Hi All,

We just returned from a 7 day cruise to the Mediterranean on the Disney Magic. My DW, 2 sons ages 23 and 21 and oldest son's wife. We had two rooms to let the newlyweds of 1 year be alone.

I'll just give some highlights and tips if you've ever wondered if you could do Europe. First, the trip was wonderful. The Disney Magic is still first rate in all areas even though its going in for rehab.

As for the cruise, we hired private drivers at all the ports-- Barcelona, the French Riviera, Rome, Florence/Pisa and Pompeii/Positano. It was about half of what Disney charged and they picked us up in either a Mercedes or VW van. All drivers spoke good English. Lots of highlights but seeing the Statue of David in Florence, the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel in Rome were bucket list items. And the views from the mountains on the French Riviera and Amalfi Coast in Italy are not matched anywhere in this country-- sorry for that but true.

A couple of comments: we were always in tourist towns but could not go anywhere without seeing or hearing other American tourists. We had no issues with anyone or any crime. Most people were very friendly and spoke a decent amount of English. Several places did not take Visa so bring Euros. Food is pretty expensive there-- figure $15 per person for even a cheaper lunch. Even the Vatican and Pompeii did not take Visa. You often have to pay about .5 Euros to use the bathroom except in major tourist spots or nicer restaurants.

I took several hundred pictures and have wittled it down to about 400. Really.

Also, I would not take kids younger than college age as I don't think they can appreciate or even enjoy most of it. They would enjoy the Disney cruise parts but not the tours. So if you're thinking about a Disney cruise with young kids go to the Caribbean.

As always, the Disney food and service were top notch. I was stunned this morning when I weighed and found out I only gained .5 pounds. If anyone has any questions please let me know.
I heartily recommend the cruise for the right people.