Much Anticipated Med Cruise 6/29/2011

[keenercam]

Quick question for those from the Northeast. What airline are you flying and when are you departing? If you don't mind me asking, what was your round-trip airfare? I am just astonished with how high the airfare is, but we are going to book tonight or tomorrow rather than risk not getting the flights we want.

 

[johnwdw]

Quick question for those from the Northeast. What airline are you flying and when are you departing? If you don't mind me asking, what was your round-trip airfare? I am just astonished with how high the airfare is, but we are going to book tonight or tomorrow rather than risk not getting the flights we want.

Hello keenercam,

We are from the Boston area, but we are in the same boat as you. We have not gotten our flights yet either. At this point, we are looking at around 1500.00 per person. I am doing a 3 legged trip. BOS to PAR, PAR to BCN and then BCN to BOS/ My wife works with some people who travel to Europe frequently and she says they think it is too early to book and prices will come down a little. Based on what I am seeing it is looking like Air France for us.

 

[DCLShel]

Quick question for those from the Northeast. What airline are you flying and when are you departing? If you don't mind me asking, what was your round-trip airfare? I am just astonished with how high the airfare is, but we are going to book tonight or tomorrow rather than risk not getting the flights we want.

Hey Cam- I know I'm in Midwest but we're flying from JFK directly go BCN on American. I thought the fewer connections, the less chance to lose a suitcase!

I've also heard that the prices will start to drop about a month out. I would just be too nervous to wait that long.

 

[deplion]

Don't know if this will help anybody, but we are flying out of DC (IAD) and into Madrid on June 27. The total price per ticket was less than $700 through Spanair.

That was the cheapest airfare we have found into Europe in late June /
July for a couple of years. We couldn't find anything into Europe for less than $1100 last year. The catch with this flight is, the earliest departure we could find wasn't until July 13.

It works for us because we wanted to spend a few days exploring Spain anyway, but it is going to be somewhat inconvenient getting to Barcelona and then back to Madrid for our return flight.

If interested, we booked it about a week ago. The fare may still be available, but I'm not sure.

 

[keenercam]

I am really hoping they might drop in the next month or so. We are pretty flexible on when to fly PHL to BCN because we can go as early as Saturday or as late as Monday and we'd make the most of the situation, however it turns out. But I agree with DCLShel, that we want a non-stop flight, and right now that is over $1500/person RT. EEK! I need to decide and book soon, however, because I don't want to risk there not being 4 seats available. And I want to do the trip insurance once I have all the other details ironed out.

 

[jonida3]

We booked air several months ago and even then it was over $1K/person - trying to spread out the expenses! I booked hotel yesterday. We get in two days early and had to get two rooms since there are 5 of us so we are at (put on a Spanish accent) "Le Holidai Inno". Now I am booking excursions... and insurance... Did you see you can rent formal wear on board??!! What a neat idea!! Stay warm everyone!

 

[TPBChick]

Hi Cam,
I just checked US Airways. It is $1,144 roundtrip PHL-BCN for 6/26/11-7/12/11 if you can spend a couple extra days in Barcelona. We are going to be on the 6/26/11 flight. My husband decided not to go on the trip so it is just going to be my son and I. I sure wish I could give you his non-refundable ticket .

 

[keenercam]

Hi Cam,
I just checked US Airways. It is $1,144 roundtrip PHL-BCN for 6/26/11-7/12/11 if you can spend a couple extra days in Barcelona. We are going to be on the 6/26/11 flight. My husband decided not to go on the trip so it is just going to be my son and I. I sure wish I could give you his non-refundable ticket .

UGH! Suzanne, I am so sorry your husband decided not to go. Is there any way you can pay a change fee to make that ticket usable by someone else or for a different flight he might have to take? That is such a shame.

Okay, I now have all the information that was PM'ed to me in a document, that I am ready to email to everyone who has sent me their info. Once you have it, please review your information and let me know if I have anything on there that is inaccurate or that you don't want on there. I will then circulate a revised draft if necessary and will ask everyone to delete this first draft. Does that sound okay?

Before I circulate, each of you listed below please confirm that I can share it with everyone else on the list. Here is who is on the list:

DCLShel
DorothyDamato
TPBChick
thinkoflaura
macassi
jonida3

Looks like, based on this thread, the ship won't be very crowded, huh?

 

[keenercam]

Hey, I just thought of something else. Does anyone want me to put their hotel on the list, too, so that cruisers can meet up ahead of time if they want? If so, send me a PM with your hotel name and dates you'll be there. WOW! My "kids" would love to meet other cruisers at the hotel, maybe go swimming together, or to hotel breakfast, etc.

 

[keenercam]

Sorry for the serial posts, guys, but I wanted to share with you this post from another thread I have going looking for the 10 day Med navigators.

Here are some of the Navigators from the 10 night cruise from last year that sailed May 26th.


www.worldofmouse.com/2010-med-navigators.html

I was excited to finally find those since I haven't seen 10 day Med navigators anywhere else here on the DIS.

 

[DCLShel]

Sorry for the serial posts, guys, but I wanted to share with you this post from another thread I have going looking for the 10 day Med navigators.



I was excited to finally find those since I haven't seen 10 day Med navigators anywhere else here on the DIS.

Thanks for posting this!!

 

[3 girls mom]

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted! My DH has been making arrangements, including BCN hotel and some non-Disney tours. We'll be arriving in BCN on Monday morning (the 27th). I know many are talking about flights. Coming from Houston, we're taking Delta through Atlanta to get to BCN. We bought our tickets back in August for about $1300 (incl tax). We're using miles for 2 of our tickets, so that's helping some.

I don't have enough posts to PM our room info. Working on that.

 

[keenercam]

I don't have enough posts to PM our room info. Working on that.

Feel free to email me at keenercam@aol.com

 

[3 girls mom]

Thanks!

 

[deplion]

Two quick pieces of news:

1. The Tunis stop is out and has been replaced by Palermo Italy.

2. DCL is now offering "guaranteed" outside cabins and verandah rooms at a pretty nice discount off of their current prices. The Oceanview guarantee rooms are now $1799 per adult, and the Verandah rooms are now $2099 per adult.

We had booked an Inside room at $2099, but I called today and got them to change it to a verandah room for the same price. Two major restrictions -- the fare is completely non-refundable and is 100% payable the day you book the room.

Hope it might help somebody on here.

 

[thinkoflaura]

Two quick pieces of news:

1. The Tunis stop is out and has been replaced by Palermo Italy.

2. DCL is now offering "guaranteed" outside cabins and verandah rooms at a pretty nice discount off of their current prices. The Oceanview guarantee rooms are now $1799 per adult, and the Verandah rooms are now $2099 per adult.

We had booked an Inside room at $2099, but I called today and got them to change it to a verandah room for the same price. Two major restrictions -- the fare is completely non-refundable and is 100% payable the day you book the room.

Hope it might help somebody on here.

thanks for the tip on the outside/room rate - I'll check it out!

and i just got the email about Palermo too... should be a cool stop!

 

[DorothyDamato]

Hey DEPLION!

I don't have the papers in front of me - But when you originally booked, they should have sent you an offical piece of paper with a bunch of information on it - Front to Back. On the back top part, it tells you that boarding starts at 1pm. Also, at some point, I was fishing around the Disney Cruise site and found boarding information for Barcelona. It states that the Disney Port opens at 10am and boarding starts at 1pm. Other Med cruisers also said around 4pm there is a Muster in Drill of some sort.
They hold a Sail Away party that was at 4:45 pm in the past even though they stated the ship didn't actually leave the port until 9:30 pm. So it sounds like you will have plenty of time.

Rome in Limo - I sent an e-mail, and they told me that it will be 550 for 7 of us for Rome. So thats 275 a piece if you are still interested (I am editing my first note). If you want to do this for sure, let me know so I can notify them. Plus, the owner said that If I wanted to do this, you can just send them a note letting them know and giving them a credit card number. They don't use it. They actually want to be paid at the time of services in Euro travelers checks or Euros. Keep in mind that the tour does not include any of the costs for lunch, gratuities, or entrance fees into vatican or forum etc. If you go to the Rome in Limo site and look at the best of Rome tour - it gives you an idea of all the stops. It does recommend (and it has links) to prepurchase the Vatican and the Colisium tickets.

I don't know if it would help you to know the type of 'tourist' I am - or my family. We don't spend alot of time reading every piece of information provided. I might do a quick glance and move on. I suppose that is why I also requested a private tour guide at the Vatican. Too much to cover to spend time reading - Someone telling me all the highlights while I walk seemed better time management to me. - I get excited at everything I am going to see - so I walk kind of fast (My husband says we are doing the 'death march' when we go to Disney). You have 2 little ones - I am guessing not looking at alot of minutia will be ok with you. But then again - its not like you have to stick with us if you want to go off on your own. We are easy. Sounds like the driver takes us someplace and drops us off - and then tells us to be back by a certain time. I think it would be fune to travel with another party.

 

[DorothyDamato]

It sounds like you all got an e-mail that Tunisia changed to Palermo? I didnt?
KeenerCam - I am staying at Novotel in Barcelona City on 6/28.
I upgraded my room to veranduh - Have to get my room info to you.

OK - what's PM? Is that just Posting a message?
And what is that "fish" list thing you were talking about?

 

[keenercam]

Dorothy - I've put my answers to your questions inside your post quoted below, in red. I hope my answers help.

It sounds like you all got an e-mail that Tunisia changed to Palermo? I didnt?

Dorothy, you should have heard from Disney or your travel agent by now that the Tunisia stop has been replaced with a stop at Palermo instead

KeenerCam - I am staying at Novotel in Barcelona City on 6/28.
I upgraded my room to veranduh - Have to get my room info to you.
Thanks, Dorothy.
OK - what's PM? Is that just Posting a message?
You can click on my username to the left of my post and you'll get a drop-down list that includes sending me a PM (stands for Private Message, the DIS Board's internal email system) or email me, which goes to my AOL address
Notifications of PMs appear in the upper right corner of your DIS screen under where it says "Welcome DorothyDamato" -- it says "your notifications" and if you have any messages and you click there, it shows your messages


And what is that "fish" list thing you were talking about?
To the left of the cabin door, there is a metal fish which acts as a clip on which cast members and others can leave you messages, like confirmations of spa appointments, PALO reservations, etc. Many people use that FISH as a hook from which to hang a "fish extender", it is a type of pocketed hanging (kind of what you might put Christmas cards in?) and people here on the DIS coordinate ahead of time to exchange gifts, token gifts, souvenirs, home-state memorabilia, etc. by leaving the gifts in the fish extenders. Hopefully, that explanation makes sense.

I hope all of that helps. If not, feel free to email me and I am glad to help.

 

[DCLShel]

Two quick pieces of news:

1. The Tunis stop is out and has been replaced by Palermo Italy.

2. DCL is now offering "guaranteed" outside cabins and verandah rooms at a pretty nice discount off of their current prices. The Oceanview guarantee rooms are now $1799 per adult, and the Verandah rooms are now $2099 per adult.

We had booked an Inside room at $2099, but I called today and got them to change it to a verandah room for the same price. Two major restrictions -- the fare is completely non-refundable and is 100% payable the day you book the room.

Hope it might help somebody on here.

Thanks for the info! As of today, I have not heard from my TA about the change - and I'm not very happy about it either. It seems to me that a change in itinerary warrants some sort of notice from her.

I did send my TA an email today inquiring about the oceanview stateroom at the GTY rate. According to DCL's website, it was only a little bit higher than our current rate. Totally worth the extra money for a porthole & a split bath! Now, I just have to see if she responds to me - ugh! If I don't hear back from her within 24 hours, I'll be removing her from my reservation.