May 26, 2010--5/26/2010 10 Night Mediterranean

[wrennies]

So I am totally new to all of this. My family will be on this cruise also. That is myself, my husband, and three sons - 15, 13, and 12. I need help translating into the forum language.
I also need help with hotels in barcelona. I can not find one that can hold 5 people...everything is single beds, what is up with that!!!
Also what about ground transportation. Since we are staying the night before in Barcelona should I skip the ground transportation?
I would appreciate anyones help. This will be my first cruise in 15 years and everyone else's first cruise ever. None of us have ever been out of the US.

 

[wrennies]

I was also wondering if anyone that has been on "this cruise" before could help me know what to prepare for with the excursions. With such great places I do not know where to start and the disney website says it will be March before you can book them. I just know that my kids are going to want some beach time. Like I said before I am new to this so any help would be great.
One last thing....the kids for the formal dinners....Sunday best okay (dress pants and nice shirt) or should thry have a jacket and tie???

 

[sinnika]

So I am totally new to all of this. My family will be on this cruise also. That is myself, my husband, and three sons - 15, 13, and 12. I need help translating into the forum language.
I also need help with hotels in barcelona. I can not find one that can hold 5 people...everything is single beds, what is up with that!!!
Also what about ground transportation. Since we are staying the night before in Barcelona should I skip the ground transportation?
I would appreciate anyones help. This will be my first cruise in 15 years and everyone else's first cruise ever. None of us have ever been out of the US.

Welcome! There is a Dis DCL FAQ site to get you up to speed with all those abbreviations, new terminology, and lots of other questions answered: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2068966

As far as Barcelona hotels, you may want to consider getting 2 rooms. There are also many apartment rental companies but they may require a 2 night min stay. Just google "rooms for 5 in Barcelona".

For ground transportation, unless you are staying at one of the DCL hotels, you are not eligible for transfers from the airport to your hotel to the port. You can do DCL transportation if you are flying out after the cruise.

Enjoy the planning! Its half the fun!

 

[sinnika]

I was also wondering if anyone that has been on "this cruise" before could help me know what to prepare for with the excursions. With such great places I do not know where to start and the disney website says it will be March before you can book them. I just know that my kids are going to want some beach time. Like I said before I am new to this so any help would be great.
One last thing....the kids for the formal dinners....Sunday best okay (dress pants and nice shirt) or should thry have a jacket and tie???

This is our first Med cruise but another poster set up a bog/website that listed all the Navigators and port excursions from Med 2007:
www.worldofmouse.com Thank you mehaul! Of course we have a few new ports in 2010 and new excursions will be added.
Cruise Critic has lots of port reviews too. And they also have a chat board too!
Sunday best is fine for formal night. Less things you will have to pack. DS is bringing a suit like last time and DD will be bringing dressy dresses, maninly for photos. We got some great photos by the ship's photographers of DD and DS this past June when we sailed.

 

[wrennies]

I have been reading a lot of trip reports and do not see anything about taking a little time to just lay on the beach. I do see expensive excursions to the beach. Are the excursions the only way to get a littlle beach time.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Hello everybody!! I am moving this Med cruise to 2011 tomorrow. My best friend and I have decided to book the Brilliance of the Seas for May 2010. So I am moving the mini repo and the med to 2011. I will still be on the Disney Baltic on June 12th, but not the med or the mini repo I had planned. The Brilliance is going to Athens in addition to Civitavecchia, Florence and Naples. We were able to get two rooms, one balcony, and one inside, for 12 nights on the Brilliance for about what I was paying with the kids free for a Cat 9 for all four in the same room on the Magic. Then we are going to fly to London and I will catch the Disney Magic in Dover for the Baltic. I will keep checking here for good ideas!

 

[sinnika]

Hello everybody!! I am moving this Med cruise to 2011 tomorrow. My best friend and I have decided to book the Brilliance of the Seas for May 2010. So I am moving the mini repo and the med to 2011. I will still be on the Disney Baltic on June 12th, but not the med or the mini repo I had planned. The Brilliance is going to Athens in addition to Civitavecchia, Florence and Naples. We were able to get two rooms, one balcony, and one inside, for 12 nights on the Brilliance for about what I was paying with the kids free for a Cat 9 for all four in the same room on the Magic. Then we are going to fly to London and I will catch the Disney Magic in Dover for the Baltic. I will keep checking here for good ideas!

So sorry to see you leave this cruise, Tammy! But what a great deal for you to still be sailing the Med, and for longer and more space! Does that cruise also leave out of Barcelona too? Which cruise are you thinking of for 2011? I'm moving my WBTA from Sept 2010 to a Mexican Riviera in March 2011. My TA can't book till Sept 28th though since I'm a lowly silver CC member!

 

[sinnika]

I have been reading a lot of trip reports and do not see anything about taking a little time to just lay on the beach. I do see expensive excursions to the beach. Are the excursions the only way to get a littlle beach time.

You can make your way to the beaches on your own (taxis or some are even within walking distance). Google "best beaches in..." just type in the port you want to go to the beach. Also cruise critic does a good job with listing beaches near ports. Here is a link for Corisa's port: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=244
Do your research though. Some beaches in Europe go topless.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

So sorry to see you leave this cruise, Tammy! But what a great deal for you to still be sailing the Med, and for longer and more space! Does that cruise also leave out of Barcelona too? Which cruise are you thinking of for 2011? I'm moving my WBTA from Sept 2010 to a Mexican Riviera in March 2011. My TA can't book till Sept 28th though since I'm a lowly silver CC member!

Yes, the cruise leaves on May 27th and returns to Barcelona on June 8th. Then we are flying to spend a few days in London before we leave on the 6/12 Baltic from Dover. I am planning on booking the TA in May and the first Med in 2011. However, I am not sure if I am going to want to do it after next summer, but I will have it booked if I do.

I am barely a gold, just made it!

 

[CONNIEOSCI]

Just booked the may 26, 2010 cruise. It will be my self with my dad, my daughter and her husband and my 4 grandsons (13,11,7,5)
we are on deck 6 on the inside cabins. I did the first med in 2007.
One tip if you are travel by air in europe remember the weight for bags is less. Like if you go from paris to barcelona. Check some people on the first med went to paris before going home and had to paid extra for bags. Getting off the ship in barcelona was easy. We had a flight out a 11:00am got to the airport by 8:30am.
We used disney tranfers to airport.

Connie Williams from TN

 

[sinnika]

Just booked the may 26, 2010 cruise. It will be my self with my dad, my daughter and her husband and my 4 grandsons (13,11,7,5)
we are on deck 6 on the inside cabins. I did the first med in 2007.
One tip if you are travel by air in europe remember the weight for bags is less. Like if you go from paris to barcelona. Check some people on the first med went to paris before going home and had to paid extra for bags. Getting off the ship in barcelona was easy. We had a flight out a 11:00am got to the airport by 8:30am.
We used disney tranfers to airport.

Connie Williams from TN

Welcome! Glad to have an experienced DCL Med cruiser on our meet! And thanks for the tip about the luggage. That confirms my plans for going by train from Paris to Barcelona! Looking forward to hearing what excursions you did and if you booked them on your own or did DCL excursions.

 

[AnnMarie3]

So sorry to report that we have had to cancel our med cruise. This trip was to celebrate my parent's 80th birthdays. My mom decided that she did not want to travel that far. So, we are doing the April 3 Western Caribbean instead, with plans to book Alaska for 2011. Hope everyone has a wonderful trip. Sorry that I won't be meeting all of you.

Ann Marie

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Hello everybody!! I am moving this Med cruise to 2011 tomorrow. My best friend and I have decided to book the Brilliance of the Seas for May 2010. So I am moving the mini repo and the med to 2011. I will still be on the Disney Baltic on June 12th, but not the med or the mini repo I had planned. The Brilliance is going to Athens in addition to Civitavecchia, Florence and Naples. We were able to get two rooms, one balcony, and one inside, for 12 nights on the Brilliance for about what I was paying with the kids free for a Cat 9 for all four in the same room on the Magic. Then we are going to fly to London and I will catch the Disney Magic in Dover for the Baltic. I will keep checking here for good ideas!

Okay. I was suffering from temporary insanity!! I switched back after I sleep on it. What is wrong with me?

 

[sinnika]

Okay. I was suffering from temporary insanity!! I switched back after I sleep on it. What is wrong with me?

Yea!!! I know, those other cruise lines are out to tempt us! I've only sailed one other cruise line years ago. Can't even remember which one it was. It was a deal, but it was also a rust bucket and the food was just so, so. And I don't even remember any worthwhile entertainment. I think I have totally blocked it out!

Did you book a 2011 cruise? I'm wait-listed for the Mexican Riviera over Spring break. Also thinking of the LA to Vancouver repo. That would be so cool. I've got 2 dummy cruises to move. Think I need to email my TA...
I am letting them do my bookings. Don't want to go thru the fiasco like on Sept 21st. Besides, I'll be in WDW then! We leave tomorrow evening for a birthday trip. DD turns 14 on Sept 25th. We are staying at Ft Wilderness cabins, a first for us. This will be her 15th visit to WDW so needless to say, we are going to relax and do our favorites!

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Yea!!! I know, those other cruise lines are out to tempt us! I've only sailed one other cruise line years ago. Can't even remember which one it was. It was a deal, but it was also a rust bucket and the food was just so, so. And I don't even remember any worthwhile entertainment. I think I have totally blocked it out!

Did you book a 2011 cruise? I'm wait-listed for the Mexican Riviera over Spring break. Also thinking of the LA to Vancouver repo. That would be so cool. I've got 2 dummy cruises to move. Think I need to email my TA...
I am letting them do my bookings. Don't want to go thru the fiasco like on Sept 21st. Besides, I'll be in WDW then! We leave tomorrow evening for a birthday trip. DD turns 14 on Sept 25th. We are staying at Ft Wilderness cabins, a first for us. This will be her 15th visit to WDW so needless to say, we are going to relax and do our favorites!

I did book an alaskan cruise but I doubt that I am going to keep it. Too expensive after all the money I am spending on this cruise extravaganza for 2010. Maybe I will sail alaska at some point but it needs to be a bit less expensive.

 

[wrennies]

Just booked the may 26, 2010 cruise. It will be my self with my dad, my daughter and her husband and my 4 grandsons (13,11,7,5)
we are on deck 6 on the inside cabins. I did the first med in 2007.
One tip if you are travel by air in europe remember the weight for bags is less. Like if you go from paris to barcelona. Check some people on the first med went to paris before going home and had to paid extra for bags. Getting off the ship in barcelona was easy. We had a flight out a 11:00am got to the airport by 8:30am.
We used disney tranfers to airport.

Connie Williams from TN

My boys are about the same age as your grandchildren - 15, 13, 12. We are from Knoxville TN (with my oldest-stepson-going to school in Murfreesboro, TN).
I was wondering if you were close by. I would love to know if you have your flights, etc...arranged yet also. Maybe we can share info.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

My boys are about the same age as your grandchildren - 15, 13, 12. We are from Knoxville TN (with my oldest-stepson-going to school in Murfreesboro, TN).
I was wondering if you were close by. I would love to know if you have your flights, etc...arranged yet also. Maybe we can share info.

I am a professor at MTSU. What a small world!

 

[wrennies]

I am a professor at MTSU. What a small world!

I believe my step-son's step-father is also a professor there. My step-son goes to Oakland HS.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

I believe my step-son's step-father is also a professor there. My step-son goes to Oakland HS.

My son goes to Siegel High School. Really small world!

 

[wrennies]

So for all of you that have done this cruise thing before, what is the earliest that I could book a flight out of BCN on saturday morning. The best prices are 8:20 am...I know that is too early, but I see that delta has one at 10:45. Would that work?