08/08/07 Well, Olbia Monkey's Uncle! We're cruisin' on the 10nt Med Cruise!

[Belle2002]

Just wondering about booking excursions on May 10, is booking available at
3:00am Eastern time?? I hope so, because then it will only be 1:00am for me!

 

[bellelinus]

Just wondering about booking excursions on May 10, is booking available at
3:00am Eastern time?? I hope so, because then it will only be 1:00am for me!

Yes, lucky you! If you are on Mountain time, you can book at 1 AM.

Was anyone else a little disappointed with the Med DVD? Usually I find DCL things to be really top notch and classy, but I thought this was a little much (the Scrooge McDuck part --to me -- is almost unbearable!). It seemed as though Disney decided everyone would be so nervous about going to Europe that they got a little overboard on the cutesy department. Of course, maybe everyone else loved it and I am the exception.

 

[UMTerp]

Was anyone else a little disappointed with the Med DVD? Usually I find DCL things to be really top notch and classy, but I thought this was a little much (the Scrooge McDuck part --to me -- is almost unbearable!). It seemed as though Disney decided everyone would be so nervous about going to Europe that they got a little overboard on the cutesy department. Of course, maybe everyone else loved it and I am the exception.

Yes, we were a little dissapointed in the DVD. It was exciting to see some photos of the places we will be visiting though!

UMTerp

 

[bellelinus]

Yes, we were a little dissapointed in the DVD. It was exciting to see some photos of the places we will be visiting though!

UMTerp

Absolutely -- the pictures were great. It was funny that they couldn't show anything in Sardinia!

 

[bellelinus]

By the way, this post

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1446330

has a great press release about all the different deck parties, shows, kids activities, etc. they have planned just for the Med. THe rest of you may have already seen it, but I hadn't. It looks as though Disney is going all out to make these Med cruises truly different and special -- it really got me excited.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Julie, Thanks so much for the link. I hadn't seen it . DCL really is going all out ! I'm so excited !!! I wasn't expecting much from the DVD so I wasn't disappointed. I was able to give it to my Grandson who is going with us when I saw him this past weekend. I was disappointed to hear about the Choc Museum tour being cancelled. We can go on our own, but think you have to be with a group to do the activity.

Is everybody ready for Thurs. It's great that it's finally our turn ! I'm still undecided about Palermo. Part of me wants to rest at the beach, but then it'll be our first port after Barcelona. So we're thinking about Cefalu, which I understand is very medieval, on the coast and interesting sites . Jack, our grandson, is very creative and I think he'd like the Palermo for Kids. ?????

Olbia will be a beach / ship day. Villefrance, I think we can do on our own. May be tired of tours at that point. In fact we might be tired period...so not planning to book anything there.

Naples, Rome, Florence and Provence region we have private guides.

Would like to hearwhat everyone else is planning.... GINA

 

[bellelinus]

Julie, Thanks so much for the link. I hadn't seen it . DCL really is going all out ! I'm so excited !!! I wasn't expecting much from the DVD so I wasn't disappointed. I was able to give it to my Grandson who is going with us when I saw him this past weekend. I was disappointed to hear about the Choc Museum tour being cancelled. We can go on our own, but think you have to be with a group to do the activity.

Is everybody ready for Thurs. It's great that it's finally our turn ! I'm still undecided about Palermo. Part of me wants to rest at the beach, but then it'll be our first port after Barcelona. So we're thinking about Cefalu, which I understand is very medieval, on the coast and interesting sites . Jack, our grandson, is very creative and I think he'd like the Palermo for Kids. ?????

Olbia will be a beach / ship day. Villefrance, I think we can do on our own. May be tired of tours at that point. In fact we might be tired period...so not planning to book anything there.

Naples, Rome, Florence and Provence region we have private guides.

Would like to hearwhat everyone else is planning.... GINA

Hi Gina -- we won't be doing any DCL excursions . . . I have a private driver for La Spezia but otherwise will be getting around with my girls on our own. In Palermo we will wander around, maybe negotiate a horse and carriage ride. In Naples, we will take the train to Pompeii and Sorrento, with a ferry to Capri depending on the time. In Olbia, head to the beach. We will get to Rome by train and see all the usual suspects. Private driver from la Spezia to Florence and then a quick stop by Pisa. In Marseilles we will take the train to Arles and then wander through Marseilles from the Cathedral down to the Vieux Port. In Villefrance, bus or train to Monaco and then to Eze Village before returning to Villefranche.

 

[nordkin]

I saw this http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18557964&postcount=3216
on the May 26 thread. Great news, now I need to find out if our Cingular international broadband card will work on the ship without additional charges.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Nordkin...thanks for the tip !

Julie... is Eze Village the same as Eze ?

 

[bellelinus]

Nordkin...thanks for the tip !

Julie... is Eze Village the same as Eze ?

There are two "Eze"s -- Eve Village is the more picturesque one on top of the Corniche . . . Eze Sur-le-Mer is next to the ocean and is newer. The #100 bus runs along the Lower Corniche from Villefranche through Eze Sur-le-Mer to Monaco, and the train also runs this route. To get to Eze Village, you either take a different bus from Monaco, or take a huge set of stairs from the lower to the upper Corniche from Eze Sur-le-Mer.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Thanks, Julie, this would be a good thing to do on our own ! Gina

 

[bellelinus]

Thanks, Julie, this would be a good thing to do on our own ! Gina

Remind me later to check my notes and I'll give you the details on the number of the bus from Monaco to Eze Village and where it leaves from . . . our plans are to take the train or #100 bus to Monaco, go from there to Eze Village, walk DOWN the thousands of stairs to Eze Sur-le-Mer, and take the bus back to Villefranche to wander around.

 

[UMTerp]

Good morning everyone!

I have read 4 books on Sardinia and have read a number of web sites and still don't have a plan for a do-it-ourselves beach day! It seems like there is a bus but from what I have read the schedules are unpredictable! Also read that we may have trouble getting a taxi to pick us up after they drop us off! Rental cars are available at the airport which doesn't seem too far from the port but apparently the traffic is terrible and the local drivers are worse! I am really hoping that some of the earlier cruisers have good luck doing this port on their own! I really want to relax some this day before our Rome day!

Best of luck to everyone tomorrow morning (early!!!)

UMTerp

 

[scrapycruiser]

UMTerp....I had read not to trust the cab drivers. If we don't get La Cinta we'll just enjoy the pool on the ship. $59/ pp is bad enough, certainly not paying twice that for the other ! Besides, our hotel in Barcelona is on the beach.

What's everyone doing in Palermo ? GINA

 

[catjammies]

Does anyone know how HARD it is to climb Pisa? -
how many steps?
how good a shape one must be in?
what it compares to?


And please clarify - the Excursion Desk for us opens at 3am EST tomorrow??????

Do you think any of these will really sell out before, say, decent morning hours tomorrow??????

 

[bellelinus]

Good morning everyone!

I have read 4 books on Sardinia and have read a number of web sites and still don't have a plan for a do-it-ourselves beach day! It seems like there is a bus but from what I have read the schedules are unpredictable! Also read that we may have trouble getting a taxi to pick us up after they drop us off! Rental cars are available at the airport which doesn't seem too far from the port but apparently the traffic is terrible and the local drivers are worse! I am really hoping that some of the earlier cruisers have good luck doing this port on their own! I really want to relax some this day before our Rome day!

Best of luck to everyone tomorrow morning (early!!!)

UMTerp

I have the book "Authentic Sardinia" from the Touring club of Italy, and it claims that you can catch a train in Olbia and go to Cala Sabina, a few meters from the beach. I am thinking of using the taxis at the port to get there, ask them about picking up, and then use the train at Cala Sabina as a backup to get back to Olbia if the taxi doesn't show. The book makes the beach sound pretty nice -- "a white beach, blue water, and a crown of juniper shrubs . . ."

 

[bellelinus]

Does anyone know how HARD it is to climb Pisa? -
how many steps?
how good a shape one must be in?
what it compares to?


And please clarify - the Excursion Desk for us opens at 3am EST tomorrow??????

Do you think any of these will really sell out before, say, decent morning hours tomorrow??????

I climbed the tower in Pisa years ago and it is a lot of steps but not too steep. . . I read somewhere that it is 294 steps.

I have been reading on the main boards that a lot of the excursions have been going quickly. I'm not doing any DCL excursions, so I won't be up at 3 AM, but that is the time.

 

[bellelinus]

Remind me later to check my notes and I'll give you the details on the number of the bus from Monaco to Eze Village and where it leaves from . . . our plans are to take the train or #100 bus to Monaco, go from there to Eze Village, walk DOWN the thousands of stairs to Eze Sur-le-Mer, and take the bus back to Villefranche to wander around.

Gina, it's the bus #112 that leaves near the Palace and goes to Eze Village -- it costs about 2.2 Euro . . . if you don't want to walk down from there to Eze Sur-le-Mer, you can take the #84 bus and then catch the #100 bus (free transfer) from there to Villefranche. Tickets can be purchased on the bus, adn they can make change.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Julie...thanks for the Eze info ! I have it in my Villefrance folder
I have a folder for each port

Catjammies...I'm not going to take any chances. I will be up at
3 am to book. We really want to do Palermo for
Kids. And I'd love to be able to book a brunch at
Palos. I was hoping to do the Chocolate Museum
in Barcelona, but I understand that has been
cancelled
Who all is traveling with you ?
UMTerp...... Great info on Olbia transportation,thanks ! I
think I'll try to book the La Cinta beach tour.
Then when the early Med cruisers start reporting
I'll see what they say about Olbia . We can cancel
2 days prior to sailing.

 

[UMTerp]

What's everyone doing in Palermo ? GINA

Catacombs(sp?) I guess! The kids want to see it!