Tag Archives: DCL

Cruising Disney’s Magic in the Mediterranean (Part 3)

Posted on by

DSCN2922This is Part 3 of our Mediterranean Cruise on the Disney Magic Trip Report.  Part 1 can be found here and Part 2 here. (Links to all parts of the trip report are at the bottom of this post)

Barcelona, Spain:  Cruise Departure Day.  Raymond and I are early risers.  On Saturday, August 10th we were up, showered, dressed and packed in record time (too excited to sleep!).  We’d left the rest of our party the night before with strict instructions on what time we needed to meet in the hotel lobby, knowing they would sleep until the very last possible minute.  This gave Raymond and I an unexpected bonus adventure – we had plenty of time to walk leisurely from the hotel to (do not get mad at us!) one of the many Starbucks of Barcelona for breakfast.  After coffee and muffins, we strolled back to the hotel soaking up the early morning sights and sounds and saying goodbye to a great city…we vowed to come back someday and visit again.

Surprise!  Megan, Grant, Joseph and Jason were all up and ready to go by the time we got backDSCN2894 from breakfast.  We gave them directions to a couple of different bakeries (including Starbucks) and sent them off (yes, I was a little nervous knowing they were out there alone in a foreign city) – threatening them with dire consequences if they didn’t return on time for our appointed port shuttle departure.  As usual, I worried needlessly and we were all situated with plenty of time to spare.

The lobby of the Renaissance is tiny (as are the rooms and most especially the elevator) compared to American hotels.  There were a ton of cruise passengers (many different nationalities) everywhere waiting to leave and in that DSCN2888cramped space, it was pandemonium!  We were clumped together with our properly tagged luggage with several minutes to kill when one of the Disney reps approached us (seemed grateful we were both ready to go and in good humor) and offered to let us board the bus that was just about to leave – YES!  Even in Spain, Disney pixie dust is present.

Now WAY ahead of schedule, we were already on our way to the Magic.  Barcelona has such incredible architecture and scenery – I DSCN2934concentrated on seeing as much of it out the motor coach’s window as I could on our way to the cruise port.  Soon, the Magic came into view and we found ourselves standing in line outside the cruise terminal.  The air was crackling with excitement!  The line moved quickly, we got our paperwork processed, received our Castaway Club lanyards and were boarding the ship in what seemed like no time at all.

The weather was gorgeous and we would soon be sailing for France – life was feeling pretty DSCN2935darned sweet as our group enjoyed the buffet in Parrot Cay (now Carioca’s) before spending the afternoon exploring, completing our life-boat drill, and getting unpacked  while soaking up the the overall feeling of excitement among everyone on the ship.  Raymond’s and my assembly station for the drill was actually in Animator’s Palate – so, of course I then referred to our assigned location as our “mustard” station for the rest of the cruise.  We invited the rest of our traveling party to our cabin for happy hour (opened the wine we’d purchased in Barcelona) before our early dinner seating (which became a daily ritual).   Dinner that night was in Animator’s Palate and the show for the evening was All Aboard Let the Magic Begin.

The next day (Sunday, August 11th) was spent at sea.  I believe at-sea-days intimidate some people – they worry there won’t be enough to do on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.  This was the first of two at-sea days for our cruise and we absolutely packed them full of action.  For me this day started out (after breakfast) with a visit to the spa for a pedi.  Every member of our party had a spa appointment scheduled during the cruise – Joseph, Jason, and Raymond were each getting aDSCN2960 massage and Megan and Grant a couples’ massage.  I just wanted cute toenails, but as it turned out, the pedi included a fantastic leg massage that did wonders for my poor still-swollen-from-jetlag feet!  Raymond and I had scheduled a Martini Tasting seminar in Sessions bar – Anne Marie from Jamaica was our hostess and we had a LOT of fun learning about martinis (which we drink….never).  As we were getting in the elevator after our seminar, I mentioned to Raymond that, while I’d enjoyed the Martini Tasting, I probably shouldn’t have finished all the samples we were given – a lovely woman from Great Britain turned to me and exclaimed, “Why NOT?!!  You’re on HOLIDAY!”  Yes, indeed!

We (all six of us) relaxed that afternoon by the Cove pool.  Then, as Raymond headed off for his massage, I got ready for Formal Night.  We had an “All Hands On Deck” cheese platter with our happy hour glass of wine before, looking very spiffy, we made our way to dinner.

Once again, we were back in Animator’s Palate, but this time we were dressed to the nines.  We enjoyed our meal very much and the DSCN2964evening’s show afterwards was Twice Charmed.  Honestly – we were so excited to arrive in Villefranche the next day and all of us, except Grant, had seen this show before – we kind of wound down and were ready for sleep once the show was over. Well – Raymond and I headed back to our cabin and the youngsters…. probably best we didn’t ask.  (Really – they were well-behaved as far as we know.)

Back in our cabin, Raymond and I sat out on our balcony with a little bit of wine (leftover from happy hour) and the chocolate left on our bed by our cabin steward.  The Mediterranean was so calm, the weather beautiful, the stars in the sky so different from home – we loved this moment so much, it also became our habit every night of the cruise –DSCN2966 to end the evening just this way.

Tomorrow we would arrive in France.  I had studied French from 7th grade through my first year of college.  This was a big deal for me – not just because I had always imagined what France would be like – I had planned no formal tour or excursion in France.  We’d be on our own.  I had a plan – well, several in fact, but they depended on ME!  Getting us around and safely back to the ship.  Armed once again with Rick Steves’ induced confidence…we drifted towards our next port and off to sleep.

Please come back for Part 4 (Villefranche) on Tuesday, February 11th!  If you have any questions about cruise planning, excursions, anything at all, feel free to ask and I’ll do my best.

Links to other parts of this trip report:

 

 

Cruising the Mediterranean on the Disney Magic – Part 2

Posted on by
DSCN2763

Our First View of Europe

Our first view of Europe was from the plane’s window as we prepared to land in Barcelona.  It was breathtaking!  Seeing those beautiful peaks also meant the long, seemingly endless flight would soon be over!  Plans to sleep on the plane had failed miserably and I, having ignored all the advice I’d read about coping with jet lag, had feet and ankles so swollen it was reminiscent of the last month of pregnancy.  The six of us had basically spent the entire transatlantic jaunt watching movies and eating.  Running on fumes, we drug ourselves through customs without incident and looked for our Disney transfer bus.

DSCN2810

In the Heart of Barcelona

As I mentioned in Part 1, I booked all the tours and shore excursions for this trip on my own, however, the hotel in Barcelona and transfers there from the airport and then to the port for boarding the Magic and finally back to the airport, I booked through Disney.  Having used Disney transfers in the past, I knew they’d be reliable, English-speaking, and stress-free (especially for a group of six).  The hotel would be centrally located – within walking distance of all we wanted to see and do in Barcelona on our one-and-only day there.  So, we boarded our motor coach at the airport and headed for the Renaissance Hotel Barcelona.  The weather was gorgeous – crystal clear blue skies, tons of sun and highs in the mid 80’s.

DSCN2778

The Sagrada Familia

Luckily, one of our rooms was available for us to use when we arrived.  It was still morning, so we freshened up, piled all the luggage in a corner and headed out onto the streets of Barcelona.  I did not book a tour for the inside of the Sagrada Familia due to time constraints, but we wanted to see this famous cathedral at least from the outside.  Our “real” tour for the day was scheduled for 4:00 pm.  We had plenty of time to walk all the way around the cathedral taking pictures – WOW!  Amazing! – before finding a place to stop and eat lunch.  I’d wanted to buy water and wine to take on the ship with us as well – shops and restaurants lined all the streets along the way from the Sagrada Familia back to the hotel.

DSCN2796

Delicious Lunch at a Corner Café in Barcelona

I’d love to be able to tell you the name and exact location of the fabulous corner café where we enjoyed lunch.  Sleep deprivation, hunger, and jet lag had all combined to make that part of the day a bit hazy.  We were pretty grouchy – I remember that well enough.  After a great meal, we made our beverage purchases and hobbled back to the hotel for a little siesta.  After a very short rest, we headed back out, but this time we were going to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter – The “Old City” where we would meet our tour guide, Amanda.  On the way we made a quick stop by the Hard Rock Café to pick up a couple of pins for Raymond and Joseph’s collection.  The Hard Rock was packed!

DSCN2793

Poor Megan – SO Tired!

I booked our tour for Barcelona late in the day, hoping we could use it as motivation to stay awake and keep moving!  I figured it would be timed just right so we could have dinner right after the two-hour tour ended, walk back to the hotel along the famous La Rambla and get to sleep early in preparation for setting sail the next day.  This still seemed a solid plan – except for one tiny thing.  The tour I’d booked….was a SEGWAY TOUR!  None of us had ever been on a Segway, we were exhausted, had aching feet and were generally cranky!  Uh-oh.

DSCN2822

The Placa Sant Jaume, Barcelona

We met Amanda from Barcelona Segway Tours at the Placa Sant Jaume – a square in the center of Barcelona’s Old City.  She arrived on her Segway and guided us a short distance through the very narrow streets to the tour company’s headquarters.  Helmets, Segways, and release forms properly distributed – we headed out to a nearby courtyard for our Segway lesson and practice session.

DSCN2829

Barcelona, Look OUT!

Who knew?  Seriously – I’m not kidding – this was hands down one of the most fun things any of us had ever done.  Megan noticed right away and commented that “You want to cure jetlag and cranky-ness?  Just get on a Segway!”  It was so EASY!  Before we knew it, we were off on an incredible tour that took us through the Gothic Quarter (Roman ruins!) to the waterfront (Christopher Columbus Statue!) – along the waterfront past Barcelona’s man-made beach with its khaki-colored sand imported from the Sahara Desert.  How we didn’t wreck at the beach I’ll never know – we were completely distracted by the total lack of clothing on the sunbathers!  Amanda was delightful, spoke excellent English and her love of both her job and her city were obvious.

DSCN2852

Segway Tour in Barcelona – Most Fun EVER!

When the tour was over, we were entirely refreshed, excited about what the next day would hold and ready to eat!  We ended up at a seaside restaurant with outdoor seating where we ate a leisurely dinner and enjoyed delicious Spanish wine while the sun set beside us on the Mediterranean.  After dinner we did indeed walk along La Rambla and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the bustling Catalonian city.  Once back at the hotel, we couldn’t get to our rooms fast enough – exhaustion had set back in.  We promptly fell into our beds and were sound asleep in record time – dreaming about the sights yet to see on a journey that was only just beginning.

Links to other parts of this trip report:DSCN2897

 

Cruising the Mediterranean on the Disney Magic – Part 1

Posted on by

DSCN3118Last August, The Fam and I took an incredible, unbelievably fabulous voyage – seriously, we had a spectacular trip full of all the magic a Disney vacation can hold.  A long time in the making, our Mediterranean Cruise on the Disney Magic was absolutely everything we’d dreamed it would be.  Today is the first installment in a multi-part series of posts on the most fantastic Disney adventure we’ve ever experienced.

We’d sailed on Disney Cruise Line four times before – and that’s actually how this whole trip began – on the Disney Wonder in Alaska in 2011.  While on board that sailing, we booked a place-holder cruise knowing we wanted to take Joseph on a trip to celebrate his high school graduation.  We’d taken Megan on one of Disney’s Western Caribbean itineraries to ring in the New Year for 2008 during her senior year – now it would be Joseph’s turn.  Re-booking while on board offered a reduced required deposit as well as a 10% discount on the next cruise.  We’d have two years to plan and save, which was certainly a good thing once Joseph decided on a Mediterranean cruise.  It took a lot of planning and, let’s face it, money to make this trip a reality.  NOTE:  Disney Cruise Line rules have changed since we made our onboard booking.  You now must sail within 18 months of booking a “placeholder” or “dummy cruise”.

I possess mad – okay, slightly obsessive – vacation planning skills.  Once the 2013 DisneyRS Guides Cruise Line itineraries were announced, I booked our trip immediately (prices tend to go up over time).  Joseph’s one request had been that we sail after June 15th (his 18th birthday) so he could finally eat in Palo – the adults-only restaurant on the Magic.  Raymond’s schedule eliminated any cruise with a duration longer than 7 nights – the only possible sailing we could make would be departing Barcelona, Spain on August 10th.

Armed with several Rick Steves travel books, Rosetta Stone Italian, several foreign language iPhone apps, as well as the DIS boards app – I started my extensive research and preparation.  Yes, we had been on other cruises that took us outside the U.S., but this would be different.  Traveling the farthest from home we’d ever been – to three of the world’s top 10 cities for pick-pockets – I wanted to be more than ready.  I wanted to make the most of every single moment.  This would be like a sampler platter – small tastes of the wonderful, beautiful, amazing things there are to explore in Europe.  My goal was to introduce The Fam to some of what Europe has to offer and leave us all with a desire to go back and see more.  HA!  No pressure.

Joseph’s best friend, Jason had gone on vacation with us before and I couldn’t imagine taking this trip without him – they’d been friends and classmates since kindergarten.  So I booked an inside cabin – Megan would act as chaperone for Joseph and Jason.  Raymond and I would be right down the hall in a stateroom with a balcony (perk of being the parents!).  At around 4 months from our sail date, Megan’s boyfriend of 3 years, Grant, found out he’d be able to make the trip, so we added him DSCN2765to our reservation.  Now Jason and Joseph would have their own chaperoning to do!

Okay – date selected, cabins booked – that was the easy part.  Airfare!  UGH!  So expensive – the cost of flying to Europe was a HUGE percentage of our overall expense.  I saw several people that had posted on the DIS boards “Cruise Meets” page for our sailing cancel their trips  when they discovered how much the airfare would be.   Raymond took charge and found us a non-stop flight from Atlanta that would get us to Barcelona early in the morning the day before our cruise and was somewhat reasonably priced.

Departing from Barcelona, we would visit the port of Villefranche, France, before stopping at three Italian ports:  La Spezia, Civitavecchia, and Naples.  The Fam cheered me on when I was researching excursion and tour options – “Just book whatever you think we’ll like, we trust you!  Again, no pressure, right?  On every previous cruise we had taken only Disney port excursions – they were excellent and there was no way the ship would sail without us if something went awry.  This time would be different – Rick Steves was making me feel brave!  The DIS boards trip reports were making on-your-own excursions sound easy and much less expensive than the Disney choices.  Four previous cruises under my belt, excellent travel resources at hand – I took a deep breath and went for it!  Emailing tour companies in Spain and Italy to make inquiries and book tours.  I decided Villefranche would be on our own.  I had studied French for 7 years growing up, certainly I could recall enough to get us around (and save some money for Italy).

DSCN2823So, on August 8th, our travel party of 6 met at our little regional airport for the first leg of our trip – the flight to Atlanta.  After a short layover, off we’d board on our next flight, straight to Barcelona.  Only Grant had been to Europe before.  All of us were as excited as we could possibly be.  I remember feeling worry start to creep up on me a time or two…what if something goes wrong while I’ve got not just my own, but two other people’s children with me in a foreign country?  What about pickpockets?  What if the tours were no fun?  What if we didn’t return to one of the ports on time and missed the ship?  Tamping it all down, I held my favorite Rick Steves book a little closer for comfort and boarded the plane.

I hope you’ve enjoyed part 1 of our big adventure on the Disney Magic.  Pat 2 will be posted Tuesday, January 28th.  Next up?  The horrors of jetlag and the beautiful and exotic Barcelona, Spain.

Links to other parts of this trip report:

 

 

 

Disney Cruise Line – Dressing for Formal Night

Posted on by

DSCN3118IMG_0406First Things First:  I love the DisBoards – if you have never been there, go.  Now.  Tips, discussions, trip reports, reviews, debates, ideas, rumors and much more – almost ALL related to Disney!  I’ve been a member since 2006 (GreenAcres is my DisBoards’ name) and I have found the information there invaluable.

People on the cruise boards are always asking questions about dressing for a Disney Cruise – specifically, what families should expect / wear on formal night.  I’ll tell you – the full-blown formal attire, dressed to the nines – is going out of style on Disney Cruises.  If you wear long dresses or tuxedos, you will certainly be among the minority.  That being said, we still do it – Dress for Formal Night.  Raymond and Joseph DSCN1644have owned their own tuxedos for years (WAY less expensive than renting, I promise) and Megan and I have always purchased our dresses strategically to ensure uber-bargain prices.  I know what you’re thinking – I’m on vacation and I do NOT want to go to all that trouble…I’ll be uncomfortable…I only want to wear shorts and tee shirts – and you’d have a point.  Still – I think everyone ought to be free to choose what makes their vacation special.

Why do we dress up?  I’ll give you the top fives reasons:

IMG_03801.  You get the opportunity to go all out – spit and polish, together as a family – and let your children show off all those good manners you’ve been drilling into them year after year.

2.  Gives children the opportunity to shine – to truly feel like the prince or princess you tell them they are.  If you have a need to feel royal as well – this will allow you a grand chance to embrace your inner monarch.

3.  Great practice for proms and weddings or if your children ever need to attend a red carpet IMG_1820event – they’ll be ready!  Don’t laugh – both of my dear offspring have expressed a time or two how happy (grateful even) they are to feel comfortable when faced with formal occasions.

4.  Family pictures!  I like the professional pictures we’ve had taken on the ship, but I love the candid shots we took ourselves even better.

IMG_03795.  Memories – making them as well as recalling the past.  For me, dressing up triggers memories of one of the happiest days of my life.  When I see Raymond in his tuxedo – I can perfectly recall the excitement of our wedding day (when my Disney life began!).

Need to know where to shop?  Want to know what to pack for a cruise?  Questions and comments are always welcome.

IMG_0372