July 20th, 2011 – 10 Night Mediterranean "Mickey's European Explorers"

[helenreed]

Hello Kate. We live in Poulton-le-Fylde (just outside Blackpool) DS travels to Liverpool twice a week for Dancing (ballroom and Latin) and DD travels to Manchester twice a week for the Halle Choir and Drama. DS also goes to Bournemouth, Southampton and Birmingham every week and DD Ice Skates as well we must be mad Andrea

We have friends in Poulton-le-Fylde!! Don't suppose you know anyone called McKnight???

 

[madmum63]

We have friends in Poulton-le-Fylde!! Don't suppose you know anyone called McKnight???

Hello Helen

Sorry we don't, though it is a small village. Our children don't go to school in Poulton, they go to Kirkham. I think you tend to get to know more people if you are at a local school. Thanks for asking though. Looking forward to meeting everyone, the cruise last week was so quiet. Pleasant but quiet.

 

[K8T]

Hello Kate. We live in Poulton-le-Fylde (just outside Blackpool) DS travels to Liverpool twice a week for Dancing (ballroom and Latin) and DD travels to Manchester twice a week for the Halle Choir and Drama. DS also goes to Bournemouth, Southampton and Birmingham every week and DD Ice Skates as well we must be mad Andrea

Andrea, it sounds like a very busy schedule, I have enough problems getting DD to Tennis on a Saturday morning in Wigan and Swimming on a Sunday in Ormskirk!!!! She has now asked to go horseriding When we are supposed to do that I don't know - I think that is one for the summer.

Your son must be very talented to be doing all these lessons and dancing - how wonderful, I think it it fantastic for them to do something they enjoy and are good at. DD started skiing in 2009 when she four and took to it like a duck to water - we go now and again to The Chillfactore and will be upping the time there this winter, as we have just booked skiing in Austria for April.

Does your daughter go to Blackpool skating? I lived in Southampton for many years and used to ice skate there - in fact OH's Aunt was a professional skater back in the 1950's, she just missed out on the Olympics, because she went professional (she needed the money!!). We often go to see the shows, in fact Disney on Ice is coming in October and I am wondering whether to go to that - now that would be a good job, skating all over the world.

Has anyone booked hotels yet? We have stayed in the Novotel City twice and it is pretty good, they have an offer at the moment Room £80 for us all, including breakfast - although we were thinking of going out the morning of We wouldn't risk it in June and went two days before, because of the Ash Cloud, but went just the day before in August. Not sure I can cope with the stress of going the same day, but DD doesn't break up from school until the 22nd and I am feeling guilty for pulling her out!

Kate

 

[madmum63]

Hello Kate

DD does go to Blackpool at least 4 times a week. DS was 8th in the world in Latin, 14th in Ballroom but has a new partner and they are doing their 1st comp in Portsmouth this weekend. Our kids love Chillfactor. We can't go too often due to receiving any dance injuries (DS has trick skiis and knows how to use them to the full) Both did horse riding and gave up. They started early spring did the summer, winter and then the following summer but decided they didn't want to do another winter Thank the lord for our English weather. I had to sit for hours as they both had private lessons following each other and the smell where they allowed parents to watch

We enjoyed 2 nights at the colon on the square at the Gaudi cathedral a street away from Las Ramblas. It was really quiet in the room, no trouble in the area and fab Tapas Bars all around. We are doing the same again for this one. We are lucky as our two both break up the first week in July and return around the 8th September hence just returning from the med on the 8th. The hotel was two mins away from everywhere including the Vuitton and Gucci shopping area and associated restaurants. We weren't too impressed with Las Ramblas, happy to have been but probably won't return. Food not fantastic but very expensive. We will without doubt go to the restaurant area that we found on the second night, which was just up the road from El Corte Ingles (where incidentally we bought our wine and champagne from to take on board)

Looking forward to planning our excursions as we will be doing everything on our own this time. (we paid 900 dollars for 2A and 2C to go to Rome). We enjoyed it but know we can do the whole 10 days worth of excursions for not much more. Ah well only 10 months to wait Andrea x

 

[helenreed]

We have booked Diagonal Zero for the night before the cruise as it has a great rooftop pool but we are looking to book somewhere more central for 3 nights at the end but it is so difficult trying to find anywhere that does family rooms for 5. We have looked at the Hispanos Suizas but still not sure.

 

[helenreed]

P.S. Does anyone know when Easyjet will release their summer flights, I am checking every day but it is getting monotonous!

 

[jdybnsn]

We have booked Diagonal Zero for the night before the cruise as it has a great rooftop pool but we are looking to book somewhere more central for 3 nights at the end but it is so difficult trying to find anywhere that does family rooms for 5. We have looked at the Hispanos Suizas but still not sure.

When we stayed in Barcelona after our last Disney cruise we rented an apartment from this agency as they will take 3 night rentals - (they specialise in high quality rentals - but are still very reasonably priced compared to central hotel rates, and what you get for your money) ...it worked out so much better than a hotel as we could do our own laundry and meals ;

http://www.habitatapartments.com/en

I'm not sure they have all their apartments listed on there for next year yet though - could be worth checking this out with them before deciding to book !

NB..it may be worth taking a rental for three night, even if you only actually need it for two nights, if you are a large group. Incidentally, many apartments have 2 bathrooms.......big tip though - do make sure yours has both air conditioning, and a lift (sorry, "elevator" for our american friends !) - essential !!!!

We treated ourselves to this one because of the fabulous view of the Sagrada Familia from the balcony -

http://www.habitatapartments.com/en/barcelona/apartment/view/tessa.htm

Unfortunately, next trip we will be flying straight home .

 

[helenreed]

When we stayed in Barcelona after our last Disney cruise we rented an apartment from this agency as they will take 3 night rentals - (they specialise in high quality rentals - but are still very reasonably priced compared to central hotel rates, and what you get for your money) ...it worked out so much better than a hotel as we could do our own laundry and meals ;

http://www.habitatapartments.com/en

I'm not sure they have all their apartments listed on there for next year yet though - could be worth checking this out with them before deciding to book !

NB..it may be worth taking a rental for three night, even if you only actually need it for two nights, if you are a large group. Incidentally, many apartments have 2 bathrooms.......big tip though - do make sure yours has both air conditioning, and a lift (sorry, "elevator" for our american friends !) - essential !!!!

We treated ourselves to this one because of the fabulous view of the Sagrada Familia from the balcony -

http://www.habitatapartments.com/en/barcelona/apartment/view/tessa.htm

Unfortunately, next trip we will be flying straight home .

That apartment looks absolutely perfect, think we will book it! Thanks so much for the tip!
Andrea, are you going to do a trip report for the cruise you have just left? I would be very interested to read it! I am getting a little freaked out by the thought of the excursions! I had thought we might attempt some on our own but thought we would use DCL for Italy as it just looks so complicated, particularly Rome and I liked the sound of the priivate train! But for a family of 5 it could end up costing a fortune, I really want to see the Sistine Chapel and my DS wants to do Pompei but all the trips there sound a bit naff with lots of coach travel which I do not want to do. Any tips would be gratefully recieved!!

 

[jdybnsn]

Hello Kate

DD does go to Blackpool at least 4 times a week. DS was 8th in the world in Latin, 14th in Ballroom but has a new partner and they are doing their 1st comp in Portsmouth this weekend. Our kids love Chillfactor. We can't go too often due to receiving any dance injuries (DS has trick skiis and knows how to use them to the full) x

Sorry to digress from the cruise, but do you know the Pritchard family ? - Adrian Pritchard is a dance coach to competition level, former UK champion and a national competion judge, and his DS's are/were (?) both UK dance champions at the 13, 14 year level ?
The parents are friends of mine, and are just up the road in the next village. I don't dance myself - his wife Debbie runs keep fit classes which I attend.

 

[jdybnsn]

That apartment looks absolutely perfect, think we will book it! Thanks so much for the tip!

Glad to help ! ...that one is expensive (though we were lucky enough to be two families to share the cost), but very nice ...and very convenient location !! - there's a metro stop opposite and La Ramblas is a short walk.
Note though the terrace is actually a balcony - we were expecting a roof terrace from the description - however, the view across the roof tops was a great feature.

 

[madmum63]

Sorry to digress from the cruise, but do you know the Pritchard family ? - Adrian Pritchard is a dance coach to competition level, former UK champion and a national competion judge, and his DS's are/were (?) both UK dance champions at the 13, 14 year level ?
The parents are friends of mine, and are just up the road in the next village. I don't dance myself - his wife Debbie runs keep fit classes which I attend.

We know them well. They both have lessons with our teachers. AJ is one of the top ranking in his level and Curt is catching up quick. Curt has had problems like we have in getting the right partner (Height, commitment and ability etc) But they both have great partners now and are doing really well. DS is starting in at the bottom again with his new partner but they show promise and I think by Youth they will get there. The Pritchards are a lovely family and we are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow in Portsmouth as it is a ranked comp. Small world. Andrea

 

[jdybnsn]

We know them well. They both have lessons with our teachers. AJ is one of the top ranking in his level and Curt is catching up quick. Curt has had problems like we have in getting the right partner (Height, commitment and ability etc) But they both have great partners now and are doing really well. DS is starting in at the bottom again with his new partner but they show promise and I think by Youth they will get there. The Pritchards are a lovely family and we are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow in Portsmouth as it is a ranked comp. Small world. Andrea

LOL !!! Small World indeed !

Their kids go to the same secondary school as my DS (the years above & below though).
..if you see Debbie tomorrow, tell her yes, really I am going to come back to her keep fit classes again HONEST !! ...I just need to shift a bit of weight since the last Disney cruise first !
Perhaps you can persuade them to join us on the cruise ? Adrian is a hoot !

...I am their unofficial local travel agent .....& official newsagent - supplier of The Dance News (Judy from Audlem ) !

 

[helenreed]

Glad to help ! ...that one is expensive (though we were lucky enough to be two families to share the cost), but very nice ...and very convenient location !! - there's a metro stop opposite and La Ramblas is a short walk.
Note though the terrace is actually a balcony - we were expecting a roof terrace from the description - however, the view across the roof tops was a great feature.

Apartment booked! Thank you so much for your recommendation

 

[jdybnsn]

Apartment booked! Thank you so much for your recommendation

Great !! you will love it ! Free Wifi was a bonus too

...if you have any specific questions about the apartment, please feel free to ask !

 

[K8T]

P.S. Does anyone know when Easyjet will release their summer flights, I am checking every day but it is getting monotonous!

I am afraid I don't know this, but Monarch's are out there, I have held off booking until EasyJets are out, although we booked Monarch the last few times, I just want to check the difference (not much before!). Are you flying same day?

That apartment looks absolutely perfect, think we will book it! Thanks so much for the tip!
Andrea, are you going to do a trip report for the cruise you have just left? I would be very interested to read it! I am getting a little freaked out by the thought of the excursions! I had thought we might attempt some on our own but thought we would use DCL for Italy as it just looks so complicated, particularly Rome and I liked the sound of the priivate train! But for a family of 5 it could end up costing a fortune, I really want to see the Sistine Chapel and my DS wants to do Pompei but all the trips there sound a bit naff with lots of coach travel which I do not want to do. Any tips would be gratefully recieved!!

These look fantastic. We spent three days in Barcelona before the June cruise and wish I had known about them, the price for three of us was very reasonable.

As regards the ports, you really can do all of them on your own. We have done Rome numerous times now off cruise ships, by catching the train and never once had a problem.

The train station is five minutes from where the shuttle bus drops you off - trains wvery 20 minutes or so, direct into Rome. Loads of people off the ships do it, so there is 'safety in numbers!' The comforting thing about DCL is that they leave late from the ports, so you are not rushing. Prebook the Sistine Chapel, it saves the queues and if you get out at the San Pietro stop (one of the first into Rome), then it is literally a five minute walk down the road to it.

We did the Colliseum as our main thing this time and prebooked those tickets too, which was such a good move, just waltzed past the queues and straight in.

The only one that may be difficult on the train is if you want to do Florence, as everything we looked at was a bit more involved with changing trains. We went to Pisa this time, but next time may go to Lucca, as we have been to Florence a number of times now and it probably wouldn't interest DD just yet!

Otherwise, there are plenty of taxis and I noticed people carriers at the ports. We always look at what it would cost us to do the DCL trip and if we come out cheaper for a cab, we are happy, although of course you don't get the Tour Guide, which for us is OK, as DD would be figiting anyway and we sometimes want to move on from the group .

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

I heard a rumour that Ryanair might be looking to fly into BCN next year, instead of nearby Girona and Reuss...so that could be interesting.

Though, I must add, I'm very wary of booking Ryanair too far in advance given their habit of chopping routes that don't sell well - even some time after people have been booking them !

 

[Anal Annie]

Glad I am still lurking over here from time to time!! "Tessa" looks like a great place & a fantastic snag!!!! I had almost forgotten about the apartment rental idea! I had actually saved a link that Andrew Derek UK (remember him?) posted a long time ago for another property rental company. I'll go ahead & share it here too just in case ya'll want a 2nd property rental site to look at...

http://www.enjoybcn.com/en/catalogo/listado_4.html

Guess I'll add both sites to the hotel page on my website one of these days...

I sorta like the apartment idea but I do have a couple of reservations (questions) about doing that instead of a regular hotel. Obviously it makes more sense for either a long-term stay or for a larger family (we're only 3) but the idea IS intriguing. My concerns are about how to best go about obtaining a small bit of groceries / supplies - mainly for breakfasts (pastries or something)...coffee & filters...and stuff for doing a load or two of laundry - do you bring coffee, filters & laundry soap from home or buy a regular supply somewhere in Barcelona that you then end up wasting?? And how does one go about finding a store there to purchase these items?? Just thinking out loud to myself about that one... Anybody??

 

[helenreed]

Glad I am still lurking over here from time to time!! "Tessa" looks like a great place & a fantastic snag!!!! I had almost forgotten about the apartment rental idea! I had actually saved a link that Andrew Derek UK (remember him?) posted a long time ago for another property rental company. I'll go ahead & share it here too just in case ya'll want a 2nd property rental site to look at...

http://www.enjoybcn.com/en/catalogo/listado_4.html

Guess I'll add both sites to the hotel page on my website one of these days...

I sorta like the apartment idea but I do have a couple of reservations (questions) about doing that instead of a regular hotel. Obviously it makes more sense for either a long-term stay or for a larger family (we're only 3) but the idea IS intriguing. My concerns are about how to best go about obtaining a small bit of groceries / supplies - mainly for breakfasts (pastries or something)...coffee & filters...and stuff for doing a load or two of laundry - do you bring coffee, filters & laundry soap from home or buy a regular supply somewhere in Barcelona that you then end up wasting?? And how does one go about finding a store there to purchase these items?? Just thinking out loud to myself about that one... Anybody??

Hi Annie,

I can answer your questions, I have absolutely no intention of making any meals on holiday, we will eat out! The laundry can wait too!

 

[madmum63]

Hello Annie,

I'm with Helen. No washing or cooking for us. Hotel way is for us and eat out in the evenings. There is a real nice area with some fab restaurants just up from the main El Corte Ingles by the Huge fountain. When we have finished unpacking our "odd item case" I will post the road name as we have the tour bus routes and it goes down the said restaurant road. If you don't want to eat out though, El Corte Ingles has a fab (very international) food department in the basement they have everything you need from convenience foods to totally fresh produce. Oh and did I mention the alcohol too Good luck and enjoy your cruise. Andrea x

 

[jdybnsn]

Glad I am still lurking over here from time to time!! "Tessa" looks like a great place & a fantastic snag!!!! I had almost forgotten about the apartment rental idea! I had actually saved a link that Andrew Derek UK (remember him?) posted a long time ago for another property rental company. I'll go ahead & share it here too just in case ya'll want a 2nd property rental site to look at...

http://www.enjoybcn.com/en/catalogo/listado_4.html

Guess I'll add both sites to the hotel page on my website one of these days...

I sorta like the apartment idea but I do have a couple of reservations (questions) about doing that instead of a regular hotel. Obviously it makes more sense for either a long-term stay or for a larger family (we're only 3) but the idea IS intriguing. My concerns are about how to best go about obtaining a small bit of groceries / supplies - mainly for breakfasts (pastries or something)...coffee & filters...and stuff for doing a load or two of laundry - do you bring coffee, filters & laundry soap from home or buy a regular supply somewhere in Barcelona that you then end up wasting?? And how does one go about finding a store there to purchase these items?? Just thinking out loud to myself about that one... Anybody??

Hi ...its really nice of you to drop by !

Don't worry about the grocery shopping - there's lots of great little bakeries around the central city residential areas, where the apartments are located .....and mini supermarkets are not hard to find within a few blocks of most apartments (the nearest good sized mini supermarket to the "Tessa" apartment was five minutes walk for example, and there were several bakeries even closer.
The rental agency is usually very helpful in supplying this kind of information.

As for laundry powder - we always take 2 in 1 (conditioner & soap combined) in tablet form, which are individually wrapped (not sure if you can get these in the US ?) ...so its just a matter of guessing what you will use both on board and at the apartment (I tend to allow for a wash every 3 days and then a couple for luck !). Other than that buy the local stuff - pack sizes are really not that big in Europe (infact some liquid gel packs are not much bigger than a half dozen egg box to give you an idea of scale !), nor is it overly expensive - you could always donate any left to the next guests !
You could bring filters for coffee since they weigh practically nothing, but cafeterias are also fairly common useage, so you may or may not use them (we did have a coffee machine at Tessa though). One thing for sure, while the Brits. may like their tea !, the mainland Europeans much prefer fresh coffee so, you should have no problems locating local coffee making supplies.

Hope this helps with the thinking process - would definitely recommend rentals because you can relax so much more than in a hotel room, with more space and more facilities at your disposal. You don't need to keep eating out (expensive in cities) and you can save on the amount of luggage you need to bring (since you have the washing facilities).... and even the shopping experience helps you to see a bit more of a countries' culture than you normally would !!