June 16, 2007 MedHead Cruisers

[DVC4US]

Does anyone know the days that we have to dress up for Dinner? Isn't there 3 of them? It is the sea nights?

Thanks

Patricia

D

According to Concierge the "theme" nights are:

Sunday June 17 Sea Day Formal Night

Friday June 22 Sea Day Semi- Formal Night

Sunday June 24 Marseilles Pirate Night

Monday June 25 Villefranche Semi-Formal Night

From past experience this could be subject to change so it will be interesting to see what the first 11 day cruise reports back. The one that surprises me is the "Formal Night" on the first sea day. This is also the night they have the Captain's Gala, and usually the first 3 nights are when the dinning rooms have their special menus. I guess we will just wait and see.

 

[DVC4US]

Leilani-
We don't get into heathrow until 10:30am so that was the earliest flight I felt safe with. AND I just read that you are going to paris afterward, and so are we. Small World! Probably do DLP on friday. I am going to try to get my DD to enjoy the wonders of paris, but she really just wants disney.
Steph

Steph - yes, we will be at DLP from the 27th until the 1st. It took me a long time, but I finally decided to stay at DLP and see Disney while we were there and then just take a day or two to go into Paris and see the sights. I know we won't get to see everything but at least we can see the important things.
If my DH was going to Paris with us we probably would have stayed there, but since it's just me and the girls we decided we wanted to stay at DLP.

 

[taysmom]

Totally off topic...but anyone watch american idol. If not for the show, you have to see the commercials they run. They have been doing one every week about "not smoking pot". It's the funniest commercial with a stick figure person and a drawn dog. I bet all the stoners watching it are laughing their butts off! Everytime I see it, I wonder who created this concept. They must have been a pot smoker at some point and thought that current ones would see the point.
Steph

 

[taysmom]

Steph - yes, we will be at DLP from the 27th until the 1st. It took me a long time, but I finally decided to stay at DLP and see Disney while we were there and then just take a day or two to go into Paris and see the sights. I know we won't get to see everything but at least we can see the important things.
If my DH was going to Paris with us we probably would have stayed there, but since it's just me and the girls we decided we wanted to stay at DLP.

I toyed with staying at DLP, I had the points, but in the end I wanted my daughter to see paris over disney. Thats why we'll just go out one day at the end. We are taking the train saturday morning to go to london. And then fly out sunday to come home
Steph

 

[DVC4US]

Found this on the May 12, 2007 thread posted by seaulater page 318 post # 4778:

When you get on board, before you go eat lunch, go directly to Beat Street and go to the Rockin' Bar D to make Palo reservations. The dining staff are scheduled to take reservations in there (and to change dining times, rotations) from 12 noon - 3:30 p.m. and then from 3:30 - 5 you can call 7-6843 from your stateroom phone and leave a voice mail that you would like to make reservations.

They only put so many openings on line for Palo's. Just make sure that you go to Rockin Bar D 1st thing when you get on the ship and I am sure you will have no problems getting reservations.

Do not know if it will work but it is worth a try.

I believe what seaulater(Linda) says is correct. I think that DCL does hold back some of the reservations so that people can book on board. I don't know if the times are correct(I think these are the times for PC), but you should go straight to Rockin Bar D when you board and check to see if you can get a reservation. I don't know if they have a waitlist or not, but there is a chance that someone will cancel and you can get their reservation. Also, they do hold back some reservations until the Concierge Team has a chance to meet with all the suite guests to see if they want to book Palo. Once this is done, the available times are released and you could possibly get a reservation then. They also do this for spa times. I am ducking now!

I don't know about excursions but I did read on another thread that it is hard for DCL because they do not have a relationship with the vendors. Since they are new to cruising the Med it is difficult for them to demand more from the vendors. Maybe, with all the complaints(and I am sure there will be more with the cruises after ours) they will be able to work something out.

Here's a little pixidust to those who did not get the excursions they wanted and/or Palo reservations.

 

[taysmom]

I hope so. I really want to experience all the palo options. Brunch and Tea, and I would love to move my spa up a couple hours. Overall, I am happy with my choices.
I did a bunch of surfing today and checked out my hotels in paris and london. Wrote down the directions etc. I am spending my week off getting all together. I'll be in crunch time at work to close the end of our school year before I leave. Plus, my boss (our cfo) has decided that he will do a payroll I would miss..originally he was going to send me with a laptop, but he wants me to have a vacation...now the man has never even seen our payroll system much less done it..I am very nervous. I need my check direct deposited to pay for my excursions . We'll see..I am trying to talk him out of it. I'd much rather spend the hour doing in on the deck with my cocktail then worrying that he didn't get it done. Other than that, just getting my maps together so I don't look too "touristy"
S

 

[DVC4US]

Steph - I do wish you all the luck.

It's after 11pm here and I should have been in bed an hour ago. So I'm off to hit the sack.

Talk to everyone tomorrow.

 

[taysmom]

Good night...
Uh oh though, I think I am on the bad list at disney. I just tried to look and see if any excursions came up, so I cancelled one I had and then tried to rebook and it won't let ME book, just my DD. No matter what excursion I try to book, my name is greyed out? I guess I'll be making a phone call in the morning.
Steph

 

[carolmb]

We are going to see Mary Poppins on Monday night also!
I don't have our seats yet because I am trying to set up something with the hospitality department. If we can't meet up before then, maybe we can meet that night. Where are you guys staying?

The girls and I are doing Paris after the cruise. I wanted a few more days in London this time. I took my parents to Scotland last May and we did a quick trip down to London for two days and it was just not enough. So hopefully this time I will get to see some of the things I missed last time.

Hi LeiLani - We are staying at the Royal Garden Hotel. It is part of DVC Concierge Collection. We had points to use or lose. We became members of DVC 2 years ago when we sailed on the Magic out of California. Still trying to figure everything out with the points. Thought about using points for the cruise but DH did not want to have to pay for the cruise upfront. At Mary Poppins, our seats are in the Stalls G17-G20. I have been looking on Tripadvisor for a good restaurant to eat at before the show.

 

[DVC4US]

Hi LeiLani - We are staying at the Royal Garden Hotel. It is part of DVC Concierge Collection. We had points to use or lose. We became members of DVC 2 years ago when we sailed on the Magic out of California. Still trying to figure everything out with the points. Thought about using points for the cruise but DH did not want to have to pay for the cruise upfront. At Mary Poppins, our seats are in the Stalls G17-G20. I have been looking on Tripadvisor for a good restaurant to eat at before the show.

Carol - we are DVC members also. We joined in 1998 with our home resort is the Boardwalk. We did 2 add-ons there over the years and just this past August on our cruise we added on at Saratoga Springs. I was pretty comfortable with the points until I added on at SS. Now I have to really pay attention to which resort has what points and when I can book 11 months out. Confusing sometimes.

Trying to find a restaurant to eat at before the show is one of the things on my list also. Let me know if you come up with anything and I'll do the same. Last year my parents and I ate at the Red Lion, which is a pub, and we also ate at the Hard Rock. Both were really good. Do you know if they dress up for the theater in London? I might need to email the lady at the theater to ask her that question.

Have a great day!

 

[taysmom]

Hey all....Here's a NOTEWORTHY piece of information. There is a glitch in DCL's online booking system for excursions. IF you have booked Palo or the Spa and you cancel an excursion to see if another opens up, you will lose the ability to book the primary person in your party. You will then need to book whomever you can and call dcl to book yourself.
So DCL isn't mad at me for the constant complaints, just can't write a proper program.
BTW Florence and Pisa has 1 space available as of 8:30pst 4/3/07.

Steph

 

[also]

Steph, last year we could not book palo on line either but as soon as we got on the ship we went to Rockin Bar D and had no trouble getting brunch and dinner. That will be our first stop on board this cruise to try and get brunch res. (Got dinner on line this time) hopefully it will work out for all of us that could not book them online.
Brian

 

[taysmom]

Yea, I have been told that so thats what I'll do. Got my excursions back today. AND the CM told me that she thought I could switch onboard with a small penalty, basically if the excursion I want is more expensive I have to pay the difference (which I would expect) and if it's less then I won't get a refund. Luckily, I book less expensive back ups so it won't be a problem for me. She also said that their online booking system shuts down 3 days before. So you cannot make changes or check. I had thought it was 2 days before. Don't know what anyone else had heard. Thought I would share that.
have a good day. I'm off to make magnets.
Steph

 

[taysmom]

Another thing...can't remember if it's on this thread or the other, but I contacted fat tire bike tours in barcelona. They do have bikes for kids and the price is 15 euros for 12 and under. They also recommend the day trips for kids as they said the night ones can get a little rowdy. Good to know.
Cya
Steph

 

[auntsue1]

Hey all....Here's a NOTEWORTHY piece of information. There is a glitch in DCL's online booking system for excursions. IF you have booked Palo or the Spa and you cancel an excursion to see if another opens up, you will lose the ability to book the primary person in your party. You will then need to book whomever you can and call dcl to book yourself.
So DCL isn't mad at me for the constant complaints, just can't write a proper program.
BTW Florence and Pisa has 1 space available as of 8:30pst 4/3/07.

Steph

We wondered why that was happening!

 

[carolmb]

Carol - we are DVC members also. We joined in 1998 with our home resort is the Boardwalk. We did 2 add-ons there over the years and just this past August on our cruise we added on at Saratoga Springs. I was pretty comfortable with the points until I added on at SS. Now I have to really pay attention to which resort has what points and when I can book 11 months out. Confusing sometimes.

Trying to find a restaurant to eat at before the show is one of the things on my list also. Let me know if you come up with anything and I'll do the same. Last year my parents and I ate at the Red Lion, which is a pub, and we also ate at the Hard Rock. Both were really good. Do you know if they dress up for the theater in London? I might need to email the lady at the theater to ask her that question.

Have a great day!

LeiLani - Here is a link to a restaurant that was recommended at tripadvisor. I was trying to find a restaurant that would appeal to my kids.

http://www.kettners.com/

 

[DVC4US]

LeiLani - Here is a link to a restaurant that was recommended at tripadvisor. I was trying to find a restaurant that would appeal to my kids.

http://www.kettners.com/

Carol - thanks for the tip on the restaurant. I have bookmarked it so I can show it to my DH and see what he thinks. I know what you mean about the kids. I have a very picky eater so I need to make sure there is something on the menu she will eat.

 

[bmr12]

Not to beat my now-dead-horse, but I got another phone call this evening from DCL about my shore excursion complaint. As I posted in the other thread on this topic, the news was not very good:

• The excursions that are sold out are "completely sold out" and they are unlikely to add capacity.
• They have no plans to create a waitlist
• They have no plans to give any of us an easy mechanism to check availability--in fact, the best she could offer was for me to call her, and then she would email the shore excursion department!

Being a little cranky from a long day at work, I told her my RCCL story from Alaska last year. In that case, we ran out of capacity on an excursion and part of our party ended up unbooked. I was able to send RCCL email, and a week later, voila, they had opened up more slots and booked my entire party. This year, I had also booked an RCCL cruise on the Brilliance that leaves Barcelona two days before the Magic, is 12 days long (one day longer), and cost $2,000 less for a similar cabin for my family. As I explain to the poor rep, I expect better service from Disney than RCCL for that difference in fare, and right now, I'm not getting it.

 

[wonder]

That is really unbeliveable to pay this much for a cruise and the excursions are sold out. It seems as if Disney could book more tours through some private tour companies. I totally agree with you for being cranky!!!

 

[taysmom]

ME tooooo...they said the same thing. Call and they will email the shore excursions dept. But..I will go, can't cancel. I still will make this my trip of a lifetime. They may not see so much disney magic from me.
I keep forgetting my camera but my filing cabinet is covered with door magnets. It's very cool. My co-worker was in today and thought it looked so cute, I made her one too! So again I ask, anyone else that wants door magnets please pm me with your info so I can get it done this week. I have now finished wvmd, lisatex, carolmb and silver7. See you all later.
Steph