Disney Magic 12 nt. British Isles Cruise 2017

[JenTen1585]

Ahhh sadly, no Jamie. but so worth it.

I call it "the money shot" (and boy did I pay for it!)

View attachment 298131

So cool!!!!!!!!!!!! Love Outlander!!! I started reading the books before our cruise and am now on Book 7!

 

[poison ivy]

So cool!!!!!!!!!!!! Love Outlander!!! I started reading the books before our cruise and am now on Book 7!

I'd like to read those books. Can't believe it's been 3 seasons for Outlander already. Love that show too.

 

[poison ivy]

Disney Magic 12nt. British Isles
Monday, July 10, 2017
Cruise Day 2 – Le Havre, France

our weather July 10, 2017:
Morning:
Le Havre – (In Port) overcast wind light drizzle 63 °F / 17 °C

Afternoon:
Normandy cloudy high 67 °F / 19 °C
Paris high 73 °F /15 °C

The Morning Routine continues.........

So in answering these questions today:

What time is it? alarm at 5:00 am – up by 5:30 am.

What time is our excursion? 8:30 am




What time does Cabanas open? 6:00 am – 9:45 am




How long before we leave? 3 hrs

More than enough time.

Except right off the bat Iron Man was not moving.
(3 hrs is like a week to him so he met us at Fathoms)

But JQ and I had a lot to do.

Time to get dressed.

Hurdle #2 - Weather and attire for the day

Always an issue.

We weren’t savvy enough to have mapped out any tour routes or avg. temps ahead of time.
So to get the weather, we'd rely on the navigator, stateroom tv, or DCL app that morning.

(here's an example of all 3 @ Liverpool, England)

Navigator




Stateroom TV



DCL app (I don't believe I've ever seen the High and Low identical before - so reliability may be a bit questionable here)



All very easy to use to get the weather every day.

But this information had an obvious problem this morning:
(one we didn’t notice because we’re new)

It’s only for Le Havre, France.



Nowhere near where most of us were going - many miles and several hours away.
and who knows what the forecast was for Normandy?

so we applied the general rule: plan for anything and wear layers.

To which France is a great port in demonstrating this advice.

Started off windy mid 50’s with a light drizzle in port this morning.
(jackets / windbreakers)




Quickly turned to rain as we head out of town.
(crossing the Pont de Normandie)



To clear, partly cloudy high 60’s late morning in Arromanches
(rare pic of us - now minus the jacket = hoodies/pullovers)



To low 70’s early afternoon at the American Cemetery
(everyone down to t-shirts - good shot of various day bags too)



So there it is.

A great example of how easy it is to experience a 15-20 degree swing in temps during an outing - with a mix of everything thrown in - rain, wind, sun and clouds at some point throughout the day.

And how to dress in layers to account for this.

Ok let's get some breakfast. But before we do, I'll leave you with this fun video of how windy our morning in Le Havre really was.

Talk about a bad hair day!

Happy cruising!!!

 

[Johnny Quest]

Love that pic next to the tank Poison. Arromanches is a beautiful town. I am looking forward to returning there with you in 2019! The history was palpable as we toured the beaches and vicinity and the town has done an admirable job preserving it.

 

[disneymomto5]

I'm in so much trouble! I always overpack and now have to account for 3 types of weather in one day? And hubby is only allowing me one suitcase!

 

[poison ivy]

Love that pic next to the tank Poison. Arromanches is a beautiful town. I am looking forward to returning there with you in 2019! The history was palpable as we toured the beaches and vicinity and the town has done an admirable job preserving it.

Well JQ you can thank your DS Iron Man for taking a decent pic of his parents. He could have gone another way!!
And since you let the cat out the bag - our visit to Normandy was so quick. I hope we're able to give it the time it deserves next year.
Can't wait.

I'm in so much trouble! I always overpack and now have to account for 3 types of weather in one day? And hubby is only allowing me one suitcase!

1 suitcase? That's a challenge.
I'm with you. I always overpack when we travel. can't help it.
And even if we were on the 7nt British Isles cruise - I know I'd need some extra space. You may have some harsher weather possibilities to contend with in early Sept.

Flying British Airways gave us international travelers: 1 large checked suitcase / 1 decent sized carry-on (could be wheeled) / 1 personal backpack or tote - all for free per passenger.
So we each brought 3 things along in some from or fashion. (I may have squeezed a few items in my son's bag)
I remember It was tight leaving with this luggage - carrying home a few extra souvenirs.

 

[Mathmagicland]

1 suitcase? That's a challenge.
I'm with you. I always overpack when we travel. can't help it.
And even if we were on the 7nt British Isles cruise - I know I'd need some extra space. You may have some harsher weather possibilities to contend with in early Sept.

I'm in so much trouble! I always overpack and now have to account for 3 types of weather in one day? And hubby is only allowing me one suitcase!

.

I am smiling....because I go everywhere possible with only a carry-on suitcase - week in Hawaii, week in New York, week travel for work, etc. I have learned that I don't use most of what I ended up packing or can layer, so now I limit myself - if it won't fit into the carry-on suitcase, it doesn't come along with me.

DVC Cruise to Alaska, I did pack one bigger bag...but still did not use everything I packed. But, with those you need the extra space for the stuff you bring back with you.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Re the various comments in this thread about the Le Havre port excursions & so much travel time to either Paris or Normandy, not leaving a lot & time in either place - I can't help but wonder if Disney has taken the feedback and is trying to address the comments by offering the Adventures by Disney Seine river cruise for 2019. It includes both 2 nights in Paris and a week river cruise with a full day stop in Normandy but the stop is a lot closer than Le Havre, so more time to see more in Normandy. Also, there is an option for Disneyland Paris after, anywhere from 1 to 6 nights so you can tailor that visit to what you want or have time for.

 

[tink1970]

I'm in so much trouble! I always overpack and now have to account for 3 types of weather in one day? And hubby is only allowing me one suitcase!

What? Only one suitcase??? I cannot imagine On our last trip in December I took a suitcase full of footwear. For real.

I'm with you. I always overpack when we travel. can't help it.

I'm glad I'm not alone! Fortunately I have Platinum Medallion status with Delta so I'm usually allowed two or three bags. They enable me, I swear!

And since you let the cat out the bag - our visit to Normandy was so quick. I hope we're able to give it the time it deserves next year.
Can't wait.

Where are y'all going in 2019? Apparently France but land?sea?Disney?not? Enquiring minds (aka nosey) want to know!

 

[Johnny Quest]

June 6, 2019 is the 75th anniversary of D-day. Thanks to Mathmagicland for informing us. We are planning on being there on that day to experience the ceremonies.

 

[JenTen1585]

I'm in so much trouble! I always overpack and now have to account for 3 types of weather in one day? And hubby is only allowing me one suitcase!

I hear ya! The key is to use just a few of the same outer layers. I brought two lightweight trench coats - 1 red and 1 tan, that were perfect outer layers, rain or shine, then I had a leather jacket, which I actually put under my trench coat on the coldest and windiest day in Kirkwall, but most of the time I would use it as an optional outer layer if there was no rain being called for. Bring a few scarfs or pashminas which you can always take off and put in your bag, always bring a pair of mittens or gloves in your bag. Then the underlayers should be jeans or something like it, and a long sleeve shirt, with a couple of sweaters as optional layers on a cold day. I wore super comfy knee high boots with my jeans every day and these worked really well in the rain or shine. I love to pack and worked really, really hard on planning for all the different weather and it worked out really well!
Honestly, I loved the weather! I'm from southwest Florida where it is hot and humid in the summer so it was a wonderful change. A lot of the days were just gorgeous and perfect! And the days that were a little cold or rainy (Kirkwall was the coldest and rainiest for us) were actually the most fun! I remember laughing so hard as we were walking in the rain and wind! We were bundled up enough so it just felt like a fun adventure!
This isn't a Caribbean cruise (which I find boring weather wise since I live on a tropical island) so you just have to go with the right mindset.
London's weather was gorgeous, as was Dublin's.

 

[JenTen1585]

Also, for packing, one trick I used was to wear a nice shirt or sweater first in the evening with a skirt, and then I would use it as a regular shirt or sweater for a day trip later on in the trip as well since you don't get dirty at night. Also, I counted on buying a couple of shirts as souvenirs and wearing them ... which I did. I know myself - I love to shop!

 

[FSU Girl]

It’s only for Le Havre, France.

I could see how this would be a problem since no one is staying in that port. They should provide the temperature of the main excursion points. I know when I'm in Europe I don't use my phone at all so I would be cut off from the internet to look these up.

It looks super windy in this picture!

The weather here looks so nice! I'm glad it stopped rainy when you got there. Nice picture

 

[disneymomto5]

Also, for packing, one trick I used was to wear a nice shirt or sweater first in the evening with a skirt, and then I would use it as a regular shirt or sweater for a day trip later on in the trip as well since you don't get dirty at night. Also, I counted on buying a couple of shirts as souvenirs and wearing them ... which I did. I know myself - I love to shop!

Thank you for these tips, its very helpful. I'm already thinking about what to take and how to make it double/triple duty. That's a great idea about the pashmina, I have several of those I can use. I'm just going to have to restrain myself as I'm sure I'll buy some things too.

 

[Shrfleen]

What time is our excursion? 8:30 am

How long did you have on this excursion, including travel time?

 

[poison ivy]

I am smiling....because I go everywhere possible with only a carry-on suitcase - week in Hawaii, week in New York, week travel for work, etc. I have learned that I don't use most of what I ended up packing or can layer, so now I limit myself - if it won't fit into the carry-on suitcase, it doesn't come along with me.

DVC Cruise to Alaska, I did pack one bigger bag...but still did not use everything I packed. But, with those you need the extra space for the stuff you bring back with you.

You fit everything in a carry-on!?!? You know...........I've heard about people like this................
I don't know how you do it - but it's gonna take a lot more practice before I'm weaned from a full checked bag, a carry-on and a tote all the way down to just the carry-on for a weeks cruise vacation.

(JQ are you listening?? - a lot more practice)

Re the various comments in this thread about the Le Havre port excursions & so much travel time to either Paris or Normandy, not leaving a lot & time in either place - I can't help but wonder if Disney has taken the feedback and is trying to address the comments by offering the Adventures by Disney Seine river cruise for 2019. It includes both 2 nights in Paris and a week river cruise with a full day stop in Normandy but the stop is a lot closer than Le Havre, so more time to see more in Normandy. Also, there is an option for Disneyland Paris after, anywhere from 1 to 6 nights so you can tailor that visit to what you want or have time for.

Exactly. We had a 2hr commute each way in LeHavre - so you lose 4 hrs. to travel. Plus a 2hr sit down lunch. So for a 10.5-11 hr excursion - That's half the day right there.
which left only a short time to visit the 4 places we stopped.

You could be right about Disney listening re: the commutes to DLP etc. from the ports of France. That Seine river cruise looks amazing. I would love to do an Adventures by Disney. Hopefully someday.

What? Only one suitcase??? I cannot imagine On our last trip in December I took a suitcase full of footwear. For real.



I'm glad I'm not alone! Fortunately I have Platinum Medallion status with Delta so I'm usually allowed two or three bags. They enable me, I swear!



Where are y'all going in 2019? Apparently France but land?sea?Disney?not? Enquiring minds (aka nosey) want to know!

I'm cracking up about the suitcase full of shoes - because I bring many a shoe on a cruise and put all my favorites in my carry-on. (I couldn't bear it if they were swiped)
Looking back, I could scale back but in the heat of the packing moment, I have a problem deciding. Hence the over-packing!! (it's not just shoes - omg)

If I had that Delta platinum medallion status, I'd be enabled too! what a great perk.

As you can see, we are heading back to Normandy for the 75th anniversary in 2019 - no cruise this time, only a land based trip. thanks to @Mathmagicland - JQ is booking a tour that will follow in the footsteps of the US troops from London to France and finally into Germany, while attending the commemoration events as well. He knows very little of his father's service, but this may cover part of the path he would have taken.

I hear ya! The key is to use just a few of the same outer layers. I brought two lightweight trench coats - 1 red and 1 tan, that were perfect outer layers, rain or shine, then I had a leather jacket, which I actually put under my trench coat on the coldest and windiest day in Kirkwall, but most of the time I would use it as an optional outer layer if there was no rain being called for. Bring a few scarfs or pashminas which you can always take off and put in your bag, always bring a pair of mittens or gloves in your bag. Then the underlayers should be jeans or something like it, and a long sleeve shirt, with a couple of sweaters as optional layers on a cold day. I wore super comfy knee high boots with my jeans every day and these worked really well in the rain or shine. I love to pack and worked really, really hard on planning for all the different weather and it worked out really well!
Honestly, I loved the weather! I'm from southwest Florida where it is hot and humid in the summer so it was a wonderful change. A lot of the days were just gorgeous and perfect! And the days that were a little cold or rainy (Kirkwall was the coldest and rainiest for us) were actually the most fun! I remember laughing so hard as we were walking in the rain and wind! We were bundled up enough so it just felt like a fun adventure!
This isn't a Caribbean cruise (which I find boring weather wise since I live on a tropical island) so you just have to go with the right mindset.
London's weather was gorgeous, as was Dublin's.

Also, for packing, one trick I used was to wear a nice shirt or sweater first in the evening with a skirt, and then I would use it as a regular shirt or sweater for a day trip later on in the trip as well since you don't get dirty at night. Also, I counted on buying a couple of shirts as souvenirs and wearing them ... which I did. I know myself - I love to shop!

Great packing tips and advice! One of my problems is I tend to get cold - and I don't want to be cold on an excursion because it will distract me.
I know from my old scouting days that if I re-wear something outdoors - that article of clothing against my skin will no longer keep me warm.
(this happened in Kirkwall - you'll see how cold we all look since we'd already worn our jeans more than once)

So I wind up over-packing to accommodate this since I don't seem to ever have time to do laundry on the ship. Not to mention all the changing for dinner. (omg?!?)

I could see how this would be a problem since no one is staying in that port. They should provide the temperature of the main excursion points. I know when I'm in Europe I don't use my phone at all so I would be cut off from the internet to look these up.


It looks super windy in this picture!


The weather here looks so nice! I'm glad it stopped rainy when you got there. Nice picture

I agree. They really need to provide a lot more information on weather and touring on your own for these cruises. We couldn't believe how limited the information was at Guest Services. Plus who knows when the Navigators are printed so how reliable is this really? The temps on the navigators matched the DCL app which means it's not in real time.

It was really windy when we left. But we welcomed the combination of wind and sun in Normandy as the flags waved so majestically that day. It was an amazing sight and an absolutely beautiful day. Can't wait to post pics.

 

[poison ivy]

Thank you for these tips, its very helpful. I'm already thinking about what to take and how to make it double/triple duty. That's a great idea about the pashmina, I have several of those I can use. I'm just going to have to restrain myself as I'm sure I'll buy some things too.

Good luck. I don't know if I could do it.

How long did you have on this excursion, including travel time?

great question @Shrfleen.

The Normandy beaches excursion is advertised as 10.5 to 11hrs on the DCL website. We left promptly at 8:30 am and arrived at our first stop at 10:30am - so it was a 2hr drive to get there.

Our tour was every bit of 11hrs. that day.

timeline:
drive from Le Havre: 8:30-10:30am
Arromanches: 10:30-11:45 am
lunch: 12 - 2pm
Normandy American Cemetery: 2:30 -3:30 pm
Omaha beach: 4pm - 4:15pm
Pointe du Hoc: 4:30-5:30pm
drive back: 5:30-7:30pm

 

[JenTen1585]

Just a few other notes on packing. There are, I believe, 3 floors on the Magic with laundry equipment. It got really, really busy on the last day at sea, which was the only day we did a bit of laundry. I recommend avoiding trying to do laundry that day. I didn't run out of clothes, but it's my husband who needed it. My husband is a notorious underpacker. I am not in charge of his suitcase, although I do make suggestions ... he takes or leaves them and if he needs to do laundry during the cruise ... that's on him. I always end up buying him a sweater or a couple of shirts as souvenirs when we are on a trip since he always underpacks. He's always so proud of himself about the size and weight of his suitcase compared to mine .... till he runs out of clothes, LOL! My husband actually used the laundry service on the ship once where they launder and press your shirts and jeans. It really wasn't all that expensive and it meant he only had to do real laundry himself once. That last day on the ship is so depressing ... I felt like doing laundry made it even more depressing!!!!! I wanted to cry as I was repacking =(.
As for my daughter, I packed perfectly for her, however, she decided mid way through the trip that she was overdressed for dinner in dresses and skirt outfits and that she should be able to wear jeans to dinner ... specifically, ripped up jeans to dinner (when did my 8 year old become a teenager?!). I didn't like this idea, although a lot of people wore jeans to dinner, I wanted us to dress up and had worked hard on our wardrobes. It just feels more festive that way and I liked taking pictures each night. We got in a bit of a battle about it, and compromised that she could wear pants, but not jeans to dinner. (My daughter threw this line at me, "It doesn't matter what I look like, it only matters how I feel about myself!" *sigh, how do I argue with that?) Kind of a silly thing to argue about .. it was our only argument of the whole trip as my daughter is really, really well behaved most of the time and is sweet natured, but there it was .....
So the day after our fight, in Edinburgh on Prince's Street we went to H & M and picked up Dakota a few pairs of cute, cheap pants, and an adorable fake leather jacket that she still wears a lot! She looks super cute in it! So even the best laid packing plans can be waylaid by an 8 year old ..... but nothing that can't be solved by shopping =)!

 

[poison ivy]

Just a few other notes on packing. There are, I believe, 3 floors on the Magic with laundry equipment. It got really, really busy on the last day at sea, which was the only day we did a bit of laundry. I recommend avoiding trying to do laundry that day. I didn't run out of clothes, but it's my husband who needed it. My husband is a notorious underpacker. I am not in charge of his suitcase, although I do make suggestions ... he takes or leaves them and if he needs to do laundry during the cruise ... that's on him. I always end up buying him a sweater or a couple of shirts as souvenirs when we are on a trip since he always underpacks. He's always so proud of himself about the size and weight of his suitcase compared to mine .... till he runs out of clothes, LOL! My husband actually used the laundry service on the ship once where they launder and press your shirts and jeans. It really wasn't all that expensive and it meant he only had to do real laundry himself once. That last day on the ship is so depressing ... I felt like doing laundry made it even more depressing!!!!! I wanted to cry as I was repacking =(.
As for my daughter, I packed perfectly for her, however, she decided mid way through the trip that she was overdressed for dinner in dresses and skirt outfits and that she should be able to wear jeans to dinner ... specifically, ripped up jeans to dinner (when did my 8 year old become a teenager?!). I didn't like this idea, although a lot of people wore jeans to dinner, I wanted us to dress up and had worked hard on our wardrobes. It just feels more festive that way and I liked taking pictures each night. We got in a bit of a battle about it, and compromised that she could wear pants, but not jeans to dinner. (My daughter threw this line at me, "It doesn't matter what I look like, it only matters how I feel about myself!" *sigh, how do I argue with that?) Kind of a silly thing to argue about .. it was our only argument of the whole trip as my daughter is really, really well behaved most of the time and is sweet natured, but there it was .....
So the day after our fight, in Edinburgh on Prince's Street we went to H & M and picked up Dakota a few pairs of cute, cheap pants, and an adorable fake leather jacket that she still wears a lot! She looks super cute in it! So even the best laid packing plans can be waylaid by an 8 year old ..... but nothing that can't be solved by shopping =)!

omg. I love this!!!

@JenTen1585 your descriptions of the packing and dress challenges are hilarious. I was laughing so hard at those stories about your husband and daughter. (still smiling )
And I truly commend your shopping abilities. Wait til you see our purchases compared to yours. hint: very few clothing items. (of course! I'm travelling with men)

 

[mmmears]

You fit everything in a carry-on!?!? You know...........I've heard about people like this................
I don't know how you do it - but it's gonna take a lot more practice before I'm weaned from a full checked bag, a carry-on and a tote all the way down to just the carry-on for a weeks cruise vacation.


Great packing tips and advice! One of my problems is I tend to get cold - and I don't want to be cold on an excursion because it will distract me.
I know from my old scouting days that if I re-wear something outdoors - that article of clothing against my skin will no longer keep me warm.
(this happened in Kirkwall - you'll see how cold we all look since we'd already worn our jeans more than once)

So I wind up over-packing to accommodate this since I don't seem to ever have time to do laundry on the ship. Not to mention all the changing for dinner. (omg?!?)

I'm another one who travels with just a carry on and a purse. We don't like to wait for luggage or worry that it'll get lost somewhere. And we will still not show up for dinner in jeans and T-shirts. I never heard that you can't re-wear items for warmth - I don't get why the properties of the clothes would change if worn once. Alaska was the hardest trip so far as far as packing goes and that was because of the cold and changing weather conditions. So far we're planning the same for our upcoming cruise, and will be bringing lots of layers (including a base layer, fleece and rain shells) and also doing laundry. It's just easier for us to not be lugging around a ton of stuff wherever we go. I really hope it'll be enough.