First Med Cruise - Our excellent adventure!

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by cali cruiser

Because your trip report and vacation was so awesome, I see that you are getting lots of response and many questions. I again have another camera question...this time regarding Barcelona.
I just finished reading about what to carry and not carry in Barcelona due to the significant amount of thefts in the area. I know alot of people are buying the Pacsafe bags, etc. I was wondering if you carried a large camera bag during your stay in Barcelona and if so, had any problems. I read somewhere that carrying a camera bag was discouraged. However, my large cannon camera cannot just be placed in a small purse. It needs to be in a camera bag. Any thoughts???
We are also trying to do our own excursions like you all did. The only place that concerns me is Naples. If you could do it over, would you recommend doing a DCL half day tour of Pompei or do you think it was fine walking to the train station and doing it on your own. (we will have our 8 y/o and 12 y/o w/ us and my 62 y/o mom). Also, did you feel safe on the train in Naples with your purse and camera bag, etc.? Thanks again for answering my questions. I hope our trip goes as well as yours did!
Michelle

I was very worried about theft. I left my camera bag and extra lenses in the hotel room. All I carried was my camera around my neck. It's a little heavy but I'm used to it. I kept the strap aound my neck and held it in my hand in big crowds. I felt very safe that way.

If we were going to be gone all day, we also carried a small backpack with water and maybe ponchos. Nothing I would worry about being stolen.

The walk to the naples train station was a little long. I would probably recommend taking the bus to the train station. It's cheap as I remember! Everything else in Naples was easy and very doable on your own.

[bbn1122]

What a fantastic TR!!! I am contemplating med cruise in 2012. Family of 5 Dh, me and 3 sons. Your photos make we want to book, as soon as the dates are released. WOW....again what a great report.

You make me feel more comfortable about booking my own excursions. With 5 of us, DCL excursions will probably bankrupt us. I have only been abroad once and that was Italy. My DS and hubby lived there, it was over 25 years ago. It was fantastic because, they knew their way around, no tour guides. Just my brother in law driving around the streets of Rome.....!!!! I have always wanted to go back. I think DCL is the way to do it!

Thanks for sharing....very generous.

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by bbn1122

What a fantastic TR!!! I am contemplating med cruise in 2012. Family of 5 Dh, me and 3 sons. Your photos make we want to book, as soon as the dates are released. WOW....again what a great report.

You make me feel more comfortable about booking my own excursions. With 5 of us, DCL excursions will probably bankrupt us. I have only been abroad once and that was Italy. My DS and hubby lived there, it was over 25 years ago. It was fantastic because, they knew their way around, no tour guides. Just my brother in law driving around the streets of Rome.....!!!! I have always wanted to go back. I think DCL is the way to do it!

Thanks for sharing....very generous.

Thank you, bbn! That's very nice of you to say. The cost was absolutely the main reason we did everything on our own. This cruise was so last minute I just didn't have time to budget for DCL excursions. I'm sure we would have enjoyed organized excursions, but being able to roam and go at our own pace was awesome.

[Angie_Ohio]

Your report was wonderful!
I keep coming back to certain parts to reread. I am hoping that my DS16 and my parents can do Rome as you did. DS is crazy about Roman history and would love to see the city in a less formal way than an excursion. Do you have any tips, pointers, make sures or don't forget toos for me - so we can experience Rome in a similar way as your family?
Thanks
BTW Your daughter is a cutey!

[jedipup]

Great job on your posts! I will be taking the trip 6/8/11 and it will be my 5th trip to the med. (But my first Disney Cruse). I do have a suggestion for those planning on going ashore in Rome. Go to the Colosseum first (as early as possible), and wait on the Vatican until after 1:30pm (the lines are much shorter). Also, for the Vatican, go to the museum first, through the Sistine Chapel, and exit the "path" (the maps show paths to follow) for a direct path to St. Peters. You will wait in only one line, and the line will be a lot shorter that in the morning hours.

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by Angie_Ohio

Your report was wonderful!
I keep coming back to certain parts to reread. I am hoping that my DS16 and my parents can do Rome as you did. DS is crazy about Roman history and would love to see the city in a less formal way than an excursion. Do you have any tips, pointers, make sures or don't forget toos for me - so we can experience Rome in a similar way as your family?
Thanks
BTW Your daughter is a cutey!

Thank you, Angie! Jedipup gave great advice below. We did the opposite, vatican first because we read that all the sights we wanted to see would be a downhill walk from there to the coliseum. We took the bus part of the way and got off at the Trevi Fountain. The rest of the walk was slightly downhill. There was not much of a line at all for the coliseum in the afternoon. There was a line at the Vatican though. We stood in two lines so I'd go with jedipup's advice on that.

I definitely recommend the Birg ticket for flexibility. Make sure you validate it whenever you use it.

I'd also recommend getting a good map and planning your route for must sees. We finished our must sees early enough that we got to wander a little and hit a few more places.

Have a wonderful trip!

Originally Posted by jedipup

Great job on your posts! I will be taking the trip 6/8/11 and it will be my 5th trip to the med. (But my first Disney Cruse). I do have a suggestion for those planning on going ashore in Rome. Go to the Colosseum first (as early as possible), and wait on the Vatican until after 1:30pm (the lines are much shorter). Also, for the Vatican, go to the museum first, through the Sistine Chapel, and exit the "path" (the maps show paths to follow) for a direct path to St. Peters. You will wait in only one line, and the line will be a lot shorter that in the morning hours.

[Angie_Ohio]

Thank you DisneyFalcon. My DS received a detailed map for Christmas as a way to let him know we were going on this cruise. I've been reading on trip advisor as well. Can you tell me if you prepurchased your coliseum/vatican museum tickets online? What about the leaning tower in Piza?
I would also like to get an idea of the fare for the train/bus ride.

I think I may be a trip planning junkie!

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by Angie_Ohio

Thank you DisneyFalcon. My DS received a detailed map for Christmas as a way to let him know we were going on this cruise. I've been reading on trip advisor as well. Can you tell me if you prepurchased your coliseum/vatican museum tickets online? What about the leaning tower in Piza?
I would also like to get an idea of the fare for the train/bus ride.

I think I may be a trip planning junkie!

Trip planning junkies unite!!

We did prepurchase our coliseum and vatican tickets. That worked out well for us. We didn't go in the tower, so we didn't purchase those. We just walked around the outside and took pictures.

Did you mean the bus ride to Pisa? I don't remember what it was exactly, but it wasn't too bad. The bus station attendants all spoke some level of English making it an easier process.

[penguinmomma]

Just another huge THANK YOU! For the work you did in posting everything and coming back to answer so many questions. I've got tons of notes from your post. We leave the US on 9/7 for our trip and are staying 2 extra days in Barcelona at the end. I can't wait to be back in Spain... I lived there for a summer as a college student!

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by penguinmomma

Just another huge THANK YOU! For the work you did in posting everything and coming back to answer so many questions. I've got tons of notes from your post. We leave the US on 9/7 for our trip and are staying 2 extra days in Barcelona at the end. I can't wait to be back in Spain... I lived there for a summer as a college student!

Thank you for reading penguinmomma! That would really be neat to be back in Barcelona again! I feel like we need to do this cruise again because we learned so much at each place! If we did it again we would be so efficient! Have a wonderful trip!

[janiebubble]

Just adding my thanks ... we've just booked for a 7 night Med cruise next summer, but reading your trip report made me feel totally capable of sorting out our own days in port, and your photos made me want to go!!

Now I just have to wait 11 months - I've never booked anything so far in advance before!!

[Disneyfalcon]

I'm so glad I could help! I was deperately searching for trip reports before our cruise but they were hard to find. Plus there were some new stops this summer. 11 months will go by in no time! Have a wonderful trip!

[Scrappy_Tink]

Wonderfull TR, and the Pictures to die for!!!

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs!

I've got to talk DH into a Med Cruise....maybe our Cruise next May will convince him, then we can take your suggestion and book onboard!

[MinnieDiva]

Originally Posted by Scrappy_Tink

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs!

We were CO Springs DIS'ers until 2 years ago.....plenty of lurkers, I bet!

[Disneyfalcon]

Originally Posted by Scrappy_Tink

Wonderfull TR, and the Pictures to die for!!!

Shout out from a fellow Colorado Springer!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DISer in the Springs!

I've got to talk DH into a Med Cruise....maybe our Cruise next May will convince him, then we can take your suggestion and book onboard!

Hello neighbor! There seem to be a lot of Denver, Dis'ers! I'm glad to see one in the Springs!

Thanks for reading! Book onboard! It's worth it!! Show DH the pictures! Maybe I can help convince him!

Originally Posted by MinnieDiva

We were CO Springs DIS'ers until 2 years ago.....plenty of lurkers, I bet!

You are probably right, Minnie!