Mystery at Sea

[mkh]

I don't think it's the Mediteranean. I think it's Alaska and Hawaii. Think about all the success of their west coast cruises. They're definetly going to Alaska and Hawaii.

 

[webray]

I don't think it's the Mediteranean. I think it's Alaska and Hawaii. Think about all the success of their west coast cruises. They're definetly going to Alaska and Hawaii.

Probably eventually, but not in 2007. The ships are not ready for Alaska.

 

[LegalBriefs]

ok, i have an idea that I need help with... I have been trying to identify the Stamp on the postcard... it has 3 hourglasses, it seems rather distintive, but, I have had no luck finding it online... .anyone here know a good stamp encylopedia, or an avid collector...? I think it would be the first CLEAR indicator... oh, and that IS Gibralter... I have a picture i took in almost that exact same spot...

 

[disneylover5]

I don't think it's the Mediteranean. I think it's Alaska and Hawaii. Think about all the success of their west coast cruises. They're definetly going to Alaska and Hawaii.

I don't think so...why would be compass be pointing EAST??

East from Florida to Hawaii would be a very long way

 

[mkh]

Probably eventually, but not in 2007. The ships are not ready for Alaska.

How do you know the ships aren't ready for Alaska yet?

 

[Disneynut1955]

How do you know the ships aren't ready for Alaska yet?

The ships hull was not designed for icy waters nor does it have enclosed recreation areas like other ships that are dedicated to the Alaska region. Further, the law would require this ship to stop at a foreign port and last I checked, there are no independent countries between Alaska and Hawaii.

There is no way any sane person would sail between Alaska and Hawaii, the ship would need stops in order to generate revenue. Sorry, but this is a no-go! Nothing in the clues would indicate such a trip. The trips to Mexico, although popular with guests produced a lower per head gross than the current cruises and will not repeated anytime soon.

 

[bonzie1]

How do you know the ships aren't ready for Alaska yet?

While not the original poster with this info, I'll throw in my 2 cents... when I called DCL a few weeks back and spoke with a manager, he also mentioned the ships are not ready for Alaska yet... and the cold weather...

Right now, I'd put my other 2 cents on the Med.

 

[bonzie1]

While this is my DW's user name, as her DH I thought I'd drop my 2cents on the clues. I am a retired Chief QuaterMaster (USN & USCG). While in the navy my speciality was Signalman (morse code!).

You've all hit the nail on the head decoding the (2) messages. Both begin Magic Awaits. The latest message "Hot lava has gone to the birds" is a simple reference to Naples Italy & Mt. Vesuvius. Having been to Napoli several times I can tell you the volcano is a MAJOR landmark.

The first message regarding how the "Queen loves her Pizza" also, another Itialian reference, however possibly a different port...

As for the monkeys on the post card... Yes thats Gilbralter (gateway to the Mediterranean sea). I've actually climed the rock and taken pictures of the monkeys.

Just to make this more interesting. Sicily has the largest volcano in the world (active - Hot Lava) Mt. Etna (been there also)... The (2) ports that serve Sicily Catania and Polermo both have relative access to the volcano...

From what I've seen and heard we're going to the Med. next year!!!

WOW! Great information. Thanks for jumping in!

 

[eeyoretat]

ok, i have an idea that I need help with... I have been trying to identify the Stamp on the postcard... it has 3 hourglasses, it seems rather distintive, but, I have had no luck finding it online... .anyone here know a good stamp encylopedia, or an avid collector...? I think it would be the first CLEAR indicator... oh, and that IS Gibralter... I have a picture i took in almost that exact same spot...

shouldn't the postage stamp be from spain? if the post card is from the rock of gilbrator that is spain right? besides spain is home base for some famous picaso works of art. one of his pieces has hourglasses in it. i don't remember what city in spain i saw picaso's work.

 

[ceejay13]

I do agree that it seems like the Med is a shoe in but I've been saying for a couple of weeks I wouldn't put it past them to surprise us all with Alaska. Whichever it is, I'm sure they are all loving our determination to figure out the clues.

 

[disneylover5]

ok, i have an idea that I need help with... I have been trying to identify the Stamp on the postcard... it has 3 hourglasses, it seems rather distintive, but, I have had no luck finding it online... .anyone here know a good stamp encylopedia, or an avid collector...? I think it would be the first CLEAR indicator... oh, and that IS Gibralter... I have a picture i took in almost that exact same spot...

How about this...the stamp is not a postage stamp at all but a PASSPORT STAMP. The hourglass is the # of days between stops. The first page set up had one hourglass.....one day from Castaway Cay to New York. The second set up page has 3 hourglasses...3 days from New York City to the Rock of Gibraltar. I really have no idea at all how log it would take to cruise from NYC across...jsut another guess....

 

[icunurse_celeste]

There was a French newspaper which released that DCL had arranged for dockings at Marsielles already- this was several months ago and was sent to me by a TA- unfor. I no longer have the link, but the article was confirmed by someone who spoke french on another board for me.

 

[misseulalie]

Rock of Gilbralter is a British territory if I am not mistaken.

 

[Joan1]

How about this...the stamp is not a postage stamp at all but a PASSPORT STAMP. The hourglass is the # of days between stops. The first page set up had one hourglass.....one day from Castaway Cay to New York. The second set up page has 3 hourglasses...3 days from New York City to the Rock of Gibraltar. I really have no idea at all how log it would take to cruise from NYC across...jsut another guess....

The QM2 takes 6 days to cross the Atlantic from NYC to Southampton England

Where are you seeing the hourglass?

 

[Joan1]

The first message regarding how the "Queen loves her Pizza" also, another Itialian reference, however possibly a different port...

Maybe not since Naples is the birthplace of Pizza

 

[Joan1]

Just an FYI for you...that would be a violation of posting guidelines. If a site cannot be posted here (due to content or being filtered for whatever reason) then trying to get around that block or filter by deliberately posting it another way is violating posting guidelines and can result in the removal of posting priviledges.

Sue Ellen

Sorry Sue Ellen, I thought the person couldn't post yet because they only have a few posts on this board, didn't realize it was against the rules in that instance

 

[disneylover5]

The QM2 takes 6 days to cross the Atlantic from NYC to Southampton England

Where are you seeing the hourglass?

On the stamp

 

[disneyholic family]

In my translation, I also got the "queen loves the" but can't figure out this last word. The first part may be "pie" but what are the remaining letters??

Here is the last word in morse code:

.--. .. . .-.-.-

dot dash dot dash dot dash is morse code for "stop" as in period.
so that last bit is pie stop (end of sentence).

at least that's my understanding of morse code.

so what it said at the bottom of the page was "the queen just loves the pie"

whatever that means.....

 

[disneyholic family]

to summarize my earlier posts:

the fountain pen clue refers to France - the fountain pen was invented in France

The hourglass seems to refer to Italy - according to wikipedia: However, it is not until the 14th century that we find evidence of their existence, appearing in a painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti 1328..............Ambrogio Lorenzetti (or Ambruogio Laurati) (c. 1290 - 1348) was a Sienese painter, he was born and died in Siena..............Siena (pop. 52,775 in 2003) is a city in Tuscany, Italy,

Saint Michael seems to refer to France - there are numerous references to St. Michael in France (Mont St. Michel in Normandy, the statue of St. Michael in Paris, etc.)...

the coffee could be a reference to Italy - I live in Europe and Italian coffee is considered by many here as the best coffee.....there are many brands of unbelievably wonderful itallian coffee - which is why when i'm in the states, i can't even stand the smell of starbucks let alone the taste - double yuck...actually gazillion yuck)....

one of the morse codes messages said, "the queen just loves her pie" - i suppose that could refer to pizza pie in Italy....but i don't know..

another morse code message said, "Magic awaits. Hot lava has gone to the birds." which seems to be a reference to Mt. Vesuvius in Italy (and near the port of Naples).

One of the latitude/longitude coordinates was of the Port of New York. Perhaps indicating a north atlantic route in its repo to Europe (so that it can come into Le Havre for a big ceremony for the DLP anniversary...)

 

[disneyholic family]

to summarize my earlier posts:

the fountain pen clue refers to France - the fountain pen was invented in France

The hourglass seems to refer to Italy - according to wikipedia: However, it is not until the 14th century that we find evidence of their existence, appearing in a painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti 1328..............Ambrogio Lorenzetti (or Ambruogio Laurati) (c. 1290 - 1348) was a Sienese painter, he was born and died in Siena..............Siena (pop. 52,775 in 2003) is a city in Tuscany, Italy,

Saint Michael seems to refer to France - there are numerous references to St. Michael in France (Mont St. Michel in Normandy, the statue of St. Michael in Paris, etc.)...

the coffee could be a reference to Italy - I live in Europe and Italian coffee is considered by many here as the best coffee.....there are many brands of unbelievably wonderful itallian coffee - which is why when i'm in the states, i can't even stand the smell of starbucks let alone the taste - double yuck...actually gazillion yuck)....

one of the morse codes messages said, "the queen just loves her pie" - i suppose that could refer to pizza pie in Italy....but i don't know..

another morse code message said, "Magic awaits. Hot lava has gone to the birds." which seems to be a reference to Mt. Vesuvius in Italy (and near the port of Naples).

One of the latitude/longitude coordinates was of the Port of New York. Perhaps indicating a north atlantic route in its repo to Europe (so that it can come into Le Havre for a big ceremony for the DLP anniversary...)

Now that I think about it, Le Havre is in Normandy as is Mont St. Michel (though not near each other, but both in Normandy)....so maybe that's a clue.....

the amount of publicity that DCL could generate by sailing into the Port of New York and then sailing into the English Channel on the way to Le Havre would be worth the entire cost of the repositioning......they could spin it into massive publicity on all the news channels.....
I've sailed both in and out of the Port of New York on a huge ship.....it is totally amazing.....and if anyone knows how to generate publicity, Disney does...
the same is true if they sail into the English Channel....with all the mad disneyholics in the UK....talk about a publicity field day....

i'm betting the eastbound repo cruise will take this route....CC, to NYC, across the northern route of the Atlantic, into the English Channel ending at Le Havre for a big ceremony related to the DLP anniversary...

then either as a continuation of the same cruise or as a new cruise, they'll finish the repositioning by going back through the channel and then down around Spain to get to the Mediterranean where they'll stay for the summer...

finally the westbound repo will probably do something else since they don't need to repeat what they did on the eastbound repo cruise...

geeez......i hope that's it....and boy oh boy would i LOVE to be on that eastbound repo cruise if it's as i think it might be...

i can't wait for March 21 to find out...