don't want anything so it's all good just to do kids club and pat.

We're bypassing Vatican City all together I will look at it a smile from the other side of the Tiber and that suits me just fine this time around.

I plan on doing most ports on my own so I can go at a nice easy pace for the kids, also I have troubled knees and may need to rest. I will be doing the Colosseum for sure and the forum. Hope to do the Trevi and steps, but I am just trying to be reasonable with my day and not try and do too much!!!

 

[woody73]

Deleted. Wrong thread.

 

[nzdisneymom]

We are booked for June 2014 and like many of you, we plan on arriving in Barcelona early (2 nights) and then afterward to Paris for 3/4 nights. There is 6 of us. Any suggestions on where to stay in Barcelona and Pairs? Thanks for all the great ideas regarding the trip already! This is one that needs to be well planned!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Here's a thread about Barcelona hotels:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2870617

 

[lilpooh108]

I started a new thread b/c I thought the below was interesting enough to warrant it, but will post it here in case anyone is subscribed to this thread.

We had been toying with the idea of staying the night in Rome and catching up with the ship in Naples since the train ride is only 2 hours, and is relatively cheap. I wrote to DCL and here is what their policy is on disembarking at a Non-US Port, embarking at a Non-US Port, and taking the cruise as a one-way cruise (i.e., getting on at Barcelona and getting off elsewhere).


Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your patience while we researched your request.

I would be happy to provide information on disembarking and/ or
embarking the ship at a different port of call.

If you are requesting to disembark at a different port of call, please
note the following:

*Guests are able to disembark the ship in any Non-U.S. port of call,
except La Spezia.

If you are requesting to embark at a different port of call, please note
the following:

*If Guests are on an itinerary that starts and ends in a European
Country, you are able to embark the ship in any Non-U.S. port of call
except La Spezia.

In addition, please note the following information:

*Guests are required to pay full fare for the cruise.
*Guests are required to bring proof of citizenship (valid passport,
visas, if applicable).
*Guests traveling one way must fill out and sign an Immigration form,
keeping a portion of the card in hand until departing.
*All travelers must possess onward (traveling to another destination) or
return tickets upon entry.
*Guests are responsible for their own flights and transportation.
*Guests who are disembarking the ship should notify the Onboard Guest
Services Manager prior to leaving as they are responsible to ensure
their onboard account is settled. Once you arrive back onboard, you will
need to re-establish your onboard account.
*If ALL Guests in the same stateroom are debarking the ship, they will
need to take ALL of their luggage with them.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I started a new thread b/c I thought the below was interesting enough to warrant it, but will post it here in case anyone is subscribed to this thread.

We had been toying with the idea of staying the night in Rome and catching up with the ship in Naples since the train ride is only 2 hours, and is relatively cheap. I wrote to DCL and here is what their policy is on disembarking at a Non-US Port, embarking at a Non-US Port, and taking the cruise as a one-way cruise (i.e., getting on at Barcelona and getting off elsewhere).


Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your patience while we researched your request.

I would be happy to provide information on disembarking and/ or
embarking the ship at a different port of call.

If you are requesting to disembark at a different port of call, please
note the following:

*Guests are able to disembark the ship in any Non-U.S. port of call,
except La Spezia.

If you are requesting to embark at a different port of call, please note
the following:

*If Guests are on an itinerary that starts and ends in a European
Country, you are able to embark the ship in any Non-U.S. port of call
except La Spezia.

In addition, please note the following information:

*Guests are required to pay full fare for the cruise.
*Guests are required to bring proof of citizenship (valid passport,
visas, if applicable).
*Guests traveling one way must fill out and sign an Immigration form,
keeping a portion of the card in hand until departing.
*All travelers must possess onward (traveling to another destination) or
return tickets upon entry.
*Guests are responsible for their own flights and transportation.
*Guests who are disembarking the ship should notify the Onboard Guest
Services Manager prior to leaving as they are responsible to ensure
their onboard account is settled. Once you arrive back onboard, you will
need to re-establish your onboard account.
*If ALL Guests in the same stateroom are debarking the ship, they will
need to take ALL of their luggage with them.

Interesting - thanks for posting about this - I know I've read some folks wre thinking about staying late in Florence, catching the train to Rome and then getting back onboard there - but it looks like that won't work since you can't do it in La Spezia.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Interesting - thanks for posting about this - I know I've read some folks wre thinking about staying late in Florence, catching the train to Rome and then getting back onboard there - but it looks like that won't work since you can't do it in La Spezia.

I had played around with that idea. Glad I dumped it. Oh well.

Of course what are they going to do if someone missed the boat there. Let's hope we don't have to find out!

 

[lilpooh108]

I had played around with that idea. Glad I dumped it. Oh well.

Of course what are they going to do if someone missed the boat there. Let's hope we don't have to find out!

Maybe it's because La Spezia is a tender port?

If it were just my husband and I, we do the train to Naples no question. But we have our 2 kids, plus we'd be leaving other family members on the ship, etc. I'm still considering it though.

We have a private excursion scheduled for Naples. The train station is relatively close to the Port. He could pick us up at 7:30 a.m. and then go to the port at 8:00 a.m. and pick up the rest of my family.

I actually sort of wish I looked into this sooner. I think we would have just disembarked at Naples and done a few more days on the Amalfi coast before flying back home from Rome. Oh well

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Wow, they sure make it a PITA. You'd think they'd be happy to not have to feed us or clean our room for 2 rounds.

 

[lilpooh108]

Wow, they sure make it a PITA. You'd think they'd be happy to not have to feed us or clean our room for 2 rounds.

Yea, right?

 

[poohmomof5]

I'm surprised they make you take all your luggage, that totally stops me from even considering it...the luggage is the whole reason we love to cruise, we can go to lots of different places without constantly packing/unpacking.

 

[lilpooh108]

I'm surprised they make you take all your luggage, that totally stops me from even considering it...the luggage is the whole reason we love to cruise, we can go to lots of different places without constantly packing/unpacking.

Hmm...I didn't read it that way. They used the term "debarking" the ship. That is the term they use when you get off the ship on the final morning. So I read that to mean, if you take a one-way cruise and you de-bark at a port, you have to take your luggage off the ship when you de-bark (I hate that word, btw).

If I were doing it, I wouldn't take all my luggage anyway, especially if I'm coming back on the ship.

What's my room steward going to do? Pack it up for me if I leave the ship for 1 night? I'd love it actually.

 

[poohmomof5]

Hmm...I didn't read it that way. They used the term "debarking" the ship. That is the term they use when you get off the ship on the final morning. So I read that to mean, if you take a one-way cruise and you de-bark at a port, you have to take your luggage off the ship when you de-bark (I hate that word, btw).

If I were doing it, I wouldn't take all my luggage anyway, especially if I'm coming back on the ship.

What's my room steward going to do? Pack it up for me if I leave the ship for 1 night? I'd love it actually.

Hmmmmm, (insert insane giggle), sounds like a plan...

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Reading the above again... I am not sure they understood the question.

It does sound like they think you are leaving the ship for good. Not "rejoining" it at the next port.

I know that you can do this on other cruise lines, but DCL is really not use to things like that as they are not really big in the Europe market.

For example, I have read about how cruisers will get off in Florence and back on in Rome. Then they go on to wherever with the ship. THey aren't using it as a 'one way' cruise. The lines that do Europe a lot seem not to have an issue with this.

(And honestly it happens even if Disney doesn't like it... what are they going to do when person A's private car that they booked via "bubba's Tour of ruins" breaks down in the middle of Italy, hold an entire ship up for 12 hours our tell you "too bad, hope you can make the next port" Heck, the Rick Steves book has a section for each port "what to do if you miss the ship" LOL!)

 

[abayaflowers]

Interesting - thanks for posting about this - I know I've read some folks wre thinking about staying late in Florence, catching the train to Rome and then getting back onboard there - but it looks like that won't work since you can't do it in La Spezia.

We were thinking the same thing. Oh! Well, we will have to just be very conscious of the time in La Spezia.

 

[MinnieDiva]

Maybe it's because La Spezia is a tender port?

But Villefrance is tendered as well....????

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

But Villefrance is tendered as well....????

I expect it's actually due to the local regulations etc..

La Spezia is a 'secondary port' Most cruise ships stop at a port closer to Florence. Disney, being a small player in the Med business, appears to have been regulated to a 'secondary' port.

This is another reason I think they are assuming you aren't coming back to the ship at all. It's possible that this port being a secondary port doesn't have the customs/immigration set up that the other ports do.

Here's my thought. If you want do the stay overnight I would book a fully refundable hotel in Florence or Rome. Then once you get on the ship go talk to the "guest services" desk. Get their feedback. If they say no, then cancel your hotel and return to the ship. If they say yes, then head to Rome from Florence. Right now you are dealing with folks who are sending "canned" responses for questions that probably don't understand LOL!