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

[slg]

I tried to change my Palo but it is SOLD OUT on the second pirate night! This is so upsetting! I don't want to miss any new menu if they have changed the night....grumble.

Can I change when we get onboard? Do they hold a few palo reservations back for those who don't book online? I've only gone to palo once before, but now that I am platinum I want to get my free dinner

 

[SailingSeas]

I tried to change my Palo but it is SOLD OUT on the second pirate night! This is so upsetting! I don't want to miss any new menu if they have changed the night....grumble.

Can I change when we get onboard? Do they hold a few palo reservations back for those who don't book online? I've only gone to palo once before, but now that I am platinum I want to get my free dinner

SLG, yes availability on the ship is a little more fluid than in advance. Also, don't worry about the possible conflict - nothing has been confirmed and it's just a heads up for possible future planning, that's all. No worries - you're going to Greece!

 

[KathyInCitrus]

I'm talking to my mum's oncologist today about her prognosis, so please send pixie dust that she won't tell me to cancel the trip.

 

[slg]

I just spoke with my mum's oncologist. She was great She told me that barring surgical complications, my mum probably has at least six months if not a year. We will reassess her situation in six months, but that I should be okay for the trip as her surgery is June 9 and I will know before I leave if she has any complications.

She also said (and this made me cry), that my mum is a wonderful person and that everyone loves her and is rooting for her and that no one can believe she is 80 as she is so energetic and fiesty. It is good to know that her team is on her side.

However, she did say the surgery is only palliative and not curative,and that if they see too much cancer, they will just close her up.

I'm not sure how I feel about this conversation, but am relieved to hear that they think she has 6-12 months at least.

Thank you for the pixie dust.

 

[SailingSeas]

YAYAYAYAYAYYYY!!! Now you get to bring her home all kinds of happy memories to share with her! That's wonderful that you have a team!

I don't know if you want to do this, but I'm bringing a photo of my Dad with us and we're taking pictures with him everywhere we go so he can go back to his homeland. I'm pretty excited about it - maybe you can bring your Mom 'with' you and show her all the places she's 'been' when you get home?

 

[slg]

Thank you That sounds like a fun plan for your dad. Maybe we'll do it for my mum too, or photoshop her into a bunch of photos. My kids are great with stuff like that!

 

[smilis]

Was that the Baltic that was in Berlin July 22? It was crazy hot that day on the train. We did an excursion that took us around to the Pergamon Museum and Cathedral to hear an organist among other places. Great cruise though, but Berlin and St Pete's were hot hot hot.

We were on that sailing as well, but we didn't do the Berlin excursion. We just wandered around Warnemunde on that very hot day. I remember the horror stories I heard about the train ride

 

[slg]

I was on the earlier sailing and it was blasting hot in Berlin. A copy and paste from wikipedia about the heatwave:

Most of Germany, including Berlin, recorded temperatures of 38 °C (100 °F) in some places.[23] On the popular North Sea island of Helgoland, the temperature was only 20.5 degrees. In Berlin, the highest temperature was recorded at 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) as 3 more non-air conditioned local passengers trains had to be evacuated due to overheating of the interior passenger compartments, leading to passengers getting heat stroke, Deutsche Welle reported.[27] Hans-Dieter Muehlenberg, chief of a local rescue squad in Berlin told the German news agency DAPD he had found the temperature in a local train had reached 50 °C (122 °F) and that nine people had to be hospitalized for dehydration.[23] Later on, official reports from the rescue squad denied that 9 people reported dead had died and that the air conditioning systems fail to cool the trains in temperatures over 32 °C (90 °F).[23] Deutsche Bahn paid 500 Euros for the heat victims without a doctors note. According to the German Meteorological Service (DWD), the soaring temperatures were set to last for a week.[23]

The train was the hottest I have every been in my life...it was an oven...

 

[MPS516]

MPS - I'll be running down to your area to shoot the Magic as it comes in. Went to greet her when she entered NYC but the weather was hideous and the fog bank was ridiculous. I can see the ghost of her bow through the fog - wanted to take more, but my daughter was motion sick and chose that moment to paint Battery Park in technicolor, much to the amusement of the fishermen down there. This time, i'll let her sleep.

DD got some pictures out the hotel Window of the Wonder coming through the fog in the channel arriving in LA last fall. They are really awesome, I was in the shower, not this time.

 

[MPS516]

I just spoke with my mum's oncologist. She was great She told me that barring surgical complications, my mum probably has at least six months if not a year. We will reassess her situation in six months, but that I should be okay for the trip as her surgery is June 9 and I will know before I leave if she has any complications.

She also said (and this made me cry), that my mum is a wonderful person and that everyone loves her and is rooting for her and that no one can believe she is 80 as she is so energetic and fiesty. It is good to know that her team is on her side.

However, she did say the surgery is only palliative and not curative,and that if they see too much cancer, they will just close her up.

I'm not sure how I feel about this conversation, but am relieved to hear that they think she has 6-12 months at least.

Thank you for the pixie dust.

So glad you have received the information that gives you comfort, this is an extremely hard time in your life. We continue to wish the best and hope it is all going to work out.

 

[jd99]

I think we may spend the morning out roaming Venice. We don't have to be onboard the ship until around 3:30. Normally, we try and make it onboard as soon as possible to go play on the slides, but man, this is Venice! Is anyone else doing that?

Yep I think we will do this as well. We usually board as soon as possible and since we are platinum that means we get on very early. But you are right. This is Venice and it's a 12 night sailing! And we are coming in from Athens the morning before so we have less time than many here so I want to make sure we soak in as much as we can.

 

[FranciJo]

Hello, fellow cruisers! My son (age 12) is working on a project for Boy Scouts and is wondering if there will be any Scouts from outside the U.S. on this cruise. If your son or daughter is a member of Scouting from outside the United States and wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to visit with him by email, please let me know! Thanks!

 

[SailingSeas]

JD, we're in the same boat (ha ha, I can't help but love that pun) and it hit me "why the heck are we racing to get to the ship at 10am when there's so much to explore!" Our plans are now to check out, walk the cases over, then head off for a few hours. I don't know why that makes me so happy, but it does.

MP - I would LOOOVE to see those pictures of the Wonder! I can't wait to see the ones you take this trip too. Wanna all share photo links when we come back?

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are booked on the July cruise from Venice. But I noticed a few questions on this one that I might be able to help. We have been to Some of these ports a few times.

Venice. We are going in day before. There are seven of us and our TA got us a van from airport to our hotel which is about block off canal. We will be tired but hope to walk around a bit, have dinner. Do the same next morning. Our TA said we could get a water taxi to port and then there is moving sidewalk to get closer to ship. We will have a lot if luggage though!

Not sure is this one goes to Athens but once you get into city from port it is easy to navigate on your own. You can take the hop on hop off bus around. Try to watch changing of guard at palace! You can either take bus from Disney into Athens or public transportation.

Mykonos. Great walking town. You can also take local bus to beach. We ended up at a nude beach by mistake. Very entertaining. We missed Devos though and plan to take excursion over there. Sometimes the local tours fill up when cruise ships are in.

Kusadasi. Don't miss Ephesus. Fantastic. We rented a car and did it on our own along with other sites. Very easy to do

Santorini. Consider renting a jeep to drive around. Town is great but fun to get out if city. There is a small town a few miles outside that us wonderful. Begins with"o" I think. Fantastic views.

 

[KathyInCitrus]

Check out this site, if you haven't already:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/people-mover-to-marittima-cruise-terminals.htm

 

[denise]

In Barcelona we are staying for two nights at the AC Hotel Victoria Suites....anyone else?

Tried to get an email for them but nothing...Marriott tried calling them but got a busy....

trying to find out if they have a shuttle from the port to the hotel...

Anyone staying at a Marriott in Barcelona?

 

[SailingSeas]

In Barcelona we are staying for two nights at the AC Hotel Victoria Suites....anyone else?

Tried to get an email for them but nothing...Marriott tried calling them but got a busy....

trying to find out if they have a shuttle from the port to the hotel...

Anyone staying at a Marriott in Barcelona?

Hi Denise,

it states right on the website that they do not provide shuttle service (most in Barcelona do not, as a side note.) It's listed right on their Maps and Transportation page at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/bcnsu-ac-hotel-victoria-suites/

If you want a hotel with a free shuttle to the airport, the Best Western Alfa Aeroporte offers one; be aware, the lift is ancient and frequently breaks, but the service is very nice and they do offer a continental breakfast, with expanded offerings for a charge: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ropuerto/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=92112 There is also a city bus that stops there and can take you to the city center, or they will call a taxi for you.

 

[jd99]

In Barcelona we are staying for two nights at the AC Hotel Victoria Suites....anyone else?

Tried to get an email for them but nothing...Marriott tried calling them but got a busy....

trying to find out if they have a shuttle from the port to the hotel...

Anyone staying at a Marriott in Barcelona?

We have stayed at Hotel Arts before but it's pricey so this time we are booked at Arai Aparthotel which gets great reviews on TripAdvisor and is in the Gothic Quarter. I was looking at the two Renaissance properties as an option but the one in Fira looks like the better choice but seems to be a little off the beaten path unless I am misremembering the city's layout.

 

[SailingSeas]

Is anyone going to Gozo on their own? I really want to get over to the azure window, but am finding day trips to be a little too long and don't want to risk missing getting back onboard. We have the Gozo Experience booked through DCL, but want to compare doing it on our own.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Is anyone going to Gozo on their own? I really want to get over to the azure window, but am finding day trips to be a little too long and don't want to risk missing getting back onboard. We have the Gozo Experience booked through DCL, but want to compare doing it on our own.

If you find any good options let me know. I'd love to see azure window as well, but can't leave my kids for the 8 hrs the Gozo experience required.