July 18, 2007 07-18-07 Med Cruise

[minneapolismickey]

Hi Cindy-

Thanks for compiling the info so far. We are Rick (DH), Grant (9), Jack (5), Sandy (DGMa) and Conner (DNephew).

We've decided to take an October trip to WDW, so spent last night and today planning that one. Hopefully it will make the time go a little faster.

Angie

 

[nzdisneymom]

Angie - I updated the list - thanks.

Where are you staying in October?

DH is running in the 15K the first weekend in May so we're going to stay at Saratoga springs - we bought into DVC a few weeks ago and this will be our first trip "home."

 

[yargrnhoj]

yargrnhoj - welcome! Yes, the airfare is going to add a lot to this trip from the US, but it's going to be such a great experience. For us, the kids are about as excited about going on a long plane ride as they are about going on the cruise

What is SWMBO?

SWMBO == "She Who Must Be Obeyed", in other words, the woman of the house who controls the vacation decision-making.

 

[minneapolismickey]

Like that...SWMBO. I'll have to tell my DH about that one.

Cindy- We are staying in the Wilderness Lodge and will celebrate DS4's 5th birthday there. That is our favorite hotel. However, DGma is a passholder, so if she gets a great deal on something different, we may make a change. We are really trying to do this trip a little less extravagantly ( ) with the 2007 cruise upon us. I'm excited to try the Halloween Party, since this is one of few things that we have not done before.

I've been wondering how Saratoga Springs is, you'll have to let us know the DVC thing works for you guys!

 

[nzdisneymom]

SWMBO - I love it

I got some maps of Europe from AAA today as well as the AAA Travel Guide for Europe. It's so exciting to see where we're going, and last night we got the atlas out for the children to see so they can start getting some sort of frame of reference for this trip.

Has anyone set up a counter yet to start counting down the weeks?

 

[nzdisneymom]

15 months to go!!!

 

[moochinkassarole]

Poor Jack. He was left out again!

My DH is going with us as well. He's a keeper.

I think it's a great idea to get a map of the locations we are heading and show them now. I'm actually going to brush up on my French (why didn't I pay more attention in school??).

I asked my TA if there was a waitlist to DLP and this is what she said..

"Yes, DCL is taking a waitlist of sorts (to see how much interest there is for the Disneyland Paris possibility)".

I wonder what the price would be. I should check to see the cost to get in. I still have tickets that I got when I worked at Disney for 10 years. We just used some when we went to WDW. That was sweet!

Does anyone know the book that tells how to go through the Louvre and see the "major" things? I'd love to spend 3 days there, but my family might protest.

Aloha,
Kitty

 

[nzdisneymom]

Kitty - sorry 'bout that - I got Jack added!

 

[nzdisneymom]

So we know we'll be flying into Barcelona, but we haven't decided on where to stay pre-cruise. I think we'll fly in on Monday and then that will give us Monday and Tuesday to acclimate as well as see some of Barcelona before getting on the ship. When we cruised before from Port Canaveral, we didn't see / do anything there -- but shoot - Barcelona is a port itself for us to see, so I want to make sure we don't just use the city as a place to get on and off the ship, KWIM?

 

[minneapolismickey]

Hi Cindy-

I agree that a few days to acclimate is going to be important. (Although with room service offered all night who really cares when we eat?) Barcelona looks like a fabulous city, and we will likely spend a day or two there as well. Haven't done much research this week. Have you already been able to make flight plans?

Angie

 

[nzdisneymom]

I've been trying to figure out what to do about flights - should we just book through DCL so we'll have something and then cancel if we find something better? Or just try to do it on our own? I'm inclined to add the air / hotel thru DCL even though I've read other places that cruise line air itineraries are usually pretty awful and you end up paying way more than if you book on your own. But if I understand correctly, if you add air / hotel, you can cancel up to the time of your final payment. Also there is the issue of transfers between airport, hotel and ship port... that would be included with DCL; if we do it on our own, we have to figure out how to get the four of us and our luggage from place to place.

Speaking of luggage, we're in the market for some new luggage before the trip - anyone have any that they really like (brand, size, features)?

 

[nzdisneymom]

I'm putting together a list of websites that relate to the ports that we're going to, and along the way, I found a translator so when I'm looking for information and it's all in French, I can see what it says Here's the link:
Translator

And here's a link that has info about some of the ports we'll be going to:

European Port Review

Can you tell what I'm doing this afternoon?

 

[LVTravel]

You can now add us to the list of the lucky ones that will be on the July 18-28, 2007 DCL trip.

My wife (56 then), Granddaughter (15 then) and myself (an old 58 then). Cat 6 GTY (hope for upgrade to a really nice suite, LOL.)

My DGD was born in Barcelona (to her Navy mom) and we are trying to get her mother to take her over 4-5 days before us so she can tour where she was born. We are planning on getting there on either Sat or Sun before the trip. Hotel won't cost us anything but man that airfare will really hurt.

 

[ButterbearUK]

Hello and welcome LV Travel ,

Thought I'd update our details on your list nzdisneymom. There are five of us travelling. Me (Emilia) and Pete (the boyf) in one cabin, and my mum Joyce, dad Richard and sister Alice in the other. Can't remember which cabin is which though...

Those translator tools are quite good, but sometimes rather literal, and the words come out in the same order they go in. If you have any probs with the French sites let us know and we'll see if we can work them out. Not so hot on Italian or Spanish though, but we can muddle through

Since we're only flying from the uK we're organising our own flights. And we've found a nice little basic 3* hotel that we want to stay in in Barcelona itself but bookings aren't available until July this year.

Milia

 

[minneapolismickey]

Welcome LVTravel!

Cindy-

We purchased new luggage last year. We bought high sierra medium duffles on wheels. They are very light (more stuff fits and is still under the 50 lb limit for the US airline travel), not terribly expensive (bought them through AAA travel store and received a significant discount) and they fit under the beds on the cruise (see passporter for details on the clearance height under the bed or ask me again and I'll get the info from DGma who has my passporter right now). In truth my DH and I might like the quality of Eagle Creek Bags a little more, but they are more expensive and I can't remember if the sides of the bags collapsed low enough to fit under the bed.

Last month we fit 4 of these, a hanging bag, a laptop bag and 2 small duffles under the bed (alongwith the 4 life jackets). There was no luggage left out in the room and then we could use the suitcases for dirty laundry as well.

Hope that info helps.

Keep the info on Barcelona coming please everyone. We will also probably make those plans in July!

Angie

 

[Kodasfriend]

Hi
I am new to these boards. I have been following them for about a month prior to the Med cruises being announced. The information was a great help and fun as well. My 3 DD and I will be on the July 18 Med cruise ( my husband does not like to travel but at least he lets the rest of us go). My girls will be 13,8 and 7 at the time of the cruise. We are all very excited. We also hope to go over a few days to a week early to see Barcelona and probably one other city. All of that will depend on how much money we can save between now and then and what all these extras end up costing. If all goes well this will be our 5th Disney cruise - wev'e done 2 Eastern and 2 Western so far.
Kim

 

[minneapolismickey]

Hi kodasfriend

Glad to have you with us! Sounds like your kids are in the same age group as many of ours. I was new to the message boards two months ago, now I can't imagine getting through 15 months without them.

Great that your husband doesn't mind being left at home. Now that I've been on a cruise I can understand why you would like them. It seems like a very relaxed way to travel alone with kids. Hope that your plans work out to be there.

Angie

 

[nzdisneymom]

LVTravel - welcome! We're glad to have another DIS family joining us! How nice to be able to take your granddaughter back to the city of her birth.

Milia (Butterbear) - how far is the hotel from the port?

Angie - thanks for the luggage recommendation. I wouldn't have thought about checking with AAA. Our local AAA office just moved to a new place - guess I need to find out where they are now.

Kim - welcome to you and your girls, too! We look forward to getting to know y'all, too!

I'll post an updated list of us!

 

[nzdisneymom]

So I thought I'd compile a list of who all is cruising the Med. on this sailing. Here's what I have so far:


NZDisneymom: Cindy (43), Gary (51), Nathan (11) and Zachary (9)
North Florida
Cabin 6116

Minneapolismickey: Angie (41) Rick (40), Grant (9) and Jack (5), Sandy (DGma) and Conner (DNephew - 12)

Eden Prairie, MN
Cabins 6504 / 6506

ButterbearUK: Emilia and Pete (the boyf) in one cabin
DMom Joyce, DDad Richard, DSister Alice
UK
Cabins 5130 / 5131

moochinkassarole: Kitty Jack DS (10 celebrating 11th b'day onboard) and DD (9)
San Diego, CA
Cabin 6532

justhat: Justhat (27) DMom DD (3.5) and DS (not quite a year)
Morristown, NJ / Washington, DC
Cabin 8100

todds34: todds34 DD (11)
Scotland

yargrnhoj: yargrnhoj SWMBO Kid1 (13), Kid2 (10), and Kid3 (5)
Bolingbrook, IL
Cat 5 and Cat 11 GTY

LVTravel: LVTravel (58) DW (56 then), Granddaughter (15 then)
Maryland
Cat 6 GTY (hope for upgrade to a really nice suite, LOL.)

Kodasfriend: Kim and DDs ages 13, 8 and 7
Virginia

PanamaPrincess:
Cabin 6588: Ann (Mom), Jim (Dad) and Jamie (will be 7-year old "princess")
Cabin 6082: Nan (Nana) and Mert (Boppa)

 

[ButterbearUK]

The hotel is just off Las Ramblas. It's called the Espana. It gets mixed reviews because it's very basic, and the rooms are small, but fine for us, since we'll only be sleeping there!

The hotel isn't right next to the port as it's at the top end of Ramblas, but it's only a stop or two on the metro. We picked it cos it's quite reasonably priced and has some triple rooms. There's loads of small boutique hotels in Las Ramblas- close to the shops, tapas bars and sites. Definitely worth a look The only problem in Barcelona, and more widely in Europe, is that very few of the non-chain hotels have family rooms, as room sizes tend to be much smaller than you get in the states and the bathrooms are much more basic.

Milia