Actually, Cinque Terre is ridiculously easy to do without anyone. Take the train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. Go to the northernmost town, Monterosso. Hike to Vernazza and have lunch. Hike or train to Corniglia, train to Manarola and to Riomaggiore, or skip Manarola. Explore each town. You need a hiking permit and train permit, which are easy to purchase in the train station at Monterosso. You do not have to hike from town to town; all five towns are linked by trains that come about every 20 to 30 minutes.
When you take the train from La Spezia to Monterosso, you need to time and date stamp your ticket:
After you purchase your train ticket, you MUST TIME AND DATE STAMP it in one of the nondescript little yellow machines. A train ticket in Italy is like a subway ticket, you can purchase it now and use it whenever. To prevent people from using the same ticket over and over, you are required to time and date stamp it before you board the train. If they check your ticket on the train and you have not stamped it, you will be fined $50 per person. Ignorance of the rule will not save you. As you walk from the ticket sales area to the train tracks, find the nondescript little yellow box that looks like a post box or a comment box. It is the time and date stamp machine. Use it.
TIME AND DATE STAMP YOUR TICKET! See above. Not sure about the ticket you get up at the Cinque Terre. I think it gets stamped by the salesperson and you use it all day. Just ask the person who sells it to you. When in doubt, stamp it.
The hike is moderately strenuous, sometimes narrow and sometimes steep. About 90 minutes from Monterosso to Vernazza and 90 minutes from Vernazza to Corniglia. I have done the hike once with my wife and once with my 13 year old daughter. If you would like to see pictures, go to a popular social media site that I can't name and search for "Our Travels on
Disney Cruise Line." Go to photos-->Albums-->
Disney Cruise 12 Night Med June 2013. Our day starts with a photo of my wife and 2 daughters in Monterosso; the photo comes 2 shots before a sign about Monterosso. Right after the pic, my wife and older daughter returned to the ship, as daughter had a migraine. The 13 year old and I hiked to Vernazza and then to Corniglia, then a train to Riomaggiore, where we swam.
There is also good information here:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Cinque_Terre
I suggest you research it a little: this is simple to do, you will feel very accomplished for doing it on your own, and you will save a lot of money.
One caveat: you might change your plan if it is raining. They close the paths when it rains, or when it has recently rained, due to the danger of landslides. If it has rained in the past week or is raining, consider swapping to Pisa. Here is a guide to Disney cruising in the Med that I wrote based on our 2010
DCL Med cruise. Some of it will apply to you, some will not, such as Corsica.
Before You Go:
Passports, valid for 6 months after entering Europe.
Make multiple copies of your passports. Take one or two copies on the trip, leave a copy at work, and leave another copy with relatives and/or friends. email yourself a copy as well. Having copies expedites getting a replacement if your passport is lost or stolen.
Euros. Purchase ahead of time at
www.wellsfargo .com. Free shipping on orders of $1000 USD or more.
You will use more than $1000 worth of Euros.
Rick Steves Guides to Naples, Rome, Florence, Barcelona. Rome is the most important guide. Read it now.
Download Rick Steves Audio Guides to iPods.
Purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums at
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html
Google search will yield third party vendors and the official Vatican site. Use the official site.
Purchase tickets for 4:00. Gives you time to see other sites and then tour Vatican.
You can show up early for your tour, but not late. We were admitted 2.5 hours before the start of our tour.
Arrive in Barcelona two or three days before your cruise.
1. Barcelona is a fantastic city. Stephanie and the girls spent a total of 5 days touring Barcelona, and there are still a couple of things we would like to see there.
2. You will be over your jet lag when you board the ship.
3. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you can still reach Barcelona before the ship sails.
Pickpockets!
Pickpockets are rampant in Europe, especially Barcelona and Italy. Take nothing of extreme sentimental value. Watch all belongings at all times. Consider decoy wallets. I strongly suggest travel socks with a pocket or an ankle wallet.
Consider a Capital One credit card. This card does not charge an additional foreign exchange fee and is well worth having.
No such thing as free refills in Europe. Soda costs a lot, and each one costs separately.
Water fountains flow constantly throughout Rome. Safe, drinkable water. Walk up, fill your water bottle, then cover the spout to force water out the top hole and take a drink.
The Disney Magic is an American ship. Yes, it was built in Italy and it is registered in the Bahamas, but it is ours. Why is that important? It uses standard American electric outlets! Take all the electric gadgets you want.
Consider walkie-talkies, especially if not everyone has a cell phone that works in Europe. They can also be useful onboard.
A GPS with preloaded map of Italy might be useful, but city maps of Naples, Rome, Pisa, and Florence should do the trick. We had none of these, but maps were easy to grab at the tourist offices near every train station.
Disney Cruise:
Outside stateroom is not necessary. We were in our stateroom only to sleep.
Get a guide to Disney Cruises, such as “PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call”
Jennifer and Dave Marx (authors) I have not read any guides, but I am sure they are worth it.
Do NOT sign up for any excursions.
Too expensive: we visited Rome by ourselves. Including train, tours, and food, we spent about $300 for the four of us. Disney offered “Rome on Your Own,” where a bus would take you to the heart of Rome, drop you with a tour book, then pick you up in the evening and bring you back. Cost: $299 per adult. For tours, Disney defines “adult” as ten years or older.
You must cancel excursions four days before sailing, otherwise non-refundable.
Choose the late seating for dinner. While this sometimes interferes with 10:00 parties on deck, you do not want to hurry back from Naples, Rome, Pisa, Corsica, or Nice just to get dinner.
Make reservations at the adults’ only restaurant: Palo. You can only sign up for one dinner, one lunch, and one brunch before you go. Do that. Then sign up for another dinner when you arrive. Probably don’t need a lunch at Palo.
Take the introduction tour of the ship on first day or so; later, take “The Art of the Theme Ship” tour, an in-depth look at the interior design of the Disney Magic.
Take part in games on ship, like “How well do you know your family?” Don’t forget Disney Pin Trading.
Attend the lecture series about the ports of call!! Ours were given by an archeologist from Miami University of Ohio. The lectures made all the difference when we arrived at each port.
Ten or eleven days? The eleven day cruise is exactly the same as the ten day cruise, with the addition of one day at sea between Civitavecchia (Rome) and La Spezia (Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence). The captain will find a sunny spot of water and cruise around in a circle for 24 hours. This day at sea is a great relaxation day after the day in Rome.
Take a pirate costume. This does not have to be expensive, but take some clothes that can be readily converted to a pirate uniform. Disney cruises always include a “Pirates of the Carribean” theme party, no matter what part of the world the ship finds itself.
Adventures by Disney. “Adventures by Disney” is a travel program for families. Imagine touring a city but getting access to events and opportunities that only Disney can get. When you travel with us, you'll receive special perks you just wouldn't find if you were traveling on your own. Go backstage at Disney's
The Lion King in London or enjoy an exclusive feast after hours at the Vienna Zoo in Austria. Enjoy reserved entry and access to Michelangelo's David and the famed Duomo or go behind the scenes at
Disneyland® Park. Disney’s Mediterranean cruise has an Adventures by Disney “sister trip.” After you have your cruise booked, you can book an Adventures by Disney tour, which then has its own private excursions in every port. Limited to about 52 people, it provides opportunities the regular excursions do not. It also costs a bundle. It makes the regular excursions look cheap. abd.disney.go.com
Key to the World Card, your room card, will also tell you your dining rotation:
Animator’s Palette,
Parrot Key,
Lumiere’s.
Arrival Time/Process: You can arrive several hours before stated arrival time.
Barcelona, Spain:
Sites galore! Consider a bicycle tour your first full day there. A great introduction to the city and the exercise will help you adjust to the time difference. Steph and the girls used “Fat Tire Tours.”
The subway system is easy to use. Take the subway to the beach for swimming and people watching.
Las Ramblas is the action street. When night arrives, the street performers, caricature painters, portrait makers, trinket sellers, and other vendors all flock to Las Ramblas, followed by the pickpockets.
1000 Places to See Before You Die lists three spots in Barcelona:
Catalan National Art Museum. Housed in Palau Nacional, it has entire portions of churches moved to this museum to display the Romanesque and Gothic paintings.
La Sagrada Familia. We only viewed the outside, as the crowds are insane.
Museu Picasso. Intimate and nice. Try to visit the galleries in chronological order of his life.
Tapas is not indigenous to the area, but several tapas places exist and offer good food. Paella is a good option. Irish pubs abound, especially between the subway and the beach.
Valletta, Malta:
The Magic docks right by the capital city, Valletta ; it is about a half mile walk to the center of town.
Even closer is a hop-on, hop-off tour bus that visits the Tarxien Temples, the Blue Grotto, and Hagar Qim.
I suggest skipping the Tarxien Temples. They were quite a walk from the bus stop and the two temple complexes at Hagar Qim are more impressive. Also, this will permit you to get back to Valletta in time to see the Cathedral, which closes at 4:00.
Take the hop-on, hop-off tour bus, visit the Blue Grotto and Hagar Qim, then walk around Valletta.
Tunis, Tunisia:
Immediately off the ship, there are vendors offering camel rides, pictures with people in traditional dress, and other items. They are not affiliated with Disney and will overcharge you if you let them. On the other hand, if you agree to a price beforehand, the kids might like to sit on a camel.
Exchange some Euros or dollars for Tunisian dollars in the cruise terminal.
After getting through customs and while still in the cruise terminal, you will find taxi tours of Tunisia. Consider taking a taxi tour which includes the ruins of Carthage. You will pay for the tour and you will tip the driver at the end of the tour, and you will purchase a ticket to the various Carthage sites when you reach the first site.
We actually did this with an unlicensed guy outside the cruise terminal. Saved us $10. Stick with the licensed guys.
At your first Carthaginian ruin, likely their version of a circus (chariot racecourse), purchase a ticket to all the ruin sites, which will be stamped at each site. Visit the circus, the main Carthage ruins and museum, the theatre, the Antonine Baths, and the Roman Village. If an old guy offers to guide you around the village, take him up on it. He does not speak English, but he gives a good tour.
Then consider either Sidi Bou Said, “Tunis’ most beautiful village,” where you first dodge vendors who take hard sell tactics to a new level, or tour the capital where you can visit mosques and marketplaces full of vendors to dodge.
Guide the children to not be frightened by the hard sell tactics and not to allow vendors to place anything in their hands. Consider putting your hands in your pockets and keeping them there. Remember, you do not have to purchase anything, no matter what a vendor might claim.
Tunisia has the most different culture you will see on this trip.
Naples, Italy:
Choices include Herculaneum, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, and the island of Capri. How can you not choose to visit Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii? I can’t guide you here: we broke my rule and took the Disney excursion to Vesuvius and Pompeii. We had a blast, and our pizza lunch was great.
Remember, Naples is the birthplace of pizza.
Rome, Italy:
Today is the day. Get your game on. Eat breakfast early, get off the ship, run to the train, and try to stay calm as you take the 45 to 60 minute ride to Rome.
After you purchase your train ticket, you MUST TIME AND DATE STAMP it in one of the nondescript little yellow machines. A train ticket in Italy is like a subway ticket, you can purchase it now and use it whenever. To prevent people from using the same ticket over and over, you are required to time and date stamp it before you board the train. If they check your ticket on the train and you have not stamped it, you will be fined $50 per person. Ignorance of the rule will not save you.
TIME AND DATE STAMP YOUR TICKET! See above.
Review your Rick Steves guide to Rome as you ride the train. You should have this almost memorized by now, but read it again anyway.
Make sure you have your tickets to the Vatican. You are one said puppy if you left those on the ship.
Tour the Forum and the Coliseum. Start at the Forum, where lines are short. The ticket for the Forum is also your ticket to the Coliseum, so you will avoid an hour or two line to purchase tickets at the Coliseum. Only fools go straight to the Coliseum and line up for tickets. Enjoy listening to your Rick Steves guide to the forum.
Now tour the Coliseum.
Walk to the Pantheon, which is amazing, beautiful, and free. Signs to the Pantheon are poor, but signs to McDonald’s Pantheon will guide you well enough. Don’t forget to walk all around the outside of the Pantheon. Find the obelisk elephant just behind and off to the side of the Pantheon. Note the plaques on the church wall behind the elephant: these mark the high water level of past floods.
Have lunch at McDonalds Pantheon or walk on to Trevi Fountain, then to Spanish Steps and have lunch at McDonald’s Spanish Steps. Marvel at the leather couches and chairs in McDonald’s Spanish Steps.
Seriously, have lunch at McDonalds. You have a LOT to see today. Sitting at ANY table service restaurant will eat an hour and a half to two hours of your precious time. Even though McDonald’s will be overflowing with people and huge lines, you can get your food, eat, and be out in 45 minutes.
Get to the Vatican.
Start your day at the Vatican at the Museum. You will see a huge line of people. The line will stretch over a city block. Walk confidently past the line to the very entrance to the museum. Find the tiny line for well-informed people like you. Walk up to the guard, show your tickets, and enter the museum.
At the Sistine Chapel, try cutting down the door in back that goes to St. Peter’s Basilica. As noted in Rick Steves Guide, this will save you hours of time and avoid another security checkpoint. Well worth doing.
After touring St. Peters, leave via the front entrance. If you duck over towards the right of the entrance, right as you face the cathedral, you might be able to find the little alley/outside hallway that leads to a ticket booth to go up into the dome. An elevator ride takes you to the roof of St. Peter’s. Enter the dome, and walk around the inside balcony. As you step out of the dome, notice the door to your right. Enter that door and climb the stairs. Keep climbing. Climb some more, even though the walls are leaning. Climb until you find yourself outside the Basilica on the very top of the dome. What a view of Rome! Make your way back down to the piazza in front of St. Peters. In the piazza, you will walk right by the Vatican post office. Stop in and purchase a post card and a stamp and mail yourself a souvenir.
Walk to the nearby train station and grab a train back to Civitavecchia, your port city.
TIME AND DATE STAMP YOUR TICKET.
Of note, you can choose to not go back to the ship. WHAAAAT?
When you reach La Spezia, you can hike the coastal trail between the Cinque Terre or take the train to Pisa and/or Florence. The train to Pisa is a one and a half hour ride; Florence is another half hour on the same train.
Taking the train from the Disney Magic to Pisa or Florence will create a very late start to your day. You can instead choose to take a train from Rome to Florence, spend the night in a hotel, and then start your tour day early.
You must let Disney know that you are doing this prior to leaving the ship. They will NOT be pleased with you if you fail to return to the ship without telling them your plans. They are quite happy to let you do it if they are warned.
La Spezia, Italy. Gateway to Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence.
As mentioned above, today is a long train ride to Pisa or Florence, or you can choose to take a much shorter ride to the Cinque Terre. We visited Pisa. A few weeks later, Steph and I had the opportunity to tour Florence and the Cinque Terre. If I were to choose again for the Disney Cruise, I would again choose Pisa. It was manageable in a day and the kids loved it. Florence has a lot of art, but I think perhaps overwhelming a day or two after Rome.
Cinque Terre:
The Cinque Terre, or “Five lands,” are five picturesque seaside villages joined by train and by hiking trail. The hike from the northernmost town to the next town is very strenuous and sometimes tenuous. I do not suggest it for kids under 8, although I am sure it has been done by hardy toddlers. Each town is beautiful. Kids would likely be bored. Also, the authorities shut down the hiking trails on rainy days and for a couple days after rain, for fear of landslides.
Pisa:
Disparaged by many, but not by me. All of the important things to see are in the Piazza Miracoli, or Square of Miracles. The Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, and the Baptistery are all here. When you reach Pisa’s train station, walk or get a cab to the Piazza Miracoli. If you need to find a restaurant for lunch, go right ahead. As the family sits down, send dad to the Piazza to purchase tickets. Dad, stand with your back to the Leaning Tower and the back of the Cathedral immediately to your left. You are staring at a long wall of a one story brick building with several doors. One of these doors is the ticket office. Go over and buy tickets for three attractions: Tower, Cathedral, and Baptistery. Your ticket for the tower will be valid for a precise time, which you can choose. Probably the first choice is an hour or two from now. Choose a Leaning Tower entry two hours from now, and then rejoin your family for lunch.
This is Italy, so lunch just took you one and a half hours. Hustle everyone to the Leaning Tower and wind your way to the top. Then back down. Visit the cathedral and the baptistery.
Florence:
So much to see and do here, it would be very hard to do it justice on a day that was bookended by two hour train rides. Still, you can visit the Uffizi Museum, which houses Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and thousands of other paintings, and the Galleria dell’ Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s “David.” The architecture is amazing, the food is marvelous. Grab a taxi and go across the river to “Olio et Convivium” for lunch. Walk back across the Arno river via the Ponte Vecchio, or “Old Bridge” and marvel at the jewelry shops on the bridge.
Ajaccio, Corsica
What a great day to relax! It is very hard to get around Corsica by public transport, so you have three options:
1. Take a Disney excursion. If something looks interesting, go for it.
2. Arrange a tour prior to departing the States with a local tour operator.
3. Spend the day in the capital city, which is right at your doorstep. Less than a half mile from the ship to the home where Napoleon was born and spent his childhood. After touring Napoleon’s home, spend the day at the local beach. Topless fun for dad, except not really.
Villefranche, France
The train is right here, and your easy gateway to Monte Carlo in Monaco and Nice and Cannes in France. We spent the morning walking around Monte Carlo and the afternoon in Nice. Consider taking your swimsuits to jump in the water at the beach in Nice. The Cote d’Azur truly is more blue than you can imagine!
Enjoy your last day at sea as you head back to Barcelona.
