9/16/2017 Magic Transatlantic from Barcelona

[Gilland18]

We sailed the 2012 EBPC in an oceanview on deck 2 and loved it. We are booked there for this cruise, too!

 

[Tuasdad]

Hello everyone,

We are booking this cruise today/tomorrow. DH, DW and DD (8) from Las Vegas. This will be our second disney cruise, third cruise overall and first transatlantic. Trying to get biggest bang for our buck and this cruise was definitely it.

 

[gismo1554]

Welcome to those who have just joined us. Room wise I think at Paid in Full (May time) more rooms will open up and in fact possibly when new itineraries come out. Some people may have moved to this one but changed their minds so may cancel if they see something they prefer. Not helpful now I know but thought it worth mentioning.

Also I always travel inside and absolutely love it as hate to be able to see the water - weird I know as why cruise if you don't like the water but I am weird. I'm fine looking at it from Deck 9 and some days Deck 10 but from a balcony I feel ill.

 

[Chirple]

Welcome, fellow WBTA travelers!

I have done DCL cruises with a verandah (the majority), an oceanview (higher deck), and an inside. We did standard inside on Deck 7 for our 2014 Med cruise as I anticipated not being in the room that often and it was what we could afford for that itinerary. We didn't even have an issue with the single-room bathroom, but there are only two of us. We do have a verandah booked for this cruise because I love to sit out and watch the endless sea.

 

[RedSox68]

Hello everyone,

We are booking this cruise today/tomorrow. DH, DW and DD (8) from Las Vegas. This will be our second disney cruise, third cruise overall and first transatlantic. Trying to get biggest bang for our buck and this cruise was definitely it.

Transatlantics are wonderful. And next year's schedule is awesome because Disney broke up the sea days with ports which will make it more fun. Let me know your stateroom category or room number.

 

[RedSox68]

Welcome, fellow WBTA travelers!

I have done DCL cruises with a verandah (the majority), an oceanview (higher deck), and an inside. We did standard inside on Deck 7 for our 2014 Med cruise as I anticipated not being in the room that often and it was what we could afford for that itinerary. We didn't even have an issue with the single-room bathroom, but there are only two of us. We do have a verandah booked for this cruise because I love to sit out and watch the endless sea.

Having a verandah is our one luxury. We can't afford concierge or larger staterooms, but we love our verandah. We had one in Alaska and it was the best decision ever. We've had mostly verandah rooms -- including on our last WBTA in 2007. It's so nice to be able to run out there to get pictures of us pulling in without having to run upstairs. We practically live on it when not out and about. We've had oceanview three times but never an inside. Gismo1554 said she can't stand to see the water from her room, for me it's the opposite -- I have to have natural light or I get claustrophobic. I'm like a moth to a flame with the ocean -- I could stare at it for hours. But if you don't plan on being in your room much and you love being by the pool and up on deck, then a verandah may be a luxury you don't need.

 

[RedSox68]

Has anyone booked hotels yet? I have been trying to book the one I want for weeks but they have not opened up those dates yet!

 

[Chirple]

Has anyone booked hotels yet? I have been trying to book the one I want for weeks but they have not opened up those dates yet!

Hotel Jazz is booked right now for Thursday and Friday nights. If we use Norwegian Air, we will have to also add Wednesday night since the flight leaves Tuesday from EWR.

 

[gismo1554]

Gismo1554 said she can't stand to see the water from her room, for me it's the opposite -- I have to have natural light or I get claustrophobic. I'm like a moth to a flame with the ocean -- I could stare at it for hours. But if you don't plan on being in your room much and you love being by the pool and up on deck, then a verandah may be a luxury you don't need.

I'm just weird though lol! Even my family can't understand why the verandah is such an issue for me but there's something about being so close to the water it freaks me out I think. I also spend very little time in my room anyway but even when I've had one I went out there once and decided it wasn't a good thing. I think the height also freaks me out as I have a balcony in my flat and don't go out there either.

Has anyone booked hotels yet? I have been trying to book the one I want for weeks but they have not opened up those dates yet!

And yes! managed to book Barcelona airport hotel a few weeks back and this week booked the Casablanca hotel in New York (my bit of luxury as it wasn't the cheapest)

 

[RedSox68]

Hotel Jazz is booked right now for Thursday and Friday nights. If we use Norwegian Air, we will have to also add Wednesday night since the flight leaves Tuesday from EWR.

Yes, I did discover that when I booked them --they are not available every day, so it limits your choices. But it worked out for us.

I'm just weird though lol! Even my family can't understand why the verandah is such an issue for me but there's something about being so close to the water it freaks me out I think. I also spend very little time in my room anyway but even when I've had one I went out there once and decided it wasn't a good thing. I think the height also freaks me out as I have a balcony in my flat and don't go out there either.

And yes! managed to book Barcelona airport hotel a few weeks back and this week booked the Casablanca hotel in New York (my bit of luxury as it wasn't the cheapest)

Not weird at all -- we all have our phobias, it's what makes us interesting. I had a co-worker who would not take a cruise because she had a fear of not being able to see land at all times. So for her, it never would have worked! One of my former bosses hated cruises because he is a runner and felt confined and trapped -- but did the cruise for his wife. I guess having a running track that has views of the ocean wasn't enough LOL

 

[Aanna]

Inside vs. verandah is a no-brainer for a claustrophobe like me, though I've sometimes wondered if I could convince myself that an inside room was "cozy" rather than stifling. Ah, the mind games I play with myself to survive tight quarters! For instance, I need to prep myself to for the limited field of vision from most airplane seats by telling myself I'm hiding. Yes, I'm weird.

On that note, though, I've secured our plane tickets: Newark to Vienna (with 9 hours to sight-see) and then continuing to Barcelona. I'm looking at some hotels in the Gothic Quarter, and waiting for points to become available so I can book them. It's such a pain trying to find a room that fits 4 people and a worse pain thinking of booking 2 separate rooms for us!!

 

[DisneySince1967]

We're in! My DH (54) and I (53), from Northern California, have a GTY Inside Cabin on Deck 6 or 7. We enjoy the Ocean View rooms, but I am a super light sleeper and need a quieter deck than 1 or 2 -- where the remaining Ocean View rooms are. We were originally booked on the 2017 WBPC cruise, but a work conflict required a change. We're thrilled! We've neither been on this cruise, nor have we visited the TA's ports of call, and will be adding a couple of days on each end of the cruise. Both DH and I work FT and are really looking forward to the down time.

I noticed the most recent conversation is about hotel reservations. To date, we're deciding against booking through DCL. We have enough hotel rewards points to book free rooms, but that leaves me to figure out transfers. If it gets too complicated I may just throw up my hands and rely on DCL.

Have any exchanges been organized?

 

[RedSox68]

We're in! My DH (54) and I (53), from Northern California, have a GTY Inside Cabin on Deck 6 or 7. We enjoy the Ocean View rooms, but I am a super light sleeper and need a quieter deck than 1 or 2 -- where the remaining Ocean View rooms are. We were originally booked on the 2017 WBPC cruise, but a work conflict required a change. We're thrilled! We've neither been on this cruise, nor have we visited the TA's ports of call, and will be adding a couple of days on each end of the cruise. Both DH and I work FT and are really looking forward to the down time.

I noticed the most recent conversation is about hotel reservations. To date, we're deciding against booking through DCL. We have enough hotel rewards points to book free rooms, but that leaves me to figure out transfers. If it gets too complicated I may just throw up my hands and rely on DCL.

Have any exchanges been organized?

Don't book Disney -- their prices are ridiculous. The first page has taxi info and a wonderful excursion company in Barcelona that also does taxi service. Their prices are very reasonable.

Read up on the first page, it mentions FE, etc.

28 signed up so far! Keep 'em coming.

 

[Chirple]

We're in! My DH (54) and I (53), from Northern California, have a GTY Inside Cabin on Deck 6 or 7. We enjoy the Ocean View rooms, but I am a super light sleeper and need a quieter deck than 1 or 2 -- where the remaining Ocean View rooms are. We were originally booked on the 2017 WBPC cruise, but a work conflict required a change. We're thrilled! We've neither been on this cruise, nor have we visited the TA's ports of call, and will be adding a couple of days on each end of the cruise. Both DH and I work FT and are really looking forward to the down time.

I noticed the most recent conversation is about hotel reservations. To date, we're deciding against booking through DCL. We have enough hotel rewards points to book free rooms, but that leaves me to figure out transfers. If it gets too complicated I may just throw up my hands and rely on DCL.

Have any exchanges been organized?

Don't book through DCL if you can help it. We did it for the Med cruise and saw nothing of Barcelona except from the bus ride from the hotel to the port.

 

[Aanna]

Don't book through DCL if you can help it. We did it for the Med cruise and saw nothing of Barcelona except from the bus ride from the hotel to the port.

I wonder why Disney does that? The hotel prices are at least double what I'm seeing right in the center of Barcelona, too.

 

[Chirple]

There's more to my statement.

The hotel that DCL used was away from everything. We arrived early and left our bags with luggage service. We went out to eat lunch nearby the hotel because we didn't want to be too far if we could get access to our room. We were told that our room would be ready by 3 pm. At 3:30 pm we checked with them again, and they said our room would be ready in 20 minutes. At 4:30 pm we finally got into our room. We were the last people in the lobby. Then we asked to have our luggage brought up. Forty-five minutes later we still didn't have our bags. My husband went down to the lobby and saw our bags sitting on a luggage cart. He asked if he could bring them up himself, and they said yes. We were then able to relax a bit and then grab dinner and take a much needed shower. Food locations in the area were scarce.

For the amount DCL charged, the service at the hotel was terrible. I let them know about it when we returned home.

 

[Aanna]

There's more to my statement.

The hotel that DCL used was away from everything. We arrived early and left our bags with luggage service. We went out to eat lunch nearby the hotel because we didn't want to be too far if we could get access to our room. We were told that our room would be ready by 3 pm. At 3:30 pm we checked with them again, and they said our room would be ready in 20 minutes. At 4:30 pm we finally got into our room. We were the last people in the lobby. Then we asked to have our luggage brought up. Forty-five minutes later we still didn't have our bags. My husband went down to the lobby and saw our bags sitting on a luggage cart. He asked if he could bring them up himself, and they said yes. We were then able to relax a bit and then grab dinner and take a much needed shower. Food locations in the area were scarce.

For the amount DCL charged, the service at the hotel was terrible. I let them know about it when we returned home.

Wow. That's... bad.

 

[The Cruising Canadians]

Hi everyone,
We are all booked for this cruise except for airfare. There are three of us, DH, DD, and me! We are on deck 8. I had trouble finding a hotel in Barcelona because so many of them were booked up for that week. We are booked at the Vueling BCN by HC in the Eixample area. It is fairly close to the Metro and within walking distance of some attractions. I don't know anything about Barcelona but the area seemed fairly central according to the map. We are hoping to arrive on the 12th to give us time to explore. In New York, we are staying at the Homewood Suites a ways from Times Square but fairly reasonably priced for New York! DH and I have been to New York before but this is DD's first trip.
This will be our 7th cruise and our 2nd Disney cruise. We did the Panama Canal westbound this past May and loved it! We are looking forward to all the ports of call and really like how Disney has broken up the sea days on this itinerary. Love the idea of an extra hour on 6 of the 11 days. We should be well rested for walking when we reach New York.

 

[RedSox68]

Hi everyone,
We are all booked for this cruise except for airfare. There are three of us, DH, DD, and me! We are on deck 8. I had trouble finding a hotel in Barcelona because so many of them were booked up for that week. We are booked at the Vueling BCN by HC in the Eixample area. It is fairly close to the Metro and within walking distance of some attractions. I don't know anything about Barcelona but the area seemed fairly central according to the map. We are hoping to arrive on the 12th to give us time to explore. In New York, we are staying at the Homewood Suites a ways from Times Square but fairly reasonably priced for New York! DH and I have been to New York before but this is DD's first trip.
This will be our 7th cruise and our 2nd Disney cruise. We did the Panama Canal westbound this past May and loved it! We are looking forward to all the ports of call and really like how Disney has broken up the sea days on this itinerary. Love the idea of an extra hour on 6 of the 11 days. We should be well rested for walking when we reach New York.

If they are showing no rooms available -- they're not likely booked up, but don't have those dates open yet. I've had my eye on two hotels for weeks and they are both showing no vacancies for my dates. When I contacted them they said that's because they have not opened those dates up for booking yet.

Welcome aboard and I will add your info to page one. Is your DD a child or adult? And are you celebrating anything?

 

[Aanna]

If they are showing no rooms available -- they're not likely booked up, but don't have those dates open yet. I've had my eye on two hotels for weeks and they are both showing no vacancies for my dates. When I contacted them they said that's because they have not opened those dates up for booking yet.

Welcome aboard and I will add your info to page one. Is your DD a child or adult? And are you celebrating anything?

Agreed: a good number of hotels are only booking through September 8th, and some are only booking through August.