4/10/2010 eb ta "bound for barcelona"

[kumquat88]

....Mommy - can you use your connections and find out what movies are showing on the big screen for us?

"Yes, please, please, please" ditto here too!

 

[kumquat88]

Does Disney cruises do any activity "rewards" that you can redeem at the end of the cruise for cruise-related stuff (hats, shirts, etc.)? Similar to Holland America's Dam bucks, or Royal Carribean's ship-shape dollars. I haven't seen any mention of this anywhere so I imagine probably not.

Also, does anyone know any details of what onboard enrichment (for adults) activities are planned? Is this something we don't find out until we are on the ship? I looked on AuntLynne's website but it only has the daily itinerary from the 2007 EB sailing.

I think I can only work out and sit by the pool for only so long, especially during those 7 days straight at sea.

 

[obobber]

A few pages back there was chat about "PC purchased upgrades".. What are they? When/where do you get them?

It seems they book way more cat 12GTY cabins than they have, then distribute guests throughout the ship.

Two months from today this will all be academic.

By the way, they say we got just under 6 inches of winter mess over night with up to another 12 predicted. Once again, the state of Delaware is shut down for snow emergency. Sheeeez!

 

[ibouncetoo]

Also, does anyone know any details of what onboard enrichment (for adults) activities are planned? Is this something we don't find out until we are on the ship? I looked on AuntLynne's website but it only has the daily itinerary from the 2007 EB sailing.

I think I can only work out and sit by the pool for only so long, especially during those 7 days straight at sea.

Depends on how 'enriched' you want to be. Besides the normal "Art of Entertainmet" series (prep of desserts, entres, cake/plate decorating, napkin folding) stuff, there is a galley tour and and behind the scenes theater tour. The longer cruises have brought in guest speakers. The 08 Panama had Jeff Kurtti, who's basically as historical expert on Disney, and he gave two very interesting talks. Wouldn't be surprised if Don "Ducky" Williams (illustrator) is on the ship. His story of working for Disney is pretty amazing. I'm sure folks who have done one of the transatlantics can advise of some of the special events they've done in the past. They have also brought in some special entertainment on the longer voyages, i.e. Back Street Boys, Susan Egan.

During the crossing there will probably be a 'mystery at sea' done by the entertainment crew, which will stretch over several days. I enjoyed that on the WBPC.

A few pages back there was chat about "PC purchased upgrades".. What are they? When/where do you get them?

It seems they book way more cat 12GTY cabins than they have, then distribute guests throughout the ship.

Once at the port on embarkation day, if there are cabins available, after you check in you can go to the far right line and purchase upgrades. The cost to upgrade from one cabin type to the next (inside to oceanview, oceanview to verandah, verandah to family verandah, and finally to Cats 3, 2, 1) is a set price based on length of cruise. This price is significantly lower than what you would have paid two days before the cruise had you called Disney and asked to upgrade yourself.

I wouldn't be surprised if some folks start geting phone calls offering upgrades for sale, as they have done this in the past. The price of these is a pretty good value, but not as low as they would be on embarkation day. It's just on embarkation day you run the risk of not having what you desire available. And you have to be at the port when it opens!

.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Oh, and to clarify on the port upgrades. If you booked, say, a Cat 12 and DCL assigned you to a cat 9, and you decided you wanted to try for a verandah upgrade at the port, you would need to pay for TWO levels in upgrades. Even though they had assigned you to an oceanview, you PAID for a inside and that's what they will base the upgrade cost upon.

.

 

[spyles]

Instead of going to London we are going to Paris. Promised the kids Disneyland Paris. Anyone been before?

Disney is frustrating me because if you stay at one of the resorts you have to get tickets for everyday you stay - you cannot just select one or two days.

But they do have bus transportation to the resorts (around $200 RT for 4 of us) which would make me feel better than trying to find other transportation to the hotel.

now to find the cheapest resort for us all to stay at and plan our days to be part disney/part paris each day - maybe Paris in the morning/early aafternoon and Disney each evening.

more decsions! But it is seeming to be cheaper than going to London.

Krisann

Derek and I were just at Disneyland Paris last April. The reason why we decided against it this time was that the crowds were a bit busy on the weekend, and surprisingly busy during the week. We found out later that it's also the long spring holiday for the local (Paris) school children, as it is this year as well. The weather was fabulous though! It was warm enough for shorts for many of the days.

Mark and I went to DLP a few years ago, and did the bus from the airport to DLP Hotel. The ONLY reason why we did that instead of the high speed train was because our plane schedule changed, and we arrived too late to take the train. It's fairly easy to find - just look for the signs. There was a crowd of people in front of us, so we had to wait for the second bus..so keep that in mind that it's first come first served (or whoever can push to the front more successfully as you might see at times ). The bus took, from what I recall, a little over 55 minutes once we got everyone loaded to Disneyland Paris Hotel itself (it stopped at a few of the other resorts first).

If the timeline is good for you - do the train. It's 10 mins, and it's awesome. http://parisbytrain.com/cdg-to-eurodisney/ is a good primer on what to do, step by step, and what you'll encounter. if you're staying at any of the moderate or DLP hotel itself, it's a short walk from the rail station - very easy to do. It's also less insane than dealing with the bus and people trying to push their luggage, children, etc, on...irregardless of the queue.

We did a package through Disney last year as well, and we got them to shave a day off at the end by letting them know we wouldn't use the last day (as we were leaving in the morning, and it was a waste of a day when our train left at 11am). That might be helpful to you to ask your travel agent to see if they'll take a day off your package. It seems a waste, you know?

If you didn't want to stay at Disney the whole time, or were looking for an off-site Disney hotel - the Marriott Val d'Europe is very nice. There's shuttles to Disneyland Paris, and I also believe from the rail station itself. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pardp-marriotts-village-dlle-de-france/ for that info.

I think it might be better to "split" Disney and Paris, because going from Marne La Vallee every day to the Ile-de-France (Paris) is over an hour each day you're spending on a train (if there's no delays), and it's not entirely pleasant especially at rush hour. You might also find something better priced in Paris, compared to Disney, and then that way, when you're at Disney, you can focus on Disney. Derek and I had a much better experience than Mark and I did by splitting Paris/Disney rather than combining them. That was a huge lessons learned for me.

The travel from Paris-DLP isn't too bad, don't get me wrong. But I wouldn't want to do it daily, you know? It would get old really quick.

-Steve

 

[kumquat88]

Depends on how 'enriched' you want to be. Besides the normal "Art of Entertainmet" series (prep of desserts, entres, cake/plate decorating, napkin folding) stuff, there is a galley tour and and behind the scenes theater tour. The longer cruises have brought in guest speakers. The 08 Panama had Jeff Kurtti, who's basically as historical expert on Disney, and he gave two very interesting talks. Wouldn't be surprised if Don "Ducky" Williams (illustrator) is on the ship. His story of working for Disney is pretty amazing. I'm sure folks who have done one of the transatlantics can advise of some of the special events they've done in the past. They have also brought in some special entertainment on the longer voyages, i.e. Back Street Boys, Susan Egan.

During the crossing there will probably be a 'mystery at sea' done by the entertainment crew, which will stretch over several days. I enjoyed that on the WBPC.
.

Great information. I guess I can be rest assured there will be these guest speakers and/or special entertainment on this TA cruise. Yay! Where and when can one signup for the galley tour and behind the scenes theater tour - I imagine once onboard somewhere.

 

[brannose]

First of all, forgive me for note reading all 129 pages of this thread to see what had already been posted. I just don't have the time.

We are booked back to back on the crossing cruise and the Med cruise and have booked private tours for the Italy stops on the Med cruise. This has made me wonder about arranging private tours on some of the crossing stops. Has anyone investigate private tours and/or are you interested in sharing them? It seems like a great way to get a better tour at a lower cost.

 

[joius24]

First of all, forgive me for note reading all 129 pages of this thread to see what had already been posted. I just don't have the time.

We are booked back to back on the crossing cruise and the Med cruise and have booked private tours for the Italy stops on the Med cruise. This has made me wonder about arranging private tours on some of the crossing stops. Has anyone investigate private tours and/or are you interested in sharing them? It seems like a great way to get a better tour at a lower cost.

Welcome branose!

I would at least read posts 1-15 on this thread ..there are links to the awesome TA and B2B Website AuntLynne made...on that website there are some folks who posted private tour plans etc...and I am sure they will also read this and contact you... but in order to communicate in a private message with others...you have to post at least 10 times... so you may want to do some little info posts about you and your companions to start... I think there is still room in a Palo group brunch too (last time I checked)....post away and good luck!

 

[PrincessMonkey]

You can do the major sites in Paris in a day, unless you want to spend alot of time in the Louve.

If you haven't travelled in Europe France can be a challenge due to language where in England you don't have to overcome that. You would not have the problem in Disney or the tourist spots. I did not speak any French but took it with eyes open and succeeded in doing any thing I wanted to do.

Hi Donald, great advice! The Louvre is HUGE, and you could easily spend days wandering around... Fans of The Da Vinci Code may wish to spend more than one day there, it is THAT big and interesting. Plus, the museum's cafeteria has an incredible and inexpensive food court; I love the roasted chicken and seafood there, and the sushi was very fresh.

Haunted Mansion was especially eerie to me...alot more macabre than her american sisters, but I found it more intriguing. Also the best Thunder Mountain Railroad ride there.

Don't forget the best ride... Space Mountain at DLP! It's faster than the US version, has a great soundtrack and takes you upside down.

Depends on how 'enriched' you want to be. Besides the normal "Art of Entertainment" series (prep of desserts, entres, cake/plate decorating, napkin folding) stuff, there is a galley tour and and behind the scenes theater tour... During the crossing there will probably be a 'mystery at sea' done by the entertainment crew.

We are looking forward to this Disney "enrichment" on the cruise! Your post excited me all over again. When we deciding to book the cruise, the 2007 Navigator reminded us of the great sessions at the D23 Expo, which we really enjoyed.

Derek and I were just at Disneyland Paris last April... We found out later that it's also the long spring holiday for the local (Paris) school children, as it is this year as well. The weather was fabulous though!

Derek and I had a much better experience than Mark and I did by splitting Paris/Disney rather than combining them. That was a huge lesson learned for me.

Thanks for the tip on the Parisian kids' spring holiday! That may shorten our trip too. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to navigate the DLP website. The last time I was at DLP, I did it as a day-trip from Paris, but it would be nice to stay there and skip that train ride... Anyone know a DLP-savvy travel agent who could book this for us?

PrincessMonkey

 

[KrisannB]

It has been a few years since been to Disneyland Paris, but they had express trains running between the resort and Paris. If I was you I would pick a day to do Paris and a day to do Disney since either would be a long day and you don't want to spend twice on the train wasting time getting between the two.

You could even stay in Paris and go to Disney, but never did this. We did stay in the Wildness Lodges (I don't know if they still have them) which were trailers but did not have, at that time the requirement to stay in the park each day.

You can do the major sites in Paris in a day, unless you want to spend alot of time in the Louve. The subway of Paris is fantastic for this if you are able to walk (I could at that time). Have done Paris in a day for friends in the early 90's but things don't change much (they have many years in the same place compared to the US) and when back for a quick peak in early 2000's things had not changed much other than cost.

Could give tips from years ago and you could verify accuracy. If you haven't travelled in Europe France can be a challenge due to language where in England you don't have to overcome that. You would not have the problem in Disney or the tourist spots. I did not speak any French but took it with eyes open and succeeded in doing any thing I wanted to do.

Donald

Thanks so much. We were in Paris as a family in 2007 and spent 3 days/2 nights - which really only gave us 1 full day of site seeing and we choose to take the boat to see the sites and then spent hours at the eiffle tower - which we loved. We stayed in Paris that time and did not do disney that trip because I could not find a room when we were there (it was in June) so we skipped it. I really want to take the kids to versailles (SP??) as I visited there on a 2 week trip to France when I graduated high school and that was the highlight of my trip (with the exception of finding several new boyfriends on the trip) and I to take my hubby and children to visit this place I remember so fondly - and it was not the palace I fell in love with - it was the grounds - we road bikes, took out a row boat and walked.

Wanting to do the disney thing and paris each day was because if I had to buy a ticket I was going to make the most of it! But I have a new plan now (see below)

Derek and I were just at Disneyland Paris last April. The reason why we decided against it this time was that the crowds were a bit busy on the weekend, and surprisingly busy during the week. We found out later that it's also the long spring holiday for the local (Paris) school children, as it is this year as well. The weather was fabulous though! It was warm enough for shorts for many of the days.

Mark and I went to DLP a few years ago, and did the bus from the airport to DLP Hotel. The ONLY reason why we did that instead of the high speed train was because our plane schedule changed, and we arrived too late to take the train. It's fairly easy to find - just look for the signs. There was a crowd of people in front of us, so we had to wait for the second bus..so keep that in mind that it's first come first served (or whoever can push to the front more successfully as you might see at times ). The bus took, from what I recall, a little over 55 minutes once we got everyone loaded to Disneyland Paris Hotel itself (it stopped at a few of the other resorts first).

If the timeline is good for you - do the train. It's 10 mins, and it's awesome. http://parisbytrain.com/cdg-to-eurodisney/ is a good primer on what to do, step by step, and what you'll encounter. if you're staying at any of the moderate or DLP hotel itself, it's a short walk from the rail station - very easy to do. It's also less insane than dealing with the bus and people trying to push their luggage, children, etc, on...irregardless of the queue.

We did a package through Disney last year as well, and we got them to shave a day off at the end by letting them know we wouldn't use the last day (as we were leaving in the morning, and it was a waste of a day when our train left at 11am). That might be helpful to you to ask your travel agent to see if they'll take a day off your package. It seems a waste, you know?

If you didn't want to stay at Disney the whole time, or were looking for an off-site Disney hotel - the Marriott Val d'Europe is very nice. There's shuttles to Disneyland Paris, and I also believe from the rail station itself. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pardp-marriotts-village-dlle-de-france/ for that info.

I think it might be better to "split" Disney and Paris, because going from Marne La Vallee every day to the Ile-de-France (Paris) is over an hour each day you're spending on a train (if there's no delays), and it's not entirely pleasant especially at rush hour. You might also find something better priced in Paris, compared to Disney, and then that way, when you're at Disney, you can focus on Disney. Derek and I had a much better experience than Mark and I did by splitting Paris/Disney rather than combining them. That was a huge lessons learned for me.

The travel from Paris-DLP isn't too bad, don't get me wrong. But I wouldn't want to do it daily, you know? It would get old really quick.

-Steve

Ok we have now booked a room at the Marriott. I just hope they do not make me do a timeshare thing and it is truely a straight room because it is a great deal!

I have a AAA card and got a 2 bedroom (one room king bed, one room 2 twins and living room with sofa sleeper) 2 baths, full kitchen, living room and dining area for 169 euro a night! If I did not have a AAA card I would get one just to save at this hotel as the AAA rate is not a prepay but without it to get this rate you have to prepay - regular non prepay is 199 euros so the AAA card would pay for itself with about one night. It makes me nervous to prepay!

Now have you actually stayed at this hotel or just know about it? I have some other questions if you have stayed if you do not mind.

Thanks again! This looks like a great place to stay!

Krisann

 

[spyles]

Ok we have now booked a room at the Marriott. I just hope they do not make me do a timeshare thing and it is truely a straight room because it is a great deal!

I have a AAA card and got a 2 bedroom (one room king bed, one room 2 twins and living room with sofa sleeper) 2 baths, full kitchen, living room and dining area for 169 euro a night! If I did not have a AAA card I would get one just to save at this hotel as the AAA rate is not a prepay but without it to get this rate you have to prepay - regular non prepay is 199 euros so the AAA card would pay for itself with about one night. It makes me nervous to prepay!

Now have you actually stayed at this hotel or just know about it? I have some other questions if you have stayed if you do not mind.

Thanks again! This looks like a great place to stay!

Krisann

Krisann -

I've had friends stay there because they were timeshare owners (Marriott Vacation Club). They were quite pleased with the visit, as they had a free shuttle to Disneyland, and they could get into Paris using the RER trains with no real problems. It was, in their opinion, "a good compromise that wasn't Disney, but wasn't Paris either."

I think it's popular as well on the DLP Boards here. It might be worth asking questions on the DLP planning board, since there's some folks out there with more intimate experience with the hotel.

-Steve

 

[KrisannB]

Don't forget the best ride... Space Mountain at DLP! It's faster than the US version, has a great soundtrack and takes you upside down.

Thanks for the tip on the Parisian kids' spring holiday! That may shorten our trip too. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to navigate the DLP website. The last time I was at DLP, I did it as a day-trip from Paris, but it would be nice to stay there and skip that train ride... Anyone know a DLP-savvy travel agent who could book this for us?

PrincessMonkey

Space mountain is out for us - we do not even like the one at WDW - I scarred my kids (and me) for life by "making" us go on it in 2003 so we will skip that.


Booking the Marriott was very easy on their site - no need for a travel agent - and they have a room that includes the tickets for one day for 2 adults - it was 289 euro. Not sure how much tickets actually are so not sure how good of a deal that is and it is a 2 night min - so tickets would need to be 100 euro each to make this a good deal. If not I would stick to the regular room rate (get a AAA card) and buy tickets separate. The marriott looks to be a wonderful place to stay - and their "sauna" has what looks to be heated tile lounge benches!

Krisann

 

[dennisgirl]

I have a few questions.
We booked with DVC and will never do that again. I asked how much it was to upgrade from a cat 11 to 6. They said I would have to use 330 points for one person, pay for the other one and pay the $95.00 fee. OMG!
So my question are,
What time does the port open, so maybe we can upgrade then?
What time does the first bus leave MCO for the port?
Should we rent a car and drive to the port to get there earlier than the bus?
If so, what are the recommendation for rentals?
Thanks from a frustrated DVC member
Jennifer

 

[Michelle2]

Don't forget the best ride... Space Mountain at DLP! It's faster than the US version, has a great soundtrack and takes you upside down.

PrincessMonkey

You are right! I forgot about that one. I get my foreign Disney parks all mixed up!
This one was not quite a highlight for me because I got such a BAD headache after going on it. It really thrashed my head around so I don't think I enjoyed it that much. I even braced my head against the back, and still no good, made it worse. Once was enough for me! LOL
If I did get the opportunity to go back, I would still do it again...just only once.

Branose, welcome! There are a few of us that are doing the back to back. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! A little overwhelming, but I am planning to do alot on our own.

 

[bound2travel]

Yeah, and I've got 6 years on you and thought handsome. I'm no cougar or even a housecat. I've never been married & have barely dated. I think there's a sign on my forehead that says "keep away."

I've never been married either and I think I have the same sign -

So you must be someone I can sit with near the pool, in the bar (somewhere) - behind sunglasses and make comments on the men as they walk by? Of course only loud enough for us to hear.

Kristi

 

[joius24]

I've never been married either and I think I have the same sign -

So you must be someone I can sit with near the pool, in the bar (somewhere) - behind sunglasses and make comments on the men as they walk by? Of course only loud enough for us to hear.

Kristi

Can I join you ladies?.... Haven't done the white dress thing yet myself

 

[IngridRalph]

Advice Needed.....

I currently have 4 GTY category 12 rooms linked together. Do you think seperating them into 2 groups of 2 rooms would help my chances of an upgrade?

~Ingrid

 

[kcashner]

Can I join you ladies?.... Haven't done the white dress thing yet myself

Wow, there are a lot of us.

 

[kcashner]

Advice Needed.....

I currently have 4 GTY category 12 rooms linked together. Do you think seperating them into 2 groups of 2 rooms would help my chances of an upgrade?

~Ingrid

I really don't think it will make any difference. There are A LOT of cat 12s booked. What will matter in upgrades will be the recently released CM and TA rates and how many more rooms they manage to sell.

I'm obviously reading back pages. On DCL, there is no difference whether you tip in cash or charge your tips. I've been assured by both GS CMs and several servers that DCL does not take a service charge--they get every penny you charge. One server in particular felt that charged tips were easier for him as he was sending home most of his money; he got plenty of cash for his limited personal needs on the ship and didn't have to worry about loss, theft, or otherwise when the bulk of tips were charged. As with others, I've typically charged at least the suggested amount and sometimes added additional cash to the envelope.