*Sept 10th 2011 WB Transatlantic* - From Spain to Space Mountain - Part 5

[sinnika]

Thanks for all the tips for flight travel, everyone! I found one way Houston to London for $436, then one way London to BCN for $168. Not too shabby!
I'll check out the other websites mentioned too (I've been looking on Kayak). For last year's Med, we flew to Paris, then did overnight grand class train cars to BCN! That was great, but I also got a great deal booking 90 days out to the day (kind of like an ADR! ) on the French website!
It looks like the cruise is filling up - IGT's are gone (at least for now). My friend is going to let me know hopefully by Monday if she can go. This would be her first DCL cruise (my 6th - all on the Magic! ). She asked if she would get bored. With all the shipboard activities, plus all the things this group has going, I think its a fair statement to say she won't have time to do it all!

 

[Donaldcp98]

My friend is going to let me know hopefully by Monday if she can go. This would be her first DCL cruise (my 6th - all on the Magic! ). She asked if she would get bored. With all the shipboard activities, plus all the things this group has going, I think its a fair statement to say she won't have time to do it all!

Let's put it this way. When we did the EBTA last year my DH, tablemates and I all sat around the last night and said, "man I never got to do..... " and then started laughing because it was 14 nights for goodness sakes.

 

[GA-yaya]

This is such a beautiful picture! I'm sure it was much more exciting in person. Thanks for posting it.

This is super cute! Would love to build one.

We just got off the 10 nt Med cruise, and I am hoping to book this one with a good friend. I've already put up a kayak alert for airfare - I would be coming from Houston, my friend from Baltimore. Does anyone have any good tips for finding inexpensive one way airfare? We flew R/T from Barcelona for $1100 this time (we flew for alot less last year when we did the Med cruise in May 2010. Anyway, hope to join ya'll. Just waiting for the go -ahead from my friend and some decent one way airfare. Would love some suggestions. We are both flexible for arrival date - planning to get in at least one day before the cruise but could do more.

Hi Taina!
So good to see you posting....It would be so nice to see you again! How was the Med cruise this year? Hopefully, as nice as it was last year. The other orthodontist that I work with was on that cruise. He and his family had a wonderful time!

We had some difficulty finding one-way airfare to Barcelona, too. We ended up getting our flights through airfare.com. We were able to figure out that the "Special Fare" was exactly the non-stop flight that we wanted, even though it is very non-specific in the description, and got it for about $750 pp. Airfare.com has a questionable reputation from reading other reviews, but we were able to independently confirm the reservation with Delta, so everything is good.

Others on this thread have had luck with 1800flyeurope and kayak - so do some looking around. Happy Shopping!

 

[liesbeth1012]

Thanks for posting that picture. We are getting so excited about going to Disneyland Paris before the cruise. Any recommendations for us? We've never been. We'll be there Sept 5-9 with DD that's 2.

You be there just after holiday season. So there is not the fantillusion and firework anymore.
Enjoy the park. You have 4 days and that is more than enough to see and do all.
The Disney Dance Express is fun. They let the childeren dance with them. You find it serveral times at the Castle Stage.
You find all times in the programme you get in your hotel.

Which hotel are in?
You get EMH if you stay in a disneyhotel.

In the Studio's don't forget to go to Stitch and Disney playhouse
I like also the show animagique.

You can do babyswitch if your DD can't in a ride and you want to do it both.
Ask about at the entrance of the attraction(s)

I wish you lots of fun in Disneyland Paris. I look forward to hear your story on board of the magic.

 

[goofprincess]

Ok just for a laugh you have to see this link for Patrick Warburten. www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Co3c2Ydqo

It is entitled roller coaster safety with Patrick Warburton. Absolutely hilarious.

That made my day!!!!!!!!

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Jacqueline, did you ever hear back from the Spanish Customs or whatever about taking controlled drugs into the country?

Didn't have to contact Spanish Customs as this is a trip within the area that applies the so called Schengen declaration. Simply put; I have to have my doc fill out some Schengen forms, one per med on the 2 opium lists. Next step is sending them in to a special department of our Ministry of Health who will stamp it as official. They'll sent it back to me, then I need to send it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and have them sign it also and sent it back to me again. Should take no more than 4 weeks, but have been adviced to sent in before the 6 week mark to be on the safe side. (cr*ppy planning as I still need to go see the doc to up my regular meds to vacation status which will include some meds needing the paperwork, so no filling out until after that and said docs office tends to be slow with filling out such paperwork)

Any other meds for said area not on the 2 lists are allowed as long as they're legal in the country visited and in original container with original label on them.

 

[Dgentrysim]

How do you post one of your pictures on here? I've tried to "Insert Image" but all I get is a little square box with an x in it and no pic. Thanks!!!

 

[poohluv2u]

How do you post one of your pictures on here? I've tried to "Insert Image" but all I get is a little square box with an x in it and no pic. Thanks!!!

Deb are you using photobucket to host your pictures? If you are, then copy the last link below your picture and just insert it in your post ... no need to use the 'insert image'.

 

[Dgentrysim]

test

 

[Dgentrysim]

ok....I think I got it ..thanks!

 

[pkicinski]

Does anyone know enough about Gibraltar to know if we can get a cab to take us to the cable car to go to the top station, then go to see the Barbary Apes, then to see Michaels Cave, and then to either the WWII tunnels or the Great Siege Tunnels? Or do they have an ON/OFF Bus system that goes to these places?

 

[sinnika]

Does anyone know enough about Gibraltar to know if we can get a cab to take us to the cable car to go to the top station, then go to see the Barbary Apes, then to see Michaels Cave, and then to either the WWII tunnels or the Great Siege Tunnels? Or do they have an ON/OFF Bus system that goes to these places?

I can answer this one! We did the repo cruise last year too (Barcelona to Dover). They have taxi tours that hold up to 8 or 9 people that take you to those places plus a point on a hill where you can see Africa if its clear enough. They will get other passengers to go with you from the ship. Cost I believe was 25 euro pp. The tour lasted about 2 or 3 hours. No need to pre-book. We did it in the am, then went back to the ship for lunch, then headed into town in the afternoon to shop. It was a great day! Oh, I am so hoping my friend says yes to the cruise.

 

[*Flower*]

The airlines don't like this and it's technically against the rules, but look at a roundtrip fare. Book the US to BCN leg on the date you want it and have the return date to the US be at some point in the future. Just look for a date that results in the lowest fare - the return date is irrelevant since you won't be using that leg anyway.

A quick search between IAH and BCN shows a one-way could be $1700-3000! A roundtrip is coming up at around $900. That's a no-brainer. I'm sure Baltimore is the exact same way.

We were looking at this also- our airline wanted $2300+ for a one-way ticket, but when we started looking at round trip tix- the price dropped to $984. It seems that if the airline sells a one-way international ticket and you are refused entry at your destination for some reason; the airline can get a whopping fine for selling you a one-way ticket. So the prices get raised way up to discourage the attempt.
We're going with something a lot less expensive though- which helps quite a bit because we've found ourselves booking all sorts of excursions thanks to SOMEONE'S input.....

 

[*Flower*]

Okay, I have another question! I know, I know- what can I say? This is the first time in a while going to Europe or the islands (unlike DH) and I wanted to find out if any particular vaccinations are advised for either Spain or any of our port visits.

I have an aversion to needles, and if I find out about it sooner- I can prepare myself for the inevitable.

 

[Tod&Copper]

I also get a mail from DCL with a reservation confirmation and I had suddenly a balance due of € 0,02 with a due date of feb 11th 2011.
I have send them a mail what to do, but I didn't receive an answer yet.

Your photo is gorgeous, my friends are off to DLP resort next week for a few days. Glad you had a great time

I called DCL direct and the lady on the phone sorted out cancelling the 4p charge immediately and I got a new confirmation email through showing a nil balance due, if you don't hear anything soon, give them a call instead.

I didn't want to risk any problems with my booking as I had an oustanding balance so close to room allocation/issuing tickets window

 

[karentan]

Ok just for a laugh you have to see this link for Patrick Warburten. www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Co3c2Ydqo

It is entitled roller coaster safety with Patrick Warburton. Absolutely hilarious.

that is one of the funniest things i've seen in ages, thank you SO much for posting it. we LOVE patrick warburton and this killed us!

I can answer this one! We did the repo cruise last year too (Barcelona to Dover).

we were on this cruise too!

Okay, I have another question! I know, I know- what can I say? This is the first time in a while going to Europe or the islands (unlike DH) and I wanted to find out if any particular vaccinations are advised for either Spain or any of our port visits.

I have an aversion to needles, and if I find out about it sooner- I can prepare myself for the inevitable.

nah, you'll be ok with spain and madiera, nothing needed there. i presume you dont need anything for tortola and st maarten, otherwise DCL would have told us about it

 

[sinnika]

we were on this cruise too!

Do you remember an excursion last year to see Flamenco dancing when we were in Gibraltar? I think you crossed over the border into Southern Spain. Did not see anything like it in the current Gibraltar DCL tours. I'm going to pull out my file and see if I kept the port adventures brochure from the ship.

I so need to get this cruise booked! Send prayers that my friend can go!
And nice to see familiar names on this cruise! A special hello to my previous cruise mates from the May 26th 2010 Med cruise, Peggy and Deb!
I'm finding some really good airfares on flyeurope site! $600 from Houston to BCN! Where is everyone staying pre-cruise? Would be nice to share a cab to the port with another 2 people as its the same price for 4 in a cab, you just pay extra for each piece of luggage in the trunk (so put your carry on's on your lap! )

 

[karentan]

I don't remember seeing that one, then again we didn't do any shore excursions last year so didn't really look at the leaflets. Are you sure it was Gibraltar, could have been Cadiz?

 

[karentan]

Just checked the stuff i kept from last cruise and you're right, the flamenco and tapas was a Gibraltar excursion, it was $69 and took you over the border. Wonder why they're not doing it again this year?

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Someone on the board - can't remember who- is looking for a roommate if your friends can't go.

Do you remember an excursion last year to see Flamenco dancing when we were in Gibraltar? I think you crossed over the border into Southern Spain. Did not see anything like it in the current Gibraltar DCL tours. I'm going to pull out my file and see if I kept the port adventures brochure from the ship.

I so need to get this cruise booked! Send prayers that my friend can go!
And nice to see familiar names on this cruise! A special hello to my previous cruise mates from the May 26th 2010 Med cruise, Peggy and Deb!
I'm finding some really good airfares on flyeurope site! $600 from Houston to BCN! Where is everyone staying pre-cruise? Would be nice to share a cab to the port with another 2 people as its the same price for 4 in a cab, you just pay extra for each piece of luggage in the trunk (so put your carry on's on your lap! )