June 16, 2007 MedHead Cruisers

[Disney Fans]

Welcome Disney Fans!!!
1. I lost count - 20-30 I think
2. Things are available - but a lot are booked.
3. We arrive the morning before - and are staying at the Hotel Arts. There are many suggestions over on the cruisecritic boards.
4. I think that there are a couple in your sons age range - I have a 12 year old daughter....
5. No specific tips - except have fun and join the crowd!!!

Virgil

Thanks for helping!! Where will the ship be? Is your hotel close to it??
We are hoping to go!!!!

 

[Disney Fans]

Hi Disney Fans,

Hope you can make it. I don't envy the flight situation though. Somehow we lucked out and got cheap (less than $1000 pp) airline tickets. I just checked the prices thinking that we might switch, and it looks like prices have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, our first flight has changed and now our connection time is only an hour. I'm a bit nervous that we will be cutting it too tight on an international flight - am working on getting our flight changed (yuck).

For hotels, try the Hispanos 7 Suiza or the Best Western Regina. The BW seems to be nicer than what we're used to here in the states. Also, they have family suites that will accomodate 4. Its very close to Las Ramblas.

I have a 7 year old daughter and a 9 year old son.

Good luck with your arrangements!!

-Jodie

Thanks Jodie!! Maybe are boys can meet your son and daughter!!
Are the hotels you are talking about close to where the port (boat)is??
Where are you all staying since it looks like there are 4 of you?
Hope we can make this trip!! It would be GREAT!!

 

[pillow]

Disney Fans, we are staying 3 nights pre-cruise, so I didn't care if we were close to the ship. The Hispanos 7 Suiza is near the Sagrada Familia - not super close to the ship, but close enough to the city center to sightsee pretty easily. We booked a 2 bedroom "apartment" for just over $300/nt. Post cruise, we are spending 1 night at the Best Western I mentioned. I called the 800# and they offered me a AAA discount. I can't remember exactly, but I think I'm paying somewhere around $350/nt - not bad for all 4 of us when a lot of people have to book 2 rooms. Good luck!

Earpiemom, Relax, and take a deep breath! Seven weeks is PLENTY of time to plan. Princess Jasmine (Lauren) has created a binder that I'm sure she will share with you for a small fee - HA! (Yes, PJ, I'm picking on you) Seriously though, planning this trip has been a blast. Hope the trip is as fun as the planning has been! Also, I feel similarly about the $$ required for this trip. About a month ago, my husband said to me "Jodie, we are not rich. Can you please stop acting like we are??" I'm becoming a bit of a travelaholic. I need to stop so that my kids can eventually go to college!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait till June. -Jodie

 

[pillow]

PJ, can you fill me in on the transportation you arranged from the airport to Hispanos 7 Suiza? We were just planning on taking a cab. Is it cheaper to go through the hotel?

-Jodie

 

[silver7]

Hi Disney Fans--hope you can join us!

Pillow, we are flying out of Newark on the 13th--does that count?

 

[pillow]

Silver 7, was trying to figure out if anyone else was gonna be on the flight with us. Can't believe its only 7 weeks from today!!! -Jodie

 

[silver7]

We are flying Continental, sorry--I think Also is flying Iberia

 

[pillow]

Also???

 

[carolmb]

PJ, can you fill me in on the transportation you arranged from the airport to Hispanos 7 Suiza? We were just planning on taking a cab. Is it cheaper to go through the hotel?

-Jodie

Hi Jodie - We are using Barcelona Taxi Van http://www.barcelonataxivan.com/
for transport from hotel to port, 30 euros, and port to airport, 45 euros. We are also using Angie's Taxi http://www.barcelonataxivan.com/ (email: ANGELINA GARCIA [angietaxi33@yahoo.com] for our transport from train station to hotel, 45 euros. Angie's Taxi was a little more expensive than Barcelona Taxi but they were not available for us on June 15th to go from the train station to hotel. I have read on Cruise Critic that taxi's in Barcelona are easy to come by but there are 4 of us with luggage so we would probably need 2 taxis which cost about the same as hiring a private service.

 

[carolmb]

HELLO!!!
Ok, I don't know if I can read the 90+ pages. We are trying to do this Cruise!!! We almost have flights worked out!! That has been the hardest to do without paying $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.LOL
Questions:
1) How many Disboards are going??
2) How are the excursions going? Everything booked? Is it too late for us??
3) We most likely will get there the night before? Hotel suggestings?
4) We have a 7 year old boy and a 4 year old boy? Any other kids around the same age?
5) Any tips at all for going on this trip!!!
Thanks!!! And hope to be going with you all!!!! :cool1:

Hi Disney Fans - We have a 5 going on 6 year old daughter and a 8 going on 9year old son. My daughter is very excited about meeting other kids on the cruise. She is a bit of a social butterfly once she gets over her initial shyness.

Hope you can make the cruise.

 

[silver7]

Great info Carol!

FYI--just for grins I just checked our cruise--ALL stateroom types from 5-12 are available! How did that happen? Did a ton of people suddenly cancel? I know there was not much left a few months ago. Maybe this means some nice upgrades for those people in the cat 10-12's!

 

[carolmb]

This was posted by sweetsue on the May 26th thread. I thought it had some good advice.

As of yesterday,

Exchange rates posted on MSN Money were $1.34 per Euro for yesterday. Expect to pay much more than that when you really exchange money. This is more of a "commodity" rate used for trading similar to stock. It's also close to what the bank exchange rate would be if you used a charge card. To compare, the cheapest I could buy Euros was at $1.4128 per Euro. This was through a military bank. Through regular banking it was closer to $1.44 per Euro.

Back to the charge cards. It used to be that using a charge card ensured you got the very best rate since they used the "bank" exchange rate, not what you'd actually pay for cash. Credit card companies have smartened up in recent years. Most credit card issuers now charge a surchage on exchanging money. Even with the surchage, it's often still cheaper than it would be to exchange the money into cash and then purchase the item. Here's an example:
A 100 Euro item:
Bought with cash: It's cost you about $144 (using the regular banking exchange rate).
Bought with credit: It'd cost you $134 and then you'd have a surchage. Using the 2.5% quoted earlier, the surchage would be $3.35 for a total of $137.35.
As you can see, it's stlil cheaper with credit - but not as cheap as it used to be before the surcharge.

You can exchange Euros on the ship. You will pay the worst exchange rate doing this. You are paying for the convenience.

You can extract money from an ATM. This will give you the "bank rate" similar to a credit card along with any ATM surcharges you might have. ATM machines are very prevalent in Europe. You will find more ATMs there then you will in the US. Cons: you are limited to the daily ATM withdrawal amount. There is also the concern the bank will shut off the ATM card since it's having "unusal" behavior by being used out of the country. A phone call in advance to your bank should help - but it isn't guaranteed.
Ways to help: Carry multiple ATM cards, Call you bank in advance and notify them of your trip. Carry their regular (not toll free) number with you so you can call using a phone card if you need to.

You can carry US$ travelers checks and cash them at a bank. Pro: If you cash at a typical "ex-pat" or "hostel" location you will likely get the best exchange rate going. Con: This is the least convenient.
I've also heard that very few places in Europe will take US$ travelers checks. Imagine walking into a store here and handing them a Euro traveler check. Most clerks wouldn't have a CLUE what to do! Even a US$ traveler's check is often hard to use.
You coulc carry those US$ travelers checks to Barcelona and cash them in at the AMEX office. They are located about half way down Las Ramblas and have banking services there.

As for carrying cash. You can carry a lot if you use a money belt and don't flash the contents in front of everyone.

What we are doing:

I'll be purchasing some Euros before the trip. The remaining will wait until I'm in country (better exchanges rates are usually available in country vs. before you leave). This will allow me to take a cab from the airport to the hotel and grab some food before I have to go hunting for the neighborhood ATM machine.

We will have:
1) Nominal amount of Euros upon arrival
2) ATM from standard accounts
3) Second ATM from savings account at a different bank
4) Credit card from yet a third bank
5) Credit card from a fourth bank

This way the chances of all FOUR cards not working are pretty slim.

I hope that helps! It's timely too - since I was just looking at all of this stuff yesterday.

Sue

 

[silver7]

HI Carol

Great info! Thanks!

I thought it might be fun to see when everyone is coming in and where they are staying--airlines also? What do yall think?

We can update the website with the info:

silver7--leaving 6/13--Continental--Casa Camper

 

[pillow]

Silver7, Love the website. Here is my info:

Jodie, Mike, Cary (son, 9), Jill (7)
Stateroom 6048
Second dinner seating
Second Disney cruise
Arriving in Barcelona on June 14 - staying at Hispanos 7 Suiza
Flying Iberia out of JFK on June 13
DVC member
Location - Virginia

 

[pillow]

Carol,

I was assuming that all 4 of us would fit in 1 cab??? Guess I should look into the transportation options you posted. Thanks for that info.

The exchange/money information was interesting . . . and also very complicated. Someone just posted yesterday that the ship will exchange for us with NO surcharge. Now I'm confused. Can anyone elaborate?

Also, our kids are close in age (have we had this conversation already?). My daughter is 7 and my son is 9 (almost 10).

-Jodie

 

[silver7]

Thanks Pillow--will have ds add your info to the website

Lodging updates:

silver7--leaving 6/13--Continental--Casa Camper
Pillow--leaving 6/13--Iberia--Hispanos 7 Suiza

 

[Skallywag]

Hi Everyone,

Time is certainly moving on towards our cruise and I am really looking forward to it. Am really looking forward to being back in Italy as it is such a wonderful country and they make you welcome.

Spain is also a lovely country but I am so against their animal abuse particularly with bull fighting and unfortunately inspite of having french relatives they do not really like us Brits but we really dont mind that. Are used to that by now and here it has always been a standing joke as people wonder why they built a tunnel between our two countries.

We are doing our own thing in several of the ports and have not really made up our mind yet.

Have some maps and will bring them with us. If anyone is worried about doing things on their own there is no need. You will find most people speak at least some English and will go out of their way to help with plenty of arm waving to help.
Bren

 

[auntsue1]

Great info Carol!

FYI--just for grins I just checked our cruise--ALL stateroom types from 5-12 are available! How did that happen? Did a ton of people suddenly cancel? I know there was not much left a few months ago. Maybe this means some nice upgrades for those people in the cat 10-12's!

Boy that would be SO NICE! We're in category 9 & we would LOVE an upgrade! My DSIL is going to call the TA to see how much it would cost to upgrade to a balcony. If those cabins are unbooked @ cruise time that's lost revenue they will never recoup. So, we can always hope!

 

[carolmb]

HI Carol

Great info! Thanks!

I thought it might be fun to see when everyone is coming in and where they are staying--airlines also? What do yall think?

We can update the website with the info:

silver7--leaving 6/13--Continental--Casa Camper

carolmb - arriving Barcelona 6/15 via train and staying at the Barcelona Hilton

Carol,

I was assuming that all 4 of us would fit in 1 cab??? Guess I should look into the transportation options you posted. Thanks for that info.

The exchange/money information was interesting . . . and also very complicated. Someone just posted yesterday that the ship will exchange for us with NO surcharge. Now I'm confused. Can anyone elaborate?

Also, our kids are close in age (have we had this conversation already?). My daughter is 7 and my son is 9 (almost 10).

-Jodie

Jodie - I am not sure how big the cabs are. I think I read on Cruise Critic that they do have some mini-van type taxis. We just did not want to have to stress over getting a cab. My DH does better with as little stress as possible which makes my trip more enjoyable.

Yeah I finally figured out how to do a multi-quote post

 

[pillow]

Carol, I am VERY unsophisticated when it comes to these boards. What is a multi-quote post?

Skallywag, heard that Bullfighting in now illegal in Barcelona. I was relieved since I have no desire to see one!!

-Jodie