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

[lilpooh108]

Actually you will discover the European airlines actually enforce their carry on rules. And that means a large number of Americans who 'thought' they had carry on actually don't. (Remember airlines measure wheels and handles, luggage companies don't )

Ditto this. And ladies, don't bring a purse and a rollaboard. That will count as 2 for Easyjet. For the budget airlines it's one or the other. I usually bring a nylon bag like a LeSportsac in my carryon, and then pull it out after we land in order to have a small crossbody.

 

[bigAWL]

We live in Europe, have flown hundreds of times all over and have never lost one piece of luggage. Do you know for a fact that 'we' lose more or are you just trying to worry people?

ANY airline can lose luggage, please don't try to worry people about European ones being worse than any in the US or Canada.

I'm not trying to worry anyone. And this wasn't a reply to me, so I can't say anything for the PP. But...

According to this about.com article from 2011: What You Should Know About Mishandled Checked Luggage on Airlines

For 12 months ending December 2008, the Air Travel Consumer Report ranked the following U.S. airlines as having the highest number of mishandled bags per 1,000 – enplaned passenger volume noted in parenthesis:

American Eagle Airlines: 9.89 (16,244,392)
Atlantic Southeast Airlines: 9.82 (12,344,839)
Comair: 8.32 (8,190,831)
Mesa Airlines: 7.89 (11,608,433)
Skywest Airlines: 7.61 (21,041,922)
Pinnacle Airlines: 7.55 (10,237,024)
Epressjet Airlines: 6.39 (14,018,563)
Delta Airlines: 5.98 (61,910,660)
American Airlines: 5.71 (74,446,833)
United Airlines: 5.24 (54,114,611)
US Airways: 4.77 (50,388,949)
Southwest Airlines: 4.55 (104,758,285)

The AEA Summer 2008 Consumer Report (December 2008) ranked the following European airlines as having the highest number of mishandled bags per 1,000 – enplaned passenger volume noted in parenthesis:

bmi: 24.5 (3,313,435)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: 20.1 (15,169,831)
TAP Portugal: 19.9 (5,958,008)
Alitalia: 19.6 (12,733,122)
British Airways: 18.9 (23,540,710)
Air France: 16.9 (34,704,243)
Air One: 14.1 (4,583,787)
Iberia: 14.0 (17,699,229)
Deutsche Lufthansa AG: 12.7 (36,008,113)
LOT Polish Airlines: 12.3 (2,614,948)
Luxair: 11.9 (402,854)
Austrian: 11.7 (7,115,508)

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

I'm not trying to worry anyone. And this wasn't a reply to me, so I can't say anything for the PP. But...

According to this about.com article from 2011: What You Should Know About Mishandled Checked Luggage on Airlines

Thanks Bigawl. Did not mend to offend anyone but I have never been to Europe and my travel agent warned me that European airlines and particularly mine, KLM was bad. Looks like she was right.

 

[nzdisneymom]

All the talk about airlines and luggage reminded me that I still needed to get TSA approved locks and while I was at it, I ordered some (lime green - the official color of DIS, of course) luggage tags.

We haven't used locks on our luggage since the rules all changed, but watching the Rick Steves "packing lady" webinar the other day, she had some good points about why you might want to lock your luggage, not just for the air travel portion, but for while you are staying at a hotel.

 

[woody73]

We haven't used locks on our luggage since the rules all changed, but watching the Rick Steves "packing lady" webinar the other day, she had some good points about why you might want to lock your luggage, not just for the air travel portion, but for while you are staying at a hotel.

I found it interesting when she said housekeeping might leave your room's door open while they get linens from down the hall, enabling hotel guests to steal from unlocked luggage.

Woody

 

[bats]

I will consider myself lucky then .. I have flown with 6 of the European ones and never had a problem. I wonder if the word 'mishandled' actually means 'lost' or a multitude of things.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I found it interesting when she said housekeeping might leave your room's door open while they get linens from down the hall, enabling hotel guests to steal from unlocked luggage.

Woody

And that is just as likely to happen in the US. I have seen doors open at Disney and lots of other places. Even if the housekeeper just is in the bathroom that us plenty of time for someone to grab that laptop on the table

 

[nzdisneymom]

In case you were wondering, there are two Disney Stores in Barcelona.

http://www.disneystore.co.uk/disney-store-locator/mn/1300001/

We stumbled across one in Covent Garden in London on the Sunday afternoon we had disembarked the ship. It was super crowded but we bought a Mickey Mouse with something England on it for a friend of the boys' birthday. We thought we would make the time to go by one of these.

 

[Celestine]

In my experience, you can request a VAT form and have everything filled out except the PP#. You can fill that in once back on board. Whether or not they are "supposed" to look at your PP, I don't know. Having shopped at several different stores in different countries, I've never had a problem getting a VAT form without a PP. They just leave that line blank.

Now watch, on my next trip someone will insist. You could also take a photo of it with your phone to avoid carrying a hard copy.

No real reason for them to ask as they don't take off the VAT when they sell & you are not obliged to claim on departure from the EU. Sadly as a Brit, no VAT refunds for me!

Celestine

 

[CBEB]

Whew! Just read all 28 pages of this thread!
We're on the Magic August 10 from Barcelona.

I've been sucking up all the info I can find about DIY. We are a family of four (mom, dad, 16DD and 13DD) traveling with my husband's parents and his brother. My inlaws have done the DCL Med cruise before.

We're planning a private tour in VilleFranche but DIY in all the Italian ports. I'm even rethinking the French port....

Had to laugh at the comments about teenaged daughters. I have one who would wear the same clothes the entire time, and one that shudders in horror if you mention wearing an outfit more than once. Seriously thinking about COO, too.

Hey, we're on that same cruise and also have a DD16! Come join our cruise meet thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2868430

 

[nzdisneymom]

Are you all bringing a converter for electricity for the pre-cruise stay in Barcelona? We were thinking of borrowing one from a friend so we can charge up ipods / ipad / kindle fires - but then I was reading that these may not need a converter but just an adapter because they are designed to charge off either 110v or 220v - but I'm so tech-challenged that I'm not sure from what I'm reading over on Apple and Amazon. Anyone know or can point me to a definitive answer?

 

[tajz90]

Are you all bringing a converter for electricity for the pre-cruise stay in Barcelona? We were thinking of borrowing one from a friend so we can charge up ipods / ipad / kindle fires - but then I was reading that these may not need a converter but just an adapter because they are designed to charge off either 110v or 220v - but I'm so tech-challenged that I'm not sure from what I'm reading over on Apple and Amazon. Anyone know or can point me to a definitive answer?

Apple products do not need power converter only plug adapter. No idea on kindle.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Apple products do not need power converter only plug adapter. No idea on kindle.

So what I currently do is put the apple cord that has the end that plugs into my device and has a USB on the other end that I put into a plug-thing that I then plug into the wall. So I just need an adapter to fit on that plug so it will fit into the wall in BCN?

When we were in London, the desk had plugs built into it that were US-shaped that we used so we didn't have to have an adapter but I worried about it (we only had an old iPod at the time). I wondered if the desk plugs had some sort of converter built into them at the time.

 

[tajz90]

So what I currently do is put the apple cord that has the end that plugs into my device and has a USB on the other end that I put into a plug-thing that I then plug into the wall. So I just need an adapter to fit on that plug so it will fit into the wall in BCN?

When we were in London, the desk had plugs built into it that were US-shaped that we used so we didn't have to have an adapter but I worried about it (we only had an old iPod at the time). I wondered if the desk plugs had some sort of converter built into them at the time.

Yes. Just plug your charging device into an adapter. It's easy, breezy. A plug adapter is all you need.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Yes. Just plug your charging device into an adapter. It's easy, breezy. A plug adapter is all you need.

thanks.
I was looking at our hotel information (Renaissance Barcelona) and it claims to have iPod docking stations in the rooms, so that might be sufficient then. However in looking I also saw where the hotel has a 20 Euro/night charge for WiFi! Yikes.

Further reading led me to Barcelona WiFi which is apparently a city-wide (or soon to be) wifi umbrella but will likely have a lot of limitation on what you can / can't do via the wifi, plus a 256Kbps connection speed. Guess I won't be reading DIS, but if it's enough to upload an email or two, I can update our blog which is mostly what I want the wifi for anyway.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Apple products do not need power converter only plug adapter. No idea on kindle.

Kindles are also dual voltage.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Kindles are also dual voltage.

Thanks so much.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Has anyone cruised DCL in the Med before? I'm wondering how much time we should allow for tendered ports?
The all ashore time for LaSpezia is 7:45am but we won't be on a DCL excursion. Maybe I should change our driver pick up time from 8:00 to 8:30
or even 9am?

It's a 9 hour tour and we'd like to be back in time for early dinner though we could make this our Palo night or eat in Topsiders.

 

[bats]

Has anyone cruised DCL in the Med before? I'm wondering how much time we should allow for tendered ports?
The all ashore time for LaSpezia is 7:45am but we won't be on a DCL excursion. Maybe I should change our driver pick up time from 8:00 to 8:30
or even 9am?

It's a 9 hour tour and we'd like to be back in time for early dinner though we could make this our Palo night or eat in Topsiders.

For any tendered port, the DCL guests are generally taken ashore first, so it's wise to allow at least 30 mins for them. If you wait by the exit, you can follow the last group out normally.

 

[DisneyNurse19]

I have only done Disney excursions, i would worry all day if i booked one myself and i didnt get back in time and watched the ship sailing away without me