I have often said that my vacation dollars were the last I’d cut from our budget in order to save or conserve. I need my escape, especially amid the stress of economically difficult times, but with the financial crisis quickly becoming global this feels more and more like a perspective I will need to reexamine…most likely in the near future.
Our family holidays have been priceless to who we are collectively. There is no doubt that the time we have spent together exploring the world with Disney has strengthened our bond and helped to define who we are as a family. Our memories are precious, and there have been Magical Moments along the way we will never forget! We actually mark our milestones, and the passage of time, by which trip we took in any given year or holiday season!
We have been so fortunate…
I don’t like to think about the need to rethink the frequency of our vacations, but it might be necessary should the current economic crisis at home and abroad continue down the path it is currently following.
The pricing for DCL’s 2010 itineraries is staggering, especially in light of all that is going on around us with regard to our money. Is the chance to sail the Mediterranean or Baltic with Mickey and Minnie worth the price Disney is asking? Absolutely! There is no finer vacation product available in any market at any price, but the timing might be off.
I’ve had calls and email from clients expressing an interest in booking one of these fabulous cruises, I even have a few who have committed, but by-in-large people are cautious and very apprehensive about spending such a large sum of money on a luxury vacation right now. I can’t blame them.
We, personally, could make a Northern European itinerary work for our family…even at Disney’s cost. However, we have opted for a Mediterranean sailing. It just seems more fiscally responsible right now not to spend the extra $3,000-$4,000 seeing the Baltic with Mickey—at least in 2010. My hope is that when the two new ships join Disney’s fleet the Baltic itinerary will be at least an occasional offering.
So…in 2010 our family will be discovering the Wonder of the Mediterranean aboard the Disney Magic. Italy, France, Malta, Corsica, and Tunisia. Not much of a sacrifice…
Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Decisions
I thought we had decided; May 26th 2010 Mediterranean sailing. However, after completing my Disney Cruise Line training for the 2010 itineraries this morning I think we might be reconsidering…The Northern European cruises are just so gosh darn (wink) appealing!
I have always wanted to go to Russia and with the ship over nighting at the port in St. Petersburg; a Port Adventure (new Disney speak for Shore Excursion) to Moscow is possible! In addition, Disney has some surprises in store that are straight out of a fairy tale!
The cost is high, that is definitely no surprise with Disney, but the experience is once in a lifetime and with Mickey at the helm the Magic will be incomparable.
Nicholas is sure this is the itinerary for us, Rachael doesn’t care where the ship is just as long as she is on it, Wesley likes all the possibilities so isn’t choosy, Tim sees the merit in May’s Med sailing because it would allow him to teach summer session at the college, and I’m about 99% sure June 12th 2008 is our date! We’ll finally get to celebrate an anniversary onboard the Disney Magic!
Booking opens Tuesday! So little time, so many possibilities!
I have always wanted to go to Russia and with the ship over nighting at the port in St. Petersburg; a Port Adventure (new Disney speak for Shore Excursion) to Moscow is possible! In addition, Disney has some surprises in store that are straight out of a fairy tale!
The cost is high, that is definitely no surprise with Disney, but the experience is once in a lifetime and with Mickey at the helm the Magic will be incomparable.
Nicholas is sure this is the itinerary for us, Rachael doesn’t care where the ship is just as long as she is on it, Wesley likes all the possibilities so isn’t choosy, Tim sees the merit in May’s Med sailing because it would allow him to teach summer session at the college, and I’m about 99% sure June 12th 2008 is our date! We’ll finally get to celebrate an anniversary onboard the Disney Magic!
Booking opens Tuesday! So little time, so many possibilities!
Monday's Announcement
Okay, this is big...and we're so excited, but so undecided; which Magical, Wonderful cruise do we take?
In addition to what you see below, in 2010 the Disney Wonder will be doing 5 night sailings with two stops at Castaway Cay or a stop at Key West along with their regular call to Nassau.
And then there are the speical holiday sailings at Christmas time...for both ships!
So, on with the Magic and Wonder of 2010:
Disney Cruise Line® is going to Northern Europe in 2010!Your dreams of sailing to ports like Oslo, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen and Helsinki aboard the Disney Magic® have come true. In an announcement today, (October 6th, 2008) it was released that Disney Cruise Line® will be visiting ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in the summer of 2010.
10- and 11-Night Mediterranean Cruises will feature stops in ports such as Barcelona, Valletta, Tunis, Naples, Citivavecchia (Rome), La Spezia (Florence/Pisa), Ajaccio and Villefranche.
12- Night Northern Europe Cruises will feature a few different Itineraries with visits to ports including Dover, Oslo, Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm and Dover.
Two separate 14-Night Trans-Atlantic Cruises will be offered . The East-bound will include stops at Port Canaveral, Castaway Cay, Funchal, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Barcelona; the West-bound visits Barcelona, Gibraltar, Funchal, St. Maarten, Tortola, Castaway Cay and Port Canaveral.
The 7 - Night Repositioning Cruise will depart Barcelona with stops at Gibraltar, Cadiz, Lisbon, and docking in Dover.
The 8-Night Repositioning Cruise will leave Dover with stops at Cherbourg, Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, and end back at Barcleona.
Of course, the Disney Wonder® remains at its home base of Port Canaveral offering a few different Eastern, Western and Bahamian Cruises!
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In addition to what you see below, in 2010 the Disney Wonder will be doing 5 night sailings with two stops at Castaway Cay or a stop at Key West along with their regular call to Nassau.
And then there are the speical holiday sailings at Christmas time...for both ships!
So, on with the Magic and Wonder of 2010:
Disney Cruise Line® is going to Northern Europe in 2010!Your dreams of sailing to ports like Oslo, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen and Helsinki aboard the Disney Magic® have come true. In an announcement today, (October 6th, 2008) it was released that Disney Cruise Line® will be visiting ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in the summer of 2010.
10- and 11-Night Mediterranean Cruises will feature stops in ports such as Barcelona, Valletta, Tunis, Naples, Citivavecchia (Rome), La Spezia (Florence/Pisa), Ajaccio and Villefranche.
12- Night Northern Europe Cruises will feature a few different Itineraries with visits to ports including Dover, Oslo, Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm and Dover.
Two separate 14-Night Trans-Atlantic Cruises will be offered . The East-bound will include stops at Port Canaveral, Castaway Cay, Funchal, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Barcelona; the West-bound visits Barcelona, Gibraltar, Funchal, St. Maarten, Tortola, Castaway Cay and Port Canaveral.
The 7 - Night Repositioning Cruise will depart Barcelona with stops at Gibraltar, Cadiz, Lisbon, and docking in Dover.
The 8-Night Repositioning Cruise will leave Dover with stops at Cherbourg, Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, and end back at Barcleona.
Of course, the Disney Wonder® remains at its home base of Port Canaveral offering a few different Eastern, Western and Bahamian Cruises!
__________________
Hey There Hi There Ho There...
We’re planning our next Disney Cruise currently; 7 night Western Caribbean with calls at Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and, of course, Castaway Cay, and I realized this morning that we’re all so beyond excited…you’d honestly think this was our first sailing with Mickey…or at least our first in a very long time, but neither is true! This cruise is very exciting for several reasons; my favorite cousins, Marilyn and Michelle, will be joining us (and this is not only their first sailing with Disney but it will be their first trip to Walt Disney World as well) we have several shore excursions planned; swimming with wild dolphins along side the team from Animal Planet, a visit to the the Tulum ruins, a cooking class, parasailing, and shipwreck and reef snorkeling adventure! Somewhere in there we’ll make time for dining at Palo and Tea with Wendy or Alice and all of Disney’s fabulous shows, but just being on the Disney Magic is the best part of all!
We haven’t been to Disney World recently so we decided to spend a day there prior to sailing and three days after. I’m so looking forward to all of the extra holiday magic; the Candlelight Processional, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the decorations, and the very special Disney time with my family.
We depart on Thanksgiving morning…50 days and counting!
We haven’t been to Disney World recently so we decided to spend a day there prior to sailing and three days after. I’m so looking forward to all of the extra holiday magic; the Candlelight Processional, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the decorations, and the very special Disney time with my family.
We depart on Thanksgiving morning…50 days and counting!
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