I booked the May repo cruise with so many others on this board. Since then I have been trying to decide if I still want to keep the reservation. Last summer I made a commitment to go to the 04 Olympic games. It never materialized, mainly because I was able to convince my entire family to join on a cruise vacation. It just wasn't feasible to do both. So now I have the cruise May cruise booked and I am thinking - hey wait - why not wait 6 more months and go to Turin 06 games?! Tickets for the games go on sale in November of this year. That's right after I'm finished with the family getaway. Maybe I will feel differently then, but the way I see it: Going to the Olympics is a great way to see another country (usually at it's best and safest), it will also give me more time to save. In addition I REALLY want to go to the Beijing summer games, so it would be a great way to start a vacation tradition. I don't think it will be possible to have all the money needed for the repo cruise by May. But then the cruise will be more relaxing and I would see the Panama Canal. So if you had the choice would you chose Disney or Olympics? Anyone gone to the games (out of the country)?
I love watching the Olympics on TV, because I have a better seat than the spectators do who are there. I would opt for the cruise.
Much as I love Disney, if I had the chance to go see the Olympics, I'd jump on it. I went to Barcelona in '92 and loved every minute of it (actually ended up with the Puerto Rican swim team on my flight -- what a hoot). I keep watching the Athens games on TV and seeing all the empty seats at the venues and thinking I'd love to get over there and score some tickets!!!! There's just something wonderful about the atmosphere at the Olympics that you can't recreate in a country at any other time. Everyone was super friendly and everything seemed to be generally cleaner and spiffier than it normally is. I got to meet some of the athletes from around the world (as well as their families and friends) and heard some great stories and learned a lot about different cultures. Oh yeah, and then there were the events themselves, lol. If you like sports, you can't beat being there in person. There was so much to see and do -- I'd do it again in a second. As much as I hate to say it, the Disney cruise will always be pretty much the same, whether you go now or later. Even though it's the repo cruise, to me the only difference is duration and ports of call. Unless there is a port of call on the repo cruise that you're just dying to see, I say go to Italy and see the country at its best. Then there's the cost. You can probably go to Italy and see the games for the same price you're paying for the cruise or not much more and, as you say, you'd have more time to save. But I can't tell you what to do, only what would be my choice.
How does the rest of your family feel about it? Are they torn too or will they just go with whatever you want? It sounds like it took some convincing to get everyone on board with the cruise idea. Plus it sounds like what you *really* want to do is see the games in Beijing which would still be a possibility even if you did the cruise. At this point the repo cruise may or may not be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. Are there other reasons for why you are shying away from the cruise?
I would think attend the olympics should be on most peoples list of things to do before.....you know what. I would say go the the games.
I vote for the Olympics. What a great thing to share with your kids. I keep wishing I was in Greece. Denae
I'll preface this by saying that if the Flyers were in the Stanley Cup finals or the Phillies in the World Series and I was booked on a cruise I'd give serious thought to re-scheduling it, but I'll go against the grain and say go on the cruise. To me the Olympics was all about moslty unknown amateurs competing. Since they started letting pros in, it's just lost some of its appeal. I haven't seen any of the Athens games yet, and I'm a sports freak. I mean, what was the greater accomplishment, the 1980 hockey team, or the 1992 basketball team winning the gold? Now the Olympics are just a way to sell more replica jerseys. As far as seeing another country, I'm all for that, but I'd rather go when there's just the normal tourist traffic, not when there's something drawing the rest of the world there. When I visit Italy, I'll go to see the Vatican or the Sistine Chapel, not to a hockey game. I can see a hockey game anytime. That's not to say I wouldn't go to the Olympics if given the chance, but based on the choice you've given, I'd go with the cruise.
When I say the entire family is going on the cruise, I mean extended family (Brothers/Sisters, Nephews/cousins) There is 9 of us total going. On the repo cruise it would just be me and mom. So there will be a lot of people on the first cruise. Going on the winter games would be a great way to learn tips/tricks before going to the summer games. And it may be only a few people that go, maybe a family member and a friend.
I was a volunteer in Atlanta for the 96 summer games and actually go to work inside the athlete's village. I also had the privilege of going to some of the events with family and friends as a spectator. I am looking forward to my cruise, but I would jump on the chance to go to the Olympics! Like someone else said, I watch right now, see the empty seats, and only wish I could make it over to Greece.
As much as I love DCL I would also pick the Olympics....I would love to have been there this year...so sad to see all the empty seats. MJ
I was also torn for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. We were booked for our first ever WDW month long vacation just after the Olympics were on, so even though they were in my HOME town, I said that we couldn't afford to do both WDW & the Olympics. Well, I succumbed - all the advertising hype - like "you'll regret it for the rest of you life if you don't go" finally got to me. We were lucky enough to still get tickets. By that time most of the events were sold out! So two weeks before our WDW holiday - we were there sitting in the stadium - and boy, was I excited to be there - you just can't explain the feeling !! However, on the way home on the train, my 7 yr old son developed chicken pox and put me on tenderhooks for our WDW vacation. We are now looking forward to our first Disney Cruise in just over a month. Olympics or Disney Cruise ? It's a toss up - I'd say either way you can't lose!
