The Med Thread - All Sailings - Mediterranean

[slindamood]

We've done the upgrade thing a few times, and I suggest buying as early as possible and upgrading at the same time. They are really inventory controlled on the number of free upgrades - like 2 per flight sometimes - so you need to act quickly. However, sometimes a few weeks before the flight they open up some more seats if the actual sales of that class is below a set mark.

Be sure to say that you want to upgrade when you buy. It used to be that any coach fare could be upgraded. Now it is limited to certain coach fares and the lowest generally is not available to upgrade. In fact, for our trip this past June, we would have had to pay almost twice for a ticket that could be upgraded. We opted for the cheap coach and it actually was tolerably comfortable (well, comfortable considering).

 

[Hygiene99]

I am hoping to get a bit of advice/help here. We are going on the May 26th Med cruise and were not planning on doing any "pre cruise" time in Barcelona. I already am taking May 25th-June 8th off (since I don't want to come back to work for 1 day before the weekend...it just seems sorta pointless to me) which is 10 days off of work (instead of 11 since Memorial day is a day off for us anyway!). So I then decided I would just do an xtra day or two after the cruise and fly home on the 7th or 8th, so I could at least do a bit of sightseeing and it doesn't look like most flights from the US will be getting to Barcelona until about 10:30am on the 26th. Even though I booked air through DCL I am starting to get a little worried about flight times and delays...I do NOT want to miss my cruise! Also, airfar booked online directly through a company is almost $500 cheaper per person!!! I am thinking that I should just cancel the DCL airfar, book it myself, get on the ship right away when we arrive in Barcelona, and then stay for two days at the end...what do you guys think??? I just don't know what to do and I really cannot take more than 10 days off of work, any advice or suggestions would be great! Thank you!

Book yourself..
We leave the night of the 24th arrive Barcelona on 25th 10:25 ish

are going home on the 8th

 

[slindamood]

Improvgal asked:
I can understand the risk factors if one is in a shared sleeping compartment (T4 couchette, for example). However, when I started looking at info on the Elipsos trenhotel, one of the features it advertises in club class and grand class is a private roomette w/magnetic key lock. Wouldn't that be a theft deterrent?

The problem is with the T4, not with the private rooms. The rooms lock, the conductor watches over the corridor during the night, and only in a T4, or in an open car with seats, is theft even possibly a problem. The luggage storage over the corridor is accessible only from your private room, so little problem there.

I would not let theft enter into the decision of whether to take a night train.

 

[Kissimmee]

Am I missing some obvious discount? I had the romantic notion that trains in Europe were fast, comfortable and inexpensive. What I seem to be finding is that they are much more expensive than flying. My daughter who flies recommends Easy Jet for the cost conscious.

 

[PURTYPAT1]

Hi All,

Just want to share with you all what happened to my best friend last year in Barcelona airport. Her husbands suitcase was stolen, within minutes of there landing there.

This summer another neighbor, was in the subway in Barcelona, someone actually threw dirty water at her & her husband. Then someone else came home to help clean them up, with napkins. While they got cleaned up, they also got cleaned out. My neighbors wallet was stolen.

Beware.........

 

[misseulalie]

This might have been asked, but frankly, I'm too lazy to go through pages of posts.....


I was looking at Hotels com and it states that the hotels are all sold out. I know that all of the hotels in Barcelona cannot be sold out. Does it state this because I am looking for a hotel for next June, so the dates are too far out?

I heard lots of good things about Hotel Colon, I heard it is very kid friendly.
I am also looking at Princesa Sofia hotel. (yes, I'll admit it, I am looking into this hotel because my DD is named Sophia.)

 

[BigBlueMan]

Hi All,

This summer another neighbor, was in the subway in Barcelona, someone actually threw dirty water at her & her husband..........

...I loveeeeee that dir-teeeeeee waterrrrrrr....
ohhhhhhhh....
Boston, you're my homeeeeeeeee......

 

[Kissimmee]

It is still a few days before they will let me check the actual fare for the dates I need but by bumping it a week earlier I found that Orlando-London-Barcelona-Orlando with one week in London was not too bad at

1 x Adult (@ $737) = $737.20
1 x Senior (@ $737) = $737.20
1 x Child (@ $644) = $644.20

 

[pyramid2000]

Subscribing!!

 

[jlawall]

Love this thread, keep 'em coming!

 

[ImprovGal]

Am I missing some obvious discount? I had the romantic notion that trains in Europe were fast, comfortable and inexpensive. What I seem to be finding is that they are much more expensive than flying. My daughter who flies recommends Easy Jet for the cost conscious.

I'm not comparing the cost of train vs. plane. I'm comparing the cost of overnight train vs. (addl night hotel + plane).

I had seen train discounts on raileurope, but they seem to have changed their website around and now I can't find what I was looking at before. I figure I've got time to work on that, though.

 

[Skallywag]

There definitely are hotels out there but some have not yet posted their prices for 2007 for some reason. Also believe that it is best to reserve one early as believe the Motocycle Grand Prix is the weekend of the 16th June so that is why people are having problems.

Did originally book the Hillton Diagonal Mar but on checking the Sky Travel web site have found an alternative 5* which looks great and has good reports for about £130 per night cheaper. The only difference is we do not get breakfast thrown in but you can purchase a lot of food if you want for that price. Was also offered the Arts and the Silken Diagonal by BA at quite reasonable prices The hotel we have found is the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos and it is away from the beach but that does not bother us as we live near the coast here.

 

[RJAYL]

It is still a few days before they will let me check the actual fare for the dates I need but by bumping it a week earlier I found that Orlando-London-Barcelona-Orlando with one week in London was not too bad at

1 x Adult (@ $737) = $737.20
1 x Senior (@ $737) = $737.20
1 x Child (@ $644) = $644.20

What airline?

 

[OurDogCisco]

Hi All,

Just want to share with you all what happened to my best friend last year in Barcelona airport. Her husbands suitcase was stolen, within minutes of there landing there.

This summer another neighbor, was in the subway in Barcelona, someone actually threw dirty water at her & her husband. Then someone else came home to help clean them up, with napkins. While they got cleaned up, they also got cleaned out. My neighbors wallet was stolen.

Beware.........

Okay, I have to comment because I sometimes think people make themselves targets without realizing it. First, you never let anyone invade your personal space no matter what they do. You force them to stand back.

Anyways, my in-laws have traveled the world extensively. They have done over 50 princess cruises. They have been on many tours throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. Basically, they have been everywhere. They have never been mugged nor have they loss or had their luggage stolen. The loss/stolen luggage thing can happen here in the US as well. Yes, you do need to be aware but you also need to make sure you aren't a target! GL...

 

[BigBlueMan]

I urge you to not just buy airfare the first day that it is available, as the prices do fluctuate a lot. I anticipate the airfare on the first day that you price it to be MUCH higher than what you'll eventually get the flight for.

For example, I'm buying two round trip tickets, Nashville to Paris, then Paris to Barcelona.

Although I can't price my cruise dates yet, when I price the N to P ticket in February, I can buy it for $640 per person. This is for the exact days I'll use in the summer, just a few months earlier. (Monday departure, two weeks there, Monday return)

If I go to June, which is right BEFORE my cruise, the same flights are beginning at $1,251 per person. They'll come down.

It may still be higher in June because of the travel season, but I don't think I'll end up paying NEAR this amount for the flight. (But hey, thats my opinion, and we all know what they say about those.....)

 

[winotracy]

I would also recommend talking to people who have traveled to Europe or more specifically Spain around the time that you are going. I was told that the prices we are seeing for the first Med cruise are low coming from Chicago. Get updates from the places you are looking for prices through (i.e. kayak, Travelocity, Expedia, etc.). I'm afraid with the conflicts going on in the Middle East and the prices of oil that the prices for airfare are not going down much. If you have a good price, no reason not to book. I will book right away if the price is right

 

[Skallywag]

Hi everyone,

All the doom and gloom stories about mugging etc can happen in any country and you just have to be aware and be on your guard.

Flights are usually the cheapest when they first come out on the transatlantic route as we have always booked them 11 months out to get the best deal. When they have sold that portion of the aircraft seating then the prices will rise.

 

[woody73]

. . . Anyone with experience doing the 2 round trips? . . .

Yes, we booked:
L.A. - London, with London - Cologne;
L.A. - London, with London - Edinburgh;
L.A. - London, with London - Paris;
L.A. - Paris, with Paris - Seville; and
L.A. - Paris, with Paris - Nice.

Woody

 

[woody73]

. . . This summer another neighbor, was in the subway in Barcelona, someone actually threw dirty water at her & her husband. Then someone else came home to help clean them up, with napkins. While they got cleaned up, they also got cleaned out. My neighbors wallet was stolen.

This happened in Barcelona to my neighbor. But it was mustard, and his suitcases were stolen.

Woody

 

[woody73]

Okay, I have to comment because I sometimes think people make themselves targets without realizing it. First, you never let anyone invade your personal space no matter what they do. You force them to stand back. . .

IMHO, that's easier said than done, especially on subways, trains, and busses. For example, the #64 bus in Rome is nicknamed the Pickpocket Special. And the elevators at the Eiffel Tower have "Beware of Pickpockets" signs.

Woody