Who's in for GREECE and TURKEY, June 15 2003????

[OurDogCisco]

What if you fly into Barcelona but then do your 5 nights somewhere else at the end of the trip? Could you do your 5 nights plus air that way? Is there a train that goes from Barcelona to somewhere that has the Marriott accommodations and somewhere you would want to spend those days? Are there luggage limitations for trains? Or if you were to fly a 30-lb limit airline, would it be worth shipping some of your baggage weight home from Barcelona - it might arrive back to your home about the same time you get there! Just thinking out loud.

When we sailed from Barcelona in 2007, we arrived the day before we sailed - it was our first international flight and we did not know better We had a flight delay so by the time we got to the hotel and checked in, it was 3 p.m. and we were exhausted. We were returning home the day the ship returned, so we literally had 3 hours to see Barcelona - we did the HOHO but nodded off for most of it and only hopped off once and that was to change lines. That's why we'd like to have two full days this time around - so we can see the city properly. But I agree - I don't think I would want 5 days there.

As for apartments, if we end up doing accommodations on our own, we are leaning towards doing an apartment for the three nights - bookings.com and tripadvisor have yielded some acceptable options, so we are keeping those in mind.

Those are great suggestions. I wish are schedule was flexible like yours so, we could do two cruises back to back but my daughter plays water polo and we have to be back for a game on the last weekend in June. So, we can only do before the cruise.

I'll have to check train schedules to see how it would work. I don't think there is a luggage weight limit for trains. A train would be a lovely way to see the country side too.

Funny, when we were on the HOHO buses my kids promptly fell asleep and didn't see a thing. It was hard for them to stay awake but they were 6 and 9 years old at the time. It is hard adjusting to the time difference. We have a 9 hour difference so, coming a few days earlier is a must.

 

[MinnieDiva]

So.... anyone struggling with pre or post cruise plans?

I was quoting a few things, and I don't see the one I was looking for, but didn't you say that you didn't find much to do in Barcelona?? (If it's not you then this is aimed at whoever said it...) While I can't help with your specific hotel concerns (I totally get using points...), I'd suggest looking at some of the tours that are available. We did the Fat tire bike tour and not only got the lay of the land, but got to see stuff that we had no inkling of that would be good to see. Our daughter was 7 at the time and her "trike" of sorts was attached to my husband's bike...she had handlebars and pedals, but had 2 wheels in the back for stability. This time, we're going to do one of the "go-car" trips, so as to get more audio info of what we're seeing. The sleepiness cannot be avoided, so I want to stay as active as possible that 1st day in Barcelona! Our flight arrived about 7pm, we got to the hotel about 8, then walked around to find dinner. Crashed about 10-11pm, then all of us were completely wake at 5 am. What to do then? GET UP!! Las Ramblas is far more pleasant at 7 am than at 10pm (no crowds=less stress). We did a LOT that day, fell into bed, and then awoke ready for the cruise!!!

Hi all... Sorry can't help with the insurance question! I always buy insurance from my bank (it sells insurance through a subsidiary). I don't purchase it until I have to pay for something where a refund is not offered, usually airfare! I figure if something happens and I have to cancel the cruise, up until 90 days before, I get a full refund!

On another note, looks like we are in for a premEar while on board! Monsters 2(Monsters University) is set to be released on June 21st. We'll be in Athens that day!!!!

Public Service reminder for anyone who has USAA: GREAT insurance quotes are available thru their travel department! And I agree, no reason to put out $$ until I buy something I can't return!

And how COOL!!!! A premEar!!!!

Funny, when we were on the HOHO buses my kids promptly fell asleep and didn't see a thing. It was hard for them to stay awake but they were 6 and 9 years old at the time. It is hard adjusting to the time difference. We have a 9 hour difference so, coming a few days earlier is a must.

Keep them moving!! Take them to the beach??

 

[MinnieDiva]

BTW, I don't think I posted this here, but I created a Google map with sites, potential lodging, and other points of note (Starbucks locations ) so as to give my traveling companions a sense of where things are. If you'd like to peruse this, PM me and I'll get you the link!

 

[scubadiver]

I am looking to arrive in Spain on June 8, a week before the cruise. Not sure where we will fly into or where we will stay. I am trying to find an RCI place to use my points. I would like to find a place close to Barcelona and stay for 7 nights (Sat night-Fri night), then cruise leaves on Saturday. Just having a difficult time finding something that is close enough to allow for few delays and problems the day of the cruise.

Did I see someone already has airfare? I have not seen any fares posted that far out. Who are you flying?

Bur first have to get this darn Hawaii cruise in 3 weeks out of the way first

 

[OurDogCisco]

I was quoting a few things, and I don't see the one I was looking for, but didn't you say that you didn't find much to do in Barcelona?? (If it's not you then this is aimed at whoever said it...) While I can't help with your specific hotel concerns (I totally get using points...), I'd suggest looking at some of the tours that are available. We did the Fat tire bike tour and not only got the lay of the land, but got to see stuff that we had no inkling of that would be good to see. Our daughter was 7 at the time and her "trike" of sorts was attached to my husband's bike...she had handlebars and pedals, but had 2 wheels in the back for stability. This time, we're going to do one of the "go-car" trips, so as to get more audio info of what we're seeing. The sleepiness cannot be avoided, so I want to stay as active as possible that 1st day in Barcelona! Our flight arrived about 7pm, we got to the hotel about 8, then walked around to find dinner. Crashed about 10-11pm, then all of us were completely wake at 5 am. What to do then? GET UP!! Las Ramblas is far more pleasant at 7 am than at 10pm (no crowds=less stress). We did a LOT that day, fell into bed, and then awoke ready for the cruise!!!

Keep them moving!! Take them to the beach??

Yes.... that was me saying not much to do in Barcelona (shame on me--I'm beginning to think I'm just not excited about Barcelona as other cities in Europe). I'm trying to find stuff to do for 5 days since that is how the hotel points work out. So, I thought of Montserrat and Sagrada Familia but then, I get loss after that. We did the HOHO tour last time because were only there one day basically. I have all my notes from the tour last time and nothing really jumped out at us. We love beaches but not something we have a desire to do in Europe. Our style of touring is very educational but with interaction if that makes sense. We aren't the type that want to go into a museum and read the displays. We like going on tours with a guide that points out things and explains things. We like active type stuff. A bike ride would work. Cooking demonstration, hiking, etc... I downloaded one of Steve's books and now I need to read it.

My kids are much older now and don't have issues with falling asleep during tours. They will be 15 and 12 on the cruise. Our first cruise was pretty active and we did the HOHO tour right after getting off the cruise. We went to our hotel to check in which was at the airport and then, we took the train/subway into town. But the audio guide on the bus was very dry and therefore, my kids fell asleep.

Lots to consider...

 

[OurDogCisco]

I am looking to arrive in Spain on June 8, a week before the cruise. Not sure where we will fly into or where we will stay. I am trying to find an RCI place to use my points. I would like to find a place close to Barcelona and stay for 7 nights (Sat night-Fri night), then cruise leaves on Saturday. Just having a difficult time finding something that is close enough to allow for few delays and problems the day of the cruise.

Did I see someone already has airfare? I have not seen any fares posted that far out. Who are you flying?

Bur first have to get this darn Hawaii cruise in 3 weeks out of the way first

I did the same and looked at Marriott timeshares but the closest one is 900 miles away. Spain is a big country. I guess, I could consider flying from Malaga to Barcelona. I did see one in Interval in Barcelona but the interiors look like something from the 80s. Had a very dated look to it.

I had to LOL at your tax deductions.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Okay... this is going to be a crazy question but back in Jan/Feb I remember reading a trip report about someone who did the 7 night Med Cruise in 2011 (I think, that was the year). Anyways, the trip report was about 2 couples that did most of the ports on their own (if not all). One of the girls was a photographer. I'm looking for this report because they did a train ride to town near Barcelona during the pre-cruise stay and I for the life of me can't remember the town name other than they saw these huge mountains?? UGH... why didn't I book mark this is beyond me. It was a great trip report. Familiar to anyone??

Okay... I found it!!!! it was a 11 nighter not sure where I got 7 nights. Anyways, very detailed report if you want to read it: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2761025

 

[MinnieDiva]

Yes.... that was me saying not much to do in Barcelona (shame on me--I'm beginning to think I'm just not excited about Barcelona as other cities in Europe). I'm trying to find stuff to do for 5 days since that is how the hotel points work out. So, I thought of Montserrat and Sagrada Familia but then, I get loss after that. We did the HOHO tour last time because were only there one day basically. I have all my notes from the tour last time and nothing really jumped out at us. We love beaches but not something we have a desire to do in Europe. Our style of touring is very educational but with interaction if that makes sense. We aren't the type that want to go into a museum and read the displays. We like going on tours with a guide that points out things and explains things. We like active type stuff. A bike ride would work. Cooking demonstration, hiking, etc... I downloaded one of Steve's books and now I need to read it.

My kids are much older now and don't have issues with falling asleep during tours. They will be 15 and 12 on the cruise. Our first cruise was pretty active and we did the HOHO tour right after getting off the cruise. We went to our hotel to check in which was at the airport and then, we took the train/subway into town. But the audio guide on the bus was very dry and therefore, my kids fell asleep.

Lots to consider...

So, look at this site:

http://www.barcelonadaytours.com/

to get some ideas. There are a lot of other companies listed on Trip Advisor that do things like cooking tours and whatnot. I'm focused on the above company just because it will fit nicely into our projected flight arrivals and departures. I also saw one place that will do a running tour of Barcelona! I'd so love to do that one, but while DD would have difficulty with the distance I'd like to do, my dad wouldn't even get off the ground! But there's quite a bit of variety out there.

That's quite the age difference for your kids now as compared to then. DD is going to be 3 years older, and it's interesting to talk to her about what she remembers. While we have pictures aplenty, she doesn't necessarily remember what I thought she would. It'll be interesting to see how this changes...

 

[MinnieDiva]

Did I see someone already has airfare? I have not seen any fares posted that far out. Who are you flying?

Bur first have to get this darn Hawaii cruise in 3 weeks out of the way first

On my TR, someone posted that they were quoted airfare by DCL for the eastbound TA and 1st 7-nighter. They said it was $1798 out of Seattle. This was middle of March that we had this conversation. I was able to check this out by going to DCL's website and going as if to book our cruise as if it were a new booking and going to the point where you "add airfare".

And I feel sooooooo bad for you just having to get that Hawaii cruise out of the way. Have fun and can't wait to hear how it was!

Okay... I found it!!!! it was a 11 nighter not sure where I got 7 nights. Anyways, very detailed report if you want to read it: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2761025

Thank you!! Got it bookmarked to read! Always awesome to get someone else's perspective!

 

[OurDogCisco]

So, look at this site:

http://www.barcelonadaytours.com/

to get some ideas. There are a lot of other companies listed on Trip Advisor that do things like cooking tours and whatnot. I'm focused on the above company just because it will fit nicely into our projected flight arrivals and departures. I also saw one place that will do a running tour of Barcelona! I'd so love to do that one, but while DD would have difficulty with the distance I'd like to do, my dad wouldn't even get off the ground! But there's quite a bit of variety out there.

That's quite the age difference for your kids now as compared to then. DD is going to be 3 years older, and it's interesting to talk to her about what she remembers. While we have pictures aplenty, she doesn't necessarily remember what I thought she would. It'll be interesting to see how this changes...

Thanks for the link to that site. Very helpful in planning and finding things to do.

We did the Med when my youngest was 6 years old and she doesn't remember much except when looking at pictures. We did the Baltics and she was 9 years old so, I think she'll remember more. At 12 it should make a lasting impression on her. My oldest remembers the trips the best as she was 9, 12 and now 15 for our trips. I just like that they get to see the world. I never got that opporunity as a kid.

 

[mehaul]

So.... anyone struggling with pre or post cruise plans? We are a family of 4 and of course it is very difficult to find a hotel room that sleeps 4 and is affiliated with Marriott. I have some points I wanted to use where I get 5 nights in a hotel room plus airfare for 2. There isn't anything in Barcelona. So, I started looking at other cities. I found some in Paris, London, etc... We went to London in 2010 so, we don't want to do that city again. Paris is an option but then, I have to pay for the flight from Paris to Barcelona. So, has anyone stayed in a different City than the port city before the cruise? I'm thinking now it will need to be 6 nights before cruise if we stay in a different city (5 nights in one city and then, 1 night before the cruise as I don't want to fly the same day as the cruise departs). When we did the our 1st Mediterranean with Disney we just did a day before the cruise and day after all in Barcelona. When we did the Baltics cruise we did 5 nights in London before the cruise. I was trying to cut down cost and time by not having to travel far. Any advice???

5 nights in Barcelona is definitely overkill. Last summer before the Med cruise we went to Edinburgh prior to the cruise. We spent 5 nights there and flew into Barcelona that AM. We met the couple who was sitting next to us at dinner throughout the cruise at Baggage claim at BCN.
You might consider Madrid.

 

[2PrincesseInTow]

So.... anyone struggling with pre or post cruise plans? We are a family of 4 and of course it is very difficult to find a hotel room that sleeps 4 and is affiliated with Marriott.

We stayed 4 in the room at Le Meridien (Marriott) in BCN but my kids were only 5 and 9. The room we had was very small. It was fine before DH arrived but when he arrived the night before the cruise it was good it was only one night.

If you can stay in Paris, I'd do that in a minute. I found rooms in Paris to be very expensive. We stayed there post cruise on Hilton points. If you go to Paris, check out Paris Muse tours. They are pricey but fabulous. The train would be great, the only thing is that on the trains I've taken in Europe you have to bring your bags on with you and there wasn't a ton of space to store them. We took Vueling Airlines from BCN to Paris (a southwest type). Even after I paid for extra luggage it was much less than a big name airline. Plane was clean and looked new and service was fine.

I would highly recommend Cook and Taste in Barcelona if you're interested in a cooking class. I took my DD's and even though they were the only kids they had a ton of fun. Remember when you look at the price that you eat what you cook and wine flows freely.

Good luck! Sara

 

[OurDogCisco]

We stayed 4 in the room at Le Meridien (Marriott) in BCN but my kids were only 5 and 9. The room we had was very small. It was fine before DH arrived but when he arrived the night before the cruise it was good it was only one night.

If you can stay in Paris, I'd do that in a minute. I found rooms in Paris to be very expensive. We stayed there post cruise on Hilton points. If you go to Paris, check out Paris Muse tours. They are pricey but fabulous. The train would be great, the only thing is that on the trains I've taken in Europe you have to bring your bags on with you and there wasn't a ton of space to store them. We took Vueling Airlines from BCN to Paris (a southwest type). Even after I paid for extra luggage it was much less than a big name airline. Plane was clean and looked new and service was fine.

I would highly recommend Cook and Taste in Barcelona if you're interested in a cooking class. I took my DD's and even though they were the only kids they had a ton of fun. Remember when you look at the price that you eat what you cook and wine flows freely.

Good luck! Sara

Le Meriden is a starwood property.

I'll check out Vueling airlines. I was looking at them for Malaga to Barcelona but I didn't check out the Paris to Barcelona prices.

I'll check out Cook and Taste too. Thanks for all the tips.

 

[2PrincesseInTow]

Le Meriden is a starwood property.

Oops! Sorry.

 

[scubadiver]

I just booked 7 nights prior to our sailing in Tarragona at Onagrup Club Jardines Paraisol through RCI. We just need to decide if we want to stay after the cruise or fly home. Speaking of fly....need to get that airfare to and from Europe. Anyone have suggestions for inexpensive airlines?

 

[OurDogCisco]

Sad to say we decided to jump ship... I'm 99% sure we'll be sailing with RCCL and NCL after I confirm with our travel insurance we can change cruises. I was trying to find something that minimize travel time as I didn't want to go to multiple airports. I was able to find two cruises that sailed out of Rome that hit the Italian ports and the Greek ports (most of the ports are similar to Disney's but not exact). Both cruises are 7 nights each and we have a 3 night break inbetween to visit Rome a little more extensively. We really enjoyed the Rome port on our last Disney cruise and wish we had more time there. So, this kinda just worked out for us. I was really surprised that the NCL cruise is with one of their newer ships that has rock climbing wall, tons of speciality restaurants, Blue Man Group Show, the slide for everyone including adults, etc... We are really excited about the cruises. I'm a little scared of RCCL as the ship rooms aren't as visually appealing as Disney's or NCL's Epic (frankly of the pictures I seen online the rooms look like prison cells--the coloring is very muted) but I was able to get balcony on both ships for $2000 less than our oceanview room on Disney. I wasn't really comparing prices because other cruiselines definitely have extra charges. It will be interesting to see if they really come out cheaper than Disney. Don't worry we aren't dropping Disney Cruises out of our lineup forever. We are going on the Turkey cruise on the Fantasy in November. We own DVC so Disney is always on our mind. Anyways, hopefully, you all have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[gailg3horses]

Bumping the thread back up, and also saying I'm looking around as well. I have always wanted to do a Disney cruise in Europe, but unless they drop the price as they have in the past, we may wind up on another line as well. That saddens me to say that.... but with the change in employment and all, I may have to. For now though, we're still here.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Sad to say we decided to jump ship... I'm 99% sure we'll be sailing with RCCL and NCL after I confirm with our travel insurance we can change cruises. I was trying to find something that minimize travel time as I didn't want to go to multiple airports. I was able to find two cruises that sailed out of Rome that hit the Italian ports and the Greek ports (most of the ports are similar to Disney's but not exact). Both cruises are 7 nights each and we have a 3 night break inbetween to visit Rome a little more extensively. We really enjoyed the Rome port on our last Disney cruise and wish we had more time there. So, this kinda just worked out for us. I was really surprised that the NCL cruise is with one of their newer ships that has rock climbing wall, tons of speciality restaurants, Blue Man Group Show, the slide for everyone including adults, etc... We are really excited about the cruises. I'm a little scared of RCCL as the ship rooms aren't as visually appealing as Disney's or NCL's Epic (frankly of the pictures I seen online the rooms look like prison cells--the coloring is very muted) but I was able to get balcony on both ships for $2000 less than our oceanview room on Disney. I wasn't really comparing prices because other cruiselines definitely have extra charges. It will be interesting to see if they really come out cheaper than Disney. Don't worry we aren't dropping Disney Cruises out of our lineup forever. We are going on the Turkey cruise on the Fantasy in November. We own DVC so Disney is always on our mind. Anyways, hopefully, you all have a wonderful trip!!!

Sorry to see y'all go but I certainly understand.

 

[MinnieDiva]

Sad to say we decided to jump ship... I'm 99% sure we'll be sailing with RCCL and NCL after I confirm with our travel insurance we can change cruises.

Bumping the thread back up, and also saying I'm looking around as well. I have always wanted to do a Disney cruise in Europe, but unless they drop the price as they have in the past, we may wind up on another line as well. That saddens me to say that.... but with the change in employment and all, I may have to. For now though, we're still here.

Sorry to see you both go! Life sometimes just gets in the way...!!

 

[gailg3horses]

Sorry to see you both go! Life sometimes just gets in the way...!!

We haven't gone anywhere yet. Just thinking about it. I really want Dcl to offer great discounts so we can sail with them and all of you. We'll see.