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

[scottishwee35]

[

Just WIN the lottery Deb!!!
Should be great to see you, Ian and the kids back next year...
DT&M

u know that bird's poo on me at Vigo

then I put my washing on the line and when I do the dishes I saw another bird's poo on my clothes

I did put money on lottery yesterday, but only had two nos?

Scottishwee35

 

[mca]

Hi everyone

We are booked on this trip also.

We are

DH Moe - 45
DW Nicky - 45
DS Eric - 13
DS Danny - 11

This will be our 8th cruise with DCL

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Hi Nicky and everyone else that I've missed that are new.
Just wondering how everyone is going with their planning. Or even if anyone has started planning. I cant help myself. We are having a week a couple weeks following the cruise so I'm pretty excited to see that free dining is out. I'm having trouble with a couple of ports though that we are going to. No idea what to do in Corsica and am stuck on La Spezia.

 

[Keever]

Welcome Moe and family! From our family in Ottawa
Are we neighbours? Will you fly out of Toronto? (We'll probably leave via Montreal.)

Wow! Another 13 year old boy! My younger DS will also be 13 at time of sailing.

Shall I add you to the Fish extender?

I'll add you to the website today.

 

[mca]

Welcome Moe and family! From our family in Ottawa
Are we neighbours? Will you fly out of Toronto? (We'll probably leave via Montreal.)

Wow! Another 13 year old boy! My younger DS will also be 13 at time of sailing.

Shall I add you to the Fish extender?

I'll add you to the website today.

Hi

We are from Sudbury, and will be flying through Toronto. Presently thinking of flying on the previous friday to Heathrow for a pre trip to London.

 

[Willem]

Hi all!

We'll be on the cruise too! Booked this morning...
It will be me (30) and my bfriend (31). We're from Belgium.
Are really looking forward to this cruise!

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Hi all!

We'll be on the cruise too! Booked this morning...
It will be me (30) and my bfriend (31). We're from Belgium.
Are really looking forward to this cruise!

NIce to meet you Willem and congratulations on booking.

 

[helenreed]

Hi Willem! Nice to have you aboard!

 

[DLRPfan.be]

Hi all!

We'll be on the cruise too! Booked this morning...
It will be me (30) and my bfriend (31). We're from Belgium.
Are really looking forward to this cruise!

Hé hé, already 3 different families from Belgium: must be a record !
Welcome aboard!

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey everyone!

KEEVER!! Your website has really taken off girl!! Good job!! You have a real party going on over here!! I am impressed!!!

My cruise is still a dud. I shall be drinking alone!! I wish I would pick up some more peeps...I'd like to fiddle with my website some more but it's disheartening to mess with it when I am the only one using it! I added a new currency converter the other day that I like better than the old one...it works right from the website rather than having to follow a link to one. My math skills are pretty ummmm...nonexistent...so it's helpful for me anyway!!

Oh well...I'll just keep visiting with ya'll!!!!

(PS) I am going to steal your idea of putting a link to the cruise website in my siggie!!

 

[jdybnsn]

Hi

Another one that jumped ship straight from the Dover- Barcelona cruise here.

There is a slim chance we might transfer to the May 28th 11 night Med, so I had been hanging back a little. It all hinges on whether DS has his school exams before, or after, the May break..... and I won't know for sure till the kids are back at school - most likely that they are after, so this is why we signed up for this one onboard.
Besides DH says he prefers these dates...so I may have a fight on my hands to switch anyway.

We are ;
Me - Judy
DH - Brian (who is a Welsh speaking Welshman)
DS - Joe 13 (14 next year)
DD - Vyrnwy 9 (10 next year )

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Hi Judy
Nice to have you here. Hope you can stay.
Suzanne

 

[K8T]

Hi

We are just off the Magic (10 night Med.) and booked this one on board. Myself, Otherhalf and Daughter (soon to be 6).

We really wanted to go in August again, but did the June Repo, Barcelona-Dover this year and 7 nights just aren't long enough!!! However if some good 2012 itineraries come out, we may just 'jump ship'

Anyone want to know about the stops, please ask, while they are still fresh in my mind!


Kate

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Hi K8T
Nice to have you aboard.
I'd love to hear what you did in La Spezia and Corsica. I've changed my mind so many times for La Spezia and am thinking that we might just wander in Corsica and spend the afternoon on the ship.
Suzanne

 

[K8T]

Hi K8T
Nice to have you aboard.
I'd love to hear what you did in La Spezia and Corsica. I've changed my mind so many times for La Spezia and am thinking that we might just wander in Corsica and spend the afternoon on the ship.
Suzanne

Hi Suzanne

La Spezia you have a couple of options, Pisa, Florence or Lucca.

We have been to Florence a number of times andPisa too, but thought Pisa would be more interesting for our dd. We got the train - very easy to do, there is quite a walk to the station (20mins), but you could also get the little white train that goes from where the tenders come in (5 euros) to the station in about the same time you can walk.

Florence is a change on the train and I personally didn't want to risk it, so would suggest doing the Florence on your own, so DCL take you there. It is a beautiful city and easy to walk around (although busy), with a good guide book.

Pisa you can walk through the town from the station (10 mins) via the shops which is interesting Although there isn't a lot in Pisa, apart from the tower and the baptistry, a sort of church (do book your tickets beforehand, because they come in time slots and are limited). Lucca is a small medieval walled town, very pretty. We didn't do this, but someone else did Pisa and Lucca, which you could do if you are out early.

La Spezia is also a good shopping area and opens just as you are coming back, so worth allowing time to look around the shops.

Corsica is a lovely island, but you need to get out of Ajjaccio really to appreciate it. However, there is a good market (lots of fruit, veg, cheeses, wine and honey), just a stroll from the ship in the morning. There are a number of monuments to Napolean and some shopping areas which are interesting.

We did an open top bus ride along the coast, then back to the town late morning, when the shops shut for lunch, we walked to the little beach just out of town. There are some nicer beaches further along and you can get a bus No. 5 to these, which run there and back every 20 mins. Or a cab for 15 euros or so. Some of the beaches have pedalos, with little slides on them. The water is so clear and ideal for snorkeling.

To be honest, after so many busy stops, it was great to just chill out a bit.

Europe really is an easy place to navigate, we always do our own thing, either by cab or train and never have any problems.

Hope this helps.

Kate

 

[clarasunnyside]

Hi

We are just off the Magic (10 night Med.) and booked this one on board. Myself, Otherhalf and Daughter (soon to be 6).

We really wanted to go in August again, but did the June Repo, Barcelona-Dover this year and 7 nights just aren't long enough!!! However if some good 2012 itineraries come out, we may just 'jump ship'

Anyone want to know about the stops, please ask, while they are still fresh in my mind!


Kate

I know this is alot to ask for but I would love to hear a little about all the stops. ...

 

[clarasunnyside]

So we are heading to Disney on Tuesday......We are taking the auto train since my Sis cannot fly yet.....can I say EXCITED !!!. This will be our first experience with DVC, we are staying @ the wilderness lodge villas and Bay lake Towers which is our home base.

Thinking about getting T Shirts for the cruise...

ok I am babbling wishing everyone a great week and those going back to school .. wishing you a smooth first day

 

[Willem]

Thanks for the warm welcome!
We're really looking forward to this cruise... Hope to find some info here, will read the previous pages first

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Hi Suzanne

La Spezia you have a couple of options, Pisa, Florence or Lucca.

We have been to Florence a number of times andPisa too, but thought Pisa would be more interesting for our dd. We got the train - very easy to do, there is quite a walk to the station (20mins), but you could also get the little white train that goes from where the tenders come in (5 euros) to the station in about the same time you can walk.

Florence is a change on the train and I personally didn't want to risk it, so would suggest doing the Florence on your own, so DCL take you there. It is a beautiful city and easy to walk around (although busy), with a good guide book.

Pisa you can walk through the town from the station (10 mins) via the shops which is interesting Although there isn't a lot in Pisa, apart from the tower and the baptistry, a sort of church (do book your tickets beforehand, because they come in time slots and are limited). Lucca is a small medieval walled town, very pretty. We didn't do this, but someone else did Pisa and Lucca, which you could do if you are out early.

La Spezia is also a good shopping area and opens just as you are coming back, so worth allowing time to look around the shops.

Corsica is a lovely island, but you need to get out of Ajjaccio really to appreciate it. However, there is a good market (lots of fruit, veg, cheeses, wine and honey), just a stroll from the ship in the morning. There are a number of monuments to Napolean and some shopping areas which are interesting.

We did an open top bus ride along the coast, then back to the town late morning, when the shops shut for lunch, we walked to the little beach just out of town. There are some nicer beaches further along and you can get a bus No. 5 to these, which run there and back every 20 mins. Or a cab for 15 euros or so. Some of the beaches have pedalos, with little slides on them. The water is so clear and ideal for snorkeling.

To be honest, after so many busy stops, it was great to just chill out a bit.

Europe really is an easy place to navigate, we always do our own thing, either by cab or train and never have any problems.

Hope this helps.

Kate

Thanks Kate.
I'm glad to hear about the beaches in Ajjaccio. I think my kids will enjoy a bit of a beach break. I was really starting to wonder what we would do there. I didn't like the look of any of the tours.
La Spezia is the opposite. But we are planning time in Tuscany either side of the cruise. We would see Florence at this time. Our original thought was Cinque Terre, but 4 1/2 hours just doesn't seem enough so we thought we might spend couple of nights there. And we plan on flying into Pisa so thought we could see the main sights on that day. Mmmm, what dilemma to have.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

So we are heading to Disney on Tuesday......We are taking the auto train since my Sis cannot fly yet.....can I say EXCITED !!!. This will be our first experience with DVC, we are staying @ the wilderness lodge villas and Bay lake Towers which is our home base.

Thinking about getting T Shirts for the cruise...

ok I am babbling wishing everyone a great week and those going back to school .. wishing you a smooth first day

Have a great time Clara.