*Sept 10th 2011 WB Transatlantic* From Spain to Space Mountain - Part 4

[karentan]

we booked through stmaartencruiseexcursions.com for 1 hour ride, dont think my butt could take any longer even though there is enough cushioning
thats why we picked this one too karen to take horses into water!!

we get picked up at 8.20am, i wanted early ride so we can get over to maho beach too, if there is a few of us doing same time maybe we could organise transport to maho beach after??

i've emailed them to try and book the 9am one - we're planning on going to maho afterwards, wanna share a cab?

first night, I took a shower to freshen up, checked the bags and lo and behold, I had no drawers. In all of her packing/unpacking she accidently removed them and never put them back. Needless to say Disney made a fortune on their 20 dollar boxers in the gift shop last year.

As a side note, when we returned, all of my drawers were waiting patiently for me on our bed...

So there is a chance you could overprepare lol....

at the time it must have been a right pain in the butt, but that is funny

Ladies, when you're on a cruise with more than one formal night, do you wear the same dress twice or do you bring two? Do you tend to go more "all out" for the first one?

i only OWN one dress, and that was bought for formal night on last year's cruise (and only worn once), so going to only take the one. we've booked palo for the second formal night so i can wear it twice!

 

[birkner]

So it is a process you have done on your hair like a perm? Can I ask how much it costs to do something like that?

Mind you I have very long hair, so I pay $200.

 

[AnkaG]

Hello everyone,

I haven't posted in a while, since we had to cancel our cruise this year... you can take me out of the list of cruisers, but I wish you all a great cruise! have fun!!!

 

[MandyGirl]

Hi

Would definitely be interested in doing this too. If you hear back and can include 4 more please add us.

Thanks

Just sent you a PM.

For any others --- fill out the form on Bernard's website, and you can input comments where it says Information / Special Requests: (be sure to put Disney Magic, 9:00 tour, Sept 20). Also, if you have little ones, be sure to specify adults versus infants as there is no charge for age 2 and under I believe. I also let him know others may be contacting, and that we are from the same message board and may want to be grouped together in same vans if possible. If you ARE wanting the same van... just mention same van as Mandy's family of 4.

 

[MandyGirl]

Tortola Excursion to Jost VanDyke (Beach Day and Snorkeling)​

DCL Magic is in port Wednesday 21st Tortola, British Virgin Islands - ashore 7:30 a.m, aboard 3:45 p.m.
Excursion is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

ACCEPTING STANDBY WAITLIST ONLY AT THIS TIME (Due to capacity - See below)

Mandy is organizing a private day sail on a power catamaran to Jost VanDyke with the company "Tortola Charters" from 8:30-2:30. It includes free snorkel gear to all guests and a guided tour of the reef at White Bay (they are preferred customers of the Soggy Dollar Bar and receive free use of all of their facilities including chairs and hammocks). Lunch is on your own, and meeting location is right where the Magic docks in Tortola. Tortola Charters is the official excursion company for Norwegian Cruise Lines.

http://tortolacharters.com/

Pricing:
$50 (ages 12+), $40 (ages 3-11), Free (under 3 years)
Comparable DCL Excursion: "Jost VanDyke Beach Day" ($105 for adults, $75 for kids)
Payment is in US Dollars (cash) or Traveler's Checks at the dock, directly to the catamaran company.

Here is a video of the area to put you in the island mood!!

Please PM MandyGirl (Mandy) if you want to be added to the standby list should we have any cancellations. We are FULL as of June 9 with a maximum of 64 grand total on the two catamarans combined (one is power, one is sail at this time). Should YOU have a change, please please please contact Mandy ASAP so we can clear standby passengers for this excursion!!

NOTE: There is NO DOCK here... you use the steps/ladder at the back of the catamaran to go ashore via swimming... hence the name SOGGY DOLLAR BAR. For pics, please see the linked website.

Definitely:
Name- Adults- Children(ages3-11) - Infants(under 3 free) - Total $ owed in USD
binkytell 2 1 1 140
Birkner 2 0 0 100
Chirpee 2 0 0 100
Chris&Jeremy 2 0 0 100
Col1 4 0 0 200
Dgentrysim 2 0 0 100
DISNEYFAN_SD 2 0 0 100
Fontabel 2 0 0 100
GA-yaya 2 0 0 100
Goofy Adpi 1 0 0 50
Grumpy1234 2 0 0 100
jjb52 2 0 0 100
Julie2009 1 0 0 50
Just love Eeyore 2 1 0 140
KiwiMatt 2 1 0 140
LindaBabe 3 0 0 150
m_kasch 1 0 0 50
MandyGirl 2 1 1 140
melonz 3 1 0 190
PFlamingo 2 0 0 100
Pinky166 2 0 0 100
Pixie Dust for Me! 2 0 0 100
pkicinski@yahoo.com 2 0 0 100
squitty 2 0 0 100
susie2 2 0 0 100
Tod&Copper 2 0 0 100
TotallyAngelic 2 0 0 100
we're aliens 2 0 0 100


We have a total of 64 booked (out of a maximum capacity of 64 total) listed as of 6/9


Standby List in case of any cancellations (NOT confirmed for this excursion):
poohluv2u - 2 adults
Lisa (njmom23grls) - wait list for 1

Just a heads-up.... I wanted to reiterate that going from catamaran to beach involves SWIMMING (as seen in pics of catamarans sprinkled in the bay) and not a DOCK. I updated the front page yesterday, but wanted to make sure everyone knows in case you might have mobility challenges. Tortola Charters could answer any direct questions you might have - and I can email them if needed. Most catamarans have a dinghy they pull for things like that.

Now down the beach a ways is Foxy's, with a dock, but we will be at Soggy Dollar Bar area on White Bay.

 

[karentan]

found a carrefour just over the border:
http://www.carrefour.es/tiendas-carrefour/buscador-de-tiendas/default.aspx
search for la linea

2.8km from the airport. thinking of taking a cab over as we're not planning on doing anything else in gibraltar apart from the dolphins

 

[Pinky166]

I've found a map with the port location on the WBTA website...there is a shopping center called Dolce Vita that is very close to where we will be docked. Here is a description of it from a Madeira shopping site:

Dolce Vita

This is Funchal’s newest addition to the shopping scene. It has an excellent central location in downtown Funchal, next to the Santa Caterina Park, just 2 minutes away from the Marina and behind the main road ‘avenida de arriaga’. It is a large, modern mall with around 70 shops as well as a tasty food court offering anything from Burger King to Sushi. There is also a Health Club and a large Pingo Doce Supermarket and all this is serviced by a spacious car park that has a capacity for 900 cars. On the streets that circle the centre you will find many small boutique shops and one off designer establishments. Above the shopping mall is The Vine Hotel, a stunning place that overlooks all of Funchal. Lunches and coffees are reasonably priced and combined with the view from the outside terrace and the beauty of the infinity pool you will find that it complements the food perfectly.

Here is the website for Pingo Doce: http://www.pingodoce.pt/default.aspx

Perhaps someone else will have better luck that I translating what they have. It says it's a supermarket, but not sure if they have liquor and all that jazz...

That sounds promising. Well found

So are we hiring a van in Madeira too, just incase!

It's the Magical Mystery Madeira supermarket tour

I've just read the posts about morrisons

I'll try and give them a ring tomorrow, hopefully the more enquiries they get, the more chance there is that they will open.
Another idea is to contact their head office in Bradford, whilst staff in Gibraltar may not want to open, if it is pointed out to top management about potential sales they could lose they might not have a choice.

Their contact number is 01274 621000 - I'll try to speak with someone tomorrow and let you know.

If morrisons is closed all is not lost in Gibraltar, there are plenty of other stores selling reasonably priced wine, chocolates and toiletries. Does anyone know if it is just morrisons closed or all stores ??

Another thought is to contact a bar/restaurant and see if they will do us a good deal on cases of wine. If anyone is interested let me know and I will look into it for prices/choice etc.

From anyone wanting specific chocolate/sweets from the UK I'm having some
things sent on with family before we go and they are meeting us in Gibraltar
on the day. Due to this it is not using up valuable luggage allowance and I should be able to help out, if you want anything PM me and I'll see what I can
do.
I may even get them to bring a boot full of reasonably priced Spanish wine


Paul, Helen & Grace

Great to know, looking forward to hearing what you find out tomorrow.

I am sure they would have a good trade if they park a van full of cheap booze right by the cruise terminal.

Your generousity is really appreciated, and touched my heart. We have an import store that carries a very limited variety of British goodies, where I can buy my main staples of Flakes and Maltesers ... for a price What I was most looking forward to, was walking down an aisle full of sweets and checking out all the varieties and choosing something new to try as well as my favorites, if you know what I mean. Paul makes a good point in saying not all the stores will be closed, so I might still get to have that experience

I have thought of signing up for the candy swap several times, I just have no idea what kind of candy people would want from the U.S., that isn't already sold where they live. Maybe some of you could give a few hints

Ok, just let me know.

For me personally, anything but Herseys.

 

[MandyGirl]

Oh - and they try to get us as close to the beach as possible - not like you are swimming a quarter mile or anything We'll be pulling our kiddos with us, and have snorkeled with the older one many times before when she was 12-24 months... so not worried about us... but wanted to make sure everyone knew it's not a dock that we just walk off the catamaran at the beach. They do have life vests onboard...

 

[PFlamingo]

How about a morning ride along the beach in the Caribbean and then an afternoon plane viewing (that's when they come in)?

me and gary will be doing the horseriding then maho beach if you wanna come

we're planning on doing the horseriding and maho on st maarten, the deciding factor for us is that you can take the horses swimming on st maarten.

we booked through stmaartencruiseexcursions.com for 1 hour ride, dont think my butt could take any longer even though there is enough cushioning
thats why we picked this one too karen to take horses into water!!

we get picked up at 8.20am, i wanted early ride so we can get over to maho beach too, if there is a few of us doing same time maybe we could organise transport to maho beach after??

This is what I want to do - ride in the morning and go to Maho in the afternoon to watch the planes and hang on the fence.

**Mixology & Mojito Tastings**
We could also wait and see what dates they offer us and split the groups up into who prefers what date if this would work.

I would be more than willing to keep going with the upkeep of the groups for the tastings, but would just be attending the one.

Thoughts?

I think this sounds like the best approach.

I've found a map with the port location on the WBTA website...there is a shopping center called Dolce Vita that is very close to where we will be docked. Here is a description of it from a Madeira shopping site:

Dolce Vita

This is Funchal’s newest addition to the shopping scene. It has an excellent central location in downtown Funchal, next to the Santa Caterina Park, just 2 minutes away from the Marina and behind the main road ‘avenida de arriaga’. It is a large, modern mall with around 70 shops as well as a tasty food court offering anything from Burger King to Sushi. There is also a Health Club and a large Pingo Doce Supermarket and all this is serviced by a spacious car park that has a capacity for 900 cars. On the streets that circle the centre you will find many small boutique shops and one off designer establishments. Above the shopping mall is The Vine Hotel, a stunning place that overlooks all of Funchal. Lunches and coffees are reasonably priced and combined with the view from the outside terrace and the beauty of the infinity pool you will find that it complements the food perfectly.

Here is the website for Pingo Doce: http://www.pingodoce.pt/default.aspx

Perhaps someone else will have better luck that I translating what they have. It says it's a supermarket, but not sure if they have liquor and all that jazz...

Great. All the way to Madeira for a Burger King.

Guess I could stock up in Barca, but I was planning on emptying a suticase on board to go to Morrison's. Yet another logistical problem to solve. I think we definitely need to organize a "Quest for Booze Tour" for Madeira.



Oh fickle Morrison's, how you toy with our poor hearts! Why do you treat us so cruelly?

 

[Dgentrysim]

Just a heads-up.... I wanted to reiterate that going from catamaran to beach involves SWIMMING (as seen in pics of catamarans sprinkled in the bay) and not a DOCK. I updated the front page yesterday, but wanted to make sure everyone knows in case you might have mobility challenges. Tortola Charters could answer any direct questions you might have - and I can email them if needed. Most catamarans have a dinghy they pull for things like that.

Now down the beach a ways is Foxy's, with a dock, but we will be at Soggy Dollar Bar area on White Bay.

Just another interesting twist to our excursion! Guess I will definitely have to buy a waterproof camera or buy a waterproof cover for my camera and shorts/cover-up! I think that will be fun! I wonder how far it is to shore from catamaran?

 

[karentan]

for the people coming on the 10th minibus - i've emailed the coach company to ask how much extra they'd charge to stop at a supermarket on the way. will keep you informed

 

[PFlamingo]

Oh - and they try to get us as close to the beach as possible - not like you are swimming a quarter mile or anything We'll be pulling our kiddos with us, and have snorkeled with the older one many times before when she was 12-24 months... so not worried about us... but wanted to make sure everyone knew it's not a dock that we just walk off the catamaran at the beach. They do have life vests onboard...

Just how deep is the water? Dennis is not a swimmer at all - just a wader. Of course, I've taken life-saving courses so I could always drag him to shore.

 

[Chris&Jeremy]

We stocked up last time at El Corte Ingles which is right down the street from the Hard Rock Cafe.

We'll be scoping out El Corte Ingles as well. I wonder if they are open late so we could go after the HRC meetup?

Edit: I just looked myself and they are open until 10:00pm.

 

[squitty]

I've just read the posts about morrisons

I'll try and give them a ring tomorrow, hopefully the more enquiries they get, the more chance there is that they will open.
Another idea is to contact their head office in Bradford, whilst staff in Gibraltar may not want to open, if it is pointed out to top management about potential sales they could lose they might not have a choice.

Their contact number is 01274 621000 - I'll try to speak with someone tomorrow and let you know.

If morrisons is closed all is not lost in Gibraltar, there are plenty of other stores selling reasonably priced wine, chocolates and toiletries. Does anyone know if it is just morrisons closed or all stores ??

Another thought is to contact a bar/restaurant and see if they will do us a good deal on cases of wine. If anyone is interested let me know and I will look into it for prices/choice etc.

From anyone wanting specific chocolate/sweets from the UK I'm having some
things sent on with family before we go and they are meeting us in Gibraltar
on the day. Due to this it is not using up valuable luggage allowance and I should be able to help out, if you want anything PM me and I'll see what I can
do.
I may even get them to bring a boot full of reasonably priced Spanish wine


Paul, Helen & Grace

That's who we called first off - Morrisons Head Office. The lady we spoke to gave us the direct number to call the Gibraltar store. It was explained on both phone calls that we were a cruise ship docking in Gib for the day and wanting to stock up.

We also asked if there were any other shops open and they said there wouldn't be. Everything will be closed!

Good Luck with the phone calls.

 

[melonz]

Just a heads-up.... I wanted to reiterate that going from catamaran to beach involves SWIMMING (as seen in pics of catamarans sprinkled in the bay) and not a DOCK. I updated the front page yesterday, but wanted to make sure everyone knows in case you might have mobility challenges. Tortola Charters could answer any direct questions you might have - and I can email them if needed. Most catamarans have a dinghy they pull for things like that.

Now down the beach a ways is Foxy's, with a dock, but we will be at Soggy Dollar Bar area on White Bay.

Oooh spending hours in my swimming cossie is not my idea of fun, I like to cover up my wobbly bits. Looks like it will be my turn to be buried in the sand

Ok, so how deep and far away will we be

That sounds promising. Well found










Great to know, looking forward to hearing what you find out tomorrow.

I am sure they would have a good trade if they park a van full of cheap booze right by the cruise terminal.





Ok, just let me know.

For me personally, anything but Herseys.

SAME

 

[jinxleprechaun]

Just sent you a PM.

For any others --- fill out the form on Bernard's website, and you can input comments where it says Information / Special Requests: (be sure to put Disney Magic, 9:00 tour, Sept 20). Also, if you have little ones, be sure to specify adults versus infants as there is no charge for age 2 and under I believe. I also let him know others may be contacting, and that we are from the same message board and may want to be grouped together in same vans if possible. If you ARE wanting the same van... just mention same van as Mandy's family of 4.

Reservation sent many thanks - it really helps sooo much to have a helping hand

 

[MandyGirl]

I wonder how far it is to shore from catamaran?

Just how deep is the water? Dennis is not a swimmer at all - just a wader. Of course, I've taken life-saving courses so I could always drag him to shore.

Ok, so how deep and far away will we be

I will email to ask! Here is a pic from their website: http://tortolacharters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_2009.jpg

And one more:
http://tortolacharters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_2140.jpg

When I did it before, different company, the water was about waist/chest deep, maybe 15-20 yards (getting more shallow as we went), and they had a "dry bag" for the cameras.

This is from their JVD excursion page on their website, which I think makes everyone safe:
"Includes > Spring Water, Snorkel Gear, Flotation Belts, Rum Cocktail on Return Trip
(This tour is suitable for all ages including infants and non-swimmers – snorkeling is done from the beach and is optional)"

I'm not so worried getting TO the beach... but rather getting back to the catamaran after a few painkillers Curt doesn't know it yet, but he has Daddy Duty after we make it to the beach.

We experienced the same thing with sail to Virgin Gorda... no dock... but had MUCH further to swim. They do not let the boats get too close to the beaches due to the reefs. Look at the RED note they have on their excursion there about infants and nonswimmers....
http://tortolacharters.com/excursions/virgin-gorda-baths-tours/
"(This tour is not suitable for non-swimmers, infants or guests with limited mobility)"

 

[m_kasch]

i've emailed them to try and book the 9am one - we're planning on going to maho afterwards, wanna share a cab?

Karen, if you don't mind, can I join you and Gary? You mentioned it on another page. Horseback riding sounds fun, and the planes are a must do for me!!

 

[JessicasMom]

**Mixology & Mojito Tastings**

I have a few names on standby lists for the above tastings. I have been in touch with the lady from DCL and she said that we could have 2 groups.

We could also wait and see what dates they offer us and split the groups up into who prefers what date if this would work.
Thoughts?

Really like the idea of having two dates to choose from; also, DM may want to participate and more availability is a good thing.

I don't dare wear white. The first thing I do is spill something on it. Not enough Tide to go pens in the world to justify me wearing white.

I NEVER wear white skirts or pants....if there's a speck of dirt, my tush would find it .

Just on the phone with the Gibraltar Morrison's now and they have confirmed they are closed..

After all the build-up, I'm quite disappointed, but the possibility of a Madeira market excites me! Noel, we'd love to add it to our East tour. It would be nice if one was located close to the ship, so we could just be dropped off there at tour's end, but even a quick stop would be appreciated.

 

[Tubbsteruk]

Squitty,
thanks for the info about morrisons, I'll still give them ring. The more people that ring may change their minds. If I get a spare minute I might even call in in person - stage a sit in on behalf of all DISboarders

Mandygirl,
Just sent a request to Bernardtours, will let you know once he gets back to me. Looks like a fantastic day.

I have a few contacts in gibraltar, I'll make a few calls to try and find out if there is going to be much open and update accordingly. I've been on a Sunday before to fuel up and it was like a ghost town on the main street

Paul, Helen & Grace