7/18/2010 Mickey's Baltic Ballyhoo!! Part 5

[jilljill]

It's very white here once again. No school once again. Good thing we are going on this cruise in July since DD may be going until then at this rate.

 

[jilljill]

Since we haven't figured out our flights yet, I went and booked a room at the Jurys Inn at Heathrow for the day they kick us off the ship in case we decide to fly out Saturday, which might be the case now. It was only 48GBP for the night, VAT included, so I thought I'd jump on it at that rate since it can be cancelled. I'll start looking at flights again next week.

 

[MrsScooby]

Good Morning All
Partly Sunny here!

Good Morning!
Mostly windy here in northern VA.

It's very white here once again. No school once again. Good thing we are going on this cruise in July since DD may be going until then at this rate.

My DS was disappointed we didn't get the snow again
I keep telling him that he will have to stay at school longer in June but at 16 I guess that is too far away to worry about

Since we haven't figured out our flights yet, I went and booked a room at the Jurys Inn at Heathrow for the day they kick us off the ship in case we decide to fly out Saturday, which might be the case now. It was only 48GBP for the night, VAT included, so I thought I'd jump on it at that rate since it can be cancelled. I'll start looking at flights again next week.

That's a good idea. We have held off on our flights because DH is not sure what we are doing with our dog. If we take her to NY for his mother to watch we are flying out of NY, if we are keeping her in boarding near home we are flying out of Dulles or National.
The boarding for the dog is super expensive money wise, but driving to NY and owing his mom is expensive time and sanity-wise
Last time I checked he was back to boarding the dog-so we may be flying out of the local airports.

 

[BluegrassBelles]

Barb, we are gold also. Yes we can book on Easter Sunday.

Hanover, We are also staying at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and are doing the Lion King on the 17th with Disney. That will be on Donna's birthday.

 

[Madisonznana]

I'm thinking about paying off my trip this week......or maybe next week. Hate to see the saving account go down to $10 though.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I wanted to PM my information...but the nice silly rule of having a minimum of 10 posts kinda defeated my best attempts...so...

Disname: Nightmarestang - Leon (29...contrary to what Caven 553 thinks, I will not be quite that many decades old!)
DW: Laura (25)
We live in Lincoln, NE and will be traveling with her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. This will be Laura's and my 5th/6th (doing the Western Europe following this cruise) Disney cruises. Laura graduates in May (yay!). We both work for Information Analytics. She works in billing and soon to be in the main office and I work as a Website Designer and Programmer. Also, if anyone is looking for a weight lifting partner for the cruise, let me know (I lift daily and do semi-pro football).

Belated welcome hope you enjoy this cruise.

Hi everyone,

I made it home from Disney World!

We had a great trip!!!! I spoke with someone at the Milwaukee Airport that had been on the delayed cruise. She said Disney was AWESOME about it. They had a new schedule with dining assignments and activities out within an hour of the delay.

Have a great day everyone.

Hope you had an enjoyable time.

I found the news from Seaworld this week rather upsetting. Having been there many times before, and seeing that show many times. Including as recently as August 2009, when we went to Seaworld and Discovery Cove. Really upsetting, though family say she only ever wanted to do that job.

Has anyone heard if Disney has announced the days and times of their shore excursions in St. Petersburg yet?

Celestine answered as below which is very good, about two weeks ago concierge sent me a list very similar but has a few more of 'ours' on it, ie Tallinn. Those were late being set.

Baltic Excursions

Oslo

• Hadeland Glass Works & Viking Ship 8:45
• Nobel peace Center for Families 9:45
• Norwegian Adventure 10:00
• Oslo Highlights 9:30
• Oslo Walking Tour with City Hall 9:45
• Pirate Cruise 9:30 & 12:30
• RIB Boat to Oscarsborg Fortress 9:00 &12:30
• Scenic Oslo 9:15 & 11:45
• Sea Explorers 9:15 & 12:15
• Viking Heritage 8:30

Copenhagen

• Castles of North Zealand 9:15
• Charming Copenhagen - Walk/Cruise 8:45
• City & Harbor Tour 9:45
• City Highlights & Open Air Museum 9:15
• Copenhagen & Dragoer Fishing Village 1:00
• Copenhagen Sights & Ice Bar 12:45
• Copenhagen Walking Tour 8:45
• Horseback Ride 10:00
• Panoramic City & Carlsberg Brewery 12:30
• Royal Copenhagen 9:00
• Tivoli Gardens - All Inclusive 8:30
• Viking For a Day 9:30
• Wild Kingdom of Copenhagen 9:00
• Wonderful Copenhagen 9:30
• Canoe Trip 9:45
• RIB Boat Adventure 10:00
• Tivoli Gardens & Harbor Tour 8:30

Warnemunde

• Berlin Signature train and Private V. 7.15am 12.75
• Berlin Discovery 7:15 AM 12.75
• Berlin on your Own 7:15 12.75
• Berlin Past and Present 7:15 12.75
• Berlin's Turbulent History 7:15 12.75
• Building the Dream 7:45 11.5
• Cultural Splendor of Berlin 7:15 12.75
• Molli Steam Train 8:45 AM &1:45 PM
• Rostock by Historical Train 8:45 AM& 1:45 PM
• Rostock Regional Highlights 8:45 4
• Sights and Sounds of Berlin 7:15
• Warnemunde & the Little Train 9:15 AM& 2:15pm

St Petersburg Day 1

• Backstage Experience at the Russian Ballet 5:30
• Catherine's Palace in Pushkin 12:45
• Evening Canal Boat Tour 7:00
• Exclusive Ballet Master Class (On-board) 1:30/2:45/4:00
• Hermitage Museum and Gold Room 1:00
• Hermitage Museum 12:45
• Night of Russian Ballet (Palace Theatre) 6:30
• Peterhof Parks and Fountains 12:15
• Royal Ball at Catherine's Palace 6:15
• Russian Folkloric Show 6:45
• St. Petersburg Introduction 1:00
• St. Petersburg Shopping Experience 1:15
• Walking Tour of St. Petersburg 12:30

St Petersburg Day 2

• Backstage Experience at the Ballet 5:30 PM
• Catherine's Palace & Hermitage 7:30
• Catherine's Palace 7:30
• City Highlights and Hermitage 8:00
• Evening Canal Boat Tour 7:00 PM
• Hermitage & Peterhof 7:45
• Hermitage 8:15
• Majestic Spilled Blood Cathedral & Boat Ride 8:45
• Night of Russian Ballet (Palace Theater) 6:30 PM
• Peterhof Parks & Fountains 8:45
• Peterhofs, Fountains, Train Ride 8:45
• Russian Folkloric Show 6:45 PM
• Shopping Experience 8:45 AM
• St. Petersburg Intro 7:45
• Walking Tour 8:00
• Hermitage/Gold Room 8:15
• Pushkin and Peterhof: Suburbs 7:15 AM

Tallinn

• Best of Tallinn with Concert and Lunch 9:45am
• Tallinn by Tram 10:00am

Stockholm

• Best of Drottningholm 9:15
• City Hall, Royal Palace, Old Town 8:15
• Cycling Around Royal Djurgarden 8:45 & 12:15
• Historic Stockholm & Sigtuna 8:45
• Ice bar & Old Town 12:45
• Nobel Tour 9:45
• Panoramic Stockholm 9:15 & 1:45
• Ribboat Adventure, Grinda Island & Vasa 10:15
• Royal Palace & Waterways 8:45
• Skansen & Vasa 8:15 &11:45
• Stockholm & Vasa 9:00 & 12:30
• Stockholm, Vasa and the Royal Armory 12:00 PM
• Viking Walk 8:45 & 12:45
• Skansen & Swedish Fairytales 8:00 AM

I can't remember where I read this , but someone on the disboards said if you take your future DCL res with you on your present cruise you'll get the onboard credit ?
I'm going on the MAGIC next Sat. and have res July 18 to the Baltic. Would be great if it worked !! Anyone know ???

You were answered, have a good cruise, you can ask to reshop on board, I suspect availability on our cruise is very limited and more expensive.

Andrew would he knows everything!

Have fun on the cruise & good luck with the credit!

Agree.

Thanks !

Is Andrew on vacation (holiday) ??

Like Roberts description.

I think he is on a Disboard sabatical!

Like it.

To answer comments here and on the main forum where I noted I was missed. It is difficult on these boards and this thread in particular to explain my annoyance. But I haven't been on holiday, and I decided not to post. It wasn't enforced.

My final payment is due March 20th.

Agree. I paid up in October 2009, glad re $/£ rate. I book on the 20th.

Check out this website from one of the other Baltic cruise dates www.magicalbalticcruise.com/index.html
Search around & the shore excursion times are listed. Obviously it is all "subject to change" but at least gives an idea

Celestine

Great website, they have worked very hard on that, took a look, i was tempted to post my list but you helped out.

Andrew

Dollars fall down now

look like worst rates nowadays

do you think it will be creep up soon???

Scottishwee35

Sorry for not answering quickly. Bad news the £ will get gradually weaker imho, we have 'no' good news coming out, and the dollar and yen are safe havens. With an election due, and with a good chance of a double dip recession, with big national debt, I cannot see any sustained gains in the short term, only after May 6th, will we see how the markets react to the election and whoever is elected. It will be volatile until then, imho.

I received 2 mailings today one Booklet for the Baltic with a postcard type insert advising me when I can start booking excursion's & extras.

I also received just the postard insert for the Repo to Barcelona!

Got mine on Monday 15th, small but nice to read.

Also got my $100pp offer, at the same day as everyone else posted on the boards.

Good Morning!
Mostly windy here in northern VA.


My DS was disappointed we didn't get the snow again
I keep telling him that he will have to stay at school longer in June but at 16 I guess that is too far away to worry about



That's a good idea. We have held off on our flights because DH is not sure what we are doing with our dog. If we take her to NY for his mother to watch we are flying out of NY, if we are keeping her in boarding near home we are flying out of Dulles or National.
The boarding for the dog is super expensive money wise, but driving to NY and owing his mom is expensive time and sanity-wise
Last time I checked he was back to boarding the dog-so we may be flying out of the local airports.

I have stayed at the Sofitel at heathrow, its a great hotel, slightly on the expensive side, but branch new. It is connected by a short walkway to Terminal 5, and the tube and rail station under T5. All other hotels whilst cheaper, are not connected to the terminals and require transfer by shuttle bus which with cruise luggage will give you a hernia.

T5 connects to T4 and T1/2/3, by bus/train/tube/taxi.

I apologise, that I feel unable to post on these boards, If I am not around much I apologise, many people have my email address and so if you are on this cruise, I am happy to answer your questions re London via email.

My PM's are disabled, but through my profile the option to email me is available, and many have done so.

I have changed some of my trips, I now plan to book.

Charming Copenhagen - Walk and Cruise Start Time 8:45am - Duration 4-4 ½ Hrs.
Copenhagen Inc; Light Snack. Coffee, Tea Soda, Water, Danish Pastry

Viking Heritage Start Time 9:00am – Duration 5-5 ½ Hrs.
Oslo No Food

Historical Stockholm and Sigtuna (Meal; Traditional Swedish Type Lunch)
Start Time 8:45am – Duration 6-6 ½ Hrs. Stockholm

Best of Tallinn with Concert and Lunch (Meal; Three Course Lunch
) Start Time 9:45am – Duration 6-6 ½ Hrs.Tallinn

 

[Celestine]

Snowing here again, but luckily just a dusting.

We booked 2 rooms at Park Plaza Westminister Bridge through Expedia this week. We ended up saving nearly $100 a night from Disney prices. We paid in full yesterday and are all set to book excursions on 3/20. It was nice to see excursion times in St. Petersburg on the website the person on the 2nd Baltic set up. We will be able to do all 4 excursions on our wish list there.

We purhcased (through DCL) Lion King tickets for 7/17 and the Canterbury/Leeds castle excursion on debarkation day. We are really, really excited about this trip! The transfers are included in the castle tour. We have DCL round trip transfers but they will not allow us to take the transfer from Heathrow to the hotel since we didn't book through Disney. That will save us $44 per person and I'm sure we can find transportation for less than $220. I hope! Any suggestions? We are a group of 5 with 2 kids included.

Best & easiest with children would be a private transfer. If you need a recommendation, PM me. You could alternatively use public transport but you are looking at several changes. Private transfer will set you back anything up to £80 depending on time of day & the company being used. Tempting as it will be to catch a black cab that will cost you probably double booking a private hire in advance

Celestine

 

[Madisonznana]

To answer comments here and on the main forum where I noted I was missed. It is difficult on these boards and this thread in particular to explain my annoyance. But I haven't been on holiday, and I decided not to post. It wasn't enforced.








I apologise, that I feel unable to post on these boards, If I am not around much I apologise, many people have my email address and so if you are on this cruise, I am happy to answer your questions re London via email.

My PM's are disabled, but through my profile the option to email me is available, and many have done so.

I have changed some of my trips, I now plan to book.

Charming Copenhagen - Walk and Cruise Start Time 8:45am - Duration 4-4 ½ Hrs.
Copenhagen Inc; Light Snack. Coffee, Tea Soda, Water, Danish Pastry

Viking Heritage Start Time 9:00am – Duration 5-5 ½ Hrs.
Oslo No Food

Historical Stockholm and Sigtuna (Meal; Traditional Swedish Type Lunch)
Start Time 8:45am – Duration 6-6 ½ Hrs. Stockholm

Best of Tallinn with Concert and Lunch (Meal; Three Course Lunch
) Start Time 9:45am – Duration 6-6 ½ Hrs.Tallinn

I missed you Andrew!!!

 

[MrsG]

Andrew,

I was just thinking that I'm going to have to try to find the link with DCL excursion time and then I see your post with all the times. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

You just saved me so much time (that I don't have as I am doing school work during our snow day - 12 inches at least). Now we can seriously plan what we want to do. I guess more on Tallinn will be forthcoming as our date gets closer.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I missed you Andrew!!!

Andrew,

I was just thinking that I'm going to have to try to find the link with DCL excursion time and then I see your post with all the times. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

You just saved me so much time (that I don't have as I am doing school work during our snow day - 12 inches at least). Now we can seriously plan what we want to do. I guess more on Tallinn will be forthcoming as our date gets closer.

What ones do you plan to book?

I was pleased to see the new additions a week or so back, the OSLO Viking Heritage one looks a good one, I wanted to do all of that, but was being force to go to the glass factory to do it which is expensive, and a hour coach trip each way.

Also you are paying for food, now I have had a lot of correspondence with DCL on what the food actually is, Norway would have a lot of fish, I am allergic to that so again a waste. Pity they do not put up information on allergies etc for the trips with food.

I know the food on the train to Berlin, my kids get a mini pizza and chicken pop corn on the way back.

I have four trips to book now, the Berlin one is confirmed.

Start times are important as you can work out when your back and how much *free* time you have before port departure.

Tallinn I had limited information but asked this about two weeks ago when the Tallinn cruises hadnt been finalised. ie First cruise didnt go there, but 120 days should have booked 2nd cruise now.

 

[MrsG]

Thanks for info about fish in the included meals. I don't eat fish and Tom has a shrimp allergy so that is a big consideration.

Haven't a clue which ones we are doing. I printed off a selection of ones that we might like. I made a packet of them for each stop, but without knowing the times and if we might be able to do 2 in a day, we really couldn't sit and discuss. Thanks to you posting the times, I think that will certainly be on our agenda this weekend. We were really suprised at the cost of the Berlin excursions. But when we priced just the train ride, it made sense why DCL was charging so much (what I mean is that it even seemed expensive for the typical expense of a DCL excursion )

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks for info about fish in the included meals. I don't eat fish and Tom has a shrimp allergy so that is a big consideration.

Haven't a clue which ones we are doing. I printed off a selection of ones that we might like. I made a packet of them for each stop, but without knowing the times and if we might be able to do 2 in a day, we really couldn't sit and discuss. Thanks to you posting the times, I think that will certainly be on our agenda this weekend. We were really suprised at the cost of the Berlin excursions. But when we priced just the train ride, it made sense why DCL was charging so much (what I mean is that it even seemed expensive for the typical expense of a DCL excursion )

DCL couldnt make guarantees on the food offered on the excursions, I know the Berlin food/snack on the private signature tour i have booked isn't fish. Norway will have a high percentage of fish/seafood, as its their national food, the others are a bit more balanced. IE Sweden has meatballs etc.

I asked if there was kid meals and alternatives and they couldn't promise this.

So if anyone has allergies consider avoiding tours with food included as you might not be able to eat part or all of it, and on a long day, you will 'then have to pay twice.

Berlin is expensive, but I considered it a must do, and therefore booked and paid up this trip and have had a nice confirmation from DCL.

 

[MrsG]

Yes, Berlin is a must-do for us too. I'd rather save money elsewhere, but we are planning on an all day in Berlin.

 

[MrsScooby]

Good to see you back Andrew
We missed you

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Good to see you back Andrew
We missed you

 

[RJAYL]

Good Morning All

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Good Morning All

Hi

Let me introduce myself,,

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

As my freind on a phone call to me this week said.

In his new Toyota car,...

Cant stop now,

I will see you later

Pound/dollar predictions.

Month Date Forecast
Value
0 Jan-10 1.6158
1 Feb-10 1.569
2 Mar-10 1.548
3 Apr-10 1.553
4 May-10 1.563
5 Jun-10 1.575
6 Jul-10 1.588
7 Aug-10 1.599
8 Sep-10 1.613

 

[RJAYL]

So Sorry it's Sunday!
For tomorrow is Monday!

 

[mca]

Hi all

I would like to add my name to the list of cruisers on the 18th

Dis Name: mca
My Name: Moe(44)
Family: DW Nicky(44), DS Eric(12) & DS Danny(10)
Location: Ontario Canada
Cabin Cat 10 Deck 7 fwd
First gold castaway cruise
Going to DLP after cruise