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

[moneyhappy]

If you like classical music there is a this concert in Venice got good reviews http://www.interpretiveneziani.com/en/

 

[moneyhappy]

http://www.rhodesprivatetours.com/thank_you.asp

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...Tours_in_Rhodes_Island-Rhodes_Dodecanese.html

http://www.rhodeswonder.com/contactus.aspx?pageID=7 (we are using this company)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...s_Wonder_Private_Tours-Rhodes_Dodecanese.html

 

[moneyhappy]

We are going to Venice a few days before the cruise. Is anyone staying at the hilton? If so, maybe we could share a water taxi?

 

[moneyhappy]

If looking for an anti-theft bags and travel gear check out Pacsafe.
http://pacsafe.com/products

 

[cinderbear]

We are going to Venice a few days before the cruise. Is anyone staying at the hilton? If so, maybe we could share a water taxi?

I just PM'd you about the water taxi for Venice.

 

[TraditionAtSea]

Just an interesting observation as we bunker down and start to really dig into this most amazing itinerary.

If you have not done so - it is worthwhile to pull up google maps to see exactly where we will be sailing in the world. We are actually sailing all the way east to end up in Barcelona which is west of Venice where we start.

The majority of our cruise we will be in the Aegean Sea and to get there we will sail through the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It is only when we head to Malta and then onto Barcelona at the end of our cruise that we finally enter the Mediterranean Sea

Having sailed to many of these ports before on other cruise lines as well as the Disney Magic I can share with you that Athens, Kushadas, Rhodes, and Malta are the richest in historical tours and so the guided tours are key to reaping the full benefit of what you are experiencing. Mykonos and Santorini are more romantic ports with beautiful beaches and breathtaking dining experiences. you will feel like you are in the movies (mainly because you will be where many movies have been filmed) Mykonos - beach beach beach!!! that's all I can say oh and shopping nice European fashion beachwear!! On Santorini it is worthwhile to learn about the green mineral that is only found two places on earth and why!! Hopefully we will be anchored inside the crescent of Santorini. The photo opportunities of the Disney Magic from around the island will be unique and unmistakably Santorini. When we sail away from Santorini (6:30pm) the sun will be low but not set and we will literally be sailing into the sunset (8:30PM) across the Aegean Sea and then the Mediterranean Sea to Malta.

I am excited and looking forward to Heraklion since I have not yet been to that port. Anyone have first hand experience in Heraklion?

I can tell you that the Sea Day - Malta - Sea Day will be very much appreciated before we arrive in Barcelona because we will be busy busy busy in all those ports in a row!

 

[cali cruiser]

My name is Michelle and my family and I will be on this cruise. It will be me, my dh, ds (16) and dd (12). I just finished reading this entire thread and feel so behind on planning. I sent a request to join the FB group (it is my teenage sons FB, but will have to do). This is our 5th Disney Cruise and we are very excited. The PIF date is coming up. Does I anyone know when we can start booking excursions through DCL? Is it the PIF date or a later date? Thanks!

 

[cinderbear]

Hi my name is Michelle and my DH is Jim. I do not post much as you can see and I will not do facebook. We are flying into Venice on July 12th and we are flying USairways from Philadelphia, arriving at 9:35am. Would anyone be interested in sharing a water taxi to The Hilton Molino Stuckey? Those of you who are on facebook, can you you post this message there please? Please PM me if interested. Oh by the way this is our 11th cruise and we have been on this cruise since day.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[SailingSeas]

Cali_Cruiser - welcome to the cruise! We can begin booking excursions based on our Castaway Club status (previous cruiser status):

Platinum - Sun 3/16
Gold - Mon 3/31
Silver - Tue 4/15
Never cruised DCL - Wed 4/30​

Many of us do not FB, myself included. I just rediscovered my Disboards password so hopefully i'll be a bit more active. I've been nodding and cheering and planning, but it felt like I was in a glass room. rofl!

Cinderbear, we've been on since Day 1, and are plat as well. Really really looking forward to this - feels like forever since we've been planning it. I'm currently still on the main island, but have been looking at the Stucky, and may change over if there's availability. I'll hit you up if we do.

Traditions - yes, it's a wide range of experiences on this itinerary, and I am very much looking forward to it. Way back on Page 6, at the top (there's a link in my sig), I have a bunch of links to port maps and information to hopefully help. I was looking forward to Heraklion most since I've family nearby, but in doing more research, found out that my DNA scatters from more of the ports. My kids are now crying foul about having to look for ghosts on their trip, so I have to rethink my planning.

I have yet to book my flights, will probably do so at the end of April. This has been a dream for us for so long, that I am really looking forward to making it a reality.

 

[keenercam]

My name is Michelle and my family and I will be on this cruise. It will be me, my dh, ds (16) and dd (12). I just finished reading this entire thread and feel so behind on planning. I sent a request to join the FB group (it is my teenage sons FB, but will have to do). This is our 5th Disney Cruise and we are very excited. The PIF date is coming up. Does I anyone know when we can start booking excursions through DCL? Is it the PIF date or a later date? Thanks!

I don't think I've received your Facebook request. Be sure you (or your teenage son) are at the correct page and submit the request from there, please. Thanks!

Facebook Page

and let me know the (Facebook) first name of the person who is sending the request. We have had many requests from non-cruisers, so I am trying to be certain to quickly accept the requests of cruisers but not of tour operators and trollers.

 

[Lynn G]

My name is Michelle and my family and I will be on this cruise. It will be me, my dh, ds (16) and dd (12). I just finished reading this entire thread and feel so behind on planning. I sent a request to join the FB group (it is my teenage sons FB, but will have to do). This is our 5th Disney Cruise and we are very excited. The PIF date is coming up. Does I anyone know when we can start booking excursions through DCL? Is it the PIF date or a later date? Thanks!

Welcome to the group!

Hi my name is Michelle and my DH is Jim. I do not post much as you can see and I will not do facebook. We are flying into Venice on July 12th and we are flying USairways from Philadelphia, arriving at 9:35am. Would anyone be interested in sharing a water taxi to The Hilton Molino Stuckey? Those of you who are on facebook, can you you post this message there please? Please PM me if interested. Oh by the way this is our 11th cruise and we have been on this cruise since day.

Thanks for all your help!

Welcome to the group!

 

[keenercam]

I just accepted a Facebook group membership request that I think was yours, cali cruiser. I hope so, anyway!

I still have requests from people with the first names of Bill, Maria, Jitendra and Elisa, who have not responded to my private Facebook messages asking them if they are on our sailing. If this is you, please let me know. I really, really don't want to exclude anyone!

 

[moneyhappy]

What are people do for Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey? We did Ephesus, Didyma and Miletus last year and was interested if people were doing anything different.

 

[corbett744]

Funny. Kusadasi is the one place I can't seem to decide about. There is so much that looks interesting. Cindi

 

[danfromca]

Funny. Kusadasi is the one place I can't seem to decide about. There is so much that looks interesting. Cindi

The one that includes dressing up in togas for a special meal looks like fun

 

[keenercam]

What are people do for Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey? We did Ephesus, Didyma and Miletus last year and was interested if people were doing anything different.

In Kusadasi, we are doing a semi-private tour through Melitours that includes seeing Mary's house and a lunch at a private home. Their private tours were all booked when we checked, but a DISer booked a small group tour and we joined that so that the cost for everyone came down a bit. If anyone wants the information on that tour company, let me know and I will PM it.

In Santorini, we decided to do something totally different and are spending a half-day on a catamaran that sails around the island and goes to a private beach. They also provide a traditional Greek lunch. I think there was room on the catamaran for 30 people. If you want the information so you can check them out, please PM me here.

Our Rhodes private tour sounds fabulous, too, and we are sharing that with another DIS couple we "met" here. If anyone wants the information for that tour company, I'd be glad to share it.

In Athens, we've hired a private driver through a well-regarded tour company. We will see the Acropolis and other highlights for half a day and then instead of dropping us at the port, he will drop us at the National Archaeological Museum, where we will spend the afternoon. We are doing the museum on the recommendation of a good friend here in the States.

In Mykonos, we are going to do a daypass to a resort where we will have breakfast and lunch or breakfast and a massage (undecided yet) and lounge around the pool and beach until mid-afternoon. Then, we'll take a boat to Mykonos town and walk around a bit before heading back to the port.

Working on plans for Malta, Crete and Barcelona.

Glad to share what I've learned in researching another cruise site and tripadvisor. Just click on my username to the left of this post and when you see the drop down menu, send me a private message here or an email.

 

[keenercam]

FISH EXTENDER EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

There is some Facebook discussion regarding, and a spreadsheet of participants for, the Fish Extender exchange. So far, I think it is at 13 or 14 cabins. The thought is to probably keep it to 25 cabins total to make it manageable. If anyone here wants to participate, send me a message here or on Facebook and I will pass your information along to Esther, who is maintaining the excel spreadsheet there.

Here is what I posted on Facebook:
I think as the trip gets closer, we will see more people wanting to join. I find myself seeing items to purchase and realize I have no idea how many cabins we will have or what the makeup will be between adults and kids. I think the deadline for joining should be pretty early so that people can order or purchase or make their gifts early. What date does everyone suggest? May 15 maybe?

 

[moneyhappy]

Funny. Kusadasi is the one place I can't seem to decide about. There is so much that looks interesting. Cindi

What are you interest in?

 

[moneyhappy]

If anyone is looking for a private tour of Barcelona or Montserrat we used Pepito Tour for both tours and they were great http://www.pepitotours.com/

 

[moneyhappy]

In Kusadasi, we are doing a semi-private tour through Melitours that includes seeing Mary's house and a lunch at a private home. Their private tours were all booked when we checked, but a DISer booked a small group tour and we joined that so that the cost for everyone came down a bit. If anyone wants the information on that tour company, let me know and I will PM it.

In Santorini, we decided to do something totally different and are spending a half-day on a catamaran that sails around the island and goes to a private beach. They also provide a traditional Greek lunch. I think there was room on the catamaran for 30 people. If you want the information so you can check them out, please PM me here.

Our Rhodes private tour sounds fabulous, too, and we are sharing that with another DIS couple we "met" here. If anyone wants the information for that tour company, I'd be glad to share it.

In Athens, we've hired a private driver through a well-regarded tour company. We will see the Acropolis and other highlights for half a day and then instead of dropping us at the port, he will drop us at the National Archaeological Museum, where we will spend the afternoon. We are doing the museum on the recommendation of a good friend here in the States.

In Mykonos, we are going to do a daypass to a resort where we will have breakfast and lunch or breakfast and a massage (undecided yet) and lounge around the pool and beach until mid-afternoon. Then, we'll take a boat to Mykonos town and walk around a bit before heading back to the port.

Working on plans for Malta, Crete and Barcelona.

Glad to share what I've learned in researching another cruise site and tripadvisor. Just click on my username to the left of this post and when you see the drop down menu, send me a private message here or an email.

Kusadasi - Thinking about the Turkish Villages and Country Side. This is difficult because we saw a lot of the this area year last June.

Santorini - Private your of Santorini highlights and Akrotiri Excavations. We are sharing with a couple that is on FB and Disboard

Rhodes - Sharing the tour with you

Athens - We did most of the sites in Athens last June so we are going to half day tour (5 hours) of Corinth and Acrocorinth.

Mykonos - Up in the air. We sent to Delos last year. Thinking of renting ATVs are driving around the Island. The resort you are going to is beautiful, maybe.

Malta - This is our third time to Malta. Thinking about doing the high tea at Palazzo Parisio but not through Disney. I highly recommend the Gozo experience it is pricey but lots of fun

Crete - Still debating between Knossos and the safari jeep tour.