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

[haddybaby]

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.

If you're flexible as to what type of spa services you want, wait to see what specials they have onboard. However, the cruises I've been on in the past, they do sell out of the more popular services, like massages, very early on. Check the cancellation guidelines, maybe you could schedule something for towards the end of the cruise, then, cancel if they offer a better deal once onboard.

 

[haddybaby]

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

We're also going to be doing Malta on our own. I'm not sure exactly what yet though. I've been looking at the Playmobil Factory, but it has mixed reviews. I'd like to try to find a Blue Grotto tour as well (we were too slow on the DCL one too).

 

[auntlynne]

...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?...

Per someone's recommendation, I bought the Creation Station 9 (something like that) - just haven't gotten around to opening the box.

Lynne

 

[dolphingirl47]

Per someone's recommendation, I bought the Creation Station 9 (something like that) - just haven't gotten around to opening the box.

Lynne

Thanks Lynne. I will see if I can get this over here.

Corinna

 

[grlzmom]

Per someone's recommendation, I bought the Creation Station 9 (something like that) - just haven't gotten around to opening the box.

Lynne

Lynne, I've been using mine for lots of the kids school projects and it's great. No time to work on cruise magnets yet but I do like the Creation Station

 

[tina95]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

 

[Lyrah]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

It' great to meet more cruisers! My daughter will be happy that there is another teen joining us.

 

[NC_Tink]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

Happy to have more cruisers on board!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

My parents and in-laws are joining us now, so we're up to 8 people in our group! The military discount was too great for them to pass up.

 

[linkandclover]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

Welcome
My 13 year old will be glad to have another teenage boy around (all of his friends are 14 and 15).

By the way just got all of my passports in the mail. I have to take back what I said about Canada they have sped up their process significantly. Nice to know I worried for nothing. US passport expedited took less than 2 weeks and we did not pay extra for overnight shipping.

 

[haddybaby]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

YAY!!!

 

[uwo93]

this is tragic, but it appears to be very, very rare to have a series of such large waves in the Mediterranean. In 2003, the Med. was like glass for our entire cruise.

http://video.ap.org/?g=0304dvs_cruise_ship_deaths

btw, the video does show the Barcelona port and bridge leading to/from the port for those trying to get perspective on the area.

 

[venny]

This is pretty awful to hear, although it does seem very, very rare. Like you say, the Med is typically very calm and I'd imagine that by the time spring rolls around the weather should hopefully be better. I did hear about another incident a week or so ago in Europe where a ship hit the side of a dock which gouged a hole in the side of the ship and killed two crew members. All this news isn't filling me with confidence for my first ever cruise.

BTW, I don't think I've mentioned some of our details, if anyone wants to update. We're Cat 12#GTY - Mike(me) and Louise(SO), Late dining.

 

[shushh]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

My parents and in-laws are joining us now, so we're up to 8 people in our group! The military discount was too great for them to pass up.

Welcome to all the new cruisers!

By the way just got all of my passports in the mail. I have to take back what I said about Canada they have sped up their process significantly. Nice to know I worried for nothing. US passport expedited took less than 2 weeks and we did not pay extra for overnight shipping.

Glad it all worked out quickly!

 

[grlzmom]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

I have a dd15 cruising.

My parents and in-laws are joining us now, so we're up to 8 people in our group! The military discount was too great for them to pass up.

Military discount is a great deal, glad you were able to add all the parents!

 

[mrosen]

This is pretty awful to hear, although it does seem very, very rare. Like you say, the Med is typically very calm and I'd imagine that by the time spring rolls around the weather should hopefully be better. I did hear about another incident a week or so ago in Europe where a ship hit the side of a dock which gouged a hole in the side of the ship and killed two crew members. All this news isn't filling me with confidence for my first ever cruise.

We are also first time cruisers and I share your concern on confidence as this news about these recent cruise ship mis-haps in Med unsettling. I hope we don't have any issues on our Disney cruise in April.

 

[goofprincess]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

WELCOME

It just gets better and better; this is a great group. We're on the TA so doing B2B.

 

[goofprincess]

My parents and in-laws are joining us now, so we're up to 8 people in our group! The military discount was too great for them to pass up.

Wahoo; that's so great.

WELCOME to the parents and in-laws.

 

[Becx N Gav]

Scary story about the freak waves I also couldn't believe they posted a video online - lookied like a very scary experience

Thanks Lynne again for your website, I have been looking around and it's great to have all that info in one place Looks like more people are joining the FE group too I can't wait to see what everyone does

I am wondering if this cruise will be full? It looks like the last minute Cat 12 prices have encouraged some more people. Only 50 days until we find out

 

[dolphingirl47]

We just made reservations today!
This trip will be Mom and DS (15)I still need to get him a passport so we will be busy today. I also need to look into shore trip?

My parents and in-laws are joining us now, so we're up to 8 people in our group! The military discount was too great for them to pass up.

to all our new cruisers.

Corinna