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

[gydell]

Two weary parents traveling with two boys 12/9 is us

We're going to hole up at the casp74 apartments prior to cruise, but at the renaissance marriott after

Hopefully we can all meet at the airport and introduce the kids.

 

[gydell]

booger73 and krennhack - what are your kids names? My dgs is Brent.

 

[krennhack]

booger73 and krennhack - what are your kids names? My dgs is Brent.

DD is Lisa. She is 8 and very excited for her 3rd Disney cruise.

 

[gydell]

DD is Lisa. She is 8 and very excited for her 3rd Disney cruise.

We will be looking for you! It will be Brent's 9th cruise and my 11th.

 

[krennhack]

What a pair of seasoned travelers

 

[BobandJulia]

Sorry for a public post that should be a PM, but I do not have PM privileges yet.

For Cindy or Jan, do you have the place-names-in-ears graphic in higher resolution? I would like to use it for T Shirts and I am afraid when I blow it up it might get fuzzy. Many Thanks! Bob

 

[lisah0711]

Oh, man, I've missed the ice breaking activities!

Another fun game: what is your "route" to get to and from Barcelona? We are Green Bay-Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Barcelona (both ways).

Spokane-Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Barcelona and reverse on the way home.

1) When does your vacation begin? (out the door, flight, Spain, boarding...)
Out the door! June 25th -- 1 day in Barcelona precruise at the Renaissance.

2) What are you most looking forward to tasting?
Wine from each port (I copied this answer from some other kindred soul on our cruise.


3) What is your favorite secret that you know or have heard about on the Magic?
The "secret" deck a few steps away from our cabin.

4) Which port are you most excited about? Least?
Rome and Naples

5) How will you dress for pirate night?
I'm not sure yet. I will be person running in a pirate skirt on Deck 4 several days.

6) What one thing do you wish you'd known before your first cruise?
This is our first cruise!

7) Most irrational fear about this vacation?
Being run over in Naples traffic.

8) Most rational fear about this vacation?
Pickpockets

9) What moment are you most looking forward to?
Sitting on the verandah drinking wine from our port.

10) What is your favorite Disney Character?
Mickey!

Sorry for no participation lately. Mom fell and broke her hip and has been a real handful lately!

So sorry about your Mom, Sandie!

I just spent a week in the hospital with my Mom.

I'm banking that all the work I've done for this cruise in the past year pays off for losing a week right before the cruise. Today is packing and I know that I will feel much better when that is done.

I feel like I'm ready to leave now!

Happy Father's Day to all our cruising fathers!

 

[tajz90]

7) Most irrational fear about this vacation?
Being run over in Naples traffic.

Haha! You feel like you're in a live action version of Frogger Scariest thing we've ever done

 

[MrsScooby]

Sorry for a public post that should be a PM, but I do not have PM privileges yet.

For Cindy or Jan, do you have the place-names-in-ears graphic in higher resolution? I would like to use it for T Shirts and I am afraid when I blow it up it might get fuzzy. Many Thanks! Bob

Cindy is already in Barcelona as she is also sailing on the Med cruise preceding ours.
But Jan is still around and on the facebook page.
That is where most of our chit chat and planning are at this point. The first post of this thread has a link to send a message to join the facebook page (it's a private group). But that could take a while so in the mean time I'll leave a message for Jan there for you

Welcome Aboard

 

[MrsScooby]

We will be going from Houston to Newark to Barcelona on United on the 24th. We will be at the Renaissance thru Disney prior to and after the cruise.


Sorry for no participation lately. Mom fell and broke her hip and has been a real handful lately!

Still have some planning to do for the last couple of ports.

I have so much difficulty packing light. Need to pull out the non clothing items and get them all together. I usually way overpack in that area, but when I don't take that duct tape is when I need it!

Sorry to hear about your Mom
Hope she is feeling better soon

This week is our packing and buying last minute essentials

Yep! I think we have the exact same flight itinerary

I will be looking for you
Probably wear a Disney and/or shirt

Hi Everyone. With a little less than 10 days to go we are only now joining this group. I have not even had time to go through the previous posts in any great way. This will be the family's 5th Disney Cruise (Magic/E. Carib; Wonder/4 Day; Wonder/Alaska; Fantasy/W.Carib). We are traveling with our 10 and 13 years old boys. Last med cruise was 1996. Been to a number of the ports in other ways.

But it is our first time in Rome. Does anyone still have space in a group for four? We are really only interested in the ancient sights, not the Vatican.

We are flying overnight PHL-BCN direct on US Air arriving the morning of the 27th. I know, tight. We will go straight to the port unless someone has a better idea for me. Thanks!

We filled up our Rome tour just a couple weeks ago.
We're using Rome in Limo as so many other cruisers have used them with good results.
They do have private tours for a group of 4 that cost maybe a little more than a DCL excursion but you get the car to yourself.
http://www.romeinlimo.com/rome-civitavecchia/highlights.htm

So close to the sail date that you shouldn't book this unless you are sure you will use them.
I can point you to some trip reports of people who used this company later if you are interested.

I do not know if anyone has posted the expected port loading for our trip. Here is what I got from a ports web site. Obviously 2500 is from Magic.

Location Port Load* Other Ships in port
Barcelona, Spain* 2500
Nice, France* 2500
La Spezia (cinque Terre), Italy*2500
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy* 6335 Navigator Of The Seas
Naples, Italy* 6459 MSC Preziosa
Venezia, Italy* 2500
Venezia, Italy* 2500
Dubrovnik, Croatia* 6459 MSC Divina
Valletta, Malta* 2500
Barcelona, Spain* 8356 Legend Of The Seas, Costa Favolosa

What does port load mean

 

[BobandJulia]

Port load is the number of passengers in port on a given day. It is the total number including Magic - on "2500" days it is just us. I look at it to see how relatively crowded to expect the port to be.

 

[booger73]

booger73 and krennhack - what are your kids names? My dgs is Brent.

Kids are Michael and Andrew - probably can't miss us if we're in the airport somewhere - look for the two asian kids playing on their electronic (something) of some sort - My wife's caucasian so that'll probably distinguish us as well.. come say hi if you see us.

 

[booger73]

1) When does your vacation begin? (out the door, flight, Spain, boarding...)
June 24. VA->ATL->BCN
2) What are you most looking forward to tasting?
Wine from each port also!
3) What is your favorite secret that you know or have heard about on the Magic?
The not so secret anymore Aft Deck
4) Which port are you most excited about? Least?
Rome (love to see all the history) and None (maybe Villefranche/Monaco/etc if push came to shove)
5) How will you dress for pirate night?
Normal
6) What one thing do you wish you'd known before your first cruise?
That a multi-outlet device to charge multiple things would make things easier
7) Most irrational fear about this vacation?
Exploding volcano's delaying travel
8) Most rational fear about this vacation?
Spending too much money
9) What moment are you most looking forward to?
Celebrating wedding anniversary
10) What is your favorite Disney Character?
Tigger

 

[BobandJulia]

I think the Venice port loading numbers are suspect because there are entries for both Venice and Venizia. Regardless of the number of ships, Venice will be crowded anyway.

 

[JLSE50]

Sorry for a public post that should be a PM, but I do not have PM privileges yet.

For Cindy or Jan, do you have the place-names-in-ears graphic in higher resolution? I would like to use it for T Shirts and I am afraid when I blow it up it might get fuzzy. Many Thanks! Bob

Cindy is already in Barcelona as she is also sailing on the Med cruise preceding ours.
But Jan is still around and on the facebook page.
That is where most of our chit chat and planning are at this point. The first post of this thread has a link to send a message to join the facebook page (it's a private group). But that could take a while so in the mean time I'll leave a message for Jan there for you

Welcome Aboard

So glad Laurie alerted me to your request. I had just checked the thread before you posted so would not have logged in for another 24 hours perhaps.

I am not sure if the resolution will be better if you try this:
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z91/JLSE50/Cruiselogo6_zps08a7d754.jpg

Let me know.
And if that is not what you wanted, post again.
Jan


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[JLSE50]

Kathy's post on FB reminded me to check the excursion spread sheet. I had not added us to all the excursions we are booked for so I did so just now. Some of the lists do not specify adult only vs. family excursions, but I made lists of everyone in case we are together.

Jan.

 

[JLSE50]

duplicate post due to a power flicker - sorry.

 

[gydell]

Kids are Michael and Andrew - probably can't miss us if we're in the airport somewhere - look for the two asian kids playing on their electronic (something) of some sort - My wife's caucasian so that'll probably distinguish us as well.. come say hi if you see us.

Exactly what Brent will be doing!

 

[BobandJulia]

Thanks Jan. I was actually hoping for the words-in-ear shot without goofy in the middle, but if you do not have that no big deal.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[JLSE50]

Thanks Jan. I was actually hoping for the words-in-ear shot without goofy in the middle, but if you do not have that no big deal.

Thanks,
Bob

Sorry I misunderstood.
I will go to the other computer and get it.
Jan


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