ILLUMINATIONS CRUISES-What they are--How to book--FIND ONE TO SHARE

[4Jays]

Looking for someone that has an Illuminations boat booked for Sept 30, Oct 1 or Oct 2. There are six of us: DH, Me, MIL, FIL, DS19, and DD16. Would love to share if anyone has room. Send me a PM.
Janet :wave:

[mariettadisney71]

To All,

I have room for 4 (maybe 5, waiting for confirmation) on an Illuminations Cruise for Sunday 8/13/06. Please contact me at mariettadisney71@sbcglobal.net if you are interested or have questions. $25 each plus a tip for the driver. pirate:

Best wishes,
Michael

[gydell]

Illuminations cruise needed for 2 adults and 1 child - Oct.3, 4, 5. Thanks!

[Enna]

I'm cancelling a reservation for one of the larger Wishes pontoons (the one with the sound) for Monday August 14.

If anyone is interested in this, please send me a PM. I can coordinate my cancellation time with a time you can call in to request availability.

[MissKris721]

I want to take a cruise while on my disneymoon. Which one do you guys recommend as being the best? I like the idea of eating on the cruise and then seeing fireworks...sounds romantic...Please offer your suggestions...my disneymoon isn't until June so I can't book anything yet!

[subtchr]

If anyone is interested in the details about the Breathless, I talk about our cruise in my trip report, Day 2:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1160683&page=1&pp=15

If you read it, you'll see we absolutely loved it!

[ohana808]

about "eating on the cruise" does anyone know the menu for the food available? and how to order?

[Crazy Hakim]

about "eating on the cruise" does anyone know the menu for the food available? and how to order?

All of the food ordered for the cruise is through Private Dining (Room Service), so in addition to just about anything on the Room Service Menu (and prices plus 18%) you can Special Order just about anything you desire. But, be advised, the boat is not the ideal place to eat a plated entrée. The table on the boat is a temporary set up, and a little wobbly to say the least. What works best is sandwiches or finger foods. I don't suggest pizza because it is usually cold by time you are ready for it, but Chicken Wings, fruit, cheese and crackers, and the sort work the best.
FYI, you handle this directly with Private Dining, WDW-PLAY does not assist, nor does the marina, but it is strongly suggested that if you do have a food or beverage order, call the marina during the day so that your driver can make sure that your food is delivered in time for your arrival. In most cases the drivers DO NOT know when food has been preordered.

[grgich]

On the Illuminations Cruise, are you allowed to bring a cocktail/glass of wine purchased at the Yacht Club onto the cruise? I'm assuming that its ok to bring something that was purchased at a Disney resort, as opposed to bringing your own bottle of wine?? It seems like you wouldn't have time to drink a whole bottle of wine on the hour long cruise, so bringing just a glass seems like a reasonable thing to do.

[Crazy Hakim]

On the Illuminations Cruise, are you allowed to bring a cocktail/glass of wine purchased at the Yacht Club onto the cruise? I'm assuming that its ok to bring something that was purchased at a Disney resort, as opposed to bringing your own bottle of wine?? It seems like you wouldn't have time to drink a whole bottle of wine on the hour long cruise, so bringing just a glass seems like a reasonable thing to do.

Yes, you can get a drink in a Take-out cup (avoid glass) from Crews Cup Lounge or Ale & Compass Lounge. Or you can get a carry out beverage from either gift shop at Y&B Club.

[ohana808]

Thanks, Crazy Hakim, for the advice. We're looking forward to the cruise!

[Disney8704]

What is the view like of Illuminations from a patoon boat? Can you see the globe and firworks both down on the water and in the sky really well or is some of your view blocked? If anyone has pics I would love to see them.

[Crazy Hakim]

What is the view like of Illuminations from a patoon boat? Can you see the globe and fireworks both down on the water and in the sky really well or is some of your view blocked? If anyone has pics I would love to see them.

You get get many opinions on the view, I feel it is one of the best available, the globe is visible, and will eventually be centered in your frame of view.
The boats are not under the bridge, they are pulled forward and the bridge will not block your view of the higher fireworks, unless you are seated all the way in the rear of the boat (and there is no reason to stay in the back when the boat is parked).
There are very few public viewing areas around World Showcase that do not have some sort of tree, lamp post or foliage at least partially blocking your view. Yes, there are some semi-private areas that have a great view, but they are not always available to the public, there may be a private function that would keep you from entering said areas.
One more thing about the view from the pontoon (and Breathless) boats..... you are on the water level, you have a ground eye view of the fireworks, and you get an added enhancement of the reflection from the water, it is truly spectacular.

This photo looks like it was taken from one of the boats:
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID10004690.asp

[Tiffer]

The DEcember Illuminations is 9:30 pm correct? Then an 8:00 cruise won;t work. Do they have a later one for DEcemember?

[Crazy Hakim]

The December Illuminations is 9:30 pm correct? Then an 8:00 cruise won't work. Do they have a later one for December?


Tiffer,

Don't worry! Technically there is NO 8:00pm cruise, even if that is what you book. The IllumiNations Drivers are only at Bayside Marina for one reason, and that is for an IllumiNations Cruise. IF you booked an 8pm Cruise and arrived, they would just tell you that the Fireworks are at 9:30pm, and you need not be back to Bayside Marina until 8:30pm. They would NOT take you out at 8pm, and make you miss IllumiNations.

Like I said, the drivers are ONLY there for the IllumiNations Cruise, that;s their entire responsibility at Bayside Marina, so if you book a cruise, you will definitely be scheduled to see IllumiNations.

[yaksack]

November 7. We leave from the Yacht Club at 8:30pm.


COOL!!!!! :smokin:

[Crazy Hakim]

November 7. We leave from the Yacht Club at 8:30pm.
COOL!!!!! :smokin:

PLEASE arrive at 8pm at Bayside Marina, regardless of what you were told.... OK?

[Nickymouse]

I also booked an Illuminations Cruise for Nov. 7th today! We were told 8:00 as well. I know it doesn't leave until 8:30, but we are going with another family and I want to make sure we all meet with time to spare.

[yaksack]

I was told 8pm to be at the YC as well.

We are also going with another group. Are you from Northeastern NJ Nicky?

[parrotheadlois]

I was told 8pm to be at the YC as well.

We are also going with another group. Are you from Northeastern NJ Nicky?


Hi Yaksak, Hi Nicky - we're booked for November 2nd, where in NJ are y'all from (we're in Warren County, s of 80, n of 78)

[yaksack]

Hi Yaksak, Hi Nicky - we're booked for November 2nd, where in NJ are y'all from (we're in Warren County, s of 80, n of 78)

I use to go to plenty of Giants and Jets games back in the 90s before moving to Sussex County. I grew up in Hudson County. We use to actually rent in place in Harmony, NJ, just outside of Phillipsburg. Now we live near Newton.

[yaksack]

Where can I find pictures from the illuminations crusie?

TY

[Nickymouse]

Hi fellow Jersey week travelers! We're actually from South Jersey in Marlton. Seems like alot of us are trying to get these cruises this week. Enjoy!

[marconat]

Did you guys all booked from what the op said in the first post? with all the numbers to press? or did you do it an other way? I want to book one for Jan 8th to 13th... flexible on what night... so how do I go about... thank's for your suggestions

[dopey_texan]

We will be visiting Dec 1-6. Would prefer to share with other adults. Please let us know if you have space for two.

[ndelaune]

I have booked a boat for the 23rd of September. The boat holds 8 and its only my DH and I. If interested please pm me. Boat will leave from the Grand Floridian.

Thanks,

Nicole


:tinker:

This boat is full.

[beaniemom59]

:banana: Using the above instructions, was able to get an Illuminations Cruise for November 18th. We have a party of 10 and thought it would be almost impossible to get the cruise. Got it first try!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting the instructions. It is a birthday celebration for an adult in our party. We had hoped to get the cruise as that is when a special family member would reveal to her that he is also visiting Disney World.

[MsSpinShady]

:banana: Using the above instructions, was able to get an Illuminations Cruise for November 18th. We have a party of 10 and thought it would be almost impossible to get the cruise. Got it first try!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting the instructions. It is a birthday celebration for an adult in our party. We had hoped to get the cruise as that is when a special family member would reveal to her that he is also visiting Disney World.

Hi beaniemom59, congrats!!! Can i dance with you? :banana: I also got a boat for Nov. 18th this morning, but since it is a surprise ending for our trip, I couldn't tell anyone! :blush: I've been banana dancing by myself all day :crazy:

Anyway, we're a party of 7, so I guess we'll see you at the Yacht Club on the 18th. Have a great trip!

MsSpinShady princess:

[*love*2*shop]

I am scrolling But thereis SOO many MESSAGEs..We are 2 ADULTS planning EPCOT for MON oct 30...TELL ME ABOUT the ILLUMINATIONS cruise..Price tec..HELP@@@ :confused3

[*love*2*shop]

I posted this on the Oct thread and thought id ask here...its hubby & I ..ANYONE have room on the illuminations boat for OCT 30? thanks

[zalansky]

Update to my post about cancelling our Sept 3 Illuminations cruise.....I cancelled the cruise a few days ago because I did not get a response within a few days of my post. It might still be out there. Hope a DIS-er gets it.

[jen_uk]

Does anyone have any spaces on an Illuminations cruise in December? We are two adults from the UK and we are at WDW between the 17th and 30th December.

Thank you! :)

[hopelea]

4 adults looking to share the illuminations cruise November 12, 14, 15, or 16th.

Thanks

[Lenc324]

4 adults looking to join up with with someone for the cruise. Nov 2,3,4,5 :banana:

[Cthia]

I am not sure if this is the place to post this or not.

I am looking to share a Wishes Cruise on 11/26. (I reserved a Premium Cruise) I have 4 spaces available.

If anyone is interested please let me know and I will let you know where the boat is leaving from.

[rainy~daze]

But, you can be dropped off after the presentation at any open dock (Epcot, Yacht & Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin, or MGM).

Hi! I am just wondering, if Illuminations is at 9:30 and Epcot closes at 9:30, will they drop you off at the dock at Epcot, so you can go out thru Epcot and get a bus back to your hotel, or are you stuck going back to YC/BC and getting a cab?

[Crazy Hakim]

Hi! I am just wondering, if Illuminations is at 9:30 and Epcot closes at 9:30, will they drop you off at the dock at Epcot, so you can go out thru Epcot and get a bus back to your hotel, or are you stuck going back to YC/BC and getting a cab?

No, you can still enter Epcot and walk to the front to your parked car.

[betterlatethannever]

Hi! I am just wondering, if Illuminations is at 9:30 and Epcot closes at 9:30, will they drop you off at the dock at Epcot, so you can go out thru Epcot and get a bus back to your hotel, or are you stuck going back to YC/BC and getting a cab?

Ask the skipper. He MAY be able to drop you off at the Friendship boat dock so you wouldn't have to walk back from the YC marina.

Ed

[UrsulasShadow]

Did you guys all booked from what the op said in the first post? with all the numbers to press? or did you do it an other way? I want to book one for Jan 8th to 13th... flexible on what night... so how do I go about... thank's for your suggestions
I bypassed all the marketing stuff by pressing 1, then 1, and skipped right to the CM. Give it a practice run several days before your trip. Don't do it during busy hours though. Practice runs are best done during the slower times, since you're not really booking then.

[Lenc324]

Still looking to share a cruise 4 adults here. Nov 2,3,4,5th. :sunny:

[Inkmahm]

I bypassed all the marketing stuff by pressing 1, then 1, and skipped right to the CM. Give it a practice run several days before your trip. Don't do it during busy hours though. Practice runs are best done during the slower times, since you're not really booking then.I just booked for December 9th using exactly the directions in the first post of this thread. Worked perfectly!!!!

[LadyMar]

Just booked birthday cruise for 12/9 too!!! See you on the water!

[JaneSi]

Very excited as we've got the Breathless for 5th December :Pinkbounc Does anyone know if we get the drinks/snacks like on the pontoons? Thanks.

[Crazy Hakim]

Very excited as we've got the Breathless for 5th December :Pinkbounc Does anyone know if we get the drinks/snacks like on the pontoons? Thanks.

Yes, chips and soda will be provided and Aaron will be your driver.

[karebear1]

Can somoene please tell me the cost of a Wishes or Illuminations cruise please? How about The Breathless?

THANKS!

[agotta]

I know it's a bit early, the thread isn't even started yet, but we are looking to possible share a wishes cruise on 02/07. There are 4 of us. Lemme know if you are interested!!

[DinoDave]

I was lucky enough to reserve a pontoon boat for Friday Dec. 8th for the Illuminations cruise. If anyone is interested in sharing let me know. Also, does anyone have a picture of the boat so I can see the seating arrangement or size??

[Crazy Hakim]

Can somoene please tell me the cost of a Wishes or Illuminations cruise please? How about The Breathless?
THANKS!

Both are currently $250.00

Pontoon seats 10 guests
Breathless seats 7 guests

[bzzelady]

I was lucky enough to reserve a pontoon boat for Friday Dec. 8th for the Illuminations cruise. If anyone is interested in sharing let me know. Also, does anyone have a picture of the boat so I can see the seating arrangement or size??


DinoDave,

I sent you a PM this morning with interest in sharing the cruise.

I have a picture of the pontoon from when my DD did the albatross cruise in June. I cannot upload it onto DIS because I just haven't figured out how to post pictures yet-if you PM me back, send me your email address and I will send it to you in standard email.
The boat has about 4 seats up front...captain and controls are in the middle, and there is a U shaped sitting area in the back for about 6-8 people.
I guess that CRO is telling people only 10 maximum may go on the cruises now.
During the day excursions, there is a canopy but they take down the canopy for the Illuminations cruises.

[mr12volt]

We have an Illuminations cruise booked for 10/25 and would like to share it with someone. Myself, DW, and DD7. We would prefer one family or small group to split the cost with ($300 total with tip) as opposed to packing the boat. If anyone is interested please let me know by PM.

[tink2020]

Anyone have room for an Illuminations cruise Saturday, January 6th? DH has chosen ONE piece of information to add to the trip planning, and it's that he wants to actually SEE Illuminations. Everytime we go, we end up getting booted out of a good spot, etc and he has yet to see it from a good view -- so he thinks it stinks! :eek:

I know it's really specific, but if anyone knows of anyone who might have room, it would be a fantastic surprise after running the half! :thumbsup2


Edit: nevermind, I see they can't even be booked yet! :rotfl: I'll keep my eyes out for a thread!

[AlaskaMOM]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all of those who created this thread!!!!
I'm so glad I had those directions or I would never have made it. I got thru at exactly 3:01 (7:01 Eastern) and I got the LAST one! I can imagine I would have been out of luck by actually listening to the whole recordings.
So Thank You All!

[kimbac3]

There are 5 of us but we are a fun lovin' bunch!!!
Thanks!!!
Kimba

[ValpoMan]

We are a family of 5 who are looking to see if anyone has room for us on 10/6/06...

Thanks!

Monte Southwell

[MomofCKJ]

So sad, I followed the directions, got right through at 7 on the dot and they were gone. Trying for an Illuminations Cruise Dec 18th. If you have one and need to cancel please PM me!

Allyson :)

[daisylove]

Please let me know.

[MomofCKJ]

Lesson of the day, keep trying!

I called at 7am today (90 days out) and was told they were all gone. I tried again at 3pm and got one! Pixie Dust! :woohoo:

Keep trying!

Allyson :)

[Cruz91]

I believe we may have up to an extra three seats for our cruise which is scheduled for Thanksgiving night (11/23) at 8 p.m. PM me if you are interested....

[Scraper]

I have to cancel my Illuminations cruise Oct 30th. Would anyone like to take it. I am not sure how we go about it but I am sure Disney would help figure it out. IM me if you are interested:goodvibes

[Crazy Hakim]

I have to cancel my Illuminations cruise Oct 30th. Would anyone like to take it. I am not sure how we go about it but I am sure Disney would help figure it out. IM me if you are interested:goodvibes

Well, the boat is in your name, and it is being held on your Credit Card.
IF you were to give the boat away, the other party could just show up at Bayside Marina and say "We are here for the Jones' Boat"
Because all boats are just held with the credit card, each cruise must be paid for (Credit Card, Room Card, Cash) at the Marina. So this is not an issue.
The potential problem is if your group does not show up, or does not cancel in advance, then it is your credit card that will be charged the full price as a No Show.
So, it's risky.

I would just cancel and put the available boat back into the system.

[Debbart]

I believe we may have up to an extra three seats for our cruise which is scheduled for Thanksgiving night (11/23) at 8 p.m. PM me if you are interested....
Will Pm you ...would love three seats!!! Will share costs

[whogirl'smom]

Any one have room for 3 on any day October 9-13? I know this is last minute, but DH's b-day is on the 10th, so trying to do something special that week :goodvibes . Thanks!

[NeverlandClub23]

If anyone is looking to cancel an Illuminations cruise (pontoon or Breathless) on November 29th or December 1st please let me know as I would love to take it off of your hands :teeth: . Just putting this out there just in case!! :sunny: :sunny:

[iamallears]

:wave:
DEC 23rd anyone ?
If you have just 2 people ( assuming the cruise is for 10 )
we would love to enjoy this fireworks cruise with you.

Anyone wanting to add the bulk of load paid for by party of 8 ???
Parents, with 3 children ( 4, 11 & 17 ) and 2 grandparents (family )
DEC 23 ~

Unfortunately, we missed out on the early a.m. call to book this - Sold Out status -
But, we will try another night if this doesn't work out.

:grouphug:

[emily2000]

I reserved the Wishes cruise for Nov 28th. I would like to share my cruise with a family of 4 or less. I would prefer to share my cruise with someone willing to share their illuminations cruise. I am there Nov 23rd till Dec 3rd.

PM me if anynone is interested!

Bob

[marshwb]

Does anyone know if any of these boats have access with a wheelchair or scooter, will be there in Feb. Thanks

[emily2000]

My family reserved the Wishes cruise for Nov 28th. We would like to share our cruise with a family of 4 or less.

PM me if anynone is interested!

Bob

[Crazy Hakim]

Does anyone know if any of these boats have access with a wheelchair or scooter, will be there in Feb. Thanks

Wheelchair, yes
scooter, no

Each boat has a side door that just about will fit a wheelchair, but depending on the dock, there could be as much as a 6" difference between the dock level and the boat level.

Scooters are usually left safely back on the departing dock.

[Princess Steph]

We have 3 extra seats open for the 8:30 Illuminations cruise on Dec. 8th. It will be 5 adults and 2 boys age 5 & 1. We are celebrating a 60th B-day. If anyone is interested, just PM me. The bigger the party, the better!

[briebee]

does anyone have extra seats for the cruise dec. 4, 5, or 6? thanks

[Tiffer]

I am looking to share a cruise for 2 adults and 2 older kids, well behaved, for Dec 24 or 25.

Or for 3 adults and same 2 kids for Dec 26th-Jan1 (excluding NYE.)

I tried...to no avail. Woke up at 3:45 am and continusouly re-dialed (I'm on th West coast).

DEc 24th is DM's birthday. Please PM me if anyone has room for these dates.

TIA!

[aviva5675]

Looking to share a Wishes cruise, Nov 3, we are 3 people, me, DH and DD14. If you would like to share, theres room technically for 5 more people. Its non-smoking, the basic boat. PM me if you are interested. :wave2:

[AgiNJ]

Would like to know if anyone has room for 3 on an Illuminations Cruise or MK Fireworks cruise between 10/11 to 10/18. Thanks! :dance3:

[emily2000]

I still have not found anybody interested in sharing a cruise that I already have reserved. The date is November 28th. It is for the Wishes cruise. I am looking to offset the cost of this cruise. 1st come 1st serve

[PrincessShanShan]

I'm new to this and I'm just wondering if how the cost is usually split. I do have a Wishes cruise reserved for just me and dh. I thought about offering to share it with others. I just don't know what the norm is for splitting the cost. Do we split it according to how many people go on the cruise? Say my dh and I plus a family of 3....would we divide the cost by 5 (5 people cruising) or do we divide it in half (two families). I would assume by 5 since there would be 5 people but I'm just not sure. I don't mind offering to share but I don't want to upset anyone either if I ask that the cost be spilt equally among everyone. TIA!

[Tiffer]

I'm new to this and I'm just wondering if how the cost is usually split. I do have a Wishes cruise reserved for just me and dh. I thought about offering to share it with others. I just don't know what the norm is for splitting the cost. Do we split it according to how many people go on the cruise? Say my dh and I plus a family of 3....would we divide the cost by 5 (5 people cruising) or do we divide it in half (two families). I would assume by 5 since there would be 5 people but I'm just not sure. I don't mind offering to share but I don't want to upset anyone either if I ask that the cost be spilt equally among everyone. TIA!

I have not done it, but read that dividing it per head seems to be the fair way .

But if it your cruise, I guess you can offer it at whatever you want.

[TSM1993]

I have room on a 10/17 wishes cruise. It is a non premium on so no music sorry.


Sorry cruise is now full

[momof2disprincesses]

I posted this on the Dec. link too, but wanted to add this here as well.

I just cancelled a Wishes cruise for Christmas night.

[HMHunters]

thanks, nativetxn! I was able to book a cruise for my dh's birthday with your fabulous instructions. My CM did call it an "Illuminations Cruise". Woo hoo! I can't wait!! :cool1:

[roozlilone]

Anyone have room for 5 between November 22-24 for an Illuminations Cruise. I know my chances are slim, but I thought I would give it a shot! :sunny:

[Faline]

Hi,

I was just posting to see if anyone had space available for 4 for the illuminations cruise on any of these days. I couldn't call, because we had to go to Boston to help my son whose apartment burnt down last week. Now that we are back, I realized that we missed our 90 day window.

If anyone can help, let me know.

Thanks,

barb

[katter24]

We are 2 adults DH and I....we are willing to share a cruise on Oct 27th or Oct 30th...pm me if you have space:goodvibes Thank you

[blewits]

If anyone has 2 seats (or even up to 4) avail on either an illuminations or wishes cruise they would like to fill, my husband and i will be there Oct 21st thru 24th and have never done one before.

send me a pm if you need to fill one up and get the cost down.

wendy

[Iowaswete]

Hi......I was wondering if anyone wanted to share a boat on Feb 13th or Feb 16th. It will just be me and my DD(6)......message me and we can set something up :-)

[iamallears]

Grandparents, (2) mom & dad (2) 3 kids and (1) uncle.
We would love to do Illuminications cruise -

Can we find availability ? and pay for our 8 :thumbsup2
Thank you,

[OK GRUMPY]

Would like to know if anyone has space available for 3 on the illumination cruise 12/3 thru 12/9 any of those days.
thanks

[cobbler]

Ok, I may be slow but I just found out that the price increased for the Wishes cruises too. I know Illuminations cruises went up to $250 in October 05. But Wishes too??

Did this change occur last year as well or was it more recently??

[Crazy Hakim]

Ok, I may be slow but I just found out that the price increased for the Wishes cruises too. I know Illuminations cruises went up to $250 in October 05. But Wishes too??
Did this change occur last year as well or was it more recently??

Yes, Disney tries to make sure that all pricing is the same.
But Wishes has two tiered pricing depending on the size of the Pontoon Boat (20ft vs 24ft) and the 24ft boat has the music piped in.
Wishes and IllumiNations both went up Oct 1, 2005, which I believe went into affect 90 days later. Also, still unconfirmed, but I think they are going to go up again by another $25.00, soon as I know for sure I will let you know.

[cobbler]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that Wishes had gone up. We did the Illum cruise last year on October 2nd and had the luxury of paying the higher price ;)

Wanted to do the Wishes because I thought it would be cheaper but alas, I guess not.

[Crazy Hakim]

PRICE INCREASE IN EFFECT!

Spoke to Cap't Scott last night (10/23/06) at Bayside Marina. As of Sunday, October 22, 2006 the IllumiNations Cruise Price has gone up to $275.00 and Birthday Cruises to $300.00
No Grace Period, Price has gone up ("Prices are subject to change at anytime")
I assume that this affects Wishes too, I was told that all Marina Pricing is the same.
Please pass the work to avoid this surprise at the Cashier's Window.

[UrsulasShadow]

Wow, Disney is really pushing the limits with these watercraft price increases, aren't they? The fishing cruises went WAY up, too. Strange, just when gas prices are coming down. But, I guess as long as there is demand, they can do this. I wonder what the impact will be on the supply now.
Hope this doesn't affect the Captain's tips, Mike.

[rainy~daze]

Does anyone know what the forms of payment are that are accepted at the marina for the cruises? Can you use gift cards and disney dollars? TIA!!

[followin_the_dead]

I was wondering how much have people who have been on Illuminations tipped their driver.

My apologies if this has been asked I did a search and it couldn't find anything. TIA.

[UrsulasShadow]

I was wondering how much have people who have been on Illuminations tipped their driver.

My apologies if this has been asked I did a search and it couldn't find anything. TIA.
At the time, the cruise was $250, so we tipped $50...20%.

[followin_the_dead]

At the time, the cruise was $250, so we tipped $50...20%.

Thanks so much for the reply. That is what I had in my head, but thought I better confer with the experts! :thumbsup2

[daveastump]

My wife and I are looking to share a cruise on any day Jan 21th to Feb 3rd.
Does anyone have room for two shipmates????
Thanks.

[espana94]

Hi all, my family has an Illuminations Cruise boooked for January 2. We are looking for a someone who might want to share with us. We have space for up to 5 more people.

We are a family of five...me, DH, DD15, DD12 and DD9. :wave2: We are all very well behaved! I promise.

Please PM me if you would like share the cost and cruise with us on January 2!

Thanks, Espana

[sandyman612]

Wow, Disney is really pushing the limits with these watercraft price increases, aren't they? The fishing cruises went WAY up, too. Strange, just when gas prices are coming down. But, I guess as long as there is demand, they can do this. I wonder what the impact will be on the supply now.
Hope this doesn't affect the Captain's tips, Mike.

No Change in demand, I bet.

[ultranet]

This is a good piece of informations :thumbsup2

[yellownovawife]

I DID IT!!! First try, too! I got the last boat this morning, for Jan 30th Illuminations. It is not my first choice of date but I will keep it if I do not get through on Saturday morning. Thanks for the tips!

[forever 35]

Interested in joining an Illuminations cruise for Nov. 6 or 8th. Family of 4 from Maryland. DH, myself, DD's 9 and 12. Please pm me. thanks! pirate:

[roryc]

I DID IT!!! First try, too! I got the last boat this morning, for Jan 30th Illuminations. It is not my first choice of date but I will keep it if I do not get through on Saturday morning. Thanks for the tips!

Oooh. I wanted that one. ;) I have 1/31 (Wed) booked for Illuminations but 1/30 will work better for me. Let me know if you are going to cancel it, or want to trade. PM me if you're interested.

[linskypens]

My DD10 and I will be at WDW jan 15th and i would love to take her on an illuminations cruise if anyone has room.She is so well behaved and has never seen Illuminations so i thought it would be a nice way for her to see it.It will be a surprise for her.
Anyone have room for us?PM me if interested.
Thanks

[daveastump]

Hello All,
I have booked an Illuminations Cruise for January 25th, 2007.
It will depart from the Yacht and Beach Club at 8:30PM. (They recommend we arrive at 8:00PM)
So far its just my wife and I on the Cruise.
We have room for 8 more shipmates :grouphug: , would anyone like to join us????
Thanks,
Dave

[Crazy Hakim]

I have booked an Illuminations Cruise for January 25th, 2007. It will depart from the Yacht and Beach Club at 8:30PM. (They recommend we arrive at 8:00PM)

Dave,

FYI, Arrive ar 8pm (Check-In, Pay for Cruise), depart anytime between 8:15 and 8:30pm.

[demac9196]

I have four spots available for the 12th of November. There are four adults and two well behaved girls (7&8). If interested PM before 11/8.

Denise :grouphug:

[coastgirl]

We are cancelling our cruise for Feb 1, more below.

[M & M]

Does any one have room for 3 (myself, DH & DS 12) on 11/12 11/13 11/14 or 11/16 I know this is a long shot.

Thanks

[linskypens]

Again I ask if anyone has room on January 15th for my DD10 and I.
Please PM me if you have room, and does anyone know if there is a thread specifically for January 2007 yet?

[PrincessShanShan]

I have a Wishes Birthday Cruise booked for Dec. 27 (dh's b'day). It's just the two of us (I'm 37, he'll be 48). If anyone is interested in sharing, let me know. I hate to have all the extra space available and not offer it to anyone.

[rainy~daze]

Does anyone know what forms of payment you can use for these cruises? Can I charge it back to my room so everything is on one bill, gift cards, cash or credit card? Any or all of the above accepted or is anything excluded? TIA!!

[Crazy Hakim]

Does anyone know what forms of payment you can use for these cruises? Can I charge it back to my room so everything is on one bill, gift cards, cash or credit card? Any or all of the above accepted or is anything excluded? TIA!!

Room Charge (Disney Resort) - Yes
Disney Gift Cards - Yes
Credit Cards - Yes
Cash - Yes
Disney Dollars - Yes
Green Stamps - No

Happy Thanksgiving

[Tamara]

Room Charge (Disney Resort) - Yes
Disney Gift Cards - Yes
Credit Cards - Yes
Cash - Yes
Disney Dollars - Yes
Green Stamps - No

Happy Thanksgiving


Just wondering... Do they still make Green Stamps? :teeth:

[Faline]

bump!

[doodnom]

:banana: Thank you for your sharing :cheer2:

[WMILLER86]

Thanksgiving week of 2001 my family went on an Illuminations cruise from Boardwalk. We paid $120 plus $20 tip. We brought our own cooler with beer and soft drinks.

Looks like the rate has gone up to $275!!! :sad2: I am sorry, but it was barely worth the $120 we paid back then. It is a one hour pontoon boat ride. You do get good seats to watch the fireworks, but no way is it worth $275.
Maybe if you have not taken many boat rides.... naw.... still not worth it. sorry.

[minster22]

Anyone know if the capacity is written in stone or can we put 11 of us on the premium cruise? For some reason I was thinking that the max was 12 people......believe me at $275.00 I am really rethinking the whole idea!!

[mike230652]

Sort of agreeing with WMILLER on this.
We last did the Illuminations Cruise in 2001, and recall it being about $120 or so.
To have more than doubled in price in a few years is disgraceful and nothing more than profiteering.
Ok, no-one disputes WDW are there to make a profit.....but the pontoon ( ans that's all they are ) will have been depreciated and cost WDW zilch.......think of that increase, multiply it by the number of trips it does............SERIOUS income to WDW. I suppose demand outstrips supply still..hence the costs!

Think we'll probably not bother now.....ceratinly decent value at $120.....but NOT at $270+.

Mike

[Crazy Hakim]

snip but the pontoon ( and that's all they are ) will have been depreciated and cost WDW zilch snip

FYI, the pontoon boats are leased and replaced every year.
I am not defending the price of the cruise, just making sure that the correct information is available to all.

[Disney_Mama]

We just did the Wishes Premium Cruise and it was well worth the $300. I have never had such a great view of the fire works! You can even see tink as she flies down from the castle. The memories of doing this with my family far out weigh the cost. I will always remember my DD11 sitting on my lap with her arm around me as we shard this wonderful night. :goodvibes

[coastgirl]

Just an FYI, we are cancelling our Illuminations cruise for Feb 1. (We're doing the Astronaut Training Experience at Kennedy that day instead!) I won't get a chance to cancel until Monday Dec 11, so if anyone wants to try to coordinate that, pm me. I'll check Monday am before I call Disney.

[mike230652]

We just did the Wishes Premium Cruise and it was well worth the $300. I have never had such a great view of the fire works! You can even see tink as she flies down from the castle. The memories of doing this with my family far out weigh the cost. I will always remember my DD11 sitting on my lap with her arm around me as we shard this wonderful night. :goodvibes



Disney_Mama


I'd agree....the memories are magical especially first time round.

We've been lucky enough to do the Illuminations Cruise twice and don't regret it at all.

Now the kids are older ( 14 and 15 when we arrive ) it's maybe not so vital, hence the cost plays a greater part in the decision.
Plus......I can't somehow imagine my 6' 1" 14 year old son sitting on my knee and hugging me.......while wearing his Misfits shirt and torn jeans..... :lmao:


It'll be pretty much IOA and Universal this time round...with MGM thrown in since that's what our two want........ but I have to admit we'll miss the magic of Disney and the Magic Kingdom in particular.............

Thanks for the info re:the leasing of the pontoons. Crazy Hakim......I'm happy to learn something new every day...... :blush:


Mike

[scorp111]

We did the WIshes Cruise in September. We were supposed to be splitting it 3 ways, one couple had to cancel, so we paid 2/3 of the total, and still thought it was worth it!!


Probably not every trip, but it was really neat.

Would love to do the Illuminations cruise sometime

[Newcastle]

I apologize if this has already been posted but I didn't have time to read through the pages and pages of responses on this thread! I was trying to decide whether to pay the extra money for the Wishes cruise that has the audio feed from the show. I spoke with one of the reservation people at Disney and she said that even if you don't request a boat with the audio feed, the boats are generally grouped together in the same location and thus it is possible that you might be able to hear the music from one of the other boats. Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks!!

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

We were fortunate enough to have met someone on these threads to go with.
We had an unbeleivable time. We had to pay the new price and would do it again in a heartbeat. Even if we had to pay the whole thing. We also got an excellent view of the shuttle liftoff as it just so was happening on our 12-9 cruise. It was our last night at the parks before our 4 night disney cruise(another "must do" on our list) and it was the perfect ending to our land portion. If you have the extra cash and can land the opportunity please give it a try. My children are still in awe and so am I!!!!! I would like to thank Inkmahm again for including us!!!!!

[Newcastle]

I had another quick question about the cruises. I would like to book the cruise for my daughter's birthday however the actual date is close to the end of our trip. I'm concerned that if I wait to book that specific day and there is no availability then I won't have any luck booking an earlier cruise either. Is it possible to book a cruise and then call a few days later to get the date that I actually want, and then cancel the first reservation? Thanks for any input! :thumbsup2

[Crazy Hakim]

I had another quick question about the cruises. I would like to book the cruise for my daughter's birthday however the actual date is close to the end of our trip. I'm concerned that if I wait to book that specific day and there is no availability then I won't have any luck booking an earlier cruise either. Is it possible to book a cruise and then call a few days later to get the date that I actually want, and then cancel the first reservation? Thanks for any input! :thumbsup2

Absolutely! I would play it safe and try to book each day, if you secure an early date, then wait and try to book another on the actual birthday. If you get it, just cancel the first, if you don't well then you still have a cruise during your visit.

[Newcastle]

Thanks Mike for your response. I will definitely try to book something early on during the week that we will be vacationing. It won't be the end of the world if we don't get to cruise on her actual birth date!

Since you are so knowledgeable about this subject, could you please take a stab at my earlier post quoted below? I would really appreciate it!

I apologize if this has already been posted but I didn't have time to read through the pages and pages of responses on this thread! I was trying to decide whether to pay the extra money for the Wishes cruise that has the audio feed from the show. I spoke with one of the reservation people at Disney and she said that even if you don't request a boat with the audio feed, the boats are generally grouped together in the same location and thus it is possible that you might be able to hear the music from one of the other boats. Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks!!

[Crazy Hakim]

I apologize if this has already been posted but I didn't have time to read through the pages and pages of responses on this thread! I was trying to decide whether to pay the extra money for the Wishes cruise that has the audio feed from the show. I spoke with one of the reservation people at Disney and she said that even if you don't request a boat with the audio feed, the boats are generally grouped together in the same location and thus it is possible that you might be able to hear the music from one of the other boats. Does anyone know anything about this?
Thanks!!

OK, in my humble opinion, I would pay the extra for the audio feed.
Why?
Well, if I paid for it, I am assured that I will hear the entire show, regardless of what other boats "may" be parked near me. The audio does add to the show, and without it, you may hear bits & pieces of it, but no guarantee.

[Newcastle]

Thanks again Mike! I was sort of leaning that way (i.e. paying the extra for the audio feed). I don't think that the fireworks would be the same without the music and it would be disappointing if we weren't able to hear any of the music or only garbled bits and pieces of it. I guess I'll just have to splurge and spend the extra cash!!

[4kidsandadog]

We did a MK midnight fireworks cruise on the 30th of Dec... they were showing the NYE fireworks that night as well. We paid the extra for the radio feed and it was worth it. Our boat driver said he is known as the "mean" guy because he won't let other people mooch off of his radio; he will move away to keep the others from listening in.

At any rate, the whole thing was worth it. I will never want to watch fireworks from the park again. It was the best view and the easiest exit. I hope we will get a chance to experience it with friends again.

[ansky922]

Hi All

I am interested in Illuminations Cruise :boat: for either April 1st 2nd or 3rd
Family of 3.

Please PM me with any info Thanks

[Grundgetta]

Thanks so much for the reply. That is what I had in my head, but thought I better confer with the experts! :thumbsup2

Oh wow, I had no idea tipping the captain was customary! :confused3 I have the Birthday Illuminations cruise booked, so a $60 tip would be appropriate? Making the cruise almost $400...

This is a surprise for my mom's 50th birthday & none of us have been on the Wishes or Illuminations cruise before. Do you all honestly think the final price is justified? She's worth it, but it is a splurge & I want to make sure it's really worth the cost. Thanks!! :)

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

Oh wow, I had no idea tipping the captain was customary! :confused3 I have the Birthday Illuminations cruise booked, so a $60 tip would be appropriate? Making the cruise almost $400...

This is a surprise for my mom's 50th birthday & none of us have been on the Wishes or Illuminations cruise before. Do you all honestly think the final price is justified? She's worth it, but it is a splurge & I want to make sure it's really worth the cost. Thanks!! :)

Absolutely!!!! We went on 12-9 Illuminations Cruise and my children are still talking about it. We loved it and will try to get another one the next time we go. I dont feel like there iis any other way now. We are officially spoiled now and if we cant get one the next trip, we will be very disappointed. Have a great time with your Mom. Its truly a magical experience.

[NeverlandClub23]

For my last trip I started calling at 6:55 a.m. 90 days out starting at the first day of our trip until the last day we were going to be in WDW but, alas, never got an Illuminations boat. I then checked once a week for cancellations but there were none. I then called every day while we were at WDW to check for cancellations and there were none. But, you know what? Everytime I called (from the first to the last phone call) there was a Wishes cruise available on at least one of the days I was at WDW. Maybe WDW should widen the water area through International Gateway so some of the Wishes boats could be put to use at Illuminations :teeth: ;)

Just wanted to put the info out there that if you have your heart set on an Illuminations cruise and don't get one you may be able to get a Wishes cruise even after the 90 days!

[Crazy Hakim]

*snip* I then called every day while we were at WDW to check for cancellations and there were none. *snip*

I hope you were calling Bayside Marina direct and NOT CRO while you were on property! A lot of times there are cancellations that are made directly to the marina and never get put back into the CRO system, so calling 407-WDW-PLAY may not get you the most accurate, short notice info! Instead, call 407-934-3823 between 10am and 5pm, and again between 7pm and 8:15pm if you really want to get an IllumiNations Cruise!

[kimmie]

I did a "trial run" today. Keeping my fingers crossed for later this week.
Has there always been the survey thing? I don't remember it from the last time we booked a cruise. Is there a way of getting around it? (It seemed quite long.) Don't want to waste precious time! LOL

[Grundgetta]

Absolutely!!!! We went on 12-9 Illuminations Cruise and my children are still talking about it. We loved it and will try to get another one the next time we go. I dont feel like there iis any other way now. We are officially spoiled now and if we cant get one the next trip, we will be very disappointed. Have a great time with your Mom. Its truly a magical experience.


Thanks so much for the response! After taking the time to read through the thread, I see how hard it is to book an Illuminations cruise. I guess I was extremely lucky...I read about the cruise on another website offering ideas on celebrating birthdays at Disney, decided to call & book one & got the date I wanted with no problem (even though it was less than 90 days before my requested date.) I'll take that as a sign it's something we're supposed to do!

A few more questions.... We're having dinner at the Poly beforehand & I'm trying to figure out the best way to get to the marina from there. Should we go from the Poly to MK & then catch a bus to the Y&B club? We're staying at Coronado Springs, so I guess to get home that night after the cruise we should catch a bus to DD & then back to the hotel? And one last question (sorry)..my 2 year old daughter will be along & is a bit frightened by loud noises...is it very loud from the viewing point? Thanks! :)

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

We had a 10,11 and a one year old with us. They warned us that it would be loud but it wasnt loud enough to do damage to their ears or ours for that matter. The baby that was with us was fine. He loved it and was in awe. He would clap if there was a break in the fireworks. After four days at Disney, he knew his que to clap!

We were staying at the poly. We were at epcot before we went so getting there was a breeze. Afterwards we went back to epcot, to the transportation ticket center and on to our resort. I would ask someone at the customer service and allow plenty of transportation time. The yacht and beach club is a cool resort to check out. That was our first time to see it and the pool was awesome. We arrived about thirty minutes early and enjoyed checking the place out. I hoped I helped you. If you need anything else, I will try to answer.

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

Your are under the bridge that carrys you to the international gateway. You are a good distance from the fireworks. I dont remember when you said your were going but maybe you could carry some ear muffs or ear plugs to muffle the sound. We went at Christmas time and it was a bit chilly so we had him bundled up. I just got worried after posting about the noise and dont want you to be disappointed if it frightens her. I would carry something to put in her ears just in case.

[Sexy Rexy]

I talked to Aryn at the Bayside marina today and he told me everything there is to know about the specialty cruises. They are 275 dollars total. Check in is between 8:00pm-8:15pm and the depart between 8:15pm-8:30pm. The fire works are at 9:00pm except from November 23-December 30th they are at 9:30 pm. To book a specialty cruise call 407-WDW-PLAY. If you are on property and want a cruise you can always call the Bayside Marina at 407-934-1970 that is there direct line, no phone tree. Any one 12 and under has to wear a life jacket and only 10 guest can be on the pontoons. Aryn was very knowledgeable about the cruises and was very enthusiastic about his job. I think he would be great to have as a host on the specialty cruises

[valenrandy]

I will be at The World from th 24th through the 28th of jan.......This would be for 1 adult. if anyone has the space let me know! greatly apreciated!:thumbsup2

[sunny04]

If anyone has an Illuminations cruise for March 17 or 21 to share, we have 2 people.

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

I think I made it through most of the thread, but sometimes I wasn’t we were talking about Wishes or Illuminations, so I apologize for the repeat questions.
Does the Illuminations cruise leave from the Boardwalk marina?
Where does Wishes leave from?
What type of food can be ordered for the cruise? Will it be on the boat or does it need to be picked up at the resort on the way to the boat?
We are considering a Illuminations or Wishes cruise in early December. Do they have blankets on the boat?
If it gets too cold or if it rains, do the cancel? If the weather is bad (raining) and you cancel do you still need to pay? I would hate to spend $400 to be rained on. =)
What time does the cruise return to the docks?

Thanks!

[4kidsandadog]

We took a Wishes cruise this past Dec. 30, the one with the audio feed... it left from the Contemporary Marina. And yes, there were blankets on board.

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

We took a Wishes cruise this past Dec. 30, the one with the audio feed... it left from the Contemporary Marina. And yes, there were blankets on board.

Thanks. Where do you park for Wishes?

[ansky922]

If anyone is doing an Illuminations :sail: cruise on April 1,2,3 or 7th I have a family of 3. Have never tried this before would love for DS to experience it.

Please PM me

[KristineN]

We did both cruises this past December...

We caught the Illuminations cruise from the Yacht/Beach Club Marina

We took our Wishes Cruise from the Polynesian...you can pick up this cruise from: Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness.

Regarding food...you can order anything off the private dining menu from the resort that you are getting picked up from. I had them email a menu to me.

The Wishes Cruise had blankets, the Illumination one did not. Not sure why. It was extremely cold at night on the water...so plan accordingly.

They typically don't cancel unless it is lightning. Which happened to us the year before. I have been out in rain...again, plan accordingly.

We were back to the dock 20 minutes or so after the fireworks ended.

We love it...and will be booking again for Dec. 07.

I think I made it through most of the thread, but sometimes I wasn’t we were talking about Wishes or Illuminations, so I apologize for the repeat questions.
Does the Illuminations cruise leave from the Boardwalk marina?
Where does Wishes leave from?
What type of food can be ordered for the cruise? Will it be on the boat or does it need to be picked up at the resort on the way to the boat?
We are considering a Illuminations or Wishes cruise in early December. Do they have blankets on the boat?
If it gets too cold or if it rains, do the cancel? If the weather is bad (raining) and you cancel do you still need to pay? I would hate to spend $400 to be rained on. =)
What time does the cruise return to the docks?

Thanks!

[kpunarc]

I'm loving this site!!! So much info!

Andrew
location: Birmingham
MY SITE: http://www.myspace.com/kpunarc

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

We went on an Illuminations Cruise December 9, 2006 and it had blankets. We left from the Yacht club. I would ask if its cold before you left the dock. Our blankets were in a storage space on the boat. It was wonderful.

[Brian Noble]

I just canceled two Illuminations cruises I had booked. One was Monday, 2/26. The other was Friday, 3/2. If you call ASAP, you should be able to get them.

[Quinn123me]

Anyone have room on March 3rd?? for a party of 4.

[The Sweetness]

:confused3 I am sorry if these things have been answered 100 times, but this thread is 77 pgs long, and I will keep up with it now, but I cant see reading ALL of that (being lazy)
When reserving a cruise (90 days out) do you make a deposit then?
Also, for those sharing a cruise, typically, how are payment arrangements made, and what is the going rate to share (usually) per person, I guess? (ive never done one of these before, but it may be just the right touch to make my best friends birthday truly spectacular, along with dinner at 'Ohana (where Wishes cruises leave from):woohoo:

Thanks for answering these questions for me (for the umpteenth time, no doubt:rolleyes1

[vsimeone]

We did a Wishes Cruise on 12/23/06 and Illuminations on 12/30/06. Wishes was a warm evening but Illuminations was a little cool and we did have blankets. We left for our Wishes Cruise from the Contemporary and I ordered a bottle of wine from the Contemporary Private Dining. We had a fabulous time both nights and eventhough it is rather expensive, I would do a cruise again in a heartbeat if I could afford to splurge a bit.

Have a wonderful time!!!

[not-too-old4fun]

I just called to try to book an Illuminations cruise between April 18 - 24. So far they are all booked up till April 21 (which is how far ahead I was allowed to book.) I'm going to keep trying to book one. I was hoping for April 24. There are 5 of us. I'm not sure exactly how many can fit but if I succeed, I'll reply to this post if anyone would care to join us. Or.... if anyone else succeeds before me and has room for 5, please let me know. We're 3 adults and 2 children (my boys are well behaved. I know we all say that but they really are. :) )

I'm going to cross my fingers that we get to experience this.

[not-too-old4fun]

I did it! :cool1: I think you need perseverance to book this. I was primed and ready to call at 6:58am :rotfl: I think that posting on here and sharing the cruise with others if you have the room is one of the best ideas! I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. :)

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

Congratulations!!!!! You are going to have a great time!!!!

[sunny04]

I'm still looking for a cruise for 2, but my dates are opening up. We could do 17, 18, 20, 21, or 22!

[dizzi]

I have done the illuminations cruise, and i was not very impressed, for the money. Although, still glad to have done it, because i like to leave no stone unturned when it comes to WDW,... We did share the boat with several other people, and we did have hot chocolate, thank goodness, it happened to be a cold spell when we went,but we froze and we were under blankets, and under a bridge, and you couldnt see very well, and there was lot of smoke. I think it would have been much better had i just not wanted to get back to some warmth. But i donot think i would do it again.

[not-too-old4fun]

Minnie ~ Thank you! I'm really looking forward to it! :cool1:

sunny04 ~ Good luck! I hope you are able to book it. What month are you talking about? I know they were booked solid till the 22nd of april when I tried.

dizzi ~ yikes.... that's no fun. I sure hope our cruise turns out ok. I read tond of reviews prior to booking it and I did read a couple that had this smoke issue but the positives really outweighed the negatives so I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. Sorry you didn't get to enjoy your cruise.

[sunny04]

sunny04 ~ Good luck! I hope you are able to book it. What month are you talking about? I know they were booked solid till the 22nd of april when I tried.

Oops! For March. :)

[ansky922]

I am looking to see if anyone has room for a family of 3 for April 1-7 :)

[irisbud]

Hi everyone! Just a quick question that I'm sure has been answered before but this thread is so long! Do you have to pay in full at the time of booking or pay any kind of deposit?

Thanks!

[ms_mckenna]

I am pretty sure you just need a CC to secure no deposit. I am sure someone else can answer for sure.
Another note we will be there if anyone books between July 30th and August 3rd I would be intrested in splitting a Wishes cruise with someone. Will be me and my 2 children (we are there for their bdays). (did not see a wishes thread like this one)

[not-too-old4fun]

Hope you guys can find room with someone!

Amy ~ I had to give my credit card number. They 'hold' the amount and it goes through on that day. Or... you can decide to pay with a different method.

[KristineN]

yes, it is a credit card guarantee..pay in full that night

[Lady SnowElla]

I know that it is too early to make reservations yet but I was starting to plan for a July 4th Illuminations Cruise. I know that the cost is significantly higher than other days. It would be myself, DD14, & DD9 celebrating our family adoption anniversary. I just wanted to see if there might be another family interested in sharing the costs?

[Crazy Hakim]

Amy ~ I had to give my credit card number. They 'hold' the amount and it goes through on that day. Or... you can decide to pay with a different method.

Much like a Car Rental, the Credit Card is used to hold the reservation, but you must pay at the marina the night of the cruise. At that time you can pay with cash, room card, Disney Dollars, or any accepted Credit Card. The marina does not have access to your original credit card (used to hold the cruise) and they cannot just "leave it on that card".

[Marble8]

Hi there. Sorry if this has been asked already. Is this the same as the Fireworks Cruise that is part of Grand Gatherings? We are doing the Magical Fireworks Voyage (I think part of Grand Gatherings) 2/19 @Epcot. Since there are 8 in our family it made it worthwhile to do the Grand Gatherings. We experienced all of them last summer when we went but this one, and maybe one other one. I would appreciate any feedback on any of the Grand Gatherings, what was your favorites, etc. Thanks. Melinda

[The Sweetness]

Im pretty sure the specialty cruises are different from grand gatherering offerings::yes::

[merlin307]

Just discovered this thread, -- wow

Its a long shot but is anyone visiting Epcot between the 16th and 27th April 07 and has a spare 4 seats on one of the cruises...leave a reply or message me -

[Tigger&Tink]

HI ALL:wave2:

Looking to share a WISHES cruise with someone on VALENTINES DAY we are two ADULTS (well most times:rotfl2: ) Please PM me or email me at the email in my profile,,THANKS somuch

TINK

[ansky922]

Hi everyone

just another post
Would love to share a :sail: wishes cruise we are a quiet family of three
for somewhere between April1 -7th
PM me with any info

[NJ Cruisers]

Does anyone have room for the Illuminations (preferably) or Wishes (with sound) cruises for any day Appril 21 - 27. There are 3 of us.

Please send me a PM - DianeNJ@comcast.net - with the cost and date available.

THANKS

[shawnandjeff]

but figure it's worth a try. We'll be there 2/24 to 3/3...two adults...if anyone is doing either cruise and has room, let me know. It sounds fantastic!

Thanks everyone!

[lenny l]

It will be my birthday when we (hopefully) have our Illuminations cruise later this year.

Just wondered, can I pay for the boat to be decorated & to get a birthday cake?

[Crazy Hakim]

Just wondered, can I pay for the boat to be decorated & to get a birthday cake?

The boat decorations (Balloons and Banner) can be part of the Cruise Price, any additional Cake or Food is handled separately through Private Dining at the Yacht Club. At Bayside Marina, you will only be charged for the cruise, the Private Dining portion will be charged to your room or credit card separately.

[goldilocks_63]

HI, I don't see a thread for a May 2007 Cruise, so posting here. I sent a PM to the OP, asking about May, but maybe they didn't get it yet...?

At any rate, I have a reserved May 10, 2007 (Thursday) Illuminations cruise. WOuld anyone like to share half (total price is $275 + $25 tip for captain, so half would be $150).

Meeting at 8:00 p.m., at the Yatch CLub Marina.

Anyone interested, please PM me (next to my name, there is an option).

Oh, we can fit up to 5.

THanks, GOldi

[goldilocks_63]

I called 2/10/07 to make an Illuminations cruise, and was told there was only one proce of $275.00.

So either this infor is out of date, or I was mis-informed....?

Goldi

****

From Link here:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/recreation/fireworks.htm

ILLUMINATIONS BASIC CRUISE -

-$250.00 tax included for up to 10 guests. Price includes pontoon boat, driver, water, soda and bagged snacks

-Guests may order Private Dining to be delivered to the cruise

ILLUMINATIONS CELEBRATION CRUISE -

Same as Illuminations Basic Cruise plus decorations.

-$275.00, tax included

-Guests may order Private Dining to be delivered to the cruise

[goldilocks_63]

and Illuminations is now $275... and the decorated Illuminations is $300.

So prices went up.

Goldi

Still looking for a May thread for someone to join us in May 10, THursday Illuminations cruise ;)

[laura001]

I am still hoping to find someone that wants to share their Illuminations cruise with us on April 26th. Please pm me is you have room :goodvibes

[Ward]

Looks like the OP removed the links to my month's thread - March.

Is it possible to put that link back up (as March hasn't happened yet... :))?

Thanks.

[Carolinagal]

But wanted to mention that Mom44 and DD12 have a boat to share March 14, and would love to meet fellow Dis'ers. Please reply or PM if you are interested. :tinker: :earsgirl:

[ansky922]

Hi everyone

just another post
Would love to share a :sail: wishes cruise we are a quiet family of three
for somewhere between April1 -7th
PM me with any info


Just reposting my post Sorry to repeat myself:guilty:

still hoping someone would like to share

:cheer2:

[koby]

If anyone as room on the cruise April 19 or 20th, we would love to join you. We are a family of four. Please PM me. Thanks in advance. :thumbsup2

[momof2disprincesses]

I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, but does anyone know if the Breathless is back and running?

[Crazy Hakim]

I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, but does anyone know if the Breathless is back and running?

Sad to say that as of last night (2/13/07) Breathless is still sitting in the lift at Bayside Marina. Back? It hasn't even left yet.

[Leleluvsdis]

I know it's short notice, but I was wondering if anyone had room for 2 adults on a cruise b/t March 5-9? Thanks!

[monetnj]

Wondering if anyone has room for 3 on a cruise on 3/5? Longshot and all, but it is my DWs birthday. Doing other stuff for her during our trip, but figured I would give this a go too. Thanks.

[desertbloom]

I'm looking for a cruise for the 5th or 7th of March. We are a family of 3. Does anyone have room for us?

[laura001]

I am beginning to think that there is no one out there that actually has something booked............lol! Still looking for April 26th, for 2 adults:goodvibes

[eoth]

I think there is some information here

[Dimmo]

Hi, Was reading the instructions for booking one of the speciality cruises and I am a bit confused by the bit about putting your phone number in. If I am ringing from the UK does that mean I have to enter the number I am ringing from including the international dialing code? Thanks :confused3

[cdnsluvdisney]

Does anyone have any space available on an Illuminations or Magic Kingdom cruise between Apr 27 - May 3? My husband and I are going on a trip on our own and would love to do something different and unique. If you have space for the two of us, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thanks :)

[jennifer6800]

We are also hoping to book February 26. If you find something we would happily join you. Either Illuminations or Wishes.

Jenn and Dave

[shawnandjeff]

I just booked a boat for the Illuminations cruise on Sunday 2/25 if anyone is looking for a few seats! Let me know!

~shawn

[peel]

Many thanks to this thread, I was able to book an Illuminations cruise for May 22 this morning! This will be a really cool honeymoon extra for us!

[JikoMarie]

This may have been mentioned in one of the other 49 pages of this thread that I didn't read but how accurate is the price in the OP? I went on Allearsnet, and a price of $234.74 + tax was being quoted for the pontoon boats, not $150. That was really disappointing for us because we were going to rent a boat at the lower price but the Allears price is just too much. Which one is correct?

[stampinot]

Please contact me if you are interested in sharing this cruise.
We have room for 6 more if you are interested in sharing with this great family of 4!!! Please PM me or email me at stampinotjulie@verizon.net
Thanks
Julie

[stampinot]

share my illuminations cruise?
Thanks
Julie

[stampinot]

is when we have our illuminations cruise booked for. I was wondering if there was any place else
Julie

[jennifer6800]

Does anyone have room for two on a wishes cruise February 26.

Jenn and Dave

[dizzienoodle]

I know this is a shot in the dark, but we were looking for a cruise to share anytime from Mar 19- Mar 24... Family of 4 myself, my mom, and 2 kids.

[peel]

This may have been mentioned in one of the other 49 pages of this thread that I didn't read but how accurate is the price in the OP? I went on Allearsnet, and a price of $234.74 + tax was being quoted for the pontoon boats, not $150. That was really disappointing for us because we were going to rent a boat at the lower price but the Allears price is just too much. Which one is correct?

The higher price is correct unfortunately. I think the original post was written quite a while ago and hasn't been updated to reflect the price increase. The one I just booked ended up being $275 after tax.

[JikoMarie]

The higher price is correct unfortunately. I think the original post was written quite a while ago and hasn't been updated to reflect the price increase. The one I just booked ended up being $275 after tax.

That's really to bad. I was going to rent an entire boat for us at $150 but I can't afford the higher price and we don't particualarly want to share at this time.

[leslieseagle]

I had a guidebook from 2004 that said the Illuminations cruise was about $120. I thought that seemed like a bargain for your very own fireworks cruise. Honestly, I thought it was worth it to not have to fight the crowds after the show. I booked a cruise for this May, and I did not even think to ask what the price was. I don't know why I am surprised that the price has more than doubled in three years. We are celebrating my DS fifth birthday, and I think it will be worth the money. I hope it will be worth the money.

[jazztam]

Carolinagal-
I am interested! We are a family of five.. Let me know if this will be ok and some details. Which specialty cruise do you have booked?

[bigbabyblues]

I got a cruise this morning!!

Does anyone know if you can request a certain boat driver or not? We did the cruise in 2005 and our driver was great, would love to have him again. I don't want them to think I'm crazy tho if I ask.......

Also, they said we got snacks. Does anyone know what is included? We didn't get anything the last time, except some awesome cake from a boat beside us, but it was ordered extra.

Thanks!

Steph

[Msblowfish]

I keep reading conflicting posts so I hope somebody can answer my questions. I want to book a fireworks cruise for my DD's 5th birthday in October. I think their will be at least 11 adults plus my DD. Are their any boats that can accomodate a larger party?? I was looking at the Grand Yacht just because we will be staying at the GF and it says that it can hold 13 people. Does anyone know if you can get the audio/decorations for the Grand as well??

Thanks
Sharon

[Ariel'sMom]

The link for March 2007 for Illuminations Cruises thread is not listed on the first information page for this thread. Does it still exist? This is short notice, but we are looking for three seats for March 12 or 13. Thanks.

[SaratogaShan]

Does anyone know if the phone instructions in the original post are still accurate or have the menu options changed? I don't want to start dialing and end up in the wrong place!

Thanks!

[bigbabyblues]

Does anyone know if the phone instructions in the original post are still accurate or have the menu options changed? I don't want to start dialing and end up in the wrong place!

Thanks!

I used 3, then 2, then enter your phone or reservation number followed by #, then 2 to skip the survey.

[momof296&02]

I HAVE A 3/29 RESSIE FOR WISHES FIREWORKS CRUISE - anyone want to share with us?

If anyone would like to join us the details are below (pm me if interested)

3/29 $275
Specialty cruise- 25'pontoon w/ audio
Magic Kingdom Wishes FireWorks
Pick up @ Contemporary Marina @ 8pm
Fireworks at 9pm
10 people max
We are 4(2 Adults & 2 children 10 & 5)
6 spots left

[ansky922]

I HAVE A 3/29 RESSIE FOR WISHES FIREWORKS CRUISE - anyone want to share with us?

If anyone would like to join us the details are below (pm me if interested)

3/29 $275
Specialty cruise- 25'pontoon w/ audio
Magic Kingdom Wishes FireWorks
Pick up @ Contemporary Marina @ 8pm
Fireworks at 9pm
10 people max
We are 4(2 Adults & 2 children 10 & 5)
6 spots left




:sad1: :sad2: :sad:
Oh how I wish you had said March 31
If anyone has one to share 3/31-4/7 a family of 3 woud be interested PM me

[momof296&02]

I sent you a PM

[Carolinagal]

Hi all -

The March board is gone, but we still have room for more. Please send a PM if interested

[caseyem67]

Moderators,
Can you change this sticky to include Wishes cruises in the title or add another sticky specifically for Wishes cruises? I am sure others (and myself)would be interested in sharing those cruises. I know some people post those type of requests on this board, but I think others would not look further into this thread because of the title not indicating Wishes specifically.

Just a thought. Thanks.

[TLP127]

I have room for 4 more people on my 5/21 cruise. It is myself, my mother 59, dd 8 and ds 5, and a couple from the TGM boards. Price is $30 pp including tip for the captain. If you'd like to join us, PM me! :goodvibes
Traci

[LISMYLIFE]

This was something I knew nothing about. I was able to book a cruise for the 28th of this month just this morning for my DH, DD, and DS's birthdays (all within the same week). Someone was obviously looking out for me!

:grouphug:

[KayR]

Looking for space on an illuminations cruise on April 11th for 6 people.

Or if you have a cruise booked that you are going to cancel - I will happily take over the booking.

-Kay

[RBuchina]

My wife and I will take two spots for an Illuminations Cruise on March 6th. I know its late but if there are any last minute openings we could fill two.

Ray

[Quadman]

Looking to share a cruise for myself & my DH(:hug: ), 2 x darling DD's (princess: princess: ) Good girls really....... We have always been lucky (in life and love) and with being able to book cruises, but this is a last mintute trip to escape the cold, so no time for regular bookings. We either made arrangements to share ahead of time, or we've just grabbed people at the dock.........its always been fun. If you can, ask for Captin Ron, he is the best!!

A little about us...........We are charming and witty, and we'll bring the wine if permitted to share your trip.

Drop me a line if you have the space and the time........

[DVCajun]

We'll be there 3/17 through 2/23 -- does anyone have an opening for any of those cruises?:)

[PURRRRRN]

If anyone has space for 2 adults on a march 12 2007 (my birthday:banana: ) illuminations cruise please contact me. dilaurorn@aol.com
Thanks.
I GOT ONE!!!
:cool1:I have an Epcot illuminations fireworks cruise to share march 12.:cool1:
It's just my husband and myself so, If anyone is interested in joining us we have plenty of room!
email dilaurorn@aol.com or pm me
-Lori

[disneycake]

Does anyone have room for 2 adults on a Wishes or Illuminations Cruise for May 13, 14, or 15??

[momsoftwins]

anyone have 3 seats for me and twin daughters? if so please let me know. missbehavin2121@yahoo.com or pm me
thanks

[rlsrlj]

Hi all -

The March board is gone, but we still have room for more. Please send a PM if interested
I can't PM yet..I only have 1 post but still interested in the special cruise. We are staying at the AKL on March 15-19..we arrive too late on the 15 so it would have to be the 16, 17, or 18...I hope there is something available for the two of us...

Thanks!

Richard
rlsrlj@aol.com

[hfishman35DIS]

know it's late, but I just found out last Friday that my wife and I will be in Orlando March21-March24. If you have space for two on an Illumination Cruise for the 21, 23 or 24 please send me a PM.

[PURRRRRN]

:cool1:I have an Epcot illuminations fireworks cruise to share march 12.:cool1:
It's just my husband and myself so, If anyone is interested in joining us we have plenty of room!
email dilaurorn@aol.com or pm me
-Lori

[samandryanmom]

Looking for an Illuminations Cruise to share on June 1st.

Anyone have room for six? It will be me, DH, DS10, DD6, and MIL and FIL.

Thanks! :wave2:

[DVCajun]

No longer available! :)

[digitaldevice]

I booked a Fireworks Cruise for March 31 07 today. I called expecting everything to be full. To my surprise we got a boat. How cool is that.

Cool you got in to one with short notice.

Randy

[Briarmom]

If anyone has an opening for 3 (myself and dd3, ds8) on April 25, 26, 27, please PM me.

Thanks!

[dna1990]

Does anyone have photos of Wishes from the cruise vantage point?

There are some photos on an AllEars Review of the Wishes Cruise, but these appear to have been taken in the park itself, not from the Seven Seas Lagoon...?

Or is the view really that close and spectacular an dthose photos suggest?
a l l e a r s n e t . c o m /reviewpost/showproduct.php?product=320&cat=80

[Nala2007]

Fun family of 3 looking for a cruise to split any night, May 14 - 23...

if you have the room please PM me!!

[WendyDarling]

I wanted to say thanks for the great advice on this first post. I did exactly what the directions said and got through and had my reservation on the first day I tried! That was great - thanks for the tips!

[Crazy Hakim]

Does anyone have photos of Wishes from the cruise vantage point?

I have no photos but I have been on this cruise, more than once. Your driver will try to position the pontoon boat, as nearly directly in from of the castle as possible. They have to be mindful of the ferry boat channel to the right. It also depends on just how many pontoon boats are out on your particular night, and if The Grand One is also out. Since these boats do not anchor they are drifting in Seven Seas Lagoon and the driver has to keep the motor running and constantly be keeping the boat positioned.
It is a good point of view, because Wishes needs to be viewed with the castle in the center, some may disagree, but when the shooting stars fly high, over and above, it looks just that much better when the castle is centered below.
If you are really worried about your "spot" in Seven Seas Lagoon, ask your driver to arrive a little early to secure a nice spot (before the entire fleet arrives).

[bigbabyblues]

We didn't get the birthday cruise, but I thought about getting one of those awesome cakes anyway. Can I, and how would I do that? Is that through the Yacht Club private dining also? A "neighbor" boat shared some of their cake with us in 2005 when we did the cruise, and it was very good!

Thanks!

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Just wanted to say that I know someone who cancelled their Illuminations Cruise today for next Saturday--March 17th.

It should still be available if anyone wants it. Good luck.

[hfishman35DIS]

Still hoping for 2 spots on on illumination cruise on any one of the 3 above dates. if you have the spots please send me a PM.

Thanks

[Crazy Hakim]

We didn't get the birthday cruise, but I thought about getting one of those awesome cakes anyway. Can I, and how would I do that?

I am not sure I fully understand your question. You did not get any cruise? Because any cruise can be a Birthday Cruise.
If you mean you got no cruise, well first I would suggest that you don't give up. Cruises become available, call back weekly, and especially one week before the date you really want.
If you mean you want a cake to have in your room, two suggestions, either call your resorts Guest Services and ask them for assistance, or call your resort and see if you can speak directly to their bakery (most resorts have a fully staffed bakery on site).

[bigbabyblues]

Sorry! I got an Illuminations Cruise, but I didn't pay extra for the birthday cruise. I wanted to order the cake and eat it during the cruise.

[Crazy Hakim]

Sorry! I got an Illuminations Cruise, but I didn't pay extra for the birthday cruise. I wanted to order the cake and eat it during the cruise.

Well, without the Birthday Cruise, you will not get the Birthday Banner on the side of the boat, you will not get the balloon decorations, and your driver will not be prepared to serve cake (plates, forks, napkins, knife, cake server). I would think that you would have to bring all of this along with you along with picking up and bringing the cake. It's a pretty gray area about bring food on-board, especially something like a cake. I am not sure if the savings will offset the hassle.

[bigbabyblues]

Thank you! I'm guessing I can call and make it a birthday (celebration?) cruise with no problem? My DS will be turning 4 within a week of our cruise, so birthday would work. If I do the birthday cruise, is the cake included in the price, and am I right that I don't even have to pick it up? I didn't even think about serving the cake.

I don't remember the price of the birthday cruise, but it might certainly be worth it!

Thanks for the info!

[Crazy Hakim]

Thank you! I'm guessing I can call and make it a birthday (celebration?) cruise with no problem? My DS will be turning 4 within a week of our cruise, so birthday would work. If I do the birthday cruise, is the cake included in the price, and am I right that I don't even have to pick it up? I didn't even think about serving the cake.
I don't remember the price of the birthday cruise, but it might certainly be worth it!
Thanks for the info!

1. Yes, you can call and change the cruise from standard to Birthday Celebration. Ask them to make note of the Birthday boy's name and age on the comments and that a cake will be ordered. (This will greatly help the driver get everything ready before you arrive at 8pm to check-in.
2. No, the cake is not included, you should still get it ordered but tell them to deliver it to Bayside Marina for your 8pm check-in time. Make sure you specify the size of your party and the type of cake you want to order. The default cake is very small and will get 6-8 small slices out of it.

Enjoy your cruise and please remember to tell us all how it went when you return.

[kimmie]

What time will I need to be at the dock for our Wishes Cruise? I believe she told me we will board at the Contemporary. I lost all of my notes and had to call back to double check the date and time. She said 8 pm. Is that right?
Thanks
Kimmie

[bigbabyblues]

It will depend on what time Wishes starts.

[kimmie]

Our cruise is April 8th. I thought Wishes was at 10pm. Better check again:confused3

[bigbabyblues]

I'd probably call the marina at the resort you're boarding the boat, they should be able to tell you. Sorry I can't help more! I know we have to be there at 8 for our Illuminations Cruise, and Illuminations is at 9.

[kimmie]

Thanks!

I will give them a call next week! I usually have everything prepared! Just didn't transfer my notes into my BIG BOOK!:laughing: