Please help a newbie

englanddg

One Little Spark...
You never know. You could end up afflicted like me. LOL! On your first cruise be sure to at least do a placeholder even if you aren't sure entirely if or when you'll sail again. I know that sounds crazy but it's the easiest way to ensure you have the option of a discount for the future. Worst case, down the road you cancel your placeholder (before the paid in full date) and get a full refund. I recently booked 2 placeholders while on 2 cruises and the deposit amount for 2 adults was only like 80-something bucks for each. It's awful hard to argue with that. Ya know?
I wholly second this!

One of the things I regret was that I didn't book a placeholder on my last cruise!
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
I wholly second this!

One of the things I regret was that I didn't book a placeholder on my last cruise!

I know during my first cruise I wasn't entirely sure what I thought of it overall. It was all so much to take in. Like I kept telling you, tho, it's like the further I got away from it the more I realized just how incredible it was. Truly was a "don't know what you got 'til it's gone" thing for me. That's why I try to kinda ingrain it into first-timers' brains to do at least a placeholder while you're there if you can swing it. Create the opportunity for yourself while you can. Think on it after the fact and make the final decision later. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Right?
 

EOD K9

Well-Known Member
Take the advice of @sweetpee_1993 and @Disneyfalcon You can book the cheapest placeholder cruise there is. The discount and the money apply if you move it back or forward. The cruise credits still stay with you as well. I've booked and moved a cruise once already with no issues. On my second cruise, the missus and I booked next year's almost immediately. You really have nothing to lose. Go for it and be hooked.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
I know during my first cruise I wasn't entirely sure what I thought of it overall. It was all so much to take in. Like I kept telling you, tho, it's like the further I got away from it the more I realized just how incredible it was. Truly was a "don't know what you got 'til it's gone" thing for me. That's why I try to kinda ingrain it into first-timers' brains to do at least a placeholder while you're there if you can swing it. Create the opportunity for yourself while you can. Think on it after the fact and make the final decision later. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Right?
Yes. I should have listened to your advice! I chalk it up to being conditioned at WDW to ignore DVC salespeople...I would just walk by them and think "I really don't want to deal with this right now, I'm on vacation". The thing is...booking DCL for another cruise is completely different than a timeshare program (nothing against people who think DVC works for them, that's awesome, it just isn't something I'm very interested in).
 

Bolna

Well-Known Member
Yes. I should have listened to your advice! I chalk it up to being conditioned at WDW to ignore DVC salespeople...I would just walk by them and think "I really don't want to deal with this right now, I'm on vacation". The thing is...booking DCL for another cruise is completely different than a timeshare program (nothing against people who think DVC works for them, that's awesome, it just isn't something I'm very interested in).

And the good thing is that it can be done without even interacting with a person! There are cards at the robooking desk which you can fill out with what you want. So, just do your research before the cruise, fill out a card, drop it off at the desk and then you will get it back with an offer (which will be written on the card you filled out), you can then sign this and drop it off again at the rebooking desk and then you get the printed confirmation. So as long as you don't need any special advice, it is really easy to do!
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
And the good thing is that it can be done without even interacting with a person! There are cards at the robooking desk which you can fill out with what you want. So, just do your research before the cruise, fill out a card, drop it off at the desk and then you will get it back with an offer (which will be written on the card you filled out), you can then sign this and drop it off again at the rebooking desk and then you get the printed confirmation. So as long as you don't need any special advice, it is really easy to do!
Regrets regrets... <grin>

Wish I'd rebooked. 10% left on the table, and I KNOW I am going back!
 

mguimond1990

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Are these discounted dummy bookings only something DCL does? Or do most other cruise lines offer something like that
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Are these discounted dummy bookings only something DCL does? Or do most other cruise lines offer something like that

Most cruise lines have some form of bounce-back type offer. Some are more generous than others. I'm not really sure but I know Royal Carib's is an onboard credit. If it's a reduced deposit it's like $250 vs. $500 which honestly isn't all that special considering I booked my future cruises recently for less than $100 deposit each. I don't believe they offer an across-the-board 10% off the cruise fare for regular staterooms (concierge excluded) like Disney does. Comparing just Royal Carib with DCL, DCL's offer is better because it's a lesser deposit + discounted fare + onboard credits.
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
I dont wanna jinx it, but i think im booking by first disney cruise on friday! We decided to go with Dec 1st 2014, 4 nights to Bahamas. Stateroom with verandah for $1400. Which I think is a steal haha. @sweetpee_1993 its all your help and trip reports that made me pull the trigger. I cant wait :)
Glad to hear it! $1400 is a steal! Early December is a less busy time becuase people typically aren't taking days off between the holidays. You'll have a fabulous time, I'm sure.
 

mguimond1990

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Cruise is all booked! Now I just need to decide what to do the night before. I work for an airline and I cant tell you how angry it makes me when people fly the day of their cruise and then something happens to the flight. So i will def be flying into MCO the night before. I just cant decide if I want to stay at WDW or just a hotel right by the airport. So many decisions :)
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Cruise is all booked! Now I just need to decide what to do the night before. I work for an airline and I cant tell you how angry it makes me when people fly the day of their cruise and then something happens to the flight. So i will def be flying into MCO the night before. I just cant decide if I want to stay at WDW or just a hotel right by the airport. So many decisions :)
Either or. We did a redeye in and stayed at WDW for our cruise. It worked well. We were able to squeeze in a 3/4 day at Magic Kingdom and have breakfast at the resort the following morning before leaving (we stayed at Contemporary).

A neat thing (though it does cost extra) to think about doing if you don't care to rent, DCL will pick you up from your Disney Resort and shuttle you on a tour bus to the Port. This is an added value because, unlike if you take private transit, once you get on the DCL shuttle, Disney guarantees you'll get there.

It was a very easy service (overall) for us. Bell Services took our bags early in the morning at the hotel for transfer to the boat (that's right, no hassling with luggage at the port itself...they just showed up at our stateroom door later that day)...the only luggage we brought were our carry ons.

They also run this out of MCO, but doing it from the Disney Resort worked well for us. Magical Express to the hotel, Parks for the day, early breakfast, departure for Port Canaveral around 11a, arrival around 2p. No driving, no stress. Very fun!
 

mguimond1990

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Either or. We did a redeye in and stayed at WDW for our cruise. It worked well. We were able to squeeze in a 3/4 day at Magic Kingdom and have breakfast at the resort the following morning before leaving (we stayed at Contemporary).

A neat thing (though it does cost extra) to think about doing if you don't care to rent, DCL will pick you up from your Disney Resort and shuttle you on a tour bus to the Port. This is an added value because, unlike if you take private transit, once you get on the DCL shuttle, Disney guarantees you'll get there.

It was a very easy service (overall) for us. Bell Services took our bags early in the morning at the hotel for transfer to the boat (that's right, no hassling with luggage at the port itself...they just showed up at our stateroom door later that day)...the only luggage we brought were our carry ons.

They also run this out of MCO, but doing it from the Disney Resort worked well for us. Magical Express to the hotel, Parks for the day, early breakfast, departure for Port Canaveral around 11a, arrival around 2p. No driving, no stress. Very fun!


Im sure Ill change my mind 300 times before we leave next december, but right now I think id like to fly in the morning before and stay at AOA, and then catch the magical express from the resort to the port the next morning. Correct me if im wrong, but do you need a park ticket to stay at a WDW resort? Or do they not care if you booked a cruise?
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Im sure Ill change my mind 300 times before we leave next december, but right now I think id like to fly in the morning before and stay at AOA, and then catch the magical express from the resort to the port the next morning. Correct me if im wrong, but do you need a park ticket to stay at a WDW resort? Or do they not care if you booked a cruise?
No, you don't need a park ticket to stay at the resort, or to use DCLs ME.

but, I do think you need at least a one day ticket to get the Magical Express from MCO to your resort (don't quote me on that, but I think you need at least a one day ticket to get the Magic Your Way, which includes the ME from MCO to the resort)

If you fly in the morning...lets assume you land at MCO around 10a....you will be at AOA and checked in by noon or so, and could be at one of the parks by 12:30 / 1p...and that's a relaxed schedule. It worked very well for us, and I had an 8 year old in tow! They had our room ready when we arrived, but if that is not the case for you, you can check your bags with bell services. Or, if you use the luggage delivery feature of ME, you can just check your walk on luggage with bell services and head off to the parks. When your room becomes available, bell services will deliver your luggage to the room. No need to sit around and wait.

The night before you leave for your cruise (so, same night for you) you will get a packet from DCL delivered to your hotel room that has green DCL luggage tags for DCLs ME, as well as instructions and departure time / location for the following morning.

The DCL ME is separate, and is booked through DCL. As I recall, it is $60 a person, round trip. They can pick you up from a WDW resort, and drop you off after the cruise at WDW or MCO. Alternatively, as I mentioned, the same service is available departing from MCO as well, so you could stay in a local hotel, and then taxi or hotel shuttle back to MCO in the morning.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Ok, I just checked..you don't need a ticket to get ME from MCO to the WDW Resort...just choose the "no ticket" option.

So, good news for you if you wanted to do it that way!
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
FYI, the DCL bus from the resorts to the port, airport to port, and returns aren't free like DME. Transfers are $35 per person each way, $70 round trip. For larger families the transfers can often be considerably cheaper when booked privately. Also, if getting on the ship ASAP after boarding begins is important the DCL transfers from the resorts are not king. The DCL transfers from the airport are if you work them right. Also, renting or hiring a car can get you there earlier. We just did the cruise line transfers from the resort and while convenient, it was the latest we ever boarded by 1+ hrs and the checkin lines were the longest we'd ever seen.
 

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