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

[jdybnsn]

Welcome wide awake!

May I add you, DH, DS and DM to our website? Would you like to join our fish extender?

Please could you add us to the FE list,... and also details of our cabin numbers 7620 and 7621, to your general list plus the fact we are late dining.

Also is anyone interested in doing a ladies lunch, on a sea day, with a ($10 -ish) gift exchange game ?

 

[DLRPfan.be]

Just received a wonderful booklet with lot's off information about our next Mediterranean Vacation.
There are some new ports of call for us, and they look great!

 

[Willem]

Got it too, makes us want to go even more

 

[jdybnsn]

Same here

 

[madmum63]

Just received a wonderful booklet with lot's off information about our next Mediterranean Vacation.
There are some new ports of call for us, and they look great!

I was just about to throw my teddy out of the cot thinking that as usual in the U.K. we don't get all of the mail. But as I read lower I see some fellow Brits have the booklet too. Maybe I will have a walk down the drive in the mornng and empty the mailbox

Then I may throw fluffy overboard but for now I will have to wait until morning.

Ladies lunch sounds great, what a good idea

Andrea

 

[K8T]

Hi all

We got our little booklet too, but it had got all wet and soggy in the post box!! (I really have to do something about that!).

Been checking out flights, other half not keen on Easy Jet, although with the bags - we need three, I refuse to go with less than one bag each, I don't think it will be much cheaper, so looks like Monarch. We are not brave enough to go the same day, which would be better for dd as she is going to miss school for a few days the last day of term.

I am just contemplating upgrading our room. We booked a gty12, but not sure I can live without a porthole, even the two little ones would be good, so whether the £400 extra for a Cat9 is worth it - I think so. May just do it without telling OH, he won't notice anyway!!

Hope everyone is well. Like the idea of a ladies lunch, maybe us in the North West UK could meet up for lunch before we leave, somewhere central to everyone? or is that too forward of me?!

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

Hi all

ope everyone is well. Like the idea of a ladies lunch, maybe us in the North West UK could meet up for lunch before we leave, somewhere central to everyone? or is that too forward of me?!

Kate

That sounds like a really nice idea, if we can figure out somewhere central & accessible ? Maybe a bit early to put a date on it yet, but initially, how does somewhere in the Trafford Centre in Manchester sound ?

 

[K8T]

Great!

I am within easy reach of the M6, Haydock junction, so really easy for me, a nice lunch in the 'posh' bit of the Trafford Centre would do me!

Checked Easy Jet against Monarch - difference is £100, so more than I thought, although don't like the idea of 21.00 flight on the Saturday, I do like the idea of a 17.00 flight on the Tuesday to get out.

Decisions, decisions!

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

Great!
although don't like the idea of 21.00 flight on the Saturday,
Decisions, decisions!

Kate

Wondering if there is enough of us "hanging around" Barcelona for that day if we can organise our own tour that will drop us off at the airport around 6pm ?

This was done on the Dover -Barcelona cruise by a group of people and it worked extremely well.

Wouldn't mind fitting in a little trip to Sitges and/or Monseratt if anyone else is interested ??

 

[K8T]

OH and I were just discussing this and what we would do all day. Problem is the bags and having them with us if we went off around Barcelona.

We did contemplate taking them to the airport, but then you have the 30euros there and back, or paying for a day room in a hotel, but again that has a cost implication.

I suppose a trip would do the job, as the cases could stay on the bus, although I am not sure whether, having arrived back I will just feel like I want to get on home!!!

Oh no, more decisions!!!!!

We have changed our room to a Cat 9c - Unfortunately it won't be on a gty basis, so I have spent all evening, going through the Dis boards for reviews and steamer trunk rooms!!! Got it down to five rooms on Deck 2, so fingers crossed they are not all taken!

I think we are all happier that we will have a room with a view now!

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

OH and I were just discussing this and what we would do all day. Problem is the bags and having them with us if we went off around Barcelona.

We did contemplate taking them to the airport, but then you have the 30euros there and back, or paying for a day room in a hotel, but again that has a cost implication.

I suppose a trip would do the job, as the cases could stay on the bus, although I am not sure whether, having arrived back I will just feel like I want to get on home!!!

Oh no, more decisions!!!!!

We have changed our room to a Cat 9c - Unfortunately it won't be on a gty basis, so I have spent all evening, going through the Dis boards for reviews and steamer trunk rooms!!! Got it down to five rooms on Deck 2, so fingers crossed they are not all taken!

I think we are all happier that we will have a room with a view now!

Kate

Glad you are happy with your room now - its a long cruise, with alot of daylight hours, so I'm sure you will get value for money.

We have pretty well, a whole "extra day" at the end of the cruise...I am determined not to waste it !! ......an organised coach trip (actually I think the last cruise hired a mini coach) is definitely something I want to explore ...not least to avoid the awful hour long taxi queue at Barcelona port !!!

 

[jdybnsn]

Another idea would be using an executive lounge at the airport ......but that would still be a very long day !

 

[jdybnsn]

Hmmm ....just discovered there is a Cava Wine Cellars tour commonly offered to Barcelona tourists.

....beginning to like the idea of a Cava wine tour in the morning, followed by an afternoon on the beach at Sitges (a very pretty little seaside town, I have been there before).....


....still, plenty of time to think about this in more detail yet..

 

[clarasunnyside]

Please could you add us to the FE list,... and also details of our cabin numbers 7620 and 7621, to your general list plus the fact we are late dining.

Also is anyone interested in doing a ladies lunch, on a sea day, with a ($10 -ish) gift exchange game ?

My sister and I would be intertested in doing the lunch sounds fun.

 

[K8T]

Another idea would be using an executive lounge at the airport ......but that would still be a very long day !

We got the executive lounge with our flights, but we couldn't take our dd in!!!

I heard about the taxi queues, but we didn't encounter any on either of our trips, we were off by about 8.30ish and didn't have to wait atall - very strange.

Just heard that all five rooms I wanted to choose from are NOT available, so have been on the DCL site, not many available on Deck 2 at the moment, we prefer to be aft, but away from Ocean Quest. There are two on the Starboard side, but I want to be on the Port - as most of the ports were that side!!!!

Looks like I will have to book a Starboard aft and then keep checking to see if any rooms are released. If you look at avaialability, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount showing, although that may all change at the Paid in Full date!

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

Just heard that all five rooms I wanted to choose from are NOT available, so have been on the DCL site, not many available on Deck 2 at the moment, we prefer to be aft, but away from Ocean Quest. There are two on the Starboard side, but I want to be on the Port - as most of the ports were that side!!!!


Kate

Wow ! I didn't think it would have been so booked up at this stage !!

....hopefully though keep checking as alot can change .....especially if DCL start offering any gty. discounts on this, or other cruises.

 

[K8T]

Well we have our room now 2512, the reviews are very good, it also has an extra foot or so of space, because of the curvature of the ship and an extra wide window sill, so I think that space far outweighs the fact we are starboard.

Jdybsn, you actually wrote a review of a cabin adjacent to this saying you liked the location!!

Now have to sort out the flights!

Have a good weekend everyone, we are tennis, kids bowling party and ski lessons start on Sunday!

Roll on half term.

Kate

 

[jdybnsn]

.

Jdybsn, you actually wrote a review of a cabin adjacent to this saying you liked the location!!

Kate

Yes, I remember it well - we did really like the location as it was really, really quiet and we did not find any problems at all with sea sickness or anything like that.

 

[mommy_grrl]

Have finally convinced the hubs to do this cruise but reading the last few posts -- is this cruise filling up???

Wondering if anyone has tips for booking best rates - I've cruised Carnival and RCCL but this will be our first Disney cruise. We're Americans living in Wales so we do have access to booking on a US website (using our legal US address) - curious if there is a difference in pricing btw UDS and GBP?

Any input would be helpful!!!

Our kids will be 5 and 7 by then - i'm a little nervous about the length of the day trips for my 5yo, she has such short little legs for walking

Looking forward to going back and reading this thread from the start (gulp) and getting to know you all better!!

 

[jdybnsn]

Wondering if anyone has tips for booking best rates - I've cruised Carnival and RCCL but this will be our first Disney cruise. We're Americans living in Wales so we do have access to booking on a US website (using our legal US address) - curious if there is a difference in pricing btw UDS and GBP?

!!

We are UK residents, with UK IP addresses, but still find it beneficial to use a US specialist cruise travel agency, like Dreamsunlimited (sponsors of this board) as their prices are similar to DCL website but they do offer very good on board credits (OBCs) per cabin.

I'm not sure whether anyone has got to the bottom of whether the GBP shown on the DCL is just a guide price before conversion, or if it is actual fixed GBP price......it is a very recent development.
Assuming the price is a fixed one though, whether its beneficial to book on there in GBP will require a crystal ball to predict currency movements - if you think the pound will gain strength over the dollar in the next 9 months, then you would be better booking in $s - the GPB rates are pretty low compared to the last few years.
There is a UK cruise specialist offering very good rates on the DCL cruises this year (which I won't be allowed to name on this board) BUT I don't know if they give the same cancellation/ refund terms as the US travel agents & DCL. Very generally speaking, travel agents in the UK do tend to keep most, if not all, of your deposit if cancelling a holiday and/or charge hefty fees for any amendments/alterations.