DCL/ABD Med Cruise May 15, 2010

[sayhello]

So it's official! After a lot of pondering & soul searching & conversations with Dotti, I have decided that I *am* doing the May 15, 2010 11-night DCL Mediterranean cruise with the ABD add-on on the Disney Magic. I got a FABULOUS price on the cruise, which made the ABD add-on affordable. Now that the decision has been made, I am really jazzed about this trip! It is really ideal for me, since I travel solo. 11 nights in the Med is just not something I ever really contemplated doing by myself. Having the continuity of the 40 ABD folks throughout the trip, and the convenience and security of traveling with the 2 ABD guides in pre-selected excursions just seems like a great option for me. I like not having to agonize over which DCL excursions to sign up for, and then fight their website signing up for those I want. And arranging private tours would just not be a good option for just me.

Some of the ports (like Corsica & Tunisia) I know nothing about, so I'm trusting ABD to have picked interesting options. The only thing missing from the itinerary that I'm going to see about adding/switching is that I really want to go to Pompeii. I think I may see if I can skip the pizza making in Naples, and just pay the extra to take a DCL trip to Pompeii. Worth the extra money for me. I would then re-join the group for the Amalfi coast.

But anyways, now the big fun is looking for airfare and such. I think I have a good hotel option for the night prior to the cruise (I always arrive at least a day early!) It's a Marriott, near the airport, which has a free shuttle from the airport, a free shuttle into town, and an inexpensive arranged shuttle to the port. Honestly, arriving mid-morning after an overnight flight where I never can sleep, the last thing I'm going to want to worry about is getting me and all my luggage to a hotel "near the action". I'll shuttle to the Marriott, check in, either dump my stuff at my room, or leave them with the Bell desk, get some LUNCH, then maybe think about hitting town.

I'll probably do DCL's transfers back to the airport after the cruise.

Airfare so far is a challenge; I'm almost certainly adding on a trip to visit my sister in Israel after the cruise (I can hardly go that far & not visit her). But most of the options so far involve a long day in Barcelona, and arriving in Tel Aviv in the wee hours of the morning. Why there are no flights between 11 am and like 8pm is beyond me... But that should be my biggest issue.

Anywho, so that's what's up. Anybody else going on this trip? DCL said there were 16 people signed up for my trip, and then I heard that Christyvoltron & her hubby have since signed up. So that's 18 for the ABD add-on at last check. So I'm thinking we're in a pretty good position for this trip to actually be a go. I'm still hoping HappyGrumpy & her hubby can work it out & go also, but no pressure here! abdmom is doing the same cruise, but I don't believe she's doing the ABD add-on.

Whoohoo!

*off to build a new ticker*
Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

Congratulations, sayhello! Making the decision is the hard part. Now you can have fun planning and looking forward to a fantastic trip. Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[Dahly]

I hope you have a fabulous time! I looked at this trip a number of times and I was really interested in the ABD add-on since I would be traveling alone as well. (no one in my house wants to go to Europe!) But, unfortunately, even with my funny math, I can't make the dollars work this year after our ABD to the Galapagos last year. (the airfare to Spain is a killer!) So I am looking forward to what I know will be a fantastic trip report (with lots of pics) when you return!


So for the next few months, I will be interested to hear all about your planning! That is half the fun! (and I can live vicariously through you!)

have a great trip!


Dahly

 

[disneytraveler]

That is great! I hope you have a great time

 

[HappyGrumpy]

I'm still hoping HappyGrumpy & her hubby can work it out & go also, but no pressure here! abdmom is doing the same cruise, but I don't believe she's doing the ABD add-on.

No Pressure!!

Some of the ports (like Corsica & Tunisia) I know nothing about, so I'm trusting ABD to have picked interesting options. The only thing missing from the itinerary that I'm going to see about adding/switching is that I really want to go to Pompeii. I think I may see if I can skip the pizza making in Naples, and just pay the extra to take a DCL trip to Pompeii. Worth the extra money for me. I would then re-join the group for the Amalfi coast.

If we swing this trip I love this idea! Hubby Loves to cook so he may want to do the making pizza thing!! I was really bummed about not doing the Pompeii thing!

I will be so glad when air comes down as allot of people seem to be predicting( I started an Airfare Thread on the DCL boards). It's got me a little stressed! Anyhoo stay tuned!

 

[WeLoveABD]

Sounds practically perfect in every way! (Sorry--we just saw the Mary Poppins play!). I am very eager to hear how it went--and definately hit Barcelona! (Depending on how much time you have, consider the "on and off" bus--it was a great way to get around town and hit the major sites in a compressed amount of time).

I'm still hoping they do the ABD/cruise blending for the Baltic cruise--but it looks doubtful, given these are all "new" ports and places, so there are no experienced ABD guides ready to tackle such a trip.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

 

[DisFan10]

SayHello - Mazel tov!

 

[sayhello]

Congratulations, sayhello! Making the decision is the hard part. Now you can have fun planning and looking forward to a fantastic trip. Can't wait to hear about it!

Thanks, Bobo912! I'm planning already. I can hardly wait to write the Trip Report for this one!

I hope you have a fabulous time! I looked at this trip a number of times and I was really interested in the ABD add-on since I would be traveling alone as well. (no one in my house wants to go to Europe!) But, unfortunately, even with my funny math, I can't make the dollars work this year after our ABD to the Galapagos last year. (the airfare to Spain is a killer!) So I am looking forward to what I know will be a fantastic trip report (with lots of pics) when you return!

So for the next few months, I will be interested to hear all about your planning! That is half the fun! (and I can live vicariously through you!)

have a great trip!

Dahly

Thanks, Dahly! I'll try & keep everyone up-to-date on my plans, and the details from ABD & DCL. It's kind of cool to be one of the first trying this. It's all a grand experiment! And yes, the plan is for another Trip Report with TONS of pictures!

That is great! I hope you have a great time

Thanks, disneytraveler. A great time is definitely on the itinerary!

No Pressure!!

Really! Honestly!

If we swing this trip I love this idea! Hubby Loves to cook so he may want to do the making pizza thing!! I was really bummed about not doing the Pompeii thing!

I will be so glad when air comes down as allot of people seem to be predicting( I started an Airfare Thread on the DCL boards). It's got me a little stressed! Anyhoo stay tuned!

I'd *love* to have you join me on a trip to Pompeii! I've loved the idea of Pompeii since I was a kid and always hoped to visit there. I just can't imagine going to Italy & not going to Pompeii. I'm pretty sure that the Guides will find *some* way to make it happen!

I'm waiting for that airfare sale, too! The prices haven't budged in the last month. Soon, hopefully!

Sounds practically perfect in every way! (Sorry--we just saw the Mary Poppins play!). I am very eager to hear how it went--and definately hit Barcelona! (Depending on how much time you have, consider the "on and off" bus--it was a great way to get around town and hit the major sites in a compressed amount of time).

I'm still hoping they do the ABD/cruise blending for the Baltic cruise--but it looks doubtful, given these are all "new" ports and places, so there are no experienced ABD guides ready to tackle such a trip.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

Thanks, WeLoveABD. I'm definitely planning on doing some time in Barcelona. Others have recommended the "on and off" bus, also. It does sound like a great way to see the town. And I really want to see Gaudi's Park Guell. It really looks like my kind of place!

This is the last year for the Baltics, right? I'm guessing they won't do any other "blends" at least until they see how the first couple of Med blend works. But who knows? At this point, I give up on trying to predict what ABD will do! I sure hope they offer it for the Baltic cruise... that would be great.

SayHello - Mazel tov!

Thanks, DisFan10! I feel very lucky, indeed!

Sayhello

 

[HappyGrumpy]

I'm waiting for that airfare sale, too! The prices haven't budged in the last month. Soon, hopefully!

Just out of curiosity have you had DCL price out your airfare? I know it will be more but I would consider it if it meant it would take off the pressure of looking for air.

 

[sayhello]

Just out of curiosity have you had DCL price out your airfare? I know it will be more but I would consider it if it meant it would take off the pressure of looking for air.

Well, the thing is, DCL won't book me to Israel, then home from Israel. They weren't happy when I asked them to price me coming in the day *before* the cruise (which would involve an extra $75 charge for an "air deviation", along with whatever increase in airfare might be involved)! Their airfare is a bulk thing they buy & provide at a fixed price, to/from Barcelona. If I looked at that (to/from BCN), the price from DCL was $1463, which is about $500 more than I was seeing for booking to/from Barcelona by myself. For $1463, I can almost include the cost to Israel! And you get whatever airline they pick, at whatever schedule, they choose. You have to pay even more (the $75 "air deviation" fee) if you want to specify the airline/flights/departure times, etc. It is definitely not the same as booking through ABD, where you can tell them the exact flights you want, and get it for the price you want.

It does have the advantage of being refundable up until 90 days prior to the cruise, but you definitely pay for that advantage in many ways.

Sayhello

ETA: Actually, I mis-spoke. I could get the flight in the day before the cruise without the extra charges *IF* I booked the hotel for the pre-night through them. Which came out to a minimum of $420 for the night. Not an economical alternative, since I'm getting the Marriott for around $200.

 

[HappyGrumpy]

Well, the thing is, DCL won't book me to Israel, then home from Israel. They weren't happy when I asked them to price me coming in the day *before* the cruise (which would involve an extra $75 charge for an "air deviation", along with whatever increase in airfare might be involved)! Their airfare is a bulk thing they buy & provide at a fixed price, to/from Barcelona. If I looked at that (to/from BCN), the price from DCL was $1463, which is about $500 more than I was seeing for booking to/from Barcelona by myself. For $1463, I can almost include the cost to Israel! And you get whatever airline they pick, at whatever schedule, they choose. You have to pay even more (the $75 "air deviation" fee) if you want to specify the airline/flights/departure times, etc. It is definitely not the same as booking through ABD, where you can tell them the exact flights you want, and get it for the price you want.

It does have the advantage of being refundable up until 90 days prior to the cruise, but you definitely pay for that advantage in many ways.

Holy Crow! Never Mind..btw I had a customer at work showing me pictures of his home in Israel yesterday. It was amazing! he showed me a picture of the Golan Heights, the sea and a wire that separates Israel from Lebanon that juts out over the water! Anyhoo thought about ya!

 

[WeLoveABD]

This is the first year for the Baltic--and I imagine with a ship likely to be ported in Europe Disney will do something similar in future years (Med and Baltic cruises). I hear the Baltic sold well--I hope so, anyway!

 

[sayhello]

This is the first year for the Baltic--and I imagine with a ship likely to be ported in Europe Disney will do something similar in future years (Med and Baltic cruises). I hear the Baltic sold well--I hope so, anyway!

Oh! I guess I had it backwards. I think the Baltic cruise would be a great candidate for another ABD/DCL partnership. It could easily work very similarly to the Med cruise.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

Oh! I guess I had it backwards. I think the Baltic cruise would be a great candidate for another ABD/DCL partnership. It could easily work very similarly to the Med cruise.

Sayhello

Not exactly backwards, sayhello. 2010 is the first year for the Baltic cruise, but DCL isn't offering it in 2011. Maybe they will bring it back sometime in the future though.

 

[sayhello]

Not exactly backwards, sayhello. 2010 is the first year for the Baltic cruise, but DCL isn't offering it in 2011. Maybe they will bring it back sometime in the future though.

Thanks, Bobo912! I'm still a DCL newbie & don't know the history, etc, like I do with ABD. I'll catch on eventually!

Sayhello

 

[gayleaboone]

I am soooo excited for you!

 

[sayhello]

I am soooo excited for you!

Thanks gayleaboone! I'm excited, and kinda freaked, but in a good way!

I just bought my airline ticket! So this is, like, really happening! Paid in Full date for the cruise/ABD is Friday, and I'll probably pay Thursday, just to be on the safe side. Neither is a minor purchase (Oi!) but the good news is, at least I'll have a BUNCH of Disney Reward Dollars to spend onboard!

Sayhello

 

[HappyGrumpy]

I just bought my airline ticket! So this is, like, really happening! Paid in Full date for the cruise/ABD is Friday, and I'll probably pay Thursday, just to be on the safe side. Neither is a minor purchase (Oi!) but the good news is, at least I'll have a BUNCH of Disney Reward Dollars to spend onboard!

No this is not a minor purchase! But it's just $$$ Right??

Who did you end up getting your air through? Are you happy with your itinerary?

 

[renegade7]

I am considering this for the last Med Cruise. I have heard wonderful things about ABD. Just not 100% sold on all the trips at the ports. I am excited to hear the early trips go. Looking foward to reading a trip report.

 

[sayhello]

No this is not a minor purchase! But it's just $$$ Right??

Who did you end up getting your air through? Are you happy with your itinerary?

Yep. Only $$$. Yep. Yep... I actually called my credit card company because I knew I was putting all these high-dollar purchases on the card fairly close together (I also used it to pay for my new furnace). I pay the balance off each month, but I like getting all those Disney Reward Dollars, especially since I found out I can apply them to my onboard account for the cruise!

I ended up going with Iberia airlines. Apparently they are heavily associated with British Airways. Their prices were better than just about anyone else's for this itinerary. (I tried splitting it up with different airlines, and the cost just got too prohibitive). It's not a perfect itinerary (they never are!) but that's mostly because the only decent flight to Israel is at 11:15 am, which is WAY too early to be able to get to the airport from the port, for a high-security international flight. So the flight I got ends up getting me to Israel in the wee hours of the morning. But the leg to Barcelona is great, and the leg home from Israel is not bad (leaves pretty early, with one kind of tight connection, but lots of options if it gets missed).

So yeah, I'm pretty happy with the itinerary. I'd be much happier if I could just teleport there and back, but since that's not happening, we gotta do what we gotta do!

I am considering this for the last Med Cruise. I have heard wonderful things about ABD. Just not 100% sold on all the trips at the ports. I am excited to hear the early trips go. Looking foward to reading a trip report.

There *are* a lot of wonderful things about ABD! Read my Trip Reports in my signature if you need any convincing! Some of the ports I'm not familiar with (Tunis & Corsica) and since I have some trepidation (non-specific) about Tunis, I'm happy to do whatever ABD has set up. I don't know that I could pick anything "better". And the Rome, Villefranche, Florence, Malta and Amalfi coast trips sound great to me! The only deviation I'm looking at is trying to go to Pompeii instead of the pizza-making in Naples. Other than that, I'm really happy with the itinerary. And the ABD guides just take such WONDERFUL care of you! A big part of the appeal of this trip to me is the ABD guides. From what I've read, it's VERY different from doing a DCL excursion, in my opinion. I'm a spoiled American, I totally admit it, and like the idea of the Guides looking out for me, pre-arranging and pre-screening tours, finding bathrooms, etc. Plus not having to worry as much about how many Euros I get, since so much (including meals on shore) are included. But that's just me.

Never fear! I totally plan on doing a very indepth, picture-filled Trip Report as soon as possible after my return! So you'll get a *very* good idea of what the trip is like!

Sayhello