6/26/2014 - 9 Night Mediterranean Cruise, Venice, Italy

[crabbymom90]

We just booked this cruise today! So excited!!! We will be in stateroom 2114.

 

[SpaceEngTM]

We booked this yesterday too and we are in stateroom 2116! Talk about a coincidence!

Our TA first booked us into a secret porthole room on deck 5, which turned out to be more expensive than the regular porthole rooms on deck 2 so I had her switch us and saved $500. I personally really like deck 2 so don't know why I would pay more for deck 5. Anyhoo, right now it's just myself, my husband and two little girls who will be 7 and 5 during the cruise. We have friends who will be in cabin 2111, they have a little boy who will be 7. It's going to be fun!

Let's hope that airline tickets go down, I just checked this morning and if we were flying this summer in June the tickets would be $1500 pp. Yikes!

 

[socababy]

My kids and I are booked on this cruise too! My kids will be 11, 9 and 6 at sail time. However, I am hoping to do this cruise without the kids! My ILs said they will be happy to watch the kids as long as they are in town. They won't know if my FIL will qualify for his work trip until January of 2014. Luckily the PIF date is Feb 2014 so I can remove then anytime before then. If the kids end up coming with me, we will survive! Traveling to and from Venice will be stressful, but we will survive! =)

I am beyond excited about visiting all of the ports!!

 

[crabbymom90]

SpaceEngTM, what a coincidence is right!!! It looks like a great spot to be -- right at the aft elevators.

We are a family of 4 -- my son will be 10 and my daughter will be 7 when we cruise.

Yeah, the airfares are scary...

 

[IrishCowboy]

I have added your thread to the cruise meet list

Have a great cruise!

 

[SpaceEngTM]

Yeah! Already we have several kids around the same age! Although SoCa, I hope you get to have an adults only cruise, that would be so much fun! One of my favorite spots on Magic is the adults pool area near the coffee shop. Sooooo relaxing.

I am also worried a bit about the long flights with little kids. But we have done several long car trips and my girls handled them very well. I will just have to get very inventive with trip gifts and activities that don't weight much and fit into the carry on bags.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

I will be joining you also. It is me, 48, and my DD who is currently 15. We are really excited about the itinerary and we are doing the back to back with the June 14th cruise that precedes this one.

 

[SpaceEngTM]

Wow Tammy, what an amazing adventure you and your daughter are going to have! These two cruises together will be so much fun! A great sample of European ports.

 

[ButterbearUK]

We will be joining you too. Room 5132

 

[lgbroq]

Just cancelled our Venice 2013 so we can go next year for a Back to Back for Venice and Greek Isles! Cannot wait!

Myself: Lysa
DH: Luis
DD: Rubi (8 for this cruise)
DS: Diego (5 for this cruise)

 

[crabbymom90]

Welcome to the meet! June 2014 can't come fast enough.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Wow Tammy, what an amazing adventure you and your daughter are going to have! These two cruises together will be so much fun! A great sample of European ports.

At the moment we also have the Transatlantic booked. But there are two weeks between the TA and the beginning of my B2B. The TA is cheap, almost cheaper than flying, but not sure about work or what inexpensive thing I can plan to do between the 31st of May and June 14th. I may have to just move the TA to 2015 itinerary when they come out. That is the most likely scenario.

I have decided to jump to the July cruises. You guys have fun!

 

[TammyAlphabet]

At the moment we also have the Transatlantic booked. But there are two weeks between the TA and the beginning of my B2B. The TA is cheap, almost cheaper than flying, but not sure about work or what inexpensive thing I can plan to do between the 31st of May and June 14th. I may have to just move the TA to 2015 itinerary when they come out. That is the most likely scenario.

I have decided to do the July cruises instead.

 

[2PrincesseInTow]

We're in... DH, DD (12, almost 13 at sailing), DD (8 at sail time) and me, Sara. DH and I have been to all but Katakolon before and we're looking forward to showing the DDs. DD, 12, has been lobbying for Greece since reading the Percy Jackson series.

I'm trying not to think about it too much yet...16 months to go!

 

[littleacceb]

All booked! Me, DH, DS who will be 3 and as yet unknown gender baby who will be approx 10 months. This is our first cruise so it's all completely new and very exciting!

I'm so glad to not be suffering extortionate airfare for once... We've priced it up for this June with easyjet and it's looking at about £500 return for all of us.

 

[Rogillio]

Booked 2 rooms on this cruise. DD 23 DS 21

Still have to wait 3 months before we can start shopping airfare. Any tips or uggestions for cities to fly into? Thinking about flying into Paris and then driving or taking train to Venice.

 

[2PrincesseInTow]

Booked 2 rooms on this cruise. DD 23 DS 21

Still have to wait 3 months before we can start shopping airfare. Any tips or uggestions for cities to fly into? Thinking about flying into Paris and then driving or taking train to Venice.

Welcome! We're thinking about flying to Rome then visit Florence on our way to Venice. I want to spend a few days in Venice before the cruise. Last time I was there (15 yrs ago) I think we stayed 2 nights and I wished we'd stayed longer.

Flying into Paris is a good idea too. It would be great to take the train or drive.

Happy planning!

 

[Rogillio]

Welcome! We're thinking about flying to Rome then visit Florence on our way to Venice. I want to spend a few days in Venice before the cruise. Last time I was there (15 yrs ago) I think we stayed 2 nights and I wished we'd stayed longer.

Flying into Paris is a good idea too. It would be great to take the train or drive.

Happy planning!

I was just looking at Paris to Venice options. It is 525 miles so it is drivable. So here are a few options we're looking at:

1. Get rental car in Paris and drive aboue 1/2 day and spend the night in Austria or Switzerland. Then drive the rest of the way down to Venice the following day. This would give up much flexibility on seeing things between Paris and Venice

2. Taking a day train from Paris to Venice - just take in the scenary from the train.

3. Take an overnight train and get a sleeper car. They are about $200 pp but we'd sleep on the train and not have to pay for a hotel for that night.


As a minimum, the things I want to see in Paris:

Eifel Tower
Notre Dame
Arc de Triumph
Louvre
Versailles


Anyone have a sense of how much there is to see/do in Venice? I know the obvious, gondola ride....but what are the 'must do' in Venice items?

 

[Rogillio]

Must be too early to start planning? Or maybe people are focused on planning their 2013 vacations and don't have time to think about 2014. Personally, I have the bandwidth for both.

Unfortunately, airlines don't publish fares more than a year out so I can't start looking for airfare yet.

 

[littleacceb]

Must be too early to start planning? Or maybe people are focused on planning their 2013 vacations and don't have time to think about 2014. Personally, I have the bandwidth for both.

Unfortunately, airlines don't publish fares more than a year out so I can't start looking for airfare yet.

Alas, the only vacation I'm getting this year is a trip to the local birthing centre in August, so I'm focusing all my daydreaming on next year's trip! I jest of course - very excited about baby