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

[keenercam]

and question - what is the ship's agent?

funny you wrote about important phrases, I was going to ask friends today how to say "Would you please take our picture?" in Italian, Spanish and French. I am determined to get family shots on this trip as opposed to being the one out of the shot taking all the pics!

Laura - In every port, the Magic will have a "ship's agent". The name, address and phone number will be in the navigators. It is sort of an emergency contact with DCL for when you are ashore.

Also, I have read on tripadvisor of people having their cameras stolen. You will want to be very careful about who you hand it to. My plan will be to look for another family who also might want me to take their picture, and ask them. LOL!

 

[DCLShel]

funny you wrote about important phrases, I was going to ask friends today how to say "Would you please take our picture?" in Italian, Spanish and French. I am determined to get family shots on this trip as opposed to being the one out of the shot taking all the pics!

by the way -- a big shout out to Dorothy and Cam for all the email updates and lists... thanks for all the organizing!

laura

Excellent suggestion about the picture phrase!! I, like you, am always behind the camera. I downloaded a Google translator on my IPod that actually speaks the phrases. I'll be adding this one to my saved phrases!

Agree - thanks Cam & Dorothy!

 

[kmc33]

I will be glad to share what I read in Rick Steves' guidebooks as soon as I compile the lists for each port.

You mean your not going plan mini-DIS meets for us all at the best pizza and gelato spots ?

 

[DCLShel]

Laura - In every port, the Magic will have a "ship's agent". The name, address and phone number will be in the navigators. It is sort of an emergency contact with DCL for when you are ashore.

Also, I have read on tripadvisor of people having their cameras stolen. You will want to be very careful about who you hand it to. My plan will be to look for another family who also might want me to take their picture, and ask them. LOL!

Good info about the ship's agent. Guess I've never worried about it in the Caribbean or Mexico.

Also good info about the camera thieves!! Laura - I think we're on the same Palermo excursion. I'll take your pic if you take mine!!

 

[thinkoflaura]

Good info about the ship's agent. Guess I've never worried about it in the Caribbean or Mexico.

Also good info about the camera thieves!! Laura - I think we're on the same Palermo excursion. I'll take your pic if you take mine!!

deal --

and yeah, i'm all about finding the right person to do a camera/photo swap with -- usually someone with a better camera than mine! LOL!!!!


tell me more about the google translator thingie???? what a great idea!!!

 

[keenercam]

Speaking of cameras - Do any of you have a digital SLR camera that you love and that you think a technology-challenged person like me could learn to use pretty quickly?

 

[thinkoflaura]

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[thinkoflaura]

Speaking of cameras - Do any of you have a digital SLR camera that you love and that you think a technology-challenged person like me could learn to use pretty quickly?

you know, for months I've been eying the Canon Rebel T3 - read fantastic reviews about it and price-wise it seems like a great deal. I just don't think we can layout another $550 right now, that's the only reason i haven't bought it myself.

This place has it the cheapest... and with no sales tax and free shipping it would have been the way i would have gone...

http://www.cameta.com/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T3-Digital-SLR-Camera-Body-EF-S-18-55mm-IS-II-Lens-58036.cfm

For a little more you can get it at Best Buy or Amazon.

And you can find great reviews about in on amazon, cnet, etc.

Get it so I can live vicariously through you!!!!

 

[keenercam]

Laura - That looks very cool!

I was just on the DIS photography forum and they are suggesting the following for a step up from my point and shoot without the complexity and weight of an SLR. Is anyone familiar with any of these?

Sony NEX3
Panasonic GH1
Samsung NX100

 

[keenercam]

We accomplished more today:
Decided that parking at the airport will be better option than using a shuttle or having a friend drive us after Howard researched costs.

Bought a new camera, rainproof case, 2 memory cards and 2 batteries.

Bought a converter/adaptor set and a power strip for charging all electronics and using my blowdryer and Jenn's flatiron in Barcelona

Located the camera adaptor for my iPad that I bought just after Christmas

Yay!

 

[thinkoflaura]

We accomplished more today:
Decided that parking at the airport will be better option than using a shuttle or having a friend drive us after Howard researched costs.

Bought a new camera, rainproof case, 2 memory cards and 2 batteries.

Bought a converter/adaptor set and a power strip for charging all electronics and using my blowdryer and Jenn's flatiron in Barcelona

Located the camera adaptor for my iPad that I bought just after Christmas

Yay!

what camera did you end up getting?

i need to pick up a camera adapter for my ipad also... did you get the official apple one or a knock off?

the exchange rate SUCKS now... AAA is saying 1.53. I am wondering if it will be better to just get the euros on the ship afterall?

 

[macassi]

You usually get your best exchange rate via an ATM. There is almost always one at the airport. Your credit card is also good but you need to be careful of foreign transaction fees that they impose. Call all your cards to figure out which will be cheapest. I think a typical charge is 3%. We have a Schwab card with no fees so it is our best exchange rate to just charge stuff. Capital one also has a no fee card.

 

[DorothyDamato]

Actually, Dorothy, I did go to Office Max and bought numbered dividers off the clearance aisle. Then I found inserts that have pockets to put things in. I bought a three hole folder at a local close-out store for $.49 so the whole thing cost less than $5! I've organized the folder into sections: Travel Info, Barcelona, Cruise Info, Malta/Palermo, Naples, Rome, LaSpezia/Ajaccio/Villefranche, and Mousecellaneous.

Being somewhat organized helps me feel like I'm in control so I don't totally freak out - And, since I am a scrapbooker, I can put misc items I pick up on the trip in the pockets (maps, brochures) to use later when I'm working on our trip album.

Went to Staples last night.....nothing on sale (they dont have any other office supply stores around here...bummer!) - but I did get the pocket thingy (13 pockets) for 10 bucks....BUT I AM HAPPY! Really like it! Sat for 2 hours organizing all the papers!

 

[DorothyDamato]

Wow! Shelley, I am so stinkin' impressed!

I did in fact buy my colored notecards, O-rings, and a hole punch this morning.

Jenn, Howard, Andrew and I will each have a set of notecards to carry that can be added to and subtracted. So far, I have the following information list to be put on the index cards:
pre-cruise hotel name and address (in case we want to split up)
helpful phrases in Catalan, French, Italian (bathroom, please, thank you, etc.)
must-see sites/locations for best gelato & pizza, etc. for each port
blank card to put on ship's agent in each port (if I don't know it ahead of time)
post-cruise hotel name and address (in case the kids go out for pizza or something)
My card set will include:
all tour information
extra copies of confirmations (shrunk to fit card)
must-shop locations, etc. for each port
lists of people for whom I want to buy gifts/souvenirs (we will miss my best friend's 50th birthday, plus we can pick up gifts for 4 or 5 other summer birthdays)
lists of all families coming to dinner Tuesday night (Family name, individual names, ages of kids, contact information, etc.)
post-cruise transfer information, etc.

I am still thinking of what else will go on note cards. I used this system for our very busy, detail-driven Disney Vow Renewal weekend and it was so fantastically helpful and useful that I cannot even begin to describe it.

Cam - I did your note cards too per your suggestion months ago - I love them...but now I am thinking (and laughing) that you are going to be with me for many of the really important places - so I wont even need them!!

 

[DorothyDamato]

YA GOTTA BE KIDDIN ME?? Shel - let us know what you find out. That is just not fair to charge us 18%!!! (But - as the old saying goes and I tell my daughter all the time, "Life is not fair"....

 

[kmc33]

YA GOTTA BE KIDDIN ME?? Shel - let us know what you find out. That is just not fair to charge us 18%!!! (But - as the old saying goes and I tell my daughter all the time, "Life is not fair"....

Several months ago when there were discussions on the boards about switching out Tunis, I read posts that indicated tax would be charged if all the ports were EU ports, but I forgot all about it! Not to mention it's a little annoying that DCL made no mention of it in any of the documents.

However, for those of us from non-EU countries supposedly you can get it back, but there are criteria you must meet, information which will be available onboard the ship. My understanding is that you can request a refund check for your purchases onboard the ship greater than $100. And then you have to process the refund check at the airport, which I read was in the baggage claim area.

Another poster made the suggestion to do all your shopping at one time at Treasure Ketch. If you shop here and there, even if the purchases add up to more than $100, they are not eligible for the refund if they were separate transactions that were less than $100.

Also, I just now saw post from this morning from someone who called DCL and they knew nothing about this in the call center... but they will soon if people start calling.

 

[macassi]

My travel agent sent me a message that said we would be charged 8% VAT on drinks (non refundable), 18% VAT on spa services (non refundable) and 18% VAT on merchandise (refundable).

You definitely have to process the refund at the airport on your way out of the country. If you are a resident of an EU country, no refund is given.

 

[MissReeRee]

Hey everyone! It sounds like everyone has been busy organizing and getting ready! I am so excited its killing me! I seriously need to stop shopping and look at what I've bought so far!

We got a message from our airline stating that our departure time has been changed for embarkation day so now we are getting in at 10am... Last year we got in and took our time getting to the port, maybe getting to the ship around 2pm, the terminal was empty and we walked right on, it was awesome. Now I'm thinking that we are going to have to deal with crazy crowds and huge lines. If we are CC silver do we get to cut the line a bit??

Also I am very irritated by the VAT tax we now have to pay... When we go out to eat in Spain the menu already has the VAT added to it so we don't even think about it. I'm really not looking forward to paying extra! Thankfully I'm not doing any spa services and the only merchandise I am planning on buying is another cruise ornament but I know we are planning on ordering lots of drinks, oh well, we'll just need to bring more booze on board...

 

[deplion]

We STILL don't have our cruise documents. Anybody else?

 

[Jendisney9]

Hello again to all. I am about four pages behind you all again.

Took DS to airport today. His flight was cancelled. Now he loses a day. And I have to send him to laguardia and wait for his transfer to JFK. I know he is 18, he made it to state wrestling and is an eagle scout, but mom still is mom... I guess it was weather in Chicago; they couldn't get the plane here to Columbus. Hope this means that the rest of our family will not have flight issues. This makes me greatful that we go to Barcelona so early. He is bummed, though, so he got to come home and mow the neighbors lawn for his thirty bucks...lol.

We had his French group meeting here wednesday. 3 boys and 6 girls, so he is in a happy place. He can't wait....a month in France and Barcelona and cruise!

My friend just got back from dream...he booked two more cruises...part of his incentive was to be gold. He knows that I am gold now....

I will catch up tomorrow. Can't believe you squeezed Wdw in there before cruise...that is awesome, sinnika. Hope it was awesome.

DH saw email from Dorothy and is fearful that I am on FE list...he remembers my 90 last time...I assured him not.

Watched lion king tonight....so cute to see teen boys turn back to their little boy selves, which is why we are on this cruise....we broke down and saw pirates last week...couldn't wait til cruise. I told them we get to see premear of Cars2 on the boat. So now we need to watch the first!