August 18, 2010...Can't wait for the MAGICal Mediterranean!!!

[jel0511]

Here's hoping....keeping my fingers crossed for you!

You just want the party in the Walt..... So do I!!!!!

 

[mindelmouse]

You just want the party in the Walt..... So do I!!!!!

Just to let you know, if you get the Walt suite...all parties in my measly room are cancelled and moved to yours....

Seriously though, my husband has been keeping track of the suites and stuff that open up (he's been trying to get some friends of ours to go) and although some Cat 3's have opened up, they've quickly been devoured. The cat 2 and 1 suites have been gone for quite awhile....I thought if you had a gty though, they know that they have enough to cover you. Why would they gty a cat 4 or better if they are all booked?

How about this......since cat 4 to cat 1 is almost unheard of....you get upgraded to cat 3 and I get upgraded to cat 2......then we're all happy.....

 

[jel0511]

Just to let you know, if you get the Walt suite...all parties in my measly room are cancelled and moved to yours....

Seriously though, my husband has been keeping track of the suites and stuff that open up (he's been trying to get some friends of ours to go) and although some Cat 3's have opened up, they've quickly been devoured. The cat 2 and 1 suites have been gone for quite awhile....I thought if you had a gty though, they know that they have enough to cover you. Why would they gty a cat 4 or better if they are all booked?

How about this......since cat 4 to cat 1 is almost unheard of....you get upgraded to cat 3 and I get upgraded to cat 2......then we're all happy.....

Mindy thanks for bursting my bubble.... I know that MOST likely we'll be in a 4, but with a GTY it is possible, though unlikely....

 

[mindelmouse]

Mindy thanks for bursting my bubble.... I know that MOST likely we'll be in a 4, but with a GTY it is possible, though unlikely....

I'm sorry...no intention to burst your bubble....I actually like Cat 4's...my husband is the suite person.....hey but you are right...anything can happen...I never expected to be in a suite on my last cruise....I had called the week before we left and none were available and magically when I got to the port...they had one...I can't believe that people cancel that last minute...perhaps they hold the cabins aside, just for the GTY...can you book a GTY cat 3? You can't go wrong with that one.

 

[jel0511]

I'm sorry...no intention to burst your bubble....I actually like Cat 4's...my husband is the suite person.....hey but you are right...anything can happen...I never expected to be in a suite on my last cruise....I had called the week before we left and none were available and magically when I got to the port...they had one...I can't believe that people cancel that last minute...perhaps they hold the cabins aside, just for the GTY...can you book a GTY cat 3? You can't go wrong with that one.

They do hold cabin back for different reasons. We used to sail in cat 6's, then on our Mexican cruise, we got a HORRIBLE room, REALLY noisy due to a high pressure water line than ran underneath, whole cabin shook when turned on at 3AM!!! Several nights of complaints and after being told repeatedly that the whole ship was sold out, finally told that someone wasn't coming aboard at our first port and they're cabin was available. Found out later, it was the entertainment headliner. You know how DCL likes to switch out their headliners mid cruise, so this one didn't show up or had a change in plans. So we got moved to a cat 4 for the remainder of the cruise and boy loved the extra space. I still think it's funny for those who think there isn't a difference between the cat 5 and 6's and the cat 4's, we can definitely tell, yeah it's only 3-4 ft longer, but when you're in such a small room anyway, it does make the difference. I'd be the suite person, but DH just can't see paying that much for a room on the ship.

 

[mindelmouse]

So my little brain has been thinking and reading....we're not doing an FE exchange, are we? I'm thinking it would be fun, however, with the cost of extra luggage, my thought is that we probably don't want to cart extra stuff to Europe. Also, as I see it now, we don't have a lot of people on the board, so I'm thinking a big meeting in one of the lounges is kind of inane...I personally like the smaller intimate groups anyway. Our list has like 13 families,and of those, I'm not sure how many are still going.

I'm going to put most the magnets I made for my last trip on my door this trip because they weren't trip specific....and last time I made T shirts, but that was because we went with a group of 8...this time, I probably won't just for the 4 of us...

Any comments...thoughts?????

 

[jel0511]

So my little brain has been thinking and reading....we're not doing an FE exchange, are we? I'm thinking it would be fun, however, with the cost of extra luggage, my thought is that we probably don't want to cart extra stuff to Europe. Also, as I see it now, we don't have a lot of people on the board, so I'm thinking a big meeting in one of the lounges is kind of inane...I personally like the smaller intimate groups anyway. Our list has like 13 families,and of those, I'm not sure how many are still going.

I'm going to put most the magnets I made for my last trip on my door this trip because they were trip specific....and last time I made T shirts, but that was because we went with a group of 8...this time, I probably won't just for the 4 of us...

Any comments...thoughts?????

I agree Mindy. Luckily for me most of my magnets from last trip are pretty good, I didn't make too many trip specific ones, so I'll reuse what I can(if I can find them ). We loved the FE last time, but having to drag all of that stuff across the Atlantic is daunting.

 

[MinnieDiva]

I've never done FE's, not having cruised before, but I agree, FE=more luggage space=$.
kim

 

[mindelmouse]

Ok - I can check another to do off the list. We booked our one night hotel for before and after the trip. I found the Apsis Porta Marina. It has a family room that sleep 4, it's a newer hotel (opened 12/2008). It to an 8.7 out of 10 on trip advisor and it's considered a 4 star hotel. It's located not far from the marina and the olympic village and I got it for $157 per night (yes that USD) including breakfast on 1-800-hotels. They had a way better price than the hotel web site. The only drawback is that you must pay for the rooms upon booking. My thought process is that if something happens and I don't go, I'll lose alot more from my cruise deposit and airfare...this cost is almost a drop in the bucket.

My coworker, who was in Barcelona last summer, said the location is good. There's no pool, but it's pretty close to the beach.

Just thought I'd share in case anyone else was having a hard time trying to figure this out.

 

[ejw]

Actually from what I heard from family that live down there...it was indeed as cold as it was here...hope it didn't hamper your good time.

Yes cruise planning is underway....we have to pay our balance in March and then in April can start booking our excursions....

I'm very surprised this board isn't more active, for a ship that didn't get discounted because it sold so well, I would think there would be more people on the board at this point...

Hi Mindy, just curious....you said you can book excursions in april? is that 120 days out? is that because of your cat #? I think i can book in may, 105 days out.

ellen

 

[mindelmouse]

Hi Mindy, just curious....you said you can book excursions in april? is that 120 days out? is that because of your cat #? I think i can book in may, 105 days out.

ellen

Ellen,

Yes, we're a Cat 3, so we can book at 120 days out.

 

[jel0511]

Hi Mindy, just curious....you said you can book excursions in april? is that 120 days out? is that because of your cat #? I think i can book in may, 105 days out.

ellen

Ellen, Mindy is in a suite, so she gets priority booking for excursions and Palo ressies. I as a lowly silver member get to book at 90 days out around may 20th I think.

 

[ejw]

thanks guys. that's what I figured.

ellen

 

[mindelmouse]

Ellen, Mindy is in a suite, so she gets priority booking for excursions and Palo ressies. I as a lowly silver member get to book at 90 days out around may 20th I think.

Come on Lori...I don't even think I qualify as a silver..I've only taken one other cruise....you can't stop digging about that suite.....you should have booked it early....you could have paid the same thing you are now and gotten one.....but don't worry I said I share...you're welcome to party there at any time...we're actually right by the stairs coming down from deck 9. You'll be on the same deck, so perhaps we'll be neighbors.

 

[mindelmouse]

Ellen, Mindy is in a suite, so she gets priority booking for excursions and Palo ressies. I as a lowly silver member get to book at 90 days out around may 20th I think.

actually if you're really nice to me, I can link your ressie and make all your ressies for you...LOL

 

[MinnieDiva]

Woe is me! I have to wait until 75 days......

 

[jel0511]

actually if you're really nice to me, I can link your ressie and make all your ressies for you...LOL

YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!

 

[jel0511]

actually if you're really nice to me, I can link your ressie and make all your ressies for you...LOL

I can bribe you with Old Man Rafferty's!!! We love that place!!!!!

 

[mindelmouse]

I can bribe you with Old Man Rafferty's!!! We love that place!!!!!

my kids take karate with the owners son...just buy me about 5 of their desserts...LOL....I take that back....I need to LOSE weight before we go.

 

[MinnieDiva]

There's a tread on the main cruise board talking about the ABD add-on....while one of the posters is doing it in May in conjunction w/the cheap fare, they stated that they got the info that all the Aug dates were sold out.

So....I guess that there are an awful lot of people with excess $$. Huh.

k