-=*September 10 2011, Westbound Transatlantic from Barcelona to Port Canaveral*=-

[BigHugsForEeyore]

well i've just made myself some beer money! i was having a look at the DCL site and the cat 12 GTYs (now called 11c's) have gone back up. so have now swapped from my cat 11a deck 7 aft near the secret deck, to a GTY. saved myself $300
we've done all three past cruises as cat 12s, ended up with cat 9 on the first, cat 10 on the second and cat 11 on the third. we dont really spend that much time in the room anyway, and we'd rather have the extra spending money!
although when we're about a month from sailing i do tend to get a bit obsessive about checking for room assignments......

That was probably our room. We had a Cat 11C but upgraded it to a Oceanview last night. Glad you got it!

 

[karentan]

we've always booked cat 12s and never really had a problem with them, although my deck 7 room would have been nice, it adds to the fun to not be knowing where we'll be. plus we'd much rather have more money to spend

 

[karentan]

i've just checked the DCL site and the cat 12 has gone, so it probably was your room which i've now got booked! thanks for upgrading, you've saved us some money!

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

You're welcome!

We decided to get an Oceanview as I have to take rest breaks during the day, which is no fun on holiday, but as I must, it's better to have a window to look out of rather than be stuck 'inside'.

 

[karentan]

i totally agree with you, we dont mind the inside rooms as we dont spend too much time in the room anyway, but if i had to spend a lot of time in there, i would totally want a window!
we got upgraded from a cat 12 to an oceanview on our first cruise, and loved the huge window, it was just so nice to sit and look out the window and see the waves rolling by. we did consider it for the subsequent cruises, but just couldnt justify the extra cost when we spend so little time in the room anyway. gary spent more time in the room on our last cruise in june, but thats mainly because he kept finding movies playing on the in-room tv that he really wanted to watch. so i left him to it and went and sat on deck 9 in the sun with my book

 

[birkner]

Thanks for updating the list. We have all intentions of going, although I am waiting on two biopsies. Thinking positive, praying. A transatlantic cruise has been on our long-time wish-list, and know we need to go before our oldest begins kindergarten (she missed the kindergarten birthdate by three days... so she has an extra year to wait before starting school).

I can not access your PM message as the PM messages are down. I will reply when they work again.

 

[MandyGirl]

I can not access your PM message as the PM messages are down. I will reply when they work again.

Eeek. Hope they didn't send multiple times. I kept getting the message when sending that the system was upgrading, to try again later. So I would try again later. Same message. Kept assuming it had not gone through. Gotta love technology!

 

[birkner]

Eeek. Hope they didn't send multiple times. I kept getting the message when sending that the system was upgrading, to try again later. So I would try again later. Same message. Kept assuming it had not gone through. Gotta love technology!

I actually got it four times.

 

[MandyGirl]

I had been watching for those inside GTYs to come back open, but had not checked today. Glad someone was able to snag it!! Our last cruise was a verandah (on Celebrity) but we are taking the girls this time so more $$. Part of me wants to try a GTY (if we snag one) but I am definitely happy with the sideways inside cabin we got and its location.

 

[MandyGirl]

I actually got it four times.

LOL! Yep - from the sender - it just shows system upgrading to try again later. So I did (obviously). Crazy!

 

[MissErin]

Wowzers! Haven't checked in on this thread in awhile and LOTS of pages to get caught up on! We are definitely still onboard and are now obsessively checking for airfare as schedules start to open in the fall. We are currently thinking about flying from the Boston area to Paris and spending a couple of days there and then popping down from there. We can get that flght for about $1700 for the 5 of us which is pretty cheap, and we haven't been to Paris in years.

I can't believe it's already less than a year away. I know it seems so far off, but it will be here before we know it!!!! We have a couple of vacations planned for the interim, but I'm already dreaming of those sea days..... Not to mention that my kids keep asking when we are going back on the Mickey boat!

Look forward to getting to know everyone over the next 11 months.... I'll have to poke in my often now that this thread is starting to get busier!

Erin

 

[MandyGirl]

. Not to mention that my kids keep asking when we are going back on the Mickey boat!

Our kiddos have yet to cruise, but our 4 y/o daughter is obsessed with it now! (I don't know who she gets THAT from... ) She will turn five the week we board the ship. Curt and I love cruising, but have only done one-week cruises. (Married on a cruise -- on St John, USVI). This will be our first TA and we are so excited! Some friends talked us into it - they are on their 4th TA now in about just as many years.

We are trying to figure out what to do prior to embarkation -- if we should fly directly to Barcelona, or visit elsewhere. Curt & I have only been to Scotland and London. If my parents join us (which I hope they will) we might even go back to London so my dad could meet relatives he has never met (his mom was from there - a WWII bride who came back to the states). And I could visit a couple friends in the London area. We will be using frequent flyer miles to get overseas. Any suggestions for somewhere enjoyable for the little ones? They will be 5 years and 15 months. We're planning on making it work with one large backpack each (and laundry on the ship). Managed the last 7-nt cruise that way and also weeklong vacations.

 

[Pinky166]

Hey sweetie!!!! So, so glad you and Lee are onboard!!! Can I crash your table??? I might be elusive during the day (think Scarlet Pimpernel ) but I'm all kindsa raring to go by the time dinner comes around...

Of course!!!!! I would be upset if you weren't on our table! You won't be in your room all day everyday as I am going to drag you to some of the drinks tastings with me! (Lee only drinks beer & will be more than happy to get rid of me for a few hours. )

Now, come on!!! How much am I being misrepresented here??? Dragged??? REALLY?????? How quickly peeps forget...

Only joking!!! I'm so glad you're in planning mode, hun - can you do mine for me too??


TBH Marilyn, IMO Claire needed the fizz as she had to get a little Dutch courage up to explain that she had cancelled the August Alaska cruise we were on together!!! And that's after 100% forbidding me to cancel!!! Oh, the cheek of the girl!!!

It's going to be another fab cruise...

I was only teasing hun, we had a fab time in WDW. I'll definately do your planning for you but it will mean that you have to leave your room every now & again!!!

Hey Mrs, tell the truth! You are MORE than happy that i've cancelled Alaska as you've been looking for a way out for months.

 

[Pinky166]

Thanks for updating the list. We have all intentions of going, although I am waiting on two biopsies. Thinking positive, praying. A transatlantic cruise has been on our long-time wish-list, and know we need to go before our oldest begins kindergarten (she missed the kindergarten birthdate by three days... so she has an extra year to wait before starting school).

Lots of pixie dust to you, hope you are able to join the cruise.

we've always booked cat 12s and never really had a problem with them, although my deck 7 room would have been nice, it adds to the fun to not be knowing where we'll be. plus we'd much rather have more money to spend

Well done on saving some $$$, we have opted for an inside cabin this time as they were so cheap. Lets hope we all get upgraded.

 

[MissErin]

Any suggestions for somewhere enjoyable for the little ones? They will be 5 years and 15 months.

Those will be great ages - your oldest will be old enough to enjoy some of the sites and your youngest won't be old enough to be bored!!!! We are trying to figure out the same thing now. My twins will be almost 5 when we sail (November bdays) and Abby will be 6.5.

The EBTA was the first time we'd taken the twins out of the country, and the first time Abs had been since she was a baby (seems like we've been on an alternating vacation schedule of beach-WDW-beach-WDW since we had the twins). As they weren't as interested in the architecture or the cathedrals as we were we did a lot of things like the hop-on-hop-off buses, stops at aquariums, etc. I would say that any city will be as interesting (or NOT) to them as another, so go where you guys really want to go and find activities there that will work for them.

Wherever you go, you should be able to hit a zoo, or go up on a super-tall building, or ride a bus/train/gondola. I really can't say enough about the sightseeing buses (something that is SO unlike us... probably the first time in dozens of trips abroad that we ever got on one!). It gave the kids a chance to sit and zone out for a bit and gave us a scenic way to get from one point of interest to another. I think we'll definitely be doing them again next trip.

HTH!
Erin

 

[MandyGirl]

Thanks so much for the terrific suggestions, Erin!

 

[Phil & Deborah]

Just checked the DCL website, and the air fare had dropped 600USD since I booked. Called DCL and had the lower air fare put on my reservation. It pays to keep checking.

I will be on the Wonder in 2 weeks (Halloween cruise), I cannot wait!!

 

[2canadianfans]

I cant find airfare from Ontario on the dcl site. May I ask you their quote for air ??

 

[Phil & Deborah]

I cant find airfare from Ontario on the dcl site. May I ask you their quote for air ??

I am leaving from Montreal, 1550USD per person, it was originally 1850 when I booked in April. (They are not leaving from Ottawa)

 

[MandyGirl]

Just checking in with happy news! Both of my biopsies came back completely benign. Yay! Amazing how one phone call can change a person's outlook...