7/26/2014 - 12-Night Mediterranean Cruise (with Greece)

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Gold CC Members coming up to 105 days tomorrow night! So get ready to book.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Good luck to the Golds tonight.

 

[dizneeat]

105 days or just 15 weeks until we set sail! ​

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hope those booking last night got what they wanted.

 

[dizneeat]

Hope those booking last night got what they wanted.

Yes, hope they got what they wanted!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yes, hope they got what they wanted!

Looks like availability was good.

 

[tvlr42m]

Cast Members: 3 (ME, DW, DD-18)
CAT: 5B

Last cruise before DD goes off to college!

Been looking at best options for tours today and booked the Palo Brunch/Dinner.

Looking forward to it!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Cast Members: 3 (ME, DW, DD-18)
CAT: 5B

Last cruise before DD goes off to college!

Been looking at best options for tours today and booked the Palo Brunch/Dinner.

Looking forward to it!

Welcome and well done for getting what you wanted.

 

[dizneeat]

Cast Members: 3 (ME, DW, DD-18)
CAT: 5B

Last cruise before DD goes off to college!

Been looking at best options for tours today and booked the Palo Brunch/Dinner.

Looking forward to it!

Welcome!
Happy to hear that you got your dining reservations!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

image by Andrew D Porter, on Flickr

 

[dooledoo]

At last! I have found you all!

Many thanks to Disney Fantasy, who pointed me in the right direction. Can you count me in please? We are already on the FE group though!

We are Alex (short for Alexandra), DH Nev & daughter Gaby (13)
Second sitting for dining
We are from Dorset, UK
Cabin no. 7622

Not long to go and am now busy looking into the finer details. So you will have to bear with me, I only discovered this thread a couple of hours ago so I have a lot of reading to do!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

At last! I have found you all!

Many thanks to Disney Fantasy, who pointed me in the right direction. Can you count me in please? We are already on the FE group though!

We are Alex (short for Alexandra), DH Nev & daughter Gaby (13)
Second sitting for dining
We are from Dorset, UK
Cabin no. 7622

Not long to go and am now busy looking into the finer details. So you will have to bear with me, I only discovered this thread a couple of hours ago so I have a lot of reading to do!

Welcome and yes you have found the right place!

 

[dizneeat]

At last! I have found you all!

Many thanks to Disney Fantasy, who pointed me in the right direction. Can you count me in please? We are already on the FE group though!

We are Alex (short for Alexandra), DH Nev & daughter Gaby (13)
Second sitting for dining
We are from Dorset, UK
Cabin no. 7622

Not long to go and am now busy looking into the finer details. So you will have to bear with me, I only discovered this thread a couple of hours ago so I have a lot of reading to do!

Hi Alex and welcome to the group!
No problem if you have questions, I am sure someone on here will be able to help you out!

 

[dizneeat]

101 days until our 14th cruise

347 days until our 15th cruise

493 days until our 16th cruise

500 days until our 17th cruise ​

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Nice.

 

[dooledoo]

Morning everyone!

I'm thinking of doing the "Rome on your own" excursion (the main reason being that I feel happy knowing its a DCL excursion and should the transport get delayed on the way back to the ship, it will wait for us).

Anyway, we may well just make our own way around Rome but did have a couple of questions.

Does anyone know where you get dropped off at the beginning of the trip?

And, another thought is that we arrange a tour guide to meet us and then do a private tour once we are there. I'm thinking that might save our feet a bit and also some time! Any recommendations?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Morning everyone!

I'm thinking of doing the "Rome on your own" excursion (the main reason being that I feel happy knowing its a DCL excursion and should the transport get delayed on the way back to the ship, it will wait for us).

Anyway, we may well just make our own way around Rome but did have a couple of questions.

Does anyone know where you get dropped off at the beginning of the trip?

And, another thought is that we arrange a tour guide to meet us and then do a private tour once we are there. I'm thinking that might save our feet a bit and also some time! Any recommendations?

I do not know where they drop you off but Rome is a large place and you will not see as many things IMHO, we are using a tour group. http://www.bestourofitaly.com/ for a private tour, they will get you back to the ship on time, they gave never missed one and get back earlier than the tour buses, if there is a group of you it's cheaper than DCL tours and they get to places the tour buses can't up smaller roads say at Trivii fountains the tour buses walk you there.

I personally as a seasoned traveller would do Rome on my own, I have been there circa five times and still think I would get lost and not get back to the coach on time. I have full trust in a private tour that do this day in day out all year.

Some people from our cruise joined my private booking and I think THRY will get the very best your at the very cheapest price.

 

[dooledoo]

I do not know where they drop you off but Rome is a large place and you will not see as many things IMHO, we are using a tour group. http://www.bestourofitaly.com/ for a private tour, they will get you back to the ship on time, they gave never missed one and get back earlier than the tour buses, if there is a group of you it's cheaper than DCL tours and they get to places the tour buses can't up smaller roads say at Trivii fountains the tour buses walk you there.

I personally as a seasoned traveller would do Rome on my own, I have been there circa five times and still think I would get lost and not get back to the coach on time. I have full trust in a private tour that do this day in day out all year.

Some people from our cruise joined my private booking and I think THRY will get the very best your at the very cheapest price.

You have piqued my interest! I have looked at this company online and it does look very good but it was your last comment that made me curious. Have you organised a trip for more than your own family? Has it grown and others joined? How is this going to be organised?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

You have piqued my interest! I have looked at this company online and it does look very good but it was your last comment that made me curious. Have you organised a trip for more than your own family? Has it grown and others joined? How is this going to be organised?

I booked Rome on my own, for my family, (and private trips in six of the seven ports), then when posting on the Facebook group for our cruise, others contacted me and I have fellow cruisers joining me in La Spezia, Rome, Athens, and Malta.

Now I am at the maximum level of passengers on my trips but you might find others who could join you or you join them and book a private tour.

So yes my trips have grown, by people asking me if they could join us.

Now I have been to the Med with DCL before and on my own and on each cruise I do try to book private tours, I did in the Med and Baltic and Alaska.

All cruise lines like to worry you a bit on there leaving time, yes its true, but they overdo it as they want to sell there own trips where they get 10>15% commission.

If you book with a good reputable local tour operator who do this day in day out all year and say have good reviews on Trip advisor then you should be safe. Far safer than going it alone and getting lost in a bit City, there is a higher risk there on missing the train/bus back than a local firm who know what they are doing.

The company I quoted continues to have high praise on it.

Now tour buses from DCL you will get a ticket for it in your room, go a meeting place say the WD Theater, queue get a sticker sit down and wait, then go off in groups, scramble on the bus to try to sit together, wait for the bus to fill, drive at the max speed for buses, get off, queue up, then tour with 50 odd people and listen on the whisper system but unable to ask questions unless your at the front.

Tour buses cant get down some streets so you walk, Tour buses will have arranged stops at tourist shops, tourist restaurants and you have to spend half your time queuing for the restrooms/toilets. You again will wait at each place for the whole group to turn up and if you finish the sightseeing early you cant move on early and you cant stop the bus for an ice cream.

A private tour, you get off the ship and go straight to it and go, they drive faster than tour buses so you hit Rome earlier, you see the sights on a schedule but can move on quicker if you want, I have a guide so that covers max of eight of us, we can stop for an extra photo or ice cream and go to a non tourist place to eat for an Italian pizza and no queue for the restrooms, private guides often get your tickets, cut the lines and take you to entrances say at the Colosseum that the tour buses do not use and you get in quick.

The cars can drive places in small streets like Trevii fountains, and they will leave before the tour buses leave and go faster down the motorways, last time we got back so quick we did our laundry before dinner.

If you join up with others it can be cheaper than the best DCL tours and see more!

Sorry this is long but I want you and everyone to have the best time that you can and value for money.

 

[dizneeat]

99 days until our 14th cruise : ​