Back to the Med Greece/Turkey in 2013! Complete!

[Kirbo]

All caught up

Tchotchkes is how it's spelled. What is so funny to me is that I can't spell at all, drives my DH insane, and yet I can spell that crazy word

Thanks to you my Rick Steves book is in the mail. I ordered his Mediterranean ports book. I've also broken out an older version of Passporter's DCL book that includes the ports from 2010.

DH and I took our girls on our first cruise last year. It was a DCL MR KSF. DH didn't have anything to do with the planning (sound familiar?) and was a bit taken aback by it all. He thought I was insane trolling around on the DisBoards for all those months. And then we got on the boat and he had a blast! He was so happy I'd done all that research. By the second day he was saying we needed to book another cruise (we'd boarded thinking it was a once in a lifetime trip). We rebooked for the same cruise this year and just got off on 3/4. It was the best trip ever. We just had a great time as a family and as a couple.

While onboard we rebooked for the transatlantic and the first Med of the season. But what's really crazy is that we didn't know what cruise we were going to take and actually had two others also booked. We were only going to take one of them, but which? We had the WBPC, an EC on the Fantasy and then the EBTA booked. Once we decided to add the Med we decided to really go for it. Finally cancelled the WBPC and the EC and focusing fully on the EBTA and the Med. DH got the ok to take off three weeks and I've checked with the girls' school and it'll be no problem to take them out of school.

We also contacted my various family members and some of them will join us on the Med. My aunt is an obsessive planner like me, so we're going to have a great time going over itineraries, etc. My mother is a free spirit (that's a nice way of putting it, flaky would be another way of putting it) says she's coming, but until I see her set foot on the boat, I won't really believe it. My father, no longer married ot my mom, might also join us!

No one in my family is a Disney person. In fact, neither are my husband or me. (She says, while looking at her beautiful DCL logo ring that she just bought while on the Wonder ) We haven't done the parks and we don't really plan on it. But we've become obsessed with DCL and can't imagine ever cruising with anyone else. Neither DH nor I drink and we don't gamble plus we have little kids, so DCL just fits us. But I am a little worried about how my family will enjoy the cruise. I am hopeful they'll love it. Regardless, we will have a blast

So, I'm in for your report! But wait, you knew that already.

Oh, have you looked at DCL air? We are doing it through them. I figure I might find a better deal elsewhere and can cancel the Disney Air if I need to. But it's $1175 for each of us. Gets us from Portland, Oregon to Galveston and then from Barcelona back to Portland.


ETA While on the Wonder my husband bought four DCL shirts and two DCL visors. I got the ring and two shirts. Plus we got various things like coasters and key rings. So I say we aren't Disney people, but I guess we have become Disney people.

 

[ShinyDaisy]

Hi! I just started reading last night; I've subscribed but haven't gotten that far yet. You're writing is great!! Thank you for sharing with all of us!


We are hoping to cruise the Med next summer.

 

[MinnieDiva]

Hi! I just started reading last night; I've subscribed but haven't gotten that far yet. You're writing is great!! Thank you for sharing with all of us!


We are hoping to cruise the Med next summer.

Welcome! Hope you book! Don't wait until the prices go up any further! Easier to cancel......(I am a bad influence....)

 

[MinnieDiva]

All caught up

Tchotchkes is how it's spelled. What is so funny to me is that I can't spell at all, drives my DH insane, and yet I can spell that crazy word

Thanks to you my Rick Steves book is in the mail. I ordered his Mediterranean ports book. I've also broken out an older version of Passporter's DCL book that includes the ports from 2010.

DH and I took our girls on our first cruise last year. It was a DCL MR KSF. DH didn't have anything to do with the planning (sound familiar?) and was a bit taken aback by it all. He thought I was insane trolling around on the DisBoards for all those months. And then we got on the boat and he had a blast! He was so happy I'd done all that research. By the second day he was saying we needed to book another cruise (we'd boarded thinking it was a once in a lifetime trip). We rebooked for the same cruise this year and just got off on 3/4. It was the best trip ever. We just had a great time as a family and as a couple.

While onboard we rebooked for the transatlantic and the first Med of the season. But what's really crazy is that we didn't know what cruise we were going to take and actually had two others also booked. We were only going to take one of them, but which? We had the WBPC, an EC on the Fantasy and then the EBTA booked. Once we decided to add the Med we decided to really go for it. Finally cancelled the WBPC and the EC and focusing fully on the EBTA and the Med. DH got the ok to take off three weeks and I've checked with the girls' school and it'll be no problem to take them out of school.

We also contacted my various family members and some of them will join us on the Med. My aunt is an obsessive planner like me, so we're going to have a great time going over itineraries, etc. My mother is a free spirit (that's a nice way of putting it, flaky would be another way of putting it) says she's coming, but until I see her set foot on the boat, I won't really believe it. My father, no longer married ot my mom, might also join us!

No one in my family is a Disney person. In fact, neither are my husband or me. (She says, while looking at her beautiful DCL logo ring that she just bought while on the Wonder ) We haven't done the parks and we don't really plan on it. But we've become obsessed with DCL and can't imagine ever cruising with anyone else. Neither DH nor I drink and we don't gamble plus we have little kids, so DCL just fits us. But I am a little worried about how my family will enjoy the cruise. I am hopeful they'll love it. Regardless, we will have a blast

So, I'm in for your report! But wait, you knew that already.

Oh, have you looked at DCL air? We are doing it through them. I figure I might find a better deal elsewhere and can cancel the Disney Air if I need to. But it's $1175 for each of us. Gets us from Portland, Oregon to Galveston and then from Barcelona back to Portland.


ETA While on the Wonder my husband bought four DCL shirts and two DCL visors. I got the ring and two shirts. Plus we got various things like coasters and key rings. So I say we aren't Disney people, but I guess we have become Disney people.

ROTFL!!!! Thanks for the spelling update!

LOVE the Rick Steves stuff....in fact...my iPad arrived today cloud9, and after getting everything set up, the Med Cruise Ports book was my first purchase!!!

Glad to hear the MR was a good trip! You hear so much bad stuff coming out of Mexico these days....

I sooooooo wish we could do a TA, but Sean's work changed their bargaining agreement and him getting more than 2 weeks off is a chore. The only way we're doing it next summer is that he's taking off the "summer" dates pre-scheduled and will do trades for the 2 shifts we'll need for travel over to Barcelona. I haven't entertained DCL air at this point. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that it's something really crazy like 3k per person. DO NOT quote me on that, tho. You have the benefit of going off-season...I'll be driving thru Portland next week, btw!!!

And as far as the husband becoming a convert...we were walking thru the store this afternoon and Sean starts humming the ringtone to my phone...Spectromagic.....!!!!!

 

[NanNan]

Wow, Kim.
Those pictures and the editing are amazing! I wonder what the occasion was? Looks like some sort of memorial day, so stunning.
Well, another one of us, thanks to you, have Rick Steves Med ports book in hand and are learning sooo much, which makes it all so exciting!
Also looked at apartments, just as you said much more realistic. I sometimes get a Starwood hot rate with my brother working for the Sheraton, which the Meridian is part of that group, but no luck on the rate there. The apartments look like they will suit us better anyway with my daughter and her other half.
Is it spring out there anywhere? Here has been funny here, but typically Alberta. mild with some snow then sun then wind then rain-we always say if you don't like the weather to wait 10 minutes, it will change!

 

[tinkerbelltwins]

I never thought about getting the RS Med book on my i-pad! Great idea for when I'm sitting around waiting for the kids to finish their sports and other activities. Off to purchase it now...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Beth

 

[mindelmouse]

Welcome! Hope you book! Don't wait until the prices go up any further! Easier to cancel......(I am a bad influence....)

Take it from one who knows.....very bad influence

 

[mindelmouse]

4

 

[mindelmouse]

ROTFL!!!! Thanks for the spelling update!

LOVE the Rick Steves stuff....in fact...my iPad arrived today cloud9, and after getting everything set up, the Med Cruise Ports book was my first purchase!!!

Ok - so just order one for me and send it here...I'll mail you a check (that's the book, not the ipad) You know I'll never do it and I have to be at least as up to speed as I can to know whether I want to do what you tell me I'm doing.

And as far as the husband becoming a convert...we were walking thru the store this afternoon and Sean starts humming the ringtone to my phone...Spectromagic.....!!!!!

Way to go Sean...I'd knew it would happen...

 

[MinnieDiva]

Wow, Kim.
Those pictures and the editing are amazing! I wonder what the occasion was? Looks like some sort of memorial day, so stunning.
Well, another one of us, thanks to you, have Rick Steves Med ports book in hand and are learning sooo much, which makes it all so exciting!
Also looked at apartments, just as you said much more realistic. I sometimes get a Starwood hot rate with my brother working for the Sheraton, which the Meridian is part of that group, but no luck on the rate there. The apartments look like they will suit us better anyway with my daughter and her other half.
Is it spring out there anywhere? Here has been funny here, but typically Alberta!

Thanks! The pics are from the firefighter stairclimb in Seattle. A fundraiser for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society, they wear full gear on an an air tank and go up 69 floors. They wear pics on their helmets on family or friends that are fighting cancer or have survived/lost their battle. This year, Sean was climbing for his cousin. He's had a personal friend/famIly member to climb for all 3 years he's done the race .

Spring? What's that? Weve gotten a lot of yucky weather....rain, wind, cold, but got a random warmer afternoon two days ago. I have hope....

 

[MinnieDiva]

Take it from one who knows.....very bad influence

Mindy never intended to go to Alaska......

 

[MinnieDiva]

Ok - so just order one for me and send it here...I'll mail you a check (that's the book, not the ipad) You know I'll never do it and I have to be at least as up to speed as I can to know whether I want to do what you tell me I'm doing.


Way to go Sean...I'd knew it would happen...

Hmmmmm....not sure I can do it for someone else..... Will look!

And shhhhhhhh....don't tell Sean I posted that (he hasn't been on here in ages.....)

 

[MinnieDiva]

We headed to one of the REI stores yesterday to do a little research on 2 different things. One was unrelated to the trip ( a hitch mounted bike rack for the new car), and the other was the elusive perfect camera bag. Well, the bag is still elusive. They had a terrible selection of bags to look at. Even not looking at camera bags, they had 1...yes 1, style of Pacsafe backpack...the smallest one they carry. The camera bag that had there was this one:

http://www.rei.com/product/800123/mountainsmith-spectrum-camera-pack

and I was not impressed. While the idea that the bag is split in 2 has merit, the reality is that you can't fit much in the camera portion. There was an area for a laptop or an iPad, but still....the camera would end up having to float around in the bigger compartment.

They also had this one:

http://www.rei.com/product/800123/mountainsmith-spectrum-camera-pack

which is the successor to the one I already have and is too small for my needs. Disappointing. Need to go to one of the bigger REI's....like the flagship in Seattle!!

 

[gailg3horses]

I know its not what youre looking for but I wanted to mention I have a Pacsafe bag, the sling/backpack with the zipper handles that split to wear it either way. . I really love it. I travel with it all the time and I like the security features it has. It's also comfortable to wear.

 

[Kirbo]

ROTFL!!!! Thanks for the spelling update!

LOVE the Rick Steves stuff....in fact...my iPad arrived today cloud9, and after getting everything set up, the Med Cruise Ports book was my first purchase!!!

Glad to hear the MR was a good trip! You hear so much bad stuff coming out of Mexico these days....

I sooooooo wish we could do a TA, but Sean's work changed their bargaining agreement and him getting more than 2 weeks off is a chore. The only way we're doing it next summer is that he's taking off the "summer" dates pre-scheduled and will do trades for the 2 shifts we'll need for travel over to Barcelona. I haven't entertained DCL air at this point. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that it's something really crazy like 3k per person. DO NOT quote me on that, tho. You have the benefit of going off-season...I'll be driving thru Portland next week, btw!!!

And as far as the husband becoming a convert...we were walking thru the store this afternoon and Sean starts humming the ringtone to my phone...Spectromagic.....!!!!!

Getting the time off is such a .

I looked at air for my aunt and uncle, they are flying from SeaTac. The fare was $1798.29 for each traveler. Not sure if it'll stay that price, but that's what it was a few days ago.

Portland is looking beautiful right now! So green and lush. We were just there today. Enjoy the drive through.

My Rick Steves book got here and I am loving it! Tons of great info. Thank you so much for the recommendation.


ETA I just checked the Venice sailing in June and airfare is the same for that as it is for my aunt and uncle coming out on the June 1st sailing.

 

[MinnieDiva]

I know its not what youre looking for but I wanted to mention I have a Pacsafe bag, the sling/backpack with the zipper handles that split to wear it either way. . I really love it. I travel with it all the time and I like the security features it has. It's also comfortable to wear.

Mindy has a pacsafe bag as well and seemed to like it. I'm probably going to have to order the 2 options I'm considering and return the one I don't like. I hate doing that !

 

[MinnieDiva]

Getting the time off is such a .

I looked at air for my aunt and uncle, they are flying from SeaTac. The fare was $1798.29 for each traveler. Not sure if it'll stay that price, but that's what it was a few days ago.

My Rick Steves book got here and I am loving it! Tons of great info. Thank you so much for the recommendation.


ETA I just checked the Venice sailing in June and airfare is the same for that as it is for my aunt and uncle coming out on the June 1st sailing.

is the airfare you're quoting DCL's or looking for the comparable rates for this year?

Glad you're liking the book! If you come up to visit your family, you should take a pilgrimage to his store in Edmonds!!

 

[mindelmouse]

Mindy has a pacsafe bag as well and seemed to like it. I'm probably going to have to order the 2 options I'm considering and return the one I don't like. I hate doing that !

Actually, I just have the fanny pac version (which I think might be way too big for me now, I must try it). Jim has the pacsafe backpack. He loves it. He was able to carry everything in it, including his camera and lens.

 

[Kirbo]

is the airfare you're quoting DCL's or looking for the comparable rates for this year?

Glad you're liking the book! If you come up to visit your family, you should take a pilgrimage to his store in Edmonds!!

The airfare is DCL's. If you go to www.disneycruise.com and plug in your dates and then click on continue, you get the option to add airfare. It'll show you the price.

That's a great idea about visiting his store in Edmonds! We actually go up to Seattle every few months.

 

[MinnieDiva]

Actually, I just have the fanny pac version (which I think might be way too big for me now, I must try it). Jim has the pacsafe backpack. He loves it. He was able to carry everything in it, including his camera and lens.

Hm. But his camera was just floating? Pics, please.