May Med Magic - May 15 2010 - Meet thread

[rashdecision]

I am getting worried, but I just got off the phone with Delta and they said it was a "legal" connection (they had to explain what that meant). They told me to call the day before or the morning of our flight and ask what the gate assignments are and look them up online at the airport to be ready to move once we hit the ground. Next worry....when we arrive in Madrid...don't we have to go through customs before we can board our connecting flight on Spanair? Could that take long? We have a 70 minute layover .
We have hardly ever flown and never out of the country.....I should have looked more into it before buying tickets online. Anne

We are Atlanta airport veterans and I will tell you that odds are very good that you will make your flight out of Atlanta. Reason being is that over half of those flights are delayed leaving so be more worried about your connection in Madrid. One of my patients is a pilot and felt like if you do leave late from Atlanta, the pilots can make up time in the air if necessary. Atlanta is a wasteland of an airport. You will get out to your plane in time then wait 40 mins on the runway in a line of backed up planes. We fly through atlanta on the 12th and found out we have 5 hours of layover in the atlanta airport. Has anyone purchased Delta ski room (or whatever it is called) passes for a day for a family?

 

[trampslady]

FOUR WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!!!

We leave four weeks from today for Barcelona, via Madrid on AA, connecting to Iberia. We arrive around 1pm on Thursday, and we plan to use the HOHO bus for our sightseeing. We are staying at Hotel Regina at Plaza Catalunya right off the Las Ramblas. We are also staying two extra nights on the back end of the trip at the same hotel, and we plan a train ride out to the monestary.

My huband leaves for two weeks in Bavaria on Friday, and it's KILLING ME to not go with him. But, he will be working long hours, so that's why we decided on this trip for the two of us to enjoy! And, I've spent my fair share of $$ in Germany on past trips! But, still........I hate missing any opportunity to visit Europe. If only my company would let me leave without pay!!

Can't wait to meet everyone and enjoy this fabulous cruise!

 

[Pinmeister]

Breakfast and lunch are up to you. You have choices of Topsiders buffet or Lumiere's sit down and order from a menu. Times vary, check your daily navagator. Also room service 24 hours. And don't forget pizza, burgers, salads, wraps and fresh fruit by the pools. You will not go hungry!

Thanks for the info. All I need now is willpower.
A friend just got back from her cruise and she said she gained a pound for every night of her cruise. I keep telling myself that I'll be doing a lot of walking on all the port excursions.

 

[Welsh Girl]

Oh my goodness...that's nearly a stone QUOTE=Pinmeister;36249872]Thanks for the info. All I need now is willpower.
A friend just got back from her cruise and she said she gained a pound for every night of her cruise. I keep telling myself that I'll be doing a lot of walking on all the port excursions.[/QUOTE]

 

[peterpanstout]

Trampslady, I feel your pain. I would be devastated if my husband was going to Europe without me...even for business.

Jeff/Rashdecision: do you think the freakout/non-freakout about the airport is a male/female thing? LOL! Just so happens that just as I read the question, my husbands flight was delayed in Stuttgart, so he missed his flight in Frankfurt (thus missing his meeting in DC). He had an hour lay over.

Rash, I sent you a PM, btw.

 

[Welsh Girl]

Hi all!! Am off now to Monte Carlo for 4 days on a Hen do We are staying in Eze and might go the to the perfume factory so will let you know if it's worth going

 

[moneyhappy]

Thanks for the info. All I need now is willpower.
A friend just got back from her cruise and she said she gained a pound for every night of her cruise. I keep telling myself that I'll be doing a lot of walking on all the port excursions.

I take 100 calorie packs with me. I am so worried about putting on weight that I will loss some instead.

 

[moneyhappy]

Well, it just so happens my team and I sat around a table with a few pitchers of beer (maybe a few too many) tonight talking about this very subject. We became engineers to do amazing things...not fly to low Earth orbit for the last 29 years. We landed people on the moon 40 years ago with slide rules and computers with less capacity that what's in the typical kitchen appliance today! So we spend the last 3+ years figuring out how to get back to the moon and perhaps beyond and then we get a new Administration that decides we need to cancel that program and instead work on technology development. Technology development to do WHAT?

What kid in elementary school or high school is going to be inspired to pursue a career in science, math or engineering to do technology development? We as a country can come up with billions of dollars to fund a Cash for Clunkers car rebate program but we can't find a few billion to explore the solar system? Sadly, the reality is that the powers that be don't really care what NASA is doing any more. As long as the money keeps flowing to the states that house the NASA Centers and that money flows into the local economies, who cares if NASA really produces or does anything? The people that care are the workers. We still want to do great things. Sorry, my rant is completely and I'll shut up now. Back to the cruise.

You are correct on soooooo many levels!!!

 

[moneyhappy]

And they are up on the Roll Call. Great pics Tammy. Thanks.

Thanks

 

[pixiedust519]

Hi all!! Am off now to Monte Carlo for 4 days on a Hen do We are staying in Eze and might go the to the perfume factory so will let you know if it's worth going

Oh fun!! Any tips you can provide on Monte Carlo and Eze when you return would be much appreciated!! We have a DCL excursion booked but are thinking of cancelling it and doing that port on our own. I'll be doing lots of research on it this weekend. All the tour companies are full so at least by doing it on our own we will get to see everything we want and will save a lot of money!

Have a great time!!

 

[supercruiser420]

so DCL called me today because we dont have ground transfers booked in Barcelona too and from the ship. Disney offers transfer from the ship the airport for $30 pp. There are 8 in our group. Does anyone ahve suggetsions for how to get back to the airport. Anyone do this back in 07' or hae anything booked?? Any help would be great. Thanks so Much.

Jon

 

[jojo6617]

Hi all!! Am off now to Monte Carlo for 4 days on a Hen do We are staying in Eze and might go the to the perfume factory so will let you know if it's worth going

Wow lucky you!!!! I wish i was going Natalie have a fab time, you can tell us whats worth seeing

 

[sayhello]

Hey, for Jeff, HIS FAMILY, and the single ladies: ( ) I finally heard from Blake, and he will be joining us at our table for dinner. I've linked his reservation with ours.

Jeff...I completely agree with you. Was just talking with my boss today at lunch about how we can't find qualified American candidates for our jobs...seems like the only ones that are applying are from India. (Nothing against folks who work hard from India.) Today's American youth are not being inspired to study math, science, and engineering...it seems the only heroes these days that kids look up to are sports figures and faux celebrities. My brother and I grew up watching the Shuttle launches and dreamed of going into space. Funny enough, we both ended up in technical careers.

Jill in CO

I don't know about the American youth, but those of us who are already in the technology business (computers in my case) are finding our jobs being taken away by people from India. I have nothing against folks from India -- I work with a lot of them, and like them a lot -- but with the economy slowly recovering, and new work coming to us, instead of hiring back the folks that were let go during the downturn, or giving the work to those of us barely holding on to our jobs, the powers that be are opening a branch office in Mumbai, and hiring Indian programmers to do all the new work. It's hard to inspire the youth of America to study for jobs that won't be there when they graduate because the work is all going to folks from India who work for $27,000 a year.

Just my 2 cents' worth.

Sayhello

 

[abdmom]

so DCL called me today because we dont have ground transfers booked in Barcelona too and from the ship. Disney offers transfer from the ship the airport for $30 pp. There are 8 in our group. Does anyone ahve suggetsions for how to get back to the airport. Anyone do this back in 07' or hae anything booked?? Any help would be great. Thanks so Much.

Jon

We have a van booked with Spanish Trails and Adventure. The cost for my group of 4 is 70 euros.

 

[jenandmartin]

Hi everyone...31 days!!!

I was speaking to this woman originally from the Naples area and I told her we were going to Pompeii while docked in Naples. She told me of Herculaneum, another site ruined by the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption she thought was as visit worthy if not more than Pompeii. I came across this video of Herculaneum that I thought was quite interesting.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/herculaneum-uncovered/108/

She also mentioned that the Naples museum is a must see!

Just thought I'd share!

 

[peterpanstout]

Ooooh, thanks! I am excited about seeing Herculaneum. Seeing the video will get the little guy really excited!

 

[ICollectBelle]

so DCL called me today because we dont have ground transfers booked in Barcelona too and from the ship. Disney offers transfer from the ship the airport for $30 pp. There are 8 in our group. Does anyone ahve suggetsions for how to get back to the airport. Anyone do this back in 07' or hae anything booked?? Any help would be great. Thanks so Much.

Jon

Suntransfers.com - We have a group of 7 and the cost one way is 56 Euros. They have options for transfers to and from the port or airport.

 

[jenandmartin]

Ok, so I'm trying to do a little trip planning today...

For those wanting to go "deeper" into Rome...here's a neat link to the necropolis under St. Peter's Basilica. The tomb of St. Peter is said to lie here.

http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html

If you want to see it first hand, you'll need to send an email requesting permission to visit in advance as they only allow 200-250 visitors per day. The cost is 12 Euro per person. We just got our confirmation.

 

[jedijill]

Ok, so I'm trying to do a little trip planning today...

For those wanting to go "deeper" into Rome...here's a neat link to the necropolis under St. Peter's Basilica. The tomb of St. Peter is said to lie here.

http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html

If you want to see it first hand, you'll need to send an email requesting permission to visit in advance as they only allow 200-250 visitors per day. The cost is 12 Euro per person. We just got our confirmation.

I did this tour in 2007 and it is amazing! Well worth your time and money. Make sure your have your email confirmation...you will need to show it to the Swiss Guards to get to the tour meeting place.

Jill in CO

 

[rashdecision]

Trampslady, I feel your pain. I would be devastated if my husband was going to Europe without me...even for business.

Jeff/Rashdecision: do you think the freakout/non-freakout about the airport is a male/female thing? LOL! Just so happens that just as I read the question, my husbands flight was delayed in Stuttgart, so he missed his flight in Frankfurt (thus missing his meeting in DC). He had an hour lay over.

Rash, I sent you a PM, btw.

Got it! I will wait to update the concierge and the web site until next week since there are more people probably to add.

Got my docs from the TA today as well as the Rick Steves Spain book.

My TA is giving us a cell phone that works with a sim card that we order from the internet so we can communicate back to the states with ease! You may want to speak with your TA regarding this since she states many offer this.