May 12, 2007 -- Taking the Magic to the Mediterranean -- 14 day Repo Cruise!

[gydell]

Everybody check your cabin rate! I was on the DCL webpage and noticed that my cat. 11 has gone down by $1000. I have a call in for my TA to check this out.

 

[seaulater]

Wonder if DCL would be nice enough to give a point reduction to DVC?

Yeah--right!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. Come January, I am sure I'll be getting more excited for this cruise.

Just need to get through the holidays.

 

[gydell]

My dh has a job and I saved $1000 all in one day! If only every day could be this good.

 

[BONITATIME]

I've only just started working my way through the excursions list....the nice thing about having our entire vacation prepaid in cash AND Jason getting a big raise last week is that I have been given "permission" to not worry too much about cost on excursions....YIPPEEEE!!! I am not sure what, if anything, we'll do as an excursion in Barcelona....I'm kind of leaning in the direction of getting some guide books and doing the day on our own that day. Perhaps the same in Cadiz, I'm not sure. As for Tenerife, it will come as no surprise to anyone here that I'm really strongly leaning in the direction of the tour that takes you to spend the day at the animal park with dolphins and whales and tigers and "the largest collection of parrots on Earth." Everyone who's been reading the list knows I'm an animal nut....and I am PARTICULARLY fond of parrots (we own one actually). So I strongly sense that is where we'll spend a good chunk of our day in the Canary Islands.

The Loro Park which I guess is the park you are talking about is wonderful. I would reccomend this as a day out. There is an enormous pinguinarium and the Killer whales actually come from Sea world in Florida and Texas. Their own webste is here.HERE

 

[CACruisin']

Did some price comparisons this morning. The 3rd person appears to have gone way down. As the price for the 3 of us was almost $1k cheaper, but pricing for just two was only a few hundred less (priced me+DD3). Also, Cat 12's are back on the website at over $1k less than the cat 11's. Interesting.

 

[BONITATIME]

I was checking out the prices the Beach excursionis very expensive there is a lovely golden sand beach 10 minutes from the post by taxi. the beach they are offering is an hour away by coach and the sightseeing is rocks and tourist centre on the way down.
For the Loro park the entrance price is 29 euros and a taxi would not be very expensive and very easy to get both ends.
Any questions about Tenerife either PM or email me. I am happy to answer or go and look something up.
Anyone who would like to meet up I will be in Santa Cruz that day anyway as I am looking forward to seeing the Ship.

 

[BobandLee]

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Weather here was nice. Above average for this time of year. No White Christmas in sight.

Finished up the last of the Christmas shopping on my way home today. Whew!
Done with a week to spare. Celebrate with the grandkids thursday.
Not too may decorations up this year. Still kinda somber here.

Nice thing is...only 7 working days left this year.
And less than 5 months until the next cruise.

Everyone have a great week.

 

[tig82174]

My dh has a job and I saved $1000 all in one day! If only every day could be this good.

What a great tip about hte possible cost reduction....I emailed our T.A. to see.

 

[BobandLee]

Perhaps some explanation is in order. In all fairness to my employer, I DID ask to be laid off when they started the downsizing effort. I just thought it would be another couple of months. I think you may have joined the group after I explained that I am making a career change and going back to school to be a tour director. But they did actually do me a favor by granting my request.

Although we still haven't made the decision whether we can still go on the cruise, I did have some good news yesterday. I had the first meeting with HR. My severance package will include paying me up through most of March, complete paid medical, dental, vision up through April, and career assistance for 3 months. I met with the career assistance people and I can wait to start the 3 months until after I complete the tour director school in February and they will help me with my career change.

And here is the news that may help us still be able to be on this cruise. The IT director asked me for my rates as an independent consultant. Apparently they are still thinking they may need my services for a little while longer. Keep your fingers crossed.

And thanks to all of you for your support.

O.K., I understand. Still, it stinks when anyone would have lost their job. You just kept it from happening to someone else.
Nice that they are giving such a nice severance package.

Someone on a couple of our cruises actually "volunteered" to be laid-off around cruise time. Nice perk.

 

[tig82174]

I was checking out the prices the Beach excursionis very expensive there is a lovely golden sand beach 10 minutes from the post by taxi. the beach they are offering is an hour away by coach and the sightseeing is rocks and tourist centre on the way down.
For the Loro park the entrance price is 29 euros and a taxi would not be very expensive and very easy to get both ends.
Any questions about Tenerife either PM or email me. I am happy to answer or go and look something up.
Anyone who would like to meet up I will be in Santa Cruz that day anyway as I am looking forward to seeing the Ship.

Wow how fabulous to have a local expert on the board to give us great tips. I'm not sure if we'll do it on our own...I have this terrible paranoia about plannign my own excursions or trips! But thanks for the website I will definitely be checking it out.

Also....did everyone notice that a number of our ports seem like very long days we're allowed to be ashore....so if the day is so long do people do multiple excursions? Do they mostly all leave first thing in the morning? Or do most people do a morning excursion and then explore near the ship in the afternoon/evening? And what about dinner....go back aboard and eat or eat in a restaurant in the port? I'm not used to having so many options since we've only ever done the 3 and 4 day cruises that go to Castaway and Nassau...both of which seem to be much shorter days (all aboard by like 4:30 or 5pm if I remember correctly).

 

[littleowensmommy]

HELP!!! I need advice. We are currently booked for a midship Cat 3 on the transatlantic and a Cat 6 on the b2b Med cruise. The initial price difference between the Cat 3 and the Cat 6 when we booked back on Day 1 was $2700. Now the price of the Cat 6 has dropped significantly for a family of 4 so the price difference between the two categories is now $5400!!! (The Cat 3 did not drop in price at all.) We could switch to the Cat 6 and stay in the same cabin for 25 nights instead of having to move from the suite to the Cat 6 on 26 May. My husband doesn't want to give up the suite. I'm thinking that the shore excursions are going to cost us about $2k more than I had guestimated so the savings is significant. We have never sailed in a Cat 3 before and my husband was really looking forward to the long stretch of sea days in his suite. What would you do? Please I need your opinions. I've got the Cat 6 on hold until Wednesday. Thanks. Kathy

 

[littleowensmommy]

It looks like kids are now sailing free on this cruise in cats 4-12! That is the reason for the price change. I would save $1700 per child and $1000 per adult to switch from a cat 3 to a cat 6. If I stay in the cat 3 the kids pay.

 

[tig82174]

It looks like kids are now sailing free on this cruise in cats 4-12! That is the reason for the price change. I would save $1700 per child and $1000 per adult to switch from a cat 3 to a cat 6. If I stay in the cat 3 the kids pay.

Sounds like a no brainer to me! I'd say tell your hubby to get out of the cabin and enjoy the deck if he wants room to lounge and relax.....that amount of savings equals an entire family's worth of excursions....maybe TWO days! (or a full week's worth of lovely spa experiences for just you if you hide the money!!! hehehe )

 

[gydell]

I agree! That amount of money pays for another cruise or week at DW. Unless you have unlimited funds I would definitely switch.

 

[milestogo]

Hi All, GEEZ, for some reason I haven't gotten a single email from this board. I met CACruisin for a short but fun trip to DL on Wednesday and have been so freakin busy that I figured the board must be slow. Well, all this excitement has been going on about the excursions and price reductions. I'm such a tightwad that I'll be on the phone in 5 minutes about that! OK guys gotta run and look at the excursions. I'll get back to you!!!!!!!!!

 

[milestogo]

HELP!!! I need advice. We are currently booked for a midship Cat 3 on the transatlantic and a Cat 6 on the b2b Med cruise. The initial price difference between the Cat 3 and the Cat 6 when we booked back on Day 1 was $2700. Now the price of the Cat 6 has dropped significantly for a family of 4 so the price difference between the two categories is now $5400!!! (The Cat 3 did not drop in price at all.) We could switch to the Cat 6 and stay in the same cabin for 25 nights instead of having to move from the suite to the Cat 6 on 26 May. My husband doesn't want to give up the suite. I'm thinking that the shore excursions are going to cost us about $2k more than I had guestimated so the savings is significant. We have never sailed in a Cat 3 before and my husband was really looking forward to the long stretch of sea days in his suite. What would you do? Please I need your opinions. I've got the Cat 6 on hold until Wednesday. Thanks. Kathy

Hi Kathy, I'm getting caught up on the thread and just did some research of my own. I called DCL and they said our repo cat. 11 had gone down (we are planning to upgrade) in price, but the 11 night had not changed. I called DVC and they said they had not changed any points (of course!) I think the cat. 3 change is a tough one since you have two kids with you. My husband would love the cat. 3 too! He loves bringing food back to the room and hanging out on the balcony reading (never gets to do that at home!) while DD3 paints or colors on the floor (of course, this time she'll be playing at the kids events.) We have had cat. 5, deck 7 mid-ship and navigator's (the one that Erik and Jason are in for the repo) and loved both of them. $1700 is a lot of money to consider especially when you break it down into how many excursions that will give you. It could easily be 3-4 entire days of excursions for a family of 4. It's a big decision - good luck. This whole adventure is about decision making isn't it?

I just spent the entire morning reviewing the excursions and was also surprised at how expensive the options were. Your private tour plans look very wise! Some of the combinations were not exactly what I was looking for and was a little disappointed, but found other surprises that look like fun adventures. I'm excited about he pasta making class in Sardinia. Gnocchetti Sardi & Ravioli - I would do a cooking class in every port if they had them.

 

[littleowensmommy]

I just spent the entire morning reviewing the excursions and was also surprised at how expensive the options were. Your private tour plans look very wise! Some of the combinations were not exactly what I was looking for and was a little disappointed, but found other surprises that look like fun adventures. I'm excited about he pasta making class in Sardinia. Gnocchetti Sardi & Ravioli - I would do a cooking class in every port if they had them.

Kelly, when I saw that excursion on the list I knew it was for you.

 

[milestogo]

Yep, it's me - I'm all about food!

Debbie, Never in a million years would I have figured that out - off kilter stage!
I had it in my head that you must be renting a pin trading station somewhere and had this really cool hobby going on. OK, not exactly the hobby I had pictured and yet it looks equally fun. That is so very, very funny - I couldn't have been more off (kilter!) Are you an official groupie? or a cheerleader? Or considering auditioning? Are they different folks dancing each time or have you gotten to know some of the performers?

 

[Scott H]

Yep, it's me - I'm all about food!

Debbie, Never in a million years would I have figured that out - off kilter stage!
I had it in my head that you must be renting a pin trading station somewhere and had this really cool hobby going on. OK, not exactly the hobby I had pictured and yet it looks equally fun. That is so very, very funny - I couldn't have been more off (kilter!) Are you an official groupie? or a cheerleader? Or considering auditioning? Are they different folks dancing each time or have you gotten to know some of the performers?

Cheeleader/groupie ect ect... My vote for Debbie is D: all the above... but hey they are fun and enjoyable, I also have all their CD's

 

[seaulater]

Cheeleader/groupie ect ect... My vote for Debbie is D: all the above... but hey they are fun and enjoyable, I also have all their CD's

Scott-you are too funny!

I think of Debbie everytime we are at Epcot and walk by that stage!