1/26/2013-Fantasy-Eastern including Puerto Rico

[brookepi]

We are booked! We are from Ontario. Me, DH, DS-10, DD-6, DS-5. The trip is a surprise for the children and their first cruise.

Is it January 26th yet??!

Welcome!!!

 

[thrillfan]

Welcome allanaw

 

[timminstravelers]

Wow! Glad to hear it...I saw so many girls listed in the cabin groups. We have friends on this cruise with kids around the same age, too, so they will have lots of fun, I'm sure!

Thats awesome... more kids = more fun!!

 

[timminstravelers]

My son will have just turned 9 when we set sail. He is always excited to meet new kids in the oceaneern club and lab.

Great!!! More kids for more fun... My DS is 10 and DD will be 12.

 

[susangoldman]

I am new here so can't send a PM. We will be on this cruise too. How does the FE work on this cruise? I know the basics but if I sign up how many gifts would my family need to send out?

Thank you.

 

[cblack]

I am new here so can't send a PM. We will be on this cruise too. How does the FE work on this cruise? I know the basics but if I sign up how many gifts would my family need to send out?

Thank you.

Thrillfan will be able to tell you how many rooms will be in each fe group. I think her plan is to keep the groups small.

to the Dis and to this cruise.

 

[sarbah77]

Welcome to all the new kids!!

I'm back from vacation which was, alas, spent on crutches. What can you do, though? At least I should be healed by January!!

 

[thrillfan]

Susangoldman welcome We are going to have 12 cabins per group. I have 2 spots available in group 1. You can be in 1 group or as many groups as you would like. I hope you will join us in all the fun. Please let me know if you want to join us. How many are in your cabin and are they adults and /or kids

 

[jilljill]

Wow, I just checked DCL's website and this cruise has filled up. I'm only seeing a few veranda categories left for 2 and 3 adults, I didn't check 4 or 5 guest availability or kids ages.
Paying off our cruise next week so I can do my bookings on the 28th.


Question for those in concierge - has shore side concierge been in contact with you yet? This is the first time I've booked concierge so I haven't had to deal with them before sailing.

 

[cblack]

Question for those in concierge - has shore side concierge been in contact with you yet? This is the first time I've booked concierge so I haven't had to deal with them before sailing.

For our first cruise, they contacted us after we were paid in full, and I think it was just a few days prior to the booking window opening. For this cruise, we paid in full this week and I just went ahead and emailed them with our 2 requests. They were very quick to respond. One thing I found interesting though was the response to our request for dining rotation. In the past, the response was, "no guarantee, but we will note your request." This time, the response was, "you will get that rotation unless the rotations change for some reason."

Made me wonder if the dining rotations would be different on the San Juan cruises. I can't see why they would change, but an interesting response.

 

[jilljill]

For our first cruise, they contacted us after we were paid in full, and I think it was just a few days prior to the booking window opening. For this cruise, we paid in full this week and I just went ahead and emailed them with our 2 requests. They were very quick to respond. One thing I found interesting though was the response to our request for dining rotation. In the past, the response was, "no guarantee, but we will note your request." This time, the response was, "you will get that rotation unless the rotations change for some reason."

Made me wonder if the dining rotations would be different on the San Juan cruises. I can't see why they would change, but an interesting response.

Thanks. I'm having my TA pay off our cruise on the 27th.
Where did you find their email address or did you have it from a past booking?

 

[cblack]

Thanks. I'm having my TA pay off our cruise on the 27th.
Where did you find their email address or did you have it from a past booking?

I had it from last cruise. I sent it to you in a PM. They told me it really helps them if you put your reservation number in the subject line.

 

[thrillfan]

can you tell me what the 3 dining rotations are and could you please pm me the e-mail address also thank you.

 

[cblack]

can you tell me what the 3 dining rotations are and could you please pm me the e-mail address also thank you.

I think these are correct...others, if I mess these up, please correct me! I have had a long day and may or may not be completely awake

AERAERA
ERAERAE
RAERAER

 

[pjpoohbear]

That is great information on the rotations, do we know what nights the special dinners fall on?

Pj

 

[jilljill]

That is great information on the rotations, do we know what nights the special dinners fall on?

Pj

You can call or email DCL or ask one of the earlier sailings. Sometimes it will be listed on DCL's website under your reservation - at least Pirate Night should be listed.

 

[sarbah77]

I had another cruise dream last night. Why are they always so weird? This one involved everyone sleeping on cots like you'd get at a hospital, with the same kind of curtain divider. Why does my brain think that's normal?

Then it moved on to sailaway with lots of other cruiseships, then there was this REALLY REALLY REALLY annoying beeping sound...

...which turned out to be a low battery on one of our smoke detectors. Why does this only ever happen at 3am?! (On the upside, it was finally easy to figure out which one it was... on the downside, dangit, we changed the batteries not that long ago. I think we'll go ahead and change the rest on the time change!)

Starting to look at port adventures - we've narrowed it down to two at San Juan, though I need to do some work and see if we want to do our own port adventure and three at St. Thomas, one of which would be another beach day. I really appreciate how Disney spells some things out, so there's no guess work!

In four months and one day, we're flying down!!

 

[jilljill]

I was looking at San Juan excursions too. I was going to sign up for the Bacardi excursion or Bacardi/Old SJ excursion until I started looking at Trip Advisor. I found for a 50¢ each way/person and a $3 each way/per person taxi ride we can get to Casa Bacardi on our own to do the free tour, no need to spend $31/person. And the excursion that includes the Old SJ tour with included entrance fee to San Cristobal Fortress is $59 and the Fortress fee is only $3/person. So we'll save a lot of money doing that on our own, $30 for 3 of us instead of $177 for 3 of us.

Not sure if anyone knows, but San Cristobal Fortress and El Morro are National Parks and are included in the access pass if anyone has one. http://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

A little Disney trivia - part of the Wizards of Waverly Place movie and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were filmed at San Cristobal.

 

[sarbah77]

I was looking at San Juan excursions too. I was going to sign up for the Bacardi excursion or Bacardi/Old SJ excursion until I started looking at Trip Advisor. I found for a 50¢ each way/person and a $3 each way/per person taxi ride we can get to Casa Bacardi on our own to do the free tour, no need to spend $31/person. And the excursion that includes the Old SJ tour with included entrance fee to San Cristobal Fortress is $59 and the Fortress fee is only $3/person. So we'll save a lot of money doing that on our own, $30 for 3 of us instead of $177 for 3 of us.

Not sure if anyone knows, but San Cristobal Fortress and El Morro are National Parks and are included in the access pass if anyone has one. http://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

A little Disney trivia - part of the Wizards of Waverly Place movie and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were filmed at San Cristobal.

Thanks a lot! This is the information I was hoping to find, so you saved me the time of looking it up myself. That $59 tour made me think we'd be able to do it on our own when it said "and after a very short walk, you're back at the pier!" Oh, really? And I can get in and see it for less than $59? Ding ding ding!

In four months (are we there yet?!) from today, we'll be flying down to Orlando!

 

[jilljill]

Thanks a lot! This is the information I was hoping to find, so you saved me the time of looking it up myself. That $59 tour made me think we'd be able to do it on our own when it said "and after a very short walk, you're back at the pier!" Oh, really? And I can get in and see it for less than $59? Ding ding ding!

In four months (are we there yet?!) from today, we'll be flying down to Orlando!

You are most welcome.
I remember going to the Bacardi factory many, many moons ago and the traffic to get there from Condado Beach was horriffic. Back then you actually went into the distillery and walked on cat walks next to the distilling pots. The fermenting sugar cane smell is one that I'll never forget.

I actually found out about the ferry and taxi by reading reviews on Trip Advisor. Glad it was able to help you out as well.