June 29, 2011-10 "MAGICAL" nights in the Mediterranean

[johnwdw]

Hi!

Just wanted to join the thread. My name's Jen and I'll be traveling on the cruise with my DH, John, and my two boys, Max (8) and Nico (6) - or at least that's how old they'll be once the cruise starts.

This will be our fifth Disney cruise and our second Med cruise. We are from California but are living in Switzerland (yes, just like macasi who we sailed the Baltics with last year). Also, we spent two weeks in Eze-sur-Mer last Easter, so we know those buses to Nice/Monaco and the train to Cannes/Antibes pretty well.

Oh, and we'd like to sign up for fish extender!

Just beginning to get excited for the cruise. Haven't started planning anything yet.

-Jen

Welcome!! Glad to have you onboard.. Look forward to hearing any advice you may have... This will be our 4th cruise, but our first in the Med.

 

[KeenHo]

Hi everyone! I'm Cam's other half.

I just wanted to check in. I'll be doing that from time to time. Cam is the super planner, I'll stay out of her way.

I'm excited about the upcoming cruise and look forward to meeting all of you and your families.

All the best!

Howard

 

[DorothyDamato]

Those names sound like code.....

TinkGirl67 - I have to pass on the Palermo trip. I too have budgeted bigger amounts for Rome/Florence/Naples. I am trying to do Palermo, Corsica and Monaco on my own. Seems like no matter how you decide to spend your port time, there is plenty to do no matter where you go.

GrizBuzz - Wahoo! Nice to hear you have been to Monaco - maybe you can show us where those out of the way elevators are!

Can't wait to meet everybody!

 

[deplion]

Hi Dorothy.

We don't have a cabin number assigned yet, but we would like to do the Fish Extender also.

Should I PM you the rest of our details now, or wait until we have a room number assigned to us?

 

[DCLShel]

I receive the weekly Passporter newsletter. This week there is an article about the Med cruise. It lists a few tips. If anyone is interested, here is the link to the article:

http://www.passporter.com/articles/dcl-mediterranean-cruise.html

Hope you find something useful~

 

[kmc33]

Hi! I don't want to hijack this thread, but wanted to invite you to the Cruise Meet thread for the June 29 Magic in the Med. Here is the link:

June 29 Magic in Mediterranean Cruise Meet Thread

Hi - we are on this cruise too. I feel like it's real now that I finally booked our flights this week.

I "met" deplion and keenercam on another thread looking for info about booking flights. It looks like you are organizing a lot of useful information! We are a party of 3, DH, DS (12) and me. Looking forward to a MAGICAL time in the Med!

 

[keenercam]

Welcome to all of our newcomers!

Remember, if you want me to put your name and family information on the chart I've made and circulated by email, please send me a PM with the following information:

DIS Screen name
email address(es) of anyone in your party who wants to be in the information stream
Adults names (ages, if you want)
"Kids" (this column also has ages)
"Kid contact info" (some have put in their cell phone or email addresses)
From (state or country)
Cabin(s)
Early or Late dining

I'll circulate an updated chart as frequently as we add more families to it.

 

[DCLShel]

This pic was posted on another thread about debarkation from the port in Barcelona. This is the line for cabs.

I'll be using DCL's transfer back to the airport!

 

[keenercam]

This pic was posted on another thread about debarkation from the port in Barcelona. This is the line for cabs.

I'll be using DCL's transfer back to the airport!

EEK! That doesn't look like fun, especially in July. We are using a private transport company (van) to get to our hotel near the airport.

 

[thinkoflaura]

Hi!

Just wanted to join the thread. My name's Jen and I'll be traveling on the cruise with my DH, John, and my two boys, Max (8) and Nico (6) - or at least that's how old they'll be once the cruise starts.

-Jen

hi jen - my daughter Isabella will be turning 6 right before the cruise too!

this is our first cruise ever. can't wait!!!

 

[TPBChick]

I receive the weekly Passporter newsletter. This week there is an article about the Med cruise. It lists a few tips. If anyone is interested, here is the link to the article:

http://www.passporter.com/articles/dcl-mediterranean-cruise.html

Hope you find something useful~

Thanks, there are some good tips in the article.

 

[lmb]

Hi everyone, we're on the June 18th sailing but I have been researching private tours in Naples for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano and I am getting so frustrated trying to figure out which company to use. Can you all share with me who you are using for private tours? Thanks.

 

[deplion]

Hi everyone, we're on the June 18th sailing but I have been researching private tours in Naples for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano and I am getting so frustrated trying to figure out which company to use. Can you all share with me who you are using for private tours? Thanks.

I am planning to do it on my own.

Will catch the hydrofoil by the cruise pier to the Amalfi Coast and then take a combination of bus / train (or taxi) to Pompeii. Then the train back to Naples where we will walk to the pier.

That's the plan anyway. If we find we are running too late, we will skip Pompeii.

 

[DorothyDamato]

Hi! TPBChick/DCLShel - Checked out the passporter site. I had thought about the neck pillows/blanket because of all the info I had read about the germs etc that were on airline blankets. Just wondering where you would buy a light travel blanket. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Private Tour guides vs doing on your own and misc:

I am personally going with Rome in Limo because I had seen other cruisers say they liked - what others have experienced is important to me. Plus, I have Italian friends who told me I should drive the Almafi coast, visit Sorrento (or Capri), and spend some time in Pompeii (so it depends on what you want to cover and spend). All of the tour guides seem to be priced around the same range - You really can go broke. I limited myself to spending more on the Florence/Rome/Naples experience - and doing the other ports on my own. It also depends on if you are willing to share your ride with others too (it will be a little cheaper). Depends on what YOU want. I had read the Spencer's Disney Med Blog from 2007 and they had a horrible experience with a tour company that shoved a bunch of people in this tiny minivan and the air conditioning wasnt working well (I/my daughter get car sick - so too much crowding doesnt bode well for me).

Don't remember the name of the aweful review tour group, but I do remember the positive feedback tours. Rome in Limo had some nice reviews and they hit the spots I wanted. Check past people who have cruised to the med and their comments. When I google searched (just about everything I could think of 'ports of call la spezia - on your own', ' Disney med cruise', etc) - I found blogs from families who had gone on the Disney Med Cruise - and they had alot of the same helpful hints that I also read in that passporter site. Each entry you read gives you just a little bit more....

deplion is absolutely right - all the research I've done (from spending hours online googling to sitting at Borders reading guide books, and then going to the Library to make copies), alot of the trips at ANY port you can easily do on your own. I got my best info from the googling because they gave pictures of the train stations and VERY detailed instructions on how to walk from the piers to bus stops/trains. Originally, I wanted to try the mass transportation, but my husband was worried we would get lost and miss the boat. It depends on your touring style. Are you adventurous and look at this whole experience as a challenge and want to experience travelling like the natives? Have you budgeted a certain amount for each port? Most of the info I got from other cruise chat sites and just pasted pictures info into Word. You can take a train to Pompeii, hydrofoil to Capri etc. If the chat sites don't have the info you want, submit questions, and someone always monitors and replies. The whole cruise community is amazingly helpful.

 

[DorothyDamato]

"This space reserved" for Dorothy's Fish Extender exchange participant list.

DLD - FISH EXTENDER OFFICIALLY Closed as of 5/1/2011. LET US KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ALLERGIES so we all know what to avoid!

Will still do a sep post. A casual meet-up has been suggested between the safety drill and the sailaway party so we can get the rest of the room numbers for those who do not have them. People show up with green ribbons on somewhere noticeable and look for other DISers. Anyone with suggestions on where to meet?

Grizbuzz
deplion
Keener Cam
Damatos
Macassi
DCLSHEL
TinkGirl67 (Sucharczuk's)
Johnwdw
MissReeRee
JONIDA3
OH6
thinkoflaura

 

[DorothyDamato]

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[DCLShel]

Hi! TPBChick/DCLShel - Checked out the passporter site. I had thought about the neck pillows/blanket because of all the info I had read about the germs etc that were on airline blankets. Just wondering where you would buy a light travel blanket. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Magellan's is a good place to find travel items. I've ordered from them several times and have been pleased with each purchase. However, I think you should also check your local Target store. They seem to have a pretty good travel section, too.

 

[DCLShel]

Hi everyone, we're on the June 18th sailing but I have been researching private tours in Naples for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano and I am getting so frustrated trying to figure out which company to use. Can you all share with me who you are using for private tours? Thanks.

I'm still undecided; however, I've been checking into Rome in Limo and AP Tours. I'm leaning toward AP Tours right now because they have a tour to Pompeii, Herculaneum & Mt. Vesuvius. This is the tour we are interested in.

AP Tours also offers the tour you are interested in. Check out their website~ http://www.aptours.it/index.php?lng=en

Good luck!

 

[thinkoflaura]

re: travel blankets -- why not check the infant section at Target? Maybe there is a simple, small, lightweight crib-sized blanket that will do the job?

also - i just realized we'll be in Rome on July 4th. I wonder what - if anything - will be happening on the ship to celebrate US Independence Day? Just curious...

 

[deplion]

I'm still undecided; however, I've been checking into Rome in Limo and AP Tours. I'm leaning toward AP Tours right now because they have a tour to Pompeii, Herculaneum & Mt. Vesuvius. This is the tour we are interested in.

AP Tours also offers the tour you are interested in. Check out their website~ http://www.aptours.it/index.php?lng=en

Good luck!

Wow.

The price of the AP tour for Amalfi / Pompeii is pretty reasonable per person if you can find eight people, and they even discount it further if you take the ferry back from Sorrento which is what I would like to do. I might have to rethink my decision to do this one by myself.

Anybody else out there considering that tour?

Thanks for sharing that Shel.