May 14, 2011 - Eastbound TransAtlantic

[disneyaholic86]

Just completed online check-in! I might burst before May 14, so excited!!!!!!!

 

[turtlesmom822]

HI I am so very new!

I have a dear friend who loves loves disney and has done all the fun things and is on here too so I want to make the most of this.

I ma a mom 37 travelling with a 16 y/o daughter and a 4 y/o daughter.
How do I do those door things?
Is there anything you suggest I do or plan ahead of time for the little one's best adventure?
What main things to avoid or watch for?
I need to get to the airport for a 9:10 flight some disembark day so is anyone sharing a car service?
I've cruised before but never disney.
Anything I didn't ask but you want to tell me?

TIA!

 

[Happy Wanderers]

Hello to all the new people. Looking forward to getting to know you. Best wishes from Adele and David

 

[sehandiph]

We (2) have a 10:30 AM flight out. We would like to hire some car service to pick us up at the port. Is anyone interested in sharing a an early ride to the airport?
Please let me know

yes please - us 2 have a flight out at about 10:50 - so sharing a ride would be great.

Sharon & Ian

 

[runswithscissors]

I know some people have been looking for a TR for this cruise, this is the only one I've found.

http://land.allears.net/blogs/guestblog/2010/04/disney_magic_14night_transatla.html

Thanks for posting!


Welcome to our new peeps! Looking forward to putting faces with names (Disnames, that is...)

 

[Winstanik]

My Mother and I are booked and Ready to go!
We are travelling sans little ones!

I have checked your spreadsheet and it is crazy! you guys are organized!
I have added us! this is our 2nd Disney Cruise but the first time participating so we are up for any assistance!

Looking forward to seeing the sun again!

Sarah

Welcome Sarah ! It's great to see someone from our side of the border on the cruise !

 

[Winstanik]

Welcome to all the newcomers ! It will be a great cruise ! I can't wait to meet you all

 

[KrisannB]

HI I am so very new!

I have a dear friend who loves loves disney and has done all the fun things and is on here too so I want to make the most of this.

I ma a mom 37 travelling with a 16 y/o daughter and a 4 y/o daughter.
How do I do those door things?
Is there anything you suggest I do or plan ahead of time for the little one's best adventure?
What main things to avoid or watch for?
I need to get to the airport for a 9:10 flight some disembark day so is anyone sharing a car service?
I've cruised before but never disney.
Anything I didn't ask but you want to tell me?

TIA!

I have a 16 year old daughter coming also - anyway to get the girls communicating before the cruise?

Are there any other 14-17 year old girls cruising with us? On the TA's the teen group is rather small (kids in total are) and my daughter likes to make some friends before the cruise!

send me an email at akblair@charter.net or send me a message on the facebook group.

Krisann

 

[strawberryblonde]

My family will be joining you on the cruise.

It will be me, DH, DD (17), DS (15), DS (11) & DD (11). This will be our 14th cruise. We did the 1st Transatlantic in 2007.

My youngest DD is excited to see the barbary apes in Gibraltar again! This was her favorite thing last time.

WooHoo!! I'm thrilled to see some more kids similiar to my kids' ages....my DS is 14 this month and DD is newly 11.

Any advice for our ports?

 

[strawberryblonde]

I totally love any kind of game like this! Not sure about bridge though

...I'm totally bringing phase10 then!

 

[strawberryblonde]

Anybody familiar with LRC dice game. Each game is usually played with $3. The more people, the more fun. Not certain if Disney would have an issue with a game where small amounts of money is being played with. Assuming no if anybody is interested maybe we could add that to the list.

I've never heard of it, but I'm always up for learning a new game! Dice are easy to pack. If DCL has a problem with cash being used, we could sub. wrapped candies/treats instead

 

[strawberryblonde]

My Mother and I are booked and Ready to go!
We are travelling sans little ones!

I have checked your spreadsheet and it is crazy! you guys are organized!
I have added us! this is our 2nd Disney Cruise but the first time participating so we are up for any assistance!

Looking forward to seeing the sun again!

Sarah

We are bringing my MIL on this trip. It would be nice for her to be able to meet your mother

 

[owensamo]

I've never heard of it, but I'm always up for learning a new game! Dice are easy to pack. If DCL has a problem with cash being used, we could sub. wrapped candies/treats instead

We have LCR and I always bring it - but rarely play it - on cruises, since it's so small and easy to take along. The game itself comes with tokens. We never end up playing for money, just for fun.

I wish Bananagrams weren't quite so heavy - I'd bring that along to. I usually bring a deck or two of cards. We just got Milles Bornes, and Hannah *loves* Uno so we might throw a couple of card games in our packing. They might keep her busy on the plane ride home, too.

Amanda

 

[stsomewhere]

One of our fav. is monopoly deal. I hate the board game, though.

Just got together last night with friends to play "cross crib".
It is a card game using the principles of cribbage.

 

[strawberryblonde]

We have LCR and I always bring it - but rarely play it - on cruises, since it's so small and easy to take along. The game itself comes with tokens. We never end up playing for money, just for fun.

I wish Bananagrams weren't quite so heavy - I'd bring that along to. I usually bring a deck or two of cards. We just got Milles Bornes, and Hannah *loves* Uno so we might throw a couple of card games in our packing. They might keep her busy on the plane ride home, too.

Amanda

Is Milles Bornes the card game where you are taking a car trip? If so, I played that back when I was 8 and haven't seen it since...such a fun game!

 

[disneycruising]

WooHoo!! I'm thrilled to see some more kids similiar to my kids' ages....my DS is 14 this month and DD is newly 11.

Any advice for our ports?

This will be our second TA....we did the original one back in 2007. Our kids were 6, 8, 10 and 12 back then. One thing that is really cool is the kids groups are much less crowded and the counselors really get to know each child. They also do special learning activities about each port.

We did the Canary Islands, not Madeira on that cruise.

For Cadiz, we did the Horse Show through DCL. It is definitely a show for animal lovers like our youngest. In the afternoon we did the city bus tour on our own. It is a double decker open air bus that has a ticket office and bus stop right outside the port. It has a whole bunch of stops around the town and if you did it first thing in the morning you would have time to get off and explore. Here is a link http://www.cadiztours.com/?event=offer.detail&offerId=2100

Gibraltar was our favorite stop on the cruise. We started with the DCL dolphin excursion in the morning. We saw LOTS of dolphins (not guaranteed of course) and the guide were really good. Afterwards, we did a private taxi van tour of the major sites. The driver was really great. He gave a description of each location and then waited for us at each location. He also brought "nuts" and we had an "up close and personal interaction" with the apes. One even came in the van For our youngest this was absolute heaven. She talks about the monkeys to this day and she can't wait to get back.....now the oldest DD is terrified of animals and this wasn't a good experience. She will be staying on the ship for this year's adventure. I'm sure you can customize how close you get to the animals with your driver. It's easy to get a van, they are right outside the pier entrance. I think this is the company http://www.gibtaxi.com/ENG/rocktourENG.html

Barcelona was also really great. We did the Spanish Village DCL tour and it was well planned for kids. Each family got a map with clues and you searched the village for answers to your questions. There was also a "tapas" lunch and a coke SPOILER ALERT.........At the end, the kids get a coupon to find the gelato shop and get a free gelato. Side note....DCL was filming the port excursion marketing video when we were on this activity and our kids were "stars" of the video DCL showed on the 2007 Med cruises

They also have "hop on hop off" double decker tour bus options, see http://www.barcelonasightseeing.net/?event=offer.detail&offerId=5243

We dropped the kids on the ship and then did a Mom/Dad walk along Las Ramblas. We checked out the La Boqueria Market and had a gelato. Barcelona was way more to do than you will have time......

Hope this helps.
Cindy

 

[KrisannB]

We are bringing my MIL on this trip. It would be nice for her to be able to meet your mother

I will know on Monday/Tuesday if my MIL is coming along - we should make a MIL/Grandma group so they can hang out together on the ship

Krisann

 

[turtlesmom822]

...I'm totally bringing phase10 then!

Love phase 10

I have apples to apples travel if anyone is interested?

 

[braysmommy]

We are bringing my MIL on this trip. It would be nice for her to be able to meet your mother

My mom is traveling with us too!

 

[strawberryblonde]

This will be our second TA....we did the original one back in 2007. Our kids were 6, 8, 10 and 12 back then. One thing that is really cool is the kids groups are much less crowded and the counselors really get to know each child. They also do special learning activities about each port.

We did the Canary Islands, not Madeira on that cruise.

For Cadiz, we did the Horse Show through DCL. It is definitely a show for animal lovers like our youngest. In the afternoon we did the city bus tour on our own. It is a double decker open air bus that has a ticket office and bus stop right outside the port. It has a whole bunch of stops around the town and if you did it first thing in the morning you would have time to get off and explore. Here is a link http://www.cadiztours.com/?event=offer.detail&offerId=2100

Gibraltar was our favorite stop on the cruise. We started with the DCL dolphin excursion in the morning. We saw LOTS of dolphins (not guaranteed of course) and the guide were really good. Afterwards, we did a private taxi van tour of the major sites. The driver was really great. He gave a description of each location and then waited for us at each location. He also brought "nuts" and we had an "up close and personal interaction" with the apes. One even came in the van For our youngest this was absolute heaven. She talks about the monkeys to this day and she can't wait to get back.....now the oldest DD is terrified of animals and this wasn't a good experience. She will be staying on the ship for this year's adventure. I'm sure you can customize how close you get to the animals with your driver. It's easy to get a van, they are right outside the pier entrance. I think this is the company http://www.gibtaxi.com/ENG/rocktourENG.html

Barcelona was also really great. We did the Spanish Village DCL tour and it was well planned for kids. Each family got a map with clues and you searched the village for answers to your questions. There was also a "tapas" lunch and a coke SPOILER ALERT.........At the end, the kids get a coupon to find the gelato shop and get a free gelato. Side note....DCL was filming the port excursion marketing video when we were on this activity and our kids were "stars" of the video DCL showed on the 2007 Med cruises

They also have "hop on hop off" double decker tour bus options, see http://www.barcelonasightseeing.net/?event=offer.detail&offerId=5243

We dropped the kids on the ship and then did a Mom/Dad walk along Las Ramblas. We checked out the La Boqueria Market and had a gelato. Barcelona was way more to do than you will have time......

Hope this helps.
Cindy

Thank-you so much Cindy for typing out all of this info, I really appreciate it! I'm going to bookmark your links for Cadiz and Gibraltar...I think that is what we will do, great choices! For Madeira, we are going on the dolphin/whale catamaran through DCL. I tried to book one on our own, but those tours start at 10am and we don't dock until 10:30. I should have mentioned to you that we already spent a couple of days in Barcelona last year when we did the Med. Our plan is to take the HOHO bus for the day. I did enjoy hearing about the DCL tour you did, though, so thanks for sharing that .