Dis / Dreams Viking Sea Cruise around Italy 3/24 - 3/31/2018

[tardis1029]

Arriving at the Bernini Bristol on the 22nd..... Check
Italian Sojourn Cruise on the 24th ...Check
Baglioni Hotel Luna for 3 nights.....Check
Work on airfare....Check
The planing for this trip is easy.We're still trying to plan for China

 

[met19]

There's a contest or game idea idea somewhere in here. "Who's the craziest travel planner" Haha!

With this summer coming up, the DIS 20th, China, and Italy, etc, it's difficult finding focus. Like the circus performer spinning plates, I feel like I go from plate to plate. I'm sure my undiagnosed ADHD doesn't help matters.

As you know my profession, ADHD and jumping hoops is part of it. However, in between big move, Dis 20th, D23, Food and Wine Rhine Cruise (have to hope boss gives me time off for that), Wdw 1/2 marathon, Viking Italy too much too much

 

[DisneyKevin]

Yep, I probably saw them all last night.... And they all depart at 6am. So I was happy to see if we departed hopefully a different day of the week, there will in all likelihood be a 12:30pm departure instead.

As you know my profession, ADHD and jumping hoops is part of it. However, in between big move, Dis 20th, D23, Food and Wine Rhine Cruise (have to hope boss gives me time off for that), Wdw 1/2 marathon, Viking Italy too much too much

Again...you will just have to trust that I understand.

 

[met19]

Again...you will just have to trust that I understand.

I am going to sit back and enjoy all my trips (minus the one where I need to run 13 miles)

 

[Oilheadbob2017]

Hi Folks,

You have probably heard us discuss our favorite hotel in Venice. It's the Hotel Luna Baglioni.

It's a very nice hotel in what we consider to be the best location in Venice. It is steps from St Mark's Square.

http://www.baglionihotels.com/category/luna-hotel-baglioni-venice/

I have been stalking their site waiting for our post cruise dates to be posted and now they are.

Keep in mind that we disembark on 3/31/18 and that it's Easter weekend. The hotel rates reflect this. It is by no means inexpensive.

I would compare it to booking the Contemporary or Grand Floridian for Easter weekend. Location is a huge part of the value of this hotel.

The rates are on the site and there are options as to whats included.

The hotel has a liberal cancellation policy of 7 days prior to arrival without penalty. You can pre-pay and save a bit, but this carries cancellation penalties.

If you sign up for their loyalty program, you can get a 10% discount and a room upgrade.

You can also choose to book with breakfast included. This is a buffet breakfast.

I have no idea why, but breakfast at any of the hotels we have stayed at in Venice is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. We booked a room that includes the breakfast and wifi.

Again...I realize that this hotel is expensive, and you'd be able to find less pricey accommodations, but the location is unbeatable.

The world famous Harry's Bar is in the same building as this hotel. this is where Bogart and Hemingway hung out. It's where the Bellini was invented.

I know we have folks traveling that enjoy meeting for an evening cocktail. Keep in mind that Harry's is the size of a walk in closet and you will have to decide between drinks and your children's education.

That's all for now.

We are still on the fence about whether to stay an extra day or two. I do like idea of arriving a day early to avoid any flight delays and missing the departure. I would assume though if you did book with Viking Air and you were late for the departure, they would make arrangements to get you to the next port of call. I did go ahead and apply for the loyalty points, now to talk to my bride about staying over. Looking forward to meeting eveyone!

Bob and Nancy

 

[MaryKatesMom]

As you know my profession, ADHD and jumping hoops is part of it. However, in between big move, Dis 20th, D23, Food and Wine Rhine Cruise (have to hope boss gives me time off for that), Wdw 1/2 marathon, Viking Italy too much too much

If there is ever a group of people who understand how much work goes into planning a vacation, especially a Disney vacation, it is this group. Worth it in the end but if you are a conscientious perfectionist planning any trip with unknown variables is stressful. I think that is in part why we love WDW world so much. We have so much time and money invested in these trips. So we do understand.

 

[Enorto1]

Mom and I are doing the Viking Rome pre-trip extension. It seems like a lot of people are flying in early and doing their own thing. I'm sure there will be some free time for us to do a little bit of both! Would love to meet up for a cocktail or late night munchie!

Have you guys looked on YouTube at Viking Sky videos? There are several on there that show off the ship. It looks like it's going to be top notch!

 

[kpiper]

Hi all! Work has kept me from the boards for a few months - y'all have been busy! I feel like I'm playing catch up already - I love it!!! I just booked two nights at the Bernini Bristol for before the cruise and may add a third night if I can talk DH into taking the time off work.

So, I do have a few questions.....1.) As we've never been to Rome before, what is the best way to see a lot in just the 2 days we will have? Private tour? The Vatican/Sistine Chapel is on our bucket list. Anyone else wanna go? 2.) I see some groups planning to go to Orvieto, food & wine tasting, etc. Could we be joiners? Or, would these tours take too much time from say, the Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, etc.?

Lastly, who all is going to the Dis 20th? We are! (Sadly we are not going to China...)

 

[bartleyosu]

The DIS and Dreams Unlimited Travel are going to sail aboard the Viking Sky March 24th - March 31st 2018.

The itinerary is the Italy Sojourn and it said from Rome to Venice.

If you are interested in joining us on this sailing, you can find itinerary, pricing and stateroom info here:

https://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/reservations/Viking2018_01.cfm

You can submit your info for booking from this page as well.

If you have questions, you can write to Kevin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

Fellow Travelers:

John
Kevin K.
Pete
Jeff
Valerie
Kathy
Frank
Cathy
Chandra
Karilyn
Joan
Matt
Will
Chris
Chuck
Jason
Kevin M.
Kate
Karen P
Bruce
Karen C
Jason
Michael
William
Mary Ann
Philip
Judith
Erin
Gretchen
Jason
Elizabeth
Tricia
Francis
Sondra
Christopher
Leilani
Dustin
Kristy
Elizabeth
Janet
Robert
David
Colleen
Christy
Mike
Joyce
Joe
Tricia
John
Micki
Richard
Laura
Wellington
Leigh
Tracey
Chris
Lauren
Jeri
Ellen
Andrea
Florence
Karen
Kaye
Scott
Pam
Brian
Angela
Christy
Tom
Michael
Robert
Nancy
Doug
Candyce
Annette
Craig
Ryno
Thomas
Cynthia
Tom
Rose
Bobbi
Gene
Carin
Darryl

Are you going to be the next name on this list???

Kevin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

This looks

The DIS and Dreams Unlimited Travel are going to sail aboard the Viking Sky March 24th - March 31st 2018.

The itinerary is the Italy Sojourn and it said from Rome to Venice.

If you are interested in joining us on this sailing, you can find itinerary, pricing and stateroom info here:

https://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/reservations/Viking2018_01.cfm

You can submit your info for booking from this page as well.

If you have questions, you can write to Kevin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

Fellow Travelers:

John
Kevin K.
Pete
Jeff
Valerie
Kathy
Frank
Cathy
Chandra
Karilyn
Joan
Matt
Will
Chris
Chuck
Jason
Kevin M.
Kate
Karen P
Bruce
Karen C
Jason
Michael
William
Mary Ann
Philip
Judith
Erin
Gretchen
Jason
Elizabeth
Tricia
Francis
Sondra
Christopher
Leilani
Dustin
Kristy
Elizabeth
Janet
Robert
David
Colleen
Christy
Mike
Joyce
Joe
Tricia
John
Micki
Richard
Laura
Wellington
Leigh
Tracey
Chris
Lauren
Jeri
Ellen
Andrea
Florence
Karen
Kaye
Scott
Pam
Brian
Angela
Christy
Tom
Michael
Robert
Nancy
Doug
Candyce
Annette
Craig
Ryno
Thomas
Cynthia
Tom
Rose
Bobbi
Gene
Carin
Darryl

Are you going to be the next name on this list???

Kevin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

This looks amazing. Please someday do one of these cruises during the summer or Christmas break so us teachers can go. So happy 20th is during the summer. Have a great time.

 

[DisneyKevin]

This looks amazing. Please someday do one of these cruises during the summer or Christmas break so us teachers can go. So happy 20th is during the summer. Have a great time.

There are four 2018 sail dates for this itinerary.

March 24 - Rome to Vence
March 31 - Venice to Rome
April 7 - Venice to Rome
August 5 - Rome to Venice

We wanted our cruise to end in Venice and we have conflicting plans for August 5th, so our choice was the March 24th departure.

This trip ends Easter weekend 2018, so we were hoping people might have that week as spring break. Lots of people have Good Friday off, so we we hoped that would help with the number of vacation days people would have to use.

I know it seems like we sometimes just choose dates randomly, but a great deal of thought goes into the selection each and every time.

While it won't be the DIS group sailing, August 5th has great availability, if you want to book a summer date.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thinking of doing the tour again- just need to decide between day or night tour

we are likely only going to get in to Rome the morning of Friday the 23rd - depending on the timing of the tour we might be interested in joining ... probably a night time one would be safer for us to book timing wise incase and travel issues

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Hi all! Work has kept me from the boards for a few months - y'all have been busy! I feel like I'm playing catch up already - I love it!!! I just booked two nights at the Bernini Bristol for before the cruise and may add a third night if I can talk DH into taking the time off work.

So, I do have a few questions.....1.) As we've never been to Rome before, what is the best way to see a lot in just the 2 days we will have? Private tour? The Vatican/Sistine Chapel is on our bucket list. Anyone else wanna go? 2.) I see some groups planning to go to Orvieto, food & wine tasting, etc. Could we be joiners? Or, would these tours take too much time from say, the Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, etc.?

Lastly, who all is going to the Dis 20th? We are! (Sadly we are not going to China...)

I think we are largely going to just see what we can in Rome on our own (though may do a food tour if others are doing one that we can make timing wise) and then looking to do a tour of the Vatican

I will be at the DIS 20th! Hope to see you there!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

This looks amazing. Please someday do one of these cruises during the summer or Christmas break so us teachers can go. So happy 20th is during the summer. Have a great time.

Kevin mentioned this about it being right before Easter but we were largely tied to school breaks and it worked out for us that week is when we generally have spring break - any chance your school district is the same?

 

[Oilheadbob2017]

Hi Folks,

You have probably heard us discuss our favorite hotel in Venice. It's the Hotel Luna Baglioni.

It's a very nice hotel in what we consider to be the best location in Venice. It is steps from St Mark's Square.

http://www.baglionihotels.com/category/luna-hotel-baglioni-venice/

I have been stalking their site waiting for our post cruise dates to be posted and now they are.

Keep in mind that we disembark on 3/31/18 and that it's Easter weekend. The hotel rates reflect this. It is by no means inexpensive.

I would compare it to booking the Contemporary or Grand Floridian for Easter weekend. Location is a huge part of the value of this hotel.

The rates are on the site and there are options as to whats included.

The hotel has a liberal cancellation policy of 7 days prior to arrival without penalty. You can pre-pay and save a bit, but this carries cancellation penalties.

If you sign up for their loyalty program, you can get a 10% discount and a room upgrade.

You can also choose to book with breakfast included. This is a buffet breakfast.

I have no idea why, but breakfast at any of the hotels we have stayed at in Venice is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. We booked a room that includes the breakfast and wifi.

Again...I realize that this hotel is expensive, and you'd be able to find less pricey accommodations, but the location is unbeatable.

The world famous Harry's Bar is in the same building as this hotel. this is where Bogart and Hemingway hung out. It's where the Bellini was invented.

I know we have folks traveling that enjoy meeting for an evening cocktail. Keep in mind that Harry's is the size of a walk in closet and you will have to decide between drinks and your children's education.

That's all for now.

Looks like all that is left on their website is the Junior Suite and larger suites. The Junior is still a bit out of my comfort zone for price. Any other suggestions for a nearby hotel? Now that I have convinced the misses to stay over a couple of extra days and arrive early at least for one night before the cruise

TIA,

Bob and Nancy

 

[Cousin Orville]

Hi all! Work has kept me from the boards for a few months - y'all have been busy! I feel like I'm playing catch up already - I love it!!! I just booked two nights at the Bernini Bristol for before the cruise and may add a third night if I can talk DH into taking the time off work.

So, I do have a few questions.....1.) As we've never been to Rome before, what is the best way to see a lot in just the 2 days we will have? Private tour? The Vatican/Sistine Chapel is on our bucket list. Anyone else wanna go? 2.) I see some groups planning to go to Orvieto, food & wine tasting, etc. Could we be joiners? Or, would these tours take too much time from say, the Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, etc.?

Lastly, who all is going to the Dis 20th? We are! (Sadly we are not going to China...)

I'd probably break up the highlights into two half day tours. 1) The Vatican 2) Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. The last time we went to the Vatican we waited in the crazy long line to get into the museum. I haven't done any research, but if there is a way to avoid that by buying special tickets or a private tour, I'd do that. For the Colosseum, etc it may be smart to do a private tour. The sites are sort of spread out. A private tour will get you past the lines at the Colosseum. I may go over to the Trevi Fountain later at night for pictures to avoid or minimize the crowds. In fact, I think I may try to talk @met19 to go out for night photography just as it's about to pour down rain on us... and then we can run back to the hotel bar... Sounds like fun.

Yeah, I'd really like to do a food tour in Trastevere. I've heard great things about that area.

 

[stenogoddess]

Looks like all that is left on their website is the Junior Suite and larger suites. The Junior is still a bit out of my comfort zone for price. Any other suggestions for a nearby hotel? Now that I have convinced the misses to stay over a couple of extra days and arrive early at least for one night before the cruise

TIA,

Bob and Nancy

.

I had looked at the Westin. It's nearby and the prices were similar. It very close to the gardens that I wanted to go take a look at. Good luck!

 

[met19]

.

I had looked at the Westin. It's nearby and the prices were similar. It very close to the gardens that I wanted to go take a look at. Good luck!

I am also at the Westin- 330/night vs 700/night.

 

[met19]

We booked two pre nights in Rome as well. We'd be up for a food tour. Was that the one in Trastevere?

I'm considering doing an evening private Vatican/Sistine Chapel tour. It looks like a similar version ABD arranges. Downsides are price and they only do them certain days, but apparently they take requests.

I am in for this and for the food tour again but also want to check out St. Peter's

 

[met19]

I'd probably break up the highlights into two half day tours. 1) The Vatican 2) Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. The last time we went to the Vatican we waited in the crazy long line to get into the museum. I haven't done any research, but if there is a way to avoid that by buying special tickets or a private tour, I'd do that. For the Colosseum, etc it may be smart to do a private tour. The sites are sort of spread out. A private tour will get you past the lines at the Colosseum. I may go over to the Trevi Fountain later at night for pictures to avoid or minimize the crowds. In fact, I think I may try to talk @met19 to go out for night photography just as it's about to pour down rain on us... and then we can run back to the hotel bar... Sounds like fun.

Yeah, I'd really like to do a food tour in Trastevere. I've heard great things about that area.

I thought you and Kate were going to Florence. I am of course up for rain photography, running in the rain, and beverages.

 

[Oilheadbob2017]

Okay fellow travelers, we have now booked one night before the cruise in Rome at the Bernini Bristol and two nights at the end at the Westin. So now to work on air fare. But that is for another day!

Bob and Nancy