7/30/2011 Mickeys FIRST 7 Night Med cruise

[Anal Annie]

550 Euros?! PER PERSON!? HOLY BAT CAVE!! Seriously?? I am way out of my league on that idea! The Vatican is not on our short list (for this trip anyway). We are not Catholic (just plain Jane Methodists) so while I am sure it's interesting & quite beautiful I'll leave it for the Catholics to see! I want to see ruins!!! We will save the Vatican for another trip.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

550 Euros?! PER PERSON!? HOLY BAT CAVE!! Seriously?? I am way out of my league on that idea! The Vatican is not on our short list (for this trip anyway). We are not Catholic (just plain Jane Methodists) so while I am sure it's interesting & quite beautiful I'll leave it for the Catholics to see! I want to see ruins!!! We will save the Vatican for another trip.

No per Car!!! IE the cost is the same if its 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, slight increase if you need a van for 6/7. So the more people the lower the averaqe cost.

I am not Catholic, but still loved the vatican there is so much there, the paintings and the Sistine chapel are fantastic.

 

[Anal Annie]

No per Car!!! IE the cost is the same if its 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, slight increase if you need a van for 6/7. So the more people the lower the averaqe cost.

I am not Catholic, but still loved the vatican there is so much there, the paintings and the Sistine chapel are fantastic.

WHEW!!! You had me sweatin' there for a minute!! THAT we could probably handle if we plan out all of our other days just right as far as $ spent. That would be right around $800 USD right? Just slightly more. That is still a lot...but if it's only slightly higher than thru DCL... I just figured there was probably no way to see the Vatican, Sistine Chapel (I was under the impression that was an all-day thing in of itself) AND see the Colosseum & Pantheon. I assumed we'd have to choose between. What about Trevi Fountain & The Spanish Steps? Do you think ALL OF THAT is possible with a private guide / car?? I figured all of that was too ambitious and that we'd have to settle on about 3, maybe 4 of these places.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

WHEW!!! You had me sweatin' there for a minute!! THAT we could probably handle if we plan out all of our other days just right as far as $ spent. That would be right around $800 USD right? Just slightly more. That is still a lot...but if it's only slightly higher than thru DCL... I just figured there was probably no way to see the Vatican, Sistine Chapel (I was under the impression that was an all-day thing in of itself) AND see the Colosseum & Pantheon. I assumed we'd have to choose between. What about Trevi Fountain & The Spanish Steps? Do you think ALL OF THAT is possible with a private guide / car?? I figured all of that was too ambitious and that we'd have to settle on about 3, maybe 4 of these places.

We did all of that on my private tour in 2007, the Vatician was 8.45am>12 noon, did the rest in the afternoon, Trevi, and Steps just need 5 > 10 mins each photo stop, Colosseum longer of course, but its doable...

Its just a day so you will not see it all, but you will see far more on a private tour than what DCL can fit in, for example the otur buses cannot park 'close' to trevi, our driver pulled up within a 1>2 min walk.

 

[Anal Annie]

We did all of that on my private tour in 2007, the Vatician was 8.45am>12 noon, did the rest in the afternoon, Trevi, and Steps just need 5 > 10 mins each photo stop, Colosseum longer of course, but its doable...

Its just a day so you will not see it all, but you will see far more on a private tour than what DCL can fit in, for example the otur buses cannot park 'close' to trevi, our driver pulled up within a 1>2 min walk.

Yay! Good to hear!! So will you be using the same private tour operators again (ie were you happy enough with them to be a repeat customer) or will you explore others the next time around? I am stoked about the idea that we could actually accomplish that much in a day! I know the onboard times for Rome & Naples are like 9:00 - we have the late dinner seating but I was wondering if we'll probably MISS dinner on the ship in order to fit all of this in!? Do these private tour guides include a lunch stop? Is it usually a place of their choosing or do they just say OK we're stopping now for an hour - you can go here or here & see you back in one hour? How does that work? Do they allow potty breaks at our request? I assume the guides speak pretty fluent English?!

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey there again Andrew! I have been clicking thru your links here & there. I love that you have so much travel experience to share!

I was wondering about the idea of taking the train from Paris to Barcelona as the flights (watching next Aug. right now for something to do) look HIGH between. They are only about 1 hr 40 min long so that's nice BUT....just wondered about the train. We've never taken a "real" train anywhere so that would be a new adventure for us - especially if it's cheaper than flying! I looked at the different seating options on that link but how do you know what the schedule will be & about how much? Do the train schedules stay pretty much set once they're published or do they change a lot like flights? Is it an overnight trip or do they go more than once a day?? That might well be a good idea for us. We could spend all day Tues in Paris then take the train to Barcelona overnight in time for the cruise on Wed. (if the price is right). I assume those "tourist cabins" are the big bucks tho. Being naive about this here - do you purchase train tickets WAY IN ADVANCE like you do with an airline so you know you have a plan? Can I do that online & get them mailed to us? Would the train arrive EARLY enough in Barcelona that we'd have time for say a 1/2 day tour? When you take a train is it pretty much the same check-in & security procedure as when you fly - would we have to be at the train station hours before?

One of the links you gave for one of the tour operators in Barcelona offered 1/2 day tours for people who arrive early for a cruise or whatever. They also had a link for a "cruise forecast" which I found interesting - it's a calendar where you can look up how many ships are scheduled to be in port on the same day - they apparently often have up to 10 cruiseships docked at a time!! YIKES!!! GOOD reason to book excursions EARLY!!! If you book a private tour operator how far in advance do you make these plans? 6 months?? more? less? Do you pay in full up front?

 

[chris44]

Hi there! I guess I am another one of those lurkers who is going on a different Med cruise but trying to get info from this thread. We are booked on the June 8, 2011 Med cruise. It will be my mom, my daughter, and me, and we have a SPH room - yay!

Anyway, I didn't see a thread yet for the 6-8-11 date so I'll just follow this one for a while. (I hope we're not the only ones signed up for this cruise.) The links provided are great, although I haven't had time to check out all of them. I've also been trying to get a handle on the pricing for private drivers, and it looks like it will take quite some time to save up enough $$ for these excursions. Good thing we've got about a year and a half to do it!

We've been on two of the 4-day Bahamas cruises on the Wonder, so this will be quite a different experience for us!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Hi there! I guess I am another one of those lurkers who is going on a different Med cruise but trying to get info from this thread. We are booked on the June 8, 2011 Med cruise. It will be my mom, my daughter, and me, and we have a SPH room - yay!

Anyway, I didn't see a thread yet for the 6-8-11 date so I'll just follow this one for a while. (I hope we're not the only ones signed up for this cruise.) The links provided are great, although I haven't had time to check out all of them. I've also been trying to get a handle on the pricing for private drivers, and it looks like it will take quite some time to save up enough $$ for these excursions. Good thing we've got about a year and a half to do it!

We've been on two of the 4-day Bahamas cruises on the Wonder, so this will be quite a different experience for us!

Most welcome to pop in when you want, you might have seen I did the Med 11 night in 2007, and will repeat it, albeit with some new ports on this one.

A tip is to find people on your cruise who would like to share private tours with you, say Rome is the most important and then if theres say 7/8 of you you share the cost it should be cheaper than DCL

 

[Anal Annie]

Well, I am getting more & more irritated with the DLP idea. I called DVC again this morning to see if this breakfast is included and it is not. So Disney is quickly losing any incentives / advantage for staying onsite. Can I just say WA-A-A-A-A!!!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well, I am getting more & more irritated with the DLP idea. I called DVC again this morning to see if this breakfast is included and it is not. So Disney is quickly losing any incentives / advantage for staying onsite. Can I just say WA-A-A-A-A!!!!!

What resort you going for????

 

[Anal Annie]

What resort you going for????

I was thinking probably either the Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay...

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I was thinking probably either the Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay...

Yes, you posted that before I remember now. Both do have breakfasts with UK packages, Newport bay is a mid range one, opposite the New York where i stay.

Presume its DVC ,or USA Packages that its not included with..

 

[scottishwee35]

I was thinking probably either the Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay...

Andrew

I prefer Sequoia Lodge than Newport Bay....

and guess what I booked the dream criuse for 3 nights then 7 nights with rci...

Scottishwee35

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Andrew

I prefer Sequoia Lodge than Newport Bay....

and guess what I booked the dream cruise for 3 nights then 7 nights with rci...

Scottishwee35

Yes they are both nice, I posted before, I prefer New York, great inside/outside pool, ice skating in winter, a 2 min walk to the Disney Village and 5 mins to Parks or Station.

Really nice rooms.

Cruises sound good!

 

[scottishwee35]

Yes they are both nice, I posted before, I prefer New York, great inside/outside pool, ice skating in winter, a 2 min walk to the Disney Village and 5 mins to Parks or Station.

Really nice rooms.

Cruises sound good!

I have been in both hotel and it was nothing wrong but Newport hotel had put me off for long walking to the room, just I felt a mile to walk Lovely swimming pool but hotel is far too big...

And I had been in November when Olivia was 2 years old then went back in Summer, just myself with the kids about 4 or 5 years ago...

New York Hotel is very nice and I watched ice skate in Nov and in summer there were lots of different bikes at New York area... Olivia went there and it took me to waiting for hours... She enjoyed it...

I have not been since 4 or 5 years ago....

Scottishwee35

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I have been in both hotel and it was nothing wrong but Newport hotel had put me off for long walking to the room, just I felt a mile to walk Lovely swimming pool but hotel is far too big...

And I had been in November when Olivia was 2 years old then went back in Summer, just myself with the kids about 4 or 5 years ago...

New York Hotel is very nice and I watched ice skate in Nov and in summer there were lots of different bikes at New York area... Olivia went there and it took me to waiting for hours... She enjoyed it...

I have not been since 4 or 5 years ago....

Scottishwee35

Sounds good.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34308087&postcount=1

Transatlantic shore trips are up. for 2010.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Not too much information on this at the moment but bookings for this cruise have been suspended, no more reservations are being accepted, on the Website or direct through DCL agents.

It appears this cruise has been cancelled or maybe amended.

 

[msabol01]

Unfortunately I've heard through these boards and my TA that all sailings from July 30 and beyond for The Med have been cancelled. No details yet of why. I'm in the process of finding a new sail date.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Unfortunately I've heard through these boards and my TA that all sailings from July 30 and beyond for The Med have been cancelled. No details yet of why. I'm in the process of finding a new sail date.

''Unofficially'' I have herd that other the last 48 hours, ''officially'' they are just not accepting reservations.

''Unofficially'' The reason is very poor sales in 2011.