Cruise line help

[cemeb4dk]

Disney reservations are down for maintenance.

So I have some quesitons.

Thinking of possibly going to a 4 night cruise Feb 8-12, 2009. Then staying 1 night at a disney resort then flying home friday.

So here are my questions:

1) Sould I fly into Orlando or Fort Lauderdale, I know the cruise line bus will take me to the port and back. So then do I book the ME to take me to my resort or is there a bus from port to resorts.

2) never being on a cruise before is 4 days enough, and my daughter will be three will she have enough to do?

3) anyone taken one in Mid February hows the weather?

4) we will need passprts correct ( we are US citizens)

5) was looking at a Deluxe family state room. Is this big enough for 3 adults and a 3 year old.

Thanks in advance I was thinking baout going on a 3 day trip to Disney land but with airfare and hotel and park admissions it about the same to do the cruise.

 

[Mansionbutler]

Passport!

i have not been on one yet but i know you will need a Passport since you will be going to(out of the country) islands. if you plan to go start getting them now it can take up to 8 weeks to get one or longer depending on how many people apply at the same time.

 

[DisneyJoe]

1) Should I fly into Orlando or Fort Lauderdale, I know the cruise line bus will take me to the port and back. So then do I book the ME to take me to my resort or is there a bus from port to resorts.

DCL airport transfers pick up from Orlando Airport and take you to Port Canaveral. For $1 extra each way, the transfers can pick you up or drop you off at most WDW resorts (those that are part of the DCL land/sea program).

Fort Lauderdale is not part of the equation.

You should all have passports.

 

[Brwneyedgirl72]

Currently, US citizens may travel by sea with a birth certificate and a photo id - however, it is in your best interest to get a passport. February is prime cruise season in FL - great weather, but higher prices.

 

[WildLodgeFan]

I can give some great insight on this! We took the four day cruise in December of 2007.

1. I'm afraid I will have to pass on anwering this as we only did the cruise, so the DCL bus took us to port and back.

2. They have MANY, MANY things to do on the cruise. Each day you will receive a personal navigator, which is flyer that tells you all the activities by the hour - imagine a TV guide if you have ever had one. Before we went I searched the web and found several wonderful people who posted them on the web. I would suggest you do that and get a feel of what type of activities they have on board. Additionally the Kids Clubs are great and I bet she would love to participate there for a little while. They have fun activities all day & evening long and even have a graduation ceremony at the end.

3. We went in December, so that's close to Feb. The weather was beautiful, but it was a little chilly in the ocean water at Castaway Cay.

4. As people have mentioned, yes you need your passports.

5. We were in a verandah stateroom with 2 adults, a 15 year old and a 10 year old and I guess if we spent all our time in the room, we would have went a little crazy. (I'm not a fan of the bathroom, but I am a plus sized woman) But with so much to do on board, about all we did in the room was sleep.

Some other side notes from my experience. We loved the food - a little more gourmet than normally I would get to experience and that was fun. We tried escargot (BTW, yummy!) and they had lamp, veal, etc. and this wasn't at Palo's, this was at the regular sit-down restaurants. We usually did the buffet for breakfast - tons of selection.

The safety drill is chaotic - Disney really needs to improve that in my opinion, my only real complaint.

Bahamas - I would probably recommend a shore excursion if you want to go onshore. We didn't do that - my in-laws hired a local to taxi cab us around the island, which worked out okay, but could have been a bit scary. So it depends on if you are brave or not!

We love the total disney immersion on the boat and already have plans to take a 7-day voyage to celebrate the spouses 50th! I think you will truly love it.

 

[Laura]

1) Sould I fly into Orlando or Fort Lauderdale, I know the cruise line bus will take me to the port and back. So then do I book the ME to take me to my resort or is there a bus from port to resorts.

Orlando International. Fort Lauderdale is no where near there. And the Cruise buses will take you to your resort on property.

2) never being on a cruise before is 4 days enough, and my daughter will be three will she have enough to do?

No amount of days will feel like enough. You'll never want to leave! There are tons of activities for kids. If she's pretty outgoing and not afraid to be without you, you can pretty much drop her off at the kid's clubs first thing in the morning and pick her up at bedtime as they have activities going all day long. But of course you will probably want to spend some time with her. :lol:


3) anyone taken one in Mid February hows the weather?

Can't speak for February, but I can tell you that in November I froze my butt off and wished I had a jacket. The water at Castaway Cay was like ice (but I adjusted to it quickly).


4) we will need passprts correct ( we are US citizens)

I am not certain about this. The law has been delayed a few times to the best of my knowledge, but if you go to the Disney Cruise Line website it will have the current regulations. In November last year they were not necessary yet and we didn't have any.


5) was looking at a Deluxe family state room. Is this big enough for 3 adults and a 3 year old.

That's about what we had and there was plenty of room. There's a queen bed and a bunk bed (and 2 bathrooms!).

 

[cemeb4dk]

Thanks everyone.

Now if just disney would get there reservation computers working I could price the trip out. I can't do it either via phone or on line.

But that gave me time to get all these great answers. OSunds like it will be a blast. I will ned to check up on the laws as I want to surprise my wife with this at Christmas, and we don't have passports, being close to CHicago I know we can get them if we go into the office with an appointment. But a Birth cert and drivers license would be awesome.

Thanks again and keep info going I am like a sponge its never enough info.:ROFLOL:

 

[TowerOfTerp]

4) we will need passprts correct ( we are US citizens)

Until June 1, 2009 you do not need a passport for land/sea entry/exit into the US, you can use an ID from this list.

After that point you can use a Passport or a Passport Card (1/2 the price, only valid for land/sea, between the US and Canada/Mexico/Caribbean).

 

[Cubs Brian]

As of Jan1 2009 ALL U.S citizens will need a passport when visiting any foreign country or port regardless of form of transportation. This is what we were told just last week when we considering a cruise for next year. But who knows, it may be delayed again, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Cubs Brian]

Also you can get passports at certain post offices I know Plainfield, Naperville and Joliet have them.

 

[TowerOfTerp]

As of Jan1 2009 ALL U.S citizens will need a passport when visiting any foreign country or port regardless of form of transportation. This is what we were told just last week when we considering a cruise for next year. But who knows, it may be delayed again, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security both say June 1, 2009 for land/sea on their websites, see links in my previous post. Passports have been necessary for almost all air travelers since 2007.

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1206634226418.shtm

 

[DisneyJoe]

Here's the thing that people don't think about with the passports - note the words "land/sea" in the above posts - what about AIR???

Consider this:

- you're mid way thru your 7 night cruise, and you get sick, the medical staff on board can't diagnose what you have
- they can't handle the situation, and you keep getting sicker
- they need to put you off at the nearest location with a medical facility
- this could be Cozumel, let say.
- if they can't dock or tender, they need to medivac you off the ship, via helicopter
- the hospital on Cozumel can give you some medicine, but needs to keep you there for observation for a few days

Now, you are in a foreign country - without a passport - and the easiest way to get home to the US is to fly. Without a passport, you will have difficulty re-entering the US - some say great difficulty.

Note: if you don't have travel insurance in the scenario above, most of your medical expenses won't be covered; in many cases your personal health insurance may not cover it.

Just a thought.

 

[WildLodgeFan]

Well, I would have sworn we were required to have our passports for the cruise. In fact we had to log in the passport numbers into Disney's website 45 days prior to our departure. :shrug:

 

[Phonedave]

1) Sould I fly into Orlando or Fort Lauderdale, I know the cruise line bus will take me to the port and back. So then do I book the ME to take me to my resort or is there a bus from port to resorts.

Are you staying at WDW the day before your cruise ? Arriving on the same day your cruise leaves is rolling the dice. One delay in the airline can spell disaster, better to arrive a day early and stay over.

If you are arriving a day early and staying over, arrange for private transportation to the cruise terminal. It costs about the same as a DCL bus, however it runs on YOUR schedule. You want to get on that ship early, as soon as they begin boarding. That way you can enjoy the ship as much as possible and get first crack at any shore excursions, massages, etc you want to book. DCL transfer busses can get there 2-3 hours after the ship has opened to passengers.

2) never being on a cruise before is 4 days enough, and my daughter will be three will she have enough to do?

You will wish you had more days, but 4 is enough My kids and I are booked for a 4 day in Aug of 2009. At the age of 3 your daughter can get into the Oceaneers Club. Think daycare meets activites galore. You put her in there, they give you a pager, and if your child wants you, they page you. My kids (6 and 9 at the last cruise) did not want to stay in there - for some reason they like to hang out with dad But I have met families who had to drag their kids out to eat, and then the kids wanted to go right back. There is plenty for your daughter.

4) we will need passprts correct ( we are US citizens)

Other people have covered the dates and reasons to get one. Short answer - get passports, makes things a lot easier.

5) was looking at a Deluxe family state room. Is this big enough for 3 adults and a 3 year old.

Define adult. It is a queen bed and two twin "bunk beds". One folds down and one converts from a couch. So you will have two people together in the queen, and at least one adult in the bunk. I am 6'4" 220 lb. I would not want to sleep in the bunk. Someone of a less gangly stature would do OK.

You could request a 5 person deluxe family if you book early enough. That way you will have a queen, and two twins on the floor (plus the upper bunk) If you dont mind the top bunk situation, you can even save some coin and go for a Deluxe Verandah room.

There is plenty of room in the cabin otherwise. Here is a tip, if dressing for dinner find you fighting over bathroom space, even with the two split baths, one person can dress in the health club.

Thanks in advance I was thinking baout going on a 3 day trip to Disney land but with airfare and hotel and park admissions it about the same to do the cruise.

Be sure you look at all dates for the cruise. For me and my two kids, a verandah room sailing on July 12 is $4,489 - On Aug 30, $2,649 thats a huge difference.

Also on the Aug 30 cruse, the difference in price between a Navagators Verandah and a Full Verandah is a total of $80 - thats a no brainer

 

[cemeb4dk]

Thanks everyone. SOme really great info. I was talking to my wife about doing a cruise eventually, funny she actually brought it up. She was like yeah in a year or two maybe we can do one. I was like yeah we will see how things go. As in the back of my head my brain was plotting my surprise plan.

Phone Dave: We are planning the one night at WDW the day after the cruise as thats my wifes B day. I hear you on getting there a day early. Its definitely in my thoughts. Especially with the weather in CHicago in February. BUt if I read your post right you said private transportation is the same price as DCL trans. I thought others said the disney bus is $1 each way. So right now I am thinking getting there Sat night, and transporting to a hotel near the port fo rthe night and getting there just as boat opens for the reason stated above. But will have to verify prices of flights for Sat verses Sunday and so on.


Unfortunately disney reservations is still off line phone and internet. They better get this fixed before my obsessive compulsiveness wonders off to something else.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I thought others said the disney bus is $1 each way.

Sorry, no. DCL transfers from airport to port and back are one price, if you want to be picked up or returned to/from a Walt Disney World resort, just add $1 per person in each direction to the existing DCL transfer cost....

I hope that clarifies things.

 

[Laura]

Thanks everyone. SOme really great info. I was talking to my wife about doing a cruise eventually, funny she actually brought it up. She was like yeah in a year or two maybe we can do one. I was like yeah we will see how things go. As in the back of my head my brain was plotting my surprise plan.

Phone Dave: We are planning the one night at WDW the day after the cruise as thats my wifes B day. I hear you on getting there a day early. Its definitely in my thoughts. Especially with the weather in CHicago in February. BUt if I read your post right you said private transportation is the same price as DCL trans. I thought others said the disney bus is $1 each way. So right now I am thinking getting there Sat night, and transporting to a hotel near the port fo rthe night and getting there just as boat opens for the reason stated above. But will have to verify prices of flights for Sat verses Sunday and so on.


Unfortunately disney reservations is still off line phone and internet. They better get this fixed before my obsessive compulsiveness wonders off to something else.

The Disney transportation to and from the port (from the aiport or WDW) is very pricey, and comparable to the cost of hiring a town car or a taxi.

 

[cemeb4dk]

now I get it thanks for the clarificaiton....


Ok, I just checked airfare can fly out Sat night arrive in Orlando and 10:20 Pm For $235 per person round trip. Then I will hire a car or some transportation, and I found a days in in Cocoa Beach for 67 for that sat night. and they offer trans to the port from there its only 3 miles the website said. So I am getting all the other lagistics down other than booking the cruise... Come on I.T. dept get the computers working.

 

[WildLodgeFan]

now I get it thanks for the clarificaiton....


Ok, I just checked airfare can fly out Sat night arrive in Orlando and 10:20 Pm For $235 per person round trip. Then I will hire a car or some transportation, and I found a days in in Cocoa Beach for 67 for that sat night. and they offer trans to the port from there its only 3 miles the website said. So I am getting all the other lagistics down other than booking the cruise... Come on I.T. dept get the computers working.

I love Disney, but some days their reservation system online just drives me batty. It always has bugs, so I feel your pain.

 

[Phonedave]

Phone Dave: We are planning the one night at WDW the day after the cruise as thats my wifes B day. I hear you on getting there a day early. Its definitely in my thoughts. Especially with the weather in CHicago in February. BUt if I read your post right you said private transportation is the same price as DCL trans. I thought others said the disney bus is $1 each way. So right now I am thinking getting there Sat night, and transporting to a hotel near the port fo rthe night and getting there just as boat opens for the reason stated above. But will have to verify prices of flights for Sat verses Sunday and so on.


Unfortunately disney reservations is still off line phone and internet. They better get this fixed before my obsessive compulsiveness wonders off to something else.

It may be a dollar more with a land and sea package. I have the DVC, so I don't do land and sea, I just do "sea" and then book my own "land" seperatly. It costs me +/- $70 per person for the DCL bus.

You can get to the terminal early (before the ship "opens") and get all the checking in done. They take your luggage and put it in your stateroom, so once you check your luggage and take care of the registration / customs stuff all you need to do is hang around in the terminal untill the gangway opens. There is a smallish coffee type shop in there with bakery stuff. Or you could bring a carry-on with stuff in it as well.

You may want to give Kingdom Konsultants a call. I am a die hard book it yourself kind of person. However when setting up the Aug 09 cruise, I gave them a call. Marie was a huge help. I gave her a vauge description of what type of state room I wanted and a 2 and half month window to sail in. She sent me back an email with all the different prices listed. I worked out great.

-dave


EDIT: I see that somone explained the "Dollar more" statement. Thanks