DCL packages

[mathgeek]

I haven't seen a lot about the ABD DCL packages in Europe. How are they? Are they worth the price? I had been looking at doing the Italy ABD, but I've gotten so addicted to cruising lately that I'm not sure I can take a year off to do another ABD. I'd like to do the DCL package for the Med cruise, if I can find one that fits in my schedule in 2018.

Also, is the price on the DCL packages truly per person? I'd already be paying the 100% single supplement for the cruise, so I was hoping that since the ABD part is just the tour and not the room that there's no single supplement for it.

 

[sayhello]

Unless they've changed the policy, the price is truly per person, and there's no single supplement (because it doesn't include your accommodations).

When I took the ABD DCL add-on, it was totally worth it. I did it the first year they were available (2010). But they are more expensive now, and less days (mine was for a 12-night Med cruise) so you'll have to decide for yourself if the price is worth it.

As a person traveling solo, I totally loved it, because I got to know the other folks on the ABD, and had that continuity of the same folks on the excursions every day. I believe you also eat dinner with the group on the ship. The fact of the matter was, we got the equivalent of 2 or 3 excursions per day because you didn't have to worry about the logistics or going back to the ship to catch the next excursion. Your motorcoach just took you everywhere for the day. And lunch was included. Plus, the Guides had the flexibility to add some activities on because we had the extra time. Your DCL excursions won't do that.

There are 2 downsides. One, I've heard they've bumped the number of people per trip to like 44, which is a LOT. We had 39 on ours, and that was pushing it in some places.

The other big negative was leaving places really early to get back to the ship (I think we left Rome at like 4pm). You do miss the wonder that is these cities at night that you would see on a "normal" ABD. In Italy, that means no private night-time tour of the Sistine Chapel. So there are definitely pluses and minuses to both.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll take a look at next year's itinerary, and see how it compares to ours.

Sayhello

 

[mathgeek]

sayhello, thank you for such a thorough response. I'm still trying to decide how much I want to see of Italy, whether the cruise ports will be enough. I know I want to do the Mediterranean cruise, and it seems like there is enough of an overlap in itineraries to make parts of the ABD tour redundant.

I do understand what you're saying about seeing these wonderful cities at night. I still regret not making an effort to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle when I was in Paris, but at least I got to see it lit up at night.

I do think this would be an interesting way to cruise and would like to try it since the opportunity is there. I just need to find an itinerary that will match with my schedule.

 

[sayhello]

sayhello, thank you for such a thorough response. I'm still trying to decide how much I want to see of Italy, whether the cruise ports will be enough. I know I want to do the Mediterranean cruise, and it seems like there is enough of an overlap in itineraries to make parts of the ABD tour redundant.

I do understand what you're saying about seeing these wonderful cities at night. I still regret not making an effort to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle when I was in Paris, but at least I got to see it lit up at night.

I do think this would be an interesting way to cruise and would like to try it since the opportunity is there. I just need to find an itinerary that will match with my schedule.

You're welcome!

I would encourage you to do the 10-night cruise if you can manage it. I think 7 days is too short, and would never consider the 5 day.

There *is* a certain amount of overlap with both of the Italy ABDs (the pizza making at the Agriturismo La Galatea Farm in Sorrento, the boat ride to Capri, parts of the day in Rome and the day in Florence.)

Sayhello

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

I too am interested in the med ABD DCL add on...I did the Baltic ABD DCL and loved it. Sayhello...while there have been reports that ABD has increased the numbers on the DCL add ons...I know that this year there was one med add on with just 9 guests...they only had one ABD guide (as well as the local guide) but that would have been amazing to me to have had just 8 other guests besides me...

 

[sayhello]

I too am interested in the med ABD DCL add on...I did the Baltic ABD DCL and loved it. Sayhello...while there have been reports that ABD has increased the numbers on the DCL add ons...I know that this year there was one med add on with just 9 guests...they only had one ABD guide (as well as the local guide) but that would have been amazing to me to have had just 8 other guests besides me...

I still like the dynamics of 2 Adventure Guides, but you're right, a group with only 9 people would be excellent!

Sayhello

 

[walnut611]

I still like the dynamics of 2 Adventure Guides, but you're right, a group with only 9 people would be excellent!

Sayhello

I did the 7 days Med cruise add on (thanks to Sayhello's TR) and we only had 25 people in our group which was very nic We went on the 8/20-8/27/16 cruise. The best part? I finally got to meet Dusty and James, best guides EVER!

The group after ours has 14 people with 2 ABD guides followed by the group of 9 people, I guess key is do the trip after schools starts for smaller group of people?

 

[Calfan]

Wow! Reading about these small add-on group numbers makes me that much more irritated about the 49 we had on our Baltics cruise add-on.

 

[sayhello]

Wow! Reading about these small add-on group numbers makes me that much more irritated about the 49 we had on our Baltics cruise add-on.

Didn't you do it the first year it came out? I did the Med cruise add-on the first year, too, and they were all full (of course, that was the first year they did *any* add-ons, so they still had it capped at 40). I think they're really popular the first year, and then the interest wanes...

Sayhello

 

[Calfan]

Didn't you do it the first year it came out? I did the Med cruise add-on the first year, too, and they were all full (of course, that was the first year they did *any* add-ons, so they still had it capped at 40). I think they're really popular the first year, and then the interest wanes...

Sayhello

Yes, I think we were the first for a Baltics ABD cruise add-on. There was tremendous interest, and spots filled very quickly. But that still doesn't excuse ABD, at least to my mind, from negatively impacting our experience by allowing such a large group.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

I did the Baltics cruise add on in June 2015 and was told it was sold out at 44 people. We ended up with only 42 in our group as 2 people were unable to travel due to passport issues...I thought our group size was okay (as I have said would have loved the 9 person Med add on)...we had a nice mix of families and adults. Our guides James and Dusty alternated between taking the adults and the families so we got to know both guides...

 

[sayhello]

Yes, I think we were the first for a Baltics ABD cruise add-on. There was tremendous interest, and spots filled very quickly. But that still doesn't excuse ABD, at least to my mind, from negatively impacting our experience by allowing such a large group.

Oh, I totally agree with you. I was just trying to explain why they have comparatively so few in the groups now. I imagine it was not a policy change.

Sayhello

 

[walnut611]

Wow! Reading about these small add-on group numbers makes me that much more irritated about the 49 we had on our Baltics cruise add-on.

I am so sorry, Calfan. I read your TR and I was very afraid that we would have the same issues as well. I actually called and tried to ask how many people has signed up for it and was only told max is 44 people. James did say Baltic at 49 people was the largest group they ever had but that was due to certain situation (he didn't clarify further) but if you pay so much money for it, you should have a magical experience.

 

[mathgeek]

I believe you also eat dinner with the group on the ship.

Do you still get to choose which dinner seating you want?

 

[sayhello]

Do you still get to choose which dinner seating you want?

I'm not sure how it works now, hopefully someone who has been more recently can answer. On my Add-on, they kept emphasizing ahead of time that we would *NOT* be eating with the ABD group, so I made my own plans, and linked my reservation for dining with a group of wonderful folks I met on our cruise Meets thread. But when I got on board, it turned out everyone else besides me were seated all together. I do believe they asked us to sign up for the late seating, but, again, policy has changed since then, and as far as I know, everyone dines together.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about how things are run now!

Sayhello

 

[walnut611]

I'm not sure how it works now, hopefully someone who has been more recently can answer. On my Add-on, they kept emphasizing ahead of time that we would *NOT* be eating with the ABD group, so I made my own plans, and linked my reservation for dining with a group of wonderful folks I met on our cruise Meets thread. But when I got on board, it turned out everyone else besides me were seated all together. I do believe they asked us to sign up for the late seating, but, again, policy has changed since then, and as far as I know, everyone dines together.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about how things are run now!

Sayhello

All the ABD group is seated together and it is recommended to choose the late dining at 8:30 pm. However we have a family in our group that have a 9 yrs old and they picked the earlier dining at 6:30 pm which is doable as we are always back on the ship by that time.

 

[mathgeek]

I figure this is my own thread from not too long ago, so I'm resurrecting it.

Now that DCL has released their summer 2018 itineraries, when can we expect to see the ABD DCL packages released? I'm assuming not until the rest of the 2018 ABD itineraries? Can anyone offer opinions on whether they think the packages will be similar to the ones in past years? I'd like to book the cruise tomorrow when it opens up for Gold/Platinum, but I want to make sure I'll be able to add on the ABD package as a part of it.

 

[sayhello]

I figure this is my own thread from not too long ago, so I'm resurrecting it.

Now that DCL has released their summer 2018 itineraries, when can we expect to see the ABD DCL packages released? I'm assuming not until the rest of the 2018 ABD itineraries? Can anyone offer opinions on whether they think the packages will be similar to the ones in past years? I'd like to book the cruise tomorrow when it opens up for Gold/Platinum, but I want to make sure I'll be able to add on the ABD package as a part of it.

Yes, and yes.

Yes, you'll probably see the add-ons announced the same time as the 2018 land tours are announced, and yes, they'll probably be similar to the ones in past years (unless DCL announced some fabulous new itinerary I haven't heard about yet? )

The only add-on they've gotten rid of, to my knowledge, was Alaska, as it just didn't sell.

Sayhello

 

[mathgeek]

Yes, and yes.

Yes, you'll probably see the add-ons announced the same time as the 2018 land tours are announced, and yes, they'll probably be similar to the ones in past years (unless DCL announced some fabulous new itinerary I haven't heard about yet? )

The only add-on they've gotten rid of, to my knowledge, was Alaska, as it just didn't sell.

Sayhello

Sayhello, thank you so much again! I just knew you'd come through for me.

I'll go with my plan of trying to book the Med cruise tomorrow then book the ABD add-on when those are released. Then I'll need to figure out how to get to DLP from Barcelona.

I doesn't look like they announced anything fabulous or out of the ordinary. Looks like some people are a little upset at the flip flop between the Med and Baltic cruises, but it works to my advantage b/c I can actually book a Med cruise that fits with my schedule.

I guess I didn't realize there had even been an add-on for Alaska. Having done that cruise, I can see why there might not be much interest. Those port cities are pretty easy to navigate on your own.

Thanks again!

 

[mathgeek]

I asked about the ABD add-ons when I called to book the Med cruise this morning. They were told to tell anyone who asks to check back at the end of May when ABD will be releasing their itineraries.