Back to the Med in 2013! Ship sails today 6/15/13!!!

[MinnieDiva]

So, I just realized that I need to figure out how to resize these pics. I guess there's only so much space allowed per post before you're cut off! Oops. In the meantime, gotta go pick up DD from school....

[mindelmouse]

Originally Posted by MinnieDiva

I had so many things I wanted to get done today, but I made the mistake of posting the picture of the wine, yogurt, and Muesli, and ended up going thru photos from 2010. I ended up loading them to Photobucket, so if you are so inclined to look thru a thousand pics from a random stranger, here's the link:

http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff449/skamerrill/

Otherwise, perhaps I should back up a bit and introduce myself and my traveling party?

As I said, I'm MinnieDiva (Kim) and I have a Disney problem.



I work (sort of) so we can travel. If I worked more, perhaps I wouldn't be sitting here typing this? Hmmm, but I digress. I'm married to DH (Sean):



And we have one daughter (Ashleigh):



My dad (Jerry):

Dad retired last year, and I've been trying to get him to travel with us for a while. He lives in CA, so we see him 3-4 times a year and FaceTime quite a bit.

We currently live in the Pacific NW, closer to Canada than Seattle. We've been here for 4 years after the previous 8 years in Colorado. I'm originally from the Bay Area, so the West Coast is home for me. I'm really happy to be back near the ocean again.

Our 1st Disney cruise, as I said yesterday, was the Med in 2010. I booked the 10-night cruise and told Sean after that we were going. We'd planned on going in 2009, but the move here set that back a year. And, after DCL announced they were going back there, it was a done deal, right?

Have we not qualified as being in your traveling party?

[MinnieDiva]

Originally Posted by mindelmouse

Have we not qualified as being in your traveling party?

LOL! I said I got cut off! Do I have permission to use your images??

[mindelmouse]

Originally Posted by MinnieDiva

LOL! I said I got cut off! Do I have permission to use your images??

Since when do you need my permission??Type away my friend...image us all you want...and by the way I don't think any of the pictures you put up are actually from the last med cruise...I was with you and probably took some of them, but not on that cruise!!!

[jedijill]

Originally Posted by MinnieDiva

Didn't the last minute airfare kill you? That's what I would be worried about if we were to try and wait until the last minute...

Oh, and we lived in CO Springs for 8 years prior to moving to WA. Did you know....snow can actually fall vertically, not horizontally??

My cruise was $1300 and the airfare was $1200. I figured it worked out in the end.

And yes...well aware of the snow! We are actually hunkering down for a blizzard to hit here shortly...predicting up to 2 feet of snow and 20-30 mph winds tonight and tomorrow! Wish I was in the Med right now!

Jill in CO

[MinnieDiva]

Originally Posted by mindelmouse

Since when do you need my permission??Type away my friend...image us all you want...and by the way I don't think any of the pictures you put up are actually from the last med cruise...I was with you and probably took some of them, but not on that cruise!!!

I have 1 or 2 from the Med, plenty from last summer and this fall, and access to Facebook...

Originally Posted by jedijill

My cruise was $1300 and the airfare was $1200. I figured it worked out in the end.

And yes...well aware of the snow! We are actually hunkering down for a blizzard to hit here shortly...predicting up to 2 feet of snow and 20-30 mph winds tonight and tomorrow! Wish I was in the Med right now!

Jill in CO

Ug. Have fun with that.

[OurDogCisco]

I'm in!!! We are on the same cruise. I've been researching today with airline points and trying to figure out where to stay pre-cruise. I think, we are leaning towards Paris. But I'd love to hear about Barcelona. I can't figure out if my kids would love it there are not. Where I know Paris they would be happy with the museums, DLP, etc...

[jel0511]

I feel the need to defend myself here. We are the friends who've been "abandoned" by mindlemouse and minniediva. I didnt force anyone to go to Alaska with us, though coercion was used on Susan. The two of you joined us on your own accord. Have fun you guys, we'll miss you!!!!!

[MinnieDiva]

Originally Posted by OurDogCisco

I'm in!!! We are on the same cruise. I've been researching today with airline points and trying to figure out where to stay pre-cruise. I think, we are leaning towards Paris. But I'd love to hear about Barcelona. I can't figure out if my kids would love it there are not. Where I know Paris they would be happy with the museums, DLP, etc...

Oh, I'll start chatting about Barcelona here soon! I didn't go to Paris...but Jel0511 did ...

Originally Posted by jel0511

I feel the need to defend myself here. We are the friends who've been "abandoned" by mindlemouse and minniediva. I didnt force anyone to go to Alaska with us, though coercion was used on Susan. The two of you joined us on your own accord. Have fun you guys, we'll miss you!!!!!

Oh...and here she is!! Abandoned? I think not! And there was a LOT of guilt about Alaska....

And for all of you out there reading this, me, Mindelmouse, Jel0511, and Cliffside (susan) were all strangers before these disboards became our common ground. But more on that as the story progresses...now, to go make dinner!

[jedijill]

I really enjoyed Barcelona. I stayed at the Novotel (it had just opened and one of the few that have family rooms) and spent the day before the cruise touring the city. I wish I would have stayed another day...it is a beautiful city and very unique due to the Gaudi architecture.

Paris is wonderful too. I'm lucky and got to visit several times when I was stationed in Germany...only a 5 hour drive! I visited for a week back in 2007 and combined a couple of days at DLP and the rest of the week in Paris. I stayed on the Left Bank and it was really easy to get around to see the sights. There is a train between DLP and the City and its super easy to use. If you go to Paris, get the Museum Pass. It saves tons of time by eliminating the need to stand in line. I think it works out to being cheaper too.

The Rick Steves guidebooks are excellent and I really enjoyed his walking tours of both Barcelona and Paris. He also has some great walking tours of the museums in Paris.

HTH

Jill in CO

[jel0511]

Originally Posted by MinnieDiva

Oh, I'll start chatting about Barcelona here soon! I didn't go to Paris...but Jel0511 did ...



Oh...and here she is!! Abandoned? I think not! And there was a LOT of guilt about Alaska....

And for all of you out there reading this, me, Mindelmouse, Jel0511, and Cliffside (susan) were all strangers before these disboards became our common ground. But more on that as the story progresses...now, to go make dinner!

Yes ABANDONED!!!! And I never gave anyone guilt I just said it would be nice to all cruise together again, well maybe I guilted Susan.......


Yes we did 3 days pre-cruise in Paris in 2010. Unforunately for us the weather sucked! We were lucky that we bought our tickets as one so we had our 2 bags per person on our inter-European flight. Luggage allowances inter-europe stink at best. If anybody has anti questions please ask.

I'll be waving when you all disembark. Don't destroy the ship please!!!!!

[jel0511]

Forgot to add there better not be any green food or fungus with dinner!!!

[MinnieDiva]

To continue with our traveling Mindelmouse (Mindy) and DS (Sam, 12 on cruise)


DD (Haylee 12 on cruise):


Bigbootee (Jim):


and the whole family at the Mendenhall Glacier last summer. Really...it was August! Can't you tell?

[MinnieDiva]

I'm going to let Mindelmouse pipe in about her family .

So, this is what a Disboards group looks like when total strangers decide to share a private tour of Rome:



It worked out fairly well, but we learned that in Italy, there is a difference between a tour-guide, and a hired driver. I'll get to that later unless someone has a burning need to know about it now. Feel free to ask questions....

[LadyOfNawlins]

Did any of you do a trip report for your last Med cruise? I would love to hear how the private tour went.