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

[jdybnsn]

How about just before lunch 11.30/12ish? Not sure where, there is a nice 'grown up' eating area - the Halls? - which we never go to with dd, but it is quite large.

Perhaps wear a red carnation and carry a copy of the Financial Times!!!

Kate

....time wise is fine ....anyone have a favourite place for lunch ?

I think it would be better to split the FE groups too, in the light of everyone's (lack of) luggage allowance.

 

[designertravels]

Hi, could the families occupying more than 1 cabin please let us know by mid week on how you intend to exchange gifts? That would greatly help clarify our numbers and budget.

For example: (numbers only an example)
If you have 2 cabins are you distributing one $10.00 gift or two $10.00 gifts?

Thanks for helping us plan! Jill

 

[designertravels]

Hi, was anyone given the option to begin the boarding process at 10:00 am on the registration page? The 1'st time that was listed for me was 10:30. It looks like many categories have sold out on our cruise.

FE - hopefully we will get the PP answered. I am fine with up to 20 cabins. It does not seem there should be many late joiners.

My airfare has gone down though...darn-it!

Jill

 

[I'mallears!]

Hi, could the families occupying more than 1 cabin please let us know by mid week on how you intend to exchange gifts? That would greatly help clarify our numbers and budget.

For example: (numbers only an example)
If you have 2 cabins are you distributing one $10.00 gift or two $10.00 gifts?

Thanks for helping us plan! Jill

Isn't the 10 dollar thing for thecladies lunch meet up on sea day?

 

[I'mallears!]

....time wise is fine ....anyone have a favourite place for lunch ?

I think it would be better to split the FE groups too, in the light of everyone's (lack of) luggage allowance.

How about carluccios? Not sure if thats spelt wrong nice pasta? Or anywhere really I love everything. Mmmm child free lunch

 

[I'mallears!]

I have a check in time of 10.30 which was the earliest when i checked in online. My eye has been off e ball this week but I am back concentrating this week. I have booked 3 with dcl. Easy Piza, 1/2 pompeppi, and monte carlo and monaco when we are at. Illefrance.

 

[Ridicolon]

te

We've found several on one website :http://www.city-sightseeing.com
rome, pisa, palermo, naples, barcelona.hope this helps.

Thanks so much for hoho info

 

[designertravels]

Isn't the 10 dollar thing for thecladies lunch meet up on sea day?

This is just a number I threw out there, nothing to do with the lunch. just trying to figure out how many gifts to buy,

I have a check in time of 10.30 which was the earliest when i checked in online. My eye has been off e ball this week but I am back concentrating this week. I have booked 3 with dcl. Easy Piza, 1/2 pompeppi, and monte carlo and monaco when we are at. Illefrance.

Thanks for the response, you have more planned than me!

Jill

 

[Ridicolon]

RE: Firstly, names are added to the FE. I am not sure how others will feel adding cabins of people who don't actively use the Disboards and take part in the cruisemeet thread, but will leave it to individuals to decide who they give to or not!

Thanks for adding my group to the FE list. They are not actively on the boards,but know about them and read them through me. I am their "group coordinator". They are very interested in the FE exchange and will be giving gifts, not just collecting gifts.

 

[Ridicolon]

Firstly, names are added to the FE. I am not sure how others will feel adding cabins of people who don't actively use the Disboards and take part in the cruisemeet thread, but will leave it to individuals to decide who they give to or not!

As regards the nationality of the ship - it is, for us in the UK at least - a little bit of the States! Everyone speaks English, the food is the same - although they have a speciality twist to what country you are in. The staff in the clubs are the same.



We have done both, Heculaneum is smaller and easier to understand, but Pompeii is the one that everyone knows! However, Pompeii is usually so busy, that it is hard to imagine what it was like. Personally, we prefer Herculaneum because there is never anyone there, the houses are more intact and you don't end up feeling it is all a bit too much!



We use HOHO buses a lot, but some do take you on a roundabout route, so check first. There are two in Barcelona that are good, but the queues are long, find out how long the loop is, because you can get off at where you like and then go back the same way if necessary and avoid seeing stuff you don't want to.



The Blue Grotto is lovely, so calm, peaceful and beautiful. We did this on our own, got a cab and it waited for us in a little car park at the top of the hill. The boat trip took about 30 mins, cost a few euros, Charlotte absolutely loved it. I will try and post a photo. The water is so clear, you can see the fish and as you would expect, the most amazing blue! It would be a shame for the girls to miss it. Funnily enough, she liked Mdina the best, a really old walled town, with dungeons to visit - we didn't go down, but she loved the photos outside! Lots of references to Knights and Crusaders, we enjoyed it too.



How about just before lunch 11.30/12ish? Not sure where, there is a nice 'grown up' eating area - the Halls? - which we never go to with dd, but it is quite large.

Do you know where the statue of the Jazz players is, at the entrance to the food hall (Old Orleans quarter?). or maybe out side Selfridges by the foodhall? Perhaps wear a red carnation and carry a copy of the Financial Times!!!

Other half had great pleasure in announcing today that it is only 10 weeks until we travel - honestly I think he is more excited than me!

We have finally decided to do Cinque Terre, catching the train from La Spezia and then getting a ticket to do the towns, not sure we will walk any trails though!

Still not decided on Palermo - seems I am not the only one!

An updated FE is posted.

Kate

K8T
Thanks for the info on hoho and Pompeii. I think herculium sounds great.

 

[Ridicolon]

Hi K8T

The numbers taking part in the FE seem to be getting quite large - I think spilitting the group would be a good idea!

Thanks again for taking on the post of FE organiser!

Ernie.

Splitting would be fine with me for the simple reason of suitcase space

 

[Ridicolon]

These are amazing!!!! Where did you find the charms, or did you put the photos in yourself? What a lovely present for them.

Like your holiday snaps too, everyone looks like they are having fun Sorry, but I couldn't resist a look, I am nosey!!

Kate

I actually made the bracelets myself. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find all of the charms on our trip. Glad you liked our other photos as well. I love sharing them.

 

[Ridicolon]

Hi, could the families occupying more than 1 cabin please let us know by mid week on how you intend to exchange gifts? That would greatly help clarify our numbers and budget.

For example: (numbers only an example)
If you have 2 cabins are you distributing one $10.00 gift or two $10.00 gifts?

Thanks for helping us plan! Jill

Our group has three cabins with one family per cabin. We will each participate in FE as a separate cabin. Three cabins-three separate gifts given. We are ridicolon and the two cabins with no dis name. Hope this made sense.

 

[designertravels]

Perfect, Thanks!

Jill

 

[K8T]

Well, I have been working hard today - trying to sort out our holiday for next year!!!! Hopefully a week at WDW and then a cruise - maybe on the Dream.

But first back to this one. It would seem that the feeling so far, is to split the FE. Before I actually do so, please can I have other opinions. PM if you wish.

If we split it, I will try and get an equal range of ages etc. on each one.

I am off to London this week, for a couple of days, we are going to a ball at Arsenal, so have decided to make a couple of days of it - Grandma looking after dd (first time off in nearly 6 years!!!)

Carluccios, or whatever at the Trafford is fine for me. Not sure where it is, presume in the Halls. Do you want to meet there?

Kate

 

[mommy_grrl]

Well, I have been working hard today - trying to sort out our holiday for next year!!!! Hopefully a week at WDW and then a cruise - maybe on the Dream.
Kate

I told my husband I wasn't planning ANY more trips until after this one. HE can plan the next one if he needs to do it beforehand. Since he didn't take me up on that, either, when I gave him the same response for child #3, well...

Looks like I'm planning again.

question: do people dress for Pirate Night on the Med cruises like they do in

Totally off topic, but does anyone have any warm-weather ideas for the February break? We've done Tenerife the past 2 yrs and DH wants to try someplace new.

 

[cegs27]

This is our first time participating in a FE so my feelings aren't strong either way - we could either keep it a big group (if it doesn't get much bigger) or split it. And re: the splitting, we could either split it with "even" aged groups as suggested or we could also split it with a "younger" group and an "older" group (like families with kids under 10 and a group with families with kids over 10). If we're thinking of giving similar gifts to each family, that might make it easier if we have the same age range? But that's just me thinking out loud; I actually don't mind however we do it and am just excited to start getting creative.

Where have people been buying their FE hanging thing?

Is anyone besides me GTY status? Can't wait for my room assignment!

 

[K8T]

I told my husband I wasn't planning ANY more trips until after this one. HE can plan the next one if he needs to do it beforehand. Since he didn't take me up on that, either, when I gave him the same response for child #3, well...

Looks like I'm planning again.

question: do people dress for Pirate Night on the Med cruises like they do in

Totally off topic, but does anyone have any warm-weather ideas for the February break? We've done Tenerife the past 2 yrs and DH wants to try someplace new.

Personally, I don't think men have the same ability to plan like us women!! A sweeping statement I know, but my otherhalf always does a half job of it. I just present him with the outcome and then he gives an opinion, not that I take it!!

Pirate night, people do dress up, but I don't think they go quite 'full on' as I have seen in other photos. The children definately yes, the adults seem to be a more token dress up, stripy shirts etc., We did see one woman with the full gear on, fishnets, long boots, bodice etc. Not sure about that though, us British are 'terribly, terribly conservative'!!!!

Have you thought about Cyprus? An interesting place, not too built up (avoid Limmasol), short flight, nice weather?

This is our first time participating in a FE so my feelings aren't strong either way - we could either keep it a big group (if it doesn't get much bigger) or split it. And re: the splitting, we could either split it with "even" aged groups as suggested or we could also split it with a "younger" group and an "older" group (like families with kids under 10 and a group with families with kids over 10). If we're thinking of giving similar gifts to each family, that might make it easier if we have the same age range? But that's just me thinking out loud; I actually don't mind however we do it and am just excited to start getting creative.

Where have people been buying their FE hanging thing?

Is anyone besides me GTY status? Can't wait for my room assignment!

A good idea about splitting into age groups to fit in with your own children, someone else suggested that too and it makes sense, as I have no idea what to buy for 'older' kids.

I made my FE, a bit basic, but does the job. I know some people have bought them on ebay and through etsy, just do a search.

I quite wish we had GTY, I have always enjoyed the excitment of hoping for an upgrade, we booked a specific room this time, as gty wasn't an option on the offer we had. We did get upgraded once, and upgraded ourselves another time at the port.

Best of luck to those waiting.

Kate

P.S Here is our FE, our Cruise Meet Thread was 'Movin' the Magic', as it was a repositioning cruise to the UK ready for the Baltic. It has since been renamed.

[/IMG]

 

[mewatson]

We got our air information from Disney and get to Barcelona at 8:25 on the morning of the cruise. Is there anything to do right around the port terminal to kill a few hours before boarding? If I'm looking at the map correctly, the old Olympic site is across the street; is that accessible and worth wandering around?

 

[Bec-n-Ken]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are new here and new to cruising. We have 2 teenagers but they don't live with us as they are away in college, so they won't be with us on this cruise. We are booked on the Med. cruise leaving July 20th. We are so excited! We are currently living in Belgium. I have been reading through some of the posts here over the last couple of days trying to get ideas. I love the idea of decorating our stateroom door. I hope to be able to make a few things for it but here we are limited to supplies. I may end up ordering magnet sheets online if I can't find any here. Anyway, any help with cruising would be great! Looking forward to meeting others and can't wait until the cruise!!
Thanks again,
Rebecca