Our Med Adventure!!! August 18th DIY with an Infant!

[Adsmama]

Hello everyone! I am going through serious Disney Magic withdrawal and decided what better way to help that (and others) then by doing a trip report!!! We decided to take this trip due to the amazing military discount offered by Disney. We live in Germany (with the US Military) and needed a great getaway with our infant before my husband deployed. What better way then to cruise Europe?!?! We did not want to take on too much at each port so most of our days ended with lunch on the ship, some pool time and then a 3 hour nap for the baby before dinner/show time! I am also happy to report that we made EVERY dinner with a 6 month old and she never cried in the dining room! SCORE! ok so here goes

Cast of Characters
Me -27 (SAHM)
DH- 27 (Army officer)
DD- 6.5 month old (baby)

Edited to add-- we took public transportation in most ports, any questions, PLEASE feel free to ask!

 

[Adsmama]

August 17th, we fly from Munich (where it is 60 degrees and rainy) to sunny Barcelona!!! We took the Aerobus (5 euro pp) to plaza catalunya and walked to our hotel, hotel lloret about 100 meters away. It is a very moderately priced hotel on las ramblas with a great breakfast spread, walkable to the port. We found it on Booking.com and it had free wifi and AC and it was quite clean but basic. Perfect for a night before our real vacation begins!!! In the morning we wake up, have breakfast, a few cappucinos, the baby takes a nap, and then we are off to the port! We left our hotel around 11 am, walked down to the Columbus statue and boarded the port bus (2 euro pp) at 11:20ish. We got to the port at 11:30 and waited for the fun to begin!!! We were group 6 and while we waited we got pictures taken with Minnie and Micky Mouse!!! DD had a Minnie mouse dress on which Minnie really loved and the pictures were so cute!!! At 12:30 they called the first groups and we waited to be called. We did not have to wait too long though! They called our number and we got on the ship and made our way to Parrot Cay! They told us we could go upstairs to topsiders but I heard the buffet and experience was nicer in Parrot Cay so we went there. I am so happy we did, as it was amazing! We got a great table and could look outside too!! All the servers LOVED DD, which was wonderful. By this time we were starved and the buffet was AMAZING!!! The Salmon was just to die for. I loved trying all the little veggies and salads too! BONUS- I was sooo incredibly happy that DD fit in the high chairs perfectly!!! She just learned to sit up and I was worried that they would have the wooden chairs but they have some black plastic ones that fit her perfectly! She is 20.5 lbs and 6.5 months old. I loved that they give sanitation wipes out everywhere on board, I am kind of a germ freak and this helped me a lot! hahaha. We relaxed in the dining room for a while as we waited for our room to be ready. It was wonderful to just be on vacation, not cleaning, doing dishes, cooking, etc. We explored the top deck, looked out at Barcelona from the ship and just took it all in.

When we got to our room I was SHOCKED at how big it was!!!! I thought an inside stateroom would be tiny but it was not at all! We had a huge bed, a sitting area, a big bathroom. I was so happy with it I could not stop gushing! DD ended up sleeping and actually would not wake up even for the boat drill when they kept making announcements over the loud speaker. She slept right through it. The CMs told my husband to let her sleep and he went to the drill without us. She ended up sleeping until dinner time at 6 pm and then she was ready to party! We got a 4 top table so it was just our little family. We brought in our wine glasses full of wine and our server ended up telling us that if we bring our wine bottle uncorked then he would not have to charge us for it and we can drink as much as we want. lol. DH was happy. I am still breastfeeding so drinking a ton was not a priority

Dinner was amazing. I ordered apps, salads, soups and two entrees pretty much every night and the server always brought me extra veggies. I loved our server, he was amazing! He always knew exactly what to recommend to us! DD behaved so incredibly well at dinner each night, it was such a blessing! We even had people comment on how well behaved she was. I honestly thought we would end up in Top Siders most nights but we made it through dinner every single night!!! OK more later!!!

 

[pixie08]

Yeah...glad you started a trip report! I am about to start mine as well....we can compare notes

 

[Adsmama]

I am happy someone is actually reading it! LOL. If nothing else, it allows me to relive the cruise one last time! I can't seem to figure out how to add pics... hopefully soon!

 

[SettinSail]

I am happy someone is actually reading it! LOL. If nothing else, it allows me to relive the cruise one last time! I can't seem to figure out how to add pics... hopefully soon!

Hey, I just found you! I am also having serious withdrawl from the ship and thinking about doing a TR, if I can find the time. We're very busy with school, baseball and Scouts starting this week. Can't wait to read more!
I think everyone had a BLAST and I can't wait to see the different things families did. Looking forward to re-living the trip as I read your report!

Shawn

 

[Adsmama]

I slept so well on the boat! The dark, cool room with the gentle rocking of the ocean was perfect for resting! Day 2 was our character breakfast because we had early dinner seating. It started at 8 am and I am glad we made an effort to get there. It really helped me get into the disney vacation mindset. I actually woke up at 6:15 and ended up going to the gym. For some reason, I woke up on my own everyday on the vacation and went to the gym from 6:30-7:30 am. I never missed a day! I felt so relaxed and slept so well that I had the energy to workout! haha

DD loved all the characters at breakfast so much! Especiallyhttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593168613469_28801472_34371296_2605983_n.jpg Pluto because of his whiskers! LOL. I ordered eggs over easy and oatmeal, plain yogurt with fresh fruit, and grilled tomatoes and bacon. mmmmm.... I never really liked oatmeal until this cruise but I had it every day. After breakfast DD went down for a nap. She woke up around 11am and we had nothing else to do so we decided to go to meet the princesses. There was quite a long line but it went relatively quickly. She was so young compared to the other girls there but she seemed to love the princesses and I got some really cute pics of her!! hahaha The rest of the day was spent hanging at the pool, then lunch in lumieres, and then dinner in Parrot Cay for formal night. Again, DD slept from 3pm-6pm and woke up ready to party! I put DD got into a nice dress and I wore a nice cocktail dress. I did not really feel underdressed. Some people were in jeans! haha. DH felt like he should have brought some more formal clothes but the waiter reassured him that he was fine. hahaha The show that night was amazing! Twice charmed. It was so cute and being a theater nerd it really made me smile! I ended up wearing the baby in a wrap and nursing her in the back of the theater most nights, standing, rocking her and nursing her. She was quiet and I got to see the show! Perfect! After the show we went to get some soft serve ice cream and french fries and just enjoyed the night air on deck 10. Perfect ending to a great day!

 

[Adsmama]

Hey, I just found you! I am also having serious withdrawl from the ship and thinking about doing a TR, if I can find the time. We're very busy with school, baseball and Scouts starting this week. Can't wait to read more!
I think everyone had a BLAST and I can't wait to see the different things families did. Looking forward to re-living the trip as I read your report!

Shawn

Yeah, I know- I am quite busy. DD and I are moving back to the states for 8 months to help my mom with chemo/radiation for breast cancer while my husband deploys to afganistan. This cruise was our little family time before deployment. It was magical!

 

[1st Cruise]

Thanks for posting this. I am reading and looking forward to our cruise next week.

 

[lilpooh108]

Love your TR so far. Please add some pics I can't wait until you talk about the ports and how you did it with an infant....I'm still debating whether to take DD when she 3 in 2012 to the Med Cruise since the cobblestones in Europe and strollers don't really mix well...we tend to be excursion-y/sightseeing kinda people.

 

[Adsmama]

Love your TR so far. Please add some pics I can't wait until you talk about the ports and how you did it with an infant....I'm still debating whether to take DD when she 3 in 2012 to the Med Cruise since the cobblestones in Europe and strollers don't really mix well...we tend to be excursion-y/sightseeing kinda people.

We used both baby carriers and strollers. It worked out pretty great, actually! Thanks for reading!!!

 

[SettinSail]

Yeah, I know- I am quite busy. DD and I are moving back to the states for 8 months to help my mom with chemo/radiation for breast cancer while my husband deploys to afganistan. This cruise was our little family time before deployment. It was magical!

Wow, you have a lot going on. Best of luck with the move, you will miss the yucky gray Germany winter atleast. That is wonderful that you will be able to help out your Mom. Best of luck with the deployment as well, I keep hearing about more & more people being sent to Afghanistan...

Shawn

 

[Adsmama]

Wow, you have a lot going on. Best of luck with the move, you will miss the yucky gray Germany winter atleast. That is wonderful that you will be able to help out your Mom. Best of luck with the deployment as well, I keep hearing about more & more people being sent to Afghanistan...

Shawn

Thank you


I have linked a pic in my TR above but I can't figure out how to just put the pics in there.... anyone help?

 

[Adsmama]

We woke up pretty early on Malta day because we wanted to see the sail in. I woke up at 6:15, went to the gym and was back to wake up DH and DD at 7:30. We got upstairs at 7:45 and it was a beautiful sight. The port was much more African looking then I thought it would be. I was imagining something more tropical for some reason. We went to breakfast at Parrot Cay, where I ate oatmeal, fresh fruit, and fried eggs (you just ask the omelette guys and they bring any kind of eggs you want over to your table!!! The scrambled eggs in the buffet are YUCK and they will scramble you some fresh ones anytime you ask!)

Anyways, it was a HOT day. It was supposed to reach almost 100 degrees (or so we were told). DH and I were basically on the ship to relax and enjoy the time with our baby and each other; not necessarily to see the ports, so we had a lot of little trips planned in each port, no huge plans. We wanted to be flexible and just see what we could accomplish with the time we had. In Malta we did not have a big plan, just to walk off the ship, go up to Valletta and see the co-cathedral, go check out the military fort and see the gardens. It was quite easy to do this. We had asked our waiter what the walk was like and he said the stroller would be just fine. He was right. The baby would have been MISERABLE in the ergo carrier. I was very happy we used the stroller. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593172565549_28801472_34371572_2296794_n.jpg I had a little blanket that kept the sun out and kept the inside of the stroller a bit cooler as well. The port is easily marked and once you get through the line of taxis harrassing you to take you to various parts of the Island, it is a very simple and beautiful walk. The Co-Cathedral was gorgeous and the views overlooking the sea/port from near the military fort is beautiful. The gardens were gorgeous as well! We made it back to the ship in time for me to take a quick shower, feed the baby and get to lunch at Lumiere's. Lunch there for us was quite special-- we loved to have people wait on us and did not want to go to topsiders when we did not have to. With a baby it is much easier to just have a waiter and not stand in a buffet. It seemed when we went to the buffet it was more waiting for the other person to get their food/watch the baby then actually enjoying each other's company. I pretty much ordered fish, salad, apps and extra veggies at every meal and the food was great at Lumieres! The french fries were delicious too! haha The hamburger was dry though, I would skip that. After lunch we went to the baby splash pool, DD went in for a bit and then down for a nap. She napped from 3-6pm again. DH and I took turns watching TV, eating fruit, etc while watching the baby and hanging out at the pool on deck 9. It was a great day. THat night we had dinner at Lumiere's. I can't remember what I ordered each night but I think tonight was french night, so I had the escargot http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593172635409_28801472_34371586_8178593_n.jpg ... I can't remember the rest, but here is a pic of my dinner! http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593172645389_28801472_34371588_7124087_n.jpg I almost always had two apps, a salad, a soup, and two entrees. haha The waiters were shocked I think bc I am only 125 lbs, 5'6'' and can put away the food. DD did great at dinner and at the show. She really was developing a nice little routine and we decided to just go with it and not push it. The afternoon naps were key to her happiness. here is a pic of belle and the beast coming into dinner http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593172655369_28801472_34371590_8044460_n.jpg And this is DD discovering her towel animalhttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._593172660359_28801472_34371591_4569031_n.jpg

 

[Adsmama]

Well, this is the only day we had pre-arranged a tour (not through DCL). We went with a professor and another group of people and saw Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, the beaches of Tunisia, and the American WW2 cemetary (which DH really enjoyed. His words- how often do these guys get visited? It's important we visit them) It was great- we got up, went to Parrot Cay for breakfast and met our group around 8:30. Tunisia was HOT HOT HOT. Wow. It was hot!!! I decided to wear the baby in the ergo bc we would be going in and out of a van and she would be more secure in my ergo then just sitting on my lap while driving. Good thing too, bc tunisia is not very handicapped/stoller accessible!!! We loved seeing the ruins, the cemetary, the beaches, sidi bou said, got some mint tea and headed back to the boat. We had lunch at Lumieres -- our favorite thing to do as most people stayed out much later then we did the days. We put DD down for her nap and she was up at 6pm ready for dinner!! It was another great night!

 

[Adsmama]

We did Pompeii for 18 Euros pp including admission, audio guide, and transportation.

We decided before we even came on this trip that we were going to just go with the flow of the baby and do as much as possible in the mornings. We did not want to deal with huge tour buses as we are quite comfortable using public transport in Europe. Naples we had one place we wanted to see: Pompeii! I woke up DH and DD at 7:45, they got ready and we were down to Parrot Cay for breakfast. We loved going there as Topsiders always seemed dirty and crowded to me a lot of people like it, but I never did. Also, the food seemed worse there too. I could just be crazy. Anyways, we were off the boat about 8:45 am and walked to the tobacco/bus ticket stand directly in front of the port. We realized we had about 5 miniutes to catch the SITA bus to pompeii. Luckily the cruise ship docked like 300m to the SITA bus lot! SCORE!!! A lot of people take the train to Pompeii but the walk is miserable and about 7 times as long! Plus SITA is air conditioned at makes ONE stop in Naples before going to directly to the entrance of Pompeii. We get to the bus in time and it was literally like stepping onto the set of Jersey Shore, except everyone spoke Italian. We rode 25 minutes, got off at Pompeii Scavi and bought our tickets into pompeii. We were going to do a guide there (100 euros split between participants, usually about 8-12 are formed in a group) but there were no other english people interested in a guide so we rented the audio guides and went in! I carried DD in an Ergo and used an umbrella to keep the sun off of her. I would seriously consider NOT bringing a stroller to pompeii, I saw some people struggling with them and it looked miserable to me. The audio guide was pretty great and the lady at the ticket/info place gave us a great map and guidebook for free- you just have to ask. She then circled the best stuff and told us to concentrate there. We finish up pompeii with about 15 minutes to spare, catch the 12:30 pm bus and are back to the ship by 1pm, in time for lunch at Lumieres!!! We finish up lunch, head up to the pool with DD (the splash pool) and then she is down for her nap. Keeping her on a normal schedule really helped her a lot. She napped like a champ until dinner time at 6:30 pm. Most of the dining times were changed in advance to allow people more time. I would be so hungry if I had the 8:45 dinner seating! Seriously, how do people eat that late!!! They would be lining up outside the restaurants at 8:30 looking like they wanted to eat their hands!!!! Up next, ROME!

 

[Perdie]

We will be taking our baby (due this October) when he is 4 months and 7 months on two Disney Cruises....we'll be in Alaska on one and the Bahamas on the other....I've already posted this question, but I heard the fee for a baby is about half the fee for a child and Disney makes you tip for the baby!? Is this true? What can I expect to pay for an infant-not the tip-just the cost to cruise? I can't believe they charge-airlines don't even charge-but we're not about to cancel now!

Love reading you TR-we did the Med cruise in 2007 when we were living overseas in London-my hubby is a civilian but workd for DOD. We had a cheap flight in to Barcelona and got a killer deal on the room....so I love reliving that through your TR!!!

 

[myolite]

We will be taking our baby (due this October) when he is 4 months and 7 months on two Disney Cruises....we'll be in Alaska on one and the Bahamas on the other....I've already posted this question, but I heard the fee for a baby is about half the fee for a child and Disney makes you tip for the baby!? Is this true? What can I expect to pay for an infant-not the tip-just the cost to cruise? I can't believe they charge-airlines don't even charge-but we're not about to cancel now!

Love reading you TR-we did the Med cruise in 2007 when we were living overseas in London-my hubby is a civilian but workd for DOD. We had a cheap flight in to Barcelona and got a killer deal on the room....so I love reliving that through your TR!!!

We will be cruising in January with an 11 month old--we are "expected" to tip on the infant as well as the charge for the infant to cruise. I think it's more like taking up a spot, regardless of services used.

 

[Adsmama]

Hey, Perdie! I responded to your other thread Thanks for reading my TR too!

 

[Perdie]

Hey, Perdie! I responded to your other thread Thanks for reading my TR too!

I'm enjoying your TR!! : )

Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I am excited to read your report, especially looking forward to seeing how it all worked out with the baby! I am so glad you guys got to do the cruise before DH deployed. I hope we get to do one when he gets back.