First time to the Med..Disney Magic 11 Nights....lots of questions.....

[BACON227]

My wife and I were always hesitant about trying Disney since we don't have any kids, boy am I glad we did. We just returned from the Dream and it was fantastic.

We loved it so much that while onboard I booked the 11 night Med cruise on the Magic departing 7/9/11. This is a surprise for my wife's 40th birthday which will be on 07/08.

So here come the questions, will we be just as happy on the Magic?

The itinerary seems wonderful, what do my fellow cruise critics think, has anybody done this sailing?

Will there be as many kids onboard as in the Caribbean and Bahamas?

We are currently booked in an oceanview, yesterday my travel agent notified me that we could upgrade to a balcony guarentee for $150 less than what we are currently paying for the oceanview, are there any bad balconies on this ship, should I switch to the balcony guarantee?

Has anybody ever used AirEuropa to fly to Barcelona, they seem to be considerably cheaper than the other airlines, how were they?

Since this is our first time ever going to Europe, please feel free to reply with any advice you may have to make this the best vacation ever!!!!

[SpartyOn813]

WOW! You sure have done a lot of cruises! I'm impressed that you gave Disney a try sans kids! We've been avid Disney cruisers and just tried out RCI Liberty of the seas and loved it! We have always had a deluxe family cabin with veranda and loved it's spaciousness. We just came off Liberty and had a JS with adjoining balcony for the kids and thought that was great. I would always book a balcony no matter what.

 

Tell me - what did you like about the Dream so much? How do you feel Disney compares to RCI - I see you've done Liberty as well. We are waiting for the summer 2012 itin to come up for Disney and may very well book the Med cruise with Disney. I'll be interested in your experience.

[BACON227]

We love RCCL and Princess as you can see from our past cruises. We loved our Liberty OTS cruise.

 

As far as Disney goes, I felt that the quality of the food was a little higher than on Princess and RCCL, not to say there's is bad, it just seemed better. The service was also a step above, we described it as the service you used to receive at the resorts and parks in Disny, that has seemed to disappear.

 

We tried Disney because two friends and their wives literally twisted our arms to try it, neither couple has kids and they swear by the Disney cruise line, and they have sailed other lines.

[BACON227]

The Dream was absolutely awesome. Since that is my only DCL experience, that's why I am wondering how the Magic is.

 

We absolutely loved the adults only areas on the Dream. We had a oceanview cabin and it was bigger than any standard balcony cabin we have ever sailed in on other lines.

 

If yo have other questions I will try and answer them. Have you been on the Magic?

[Almagetty]

Hi Bacon227!

 

I think that you will love the Magic. I know I do. She is truly my favorite ship afloat today. We were on the Dream in January. What a spectacular ship she is!! The Magic doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the Dream has, but there are a few things on the Magic that I actually like better. The Quiet Cove area immediately comes to mind as having a better set up on the Magic, IMO. I also like the size of the Magic better. I tend to like the "smaller" ships better.

 

I would upgrade to a balcony without a second thought. A balcony is a wonderful feature to have in general, but in the Mediterranean it is just that much nicer. I understand that the sail-in to Malta is unbelievably beautiful and since it happens in the early morning, your private balcony sounds like the perfect place to be standing.

 

We will be on the Magic's June 18 sailing! We can't wait!! We've done the Mediterranean before on the Celebrity Galaxy and on the WindSpirit. It's really an amazingly beautiful place, and the ports of call on this sailing are super!

 

I'm sure you know to check the Ports of Call -- Europe board on here to get very good advice on what to do in the different places.

[SpartyOn813]

Yes we have sailed the Magic and loved it. The adult pool area is great. MUCH better than the adult area on the Liberty. PLuses and minuses between the two. I thought the food on Liberty was pretty darn good but no cruise line has equaled the food quality of Disney IMO. I also love changing restaurants every night. I think that's great. I am not so patiently awaiting the announcement for June 2012 and am hoping that one of the Disney ships will cruise the dates and places we are hoping to go in the Med.

 

We loved our Deluxe Family cabin on Disney but we really really loved the JS/D1 category on Liberty! Our kids will be 15 and 12 when we go to the Med and I would really love 2 separate cabins but don't want to break the bank. It's affordable on RCI but not so much on Disney.

 

I am really itching to try the Dream though!! I'll have to watch for deals...

[pj-atsea]

I haven't been on the Dream but I have been on the Magic many times and the Wonder. I love the Magic. Definitely go for the Balcony cabin at that price. Especially on a Med sailing. As the above poster stated, the sail into Malta is really something to see. We are on the May 28th sailing. I have done the Med several times but this is the first on Disney and I am looking forward to it. I don't believe that there will be as many children on board but I could be wrong. Book dinner and Brunch at Palo as soon as you can. Brunch, in my opinion, is not to be missed. They book up quickly so you could probably book now. Happy sailing.pj

[grand isle joe]

I have sailed the Magic in the Med. both in 2007 and this past year. They did such a great sail the first time we re-upped for another. Although we sailed with our daughter on the whole there were about half as many kids as on the Dream which we just sailed in Feb. The Magic is a wonderful ship which we love (even more than the Dream.) It has a bigger adults area and great Spa.Do the couples spa for there is nothing better than sitting in the hot tub overlooking the coast of Italy. The sailing gives you a wonderful taste of the highlights and all the excursions we took through Disney were first class. Yes get the balcony because Malta is unbelievable and worth the price. Food is better IMHO and the crew is the best seasoned on all their ships. Try to travel to Barcelona a day or two early because it is a young hip city in a very historic area. Easy to get around town and the food is exceptional. We traveled on Continental and Delta and an easy trip for us out of NYC. I am quite jealous as I write thinking back on our time on the Magic. DCL really pulls out all the stops in the Med. Hope you have a wonderful sail.:)

[BACON227]

The only thing that scares me about upgrading to the balcony is that it is not an assigned cabin, it is a guaratee. From the deck plans it doesnt look like there is a "bad" balcony on the ship, what"s your thoughts on that?

 

I guess I'll hear all about the cruise when u return. Have u booked excursions through Disney or on your own?

 

 

 

Hi Bacon227!

 

I think that you will love the Magic. I know I do. She is truly my favorite ship afloat today. We were on the Dream in January. What a spectacular ship she is!! The Magic doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the Dream has, but there are a few things on the Magic that I actually like better. The Quiet Cove area immediately comes to mind as having a better set up on the Magic, IMO. I also like the size of the Magic better. I tend to like the "smaller" ships better.

 

I would upgrade to a balcony without a second thought. A balcony is a wonderful feature to have in general, but in the Mediterranean it is just that much nicer. I understand that the sail-in to Malta is unbelievably beautiful and since it happens in the early morning, your private balcony sounds like the perfect place to be standing.

 

We will be on the Magic's June 18 sailing! We can't wait!! We've done the Mediterranean before on the Celebrity Galaxy and on the WindSpirit. It's really an amazingly beautiful place, and the ports of call on this sailing are super!

 

I'm sure you know to check the Ports of Call -- Europe board on here to get very good advice on what to do in the different places.

[BACON227]

Good luck with finding a deal on the Dream, the current prices are outrageous and most sailings are sold out............

 

 

Yes we have sailed the Magic and loved it. The adult pool area is great. MUCH better than the adult area on the Liberty. PLuses and minuses between the two. I thought the food on Liberty was pretty darn good but no cruise line has equaled the food quality of Disney IMO. I also love changing restaurants every night. I think that's great. I am not so patiently awaiting the announcement for June 2012 and am hoping that one of the Disney ships will cruise the dates and places we are hoping to go in the Med.

 

We loved our Deluxe Family cabin on Disney but we really really loved the JS/D1 category on Liberty! Our kids will be 15 and 12 when we go to the Med and I would really love 2 separate cabins but don't want to break the bank. It's affordable on RCI but not so much on Disney.

 

I am really itching to try the Dream though!! I'll have to watch for deals...

[BACON227]

Since you are an experienced Med cruiser..........what would you say are the "must-do's" on this cruise?

 

I haven't been on the Dream but I have been on the Magic many times and the Wonder. I love the Magic. Definitely go for the Balcony cabin at that price. Especially on a Med sailing. As the above poster stated, the sail into Malta is really something to see. We are on the May 28th sailing. I have done the Med several times but this is the first on Disney and I am looking forward to it. I don't believe that there will be as many children on board but I could be wrong. Book dinner and Brunch at Palo as soon as you can. Brunch, in my opinion, is not to be missed. They book up quickly so you could probably book now. Happy sailing.pj

[BACON227]

Thanks for the info. I'm planning to fly to Barcelona on July 6th so we have time to explore the city. I'm really excited now since you said you actually enjoyed the Magic more than the Dream.......the Dream was just amazing I couldn't imagine the Magic being even better..........Since you have done this cruise twice, do you have any advice you can pass along?

 

 

I have sailed the Magic in the Med. both in 2007 and this past year. They did such a great sail the first time we re-upped for another. Although we sailed with our daughter on the whole there were about half as many kids as on the Dream which we just sailed in Feb. The Magic is a wonderful ship which we love (even more than the Dream.) It has a bigger adults area and great Spa.Do the couples spa for there is nothing better than sitting in the hot tub overlooking the coast of Italy. The sailing gives you a wonderful taste of the highlights and all the excursions we took through Disney were first class. Yes get the balcony because Malta is unbelievable and worth the price. Food is better IMHO and the crew is the best seasoned on all their ships. Try to travel to Barcelona a day or two early because it is a young hip city in a very historic area. Easy to get around town and the food is exceptional. We traveled on Continental and Delta and an easy trip for us out of NYC. I am quite jealous as I write thinking back on our time on the Magic. DCL really pulls out all the stops in the Med. Hope you have a wonderful sail.:)

[SpartyOn813]

Bacon227 - what kind of discount did you get onboard when booking your Med cruise? Is it still 10% off and a stateroom credit? I am considering booking a quickie 3 day Dream cruise with the kids to check out that ship and to take advantage of the discounted booking if they open up a desirable Med itinerary for late June 2012. I wonder if I can get the discount on 2 cabins if I book a separate cabin for our kids...

[jelbnl]

We did the 10 night Med last summer and having our own balcony really did make a difference. It was nice to go outside in the open air and watch us sail into those ports. So, I'd definitely recommend getting a balcony. You didn't say which category DCL is offering you at GTY, if it's a 5something or above, there really is no bad cabin in any of those categories. Personally as having done it already, I think arriving the day before isn't enough time to see Barcelona and recover from your jet lag. We arrived in Europe 3 days before and were still slightly struggling when we got on the ship. There will be ALOT of kids on the sailing, we had TONS though I had two of my own so it didn't bother me. I haven't sailed on the Dream yet (3 more weeks!!!!), the Magic is a beautiful ship as her sister the Wonder (be on her in August for Alaska!!). I have sailed Liberty and felt her to be WAY TOO BIG! You'll have a wonderful time on DCL in the Med. My only piece of advice is for a stress free trip is to utilize the DCL excursions. Yes they are pricy, but it's the easiest way to see the sights. We did a couple of private excursions to save on $$$ and were disappointed in the service provided and wished we had spent the $$$ to do DCL ones. We did a couple DCL ones and they were spectacular!!!!! Any questions ask away!!!

[SpartyOn813]

Jelbnl - I'll be curious as to what you feel about the Disney Dream after you sail her as opposed to the Liberty. We loved how big that ship is - especially since my poor hubby gets quite seasick although he was NEVER that sick on Disney Magic oddly enough. ON Liberty he had to get a shot of phenergan from the ships doc. Maybe the rough seas going from Miami to St. Thomas and 2 days at sea? I don't know. Anyway isn't the Dream about as big or bigger than Liberty? I really want to give Dream a go as well.

[Almagetty]

The only thing that scares me about upgrading to the balcony is that it is not an assigned cabin, it is a guaratee. From the deck plans it doesnt look like there is a "bad" balcony on the ship, what"s your thoughts on that?

 

I guess I'll hear all about the cruise when u return. Have u booked excursions through Disney or on your own?

 

I agree with your that I don't think there is a "bad" balcony on the Magic ... at least I haven't run across one yet. ;)

 

We've only booked a DCL excursion in Palermo. We will be doing some ports on our own (Malta, Naples/Capri, Rome, Corsica) and have booked private excursions in others (La Spezia -- Florence/Pisa; Villefranche).

[BACON227]

They actually doubled the discount to 20% for Europe if booked on board.......

 

 

Bacon227 - what kind of discount did you get onboard when booking your Med cruise? Is it still 10% off and a stateroom credit? I am considering booking a quickie 3 day Dream cruise with the kids to check out that ship and to take advantage of the discounted booking if they open up a desirable Med itinerary for late June 2012. I wonder if I can get the discount on 2 cabins if I book a separate cabin for our kids...

[BACON227]

The balcony guarantee can be any balcony cabin...........I did it..........my price went down $150 from what I paid for the oceanview. Worst case scenario is a navigator's verandah and that will still be better than the oceanview.

 

We're planning on flying to Barcelona on July 6th which puts there on the morning of the 7th, then the ship sails on the 9th.

 

We're definitely planning on sticking with Disney for the excursions, it's Disney, they have to be great.

 

Any tips on airfare........I will be flying out of the Miami area......the cheapest I am finding is on Air Europa, but the reviews are not that good.

 

 

We did the 10 night Med last summer and having our own balcony really did make a difference. It was nice to go outside in the open air and watch us sail into those ports. So, I'd definitely recommend getting a balcony. You didn't say which category DCL is offering you at GTY, if it's a 5something or above, there really is no bad cabin in any of those categories. Personally as having done it already, I think arriving the day before isn't enough time to see Barcelona and recover from your jet lag. We arrived in Europe 3 days before and were still slightly struggling when we got on the ship. There will be ALOT of kids on the sailing, we had TONS though I had two of my own so it didn't bother me. I haven't sailed on the Dream yet (3 more weeks!!!!), the Magic is a beautiful ship as her sister the Wonder (be on her in August for Alaska!!). I have sailed Liberty and felt her to be WAY TOO BIG! You'll have a wonderful time on DCL in the Med. My only piece of advice is for a stress free trip is to utilize the DCL excursions. Yes they are pricy, but it's the easiest way to see the sights. We did a couple of private excursions to save on $$$ and were disappointed in the service provided and wished we had spent the $$$ to do DCL ones. We did a couple DCL ones and they were spectacular!!!!! Any questions ask away!!!

[lsmommy]

I have sailed all 3 DCL ships, The Dream is beautiful and my kids loved the Aqua Duck, but aside from that I do not think you will miss anything on the Magic, and they do the Med really well.

 

Really excited about going on the Magic in August. For the person who posted that their Med excursions were great, could you recall which ones were good, I can't decide, especially in Rome?

[SpartyOn813]

They actually doubled the discount to 20% for Europe if booked on board.......

 

 

HOLY COW!!! That would be worth taking a quickie 3 day cruise to book with a 20% discount! Was that just a temporary thing and was it for all cruises or just for Med cruises this summer? Maybe they couldn't fill the ship and needed to do it which might not bode well for a Med itinerary in 2012. I'm still hoping...

[jelbnl]

They actually doubled the discount to 20% for Europe if booked on board.......

Are you sure??? I know DCL has in the past offered a 20% discount on the Med, but they didn't offer it on all of the Med sailings, only the last few that they had problems with selling. Based on your sail date, I highly doubt a July one would have a 20% discount on it. For last year, they only offered 20% off the May, Sept and the last Aug sailing.

 

The balcony guarantee can be any balcony cabin...........I did it..........my price went down $150 from what I paid for the oceanview. Worst case scenario is a navigator's verandah and that will still be better than the oceanview.

 

We're planning on flying to Barcelona on July 6th which puts there on the morning of the 7th, then the ship sails on the 9th.

 

We're definitely planning on sticking with Disney for the excursions, it's Disney, they have to be great.

 

Any tips on airfare........I will be flying out of the Miami area......the cheapest I am finding is on Air Europa, but the reviews are not that good.

 

If you're looking on booking the new balcony GTY category offered by DCL, those are special rates offered that are not allowed to be discounted and are non-refundable once purchased. They must also be paid in full upon booking. If you're booking a specific category, ie cat 6GTY, those are allowed to be discounted via onboard bookings and are still refundable before final payment. As for flights from MIA, we live outside of NYC and flew out of JFK and paid approx $1000 per person for our flights and felt that was a fair price for summer travel to Europe.

[sayhello]

WOW! You sure have done a lot of cruises! I'm impressed that you gave Disney a try sans kids! We've been avid Disney cruisers and just tried out RCI Liberty of the seas and loved it! We have always had a deluxe family cabin with veranda and loved it's spaciousness. We just came off Liberty and had a JS with adjoining balcony for the kids and thought that was great. I would always book a balcony no matter what.

 

Tell me - what did you like about the Dream so much? How do you feel Disney compares to RCI - I see you've done Liberty as well. We are waiting for the summer 2012 itin to come up for Disney and may very well book the Med cruise with Disney. I'll be interested in your experience.

Rumors are pretty strong that Disney will not be sailing to the Med in 2012. I hope they're wrong, but the fact that nothing has been announced for the Magic beyond April 2012 (whereas the Dream & Fantasy are booking all through 2012 at this point) is not a good sign.

 

My wife and I were always hesitant about trying Disney since we don't have any kids, boy am I glad we did. We just returned from the Dream and it was fantastic.

We loved it so much that while onboard I booked the 11 night Med cruise on the Magic departing 7/9/11. This is a surprise for my wife's 40th birthday which will be on 07/08.

So here come the questions, will we be just as happy on the Magic?

The itinerary seems wonderful, what do my fellow cruise critics think, has anybody done this sailing?

Will there be as many kids onboard as in the Caribbean and Bahamas?

We are currently booked in an oceanview, yesterday my travel agent notified me that we could upgrade to a balcony guarentee for $150 less than what we are currently paying for the oceanview, are there any bad balconies on this ship, should I switch to the balcony guarantee?

Has anybody ever used AirEuropa to fly to Barcelona, they seem to be considerably cheaper than the other airlines, how were they?

Since this is our first time ever going to Europe, please feel free to reply with any advice you may have to make this the best vacation ever!!!!

I haven't sailed on the Dream, but I was on the Magic in the Med last year. It's a lovely ship, although I found it pretty unstable. Whether that's because of her age or her size, I'm not sure. I would absolutely go with the balcony GTY. There are some balconies that aren't as good as some others (solid white walls instead of plexiglass or navigator's verandas) but they are all better than an oceanview window. And yes, the cabins on the Magic are HUGE compared to most other cruise lines for comparable cabins. I found sitting on the veranda (free upgrade!) with my coffee, watching the ship pull into port was an amazing thing!

 

I flew Iberia airlines to Barcelona (Spanish airline) and really loved them. Great service, nice, clean, large planes. Definitely check them out.

 

Sayhello

[SpartyOn813]

Are you sure??? I know DCL has in the past offered a 20% discount on the Med, but they didn't offer it on all of the Med sailings, only the last few that they had problems with selling. Based on your sail date, I highly doubt a July one would have a 20% discount on it. For last year, they only offered 20% off the May, Sept and the last Aug sailing.

 

I couldn't believe it either but I called DCL reservations and asked them about the onboard bookings (thinking maybe we can jump on a 3 day to take advantage of the big discount for the Med cruise) and they confirmed. 20% for select sailings for summer 2011 Med cruises and yes the July date was one of them. It was almost all of the summer dates! So bummed we can't take advantage of that this year!

[BACON227]

Are you sure??? I know DCL has in the past offered a 20% discount on the Med, but they didn't offer it on all of the Med sailings, only the last few that they had problems with selling. Based on your sail date, I highly doubt a July one would have a 20% discount on it. For last year, they only offered 20% off the May, Sept and the last Aug sailing.

 

I have the paper right in front of me. The 20% off was offered on the 10 night cruise departing on 6/8, 6/29 & 7/20. I was offered on the 11 night for 5/28, 6/18 & the one I'm booked on, 7/9.

[BACON227]

I flew Iberia airlines to Barcelona (Spanish airline) and really loved them. Great service, nice, clean, large planes. Definitely check them out.Sayhello

 

 

Just booked with Air Europa out of Miami. Paid $1013 per person round trip, the bonus is two checked bags per person for free. I think I did pretty good, and the flight times are perfect.