4/24/2010 Med cruise: Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your Ears

[Happy Goofy]

Do we have a logo for that? I would like to get a sweatshirt with it on - that way it would cover both cruises.

 

[merrybee]

Hi All,

I don't know who's updating the roll call but my son's age is incorrect. MerryBee's son should be 6 years not 2 years. Just an FYI for the next update.

For the FE exchange, do we do one gift to all FE participants per night or are we each assigned a night?

Thanks,
Bee

 

[linkandclover]

Hi All,

I don't know who's updating the roll call but my son's age is incorrect. MerryBee's son should be 6 years not 2 years. Just an FYI for the next update.

For the FE exchange, do we do one gift to all FE participants per night or are we each assigned a night?

Thanks,
Bee

For the FE we will be divided in to groups of 12 cabins and it is one gift per cabin minimum. I am not sure if you get assigned a night or you choose which night you want to do. The idea is that you should not accumulate too much extra to bring home. I am unsure as to when all of this is to be finalized.

Debby

 

[guynwdm]

I am still not making any progress with my planning for the cruise itself. However, I am starting to look at our pre-cruise stay in Barcelona. One of my team members used to work for a different cruise line in Barcelona and he has put together some recommendations for us and also provided me with some reading material. So that is my project for this week.

Corinna

Glad to know I am not the only one who is in this boat (pardon the pun).

I just booked a last minute trip to the D23 party in Disneyland next week. The list of imagineers they have coming is awesome. Hope I get to talk to them as well as get pictures. I keep coming up with trips before this trip and then I put this one off.

Rob

 

[venny]

Great to hear most people's plans are coming together. As far as questions or queries about general DCL items go, I've found it quicker to post on the boards. Normally I get a reply within a few minutes thanks to all the helpful people about

In fact I did have another query that someone may be able to help me with. I have some Euro Travellers Cheques and was wondering whether I can change these into cash (Euros) onboard? I know you can settle your account with TCs, but wondered if this might be different since the Euro isn't the "official" currency of DCL.

 

[NC_Tink]

My understanding is that you can exchange currency on the ship -- but I don't know what the limit is per day.

 

[lynnemcb]

Hi All

Names for roll call - Emily age 8 and Jonathan age 6. Myself Lynne and husband Ivor.

Tried to book the Blue Grotto tour through DCL but no spaces left - should have been quicker!!!! So back to the drawing board and will probably just wander round Valetta on our own unless its easy enough to get to Blue Grotto on our own. has anyone got any information on how to do this? Seems there are busses around the island but dont know how easy that will be.

Is anyone doing the Malta stop independently without a tour guide ?

Lynne

 

[friend of tinkerbell]

If you have your heart set on the Blue Grotto, there is still a chance you could get it. A Disney rep told us to keep checking the website daily for any excursion we wanted that was full. She said cruisers change their minds as the cruise draws near, and drop or change excursions. She said it's common for people to fill their itinerary to make sure they lock in excursions, then drop several when it comes down to dollars and cents. When a cruiser drops an excursion, it will be available to others immediatly.

 

[carpenta]

Originally I thought that Tunis and Villefranche were the two tender ports...but looking at the previous Med Navigators shows La Spezia as a tender port...can anyone confirm?

The only time I've been through a tender process is Elite status on Princess so we had priority tender...can anyone share experiences with tendering on Disney?

we docked in 2007. it is a commercial type dock area.I guess it just depends on the number of ships in port. At that time of year there should be little traffic. Tendering is quite organized and is grouped according to the excursions and cabin #s. You are dircted to a certain area of the ship such as a lounge and then proceed as a group.Disney did a great job in 2007 IMHO.

 

[carpenta]

My understanding is that you can exchange currency on the ship -- but I don't know what the limit is per day.

Yes they exchange at the service desk and if I remember correctly it was $200. U.S. and at the time the exchange rate was 1.46 Euro to $1. But they sometimes run out depending on how many people call for that service.U.S. So we have taken an amount of Euro's with us for tipping the drivers and small purchases in shops before we board. Luckily the exchange rate is more favorable than 2007. Oh. by the way...WELCOME ALL THE NEW SHIPMATES!

 

[skoi]

Hi All,

I don't know who's updating the roll call but my son's age is incorrect. MerryBee's son should be 6 years not 2 years. Just an FYI for the next update.

For the FE exchange, do we do one gift to all FE participants per night or are we each assigned a night?

Thanks,
Bee

Thanks and sorry. I'll fix it.
Julie

 

[Jeff Spencer]

we docked in 2007. it is a commercial type dock area.

We tendered in La Spezia on our Magic cruise in June 2007.

 

[carpenta]

We tendered in La Spezia on our Magic cruise in June 2007.

We were there in May and yes you are correct. I get alot of the cruises and ports jumbled some time. But they do a good job of queing up and transporting on the tenders.

 

[Dicecatt]

I looked at the navigators from the 2007 Med cruises with a focus on spa specials...and didn't see many. I didn't start cruising Disney until late 2008, but on the few I've been on, there is usually a special of the day like a Cleopatra treatment, or samplers, ect. For those of you that have cruised for several years with Disney, do you think that the spa specials might be offered on this voyage? I LOVE Alone Time, but am hesitant to reserve it since it is so costly ($199) and think a "special" might be better in terms of cost. Once I did one with a couple of 20 minute treatments plus rainforest time and champagne and strawberries...for I think $125. Any thoughts on this? We are spending so much on excursions that while I love spa time, I can't quite justify $240 (including tip) when I could spend that on other things.

Alone Time was seriously my favorite spa treatment EVER though.

 

[mrosen]

As this is our first Disney cruise and we booked a Cat 12 GTY, how do you know your room assignment in your online reservation? Does it pop up in reservation at the point they make the room assignment and it will be obvious to me that we got a room assignment? Just wondering how I will know and where exactly I should be looking.

Sorry if my question is silly

 

[dolphingirl47]

As this is our first Disney cruise and we booked a Cat 12 GTY, how do you know your room assignment in your online reservation? Does it pop up in reservation at the point they make the room assignment and it will be obvious to me that we got a room assignment? Just wondering how I will know and where exactly I should be looking.

Sorry if my question is silly

Once the room assignment has been made, you can see this online when you check your reservation. The room number will show. There is no other way of knowing until the cruise documents arrive. We had GTY status once before and we got our room assignment about 40 days prior to sailing.

One little tip though, have a careful look at your room number. The category will always remain at 12, even if you get an upgrade. You can only tell if you have received an upgrade by looking at the room number.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

I think it is finally sinking in that we are going on this cruise and I have started to make preparations. I have just ordered three t shirts for the cruise: one with the lanyard design, one with the black oval design (just ordinary t shirts) and one fitted lady t shirt with a small version of the black oval design on the chest and the lanyard design on the back. I can't wait to get them.

I have also decided to make some magnets this time round. I just realised that Xyron is available in the UK. So I decided to order one and get cracking with some magnets. Those of you that have one already, which model would you recommend?

On the creative topic, I am rethinking my Fish Extended gift. I was working on one per person rather than one per cabin. I would love your input and I am hoping that I won't give away to much. What would you prefer for your cabin: a key chain, a cellphone charm or a bag charm/ zip pull?

Right, I better think about going to work. Will be back later tonight.

Corinna

 

[shushh]

Corinna, I don't think anyone else is awake yet! But all your suggestions for FE gifts sound great and I wouldn't mind getting any one of them

I need to get cracking with the magnets and T-shirts. I still underestimate how much longer it takes me to do something with 3 children hanging off me.

My TA just emailed us something really strange. Apparently DCL had informed them that because we are Australians, we would need a Schengen visa if we were to do private tours or DIY in TUNIS (ie anything other than a DCL excursions) No, it is not a typo. I am assuming that the schengen visa would be to re-enter the schengen area countries (ie Italy) This seems rather odd to me because Australians don't need a schengen visa. When I emailed DCL direct all they replied with was " According to the information we have regarding the Schengen Visa
Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens, it states that citizens of Australia
will not need this particular visa. We do not have anything additional regarding visiting Tunis." ARGHHHH!!!!

 

[grlzmom]

Wow, gone 3 days on a trip and behind.

Welcome to anyone new

Belinda, happy belated birthday and hope it was wonderful.

Julie, your trip is so close and I can't wait to hear about it.

Need to get working on our plans for excursions and get it done and finalized.


Going to go back and read the thread and catch up!

 

[Lyrah]

Tried to book the Blue Grotto tour through DCL but no spaces left - should have been quicker!!!! So back to the drawing board and will probably just wander round Valetta on our own unless its easy enough to get to Blue Grotto on our own. has anyone got any information on how to do this? Seems there are busses around the island but dont know how easy that will be.

Is anyone doing the Malta stop independently without a tour guide ?

Hi Lynne,

Check out visitmalta.com, it has a lot of great information. There was an area about the Blue Grotto on there. I think you take a bus or taxi to the little village by there. They have boats that run regularly scheduled trips daily. It is about a 30 minute boat ride.

We are seeing this port on our own. We are planning on taking the bus, which is euro 3.49 for an all day pass, (they are really cool old vintage buses) to Mdina for a couple of hours.

Then we are going to take the little tourist train, a 30 minute senic ride for euro 4.00 A, and euro 2.50 C.

Then we are heading back to Valletta to see the Gardens, the Palace, and if we can fit it in, a Dghajsa boat ride in the Grand Harbour.

If you end up not getting to see the Blue Grotto in Malta for some reason, there is an amazing Blue Grotto in Capri, which is a ferry ride from the Naples port.

We went to Capri two summers ago, and it is incredibly beautiful, even breathtaking. My daughter got sick as soon as we arrived, so we had to leave. We are going to try it again this trip, and we are also doing this port on our own. It is really easy to tour the island. If anyone needs any info, just let me know.