New ABD/DCL Mediterranean Adventure

[abdmom]

I would recommend having a look at the regular Port Adventures offered on the Med cruise. Quite a few are similar in tone to the ABD experience.

 

[WeLoveABD]

I wrote ABD re the Baltic cruises (2010)--so far (although I think, or hope, implied not ruled out) no similar plan to have an ABD port trips coupled with the cruise.

 

[sayhello]

Boy, with the $999 Cat 12 rate, and the ABD add-on, this isn't much more expensive than an ABD, and it's several days longer, too... I'm really seriously tempted! The only downside (besides having to back out of my previous plans, which are still a bit in flux) is that DCL was not able to give me a very satisfying answer about "what happens if ABD cancels the ABD portion of the cruise?" The gal from DCL called me back, and still wasn't terribly clear; but the best she could manage was: "Well, they'll know LONG before the 84 day deadline (ABD's guarantee not to cancel less than 84 days before the trip). You should just call them before final payment is due (Jan 15) and they should be able to tell you if it's a go or not. Then you could just cancel the cruise. Or rebook."

That's not exactly giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling. There's no way I'd buy airfare or make other non-refundable plans with that kind of fuzzy answer. I wonder if trip insurance kicks in if *part* of your trip is canceled?

I must admit, though, the opportunity to vacation with HappyGrumpy is an incentive, too...

ACK! If only my Knights & Lights tour was 100% a go and already deposited. Changing my plans wouldn't be an option then, and I could just sigh and say "why did they wait so long to announce this?"

What to do? What to do?

(I know, I know, if this is the worst decision I have to make, I'm twice blessed!)

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

I would recommend having a look at the regular Port Adventures offered on the Med cruise. Quite a few are similar in tone to the ABD experience.

Have you seen the prices of the regular Port Adventures on the Med cruise? Some of them are more expensive than the ABD! There's one tour, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast & Capri, which sounds *similar*, but not as nice as the ABD, and it's $425 per person! The cheapest I saw at that particular Port (Naples, Italy) was $179, and it was nowhere near as nice at the ABD offering. Most seemed to be at least $269.

This ABD is looking like a better and better deal!

Sayhello

 

[abdmom]

Yes, I've priced out the shore excursions. There are a couple of expensive excursions to be sure. But, most are in the $89-$229 range. Even if you spent $229 at each port, OK, let's say you did the $425 one in Naples too, that would be $800 less than ABD.

For us, doing exactly what we want to do with private guides and drivers at two locations, will be one-third the cost of the ABD. And my family gets to choose where to go. And have early seating.

I think I'll save my ABD trips to places where I really couldn't get around on my own.

 

[wdwsos]

Sayhello, say it isn't so! I'm so looking forward to traveling with you. Our trip seems to be becoming a girlfriends' trip since the guys are so outnumbered -- I'd miss you!

That said, you have to do what works best for you!

The AbD/DCL news was announced at the Disney Earmarked Conference in mid-November. At first we were all very excited... until we looked at the price. If traveling alone or even as a couple, it's not outrageous, but this would add a minimum of $12k to any cruise I do with my family. These are the prices I had from then -- not sure if they've been adjusted at all:

$2,399 per adult
$2,159 per child (ages 4-11)

Disney Vacation Club Rate:
$2,299 per adult
$2,069 per child (ages 4-11)

I'm not saying it's not worth every penny and the extras will probably be of exceptional value; it's just not something I think I would do myself. For my clients, it's a little tough as well. Some/most may be able to afford excursions in many ports but not all. This is an all-or-nothing offer.

I also have a little bit of a different take on my own cruises. I LOVE the Disney ships and love cruising. I haven't cruised the Mediterranean with Disney only because I feel I'd lose too much "ship time." With the distances from port to city and back again, and all the time spent on land, I wouldn't get enough time to do what I wanted onboard. AbD has offered the perfect land trips for me (and I love being right in the city that I'm visiting), so my next three cruises I have booked on Disney are once again to the Caribbean. (I do have a cruise to Venice, Croatia, Turkey and Greece booked on one of those "other" cruise lines next September, though!)

So, again, I'm not saying that this wouldn't be fabulous for anyone who books it! It's just not in my immediate future!

Dotti

 

[HappyGrumpy]

Ok Crew here is what the HG camp has decided!

Love Love Love the Idea of this trip! Hubby and I are in total agreement that it would be worth every penny of the $7300 (no air) to take this trip! The Big issue is that it is ALL due Jan 15th....

The only reason we could do 11 days in the Med was when DCL dropped the price of the cat 12 to half of the original cost. $2500 is much easier to come up with than $7300 that quick. At this point I don't want to go to the Med unless we can do both DCL & ABD I truly believe it will be a one of a kind experience. Another HUGE factor for us is that we are currently on a path to pay off our consumer debt and live debt free.

This would definitely set us back if we tried to make all of this happen right now. We are going to choose to wait on this one. It means I have nothing on the books till the Dream Feb 2011!

I would LOVE to travel with you too SayHello! I have a feeling your probably a real hoot! But for now the Med has to wait in order to do the trip the way we want to!

Not sure what our travels will hold for 2010 it remains to be seen! We shall see!

 

[sayhello]

Ok Crew here is what the HG camp has decided!

Love Love Love the Idea of this trip! Hubby and I are in total agreement that it would be worth every penny of the $7300 (no air) to take this trip! The Big issue is that it is ALL due Jan 15th....

The only reason we could do 11 days in the Med was when DCL dropped the price of the cat 12 to half of the original cost. $2500 is much easier to come up with than $7300 that quick. At this point I don't want to go to the Med unless we can do both DCL & ABD I truly believe it will be a one of a kind experience. Another HUGE factor for us is that we are currently on a path to pay off our consumer debt and live debt free.

This would definitely set us back if we tried to make all of this happen right now. We are going to choose to wait on this one. It means I have nothing on the books till the Dream Feb 2011!

I would LOVE to travel with you too SayHello! I have a feeling your probably a real hoot! But for now the Med has to wait in order to do the trip the way we want to!

Not sure what our travels will hold for 2010 it remains to be seen! We shall see!

HG, shucks! I knew it sounded too good to be true to actually get to travel together. Some day.

I'm seriously considering booking this. While I would HATE HATE HATE to pull out of the K&L trip, I agree that this DCL/ABD sounds like a one-of-a-kind experience, and the price is just too good to pass up. (I *will* get used to no windows, I *will* get used to no windows... ) We shall see.

If I do it, I'll let you know ALL about it!

Sayhello

 

[mkmommy]

HG, shucks! I knew it sounded too good to be true to actually get to travel together. Some day.

I'm seriously considering booking this. While I would HATE HATE HATE to pull out of the K&L trip, I agree that this DCL/ABD sounds like a one-of-a-kind experience, and the price is just too good to pass up. (I *will* get used to no windows, I *will* get used to no windows... ) We shall see.

If I do it, I'll let you know ALL about it!

Sayhello

Being strictly selfish(I would love to read a trip report on the DCL/ABD Med trip) I must say the inside rooms on the Magic are nice, and I never felt they were dark and gloomy. For a single traveller it sounds like a perfect trip.

 

[sayhello]

Being strictly selfish(I would love to read a trip report on the DCL/ABD Med trip) I must say the inside rooms on the Magic are nice, and I never felt they were dark and gloomy. For a single traveller it sounds like a perfect trip.

mkmommy, that *does* look like a nice room, much nicer than the inside I had on the Majesty of the Seas! That nice mirror *almost* looks like it could be a porthole... My *biggest* problem is waking up to total darkness, and having NO clue as to the time/weather outside/etc. But for a $2800 difference, I think I could get used to it!

I wish I could get ABD to comp the trip so I could review it and advertise to y'all!

I'm *that* close to signing up...

Sayhello

ETA: I looked at the cabin sizes for the Disney Magic vs the Majesty of the Seas. The smallest inside cabin on the Magic is 184 sq ft. The inside I had on the Majesty (and shared with a friend)? 119 sq ft! NO WONDER I felt so closed in! Good gracious, that's tiny in comparison! The Magic's Interior is still QUITE a bit larger than even the Oceanview I had on the Grandeur - 154 sq ft! So, at least size-wise, I certainly won't feel closed in. If I can just get used to the lack of sunlight.

 

[mkmommy]

I wish I could get ABD to comp the trip so I could review it and advertise to y'all!

I'm *that* close to signing up...

Sayhello

I agree, they should, I am sure your reports have gotten more than a few people to book.

There is a station on the TV that is a live shot of the ship, not sure if it is on the back or front of the ship, so it is pretty much black at night and then in the morning with daylight the screen lightens up and shows you what it is like outside.

 

[abdmom]

SayHello,

If I can book one of those cat12 GTY's with 3 kids for 5/15, you can book one for yourself. Maybe you can come visit us so that your room will feel real spacious in comparison.

 

[Diskidatheart]

mkmommy, that *does* look like a nice room, much nicer than the inside I had on the Majesty of the Seas! That nice mirror *almost* looks like it could be a porthole... My *biggest* problem is waking up to total darkness, and having NO clue as to the time/weather outside/etc. But for a $2800 difference, I think I could get used to it!

I hear ya about waking up in total darkness. I've been on a few cruises and had a balcony room on the last two. I never had an inside room, I felt I need to see outside the cabin. I saw the price of the balcony rooms on this particular trip and for that price difference I would definitely think about sucking it up and getting an inside cabin. If my calculations are correct, that would be about a $5,000 savings for my wife and I. For that savings, we could almost do a separate ABD trip too.

You've got a tough decision ahead of you, but it's also a win/win decision. Good luck and I'm sure no matter which one you choose, it will be a wonderful time.

 

[sayhello]

I agree, they should, I am sure your reports have gotten more than a few people to book.

There is a station on the TV that is a live shot of the ship, not sure if it is on the back or front of the ship, so it is pretty much black at night and then in the morning with daylight the screen lightens up and shows you what it is like outside.

Oh! That's good to know. I could just tune into that station, and leave it on when I go to bed. It would be sort of a night-light, and give me an idea of what's going on outside when I wake up. Thanks. That actually makes me feel MUCH better. This is sounding more and MORE doable!

SayHello,

If I can book one of those cat12 GTY's with 3 kids for 5/15, you can book one for yourself. Maybe you can come visit us so that your room will feel real spacious in comparison.

Um, you make a compelling argument there!

I hear ya about waking up in total darkness. I've been on a few cruises and had a balcony room on the last two. I never had an inside room, I felt I need to see outside the cabin. I saw the price of the balcony rooms on this particular trip and for that price difference I would definitely think about sucking it up and getting an inside cabin. If my calculations are correct, that would be about a $5,000 savings for my wife and I. For that savings, we could almost do a separate ABD trip too.

You've got a tough decision ahead of you, but it's also a win/win decision. Good luck and I'm sure no matter which one you choose, it will be a wonderful time.

It's a $2800 savings for me, just between an Outside (window) and the inside. And that's if I compare the May 5th 10-night for the Outside (much cheaper). If I compare the Cat 12 to an Outside for the same May 15th cruise, it's a difference of almost $3900. That savings MORE than pays for the ABD add-on! Heck, it pays for the ABD add-on, my airfare, my pre-night hotel, and then some! So if I go, it will definitely be the Cat 12 GTY. There's NO way I could justify it otherwise...

Getting closer & closer to saying "Yes"...

(If it wasn't for disappointing the folks I'd said I'd go on K&L with, I'd be a definite "Go" for this. But the K&L tour is still up in the air. They haven't gotten enough people yet. Working on it, but still not there.)

Sayhello

 

[DisFan10]

Oh! That's good to know. I could just tune into that station, and leave it on when I go to bed. It would be sort of a night-light, and give me an idea of what's going on outside when I wake up. Thanks. That actually makes me feel MUCH better. This is sounding more and MORE doable!

Um, you make a compelling argument there!

It's a $2800 savings for me, just between an Outside (window) and the inside. And that's if I compare the May 5th 10-night for the Outside (much cheaper). If I compare the Cat 12 to an Outside for the same May 15th cruise, it's a difference of almost $3900. That savings MORE than pays for the ABD add-on! Heck, it pays for the ABD add-on, my airfare, my pre-night hotel, and then some! So if I go, it will definitely be the Cat 12 GTY. There's NO way I could justify it otherwise...

Getting closer & closer to saying "Yes"...

(If it wasn't for disappointing the folks I'd said I'd go on K&L with, I'd be a definite "Go" for this. But the K&L tour is still up in the air. They haven't gotten enough people yet. Working on it, but still not there.)

Sayhello

Say it isn't so, SayHello!! We were looking forward to meeting you and being part of your K&L trip report... maybe you can take the cruise in 2011?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I agree, they should, I am sure your reports have gotten more than a few people to book.

There is a station on the TV that is a live shot of the ship, not sure if it is on the back or front of the ship, so it is pretty much black at night and then in the morning with daylight the screen lightens up and shows you what it is like outside.

Yes, it shows the bow of the ship and some of the sky/ocean too.
It's also nice to bring along an electric clock so if you wake during the night, you can easily see what time it is.

 

[sayhello]

Say it isn't so, SayHello!! We were looking forward to meeting you and being part of your K&L trip report... maybe you can take the cruise in 2011?

Ah! This is just such a hard decision. I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys, too! It sounds like such a fun group. If plans had been finalized, and we knew for sure the trip was 100% a go, I wouldn't be even considering this.

It *could*, quite conceivably, be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. No-one knows for sure if this combo will be offered next year (it depends on how well it does this year) and all indications are that it will be tied to the 7-day cruises, not the 11-day cruises, as several 10 & 11 day cruises for 2011 were canceled and re-done as 7 days. Also, there is no guarantee I could ever get as fabulous a price as I could for this cruise ($1800 as a single for 11 days!) Whereas, I'm pretty sure Dotti will be doing more ABD's (assuming I'd still be welcome! and Dotti isn't burned out by this trip!) But this is all still speculation. I haven't made up my mind yet, I'm still considering pros & cons & options.

But THANK YOU SO MUCH for being so welcoming, and for wanting me to go with you guys. If I could do both, boy, THAT would be the ideal solution!

Yes, it shows the bow of the ship and some of the sky/ocean too.
It's also nice to bring along an electric clock so if you wake during the night, you can easily see what time it is.

Thanks, ruadisneyfan. That's a good reminder. I really hated not having a clock that was easy to read in the inside cabin. I imagine I could pick up one fairly cheaply, at WalMart or something...

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

I just saw this thread -not sure how I happened to miss it!

Sayhello, the combo ABD/med cruise trip sounds very, very exciting! What a fantastic way to enjoy the med cruise and the ports. As you say, you wouldn't have to worry about where to go or what to do - ABD would have taken care of it all for you. Plus you get the luxury of the cruise, the lovely evenings on deck, not having to pack... it sounds like heaven to me.

We had an inside stateroom on several cruises - I've only ever had a window once. It is a little bit disorienting in the morning, but as several posters have noted, you can combat that by putting on the outside TV channel. I've also considered bringing one of the lighted alarm clocks that gently light up in the morning (either LL Bean or Lands' End sells one, I can't remember which). Don't let the inside stateroom issue make your decision - it will be fine!

I can't wait to see what you decide!

 

[HappyGrumpy]

HG, shucks! I knew it sounded too good to be true to actually get to travel together. Some day.

Absolutely!

I so want you take this trip....Just so you can do the trip report and give us the low down

ABD should comp you something as much as you have invested in the company and all the free advertisement they have gotten out of it!

You know what my vote is for!

 

[eva]

Thought I would jump on this thread to see what everyone is saying about the ABD add-on for the Med cruises. We are on the August 28th cruise and were debating whether go for it. But sadly we have decided not to add the ABD portion. We have priced all the excursions and private tours that we want to do at each port and the total comes to a bit under $2K with lunches and gratuities included. That is for two adults. That is quite a bit of savings from the $2,399 per person that we were quoted for the ABD add-on. And our tours that we priced include a private tour of Pompeii with the Amalfi Coast in Naples & a private walking tour of Cinque Terre in La Spezia. It was a tough decision. But another consideration that we had was that we did the Viva Italia tour last year. And while we loved Rome, we really wanted to do something else at that port. Maybe we will see some of you on our cruise. Enjoy!