Sept 18 2010 WB TransAtlantic Pirates/Capt Jacks Re-Repositioning Repossession Cruise

[Hoagie Pie]

Actually it's Coke Lite in Europe and it doesn't taste the same. It's not a bad taste but not the same (or as good IMO) as diet coke.



Welcome! What is the NHS?

I think the NHS is the National Health System - but I only have a dear friend that lives there - not from there, but guessing!

 

[feenie]

DH and I are back from our wonderful week on the Magic!
We had wonderful weather. (although it rained on the day we were at Grand Cayman) and we had a fantastic time.
For some reason it was extra painful going back to work yesterday and getting back into the swing of real life has been painful.
These are a few shots from Castaway Cay.

We had BEAUTIFUL weather that day. Not too hot, but plenty warm, and only a slight breeze, and lots of sun and blue skies.

 

[Hoagie Pie]

IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I miss it and I have only been away about a month and a half!!!

 

[jewelmicky]

I have just been web surfing for info on Barcelona and found this site......

http://www.spainbookers.com/en/barcelona/hotels/le-meridien.html

here is what they had to say about Le Meridien..." Le Meridien is a luxury hotel, located nine miles from El Prat Airport, in the center of the city. The only five-star hotel located on the Ramblas, Le Meridien is a haven of peace in the heart of Barcelona. Built in the classic Modernismo style in 1956, it was originally called the Hotel Manila. The guest rooms and public areas were all renovated in 2000-2001 to add a Mediterranean feel to the whole property. In today's Barcelona, all places of interest are minutes away from the hotel's doorstep.


The guest rooms are spacious, comfortable and have double glazed windows to keep the rooms quiet and peaceful. The suites offer some of the best views of the historic quarter of Barcelona. Fine Catalan and Mediterrean cuisine can be enjoyed in the Le Patio restaurant, followed by a cocktail in the Piano Bar. Le Meridien is a few minutes to fine dining, shopping and entertainment venues. "

 

[NHdisneylover]

Dave's hair's cut, suit pressed, shoes shined, nothing to do now but DIS

Welcome to the new folks

I seemed to have missed some info when I was too busy to keep up on the thread. What are we calling captain's dining vs. crew dining??? We have "rugrat free" (LATE) dining (note--I DO have kids who will be dining late with us--please do not take offense ) does that equate to captain's or crew?

I think the cabin crawl sounds fun and I have never done such a thing. We are gtys at the moment so I really can't offer up ANY room as of yet but I would love to see other's.

Someone asked about being in inside cabins. We have been in inside cabins for 6 of 7 cruises. We do not have any issues with it. Generally if we are in the cabin we are sleeping, showering or changing so the lack of a window is really not an issue. We get plenty of natural light all day long out and about on the ship. Others feel strongly about wanting a window/verandah though

 

[BoosGram]

Sarah, welcome back (hard, isn't it?).

Athene, thanks for posting those pics of CC. I had to take a deep breath and smile when I saw those. It's my favorite little slice of heaven.

Welcome, Sarah and Tony. Check out pg. 1 for info on our group and don't forget to add the proper logo to your siggie. We have a great website, too.

Good luck, Dave.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi Athene, so glad you had a wonderful time. Hope you left some Mickey bars for us CC looks so beautiful, cant wait to be there in a couple of weeks
How did you do on the trivia this time?
I'm sure you still did better than I did.
I am hoping they changed some of the questions this time, I have most of the answers memorized after so many cruises

Night all,

Kathy

 

[adnil530]

I have just been web surfing for info on Barcelona and found this site......

http://www.spainbookers.com/en/barcelona/hotels/le-meridien.html

here is what they had to say about Le Meridien..." Le Meridien is a luxury hotel, located nine miles from El Prat Airport, in the center of the city. The only five-star hotel located on the Ramblas, Le Meridien is a haven of peace in the heart of Barcelona. Built in the classic Modernismo style in 1956, it was originally called the Hotel Manila. The guest rooms and public areas were all renovated in 2000-2001 to add a Mediterranean feel to the whole property. In today's Barcelona, all places of interest are minutes away from the hotel's doorstep.


The guest rooms are spacious, comfortable and have double glazed windows to keep the rooms quiet and peaceful. The suites offer some of the best views of the historic quarter of Barcelona. Fine Catalan and Mediterrean cuisine can be enjoyed in the Le Patio restaurant, followed by a cocktail in the Piano Bar. Le Meridien is a few minutes to fine dining, shopping and entertainment venues. "

You know, I just called DCL yesterday about our reservation which includes staying at Le Meridien, I wanted to know if Le Meridien was our only choice of accommodations. Because we are a family of 4, they said that they require 2 rooms for our party of 2 adults & 2 children This at a cost of $1202.00 for one night which includes transfers. I called them to question this again and was told that the other hotel they have is the AB Skipper. But the situation is the same, 2 rooms will be required. While I don't doubt that the accommodations at either is excellent, I'd like all of us to stay in the same room.

I also asked if I could keep the airfare portion of our trip and cancel the hotel and transfers. She said it was ok to do that, but she sounded unsure. I don't know if I can beat the airfare, but I feel that we can beat the hotel and taxi fees hands down.

Honestly, I'd like to leave 1 week prior, go to Ireland for 3/4 days then on to Barcelona for 3 days. Time will tell if we can do that. We lived in the London area for some 2 + years back in the early 90's and always regretted not doing Ireland while we were there.

Those of you who have been to Barcelona before, where have you stayed?

Many thanks,
Linda

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Dave's hair's cut, suit pressed, shoes shined, nothing to do now but DIS

Please tell Dave good luck from me for tomorrow!!!!


Welcome to all of the new cruisers!!!!!

My mouth is starting to get better....it still hurts, but it's getting better. Thanks again for all of the well wishes!

 

[auntlynne]

You know, I just called DCL yesterday about our reservation which includes staying at Le Meridien, I wanted to know if Le Meridien was our only choice of accommodations.
Many thanks,
Linda

Does this mean you can arrive early and spend some time in Barcelona pre-cruise? I thought they just flew you over the day before the cruise. Would love a little time to see the town after flying all the way over.

PS: I'm not a pirate fan, but am not opposed to everyone else enjoying it. I just don't wanna be a pirate.

 

[auntlynne]

I seemed to have missed some info when I was too busy to keep up on the thread. What are we calling captain's dining vs. crew dining??? We have "rugrat free" (LATE) dining (note--I DO have kids who will be dining late with us--please do not take offense ) does that equate to captain's or crew?


Someone asked about being in inside cabins. We have been in inside cabins for 6 of 7 cruises. We do not have any issues with it. Generally if we are in the cabin we are sleeping, showering or changing so the lack of a window is really not an issue. We get plenty of natural light all day long out and about on the ship. Others feel strongly about wanting a window/verandah though

"Captains Dining = Early Dining

Crew's Dining(traitors dining) = Late Dining .."


We did the Cat 6 / Cat 11 combo on our last cruise. That gave everyone the option of going out on the verandah, but saving some $$$. I slept in the inside cabin and didn't have everyone traipsing through my room .

 

[adnil530]

Does this mean you can arrive early and spend some time in Barcelona pre-cruise? I thought they just flew you over the day before the cruise. Would love a little time to see the town after flying all the way over..

From talking to DCL when making my reservations, I can add nights to my pre-cruise stay. At the time of booking, this did not effect the price of my flights and I could add on additional nights if I choose. In my case, the prenight stays costs close to $1,000 per night (4 people), so I am thinking that if we decide to leave the States early and see Barcelona or whatever for more than one night, a DCL preferred hotel won't be cost effective. Either way, probably not smart to pay $1000 per night for 4 people. I guess we got time to work it out, but it boggles the mind.

 

[tink too]

T Rex was excellent and worth it! We had a blast, but our waitress was the best - she tested Abby's knowledge on dinos, played around with us and gave us tons of knowledge on the restaurant. Her name was Karen - so request if you go!

It's great to hear that T-Rex is well worth a visit. Can't wait until April when we can try it out for ourselves!

Most European Airlines on Transatlantics include one cooked meal and one cold meal.

Yup, for folks flying over to Europe (which tend to be overnight flights from the US) you'll probably be served dinner shortly after take-off then breakfast about an hour or so before you land.

Actually it's Coke Lite in Europe and it doesn't taste the same. It's not a bad taste but not the same (or as good IMO) as diet coke.

Depends which part of Europe you're in. It's Diet Coke in the UK, so for those visiting London before meeting the ship in Barcelona, you'll still be able to have a "Diet Coke Break." My DH swears it is the same what he drinks when we visit the US.

Welcome! What is the NHS?

It's the National Health Service here in the UK. Although there are private hospitals in the UK, most of them are connected to the NHS which is available to everyone.

 

[kap158]

Good morning everyone

I was originally staying at Le Meridian when I booked the cruise. I was shocked to hear the price for one night $615.00 for one person, I am traveling solo(I can stay at WDW value resort for a week and then some for the same amount!) I called DCL a couple of days later and got the Hilton for $415.00 for the one nite. I am flying over on the 16th with arrival on the morning of the 17th. I am hoping maybe I can get a tour of the area when I arrive.

Good luck today Dave!

Have as greast Wednesday!!!

Karen

 

[DH of dolphingirl47]

Interesting. Now my question is are nautical miles the same as actual miles? Just thinking this might account for the difference?

Suspect the distance quoted might be the distance by road hence solving the mystery, but like the 'its magic' explanation much better. This would also explain how Mickey can appear on two cruise ships and numerous theme parks all around the world on the same day.

Do you think using that much magic to move around has long term health issues.

 

[Buckeye Gal]

Sorry for all the replies, but I haven't kept up with this thread for a couple of days...whew!

...I just got a job today!!! My first one in 15 years....Happy Monday all I'm employed

Congratulations, Mary!!! I'm also a Target lover!

Is is to late to join? We will be on the cruise!

Me (Barb) DH (Bob) Grandson Ethan (3)

The more the merrier! Glad you're all coming!

...My Brother just got home from Afghanistan and that's where I was the last few days, visiting him. He is in the Canadian Military. He actually was bombed and survived....

Chad, I'm so happy to hear that your DB is home and safe. I'm so sorry to hear that he had such a horrible experience though.

...I want to wish my sister Elaine(she lives in Syracuse, NY) a speedy recovery, she had foot surgery yesterday and she is on strict bedrest for the next two weeks. I need her to get better fast because I am having knee surgery on 12/3 for meniscus tears in my right knee ...

Yikes! I hope you BOTH have quick recoveries! Please remind us when it gets closer so we can send good vibes your way!

So my 7 year old DD came to me this morning and asked. "Mom, what is a vegetarian?" So I explained it was a person that didn't eat meat and asked her why she asked. She then said, "Because it is vegetarians day today and I wanted to know what that was..."



I guess Daddy (the Veteran in our family) needs to explain that one a little better!!!

That's classic! Thanks for the laugh!

... Me and Dan (welshwizurd) are back from our trip to Florida. We had a good time but were really jinxed lol. ...
Still we had some absolutley fantastic things go right too ....

Sarah, you indeed had an eventful trip! Welcome home! I'm so glad you had many good things happen, too!

We have finally committed myself and booked this cruise so we am very happy to be joining you all. We are Sarah and Tony....So a great big hello from us - this thread is already so well established and I hope we will be able to join in with some of the DIS activities....

Glad you're diving in!

DH and I are back from our wonderful week on the Magic!
We had wonderful weather. (although it rained on the day we were at Grand Cayman) and we had a fantastic time.....

Thanks for sharing your pictures! I'm so glad you had a fantastic time! Welcome home!

Dave's hair's cut, suit pressed, shoes shined, nothing to do now but DIS ....

I'm thinking about Dave today (and you!)! I hope it goes well and seems like a good fit for both of them!

...PS: I'm not a pirate fan, but am not opposed to everyone else enjoying it. I just don't wanna be a pirate.

Hmmm....are you trying to sneak in? I don't recall seeing you post with us before, so even if I missed it, congrats on having this wonderful cruise to look forward to!

 

[Justthe8ofus]

Those hotel prices are crazy! DH and I stayed in Paris for 8 nights for under $2000. DCL is looking into hotel for us but it looks like we will most likely just fly in the day of the cruise. That was one of the big ++s for me about the EB--the fact that there was an overnight in Barcelona on the ship. Too bad they aren't doing that on the WB.

I also wonder why DCL doesn't cruise out of Civitavecchia? I would have loved to have shown the kids Rome. I LOVE Rome. No offense to Barcelona but, there is so much to see in Rome. I wonder if it is a cost thing?

Kids are back to school today after having the day off yesterday.

To Dave today!!

 

[Pluto 2]

Oh, yes, as well as a bunch of his old buddies from the Corps. And belated Happy Birthday to you, too.

thankyou

 

[Pluto 2]

Im disappointed you guys only managed 50!

ya things slowed down a little here

 

[jewelmicky]

Those hotel prices are crazy! DH and I stayed in Paris for 8 nights for under $2000. DCL is looking into hotel for us but it looks like we will most likely just fly in the day of the cruise. That was one of the big ++s for me about the EB--the fact that there was an overnight in Barcelona on the ship. Too bad they aren't doing that on the WB.

I also wonder why DCL doesn't cruise out of Civitavecchia? I would have loved to have shown the kids Rome. I LOVE Rome. No offense to Barcelona but, there is so much to see in Rome. I wonder if it is a cost thing?

Kids are back to school today after having the day off yesterday.

To Dave today!!

I have been looking at my Res.....looks like my quote was for 2 nights in Barcelona, not 3.....hmmmmm. I don't see why Disney would contract with hotels that are not "family" friendly....how can you split up parents from young kids? I guess this is an issur in alot if European Hotels. We may have to reevaluate our pre-stay....I just wanted to convenience of DCL transfers and not have to lug suitcases around. I will look into more options on Las Ramblas.