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

[msabol01]

****Update we are renaming the cruise since we were displaced from the August 10th 10 night Med Cruise*****

If you're on the July 20th, 2011 Magic Med Cruise please stop in and say HELLO!

Also, drop in and check out Andrew DEREK UK's June 30th meets thread for some great planning information HERE. I'm also pasting the main points below. Thanks again Sir Andrew!

(please note - I'm longer sailing on this cruise but feel free to PM me for any changes or updates to the main thread)
-----------------------------------
LONDON TO PARIS

Http://www.eurostar.com/dynamic/index.jsp

VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb...gYjbbo4XFjWWqf Iaz4XA1HSuy4UTKIbKP9ACr!-1112292905!174843410!8001!7002
BRITISH AIRWAYS
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb
DISNEY UK/ LINK TO DLP

Http://www.disney.co.uk/

BARCELONA HOTELS
Http://www.catalunya.co.uk/
Http://www.netpz.co.uk/hotel_spain_h...ona_hotels.htm
UP THE COAST
Http://www.apartmentspain.co.uk/blanes.htm
DCLS HOTEL (I THINK)
Http://www.grandmarinahotel.com/
SHORE TRIPS IN EUROPE IDEAS
Http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/pages/home.php
CAR HIRE SPAIN
http://www.carhireinspain.com/index.php?cID=70





TRAIN DLP TO BARCELONA
the train to Barcelona from paris is the Elipsos
Here is a link to a virtual tour - you can tour each type of room. To get a detailed floorplan, click on the little floor plan shown with the tour. There is luggage space located above the corridor. Some of the rooms have a small recessed space that might hold some luggage.

http://www.elipsos.com/flash/paseo/lnkpaseo.htm


Below is links for private tours, I posted one in 2006 but deleted it and cannot find it but this one here is similar and is partly based on a post by MV_Photon who put a lot of work into it.

Barcelona
• www.pepitotours.com/private-tours-barcelona.html Jose Soler
http://wwguides.com/forums/member.php?u=243
• www.gobarcelona.com/
• BCNtour-taxi Armando Panedas
(34) 60-419-756 armandopanedas@vodafone.es
• www.barcelonatourguides.com/ Patrick
• http://www.taxiinternacional.com/eng...ernacional.htm Angie
•


Naples (Pompeii)

• I used www.limoinrome.com/home.htm Claudio Caponera , Fabrizio

• http://driveamalfi.com/ Salvatore Lucibello, Adriano, Roberto
• www.drivesorrento.com/ Nello Russo
• www.seesorrento.com/chi_sono_eng.html Marcello Maresca, Eugiene, Marco
• www.aptours.it/Site/default.asp?Lang=EN Alberto
• www.francescomarrapese.com/excursions.htm Francesco
• www.pleasantravel.com/index.htm Mariano Fiorentino
• www.jackthedriver.com/ Jack, Lorenzo Bianco
• www.benvenutolimos.com/ Giovanni
• http://www.sorrentocardrivers.com/Si...lt.asp?Lang=EN Raffael
• www.cuomonet.it/ Renato
• http://aldotaxi.net/ Aldo
• www.driverinrome.com …but avoid Guiliana
• http://tourofitaly.com/
• www.hiddenitalytours.com/ Mariano Fiorentino

ROME Train station is close to the port

The main train station in Rome is Termini. From there, take the underground (Metropolitana):

Colosseum: take Line (Linea) B to the Colosseo station. The Colosseum is across the street.

Vatican: take Line A to the Ottaviano station. It's a 15-20 minute walk.

I would recommend anyone wanting to go to the vatician to book a private tour with an official tour guide who can get you in before the opening time of 10am.

The queus are long but you jump this I was in at 8.40am.



Civitavecchia (Rome)

• www.limoinrome.com/home.htm Claudio Caponera , Fabrizio

• http://www.drivinguide.com/shore_excursions.htm
• www.driverinrome.com/ Daniele Melaragno, Remo (his father), Pepe, Manny
• http://romeinlimo.com/ Duman & Carlo
• www.romelimousineservice.com/ Max Leotta
• www.romecabs.com/ Stefano Costantini
• www.romeconnection.com/ Marco
• Don’t miss the Scavi Tour (Vatican necropolis):http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/in...040112_en.html
•
La Spezia (Florence / Pisa) –Book the tower of Pisa online in advance Pre-book to Leaning Tower of Pisa (available 45 – 16 days in advance): www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index.jsp


• I used www.papillonservice.com/ Lisa, Roberto

• www.florencetour.com/ Paola Migliorni
• www.abcwine.it/off shore.htm Carla Giomi
• www.tuscanyinmypocket.com/ Guido
• Marcello Grandini Marcello.tourguide@tiscali.it
• www.tuscanybytaxi.it/ Ricardo
• www.sunflower-tours.com/services.htm Giovanni Sirabella
• www.limoinrome.com/home.htm Claudio
• Giovanni Bassi - architect & urban historian G.bossi@dada.it
• Alessandro Cammilli alecamma@hotmail.com
• Pauline Priore paulinep@tin.it
• Pre-book tickets to Ufizi and Academia Galleria:www.florenceart.it/
Dial 011 (U.S. international access code) 39 (Italy's country code) 055-294-883 during the hours of 8:30 AM -6:30 PM M-F & 8:30-12:00 Sat. Florence time.
•
Villefranche (Monte Carlo / Cannes / Nice)
• I used www.dream-tours.com/layout.php?page=106&lang=us Alain, Frederic, Jean Marc
• Or try this if doesn’t work http://www.dream-tours.com/
• www.revelation-tours.com/cruise.html Michel LeGrand, Isoline
• www.azur-guides-interpretes.com/ Sylvie DiCristo
• www.riviera-prestige-tours.com/ Eva Devemy

 

[Anal Annie]

YAY! We have a thread! Now we need a name! We will have to troll for some that are available... OH! Then we will need a little logo thingy that we insert into our siggies. Oh My!! Such planning to be done and only 1 year 9 months 5 days to do it in!! I will have to figure out how to do that logo thing!! Hummm...betcha Andrew knows!! I have some ideas actually from some old door signs that I made for our cruises last summer. I'm sure they could be downsized enough to work. I made frig. magnets & luggage tags too so I'm sure they can be purtied up & reworked a bit with our meet name. I just don't know how to get them into a siggie. Name first. Logo second. Once we vote on a name I can toodle with some logo ideas & post them for another vote!

Instead of Pirates of the Caribbean we could be Pirates of the Mediterranean. I wonder if that has been used? What else? Mickey's Mediterranen Mates?! (MMM) Mickey's Mediterranean Mouseketeers? Mouseketeers in the Med?! Oh! Humm... I sorta like that one maybe?! That sorta has a ring to it. I will have to scroll thru some other threads to be sure we don't duplicate anything. Whatcha got on your end?! The days are ticking off now!!

(I know, I sound like I just swallowed some hellium & ate a box of chocolate don't I? It's just getting late. I'm tired. Promise! )

 

[Anal Annie]

Thought of another name to add to our list - "Mickey's Magical Mouseketeers take the Med" (or do the Med or sail the Med)?! Come on guys! Need some more peeps to sign up here!! We need a name!! Lookin' for more ideas!!

 

[msabol01]

A few to add:

Mickey's Maritime Medertirranean Marauders on the Magic

Magical Maniacs sail the Medirterranean

we definately need more help

 

[Anal Annie]

A few to add:

Mickey's Maritime Medertirranean Marauders on the Magic

Magical Maniacs sail the Medirterranean

we definately need more help

Good ones!

Mickey's Magical Med Maniacs Mickey's Magic Med Marauders

Yes! We need more help! This could go on for awhile 'eh mate?!

Mickey's Magical Mates

Marauding Magical Meditteranean Mates

OH or how about Mickey's Marauding Maniacs or Mickey's Marauding Mouseketeers? Marauding is a good word. I like that. You did good coming up with that one.


OK, so far we have the following ideas (will try to keep them updated here as we add them):

Mickey's Roman Empire Tour
Pirates of the Mediterranean
Mickey's Mediterranen Mates
Mickey's Mediterranean Mouseketeers
Mouseketeers in the Med
Mickey's Magical Mouseketeers take the Med
Mickey's Maritime Mediterranean Marauders on the Magic
Magical Maniacs sail the Medirterranean
Mickey's Magical Med Maniacs
Mickey's Magic Med Marauders
Mickey's Magical Mates
Marauding Magical Meditteranean Mates
Mickey's Marauding Maniacs
Mickey's Marauding Mouseketeers

I am thinking that the shorter titles will allow for an easier time when it comes to making things (like logos or FE's & FE gifts or door signs). Personally, I don't think I'm feeling the top 2 so much... I DO like the word Marauding tho since it means plundering... (And on a personal note, Meditteranean gets a bit hard to spell over & over!)

 

[msabol01]

Once our thread get's posted on the 2011 Magic Meets, I think it will be just the two of us brainstorming Hopefully, it will be posted soon and then the others will flock to this page. As we get closer we can even do a poll.

 

[Anal Annie]

Once our thread get's posted on the 2011 Magic Meets, I think it will be just the two of us brainstorming Hopefully, it will be posted soon and then the others will flock to this page. As we get closer we can even do a poll.

So how does that happen? Do you PM the Cowboy with the link?

Hopefully we won't be alone on the boat for TOO long! I keep chatting with Andrew on his thread...he has so much previous cruisng experience... I want to do soooo many things on this trip it's going to take a lot of planning (read: budgeting)!

 

[msabol01]

So how does that happen? Do you PM the Cowboy with the link?

Hopefully we won't be alone on the boat for TOO long! I keep chatting with Andrew on his thread...he has so much previous cruisng experience... I want to do soooo many things on this trip it's going to take a lot of planning (read: budgeting)!

Being alone on the boat wouldn't be bad, you could take the Roy suite and I the Walt lol

I left the link on the main thread for meets. Once Irish cowboy returns (last post was on 10/31) he will update the listing.

I too am reading through Andrew's info. Is it bad I'm already planning considering I have a huge family trip (17 people) to wdw coming up on August?

 

[Keever]

Hey Annie amd msabol,

I cannot pick my favourite (Canadian spelling here...) name for our group and thread. You have so many great ideas!

Annie, we will be across the hall from you in SPH Cabin 5520. Our sons will be close in age; my sons will be 13 and 15. This will be great!

I am keen to do the FE, fish extender. I'll start crafting!

Life is crazy busy so I have not had time to do the research beyond pricing out flights. I'm happy to keep reading the tips....

 

[Anal Annie]

YAY! Keever's back with us! I guess those of us who bargain hunted the SPH cabins are the only early birds hunting for cruise meets?! Well, we don't know what Mike booked... By the way, we did back-to-backs in 5520 on the Wonder last summer! The SPH cabins are SUCH AWESOME deals. Have you been in one of them before?

In case you HAVEN'T been in one of the SPH cabins before, this was our view of Castaway Cay on a couple of days (two days they pulled in & one day they backed in so the view varied):

And our view while docked at Port Canaveral:

And just the cabin in general before it gets lived in too much:

Not too shabby for the price of an inside cabin 'eh?! The obstructed view really isn't that bad. Better than NO view anyway.

 

[msabol01]

Welcome Keever!!!!

I didn't even think about a SPH cabin when I booked. We're up near the front on deck seven in a 9A aka old Cat 8 porthole cabin.

We booked verandahs our last two cruises and although we maybe spend 30 minutes total out on the balcony, we wonder if we will miss it once it is gone? That said, I couldn't justify the extra $$$$$ for a balcony when there are so many port calls and things to see on land.

 

[Anal Annie]

Welcome Keever!!!!

I didn't even think about a SPH cabin when I booked. We're up near the front on deck seven in a 9A aka old Cat 8 porthole cabin.

We booked verandahs our last two cruises and although we maybe spend 30 minutes total out on the balcony, we wonder if we will miss it once it is gone? That said, I couldn't justify the extra $$$$$ for a balcony when there are so many port calls and things to see on land.

You'll be FINE with the porthole and I agree on the $$$. For comparison I had priced the Cat 10 on the 11 n. cruise against Cats 10, 9 & 6 on the 10 nighter. BEEEG difference! With 7 ports in 7 days you'll barely have a spare moment for the balcony! Two of the ports don't even have an onboard time until 9:00 pm!! On the two sea days you'll be up & out to enjoy the ship. We had booked a Cat 8 GTY on our first cruise & ended up getting upgraded to one of the Aft Cat 6's which was awesome. At the time DH & I were both still smokers so we used the balcony in the mornings & evenings for (ahem) "fresh air". That was an extra bonus for us. We have since quit smoking & last summer we had the SPH room and while a balcony would've been nice we honestly did not miss it. I just look at it like it's a hotel room without a balcony. If money was no object we'd book a balcony in a heartbeat...BUT when I think about the WHOLE cost of this trip inclusive with air, shore excursions, bar tab, DLP pre-cruise, flights, some new clothes.... The decision is pretty easy. I REALLY want to hire a private guide in Rome and that's going to be a huge splurge!!


OK....looking for more peeps!! We need a name!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Yay! Irish cowboy set us up on the meets!! NOW we should be collecting more peeps!

 

[msabol01]

So that's the trick, stop checking every two hours! Yeah!!!

 

[Keever]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! We got a message this sailing has been cancelled.

I rebooked for July 20th this am.

Will you, my thread friends be switching too?

 

[msabol01]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! We got a message this sailing has been cancelled.

I rebooked for July 20th this am.

Will you, my thread friends be switching too?

Sadly, I'm learning this through you. Who told you? Guess I better email my TA. Were you given a decent rate for your rebooking? I wonder if low sales cancelled the trip.

 

[Keever]

I received a call Thursday from the Disney Vacation Club. Disney was most accomodating with the rebooking - even securing my secret porthole cabin.

 

[msabol01]

Oh so you booked using points. I booked thru DU and my TA just emailed that they got the news last night but ate awaiting details from DCL and if any special compensation would be provided. She also offered to rebook now if I didn't want to wait. It looks like cruises from 7/30 thru 9/10 are all being cancelled. Guess the demand was low.

I will most likely try to rebook for the same as you. Stayed tuned

 

[Keever]

They still had a secret porthole room available as of mid-day this morning.
I had to kick in a few more points because the sailings in July are a higher travel season. It wasn't a straight exchange, but maybe they'll do that for you. I'm hoping for you, Mike.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey ya'll. My DU TA left a msg. on my wall last nite on Facebook (we sailed together last summer so we've remained in touch...) She told me she was just giving a heads up about DCL pulling (cancelling) all the 2011 Med cruises after the July 20 one thru Sept. She does not know what they plan to do with the Magic tho yet. Apparently between the Wonder AK cruises & the Dream bookings the sales for the Med are not as hoped. But she wanted us to start thinking what else we wanted to do. I went online quickly & saw that there were still some SPH cabins left on the July 20 sailing so I asked her to grab one & put a hold on it for us until Monday which she did last night. Got our same 5020 cabin. I think once we xfer our existing ressie (which has a rebooking discount) that the total cost work out for us to be approx. $330 or so more.

August was a better month for us to go...but we REALLY had started looking forward to this trip and don't want to NOT GO. We considered the Dream briefly as we have DIS peeps from our cruises last summer who are sailing on the July 10 one but DH wants to see more of the world (beyond the Bahamas). SOOOO. DS will just have to miss the end of his swim team season (ie the last couple of meets, team photo & awards banquet) etc. We'd been kicking around going to Disneyland Paris FIRST but now we'll probably do that AFTER so we don't have to leave any earlier in July than needed in order to just spend a couple of nights in Barcelona first. That way he can still swim that weekend before the cruise.

Glad to see you have decided on the July 20 too Keever. I say if we all go on the July 20 as our alternate we just ask the Irish Cowboy to move the thread. I don't think there was one started yet for it either. Why start over now?? Let's pick our name & move on!

Meanwhile I have a big mess to finish cleaning up. DS had swim practice this evening & he dropped his jammer into the sink to soak & left the water running while he was in the shower!! So he gets out of the shower & screams MOOOOMMM!!! The ENTIRE bathroom was flooded! Under the sinks (including my new 30 roll pack of TP that I just got at Costco last week). Everything had to come out of the room. It's all still sitting in the hallway. He has a meet this weekend and we used like ALL of our beach towels mopping up the floor. They're still in the tub, waiting for me to fetch them & throw them in the wash. I had to stop for an adult beverage and to answer here. NOW I have to go put this room back together. Might need another drink for the road.