July 22, 2015 * 12-night Northern European Cruise!

[Celestine]

That's what I thought but the all aboard time is listed as 6:15 PM for both days in SPB on the itinerary DCL sent me after I booked. I asked my TA and she confirmed with DCL. I'm bummed because we really wanted to maximize our time in port.

Last time def. no onboard on first night. At that time many guests were actually departing for nights at the ballet & evening river boat trips. Sounds like cross wire communication, or a complete strategy change by the Russians!

Celestine

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We will overnight in Copenhargen and St Petes and can get on and off sny time, subject to the visa rules in St Petes, I have private tours booked till 9pm in St Petes.

 

[time for travel]

Time for Travel here and we are on the cruise!!!! We are so excited......just returned from the 12 day Med. on the Magic.....and it was wonderful, I mean magical.......booked something else onboard, but couldn't wait to get home and change our booking to this...(of course, by the time we got home it cost more $$$!.....but oh well, .....had to change, 'cause this is the very BEST!) My DD (10 at the time of sailing) and I would be interested in the bus from London to Dover and also joining some private excursions in some of the ports, if anyone is planning and has room for 2 more. We did that on the Med. Cruise and it was great! Any suggestions for a hotel in London....reasonably priced and good location....if that's possible??? Glad to join all of you, and please add us to the FE exchange! ~Carol

 

[AmericanExPat]

Time for Travel here and we are on the cruise!!!! We are so excited......just returned from the 12 day Med. on the Magic.....and it was wonderful, I mean magical.......booked something else onboard, but couldn't wait to get home and change our booking to this...(of course, by the time we got home it cost more $$$!.....but oh well, .....had to change, 'cause this is the very BEST!) My DD (10 at the time of sailing) and I would be interested in the bus from London to Dover and also joining some private excursions in some of the ports, if anyone is planning and has room for 2 more. We did that on the Med. Cruise and it was great! Any suggestions for a hotel in London....reasonably priced and good location....if that's possible??? Glad to join all of you, and please add us to the FE exchange! ~Carol

Welcome! We didn't book this cruise til later too (had an OBB we needed to change and realised this one was the only other one we wanted that was during school holidays). We would definitely be interested in sharing a private tour for SPB, we will have an almost 6 and almost 8 year old.

Lisa and Mark

 

[SleepyV]

Time for Travel here and we are on the cruise!!!!

Welcome! Glad you enjoyed the Med. Please share some more of your trip with us all!

London had many types of hotel on offer from the basic clean with beds and no frills unto the 5*. I'm sure DISNEY FANTASY can give you some good ideas as he works in London. He posted some super pictures of food options around St Paul's on the FB page.

Like you I'm very excited about this cruise!

Sleepy V

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Very true I am normally out and about ask about an area I might be there the next day.

 

[Deb T.]

MN Dis Fans!

disneymomster!

time for travel!

 

[time for travel]

Thanks for asking about the 12 day Med. ~ We really enjoyed it and took so many pictures.....it will take forever to put them in scrapbooks!!!! What would you like to know? We took some excursion in every port.....some private with other families and some with Disney. My daughter thought the mask painting and gondola ride in Venice was the best......the mask painting was very much like the Disney excursion, except we did it with some families on a private tour and saved quite a bit of $$ and the gondola ride, along with St. Mark's etc. was with Disney. One tour, we loved was the Galleon Ship in Dubrovnik......it was really fun, looked like a pirate ship and then a short walking tour around Dubrovnik......just the right amount of sightseeing, fun and then back to the Magic for some pool time and relaxing!!!! I could write forever about all our adventures!!!
Disney Fantasy~ I'll look at some maps and let you know what we're thinking of.....would love some advice on hotels!!! Thanks so much! ~Carol

 

[SleepyV]

Thanks for asking about the 12 day Med. ~
My daughter thought the mask painting and gondola ride in Venice was the best......One tour, we loved was the Galleon Ship in Dubrovnik......it was really fun, looked like a pirate ship and then a short walking tour around Dubrovnik......just the right amount of sightseeing, fun and then back to the Magic for some pool time and relaxing!!!! ~Carol

So glad you had a good time. I love the idea od the masks and gondola ride.
I think Venice is next on our must do list- hopefully with the Magic! I went there as a teenager and loved it! DH is desperate to go but wanted St Petersburg more.

My DD is a huge Game of Thrones fan and has Dubrovnik in her sights too. Guess that could be our next cruise!

Sleepy V

 

[kmc33]

It's official. Just got confirmation from our TA of the cancellation of our reservation. I am sorry to say that we are no longer going to be sailing with all of you next year . I am very disappointed because this looks to be such a great group and I was looking forward to meeting all of you.

I hope to have the opportunity to sail with some of you in the future. I hope everyone has a wonderful journey!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

It's official. Just got confirmation from our TA of the cancellation of our reservation. I am sorry to say that we are no longer going to be sailing with all of you next year . I am very disappointed because this looks to be such a great group and I was looking forward to meeting all of you.

I hope to have the opportunity to sail with some of you in the future. I hope everyone has a wonderful journey!

Sorry your leaving...

 

[The Wombles]

Time for Travel here and we are on the cruise!!!! We are so excited......just returned from the 12 day Med. on the Magic.....and it was wonderful, I mean magical.......booked something else onboard, but couldn't wait to get home and change our booking to this...(of course, by the time we got home it cost more $$$!.....but oh well, .....had to change, 'cause this is the very BEST!) My DD (10 at the time of sailing) and I would be interested in the bus from London to Dover and also joining some private excursions in some of the ports, if anyone is planning and has room for 2 more. We did that on the Med. Cruise and it was great! Any suggestions for a hotel in London....reasonably priced and good location....if that's possible??? Glad to join all of you, and please add us to the FE exchange! ~Carol

Hi Carol and welcome to the Baltic Buccaneers.

There are plenty of reasonably priced hotels in central London which are clean and comfortable although if you want lounges and concierge facilities then of course the prices are higher. We often use the Premier Inn or Travelodge chains and when I'm staying in London I usually use this very central Travelodge near Covent Garden and the heart of the theatre / restaurant district

http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/318/London-Central-Covent-Garden-hotel

It's worth paying to be in Central London because London if huge. However it is easy to get about using the buses and underground trains (the tube) or taxis.

 

[owensjro]

Well, we are back from our Hawaii trip and now we can "officially" begin planning for next year. Now if Disney would get on the ball and post the excursions for the ports we could start making some real plans.

We're planning on spending some time in/around Paris (first time at DLP!) but haven't decided whether to do it before or after the cruise. An opinions on this?

Also, anyone with a daughter who will be around 13 for the cruise who would be interested in starting to chat with our daughter? We've done this on some cruises in the past and it always helped to know some kids going into the cruise. She can email, i-message, facetime, etc.

Almost down to a year to go

Jim

 

[Celestine]

Time for Travel here and we are on the cruise!!!! We are so excited......just returned from the 12 day Med. on the Magic.....and it was wonderful, I mean magical.......booked something else onboard, but couldn't wait to get home and change our booking to this...(of course, by the time we got home it cost more $$$!.....but oh well, .....had to change, 'cause this is the very BEST!) My DD (10 at the time of sailing) and I would be interested in the bus from London to Dover and also joining some private excursions in some of the ports, if anyone is planning and has room for 2 more. We did that on the Med. Cruise and it was great! Any suggestions for a hotel in London....reasonably priced and good location....if that's possible??? Glad to join all of you, and please add us to the FE exchange! ~Carol

Carol - I've added you to the coach list, although you have not signed your name in blood at this point! Don't stay much in London, but if you use the coach, suggest park plaza westminster, park plaza county hall or the premier inn at county hall. I've stayed at the premier inn - great location, great views & hearty breakfast. Many stayed at the park plaza last cruise - again a fantastic location by London Eye & opposite Big Ben. Like DISNEYFANTASY I work in London, right by the Tower of London, so one of us should know the answer!

Celestine

 

[ep1229]

Please add us to coach too please. It'll be 4 of us. DH & I and our 2 DDs (12 at the time)

 

[Celestine]

Please add us to coach too please. It'll be 4 of us. DH & I and our 2 DDs (12 at the time)

You're added

 

[SleepyV]

Carol - I've added you to the coach list, although you have not signed your name in blood at this point! Don't stay much in London, but if you use the coach, suggest park plaza westminster, park plaza county hall or the premier inn at county hall. I've stayed at the premier inn - great location, great views & hearty breakfast. Many stayed at the park plaza last cruise - again a fantastic location by London Eye & opposite Big Ben. Like DISNEYFANTASY I work in London, right by the Tower of London, so one of us should know the answer!

Celestine

We've stayed at the Park Plaza Westminster. Its a good base for sightseeing. We did note the Premier Inn opposite for future weekend stays, as they are more reasonably priced. We didn't do the Eye that visit but did the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, The Globe, St Paul's and found access to the underground excellent. We tend to use the Premier Inn at Kings Cross more for recent visits as these have been for specific events. DD and DH have gone to the London Comic Con this weekend for instance.

Last time we sailed from Dover we used the Premier Inn there over night. The view of the Magic the following morning was amazing. I think DISNEY FANTASY or someone has shared their pictures (not sure if its on one of the linked travel reports). DH is thinking about us driving down from Leeds on embarkation day. Hoping I can change his mind!

SleepyV

 

[TiggerPU88]

Hi all! I thought the coach was full and there was a waiting list. I PMd with Paul about it a couple of months ago. Celestine, are you doing a second one? If so, can you please add TiggerPU88, DisneyConvert and DS Elian (13)? Thanks!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using DISBoards

 

[owensamo]

I'm starting to try to figure out a hotel for the night before the cruise in London! We've stayed in London twice before - once at a Best Western a couple of blocks from Hyde Park in Kensington (which I can no longer find on Best Western's site), and last time for 5 nights at the Rubens at the Palace, right across the street from the Royal Mews. I really liked the location of the Rubens, but am hoping for something more reasonably priced this time!

I like the price for the Premier Inn, but am unfamiliar with the chain. If we're on the coach, is there any locations that would be best for pickup? I think we're looking at doing a few nights in Paris (DLP) before-hand, so I don't know we'll have much time for sight-seeing in London if we get in the day before the cruise.

Thanks!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Carol - I've added you to the coach list, although you have not signed your name in blood at this point! Don't stay much in London, but if you use the coach, suggest park plaza westminster, park plaza county hall or the premier inn at county hall. I've stayed at the premier inn - great location, great views & hearty breakfast. Many stayed at the park plaza last cruise - again a fantastic location by London Eye & opposite Big Ben. Like DISNEYFANTASY I work in London, right by the Tower of London, so one of us should know the answer!

Celestine

I'm starting to try to figure out a hotel for the night before the cruise in London! We've stayed in London twice before - once at a Best Western a couple of blocks from Hyde Park in Kensington (which I can no longer find on Best Western's site), and last time for 5 nights at the Rubens at the Palace, right across the street from the Royal Mews. I really liked the location of the Rubens, but am hoping for something more reasonably priced this time!

I like the price for the Premier Inn, but am unfamiliar with the chain. If we're on the coach, is there any locations that would be best for pickup? I think we're looking at doing a few nights in Paris (DLP) before-hand, so I don't know we'll have much time for sight-seeing in London if we get in the day before the cruise.

Thanks!

Have a look at the post above re quoted the Park Plazas are nice , and a good location. Premier inn to me is a bit more of a budget hotel nothing wrong with it, but at that end of the market.