June 27, 2013 - Magic in the Med (Venice)

[jel0511]

What is everyone planning to do on their arrival day? After a night flight and very little sleep not sure whether to start with important sites or less important sites.

We have pre-booked our hotel (Renaissance) for the night before 6/25 so our room will be ready upon arrival. We plan on resting for a couple of hours, then heading out... Prob HOHO for the day... Might go the Go Cars on debarkation day again, we'll see......

 

[sandiedvc]

We will be at the Renaissance Barcelona thru Disney precruise for two nights and one night post cruise.

We will be arriving at 9:15 am (on United thru Newark). I think we will be getting to the hotel about 11 am.

Hopefully we will be able to check in then, but other wise we will drop our luggage and head out. I wouldn't do well in dark places right after a long flight with little to no sleep, so we try to do a little sightseeing and then go to sleep about 8 pm (if we make it that long!) For me being in the sun helps reset my body clock a little faster.

We are planning on getting some lunch and getting on the HOHO bus for one of the routes just to get an overview of the city. For us this will be perfect as we tend not to think too well after not sleeping on the flight and we can just sit and enjoy. As a plus the HOHO isn't very far from the hotel!

Here is a map of the routes. I have saved the pdf to ibooks on the ipad and the iphone. I like the map because you can zoom in and get a little more detail. I think it will come in handy walking around Barcelona as well...

www.barcelonaturisme.com/imgfiles/ecv/bbt/planol_BBT_2013.pdf


When we went to BCN on the WTBA a couple of years ago we didn't get in on the plane until 3:30 in the afternoon. By the time we got to the hotel, we just got some dinner and went to bed. We got on the boat the following day so we didn't see much of the city at all......We did see the mall across the street from the Hilton Diagnonal Mar, bought a little liquor and that was that. Do not buy the cheap Spanish limoncello or the 1€ (FYI : euro is option+shift+2 on the ipad keyboard ) sangria in the juice box packaging. Just say no. They were absolutely horrible.

 

[gydell]

I think on the 26th we might try this -

GoCar GPS Guided Tours Barcelona

 

[sandiedvc]

I don't know how many people have ipads, but I am having a lot of fun with the TripAdvisor app.

It has features that I don't think are available on their website.

You can select a city, zoom in on the map to the area you are interested in and see what is around that area by selecting the tabs on the side of the map.

For example, you can select Barcelona, then the area around the Renaissance hotel. You can then select restaurants and you can see what dining is around the hotel. You can also change the sorting by price: high to low or my favorite low to high OR by rating on TripAdvisor.

I am always wondering where we will eat when I am planning a day on our own like when we go to Florence or Nice. This way I can plan the day and figure out if there will be a place we want to eat when it is time to eat or if I need to change the day around so we are where we need to be ( at a not to miss dining place) when it is time to eat!

We are not gourmands by any stretch of the imagination. We just don't want to waste any of the precious time we have in Florence wandering around aimlessly looking for a place to eat!

 

[carpenta]

The Barcelona subway is very easy to use and we traveled all over the city. You buy your tickets from a kiosk at the enterance. You can even take the train out to Mount serrate,

 

[jel0511]

I think on the 26th we might try this -

GoCar GPS Guided Tours Barcelona

We did this in 2010. It was awesome. I highly recommend it. Make advance reservation!!!!

 

[MrsScooby]

We will be at the Renaissance Barcelona thru Disney precruise for two nights and one night post cruise.

We will be arriving at 9:15 am (on United thru Newark). I think we will be getting to the hotel about 11 am.

Hopefully we will be able to check in then, but other wise we will drop our luggage and head out. I wouldn't do well in dark places right after a long flight with little to no sleep, so we try to do a little sightseeing and then go to sleep about 8 pm (if we make it that long!) For me being in the sun helps reset my body clock a little faster.

We are planning on getting some lunch and getting on the HOHO bus for one of the routes just to get an overview of the city. For us this will be perfect as we tend not to think too well after not sleeping on the flight and we can just sit and enjoy. As a plus the HOHO isn't very far from the hotel!

Here is a map of the routes. I have saved the pdf to ibooks on the ipad and the iphone. I like the map because you can zoom in and get a little more detail. I think it will come in handy walking around Barcelona as well...

www.barcelonaturisme.com/imgfiles/ecv/bbt/planol_BBT_2013.pdf


When we went to BCN on the WTBA a couple of years ago we didn't get in on the plane until 3:30 in the afternoon. By the time we got to the hotel, we just got some dinner and went to bed. We got on the boat the following day so we didn't see much of the city at all......We did see the mall across the street from the Hilton Diagnonal Mar, bought a little liquor and that was that. Do not buy the cheap Spanish limoncello or the 1€ (FYI : euro is option+shift+2 on the ipad keyboard ) sangria in the juice box packaging. Just say no. They were absolutely horrible.

Thanks for the link and the tips
I signed us up for Tapas Tasting tour in Barcelona so I'm hoping to get the good stuff as far as sangria

I think on the 26th we might try this -

GoCar GPS Guided Tours Barcelona

Gydell that looks so cool
But the cars are so small, driving next to the buses would make me nervous

I don't know how many people have ipads, but I am having a lot of fun with the TripAdvisor app.

It has features that I don't think are available on their website.

You can select a city, zoom in on the map to the area you are interested in and see what is around that area by selecting the tabs on the side of the map.

For example, you can select Barcelona, then the area around the Renaissance hotel. You can then select restaurants and you can see what dining is around the hotel. You can also change the sorting by price: high to low or my favorite low to high OR by rating on TripAdvisor.

I am always wondering where we will eat when I am planning a day on our own like when we go to Florence or Nice. This way I can plan the day and figure out if there will be a place we want to eat when it is time to eat or if I need to change the day around so we are where we need to be ( at a not to miss dining place) when it is time to eat!

We are not gourmands by any stretch of the imagination. We just don't want to waste any of the precious time we have in Florence wandering around aimlessly looking for a place to eat!

sounds good. We have tablets instead of the ipads.

With all the things I read about pickpockets in Barcelona and the big cities of Italy like Rome and Florence I worry about things like cameras and tablets being stolen
I know someone suggested wearing the camera on a crossbody strap and putting it away in a crossbody bag in between pictures to minimize the risk. I would think the same would go for a tablet
I am just going to take what precautions I can (the crossbody bags, uploading pics to a backup at the end of the day and safety wallets) and resign myself to trip insurance taking care of the rest.

Definitely gonna make sure I put the Trip Advisor app on my tablet before I go

The Barcelona subway is very easy to use and we traveled all over the city. You buy your tickets from a kiosk at the enterance. You can even take the train out to Mount serrate,

Thanks
I think for this trip we will stick to the subways as the cost for each port is getting pretty high

 

[carpenta]

If you are worried about pick pockets than you can purchase a "Pacsafe" (trademark) shoulder bag (all different types) that are slash proof as well as stainless steel re-inforced strps. They were just on sale on E-bay and I picked up a nice one to fir my I-pad.We have been in Barcelona a number of times and if you are aware of your surroundings as well as keep a good distance from crowded areas than it should be fine. One of the favorites of the thiefs are to snach the handbags hanging over a seat while dining. We were at the Familia cathedral and one lady was pickpocketed while another tried to sell her a flower. Lucky someone in the crowd grabbed the thief and she got her items back.

 

[MrsScooby]

If you are worried about pick pockets than you can purchase a "Pacsafe" (trademark) shoulder bag (all different types) that are slash proof as well as stainless steel re-inforced strps. They were just on sale on E-bay and I picked up a nice one to fir my I-pad.We have been in Barcelona a number of times and if you are aware of your surroundings as well as keep a good distance from crowded areas than it should be fine. One of the favorites of the thiefs are to snach the handbags hanging over a seat while dining. We were at the Familia cathedral and one lady was pickpocketed while another tried to sell her a flower. Lucky someone in the crowd grabbed the thief and she got her items back.

I bought a pacsafe bag a few years ago but haven't used it much as I found the clasp tricky to open and close
I'm definitely pulling it out for this trip and practicing with the clasp beforehand..
I have gotten so many warnings about pickpockets and theft in general for Barcelona and also Rome that I am trying to get myself out of the habit of putting my handbag down or hanging it on a chair in a restaurant.
Not a bad idea to be a bit extra cautious in big cities in general as I recall my old boss having her handbag stolen in an expensive restaurant in NYC, so it can happen anywhere.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I bought a pacsafe bag a few years ago but haven't used it much as I found the clasp tricky to open and close
I'm definitely pulling it out for this trip and practicing with the clasp beforehand..
I have gotten so many warnings about pickpockets and theft in general for Barcelona and also Rome that I am trying to get myself out of the habit of putting my handbag down or hanging it on a chair in a restaurant.
Not a bad idea to be a bit extra cautious in big cities in general as I recall my old boss having her handbag stolen in an expensive restaurant in NYC, so it can happen anywhere.

In 2007 as we were in the lobby of our hotel in Barcelona, a woman rushed in that someone had zoomed by her on a scooter and snatched her bag right off her shoulder.

 

[jel0511]

In 2007 as we were in the lobby of our hotel in Barcelona, a woman rushed in that someone had zoomed by her on a scooter and snatched her bag right off her shoulder.

That's why I wore a crossbody bag in 2010. I didn't have a pac safe bag then and didn't encounter a problem... I did buy one for this year though... It's small, as I'll leave most stuff on the ship. Only need room for a few small things.....

 

[nzdisneymom]

That's why I wore a crossbody bag in 2010. I didn't have a pac safe bag then and didn't encounter a problem... I did buy one for this year though... It's small, as I'll leave most stuff on the ship. Only need room for a few small things.....

I got a pacsafe for myself for Christmas I usually wear a DCL backpack that is a cross-body kind but I'm glad to have the sturdier option for the valuables (money, ID, etc.).

 

[nzdisneymom]

This morning I ordered laminated street maps for Barcelona, Venice, and Rome. I love maps! I also ordered the AAA Tour book for Europe and the country maps for France, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

 

[MrsScooby]

This morning I ordered laminated street maps for Barcelona, Venice, and Rome. I love maps! I also ordered the AAA Tour book for Europe and the country maps for France, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

My DH loves maps too

 

[texasteacher35]

Good idea to laminate the maps! My DS7 is Mr. Navigation! He would love that!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Good idea to laminate the maps! My DS7 is Mr. Navigation! He would love that!

We bought a laminated map of London in 2010 and it was wonderful - held up well and took a lot of use both pre- and during-trip.

These are the ones I ordered: Streetwise Map for each city. My older son is a map guy, too. He got his map-reading skills from all those trip to WDW when he was a preschooler.

 

[texasteacher35]

We bought a laminated map of London in 2010 and it was wonderful - held up well and took a lot of use both pre- and during-trip.

These are the ones I ordered: Streetwise Map for each city. My older son is a map guy, too. He got his map-reading skills from all those trip to WDW when he was a preschooler.

How cool! Thanks a bunch! I will check it out for sure!!!

 

[jel0511]

We bought a laminated map of London in 2010 and it was wonderful - held up well and took a lot of use both pre- and during-trip.

These are the ones I ordered: Streetwise Map for each city. My older son is a map guy, too. He got his map-reading skills from all those trip to WDW when he was a preschooler.

I have those too!!!! They are GREAT!!! I also downloaded apps on my phone that supposedly don't use any data, just work on imbedded GPS sensor in phone.... Haven't tried them out, if they work, BETTER as they'll pinpoint my exact location. If they don't work, I'll have laminated maps to fall back on.... Apps are by Ulmon..... I have iPhone so no idea if they're available on Google Play....

 

[dorothyn]

Hi all! Just adding ourselves to the roll call. I'm Dorothy (age 38), traveling with my mom Marianne (age 73). This is our 5th Disney cruise (after the Bahamas, Northern Europe, Hawaii, Canada) and our 10th cruise overall. I can't wait for June!

 

[MrsScooby]

Hi all! Just adding ourselves to the roll call. I'm Dorothy (age 38), traveling with my mom Marianne (age 73). This is our 5th Disney cruise (after the Bahamas, Northern Europe, Hawaii, Canada) and our 10th cruise overall. I can't wait for June!

Welcome Aboard

I'm Laurie

My family and I did the Baltic cruise in 2010, the last sailing in July. Which one were you on?