I need help tips and advice on the Mediterrian cruise

[Dznypal]

this trip has been 5 years in the planning --due to the fact I had cancer and 5 years of treatments and follow ups so from the beginning we said wed do something special when things were done as of April I will be 5 years cancer free

anyways back to the help

I booked the cruise on opening day for the best price which I think we did pretty good (9-9-17)

so now were in the final planning

we leave out of Spain--is it better to get the air fare from Disney this then would guarantee if the flight is late they will hold the ship

if we do the air on our own and arrive early morning even if we arrive alittle late since the ship leaves like 5

also were planning on taking the transfers to/from the port are they like the ones that goes to PC

so basically Im looking forward to any tips on anything about this cruise--

this will be our 4th disney cruise but they were all out of PC--we did do a Europe but one of the teachers my DH goes to England alot and she helped us out

so thanks Ill be looking forward to hearing from all of you--also were in room 7104 on the magic any tips on this room

thanks all I really appreciate this

 

[PrincessShmoo]

this trip has been 5 years in the planning --due to the fact I had cancer and 5 years of treatments and follow ups so from the beginning we said wed do something special when things were done as of April I will be 5 years cancer free

anyways back to the help

I booked the cruise on opening day for the best price which I think we did pretty good (9-9-17)

so now were in the final planning

we leave out of Spain--is it better to get the air fare from Disney this then would guarantee if the flight is late they will hold the ship

if we do the air on our own and arrive early morning even if we arrive alittle late since the ship leaves like 5

also were planning on taking the transfers to/from the port are they like the ones that goes to PC

so basically Im looking forward to any tips on anything about this cruise--

this will be our 4th disney cruise but they were all out of PC--we did do a Europe but one of the teachers my DH goes to England alot and she helped us out

so thanks Ill be looking forward to hearing from all of you--also were in room 7104 on the magic any tips on this room

thanks all I really appreciate this

For our Med cruise in 2010, we looked into booking our own airfare vs DCL airfare. The DCL airfare was just a little bit higher than booking on our own, and I liked the assurance that, if there were any flight issues, DCL would assist in getting us to the ship, if it left before we got there.

We also used the DCL transfers from airport to ship. The plane arrived early (around 8:00 am), so too early to go directly to the ship. They gave us a city tour before being taken to the ship. While nice, there were a lot of bleary-eyed people who'd been traveling for a full day before arriving in Barcelona, so some people basically slept through the whole tour.

If at all possible, it's probably a good idea to fly in the day before and just rest up that day before heading to the ship.

 

[GPaLarry]

We did the Med as the first leg of a b2b Med/Trans last Sept. We let DCL plan everything -- air, transfers, hotel. Because we had never been to Barcelona, we arranged to get there two days early so we could see much of the Gaudi stuff as we could prior to boarding. DCL met us at the airport, drove us by private car to our hotel (which had a DCL desk for site-seeing help and early check-in for the shuttle/cruise). Location of hotel was ideal, right in the heart of the city. Since they did everything, I can't compare price-wise to doing the arrangements yourself. We just feel better on a long trip (from Portland, OR) letting DCL arrange it.
The cruise terminal is very close to downtown...literally minutes from our hotel. A bus picked us up, took our tagged luggage (that we didn't see again until we were in our stateroom) and dropped us off next to the Magic. I would not advise coming in to the airport on the day of cruise departure. Traffic downtown can be bad, and I always feel better with a buffer of time. The airport is farther from the terminal than downtown...check out a map on the net.
You didn't mention excursion options or if you are even going on any. Depending on your health, you should chose wisely. The ones we took for Naples, Rome and Florence started with a meeting at 7:15 or so in the am and ended at around 5pm...a long day, three days in a row, and we had early seating for dinner. Our Monte Carlo port was cancelled because the sea was too rough for tendering, so we went to Marseilles instead the next day. Almost all of the ports are a long way from the cities you might want to see, with the exception of Naples. Check maps for distances and Rick Staves guidebooks for recommendations on all ports.
We had a great time, but it was a grind. Our Trans cruise is where we finally relaxed. By the way, I think your stateroom is fine. We were in 6018 for 18 nights and loved it. Have a great trip!!

 

[aggiedog]

I definitely recommend arriving a day early. We were on a transatlantic flight that turned around and headed back home several hours in. Bottom line, we arrived in Rome 18 hours late. Fortunately we were not catching a cruise and just missed a Rome city tour that day. Best case scenario you arrive on time and enjoy a day in Barcelona.

Get on TripAdvisor and CruiseCritic to get ideas about excursions. We much prefer them to DCL (or other lines) excursions. Much smaller groups, more flexibility, usually cheaper as well. I go with a company with many good reviews that also is responsive with emails. So far we've never had a problem and we've had some great family trips. Depending on your stamina, you may really appreciate a private or small group tour more. The Rick Steves books are great too. Very good for both general ideas and very specific notes on how to find a train station, etc.

Plan your ports so that you can get a later start some mornings, or return early some evenings. On a port intensive cruise it can be tempting to go until you drop, because you pretty much can.

Ask for the late seating, so you don't feel rushed to get back to the ship for dinner.

And enjoy!

 

[AngelDisney]

I would also recommend arriving a day early just in case. Barcelona is a vibrant city with many wondeful places for dining and sightseeing. We spent 3 days in Barcelona and did a Segway tour which was totally fun. We also went to Paris and Vienna before flying into Barcelona. Flights to Europe from Toronto are not cheap, so we couldn't just fly in only for a 7-night cruise without exploring other places. I would love to visit Barcelona and Paris again!

 

[oufpat]

We will also be on this cruise, we are arriving a day early to do a little sight seeing and for our peace of mind. Even though the ship doesn't leave until 5 , I wouldn't want to take a chance missing it.

 

[braysmommy]

I too would arrive a day or 2 early. There is so much to see and you will have time prior to cruise to manage jet lag. For hotels we used Tripadvisor to help narrow down when we were deciding on where to stay. We loved our Med cruise and our time in Barcelona.

 

[cheermom2four]

Hey just realized we are on the same cruise too! We decided to come in 2 1/2 days earlier to somewhat adjust to the jet lag (coming from Colorado). After researching, we had to check out the city as there is so much to see there! We booked our own flights as I am a control freak and we have two older kids meeting us at our connecting airport to fly the rest of the way over to Barcelona together. Plus we wanted to stay a couple days after the cruise also. Figured if we are pulling the 2 youngest kids out of school, we might as well make the trip worth it. We decided to book our own transportation as it was cheaper than what DCL offered since there is 7 of us. Guess I"m not much help. Its really going to be an awesome cruise!

Edited to add: for hotels we used trip advisor to research but since we are taking the aerobus from the airport, we decided to stay within walking distance of one of the stops.

 

[Angie_Ohio]

We've cruised the Med with Disney twice. I highly recommend getting to Barca a day early. Our table mates missed two days of our 11 night cruise because the first port was Malta. We used Rick Steve's guide books for public transportation, museum/Vatican tickets and dining recommendations (Michele's in Naples). One cruise with my 2 DSs we took a Disney excursion to Pompeii which was their favorite place. I had already been there with my other DS and my parents and we just used the train and Rick Steve's Pod casts. Great time! We threw coins in the Trevi fountain and went back only 2 years later. Read old trip reports. I like SayHello and DisneyFalcon for Med reports because they had beautiful pictures and many details. Can't wait for the next time. Until then we're off to Alaska!

 

[Chrissie & Kids]

We did the Med out of Barcelona in 2010 and Greece out of Venice in 2014. Both times we booked our own flights and arrived a few days early. The risk if your transatlantic flight is delayed is just too big IMO. If booking through Disney you can scheduled to arrive a day early and add the hotel.
In 2010 we spent 5 days in London and Paris and then flew to Barcelona the morning of the cruise and took Disney transport to the port.
In 2014 we spent 3 days in Stockholm and Venice before embarkation; took a water taxi from the hotel to the port ourselves
We did transfers back to the airport and flew directly home upon return to port.

 

[gismo1554]

Firstly congratulations! A well deserved holiday I feel! Now to the questions:

we leave out of Spain--is it better to get the air fare from Disney this then would guarantee if the flight is late they will hold the ship

if we do the air on our own and arrive early morning even if we arrive alittle late since the ship leaves like 5

I would be inclined to book the airfare that fits you. Yes Disney will help if you get delayed etc and you've booked airfare through them (not always holding the ship but getting you to the next port if needed) but may be more expensive. I would price both up and see. If you could fly in the night before and overnight in the airport possibly as this will then make things less stressful. A morning flight is fine as long as there aren't delays. I've always stayed at the Barcelona Airport Hotel (BAH) and had great service plus they do a Cruise option that includes transfers to the port.

also were planning on taking the transfers to/from the port are they like the ones that goes to PC

If you are booking through DCL then the price is going to be higher than booking seperately. DCL do a city tour after the cruise if your flight is for in the afternoon btw which might be something useful rather than the normal transfer as you will get to see a bit of Barcelona.

Which ports are you going to? Like another poster, Pompeii was a really good tour. Although they have added a pizzaria to the site over the last few years which to me was a little tacky, its still a great tour.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

We always book our own flights because I find much better deals than Disney offers. I also recommend coming in a few days (at least two) early not only to sight-see, but in case there is an issue with a flight. We arrived a day late in 2011 for our Med cruise out of Barcelona, so I was very happy I had that two-day cushion!

We also do all ports on our own, but I understand that's not for everyone. We have never cut it close to not making the ship, but I do know it's a risk.

Congrats on 5 years!

 

[DisneyHelen]

Barcelona is a great city.We stayed three days before our cruise. It takes time to get over jet lag.We had early dining.Some tours were long but they did not mind if you are late for dining.Spend a lot of time researching the ports and deciding what tours you want.We do DCL tours because we do not want to miss the ship.

 

[Agent 86]

I've been following these recent trip reports for assistance in planning my future Mediterranean cruise:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/first-trip-to-the-med-complete.3550197/

https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...ptember-2016-updated-19th-march-2017.3553148/