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

[Meg'n'walt]

Ok, kate ! Thank you very much for all the effort you put into it !! We can start planning the gifts from next week on !

 

[helenreed]

Thanks Kate for doing such a great job!
So excited, we leave for Barcelona a month today!

 

[designertravels]

Awesome...We are excited to get our gifts ready. The girls and I went to the Disney Store just today!

Jill

 

[DLRPfan.be]

We loved you gifts last time on the 30th July Dover - Barcelona cruise...so looking forward to this !!!

Great to hear ! And wait 'till you see what we made this year .... it's something you and you're family will enjoy for years....

​

 

[jdybnsn]

Great to hear ! And wait 'till you see what we made this year .... it's something you and you're family will enjoy for years....

​

...its not chocolate then !? ...



............can't wait !!

 

[Bec-n-Ken]

Can someone tell me how much the internet is on the ship?

Nevermind....I got the info from a friend. Here it is incase nobody else knows.

The internet is expensive...
Pay as you go - $0.75 per minute
100 min for $55.00 ($.55 per minute)
250 min for $100 ($.40 per minute)
500 min for $150 ($.30 per minute)



Thanks!

 

[K8T]

Can someone tell me how much the internet is on the ship?

Nevermind....I got the info from a friend. Here it is incase nobody else knows.

The internet is expensive...
Pay as you go - $0.75 per minute
100 min for $55.00 ($.55 per minute)
250 min for $100 ($.40 per minute)
500 min for $150 ($.30 per minute)



Thanks!

It is also hopeless. I tried to log on on the Pay as you go, but it wouldn't load and I think I spent $5 and only got my email up, hadn't even sent one!! You are best using a wifi phone/laptop and stopping somewhere onshore to download and send emails!

Kate

 

[mommy_grrl]

Can't believe we sail in 30 days! I really need to get cracking!

Kate, thanks for all your hard work with the lists. Now I really do need to get my FE ideas sorted!!!!

 

[mommy_grrl]

Have just realized that our flight home isn't until 4ish. What do we do all day?

Suggestions?

 

[Magic-Rose]

Hello - I am sorry, but I am not sure what this is about? I can't find any explanation in these threads and I am not sure what I signed us up for. Can someone please explain more to me or else you can take me off the list so that I don't mess this up!

Thanks
Rose

 

[DLRPfan.be]

Have just realized that our flight home isn't until 4ish. What do we do all day?

Suggestions?

bring a good book : you only can go into the zone with all the shops etc.. until 2 hours before your flight takes off. And there is really not so much to do in the airport off Barcelona, except for waiting, and waiting, and waiting....

 

[DLRPfan.be]

Have just realized that our flight home isn't until 4ish. What do we do all day?

Suggestions?

bring a good book : you only can go into the zone with all the shops etc.. until 2 hours before your flight takes off. And there is really not so much to do in the Barcelona airport, except for waiting, and waiting, and waiting....

 

[jdybnsn]

Have just realized that our flight home isn't until 4ish. What do we do all day?

Suggestions?

Our flight isn't until 9pm !!!!

We did think long & hard about renting a car from the airport (there's no rental depots near the port) and having a day at the beach at nearby Sitges.

...however, DH now wants to completely chill, so we have now decided to get a day room at a hotel that has a pool for the kids. This is not easy in Barcelona in the height of Summer !!!
The only one easily bookable is the Rennaissance near the airport for around E100
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/photo-tours.mi?marshaCode=bcnbr&pageID=HWHOM&imageID=0

BUT we have also managed to locate one that is very close to The Nou Camp soccer stadium;
http://www.hotelsenatorbarcelona.com/
The good thing is that it has a spa (though not a very big outdoor pool) and really good transport links to the city & airport.
Also, even though we have been there last year, it is so close to the Nou Camp -one of the best soccer stadiums to visit in Europe (IMO) and my DS is a huge Barcelona FC fan,..... so it is easy for him to get to visit there (again !)...maybe we will send the boys, while me & DD stay in the pool !
However, booking is proving difficult as they quoted my a very reasonable E70by email (they don't normally offer day rooms, but said they would on this occasion) - but when I try and respond to book the next person answering my email does not appear to understand what I am wanting to do, as it goes through to a central reservation part of the hotel group, not the hotel itself.
!
I am ringing the hotel today to try to speak to someone and get it all booked. & confirmed.

 

[scottishwee35]

Hi

Remember last year August while we were cruising with Disney Magic then stayed over Barcelona for 3 days.

It was very hot and it was long queue for The Nou Camp soccer stadium. And on off bus was very busy too...

If you keen go to Nou Camp Soccer, better go early in the morning than late afternoon...

My kids were moaning too hot and they only want back to hotel for swimming

Oh it won't be long for your cruise

Have a fun... I look forward to hear from you or trip report too...

Scottishwee35

 

[jdybnsn]

Hi

It was very hot and it was long queue for The Nou Camp soccer stadium. And on off bus was very busy too...

If you keen go to Nou Camp Soccer, better go early in the morning than late afternoon...

Scottishwee35

We got tickets in advance from Viator with 7% discount - (I still have this link if anyone needs it ) - however the only problem was, you needed to pick the tickets up from the city centre ticket agency first..... which was a complete pain, and the waste of one of our T10 metro card journeys, in doing so.

However it did save lots of time at the stadium and I agree the queues there were massive.

 

[K8T]

Hello Kate,
Can you add my family to the FE list?
Cabin #: 2581,2583
DD 15, DS 11, DD 9, DD 6, my husband and my mother 83! We are coming from Ohio and can't wait to meet all of our shipmates.
Thanks!

I added you to the FE List, because you asked me to!!

Hello - I am sorry, but I am not sure what this is about? I can't find any explanation in these threads and I am not sure what I signed us up for. Can someone please explain more to me or else you can take me off the list so that I don't mess this up!

Thanks
Rose

Of course you can come off!!!! Basically, FE stands for Fish Extender and that is what the list relates to.

Outside your cabin is a Fish on the wall, in which notes/information can be left for you. A Fish Extender is a pocket type organiser thing, that you hang off your Fish (you can buy them on ebay, or like me, make your own). You then join the group on your cruise meet thread and you agree to all give gifts or just one gift, for those in the cabins on your list, the gift is left in the pockets on your FE.

Click for a Link to What is a FE?

It is a kind of secret santa, so each day when you get up in the morning, or go back to your cabin during the day, you find someone has left something for you. Gifts can be anything, from sweets, momentos from the area/country your live in, to something you have made, or like me, something you have bought. You can give to the whole cabin, or just the kids, but everyone is asked to buy one thing at least for each cabin on your list.

Here is a thread that shows some of the Homemade FE Gifts

It is up to you if you wish to take part, some people enjoy giving and receiving little tokens, others find it far too stressful to think about bringing something with them and then delivering it one day, so don't join up - each to their own, as it is YOUR holiday afterall Personally, my DD got very excited to find things in our FE, in fact I take things and put them in for her myself!!

We have split our list for this Cruise, as it makes it more manageable, particularly for those on long flights with restricted baggage allowance, we have also left it open as to how often and whether one gift or one for each person/child etc.

The list is closed now to add anyone else, so it won't change, but if you would like to come off, that really isn't a problem.

Nearer the time, I will do a plan of the ship, with all the cabins that are in the FE Lists ringed, to email to all those taking part. This makes it easier to navigate around the decks when delivering.

Let me know Mary Rose if you do want to come off and I will remove you!!

We will probably have a Meet Up on the first day - Whether you are part of the FE list or not, everyone is welcome.

I think it was in the afternoon, just before Lifeboat drill, anyone any thoughts on this?

Kate

 

[designertravels]

What about this Jill ?
http://www.malta247.com/template1.asp?tourID=154&lid=1&typ=1&cat=3

...we are looking at the afternoon session though its only me who has been diving before ! - I have emailed them to see if they will allow swimmers/ snorkeling members (ie. non divers) and also for more details of where they go (and if it is near the beautiful Blue Lagoon).

I received info from another dive company that starts at a resort. They are 1 hour away from the port. It sounds like a good company and an ideal beach setting, but that seems a little far to venture out to me. What do you think? Jill

Our flight isn't until 9pm !!!!

We did think long & hard about renting a car from the airport (there's no rental depots near the port) and having a day at the beach at nearby Sitges.

I am ringing the hotel today to try to speak to someone and get it all booked. & confirmed.

We are not leaving until Sunday. Do you think this would be a good last day for us. I am sure we will be done site seeing.

I think it was in the afternoon, just before Lifeboat drill, anyone any thoughts on this?

Kate

MEET UP - I think that is a great idea. The one thing that I have planned is that boarding day will be our one big party day. There is no time to feel sluggish the rest of the week with all the touring.

Jill

 

[mommy_grrl]

bring a good book : you only can go into the zone with all the shops etc.. until 2 hours before your flight takes off. And there is really not so much to do in the Barcelona airport, except for waiting, and waiting, and waiting....

AACKKK! Can't think of a worse thing to do with a tired 5 & 7yo & husband (I'd be fine reading, but them? *Facepalm*)....don't know what we were thinking - I think my husband thought we'd be rushed with a 1pm flight
.

Our flight isn't until 9pm !!!!

We did think long & hard about renting a car from the airport (there's no rental depots near the port) and having a day at the beach at nearby Sitges.

...however, DH now wants to completely chill, so we have now decided to get a day room at a hotel that has a pool for the kids. This is not easy in Barcelona in the height of Summer !!!
The only one easily bookable is the Rennaissance near the airport for around E100
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/photo-tours.mi?marshaCode=bcnbr&pageID=HWHOM&imageID=0

BUT we have also managed to locate one that is very close to The Nou Camp soccer stadium;
http://www.hotelsenatorbarcelona.com/
The good thing is that it has a spa (though not a very big outdoor pool) and really good transport links to the city & airport.
Also, even though we have been there last year, it is so close to the Nou Camp -one of the best soccer stadiums to visit in Europe (IMO) and my DS is a huge Barcelona FC fan,..... so it is easy for him to get to visit there (again !)...maybe we will send the boys, while me & DD stay in the pool !
However, booking is proving difficult as they quoted my a very reasonable E70by email (they don't normally offer day rooms, but said they would on this occasion) - but when I try and respond to book the next person answering my email does not appear to understand what I am wanting to do, as it goes through to a central reservation part of the hotel group, not the hotel itself.
!
I am ringing the hotel today to try to speak to someone and get it all booked. & confirmed.

I thought about looking into a day room, but I'm guessing we need to be to the airport by 1pm...so its just what we do from 9ish to 1pm....since we booked airport transfers with DCL. Does anyone know if we can check our luggage that early?

 

[K8T]

Not sure if anyone is decorating their doors, we usually put a few up.

I made this, with a bit of help from Millipie on the Disigner Board.

If you would like to print it out, please do.

For those of you in the UK, Home Bargains have some good Magnetic Photo Paper in at the moment!

[/IMG]

 

[Ridicolon]

I love the Mickey Design you made. Thanks soooo much for all of your hard work on the FE lists - they look super!!! I know my 3 ridicolon cabins are so excited!!

I can't belive how close it is getting!!!