Sept 18 2010 WB TransAtlantic Pirates/Capt Jacks Re-Repoing Repossession Cruise Pt.7

[Buckeye Gal]

Finally made it to Melbourne (Australia) went from 45C to 12C but at least in the cold you can just put more clothes on.in the heat, ESP. In an Islamic country, there is a limit to how many clothes you can take off!....

Glad you safely made it to Melbourne!

 

[TChrist05]

Hello fellow cruisers....we are flying in the day of the cruise....we will be arriving at 8:00 a.m. and taking Disney transportation....is it similar to Orlando where you go in a large bus or is it a van or do they put you in a taxi....we would love to see a little of Barcelona if we could.....
Thanks all....
Tom

 

[paulcrsb]

Hello fellow cruisers....we are flying in the day of the cruise....we will be arriving at 8:00 a.m. and taking Disney transportation....is it similar to Orlando where you go in a large bus or is it a van or do they put you in a taxi....we would love to see a little of Barcelona if we could.....
Thanks all....
Tom

I'm on the same flight! If I remember correctly we got on a bus and went directly to the ship. I was so tired though and being a "geezer" I may not recall everything correctly. I'm hoping to get to the ship early enough to get off and roam the Ramblas a bit.

 

[TChrist05]

Is it the same as far as boarding like in Orlando....do they keep you out of the stateroom until 1:30? We kind of figure that if we get on the ship early maybe we can get a quick nap.....we are flying out of JFK at 5:40 p.m. on Friday.....flying through the night and arriving at 8 in the morning as I stated...so even if we sleep on the plane it really will not be good sleep....
Tom

 

[Diznyfan68]

Is it the same as far as boarding like in Orlando....do they keep you out of the stateroom until 1:30? We kind of figure that if we get on the ship early maybe we can get a quick nap.....we are flying out of JFK at 5:40 p.m. on Friday.....flying through the night and arriving at 8 in the morning as I stated...so even if we sleep on the plane it really will not be good sleep....
Tom

Yes, boarding is similiar to what they do in Port Canaveral and state rooms will not be available when you board.

 

[pjpoohbear]

Dont sweat it , We are only in one but were giving to anyone who has a fish extender ...the FE gift that we got we had to order 1000 of them to get a deal ... so needless to say on the first Sea day we will be starting at the bottom of the ship and working our way up dropping our FE gift off at every FE hangin outside a door ...

Todd that is a great way to see the ship, I have done it several times.

Pj

 

[woody73]

We kind of figure that if we get on the ship early maybe we can get a quick nap.

Tom, to reduce the effects of jet lag, you might want to skip the nap.

Woody

 

[BoosGram]

I got my fascinator for Villains night today was well as another hair slide for this night. I am really pleased with my finds.

You guys have started something. When I still worked in a boarding school, I would teach jewellery making and loved it. So now that I have found travel sized tools, if there is interest, I would be willing to do a jewellery making work shop. I was thinking in terms of three different projects that will teach all the basic techniques that one needs for making jewellery. We could do an illusion-style necklace, which will show you how to put loops into Beadalon (nylon-coated wire), attach a clasp or another type of closure and use crimps to keep beads in place. This could be either done in the colours of the ship (red, yellow, white and black) or in "Villains" colours (black and purple). This would be done with Swarovski crystals in various sizes and shapes. The second project would be a cellphone charm, which requires making a loop out of wire. The last project would be either a key chain or a bag charm, which requires working with a jump ring. Once all those basic techniques have been managed, you can pretty much make any jewellery you want. I think I could take up to 10 people and we would be looking at a cost of USD15 to 20 per person for the materials. When I tought this at school, my youngest students were 7 years old, but I thing this would be OK for anybody aged 6 years or older. The younger children might need a bit of help.

I got the missing components for the earrings today. This worked out really well. I made up the earrings tonight. Here are some photos of the whole set.

Necklace:

Earrings:

The set:

I also got my first tiara today. This is the blue one and it is absolutely stunning. It actually came from Hong Kong even though it said that the seller was in Australia, but I am very pleased with it. It came in a tiny box, but it was very easy to reshape it. This is definitely nice enough to be worn for my vow renewal next year. I will wait until the Champagne Girl tiara arrives and then I will get a tiara box from one of my jewellery suppliers to keep them safe in transit.

Corinna

Great stuff, Corinna!

Corinna if you do teach a jewellry class I'd love to attend please!

That sounds like fun .

I don't know if any of you know Brandie Tucker-Raleigh (scarlett873) or not, but thought I would pass along this news. She's a pretty active participant on the Podcast threads and even went on the DIS Unplugged Cruise last December.

Brandie and I are friends on Facebook, and I noticed this morning that she posted "He's gone." Her husband of almost 8 years, Matthew, passed away unexpectedly during the night. I would say he was in his mid 30's. I don't know what happened, but it's just so tragic. She's been posting on FB a lot today, and they all just break your heart. Just minutes ago she posted "It looks as if he's still online...and it breaks my heart all over again to see it there, but I don't want it to go away...".

I really didn't know Brandie, but I haven't been able to get my mind off of her all day. It's even brought me to tears a couple of times. If you are familiar with Brandie on the DIS and would like to express your condolences, I know she's reading a thread on the DIS where people are expressing their sorrow and sympathy. She and Matthew were scheduled to go to Chicago this weekend for a mini DIS meets, which obviously will be a different kind gathering now.

The strength of online communities is amazing. Love and live like there's no tomorrow my friends!

That poor, poor woman. I can't even imagine what she's going through. I hope she's got lots of family and friends around to help her through what has got to be an absolute nightmare. So sad.

 

[cquick]

Dont sweat it , We are only in one but were giving to anyone who has a fish extender ...the FE gift that we got we had to order 1000 of them to get a deal ... so needless to say on the first Sea day we will be starting at the bottom of the ship and working our way up dropping our FE gift off at every FE hangin outside a door ...

On one cruise.....I think it was the first TA I was on, I have FE's to everyone on the list.....and I am sure it was over 125. I just sorted them by deck and room number and delivered a few a time....

Yes, it was a GREAT way to get to know the ship AND I enjoyed seeing all the creative magnets people had decorated their doors with.

 

[Sparky47]

Hello fellow cruisers....we are flying in the day of the cruise....we will be arriving at 8:00 a.m. and taking Disney transportation....is it similar to Orlando where you go in a large bus or is it a van or do they put you in a taxi....we would love to see a little of Barcelona if we could.....
Thanks all....
Tom

Hi Tom. We are on the same flight out of NY as you (there are 4 of us). I read somewhere earlier on that on the last WBTA in 2007, those that arrived early in the morning, were treated to an hour tour of Barcelona by DCL since they didn't want people to arrive at the port too early. I've tried to find out if this will happen for our flight but I have not been able to get an answer. We're hoping that will be the case.

We are still trying to determine whether we will just go to the port or if we will book tickets on one of the Hop on/Hop off buses. My understanding is once we are at the port, we can take a bus from the port to/near the Christopher Columbus statue where the HOHO buses are located. In my limited research, it appears we have to book the tickets on line only. Have not been able to verify whether or not HOHO tickets can be purchased in person. Even though we aren't going to get a "good nights sleep" we want to see some of the City.....and we think (but we aren't sure) if we "keep going" by doing the tour we might be better off than just sitting at the port. Then again, we'll be anxious to get on the ship. Decisions Decisions !!! and we're at the point where they have to be made--very exciting!

Linda

 

[BoosGram]

Forgot to mention: last night DH and I went to see Level 42 live. What a great show! Those guys are fabulous musicians and I hope they make it to our area again some day.

 

[pjpoohbear]

Sparky, I thought about that too, but the DIS bus will get us there around 10:45 am, so won't leave enough time before boarding, wish this could be done in the afternoon. I hear that we won't be able to disembark once we are on board.


Pj

 

[Sparky47]

Sparky, I was thinking the same, the DIS bus will get us there around 11am, so I thought about maybe dropping luggage then taking that bus to the Chris C statue and perhaps visiting a couple sites near there.

Pj

Do we have to take our luggage off the bus? Or does it get taken off and magically appear in our stateroom?

So, you think with an 8:00 arrival at the airport, we'll arrive at port at 11ish? I've been trying to figure that out !

 

[Sparky47]

Tom, to reduce the effects of jet lag, you might want to skip the nap.

Woody

I've never traveled overseas. For the longest time I kept thinking "oh, we'll be fine, we arrive at 7:55 a.m. so we'll sleep "all night" on the plane. Then it was like a smack in the head...."oh, 'sleep all night' means "getting up" around 2:00 a.m. ! YIKES. I've done a little research on jet lag (i like answers!) and I have read the best thing to do is STAY UP and try to stay outside in natural light to help adjust so that's what we are going to try to do. Have a feeling it might be an early night!

Linda

 

[pjpoohbear]

Do we have to take our luggage off the bus? Or does it get taken off and magically appear in our stateroom?

So, you think with an 8:00 arrival at the airport, we'll arrive at port at 11ish? I've been trying to figure that out !

We are taking a DIS bus from the hotels, as I re-read my post it hit me that hoping to do anything in about 2 hours not so smart, so I edited, lol.

If the DCL bus doesn't do a tourish trip to the port and if they let us drop our luggage and head back out it could be a chance for your group to see the lower part of the Ramblas or the Port Vell area.

Pj

 

[cquick]

We are still trying to determine whether we will just go to the port or if we will book tickets on one of the Hop on/Hop off buses. My understanding is once we are at the port, we can take a bus from the port to/near the Christopher Columbus statue where the HOHO buses are located. In my limited research, it appears we have to book the tickets on line only. Have not been able to verify whether or not HOHO tickets can be purchased in person. Even though we aren't going to get a "good nights sleep" we want to see some of the City.....and we think (but we aren't sure) if we "keep going" by doing the tour we might be better off than just sitting at the port. Then again, we'll be anxious to get on the ship. Decisions Decisions !!! and we're at the point where they have to be made--very exciting!

Linda

In most cities, you can buy your tickets at the HOHO bus.

 

[woody73]

I've done a little research on jet lag (i like answers!) and I have read the best thing to do is STAY UP and try to stay outside in natural light to help adjust

That's what we do.

Woody

 

[elderfam]

OK, as of today I am feeling a bit nervous about where we are in our planning process.....But on a side bar note, I can no longer read my computer screen without glasses!!! This age thing S##ks!

We also have gifts for all as well as a few special things for our "Group" Just in case nothing makes sense, I am flying kind of blind here as I cant seem to locate one of the 20 pairs of reading glasses I have stashed around the house.....

I am getting lots of information from the boards, thanks to all that are sharing tips on using Credit cards ...loved the tip about prepaying tips on my disney visa.

Someone is trying to put together a Yoga group? Count my husband and I in. We usually do it once or twice a week so will be able to hang in for a tougher class or enjoy a slower paced class.

Also a note about Fish Extenders: I have given first dibs to some of my extra FE to our group. A couple have been spoken for and already mailed. What this means for everyone else on our cruise:
If you need a FE send me a PM and I will send you a photo of what I have left. I do not ask to be paid for these....they are a gift......I do accept DOD however.

 

[elderfam]

Any suggestions for a 3 year old? I was thinking he and I might start moving one of the clocks in the house the last week up for an hour each day until we leave. I don't think any of us could handle a 3 year old who likes to follow a plan.....more or less God help us all if hes CRABBY.

I should take a moment to point out that MY child is an ANGEL.
Cynthia

 

[HallsofVA]

Regarding getting the biggest bang for your buck, some of you may remember that I purchased a Disney gift card at DisneyStore.com with a card that gives me cashback AND via MrRebates.com. That was great free money ($35)!

Yesterday I called DCL and had the GC applied to my OBC, so I don't have to worry about loosing it. I need to purchase another hefty GC for the remainder of my budgeted OBC needs doing the same thing, although the rate on ebates.com is great right now than I can get on MrRebates.com. So if you're looking to stretch that dollar and get points on your plastic, I would recommend this idea.

Very interesting! I didn't think discounts applied to gift cards (though I see now from a later post that you did buy something else.) I don't imagine these purchases count as zero financing items.

Remember that the adapters only change the shape of the plug (in this case, you need the "little two round prongy thingy." You need to check whatever you're going to plug into the outlet; Spain uses 240V/50Hz (like UK and, as I recall, Australia - USA uses 110-120/60Hz). So, if what you're plugging in can't accept the higher voltage - most laptop adapters and phone chargers do - then you need a *converter* rather than an adapter. Otherwise, say good bye to your blow dryer, etc.

Thank you very much. I'm looking for my blackberry and computer, both of which appear able to swith from one to the other, pending of course the ability to plug them im! Ive found the adapter for my blackberry in europe, but haven't find something to use for BCN.

OK - all you seasoned travelers... Need some help please!!

We are trying to figure out our first day in Barcelona. I think we are down to 2 options...

1. Taxi to the hotel, drop luggage and grab the HOHO bus and see how the kids do - get off where they want, or just ride and take photos, etc.

2. Half day tour - pick up at airport, drop at hotel, see the sites, etc. and hope that the kids do OK for the 4-8 hours depending on the tour.

We have opted for option 2 along with 5 other disers (and our group of 6). Some are using it as transport to their hotel from the airport, with an overview tour along the way. From the description, you'll be going from place to place very quickly, with enough time to learn some, get a feel for the lay of the land, and perhaps knock out the must do photo opportunities. They don't stay long enough in any place to warrant getting admission tickets to any of them. I like things like this or the HOHO bus as first day activities (though I'm usually ended up cat napping on previous trips) to decide where you want to go back to, and a logical order for seeing the other places. Plus it keeps you from going to your hotel/apt and staying there, wasting one of our limited days in BCN.

This will be our first long flight with the kids, so I'm glad we're not doing any longer than we are. If they fall asleep in the car, more power to them.

Ah, the only reason I'm at this hotel is that I'm paying with starwood points and the LeMeridian was booked. I'm still complaining that after paying 20,000 SPG points a night they still charge 50 euros a night for a rollaway.

I'm still toying with where to stay in Barcelona. I currently have 2 rooms booked for 2 nights each at the Marriott Renaissance. I also have two nights booked on points at Le Meredian, one free weekend night booked at Le Meredian, and I just earned a second free weekend night. So I should have enough free nights and points to get the 2 rooms/2 nights that we need. (I'm still seeing availability to book Le Meredian on points, but I also have Gold status with no blackout dates I think.) I'd thought about keeping both places booked, using the Meredian as the central touristing point, and using the Renaissance's shuttle to the port on Saturday. (Yes I realize this means we'd have to move our luggage at some point - which I'm not thrilled with. We'd probably spend as much getting our luggage to the port from the hotel.) But that was my plan formed when I didn't have enough points for 4 nights. Now that we'd have enough, I may just cancel the Renaissance.

Anyone stay at both hotels and have a comparison or recommendation?

Assuming you're using plastic that gives you points for purchases, that's right!!

Note MrRebates' fine print states GCs are not eligible for cash back. I got it though. I did have an apparel purchase at the same time I bought the GC on-line, but on my MrRebates account, it has a separate line-item for the GC and the apparel. At the time of my purchase in June, I bought a $300 GC and got a $9 rebate. MrRebates has dropped to a 3% return since my purchase.

Ebates currently has a 5% return. It was 7% around the beginning of the month. Both sites tend to have specials so the return changes from time-to-time. Ebates does NOT have fine print about GC. Since EBates has a better return right now, I'll be using Ebates this next time.

When you say a card that gives you points, are you referring to any cash back or point earning card? I have cards that give you 1-5% back in cash, and others that give you points or dollars that can be reimbursed for cash.

I think the maths on the wine definately depends on what you are likely to drink. We worked out as most of the wines we've never had and we know we like cab sav, we would end up with quite a cheap range and it wouldn't be worth it! Gonna bring - according to dan - a bottle of spirits each to drink and go from there

In December, I think we ended up drinking 3 bottles of the Moscato, the Kendall Jackson chardonnay, the Reisling (yes, I like the sweet stuff) and 2 bottles of red for DH. So we were at the high end of the average cost, so it worked out well. We especially like that they will keep opened bottles from one day to the next to make sure you get your money's worth from it. And for the first time, we had some of our package wine in Palo (since our entire group of 5 adults did a Palo dinner together.)

OK.....I'm a little confused.....I guess I hadn't been paying close enough attention....but some people are in multiple fish extender groups and others are in only one (like myself)-----Did people request to be in multiple groups? Are we supposed to be in only one or more than one? And then if you are in only that one then you are only making FE gifts for the cabins that are actually in the list that you are in, right?

I didn't realize this myself until recently. I'd only seen the first group we are in, and had pinged Sue a question, and kept getting confused as to why she was mentioning multiple groups until I went back and looked again.

I think I've found stuff to accommodate both groups, plus I'm bringing stuff for all the other rooms with kids in them (with the probably exception of the newcomer FE group.)

You guys have started something. When I still worked in a boarding school, I would teach jewellery making and loved it. So now that I have found travel sized tools, if there is interest, I would be willing to do a jewellery making work shop. Corinna

I am in awe! I have a necklace or two of DD's that I'd purchased on etsy, and ended up breaking the elastic thread they are strung on. These were her "cruise" necklaces, and I broke one on our last cruise (and she hasn't let me forget it.) If you have any hints on how to fix or restring on clear elastic thread, send them my way!