Questions for upcoming Med 7 night cruisers!

[debsters41]

Yay for you! Your trip is so close! Those of us who are doing this itinerary at the end of the season or even next year are wishing you to have a safe, most enjoyable trip. We are also anxiously awaiting your trip reports! With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of our questions to help us remain excited about our trips as we still have to wait for the long hot summer to pass before it is our turn. Any answers are greatly appreciated!
1. Is the price of the photo CD with all the prints still 400 dollars?
2. Is VAT charged on everything?20 % on everything in the stores and shutters. Not drinks.
3. Did they manage to have a character breakfast? No
4. What are the dining rotations? 1) LLAPLAP 2) AAPLAPL 3) PPLAPLA
5. Were there any Shutters photographers at the famous sites such as the leaning tower or Trevi fountain? If yes, at what times?during excursion times, waiting if anyone on an excursions remembers what time it was
6. Are there any Art of Entertainment series seminars? one on each sea day Galley Tours?No, but there were art of theme ship walking tours
7. Shopping at Barcelona Terminal, is the convenience worth the extra price? Water not too expensive and 5 Euro Sangria is nice
8. Anyone do disembarkation breakfast at Topsiders? Opinion?Nice, basic buffet just without the omelettes
9. Tell us about your embarkation lunch Parrot Cay vs. Topsiders in Barcelona. Are there annoying pigeons? no Crowded? Actually, Parrot Cay crowded at 12:30.
10. Do dolphins ever swim near the ship as they are reported to when leaving Port Canaveral? Flying fish off the aft on the last day
11. Is hair braiding available? If yes, cost? Yes but cost unknown for the time being
12. If doing Pisa on your own, what would be a good recommended time to climb the tower?
13. Can we take a ziplock of cookies off to snack on during port excursions? No
14. Is the all aboard time the time we have to be back on ship or the time the ship leaves? Thankfully, back on ship
15. On your own excursions: What time did you leave Rome, Sorrento, etc. and what time did you get back on board? 3:45 train from Rome gets you back in plenty of time
16. Can one member of a family go early to get tender tickets while the rest of the family eats breakfast or does everyone need to be present? all family members need to be present or there is a chance they will be on another tender. This is strictly enforced.
17. If you are visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday, how were the lines? Morning? Afternoon?Impossible in the morning and insane in the afternoon!
18. Silly question (but I am an American living in Europe for the last 20 something years) Are there any corn dogs available on board? Maybe childrens menu? Other very American comfort foods? (Marshmallows? Peanut Butter? Can you tell I miss home? Lol!)Nachos and Tacos and Cornbread... Good start!
19. Are there any informative lectures on the ports? There are lectures but whether they are informative or not is up for debate.

I am sure that others will have other questions. It would be nice to have these all in one place and I hope some of you upcoming cruisers have such a wonderful time that you are inspired to offer some answers! Happy Cruising!


Adding in questions of others:

20. Anyone have any idea what the cost of the picture CD at shutters for the 12 night cruise would cost?
21. Do DCL excursions cut into first seating dinner? Yes, but it is undecided if you will not be able to sit down and eat in the MDR once you are returned to the ship. Most likely you would be.

Adding in observations of others:

There is no semi formal night, only cruise casual, formal, and pirate.
There is no dessert buffet.
From Orangecountycommuter:
1. If you are flying Delta home that day you can check your bags at the port.
2. If you shopped too much they have a shipping service affiliated with UPS at the port waiting to take your stuff.
3. That same shipping service will either hold your luggage or deliver it to the BCN airport on the same day if you have a late flight and want to tour without your luggage!

 

[nzdisneymom]

These are great questions and a great idea! I know there are always the "little things" I want to know about.

 

[debsters41]

Bumping and wishing Everyone a happy cruise!

 

[ThePicketts]

Yay for you! Your trip is so close! Those of us who are doing this itinerary at the end of the season or even next year are wishing you to have a safe, most enjoyable trip. We are also anxiously awaiting your trip reports! With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of our questions to help us remain excited about our trips as we still have to wait for the long hot summer to pass before it is our turn. Any answers are greatly appreciated!
1. Is the price of the photo CD with all the prints still 400 dollars?
2. Is VAT charged on everything?
3. Did they manage to have a character breakfast?
4. What are the dining rotations?
5. Were there any Shutters photographers at the famous sites such as the leaning tower or Trevi fountain? If yes, at what times?
6. Are there any Art of Entertainment series seminars? Galley Tours?
7. Shopping at Barcelona Terminal, is the convenience worth the extra price?
8. Anyone do disembarkation breakfast at Topsiders? Opinion?
9. Tell us about your embarkation lunch Parrot Cay vs. Topsiders in Barcelona. Are there annoying pigeons? Crowded?
10. Do dolphins ever swim near the ship as they are reported to when leaving Port Canaveral?
11. Is hair braiding available? If yes, cost?
12. If doing Pisa on your own, what would be a good recommended time to climb the tower?
13. Can we take a ziplock of cookies off to snack on during port excursions?
14. Is the all aboard time the time we have to be back on ship or the time the ship leaves?
15. On your own excursions: What time did you leave Rome, Sorrento, etc. and what time did you get back on board?
16. Can one member of a family go early to get tender tickets while the rest of the family eats breakfast or does everyone need to be present?
17. If you are visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday, how were the lines? Morning? Afternoon?
18. Silly question (but I am an American living in Europe for the last 20 something years) Are there any corn dogs available on board? Maybe children’s menu? Other very American comfort foods? (Marshmallows? Peanut Butter? Can you tell I miss home? Lol!)
19. Are there any informative lectures on the ports?

I am sure that others will have other questions. It would be nice to have these all in one place and I hope some of you upcoming cruisers have such a wonderful time that you are inspired to offer some answers! Happy Cruising!

#1. I'm pretty sure it is just the CD
3. Yes!
4. Between 3 restaurants (Animators Palate, Parrot Cay, luimeire). They are pre assigned for a specific rotation.
5. Yes. They travel with the DCL excursions
6. Yes, yes
8. It is food
9. I believe they actually serve the same food on the first day. No bird issues at top siders
12. You MUST prebook this. Any time is good
13. It must be prepackaged
14. They are one and the same
17. Wednesdays are tough because of the Audience with the Pope. Get Skip yhe Line tickets because your time is too valuable
18. Pluto's doghouse? Has a nice assortment. I'm not sure about corn dogs.
19. Yes! The put the brochures in your room the night before

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

#1. I'm pretty sure it is just the CD
3. Yes!
4. Between 3 restaurants (Animators Palate, Parrot Cay, luimeire). They are pre assigned for a specific rotation.
5. Yes. They travel with the DCL excursions
6. Yes, yes
8. It is food
9. I believe they actually serve the same food on the first day. No bird issues at top siders
12. You MUST prebook this. Any time is good
13. It must be prepackaged
14. They are one and the same
17. Wednesdays are tough because of the Audience with the Pope. Get Skip yhe Line tickets because your time is too valuable
18. Pluto's doghouse? Has a nice assortment. I'm not sure about corn dogs.
19. Yes! The put the brochures in your room the night before

I am assuming these are just based on the prior year's cruise as no one has cruised this year

I have seen inquiries about Character Breakfasts, but so far no one seems to have gotten positive confirmation from Disney that they will or will not occur (at least that I have seen) for the 7 night cruises. I think they have been confirmed for the longer cruises.....

As for Pisa.... Remember that the port is a tender port and then there's a train to catch. Plus those using DCL excursions will get off the ship before the "masses" (like me) I would not get too optimistic on when you arrive. Build in a little cushion. (we won't be doing this so I won't be able to tell you how long it takes us, but... I have read some trip reports where folks missed their tower climb because they didn't get to Pisa in time) So I wouldn't say anytime is good.

And it sounded to me like you were asking if the Shutters photographers were just there waiting on you. I kind of doubt this. If you do the DCL excursions then I doubt Disney would miss the chance to sell you more photos, but if you are doing it "on your own" (which sounds likely due to your question on the tower time) then... you would probably just have to get lucky to find them at a site.

 

[ruthjohn]

I am on the June 8th Med cruise - I will print out these questions and answer them when I get back So excited!!

 

[ThePicketts]

I am on the June 8th Med cruise - I will print out these questions and answer them when I get back So excited!!

Awesome! Have a great time!!!

 

[Pixie Naseweis]

Wow, lots of question. Try my very best to answer them (partly) after our 4-night in July.

 

[tufbuf]

Answer on number 16 - there are no tender tickets if you are joining a DCL excursion. People who will tour on their own will be given instructions where to take their tenders. I believe DCL hire tenders which will cater to DCL customers the full day as we always bypass the long lines for tenders.

 

[abdgeek]

Yay for you! Your trip is so close! Those of us who are doing this itinerary at the end of the season or even next year are wishing you to have a safe, most enjoyable trip. We are also anxiously awaiting your trip reports! With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of our questions to help us remain excited about our trips as we still have to wait for the long hot summer to pass before it is our turn. Any answers are greatly appreciated!
1. Is the price of the photo CD with all the prints still 400 dollars?
2. Is VAT charged on everything?
3. Did they manage to have a character breakfast?
4. What are the dining rotations?
5. Were there any Shutters photographers at the famous sites such as the leaning tower or Trevi fountain? If yes, at what times?
6. Are there any Art of Entertainment series seminars? Galley Tours?
7. Shopping at Barcelona Terminal, is the convenience worth the extra price?
8. Anyone do disembarkation breakfast at Topsiders? Opinion?
9. Tell us about your embarkation lunch Parrot Cay vs. Topsiders in Barcelona. Are there annoying pigeons? Crowded?
10. Do dolphins ever swim near the ship as they are reported to when leaving Port Canaveral?
11. Is hair braiding available? If yes, cost?
12. If doing Pisa on your own, what would be a good recommended time to climb the tower?
13. Can we take a ziplock of cookies off to snack on during port excursions?
14. Is the all aboard time the time we have to be back on ship or the time the ship leaves?
15. On your own excursions: What time did you leave Rome, Sorrento, etc. and what time did you get back on board?
16. Can one member of a family go early to get tender tickets while the rest of the family eats breakfast or does everyone need to be present?
17. If you are visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday, how were the lines? Morning? Afternoon?
18. Silly question (but I am an American living in Europe for the last 20 something years) Are there any corn dogs available on board? Maybe children’s menu? Other very American comfort foods? (Marshmallows? Peanut Butter? Can you tell I miss home? Lol!)
19. Are there any informative lectures on the ports?

I am sure that others will have other questions. It would be nice to have these all in one place and I hope some of you upcoming cruisers have such a wonderful time that you are inspired to offer some answers! Happy Cruising!

2. VAT is only refundable on single purchases over 100 euros. If you pay in cash you get the refund immediately. If you pay by cc, you get the refund at the airport. There are two lines you have to stand in to get your paperwork stamped and then your money. This has to happen before you go through security.

9. Usually, the only lunch offered is the buffet on deck 9. However,the other quick service places on deck 9 are also open. Never noticed seagulls on any of the itineraries.

15. Most of the ports in Europe are 1-2 hours from the city you are going to. I don't remember how far each is. I would allow at least that when returning to port.

7. Unless things have changed, there is no shopping at the Barcelona terminal. The terminal is across a bridge right on the water. The last time I did the Med cruise in 2011, there were four other ships in port.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

9. Usually, the only lunch offered is the buffet on deck 9. However,the other quick service places on deck 9 are also open. Never noticed seagulls on any of the itineraries. On embarkation day lunch is served in both the buffet and Parrot Cay (also a buffet, but you are seated and a server takes your drink order).


7. Unless things have changed, there is no shopping at the Barcelona terminal. The terminal is across a bridge right on the water. The last time I did the Med cruise in 2011, there were four other ships in port.From what I remember (from our 2010 Med/TA cruises) there was a small beverage shop and I think a small souvenir shop in the terminal. Certainly not real "shopping".

I added a couple of comments in red.

 

[debsters41]

Bumping for the med cruisers who have returned and can offer us their insight!

 

[kventventx]

We are on the 12 night Venice cruise. Will the photo CD be the same price or more expensive?

 

[Mommb]

I can answer a few questions based on the cruise I took from 6/1-6/8.

2. Is VAT charged on everything? Yes, everything purchased from the shops, including Shutters, included VAT.
3. Did they manage to have a character breakfast? No Correct -- no character breakfast.
5. Were there any Shutters photographers at the famous sites such as the leaning tower or Trevi fountain? If yes, at what times? There were some pictures in Shutters that were taken in Rome and maybe Pisa. I'm guessing they were from Disney excursions, but I don't know for sure.
6. Are there any Art of Entertainment series seminars? Galley Tours? There were no "behind the scenes" tours. There was a least one cooking seminar (a lamb dish) and several beverage tastings that could be booked (for a fee) after boarding. There were a couple of "Art of the Theme Ship" walking tours -- I think on both sea days.
11. Is hair braiding available? If yes, cost? There was a hair-braiding station on Deck 9, but I don't remember the times or costs.
14. Is the all aboard time the time we have to be back on ship or the time the ship leaves? All-aboard time is the time all passengers need to be back on the ship. For tender ports, there will be a "last tender leaves" time.
16. Can one member of a family go early to get tender tickets while the rest of the family eats breakfast or does everyone need to be present? all family members need to be present or there is a chance they will be on another tender. This is strictly enforced. Correct -- anyone needing a tender ticket (that is, not on an excursion) needed to pick up a ticket and wait in the theater until your group was called. In Villefranche, they stopped distributing tickets before 10 and allowed passengers to simply disembark whenever they wanted. They probably did the same in LaSpezia, but we were already on an excursion by then.
17. If you are visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday, how were the lines? Morning? Afternoon? Wednesday afternoon, the Vatican museum/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's Basilica were crowded but manageable. We purchased tickets in advance and had a private tour, so our guide directed us right to the line to get our tickets. We heard it was much busier in the morning, because there was a papal audience.
19. Are there any informative lectures on the ports? A historian gave presentations on each port a day or two before we visited. My husband said the Rome presentation was interesting but had a couple of factual errors in names/years of kings.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

2. Is VAT charged on everything? It was not charged on drinks. I bought nothing else (sorry!)

5. Were there any Shutters photographers at the famous sites such as the leaning tower or Trevi fountain? If yes, at what times? Doing ports on our own we saw no photographers?
6. Are there any Art of Entertainment series seminars? yes, on sea days they did one each day . Galley Tours? Don't recall any
7. Shopping at Barcelona Terminal, is the convenience worth the extra price? There was no shopping that I saw.
8. Anyone do disembarkation breakfast at Topsiders? Opinion? Topsiders was fine. Just a basic buffet, no omelets etc but worked for us.
9. Tell us about your embarkation lunch Parrot Cay vs. Topsiders in Barcelona. Are there annoying pigeons? No Crowded? No

11. Is hair braiding available? On sea days only I think If yes, cost?Not a clue!

13. Can we take a ziplock of cookies off to snack on during port excursions? No. They announce no baked goods, fruit etc off the ship.
14. Is the all aboard time the time we have to be back on ship or the time the ship leaves? All aboard is when you have to back on the ship.
15. On your own excursions: What time did you leave Rome, Sorrento, etc. and what time did you get back on board? Rome we left at 3:45, with a little wandering in the port town we were onboard at 6.

17. If you are visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday, how were the lines? Morning? Afternoon? RUN! RUN! RUN! We went to Vatican city Wednesday afternoon MADHOUSE!

19. Are there any informative lectures on the ports? There were lectures, I never made it to them (I meant to but...)

 

[lilpooh108]

Comfort food -- at Pluto's one day they had chili w/corn bread. They also had tacos with all toppings, including packaged guac. I got the nacho chips from downstairs, and went up and made my own nachos (sour cream, ground meat, guac, shredded cheese). Yum. No corn dog that I could see, but plenty of hot dogs.

Hair braiding-- yes, but no idea on $$.

Photos at sites--- only for those on DCL excursions.

Convenience shopping-- we bought 2 bottles of 5 Euro sangria w/in the port terminal. Moderately tasty, and well worth the price. Water was also not terribly overpriced so if you don't have time, the port was OK to buy stuff.

Rome-- we met our driver at around 4:35 pm and we left around 4:40 to 4:45 pm. We got back around 5:50pm (it was definitely before 6). I saw DCL excursion people still milling around St Peter's when we were leaving. Ship didn't leave port until past 7pm b/c 1 family was late (they were being paged). No idea if they made it. We got back early enough to shower, change, and take pics w/characters before late seating.

Vatican-- either go late or early on Weds. I arrived from the Colosseum (cabbed on our own) at 12:45pm and the crowds were just dispersing and the St Peter's area was closed. Traffic was gridlocked and we were dropped about 2 blocks away. I was going around the side to the Scavi tour so none of this affected me. My family did a 2:00pm tour of the Vatican and said the lines inside were crazy. They arranged a tour mainly to have the guide "arrange" to skip lines even w/in the Vatican, etc. The lines to get inside St Peter's where I was at around 1pm was crazy.

 

[kikids]

2. VAT tax (approx 20%) was charged on all gift shop items on board. I bought less than I normally would because of this. One tshirt for my DD and one golf shirt for my DH came to $98. Ridiculous.
7. Do you mean the ship terminal or the airport terminal? The ship terminal had a little shop in the corner, I think, but I didn't pay any attention to it. The airport had very nice stores though!
9. Parrot Cay buffet lunch on embarkation was very crowded - line to get in at 12:30.
10. We did not see dolphins but the last at sea day we watched jumping fish from our aft verandah! It was pretty cool.
19. They did a Rockin D Bar presentation called "Charles Richardson Presents...Villefranche" and "Rome", etc for each port. We only went to one - We didn't get anything out of it. People next to me got up and left. The guy is nice, and a professor of some sort. If you are interested in plate techtonics and his photos of places he's been years ago, then maybe you'll like it. I wanted someone to tell me more about how to get around, top things to see, and instead we got a history of the land formation and his soft glow pictures of the countryside that is too far to get to in one day. At least that was VF, maybe his other ports were better.

 

[lmcarr]

did anyone have a problem with excursions impeding their dinner time? were they mad if you showed up late? any info will be appreciated! tia, lc

 

[PrincessShmoo]

did anyone have a problem with excursions impeding their dinner time? were they mad if you showed up late? any info will be appreciated! tia, lc

We did late seating for our Med cruise for just this reason. Typically we take the early seating, but several ports we weren't going to back in time (with the full day excursions).

 

[lmcarr]

We did late seating for our Med cruise for just this reason. Typically we take the early seating, but several ports we weren't going to back in time (with the full day excursions).

I know right, but we just can't wait on those other days. my kid gets super grumpy (not to mention my hubby) and then we end up eating a snack before dinner and eat our regular dinner too.
anybody else have any experience with late excursions affecting early/main dining?