7/18/2010 Mickey's Baltic Ballyhoo!! Part 4

[MrsScooby]

Big two page article in a UK Newspaper today on the DCL Europe and Baltic cruises.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=32049502#post32049502

nice, thanks for posting it

You can get a reasonable room, i.e. clean & well kept with en-suite (yes, there really are hotels which still don't) for about £60/night. This are what I guess American's would call budget motels, but if you are only sleeping there they are perfectly adequate & most have been recently renovated. Would probably skip the Easy hotel on the Cromwell Road though - they love the colour Orange...for everything!. Companies like travelodge & Premier fill this cheap, but clean bracket & many are very close to central London (10 mins on tube to main tourist sites). The Novotels also tend to be nice (but a bit more expensive) & my favourite if I'm London (& the office is paying) is Millenium Gloucester Road & the Millenium Bailey (next door to that). Not walkable to the sites, but less than 10 mins on the tube which is right next door.

Celestine

ok I feel better now, I've heard horror stories about people getting bad hotels
(we have them in the US too, I sent my Mom to horrible one when she was visiting me in college)

Shame though that the reporter had their facts wrong & somehow managed to get both Tritons & Lumieres on the same ship! (or maybe that was just in the version in the Sun paper) & implied that Parrot Cay was available all day

Celestine

I noticed that too
our press is less than accurate here too

Life got busy for a while and I got behind, behinder and then behinder still in trying to keep up with everyone.
Bob was made Chief of Police of Aliso Viejo, you may call me Mrs. Chief. Tons of phone calls, emails, meetings, long hours all on salary. But Aliso Viejo is one of the safest cities!
Have we started talking cruise yet? Not the ones several of you are going on before the Baltics. I am way jealous about that, I only have next year to look forward to.
Let me know if there was anything I missed in the last few months.

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!

I'm just back too
Congrats Mr and Mrs Chief

Wow, Dr. Mike! It will be good to have a Pharmacist on board to make sure none of our prescriptions interfere with the drink of the day!

Maybe he'll set up a desk

 

[MrsScooby]

Good Morning

I'm looking forward to the St Petersburg port most of all. It is gonna be hard to decide how much I can cram into the visit

Hopefully DCL will be able to get to the port earlier than scheduled-they sometimes do that

Barb, I also booked with Anastasia for St Petersburg

 

[MrsG]

Me too, Maryann, my next trip to Italy will be a cruise originating in Venice with stops in the Greek Isles.......

Ooooooh. This is exactly what we want to do, too!!!!!!! I'm hoping one of the new ships will do this itinerary.

 

[jlawall]

Let me know does he have a vehicle big enough for 6 with luggage?

He can accomodate any size group. I started using him from another DISboarder's suggestion. If he can't take care of you, he can arrange for someone to do it for you and he's reasonable. I'll PM his number to you. If it works out, great.

 

[Celestine]

London Tourist Info
I know I'll probably live to regret this, however....if anyone would like tourist info. on London, sites etc. I am happy to collate stuff & send on. Please PM me with your snail mail address & an ideas your thinking about, or particular interests, e.g. I'd hate to send an art philistine like myself a whole load of stuff on the numerous galleries in London! I will also include some maps & tube planners etc.

Can whoever has the first post please add this info/offer to it?

National Gallery
Spent an enjoyable day at the National Gallery today with the school, seeing the works of Monet, Van Gogh etc. I haven't been since I was a child so I was viewing in a different light. Many of you may not realise, but the majority of the London museums are free to enter, and if you like your art, this is probably a good stop if you're in London. I picked up some extra maps, so am happy to forward as detailed above

Celestine

 

[Madisonznana]

London Tourist Info
I know I'll probably live to regret this, however....if anyone would like tourist info. on London, sites etc. I am happy to collate stuff & send on. Please PM me with your snail mail address & an ideas your thinking about, or particular interests, e.g. I'd hate to send an art philistine like myself a whole load of stuff on the numerous galleries in London! I will also include some maps & tube planners etc.

Can whoever has the first post please add this info/offer to it?

National Gallery
Spent an enjoyable day at the National Gallery today with the school, seeing the works of Monet, Van Gogh etc. I haven't been since I was a child so I was viewing in a different light. Many of you may not realise, but the majority of the London museums are free to enter, and if you like your art, this is probably a good stop if you're in London. I picked up some extra maps, so am happy to forward as detailed above

Celestine

This sounds wonderful Celestine. Not sure if we will be able to play in London yet. We did spend 3 days there in 2006 when we took a Princess cruise around the British Isles. Not nearly enough time. I know my bil and sil are going to stay. I will be jealous to leave them there.
We went the the usual places,Buckingham Palace tour, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Victoria and Albert Museum, Whitehall to name a few. I just love history. Oh yeah, and we went to a Russian fish and chips place.

 

[Madisonznana]

nice,



I'm just back too
Congrats Mr and Mrs Chief



Maybe he'll set up a desk

Thanks Laurie!

 

[Madisonznana]

Ouch, that really hurts. Between you and Robert, you really will be helping the auto industry.

We thought the auto industry was helping us, but noooooooooooooooo We have two GM vehicles, and "STOCK"
Now we just have the vehicles.

 

[bellelinus]

London Tourist Info
I know I'll probably live to regret this, however....if anyone would like tourist info. on London, sites etc. I am happy to collate stuff & send on. Please PM me with your snail mail address & an ideas your thinking about, or particular interests, e.g. I'd hate to send an art philistine like myself a whole load of stuff on the numerous galleries in London! I will also include some maps & tube planners etc.

Can whoever has the first post please add this info/offer to it?

National Gallery
Spent an enjoyable day at the National Gallery today with the school, seeing the works of Monet, Van Gogh etc. I haven't been since I was a child so I was viewing in a different light. Many of you may not realise, but the majority of the London museums are free to enter, and if you like your art, this is probably a good stop if you're in London. I picked up some extra maps, so am happy to forward as detailed above

Celestine

Hi Celestine, I will be in London in a few weeks, and do plan to go to the National Gallery (as well as the Tate Modern) . . . I do think it is wonderful that they don't charge for the museums in London

 

[MrsG]

Thanks for the offer Celestine. I'm sure you'll be very busy as we are an inquisitive bunch!! We'll certainly be depending on you and Andrew for info.

 

[jilljill]

Ooooooh. This is exactly what we want to do, too!!!!!!! I'm hoping one of the new ships will do this itinerary.

But the new ships will be based at PC per DCL's agreement with the port and their extended contract. Who knows if they will be able to adjust that in a few years.

 

[jilljill]

London Tourist Info
I know I'll probably live to regret this, however....if anyone would like tourist info. on London, sites etc. I am happy to collate stuff & send on. Please PM me with your snail mail address & an ideas your thinking about, or particular interests, e.g. I'd hate to send an art philistine like myself a whole load of stuff on the numerous galleries in London! I will also include some maps & tube planners etc.

Can whoever has the first post please add this info/offer to it?

National Gallery
Spent an enjoyable day at the National Gallery today with the school, seeing the works of Monet, Van Gogh etc. I haven't been since I was a child so I was viewing in a different light. Many of you may not realise, but the majority of the London museums are free to enter, and if you like your art, this is probably a good stop if you're in London. I picked up some extra maps, so am happy to forward as detailed above

Celestine

I will add your offer to the first post. Thanks so much for offering to do this. I will also put a little note that the offer is only for those on this sailing unless you feel up to getting PM's from other sail dates.

To help you out a bit I have located the London Tube website so there's no need for you to put tube maps in your packet since they can be printed online.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
This link also has bus routes as well as other transport routes in London.

 

[MrsG]

But the new ships will be based at PC per DCL's agreement with the port and their extended contract. Who knows if they will be able to adjust that in a few years.

Ooops. You are absolutelly right Barb. I was thinking they might re-route the Magic to be stationed in the Med (I hope, I hope!!!)

 

[jlawall]

London Tourist Info
I know I'll probably live to regret this, however....if anyone would like tourist info. on London, sites etc. I am happy to collate stuff & send on. Please PM me with your snail mail address & an ideas your thinking about, or particular interests, e.g. I'd hate to send an art philistine like myself a whole load of stuff on the numerous galleries in London! I will also include some maps & tube planners etc.

Can whoever has the first post please add this info/offer to it?

National Gallery
Spent an enjoyable day at the National Gallery today with the school, seeing the works of Monet, Van Gogh etc. I haven't been since I was a child so I was viewing in a different light. Many of you may not realise, but the majority of the London museums are free to enter, and if you like your art, this is probably a good stop if you're in London. I picked up some extra maps, so am happy to forward as detailed above

Celestine

I visited the National Gallery and it was fantastic to see so many originals in one place!!

 

[jilljill]

I visited the National Gallery and it was fantastic to see so many originals in one place!!

In our many trips to London, we've never been to any of the free museums...bad us.

 

[danfromca]

In our many trips to London, we've never been to any of the free museums...bad us.

The thing that amazes me about London is that even though I've visited maybe 8 or 9 times, I still find new things to do or see on each visit. Last time I finally saw the Globe theatre.

 

[jilljill]

The thing that amazes me about London is that even though I've visited maybe 8 or 9 times, I still find new things to do or see on each visit. Last time I finally saw the Globe theatre.

Yes, we finally did the Eye last summer, a first for us. There's so much to do and see we always find something new as well, in addition to doing some of the same things over and over like the Tower of London. I've been there 4 times, each with different people so it was a new experience each time. Had to drag DD out of the Armory, she was totally fascinated with that room and would have stayed there a ocuple of days looking and reading everything.

 

[bellelinus]

Yes, we finally did the Eye last summer, a first for us. There's so much to do and see we always find something new as well, in addition to doing some of the same things over and over like the Tower of London. I've been there 4 times, each with different people so it was a new experience each time. Had to drag DD out of the Armory, she was totally fascinated with that room and would have stayed there a ocuple of days looking and reading everything.

We love the Tower too. Have you ever done the Ceremony of the Keys? My oldest daughter and I have tickets to do this when we are there at the end of the month and I am looking forward to it . . .

 

[RJAYL]

Goodmorning ALL
We like London too thats why we will show up a week before the cruise!

 

[bellelinus]

Goodmorning ALL
We like London too thats why we will show up a week before the crise!

Morning, Robert . . . I keep debating how early to get to London, given we will be on the ship for so long . . . maybe 3 or 4 nights . . . a week sounds wonderful!