July 28, 2007 - "Rome-ancing the Mouse Cruisers" -11 days! Part 3

[kidcoos3]

Leslie,

Thanks for the information. I will look into it. It's cheaper per calls to the US but then anyone calling us would have to pay for the call to the world phone so I have to find out what those charges would be as well.

There is so much to do to get ready to go and I'm not even thinking about packing. The logistics of leaving 2 kids and making all of the arrangements necessary as well as communication, I'm getting overwhelmed.

I wonder sometimes about those people who can just pick up and go and not stress out about all the little details and contingencies etc... It must be nice. (Sort of like being a husband. )

Sandra

Sort of like being a husband . . . That's a great one!!

We aren't expecting any calls - I am getting the phone for convenience for us - we are supposed to call our apartment mgr when we arrive in Paris and just in case there are any issues with our private excursions.

Too early

Congrats Disneynutinlondon

How did you know she'd get it? Spooky!!

and more people to help out so I can go and make salad

congrats!!

I think that was the longest Fluff streak ever.

Now, that its over. I can get back to work.

Sorry for the interruption

Just one of those things. Had to do it.

A peer pressure kind of a thing??

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

and more people to help out so I can go and make salad

OH MY I went to make the salad and look what happened...I really didn't mean to do that

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

How did you know she'd get it? Spooky!!

congrats!!

A peer pressure kind of a thing??

I am either a mind reader, telepathic, or a very fast editor!!!!

50/50 or phone a freind?

 

[alexcturner]

Hi Lisa - is this your first post on this thread? Not sure, but your screen name looks familiar - perhaps someone has a similar one or I have seen your posts throughout the board.

Regardless - a big welcome to you and your family. Start reading - this is a great, funny group.

I think this is my third post on this thread....
Thank you for the welcome!

 

[alexcturner]

"We have a private tour in Rome that includes a private tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter's Basilica, I believe, as well as entrance to the Coliseum and visits to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, etc. There are three of us, and I believe that the private tour can hold up to 8. If anyone is interested in joining us, you're welcome. I'm looking into a private tour in Naples, with focus on Pompeii, Herculeum, and a drive up the Amalfi Coast to Positano (I believe). Haven't booked that one yet. Debating on doing Palermo & Marseilles on our own. Already doing Olbia on our own - I think that will be a down day to relax for the most part.

Your cabin has been added to the Powerpoint deck layout & the Excel info sheet. I believe the info is up-to-date now." Mary Jo

Thank you Mary Jo....I will send you a pm regarding the Private Tour.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

"We have a private tour in Rome that includes a private tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter's Basilica, I believe, as well as entrance to the Coliseum and visits to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, etc. There are three of us, and I believe that the private tour can hold up to 8. If anyone is interested in joining us, you're welcome. I'm looking into a private tour in Naples, with focus on Pompeii, Herculeum, and a drive up the Amalfi Coast to Positano (I believe). Haven't booked that one yet. Debating on doing Palermo & Marseilles on our own. Already doing Olbia on our own - I think that will be a down day to relax for the most part.

Your cabin has been added to the Powerpoint deck layout & the Excel info sheet. I believe the info is up-to-date now." Mary Jo

Thank you Mary Jo....I will send you a pm regarding the Private Tour.

Welcome again and keep posting I am doing ( with Salliep) a simular private tour of rome and we have four others booked in the main ports, there is a great thread I posted the link a few pages back on booking private tours, I will find it and post it shortly

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

PRIVATE TOURS

Click on the first bit of the quote to take you to the thread.

Many veteran Mediterranean cruisers assert that their experiences have been enhanced via the use of private tour guides at several ports.

Potential advantages include:

• customized itineraries
• see exactly what you want
• leave once you've seen enough
• luxury Mercedes mini-vans
• access to ancient & narrow inner-city streets, off-limits to large buses
• not touring with lots of other people's children (...sorry!)
• no waiting for stragglers to return to the bus
• opportunity to bypass lines at popular attractions (w/ licensed guides)

While such tours may appear to be costly at 450 - 660 Euro/day, that fee covers an entire party of 6 - 8 passengers; thus, the cost per person is competitive with that of the cattle calls.

While I claim no first-hand expertise, I have spent many hours perusing the Boards at several cruise forums (e.g. – www.cruisecritic.com) to compile this list of recommended firms & guides at Disney Cruise Lines’ 2007 European ports of call, in rough order of the frequency & enthusiasm of endorsements:

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
• www.taxiinternacional.com/english/taxi_internacional.htm Angie

Palermo, Sicily

• www.easytoursicilia.it/indexe.htm Sylvano Lunetta
• www.sicily-tour.com/ Stephen Davies
• www.sicilylife.com/Tours.htm
  [*]Don’t miss the Capuchin Catacombs:www.palermoweb.com/sottopalermo/catacombe/cappuccini1.htm

Naples (Pompeii)

• 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
• www.sorrentocardrivers.com/Site/default.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

Olbia, Sardinia


Civitavecchia (Rome)

• http://www.drivinguide.com/shore_excursions.htm Paolo Apolloni
• www.limoinrome.com/home.htm Claudio Caponera , Fabrizio
• 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):www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institut...uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20040112_en.html

La Spezia (Florence / Pisa)

• www.florencetour.com/ Paola Migliorni
• www.abcwine.it/off shore.htm Carla Giomi
• www.tuscanyinmypocket.com/ Guido
• Marcello Grandini Marcello.tourguide@tiscali.it
• www.papillonservice.com/ Lisa, Roberto
• 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.
  [*]Pre-book to Leaning Tower of Pisa (available 45 – 16 days in advance): www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index.jsp

Marseilles

• www.provence-travel.com/provence/fichiers/cities.html Catherine D'Antuono
• http://rendez-vous-provence.com/en/contact.html Olivier N’guyen
• www.taxidurand.com/guide2.htm
• www.provence-taxi-tourisme.com/
• http://provencesightseeing.com/
• http://provencetours.free.fr/accueil_anglais.htm

Villefranche (Monte Carlo / Cannes / Nice)

• www.revelation-tours.com/cruise.html Michel LeGrand, Isoline
• www.dream-tours.com/layout.php?page=106&lang=us Alain, Frederic, Jean Marc
• www.azur-guides-interpretes.com/ Sylvie DiCristo
• www.riviera-prestige-tours.com/ Eva Devemy

P.S.- The more renowned guides are often booked up months or more ahead of time. More than a year in advance, we have already reserved our guides (the top on each list) for the 28 July 2007 11-day cruise.

 

[kyla]

A peer pressure kind of a thing??

It was! There just wasn't anyone except Isabel here. Usually Andrew is always here. I couldn't help myself. Then Isabel kept messing up my count...I was trying to remember where I was.....the killer bees came out......next thing you know the pirate was napped, by Isabel no less.... but what a relief, the streak was over. The weight is off my shoulders

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

It was! There just wasn't anyone except Isabel here. Usually Andrew is always here. I couldn't help myself. Then Isabel kept messing up my count...I was trying to remember where I was.....the killer bees came out......next thing you know the pirate was napped, by Isabel no less.... but what a relief, the streak was over. The weight is off my shoulders

Until the next :-

MAJOR


(PS Yes I was late tonight)

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

It was! There just wasn't anyone except Isabel here. Usually Andrew is always here. I couldn't help myself. Then Isabel kept messing up my count...I was trying to remember where I was.....the killer bees came out......next thing you know the pirate was napped, by Isabel no less.... but what a relief, the streak was over. The weight is off my shoulders

I'm sorry Jeanne I didn't mean to do it it just sort of happened that way...honest

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

testing the time

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

according to the time on my desktop the DISS board time is about 7 mins behind !!!

 

[MrsG]

CONGRATS ON

I am glad you were not the culprit of FLUFF!

Fluff???? Not sure what you mean, Andrew!!!!!

Congrats on the Izzy.

Maryann

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

Hey Andrew have you been watching the under 21's football !!! The current score is 12 - 12 in sudden death penalties.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

England (yet again !!!) lost 13-12 on sudden dealth penalties

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Fluff???? Not sure what you mean, Andrew!!!!!

Congrats on the Izzy.

Maryann

Hey Andrew have you been watching the under 21's football !!! The current score is 12 - 12 in sudden death penalties.

England (yet again !!!) lost 13-12 on sudden dealth penalties

I havent but thanks for the information.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

It seems exceptionally quiet in here tonight. Do you think it'll be like this when we've all been of the ship for 12 hours doing a tour of Rome etc

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

It seems exceptionally quiet in here tonight. Do you think it'll be like this when we've all been of the ship for 12 hours doing a tour of Rome etc

One word starts with Nack after Rome!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

TEST OF LINES OF COMMUNICATION-

GROUP PALO'S
I expect to know about the group Palos brunch anytime between now and next Friday, most likly by the 28th, Its hopefully the first Sunday on the cruise about 11.30am.

A number of you have committed interest, as follows:-

PALOS BRUNCH FIRST SUNDAY 11.30AM (Hopefully)

2 Andrew and Susan
2 Ken & JoAnn
2 Keith and Lynn
2 A.J. & Lindell
2 Helen & David
2 Jeanne & Jim Rice
2 Brian( formerCPer) and wife
and waitlist


I have a waitlist and I think the MAX is 14'ish awaiting confirmation.

When I get the 'nod' and hopefully we do, I will need to confirm fast, with your stateroom numbers etc, I have these, but I haven't seen some Dissers post for a while.

So a heads up, look out for a post or PM within the next week and if everything is OK, I need you to respond to me quickly, or it goes to the next on the list.

Hopefully this is fair, but I cannot delay if one or more delay.I will need to give them Ressie numbers for 14+ people.

The cost would be normal $10 palo's per person.

So please be around, if you are away next week confirm by PM now.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Your Vacation begins in 37 Days​