Magic in the Med: Aug. 10-17 TONS OF PHOTOS!

[texasgirl29]

Hi JoAnn,

Fantastic trip report! I intended to do one too but school started back less than a week after we got back and I haven't had the energy to sort through photos etc yet but loved reliving the cruise through reading yours! (It is indeed a very 'proper spacial' report!!).
We've been to Barcelona twice but have never seen the Magic Fountains....after seeing your photos I'm going to have to persuade Ken to go back (and may as well hop on the Magic again while we're there!)

Siobhan

Thanks, Siobhan! I enjoyed getting to know you on our excursions to Rome and Sorrento/Pompeii. The fountains were amazing. My husband took about 80 photos and when I reviewed them later, I was amazed at all the different colors and formations.

We might be planning a Northern European cruise in 2015 on Princess. At least it will be cooler!

 

[texasgirl29]

What a wonderful trip report. I so admire your photos and eye for detail; just spectacular! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you Lucy! I'm enjoying the trip all over again with my photos.

 

[lilpooh108]

Love your TR!

I had a question about Can't Be Missed -- did you organize with a cruise meet to get 2 buses? I was sort of confused about that. Do they offer smaller van tours for fewer people?

Thanks!

 

[texasgirl29]

Love your TR!

I had a question about Can't Be Missed -- did you organize with a cruise meet to get 2 buses? I was sort of confused about that. Do they offer smaller van tours for fewer people?

Thanks!

We signed up independently although I think they were mentioned in both the roll call and my pre-trip report. I know at least two other families from the roll call were on both the Rome and Pompeii tours. But the tour was not limited to Disney cruisers -- there were two sisters on the Pompeii tour who were on Royal Caribbean.

JoAnn

 

[lilpooh108]

We signed up independently although I think they were mentioned in both the roll call and my pre-trip report. I know at least two other families from the roll call were on both the Rome and Pompeii tours. But the tour was not limited to Disney cruisers -- there were two sisters on the Pompeii tour who were on Royal Caribbean.

JoAnn

Oh I see. So basically you sign up as your own group but they place you with others in a bigger bus on a "shared" tour?

Thanks!

 

[texasgirl29]

They have a website where you sign up and pay via PayPal. I just signed up our family. Others in our roll call did as well but we did not coordinate with each other. CBM has a list of those who signed up and we all met up at the appointed place. We had two small buses with two guides and two drivers for Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.

 

[lilpooh108]

They have a website where you sign up and pay via PayPal. I just signed up our family. Others in our roll call did as well but we did not coordinate with each other. CBM has a list of those who signed up and we all met up at the appointed place. We had two small buses with two guides and two drivers for Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.

Thank you! I think we will use this company during our next trip

Loved all your TR pictures, by the way. You guys look like such a fun happy family

 

[PizzieDuster]

What a fantastic trip report!

I really enjoyed it.

I am now going to have to go back and spend more time on your pictures and soak them up! All the details, etc. Thank you for all the pictures!

 

[texasgirl29]

Thank you! I think we will use this company during our next trip

Loved all your TR pictures, by the way. You guys look like such a fun happy family

Thanks... we have our moments

You can check out CBM on TripAdvisor.com also.

JoAnn

 

[texasgirl29]

What a fantastic trip report!

I really enjoyed it.

I am now going to have to go back and spend more time on your pictures and soak them up! All the details, etc. Thank you for all the pictures!

Thanks for so much for the compliment. I enjoyed writing it -- now I'm in the process of doing a 100-page photo book. I do these for all of our trips and I love to go back and look at them. I am amazed that I have been able to go to these wonderful places.

 

[castlegazer]

Thank you for writing such a great thorough report! I was just discussing cruising the Med with Disney with my work colleague and he was saying wait until my kids are about your daughters' ages - and now I think I will also contemplate the whole summer heat thing. You do so much every day - I was most amazed you still had time for a movie every night pre-dinner! I don't want to be destroyed by the heat too. But I know the cruises go at this time of year too - but you gave me a lot to think about when planning it in the near future.

Thank you.

 

[texasgirl29]

Thank you for writing such a great thorough report! I was just discussing cruising the Med with Disney with my work colleague and he was saying wait until my kids are about your daughters' ages - and now I think I will also contemplate the whole summer heat thing. You do so much every day - I was most amazed you still had time for a movie every night pre-dinner! I don't want to be destroyed by the heat too. But I know the cruises go at this time of year too - but you gave me a lot to think about when planning it in the near future.

Thank you.

Yes, it is a lot to weigh. This was our busiest summer ever with camps and other stuff going on. When we suggested August, my in-laws said, "Oh, that's the hottest time of the year." And of course they were right, but, one thing I liked about August was it gave me something to look forward to all summer long.

I tried to get the girls to watch documentaries on TV about the places we were going to see. Unfortunately, neither are big on studying up in advance but they were interested in what they saw and didn't get too bothered by the heat.

Yes, we did either a movie or a show each night. Having the late dinner seating was new to us -- we've always had early seating or "anytime dining" on Princess. But once you get a shower you're pretty much ready to go. I do recall sitting in the show one night and rubbing my feet because they hurt so much.

 

[Ladyshopper]

What a great trip report, thank you!

Adhi was our room host last year on our New York trip, and he was brilliant. I think he appreciated all the English chocolate we kept giving him! What was nice was that I bumped into him on our cruise this year when I was doing laundry, and he remembered me!

 

[texasgirl29]

What a great trip report, thank you!

Adhi was our room host last year on our New York trip, and he was brilliant. I think he appreciated all the English chocolate we kept giving him! What was nice was that I bumped into him on our cruise this year when I was doing laundry, and he remembered me!

I felt bad that the wet carpet issue might reflect badly on him even though there was nothing he could do about it. He was always so pleasant.

 

[AngieBelle]

Fun report! We are from San Jose too.

My husband and I just returned from the same cruise, later sailing! I recognized a lot of the places in your photos!

 

[texasgirl29]

Fun report! We are from San Jose too.

My husband and I just returned from the same cruise, later sailing! I recognized a lot of the places in your photos!

Thanks for reading! I've been having withdrawals so I'm reading other trip reports, too.

It would be funny if you knew my in-laws in "real life." My FIL taught at DeAnza for many years -- just now retired. They love to cruise.

 

[WDWLinda]

Hi there...although this would be my dream cruise, I may never get on it, but at least I lived it vicariously through you and your great pictures. So thanks for taking the time to organize and post it all. You have a great eye for detail. Looks like your family had a great time. Did you enjoy the FE program and would you do it again? We're going on our first cruise in Nov. and I need to read about it more and decide if I want to do it. What type of gifts did you get?

Also, were the living statues real people? I guess by the name they should be, but they just looked so statue-like...did they move around?

Thanks!!!

Linda

 

[texasgirl29]

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, it was a trip of a lifetime (let's hope it's not all downhill from here....)

The FE thing was a lot of fun although there were only about 6 or 7 families participating. We gave out neck things that absorbed water and kept you cool, some little photo books made from name badges and tied with ribbon, package of Orbit gum wrapped in red and black paper to look like Mickey Mouse and post-it pad holders. You can see all of my FE gifts on Facebook if you are a FB user. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200907784029145&set=o.167311023398247&type=3&theater

There are so many creative ideas on that group! Look for FISH EXTENDER DISNEY CRUISE LINE on Facebook.

We got packages of candy from where the giver lived (Ireland), a large photo frame signed by all the characters, magnets, collapsible water bottles, a thing like a magazine holder to hold you trip planning for next time... it was so fun to come back to find little gifts.

I am doing it again for my girls and my MIL who are going on the Wonder for New Year's Eve out of Galveston. My husband and I are not going but I'm sending stuff for them.

 

[linetbo]

Wednesday, August 7 continued

Back at the hotel, David, Norene and Brian had had a little nap and were ready to eat dinner. We all walked back to Las Ramblas and the passed through to the Placa Rieal. This is a beautiful square with restaurants all along the interior corridors. In fact, it appears that everyone eats al fresco in Barcelona!





A word about water, before I go any further. In the US, when you want tap water, or you're trying to economize, you say, "I'll just have some water." In Europe, "I'll just have water" will get you a beautiful bottle of water and a glass. No ice. Sometimes they ask you, "Naturelle? No gas?" meaning, no carbonation? And no, it's not free -- about 2 euros. Also, a basket of bread will set you back about 1.2 euros per person.



Seeing how it was our first meal in Barcelona, I had the four cheese pizza and a glass of wine:



These lamps were the first and only pieces of public art commissioned by the town council to the struggling new artist, Gaudi. Aren't they beautiful?



I love the gorgeous touches everywhere:



Somebody was tired.... time to go back to the hotel:

Whats the name of the restaurant, and where it is?

 

[texasgirl29]

I don't know the name of the restaurant, but when you enter Placa Reial from the entrance by La Rambla, it's right in front of you on the opposite side of the plaza.