2010 news from the Magic

[CPM]

Pillow, $1,000.00 for Europe flights are a great deal!!
I just paid $1,653.00 each for four of us next July!! Insane.
Thanks for that web link, looks like a good one!!

 

[pillow]

Thanks for the link. That looks like a great site!

Its fabulous! Brittany is the daughter of a friend of mine. She and her boyfriend left last October for a 8 - 9 month trip around the World. They started in Europe and ended up in Southeast Asia. I was amazed at how cheaply they were able to travel (too much so for me, but hey, they're only 25). They are both great writers and have a way of finding humor in just about everything. Its a great blog to read. I found myself checking it every day to see what they were up to. Enjoy!

Jodie

 

[taysmom]

"Expensive" is such a relative term. I think the kicker for Europe is the flight price. For a family of 4, we're looking at roughly about $4,000 for just the flight over. And theres no way I'm flying into London without staying a few days. And then of course if you've paid all that money for the flight, you might as well get the most out of it and stay a few more days and see the Cotswolds, Stonehenge, etc. It can get a bit out of control.

Our Med trip cost about $15K for all 4 of us. We booked the cat 12 for $4,500. The cruise fare was actually the cheap part. It was the shore excursions + flights + Barcelona pre and post nights that jacked up our price. We didn't really do that much shopping either. Compare that to the trip I have planned out West next summer. We can get a roundtrip airfare into Phoenix out of Dulles for only $200 per person. An entire 2 week trip is only costing about $6K. When you look at it that way, Europe IS expensive!!

If you want cheap, do it like this . . .

www.eurosatemydollars.com

Jodie

I can highly recommend this blog as entertaining and enlighting....it felt as if I was there with them.

I concur on the flight price. If it wasn't for the fact that I had miles to use, this would have been a trip we couldn't have taken. BUT even with miles and dvc points for the cruise, I still spent about 5k for 2 of us with excursions, and pre and post activities. If you add in the price for the cruise and airfare it would have pushed it over the 10k mark and theres no way we could have done that!

 

[MrsJobba1]

The Europeans should be coming to the US to really enjoy their current advantage. My collegues from Europe are all working on excuses to come in the fall so they can do their Christmas shopping.

WE do and we are but despite the 'cheap' products when we get there the flights are the problem.

Yesterday I paid £2300 ( about $4400) for my dh and myself to fly to USA for 23 nights (july /Aug 2009. Granted these were prem economy where the seat pitch is 38.

I just hope the Magic has another 'special' itinery planned for the late jul/ Aug 2010 so us teachers in the UK can hop aboard when school finishes,

 

[JsMom2]

For comparison 12 nights eastern europe on RCCL for 2 adulsts and 1 child in a "junior suite" which is the same as a cat 5 or 6 on DCL.

Yes RCI uses the word "suite" quite loosely. Even a "Grand Suite" doesn't compare to a Cat 3 on DCL! But we just sailed in a Jr Suite on Independence and it was definitely larger than a Cat 5 or 6 on DCL. There is only one bathroom, but it does have a tub and 2 medicine cabinets. The walk-in closet is awesome, and the balcony was much more spacious also. We loved it!

Also check out NCL's European cruises. We're sailing to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal on Norwegian Jade in December in a Penthouse Suite with a butler and concierge service. We were originally paying around $5100 for the 9 nt cruise, but during one of their sales I was able to get the price down to $2800!!

Keep looking for 2009, because RCI and NCL do offer sales on a regular basis. I also just got a price reduction of $1200 for our Egypt cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas next March!

 

[JsMom2]

I still spent about 5k for 2 of us with excursions, and pre and post activities.

And the SPA

Everytime I saw you, you'd just come from there....

 

[pillow]

Yes RCI uses the word "suite" quite loosely. Even a "Grand Suite" doesn't compare to a Cat 3 on DCL! But we just sailed in a Jr Suite on Independence and it was definitely larger than a Cat 5 or 6 on DCL. There is only one bathroom, but it does have a tub and 2 medicine cabinets. The walk-in closet is awesome, and the balcony was much more spacious also. We loved it!

Also check out NCL's European cruises. We're sailing to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal on Norwegian Jade in December in a Penthouse Suite with a butler and concierge service. We were originally paying around $5100 for the 9 nt cruise, but during one of their sales I was able to get the price down to $2800!!

Keep looking for 2009, because RCI and NCL do offer sales on a regular basis. I also just got a price reduction of $1200 for our Egypt cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas next March!

Do you take your daughter out of school for these trips? or do you home school?

Jodie

 

[pillow]

Pillow, $1,000.00 for Europe flights are a great deal!!
I just paid $1,653.00 each for four of us next July!! Insane

I've seen summer flights from London to Dulles for as little as $933. Over spring break, I found one for $750. I remember a few years ago, a friend of mine flew for less than $500 per person (Dulles to London). Will we ever see prices like that again? Sigh.

Compare that to a fare I just checked yesterday from Dulles to Phoenix for our trip next summer - $200 per person!!

Jodie

 

[JsMom2]

Do you take your daughter out of school for these trips? or do you home school?

Jodie

Hi Jodie
I take her out. Luckily the school here is very supportive of the kids traveling, as they can learn so much more by experience rather than sitting in a classroom.

Last summer we did some 5th grade work at home, because I knew she'd be missing 2 weeks this month. Then we added the cruise on Independence. I normally wouldn't have her miss so much, but now that I'm leaving Europe next summer I had to move some of our trips around. While we were on Independence, Jasmine spent an hour a day doing homework (even weekends) and was able to stay current with her class. Her books will be crossing the pond with us this weekend, and her teacher sends daily emails, so I think we'll be okay.

The Dec cruise is the last week before Christmas break, so a lot of kids will be out. And for Egypt, she'll only miss 4 days of school due to Spring break and then teachers's conferences!

There is so much to see and learn about here in Europe. And its amazing to see how interested the kids are in learning about it all.

 

[pillow]

Hi Jodie
I take her out. Luckily the school here is very supportive of the kids traveling, as they can learn so much more by experience rather than sitting in a classroom.

Last summer we did some 5th grade work at home, because I knew she'd be missing 2 weeks this month. Then we added the cruise on Independence. I normally wouldn't have her miss so much, but now that I'm leaving Europe next summer I had to move some of our trips around. While we were on Independence, Jasmine spent an hour a day doing homework (even weekends) and was able to stay current with her class. Her books will be crossing the pond with us this weekend, and her teacher sends daily emails, so I think we'll be okay.

The Dec cruise is the last week before Christmas break, so a lot of kids will be out. And for Egypt, she'll only miss 4 days of school due to Spring break and then teachers's conferences!

There is so much to see and learn about here in Europe. And its amazing to see how interested the kids are in learning about it all.

Wow! Sounds like you school system is wonderfully supportive. Lucky Jasmine! My dd is in 3rd grade this year - think it would be easy for her to miss, but my ds started middle school. I can already tell that the work is harder - think it would be a little trickier to take him out. I would love to be able to travel when the rates were lower. Interestingly, my kids liked the Med trip, but they told me afterwards that they got a little bored on the excursions. I said, "please don't tell me you were bored in ROME!!" Kids!!! I guess thats one good thing about doing the Dis cruise - they get to enjoy the ship after a "boring" day in Rome.

Jodie

 

[JsMom2]

Wow! Sounds like you school system is wonderfully supportive. Lucky Jasmine! My dd is in 3rd grade this year - think it would be easy for her to miss, but my ds started middle school. I can already tell that the work is harder - think it would be a little trickier to take him out. I would love to be able to travel when the rates were lower. Interestingly, my kids liked the Med trip, but they told me afterwards that they got a little bored on the excursions. I said, "please don't tell me you were bored in ROME!!" Kids!!! I guess thats one good thing about doing the Dis cruise - they get to enjoy the ship after a "boring" day in Rome.

Jodie

Yes, we are definitely lucky. She's in 5th grade now, so we may be getting closer to that point where it's not feasible.

The trick is to get the kids interested in the place before you go. We watched the movie "Gladiator" a few months ago, and Jasmine was much more interested in the coliseum a couple weeks ago than she was when we were there on the Magic. The bloody, gory history of Europe is great inspiration for the kids. Then their imaginations take over and voila!

And remember it was VERY hot on our MedHead sailing, so I can see why anyone would've been anxious to get back to the ship. And I'm sure I was probably just as happy as your kids to be back onboard.

 

[pillow]

Yes, we are definitely lucky. She's in 5th grade now, so we may be getting closer to that point where it's not feasible.

The trick is to get the kids interested in the place before you go. We watched the movie "Gladiator" a few months ago, and Jasmine was much more interested in the coliseum a couple weeks ago than she was when we were there on the Magic. The bloody, gory history of Europe is great inspiration for the kids. Then their imaginations take over and voila!

And remember it was VERY hot on our MedHead sailing, so I can see why anyone would've been anxious to get back to the ship. And I'm sure I was probably just as happy as your kids to be back onboard.

We actually did read some books before the Med cruise. You're right though - that day in Rome was stiflingly hot - 95 if I remember correctly. With my son's overactive imagination, if he watched Gladiator, he would probably be up every night with bloody gory nightmares!!

J

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Hey everybody. I was just checking in to see if we were any closer to knowing where the ships headed for 2010????? Any educated guess? Thanks!

 

[vossjemi]

I just got Frommer's cruise newsltr, and NCL has some deals today for Med cruises that include free airfare! We can't go, but I wondered if $2000pp w/free air for a balcony cabin was a good price. It certainly sounded like a good deal to me. http://www.frommers.com/blog/2008/09/here-reduced-price-12-night.html

 

[stephent2008]

If you want to fly to europe cheaply you can. Airlines such as FlyGlobespan and carters such as thomsonfly offer cheap flights to the UK, and then just jump on an easyjet or ryanair as a connection. It's a bit complicated to get your head around it, but the savings are there.... I have done it, but normaly just let BA sort it all out for me... plus BA has much better food, and free drinks!

 

[ButterbearUK]

I agree on the 4 x 12 day cruises.


There are 'possibilities' here and on there usual timescale there are 'gaps' I presume they decided what was 'peak' time to visit the Baltic, IE for the best weather etc, June sounds sensible, the better weather before and after that will be further South.

I have herd 'a series of linked cruises' etc, I have herd Bermuda mentioned, so there could be something to fill in the gaps, I hope so as I want to cruise in Europe late July early August but not a repo.

Guys, I think that the reason that the dates in the Baltic are June and July may be to take in the "White Nights" up in St Petersburg:

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/whitenights.asp

They might then be planning to head somewhere else after.

I found $933 (incl tax) the other day out of Dulles - roundtrip. I think the carrier was BMI (??never heard of them), but when I looked at the flight detail, the flight was actually a United flight. Not sure what thats all about.

J

Pillow, BMI are British Midland, we fly with them to the Channel Islands. They work in partnership with United on the Transatlantic route, as they are both part of the Star Alliance Group.

Looking forward to finding out more. Here's hoping the prices aren't stupidly high!!

Milia

 

[ButterbearUK]

Oh, and my Mum found a Carnival cruise online that is a 12 night tour of the Baltic from Dover, England, itinerary is:

Dover
Day at Sea
Copenhagen
Berlin (Warnemund)
Helsinki
St Petersburg
St Petersburg
Tallinn
Day at Sea
Day at Sea
Amsterdam
Dover

Hope that DCL go for something similar.

Milia

 

[Happy99]

Yes RCI uses the word "suite" quite loosely. Even a "Grand Suite" doesn't compare to a Cat 3 on DCL! But we just sailed in a Jr Suite on Independence and it was definitely larger than a Cat 5 or 6 on DCL. There is only one bathroom, but it does have a tub and 2 medicine cabinets. The walk-in closet is awesome, and the balcony was much more spacious also. We loved it!

Also check out NCL's European cruises. We're sailing to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal on Norwegian Jade in December in a Penthouse Suite with a butler and concierge service. We were originally paying around $5100 for the 9 nt cruise, but during one of their sales I was able to get the price down to $2800!!

Keep looking for 2009, because RCI and NCL do offer sales on a regular basis. I also just got a price reduction of $1200 for our Egypt cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas next March!

The only problem is that those months are off season dates and not everyone can travel then if there are children in schools involved. Especially children in high school

 

[xangav]

but I've been following this thread and it seems all you folks are definitely in the know. I am thinking about the trans repo and the first cruise and wondering if there is a best way to go about booking this. It is basically two separate cruises but I was wondering about getting lucky and booking the same cabin on both and being able to keep our stuff in there. I vaguely remember there were a few people doing something like this last year for the Med. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[NancyIL]

Hey everybody. I was just checking in to see if we were any closer to knowing where the ships headed for 2010????? Any educated guess? Thanks!

We are quite a bit closer! Start reading on page 22 of this thread!