7/14/2014 - 12-Night Mediterranean Cruise (with Greece) Venice to Barcelona

[esther1403]

Hi.

I am Esther from Spain. I am trying to coordinate the FE list, but sorry, because I normally don,t read Disboard, I use Facebook.

I'd made a list on Facebook.

If someone wants to be on the list and is not, please let me know.

I tried to put the list here but I don't know how.

 

[Face Like Fizz]

Hi all! I'm Rachel from Scotland. I'll be on the 14th July sailing with my husband Dylan, DD Freya (15), DS Rhys (12), DD Isla (10) and my parents.

We've just booked our Venice hotel today - we're staying just for the one night at Palazzo Sant'Angelo. It looks like there are a few other families staying there too so we're looking forward to meeting you all.

Even though we'll only be in Venice for day before we sail we've all been learning Italian for a bit of fun. We're using the free online app Duolingo. It's pretty good although I'm not sure we're learning many phrases we'll actually find we use. "The kitchen has a grill. I have a knife in my boot."!!

It's getting so exciting now we're getting closer. Only 12 days until our payment date!!! I'm looking forward to researching excursions soon. Hopefully it won't be long until Disney get theirs up on the website.

Now to go and join the Facebook group...

 

[Lynn G]

Welcome Rachel and family!

 

[keenercam]

Welcome, Rachel & Family! I've just added you to the Facebook group.

 

[KathyInCitrus]

I have to have an idea of these items and amounts in connection with buying trip insurance. And since my plan is to buy trip insurance by March 1, time is running out to start figuring this out.

Is anyone else buying trip insurance?

Sorry this is late: I was a travel agent in a previous life.
Our response to our clients was to ask, "Can you afford to lose the money?"

 

[LovesToRun]

Is anyone else buying trip insurance?

Yes, we have already purchased our trip insurance. For a trip like this where we have to travel to a different country/continent, and the amount of money we are spending, we do not risk it and always buy trip insurance. For smaller/less expensive cruises, we don't always buy trip insurance.

I always ask myself could I lose all of this money and be OK with it... the answer is NO to the Med Cruise! It's a lot of $$!

Also, along this topic, everyone should call their medical insurance company to find out if they cover outside of the USA (or the country you are from, for those not from the USA) and if so, what is their coverage, how much (percentage-wise) do they cover, and if they DO cover outside of your country (and in the countries you will be visiting), get the emergency 24-hour phone number so if you do need to see a doctor/hospital, you can call them to get them to help you find where to go. Also, most medical insurance companies that cover outside the USA require the doctor you see to fill out some sort of form, or sign an official document showing their credentials, and writing up the treatment you had, etc. So, make sure if you DO have to get any medical help on your trip that you get the doctor who saw you to fill out ALL necessary forms, etc, before you leave the doctor office/hospital, otherwise, you will likely have to track down that doctor after you are back in the states, which will be a huge pain.

And, if your insurance company does NOT cover outside of the USA (or the country you are from), then I HIGHLY recommend you buy trip insurance that includes medical coverage, including medical evacuation. Yes, it is unlikely you will ever need it/use it, but you do never know.

Our neighbor went on a cruise a few years ago, and he fell on the ship and broke his hip on the ship (on a Caribbean cruise), and had to be medivaced off the ship to the states, and he did NOT have trip insurance or medical coverage and was stuck with a $36,000 bill to pay on his own. It was horrible. We felt so bad for them.

Anyway, so just a tip... also some trip insurance covers things like trip delays (so if your plane is delayed and you miss out on a day of your vacation, it will cover those fees, and it can cover lost baggage (so if the airline looses your luggage, your trip insurance will cover the cost of replacing the luggage/contents), etc.

 

[denise]

We have never ever purchased trip insurance...but after your post I am rethinking it.
What company did you use? Isn't there a company that lets you compare several at once?
We just changed medical coverage so lots of research about that too...
we now have medical via the Military (retired)....
that bill for the broken hip is enough to push me over!!

 

[LovesToRun]

We have never ever purchased trip insurance...but after your post I am rethinking it.
What company did you use? Isn't there a company that lets you compare several at once?
We just changed medical coverage so lots of research about that too...
we now have medical via the Military (retired)....
that bill for the broken hip is enough to push me over!!

I am guessing since you are retired Military that you are USAA members? We are USAA members (my father-in-law is retired military, so we get the USAA benefit.) Anyway, so we buy our trip insurance through USAA... it's a great deal and they have different levels of insurance/coverage you can choose from, depending on your needs. Also, I don't think this applies to you, but if you have children under age 18 traveling with you, kids are FREE with USAA insurance! We are a family of 4, and so we get the kids free on our trip insurance which brings down the cost a lot for our trip insurance.

But, yes, check with your medical insurance before you buy trip insurance...this will help you decide which level of trip insurance you buy (in terms of medical coverage).

 

[Tony Cadwallader]

Hi all! I'm Rachel from Scotland. I'll be on the 14th July sailing with my husband Dylan, DD Freya (15), DS Rhys (12), DD Isla (10) and my parents.

We've just booked our Venice hotel today - we're staying just for the one night at Palazzo Sant'Angelo. It looks like there are a few other families staying there too so we're looking forward to meeting you all.

Even though we'll only be in Venice for day before we sail we've all been learning Italian for a bit of fun. We're using the free online app Duolingo. It's pretty good although I'm not sure we're learning many phrases we'll actually find we use. "The kitchen has a grill. I have a knife in my boot."!!

It's getting so exciting now we're getting closer. Only 12 days until our payment date!!! I'm looking forward to researching excursions soon. Hopefully it won't be long until Disney get theirs up on the website.

Now to go and join the Facebook group...

Welcome, if you have never been on a Disney cruise before you are in for a treat, it is fantastic for adults and kids your DS and DD will have a ball. We have ben cruising with Disney for the last 5 years and my daughter now 14 will now only cruise with Disney. You will have a long trip from Shetland.

 

[denise]

I am guessing since you are retired Military that you are USAA members? We are USAA members (my father-in-law is retired military, so we get the USAA benefit.) Anyway, so we buy our trip insurance through USAA... it's a great deal and they have different levels of insurance/coverage you can choose from, depending on your needs. Also, I don't think this applies to you, but if you have children under age 18 traveling with you, kids are FREE with USAA insurance! We are a family of 4, and so we get the kids free on our trip insurance which brings down the cost a lot for our trip insurance.

But, yes, check with your medical insurance before you buy trip insurance...this will help you decide which level of trip insurance you buy (in terms of medical coverage).

We don't have USAA...believe it or not I have called them several times and have gotten quotes from them and they have always been higher then what we pay!!!
Was on base today but line too long to get my questions answered...was not a good day. Our daughter needs an ID but they wanted two forms of identification. Seems her military medical card and her drivers lic. were not good enough!!! So we have to drive the 30+ each way again to get it...tried to transfer our RX's from Kaiser to the base and that didn't go well either..the base said get them from Kaiser...but we cancelled Kaiser to get military insurance (you can't have both)and now Kaiser doesn't recognize us...
wasted trip that will need to be repeated....

I will have to look around for trip insurance and figure this all out....

 

[LovesToRun]

We don't have USAA...believe it or not I have called them several times and have gotten quotes from them and they have always been higher then what we pay!!!
Was on base today but line too long to get my questions answered...was not a good day. Our daughter needs an ID but they wanted two forms of identification. Seems her military medical card and her drivers lic. were not good enough!!! So we have to drive the 30+ each way again to get it...tried to transfer our RX's from Kaiser to the base and that didn't go well either..the base said get them from Kaiser...but we cancelled Kaiser to get military insurance (you can't have both)and now Kaiser doesn't recognize us...
wasted trip that will need to be repeated....

I will have to look around for trip insurance and figure this all out....

It might be that it is a good deal for us because USAA doesn't charge for our kids. so we basically get trip insurance for 4 people for the price of just 2 people, where as other trip insurance companies do charge for kids, but maybe it isn't as good of a deal for just adults only. Hope you find something affordable, or a good deal!! (by the way, I'm sure this is the same price, but did you check to see what the price quote is online on the USAA website for trip insurance? Wonder if it'd be cheaper if you got the quote from online rather than on the phone from a person? Probably not, but might be worth looking at, if you haven't already).

Hope you get all the other stuff worked out! That sounds like a crazy day.

 

[esther1403]

Hi.

I am trying to make a FE list on Facebook. If someone wants to join and it's not on face. Please contact me and let me know, because i don't read disboards normally.

Thank you very much.

 

[Face Like Fizz]

You will have a long trip from Shetland.

This is our first ever cruise! We are huge WDW fans and could never have considered anyone except DCL. My parents have cruised with NCL a few times and aren't quite the Disney fanatics the rest of us are so I'm not sure what they'll make of it!

Shetland is a nice place to live most of the time but it's a complete pain when you want to go on holiday. Overnight ferry to Aberdeen, drive to Edinburgh, fly to Heathrow, stay overnight, fly to Venice next morning.

Where are you travelling from?

 

[LovesToRun]

This is our first ever cruise! We are huge WDW fans and could never have considered anyone except DCL. My parents have cruised with NCL a few times and aren't quite the Disney fanatics the rest of us are so I'm not sure what they'll make of it!

Shetland is a nice place to live most of the time but it's a complete pain when you want to go on holiday. Overnight ferry to Aberdeen, drive to Edinburgh, fly to Heathrow, stay overnight, fly to Venice next morning.

Where are you travelling from?

Hello! You are going to love the Disney Cruise. My parents came with us on our Med Cruise last year (Disney Cruise), and they are not really into Disney at all, so I wasn't sure what they would think, but they LOVED it!! They liked the fact they didn't feel "bombarded" by Disney, because you aren't on the ship. You can definitely seek out anything Disney on the ship if you are really into Disney, but for those who aren't as into Disney, they do not feel like they are living on the "It's A Small World" ride for 12 days. So, I'm sure your parents will love it. I've been on other cruise ships, and in my opinion, no cruise ship I've been on yet compares to the Disney Ships.

I love the UK! I would love to see more of it. I know this is not part of the UK, but we are going to Ireland for a week before we head to Venice. We are excited to see Ireland. But, I'd love sometime to visit Shetland, and all of Scotland... I hear it's really pretty.

Wow, that is a pain to go on holiday.... but it will be worth all the travel because it's going to be an amazing cruise.

We are from Seattle, WA. So, not so much of a pain to get to Venice as it is for you, but just a long flight, and a lot of time zone changes.

Only 5 more months! Getting excited!

 

[LovesToRun]

We don't have USAA...believe it or not I have called them several times and have gotten quotes from them and they have always been higher then what we pay!!!
Was on base today but line too long to get my questions answered...was not a good day. Our daughter needs an ID but they wanted two forms of identification. Seems her military medical card and her drivers lic. were not good enough!!! So we have to drive the 30+ each way again to get it...tried to transfer our RX's from Kaiser to the base and that didn't go well either..the base said get them from Kaiser...but we cancelled Kaiser to get military insurance (you can't have both)and now Kaiser doesn't recognize us...
wasted trip that will need to be repeated....

I will have to look around for trip insurance and figure this all out....

It might be that it is a good deal for us because USAA doesn't charge for our kids. so we basically get trip insurance for 4 people for the price of just 2 people, where as other trip insurance companies do charge for kids, but maybe it isn't as good of a deal for just adults only. Hope you find something affordable, or a good deal!! (by the way, I'm sure this is the same price, but did you check to see what the price quote is online on the USAA website for trip insurance? Wonder if it'd be cheaper if you got the quote from online rather than on the phone from a person? Probably not, but might be worth looking at, if you haven't already).

Hope you get all the other stuff worked out! That sounds like a crazy day.

I just realized I totally mis-read your post... you said you don't have USAA. I see what you are saying now... you are saying you don't have USAA period! I thought you were saying you don't use USAA for trip insurance because you can find it cheaper elsewhere. I must have been reading through the posts too fast! lol!!! So, disregard my response to your comment.

We've always had USAA for everything, including banking, so I guess we haven't compared it to other companies, but we are really happy with them. I especially like their banking because they reimburse us for ATM fees, even international ATM fees, so that makes it nice to use ATM's when we need to. But, if you can find a better deal else where on the same services USAA provides, then that is a good thing.

 

[denise]

I just realized I totally mis-read your post... you said you don't have USAA. I see what you are saying now... you are saying you don't have USAA period! I thought you were saying you don't use USAA for trip insurance because you can find it cheaper elsewhere. I must have been reading through the posts too fast! lol!!! So, disregard my response to your comment.

We've always had USAA for everything, including banking, so I guess we haven't compared it to other companies, but we are really happy with them. I especially like their banking because they reimburse us for ATM fees, even international ATM fees, so that makes it nice to use ATM's when we need to. But, if you can find a better deal else where on the same services USAA provides, then that is a good thing.

I've called them several times and gotten quotes but the house insurance and car insurance is always higher then what we pay to Allstate! Even they can't understand why...

I remember a few years back about a company out there that lets you plug in your information and shows you multiple companies plans...maybe someone knows about it??

Oh it finally started raining in Northern California!!! Much needed and I hope it is not too late!!

Now that we are back from Hawaii and the Pro Bowl I really need to get working on this trip!!! lol

 

[LovesToRun]

Oh it finally started raining in Northern California!!! Much needed and I hope it is not too late!!

We went from dry and sunny (but cold) weather to snow!! But, we are excited because we don't get snow very much... we are supposed to get up to 5 - 6 inches. yay! Glad you guys finally got rain... I know CA needed it.

 

[MPS516]

Welcome Rachel, I too believe you will love DCL and your parents will hardly believe how much nicer it is than NCL. From the split bathrooms, the larger staterooms, the ship cleanliness and the service, world class.

LovesToRun,
So happy you folks in Washington and Oregon are enjoying some winter, we have had just about all we can take. Looking forward to Wednesday when it looks like the deep freeze should be over for us, we have been below zero so many days we were not sure winter would ever end.

 

[Lynn G]

Welcome to all the new folks!

 

[keenercam]

Hi, everyone. Sorry I've been out of touch. I was sick for a while and ended up admitted to the hospital last Wednesday as an emergency. I've been home since Saturday, but having a slow recovery.

I feel badly that I haven't responded to all of the Facebook page requests. I currently have requests from people by the following first names: Colette, Jackie, Bill, Maria, Jitendra, and Elisa. If you are waiting to join the page, please respond on this thread or send me a PM here or on Facebook so that I can accept your request.

I have blocked the tour operators and obvious spammers who are trying to get on our page, but I don't want to block any of our fellow cruisers.