May 18, 2013 MAGIC EBTA - Who is with us?

[bobbiwoz]

Ah - a few years before ours! I think the current Pacific Princess is a different ship, and we almost sailed on her to Alaska in 2007.

Yes, the original love boat has been sold. We went to Alaska in '94 on RCCL's Sun Viking, another smaller, older ship.

In the British isles, did you visit Guernsey? The Orkney isles? The British Isles cruise was my extended family's second European cruise. Mom, who is now 92, and no longer travels, was with us, and our younger son who was 21 then was with us too, and others. DH wants it to be just us, as far as family/ friend's go, on this trip.

Bobbi

 

[NancyIL]

Yes, the original love boat has been sold. We went to Alaska in '94 on RCCL's Sun Viking, another smaller, older ship.

In the British isles, did you visit Guernsey? The Orkney isles? The British Isles cruise was my extended family's second European cruise. Mom, who is now 92, and no longer travels, was with us, and our younger son who was 21 then was with us too, and others. DH wants it to be just us, as far as family/ friend's go, on this trip.

Bobbi

Yes, we went to Guernsey but not Orkney. This was our itinerary, except on the Crown Princess: http://www.princess.com/find/cruise...&duration=&tourdur=&orderBy=&filterBy=&order=. We also spent 3 nights in Paris and 3 nights in London before the cruise. I LOVE the British Isles!

 

[bobbiwoz]

That's a very nice itinerary! We did not go to Liverpool, Belfast or Normandy.
We had Orkney, Falmouth and Holyhead instead.

We've since been to the Normandy Port, on RCCL.

So, are you on the EBTA? I hope so!

PS. When we were in Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Scotland, we were there for the Military Tattoo and the Scotland Festival. It was an exciting time, and it was when our son turned 21! Even though you are supposed to be the age you were when you borded for the entire cruise, he had made enough crew member friends, everyone gave a rousing applause at the midnight buffet after the Military Tattoo. He was 21 for our last day, a day at sea. His crew member friends had given him hintsand DS won the champagne bottle for guessing how many glasses made the waterfall in the lobby.

 

[NancyIL]

That's a very nice itinerary! We did not go to Liverpool, Belfast or Normandy.
We had Orkney, Falmouth and Holyhead instead.

We've since been to the Normandy Port, on RCCL.

So, are you on the EBTA? I hope so!

PS. When we were in Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Scotland, we were there for the Military Tattoo and the Scotland Festival. It was an exciting time, and it was when our son turned 21! Even though you are supposed to be the age you were when you borded for the entire cruise, he had made enough crew member friends, everyone gave a rousing applause at the midnight buffet after the Military Tattoo. He was 21 for our last day, a day at sea. His crew member friends had given him hintsand DS won the champagne bottle for guessing how many glasses made the waterfall in the lobby.

It sounds like your son had a VERY special 21st birthday celebration on that cruise! I spent a few days in Edinburgh in early September 2009 - just after the Military Tattoo/Edinburgh Festival ended. It was still pretty crowded, so I can only imagine how much more crowded it would've been in August!

I really enjoyed Liverpool, but would've loved to have gone to Wales. My son and I were on a Princess Transatlantic last April/May, and that one went to Falmouth.

I am technically on this cruise, because I moved a 2012 booking to it. I would love to be on a longer DCL cruise, and the price of this cruise is great. However - this itinerary leaves a lot to be desired (by me) - so I'll make a final decision after DCL plays the rest of their cards for the Magic and Wonder in 2013.

 

[bobbiwoz]

It sounds like your son had a VERY special 21st birthday celebration on that cruise! I spent a few days in Edinburgh in early September 2009 - just after the Military Tattoo/Edinburgh Festival ended. It was still pretty crowded, so I can only imagine how much more crowded it would've been in August!

I really enjoyed Liverpool, but would've loved to have gone to Wales. My son and I were on a Princess Transatlantic last April/May, and that one went to Falmouth.

I am technically on this cruise, because I moved a 2012 booking to it. I would love to be on a longer DCL cruise, and the price of this cruise is great. However - this itinerary leaves a lot to be desired (by me) - so I'll make a final decision after DCL plays the rest of their cards for the Magic and Wonder in 2013.

I understand about the itinerary. Yes, it could be better. I think that's why DH wanted to add the Med cruise, and that was fine with me. The Holy Land cruise that we hope to do, now in 2014 is also a Princess cruise.

I read "How Green was My Valley" before going to Wales. During WWII my dad was bunked with a Welsh household, and we were hoping to meet with some surviving members of the family during that brief stop. We were unable to locate them. We found obituaries, but no living members. The daughter had visited us in New Jersey during the late 1050s.

Best wishes as you decide which DCL cruise you'll be taking!

 

[Tink1987]

Welcome to all new cruisers!

I'm enjoying all the love for the UK as thats where I am from

 

[bobbiwoz]

Welcome to all new cruisers!

I'm enjoying all the love for the UK as thats where I am from

Well, you've a wonderful country! There is so much to see!!!
Have you been to Gibraltar?

Bobbi

 

[NancyIL]

I understand about the itinerary. Yes, it could be better. I think that's why DH wanted to add the Med cruise, and that was fine with me. The Holy Land cruise that we hope to do, now in 2014 is also a Princess cruise.

I read "How Green was My Valley" before going to Wales. During WWII my dad was bunked with a Welsh household, and we were hoping to meet with some surviving members of the family during that brief stop. We were unable to locate them. We found obituaries, but no living members. The daughter had visited us in New Jersey during the late 1050s.

Best wishes as you decide which DCL cruise you'll be taking!

Thanks! I booked a 7-night Med cruise on the NCL Epic out of Barcelona for the day after this cruise ends - just in case! However, my DH and I will be on a Med cruise this May, so it would be a repeat of several ports.

If DCL does a 10-night Vancouver to Honolulu cruise in September 2013, I will probably move this reservation to that cruise. If they don't go to Hawaii, or if the price tag is too high, I'll hang onto this reservation until I decide what to do.

 

[Kirbo]

It's official! We will be joining you on this cruise and staying on for the first Med! DH got the time off and we're booked and got our travel insurance bought as well. And some of my family members will be joining us on the Mediterranean leg. I'm so excited!

 

[MandyGirl]

We also have an autograph book made by Jill...is it the same Jill??? She does an amazing job and Hannah LOVED it!!!! I actually just told DH the other day that I'm going to get in touch with her to see if I can have her make another for this cruise. Hannah was lucky enough to have Jill as her Secret Mickey last year. She said she was the luckiest kid on the cruise!

Very well could be! She also made them for the EBTA 2011 (we were WBTA). TXMermaid1 I think is her DIS name.

 

[kris3kid]

We are hoping to do this cruise and the first Med and the airfare we got, through Disney, is $1075 out of Portland, Oregon. It'll fly us to Galveston and then home from Barcelona after the first Med cruise. It includes our transfers and any hotels if needed. I'm concerned about the gas prices rising and airfare just getting higher, so this seemed like the way to go. And I've heard that Disney Air is good for connections and such when flying internationally. We'll be traveling with our 8 year old daughters, so we don't want to fly for 24 hours with five connections, yanno?

We originally booked the transatlantic with air about six weeks ago (but I haven't posted on this thread before now, I don't think). Then we reshopped this cruise last week while on the Wonder. I was told by Guy, the future cruises person on the Wonder, that Disney Air was waitlisted for this and the Med. But when I looked at it today, I was just checking it on the Disney website, it let me add air . So I called my fabulous TA and he talked to Disney. They first told him that air was waitlisted and he said that I'd seen it still available online, so they checked further. They then came back and said it WAS still available! Anyway, my TA was then able to add the air to my new reservation that I'd booked onboard so that I got the onboard booking deal, phew.

Call again and talk to someone else



We are hoping to do the EBTA just the four of us (DH, me and our girls) and then some of my family is planning on meeting up with us in Barcelona for the first Med cruise!

I would love to see your navigators!


Hello everyone! My husband is currently trying to get three weeks off so that we can take this cruise and then the first Med. But if he can only get two weeks off we'll do the WBPC (we have all three booked and will be canceling either the WBPC or the EBTA/Med). We just got off the Wonder on Sunday. It was our second ever cruise, the first being last year doing the Wonder as well. Last week's cruise was our best family vacation ever!

If we do this cruise it will be me, my DH and our twin girls. They will be weeks away from turing nine when we get on in Galveston.

So I called and again was told they have no information about the air travel, even when I first booked I could not get the air. I will call again in the morning and see what I can find out. All I want is to get it booked so I don't need to worry about it. I check on line almost every day which is getting old fast.

 

[Kirbo]

So I called and again was told they have no information about the air travel, even when I first booked I could not get the air. I will call again in the morning and see what I can find out. All I want is to get it booked so I don't need to worry about it. I check on line almost every day which is getting old fast.

Have you tried looking for Disney Air online? If you go to www.disneycruise.com and type in your sail date and start to book it, does it give you the option to add it? I just looked yesterday and could still do it online.

I made a reservation for the EBTA when they first became available to silver castaway members. I added it then. Then I reshopped it when on board last week (we got off a week ago today ). When I reshopped it, Guy, the future cruises person on the Wonder, told me that air was waitlisted. When I got home I was poking around on the DCL website and it would let me do air on there if I was making a new reservation. So I called my fabulous travel agent and he called DCL. At first they told him it wasn't available but when he said that it was showing that I could book it online for a new reservation they went back and checked with another department and found that it could be added! So they added it to my new reservation.

BTW, I just looked and my air is $1174 per person. I am going to go back and edit my previous post that has it as $1075.

 

[MissAndrea]

We are officially booked! It'll be me, DH, and DD (12 at time of sailing). Can't wait!

 

[heatherb819]

Welcome aboard MissAndrea! Were you hit by the recent tornado? DH &DD were going to come down to Branson for spring break but we just booked a cruise out of Charleston instead. We couldn't pass up the price. Maybe if you fly out of St. Louis we'll be on the same flight.

 

[MissAndrea]

Welcome aboard MissAndrea! Were you hit by the recent tornado? DH &DD were going to come down to Branson for spring break but we just booked a cruise out of Charleston instead. We couldn't pass up the price. Maybe if you fly out of St. Louis we'll be on the same flight.

We were north of it so our house was fine. We were pretty scared though! After Joplin, I think everyone in this area takes warnings a bit more serious than they previously did. We were in the basement in our hide out and had the TV on. They were saying there was a confirmed tornado on the ground in Branson and our lights were flickering. I was sure it was coming straight for us! It really hit the main strip though. Everyone is working very hard to get things together so that everyone is open for business for the busy season! Most places are already up and running though.

We are actually going to drive to Galveston instead of flying. That's the plan right now anyway! So cool to have another Missourian on the cruise though!

 

[DiaLady]

Hi Everyone,

So excited to have this trip booked. Honestly forgot to come here right after. So far we have DH (Ken) and myself going, but will probably end up adding at least DS15 . . .other DS18 will be coming home from college and will need to work (hopefully . . .LOL).

We couldn't make the Hawaii trip so we rebooked for this one. High School Graduation sure make spring busy.

Can't wait to meet everyone!

Theresa

 

[valbob89]

I haven't been on this thread much lately but welcome to all of you who have recently joined the group. I have been busy packaging and mailing out 153 shirts for our Hawaii cruise. It was a lot more effort then I had anticipated but I think it will be worth it when we all meet on the Wonder in our special shirts and lanyards.

Here are a few pictures: Bob modeling the shirts, a closeup of the fabric and my disaster of a dining room:

 

[NancyIL]

I haven't been on this thread much lately but welcome to all of you who have recently joined the group. I have been busy packaging and mailing out 153 shirts for our Hawaii cruise. It was a lot more effort then I had anticipated but I think it will be worth it when we all meet on the Wonder in our special shirts and lanyards.

Here are a few pictures: Bob modeling the shirts, a closeup of the fabric and my disaster of a dining room:

I LOVE those shirts! I know someone made them, but was it you? I'm sure the DISers on your cruise will be VERY pleased with your hard work.

 

[JenDen]

Oh Val, Thank you for all your hard work with the shirts!


We're so excited to see and wear them!

Jennifer and Dennis

 

[valbob89]

I LOVE those shirts! I know someone made them, but was it you? I'm sure the DISers on your cruise will be VERY pleased with your hard work.

Thanks, I think they came out pretty nice, but no, I didn't sew them. I designed them and then found a company that made the fabric and sewed the shirts. Because of the volume they didn't cost that much, $25 plus postage. The DCL tee-shirts for the cruise are $35 so I think we did pretty good. They even have labels in them at say, "Exclusive Disboard Design for 2012 Inaugural Hawaii Cruise".