7/13/13 ~~ Eastern Mediterranean Mouseketeers!

[calihannah]

Hey all! We are considering a tour of the Chianti region including wine tasting when we are in La Spezia. Before I check on availability, I was wondering if anyone (a couple) would be interested in teaming up with us that day. Here's the tour we are considering: http://www.shoretrips.com/excursion...-tasting-in-chianti-at-castello-di-verrazzano

 

[pennymike]

Hey Penny and Mike! I am pretty sure we were on same XMAS cruise 2010 as you ( I think we even traveled on the same bus to the port). Good to see you again! My DD survived deployment to Afghanistan and we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary (whoa, how did that happen?) while on the cruise this summer.

See you in 5 months

Hey! So cool to cross paths again! I absolutely remember you guys! Is this your 1st Med? Traveling with the little one again? (not nearly as little, I'm sure!). Looking forward to summer, FOR SURE!!!!

Penny

 

[tinkerbelltwins]

So my DH and I have been booked for this cruise for over a year, and I kept meaning to check to see if there was an active DIS thread for it....just now logging in! OH MY! Some of our recent cruises had next to no activity...nice to see a great group going here. Now I'll have to figure out how I am going to find time to catch up on 63 pages of chat!

So:
pennymike: Very cryptic, I know, Penny and Mike-ages early 40's, no kids; Michigan, USA; Second Seating, will have to read over the info RE the FE/SM/Candy exchanges...will let you know!

Looking forward to connecting with new travel friends!

Penny and Mike

Welcome Aboard - You have been added to the Roll Call! I hope you have a great cruise!

Beth

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

I am all registered for Rick Steves spring Travel Festival. Any other pacific northwesters(sig,lovestorun) going?

You are confirmed for the following on Saturday, April 6, 2013:

> Packing Light and Right - 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Edmonds Center for the Arts (5 people)
> Italy - 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Edmonds Center for the Arts (5 people)
> Greece - 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Edmonds Theater (5 people)
> Provence and the French Riviera - 2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Edmonds Theater (5 people)

 

[slg]

Where is it? Wish I could go but I have to work that night

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

Where is it? Wish I could go but I have to work that night

Edmonds, north of Seattle.

 

[kehonuamemano]

Hey! So cool to cross paths again! I absolutely remember you guys! Is this your 1st Med? Traveling with the little one again? (not nearly as little, I'm sure!). Looking forward to summer, FOR SURE!!!!

Penny

We went on the May Med back in 2010 but I am super excited to go to Greece! Malia will be 7 in August and she is excited. We went on the Fantasy last year and Malia was less than thrilled with the kids club she kept saying she wanted to go on the "old Mickey boat."

 

[pennymike]

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to share my tshirt that I ordered from Vista Print. Vista Print isn't the greatest of quality, not as good as Zazzle or Cafe Press but it does allow you to order shirts with Disney images, names without being denied due to copyright. So, for our Panama Cruise last year we all used Vista. They also have great discounts year round if you sign up for their emails. Anyways, here are pics of the front and back- I had a good friend/coworker modify the back scroll design a bit to stretch it out/make it more square than rectangular because since Vista isnt the greatest site for cropping/stretching it wouldnt allow me to make the original image bigger, but luckily my talented friend was able to modify it and you cant even tell she did so, it looks so great. I'm so excited to wear this on the cruise!

Front:

Back:

Close Up of the back so you can read it

LOVE this! Is it available to further orders on Vista like Zazzle allows? We had HUGE issues with "copyright" refusal on shirts last summer through Zazzle. We didn't even have photos, images or fonts involved at the end and STILL got denied for copyright. Still have no idea why. These shirts look awesome!
Penny

 

[pennymike]

I noticed that on a=Adventures by Disney they are going to Gozo when in Malta. Here is the itinerary they have listed:

"Valleta
Valletta, the capital city of the Republic of Malta, is a nation spread across a string of 7 islands located south of Sicily in the Mediterranean. It dates back 7,000 years to the dawn of civilization. Today, visitors can enjoy modern luxuries while traveling back into the past on a tour of the temples that predate even the pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge of England!

Ferry to Gozo for Salt Pans Tour
The production and harvesting of sea salt has long been a tradition of Malta, and the salt pans of Gozo are still in use today. Board a ferry for the island of Gozo where you'll traverse the salt pans along a dramatic coastline by 4x4 vehicle.

Cliffside Lunch Overlooking the Mediterranean
Enjoy a delectable lunch with a dramatic view at a restaurant situated on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean sea."

I was thinking that Gozo was too far to go for a one day visit. hmmm. I have to tell you that that Jeep Safari's in Gozo looks interesting.

I came across another interesting site for what to do if you only have one day in Valetta. http://www.maltabulb.com/time_in_malta.html

~Heather~

I know I am very late joining this conversation....I'm trying to get caught up on 63 pages of conversations!

Anyway.....when we did the Med in July or Aug '10 (you'd think I'd remember...) we did the excursion to the Island of Gozo. It was VERY cool....the jeeps that toured us around were CRAZY fast drive:) but fun. We did not eat at a restaurant, but had a "traditional pizza lunch"...which was just handed out piece by piece from a cooler (keeping it hot, of course) while standing on the beach sidewalks. Not fancy, by any means, but delish. It was a VERY full day, and loved the excursion.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

LOVE this! Is it available to further orders on Vista like Zazzle allows? We had HUGE issues with "copyright" refusal on shirts last summer through Zazzle. We didn't even have photos, images or fonts involved at the end and STILL got denied for copyright. Still have no idea why. These shirts look awesome!
Penny

Penny,
I can't figure out how to share this on Vista Print. However, if you PM me your email address, I'd be happy to email you the front and back logos that I used to create my shirt on Vista Print. The front is the same one that is already posted on the 1st page of our thread; the back is almost the same, my friend just cut some parts out and added the dates, to make it more "square" and larger for Vista's specifications.

If anyone else also wants these, please PM me your email and I will send to you.

 

[pennymike]

This is true. They push back 1 st seating during the longer port days. In the past, Med 07 and Baltic, we would board, wash our hands and go straight to dinner. It was easy.

We call this a "trip", NOT a "vacation"......The days at sea help, but this is not so much a relaxation opportunity, more of an opportunity to see amazing things. As long as you go into it with that understanding, it's all good!

Penny

 

[FloridaMom3461]

We went on the May Med back in 2010 but I am super excited to go to Greece! Malia will be 7 in August and she is excited. We went on the Fantasy last year and Malia was less than thrilled with the kids club she kept saying she wanted to go on the "old Mickey boat."

Our 8 YO DD said the same thing after being on the Fantasy last summer - only the Magic will do from now on for all of us! We are so looking forward to Magic in the Med again! We also did the 7 night med in 2010.

 

[kehonuamemano]

Our 8 YO DD said the same thing after being on the Fantasy last summer - only the Magic will do from now on for all of us! We are so looking forward to Magic in the Med again! We also did the 7 night med in 2010.

At least they know what they want

 

[LovesToRun]

I am all registered for Rick Steves spring Travel Festival. Any other pacific northwesters(sig,lovestorun) going?

You are confirmed for the following on Saturday, April 6, 2013:

> Packing Light and Right - 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Edmonds Center for the Arts (5 people)
> Italy - 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Edmonds Center for the Arts (5 people)
> Greece - 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Edmonds Theater (5 people)
> Provence and the French Riviera - 2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Edmonds Theater (5 people)

I would love to go to this, but we'll be out of town.... IRONICALLY, we'll be on the Disney Fantasy on April 6. We're doing a 7-day Eastern Caribbean (with Puerto Rico) for spring break. So, I guess Disney won over Rick Steve's here.

But, I know where his store is, so I'll probably pop in there at some point before we leave to get some tips, and talk to people, etc. They know so much!!

Well, we are PAID IN FULL as of yesterday! Woo Hoo! So, we are REALLY official now. (But, we were official back when we booked our airline tickets), but there is something about paying your cruise price in full that makes it seem even MORE real! I'm so excited!

Hey, I have a question for anyone who has traveled to London, England with kids. We are flying to London after the cruise to show our kids London and other parts of England. We are actually very familiar with London (We've been there 6 or 7 times, BUT we've never been there with our kids). We have good friends who live there, and we've been planning to stay at their house for the time we're in London (we're going to see more of the UK, so won't ONLY be in London). Well, they just told us that his job has transferred him, and they will be moving, so they are selling their house! SO, that means we now have to find a place to stay that works for a family of 4.

Now that we're not staying at our friend's house and we can pick any areas in the city to stay in, we want to stay somewhere near Hyde Park/Paddington Station... OR in Knightsbridge. Does anyone have any hotel or full-serviced apartment recommendations in those areas that isn't crazy expensive that fits 2 adults 2 children comfortably? I'm just researching now, so I know we'll find something, but just wondering if anyone here has any personal recommendations.

We'll figure it out, and I use trip advisor, too. But, if anyone has stayed at a family friendly hotel/full-service apartment in those areas and loved it, let me know the name, and I'll look into it. When DH goes to London for work, he stays at the Hilton at Paddington Station (work pays for it, which is nice), and he likes that hotel a lot, but that hotel is $600/night for a room that fits a family of 4. YIKES! So, looking for something cheaper.

Getting SO excited!!

 

[calihannah]

Does anyone have any hotel or full-serviced apartment recommendations in those areas that isn't crazy expensive that fits 2 adults 2 children comfortably? I'm just researching now, so I know we'll find something, but just wondering if anyone here has any personal recommendations.

We are staying in London for a week before making our way to Barcelona for the cruise. We used a wonderful travel agent to help us find a place in London (2 adults, 2 kids), and I'd highly recommend her. We've used her, oh, about 10 times before to travel all over the world PM me if you'd like her info.

 

[kehonuamemano]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3076328

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Well, we are PAID IN FULL as of yesterday! Woo Hoo! So, we are REALLY official now. (But, we were official back when we booked our airline tickets), but there is something about paying your cruise price in full that makes it seem even MORE real! I'm so excited!

We are PAID IN FULL as of yesterday also! I agree, when we bought our airfare last september at $1366/pp, we were official- I could never justify bailing after investing that much in nonrefundable tickets, so I told myself then, I was making this trip happen one way or the other! But, it does feel all the more real and calming knowing that final payment is made and most of my planning is done, so I can finally relax and savor the fact that we are only 4 months away!!

 

[slg]

Try the Parkwood Hotel:http://www.parkwoodhotel.com/

We stayed here with our family in 2010 and loved it! Close to everything and very reasonably priced. Right by Hyde Park too.

Highly recommended on tripadvisor as well.

PM if you have any questions.

 

[LovesToRun]

We are staying in London for a week before making our way to Barcelona for the cruise. We used a wonderful travel agent to help us find a place in London (2 adults, 2 kids), and I'd highly recommend her. We've used her, oh, about 10 times before to travel all over the world PM me if you'd like her info.

Try the Parkwood Hotel:http://www.parkwoodhotel.com/

We stayed here with our family in 2010 and loved it! Close to everything and very reasonably priced. Right by Hyde Park too.

Highly recommended on tripadvisor as well.

PM if you have any questions.

Thank you to both of you (calihannah & slg) for your recommendations. As it turns out, I was talking to a friend who recommended a full-service apartment hotel that is just 5 minutes from Hyde Park. I looked into it, and it's perfect for us! (it has studio, 1-bedroom & 2 bedroom apartments with full kitchens. So, I booked that for us (got a super great deal on Expedia). It's called, "Grand Plaza Serviced Apartments" (in case anyone is going to London and needs accommodations for a family). My DH will be in London in May for work, so he's going to actually stop by to see them in person to make sure they are what my friend described and what the website says.

SO, we are now fully set for our trip. Now, we have to start thinking about what we'll do at each port on the cruise!! So excited about all the ports!!

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

Paid in full.