Help!!! First-timer's Mediterranean cruise

[Anubis7]

Hi there,
my family (4 persons) is planning to take a Mediterranean cruise on August 31, which is the Magic's last pre-renovation cruise, a thing we're really excited about and since I didn't get a lot of answers in another forum, I decided to post my questions here:
1.) Does anyone, who is going to take a similar cruise, have an idea which movies are shown? We're excited to see Iron Man 3, Monster U and the Lone Ranger, however, we'd wait, if we could see them onboard for free.
2.) We're Germans and a little unsure where to book the cruise. So far I've contacted maus-und-meer.de, dreamlines, e-hoi and fairy godmother travel. To the Europeans of you: Is there one of these and that gives you onboard credit, that you'd recommend or should I simply book it per Disney?
3.) How many cast members are "working for us"? And what is the usual amount of tipping for them?
4.) Is there any other crucial information that we should know? Included in the price is food, (non-alcoholic) beverages and the room and we dine at a different restaurant every day. Is that right?
5.)Could someone explain the idea of a dummy cruise to me? What I know so far, is that you pay around 1000 Dollars for a cruise somewhere in the future and when I find the right one for me, I transform the dummy cruise into a Disney Magic from Venice cruise for example, even if it costs four times the price I paid. Is that correct?
6.)And while looking for a stateroom with verandah I found a very cheap one, which has "restrictions" and is listed under category VGT. What I understood, is that I book a random stateroom with verandah, which could be anyone and I only find out, when I am onboard. Also does this mean that I get a verandah, that doesn't get fresh air, because it is covered by a plexi-glas window? Is that right?
I hope that some of you can help me with my questions. We're really excited to cruise for the first time, however we would like to know everything about the cruise before we start. I thank you in advance.
Greetings,
Anubis7

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi there,
my family (4 persons) is planning to take a Mediterranean cruise on August 31, which is the Magic's last pre-renovation cruise, a thing we're really excited about and since I didn't get a lot of answers in another forum, I decided to post my questions here:
1.) Does anyone, who is going to take a similar cruise, have an idea which movies are shown? We're excited to see Iron Man 3, Monster U and the Lone Ranger, however, we'd wait, if we could see them onboard for free.
You can call here: 888-325-2500, choose the reservations option, then ask what movies will be showing the week you cruise, within 2 weeks of your cruise.

2.) We're Germans and a little unsure where to book the cruise. So far I've contacted maus-und-meer.de, dreamlines, e-hoi and fairy godmother travel. To the Europeans of you: Is there one of these and that gives you onboard credit, that you'd recommend or should I simply book it per Disney?

3.) How many cast members are "working for us"? And what is the usual amount of tipping for them?
Gratuities will be automatically added to your onboard account. This is $12.00 per guest (regardless of age) per day. The $12.00 breaks out to $4.00 per guest per day to your stateroom host; $4.00 per guest per day to your dining room server; $3.00 per guest per day to your assistant server; and $1.00 per guest per day to your head server. Additionally, 15% gratuity is added to any bar bills, 18% for spa services. Room service is included, but a tip is appreciated.

4.) Is there any other crucial information that we should know? Included in the price is food, (non-alcoholic) beverages and the room and we dine at a different restaurant every day. Is that right?
Sodas are included in the cruisefare at meals and from the drink station on the pool deck. Sodas from bars/lounges, room service, and poolside servers will have a cost (plus the 15% tip). Snacks (chips, popcorn, nuts, candy) from room service and outside the theatres have a cost. Adult dining (Palo) costs extra.

5.)Could someone explain the idea of a dummy cruise to me? What I know so far, is that you pay around 1000 Dollars for a cruise somewhere in the future and when I find the right one for me, I transform the dummy cruise into a Disney Magic from Venice cruise for example, even if it costs four times the price I paid. Is that correct?
You can book a dummy cruise by booking a cruise onboard, with a 10% reduction in fare, 10% deposit (instead of the usual 20%) and OBC. You can move this cruise anytime before the PIF date of the dummy cruise. Your deposit (and actual cost)of the new cruise will have the same 10% deposit, 10% off rate. Any difference between the original deposit/cost of the cruise, you must pay.

6.)And while looking for a stateroom with verandah I found a very cheap one, which has "restrictions" and is listed under category VGT. What I understood, is that I book a random stateroom with verandah, which could be anyone and I only find out, when I am onboard.
VGT assignments generally are done about 2 weeks out from the cruise.

Also does this mean that I get a verandah, that doesn't get fresh air, because it is covered by a plexi-glas window? Is that right?
A verandah is a balcony. There are 3 types of verandahs. White-wall: the wall below the railing is a solid white wall. Plexiglass: the wall below the railing is a clear plexiglass. Navigator's verandah: a semi-enclosed balcony with a large open porthole. All verandahs are open to the outside air.

I hope that some of you can help me with my questions. We're really excited to cruise for the first time, however we would like to know everything about the cruise before we start. I thank you in advance.
Greetings,
Anubis7

See my responses in red.

 

[Mommb]

A dummy cruise can be much less than $1000. If you want to minimize your upfront payment, you can book an inexpensive cruise (such as a 3-night Bahamas cruise in an inside stateroom). Your deposit will be 10% of the fare for that cruise, and you will get a 10% discount on the fare for booking onboard. Then, when you know the cruise you really want to take, you just move the reservation. Unless policies change (which is possible), you will get 10% off of the current fare for the cruise you move to, and you will need to pay a deposit of 10% of the reduced fare (but the deposit for the dummy cruise gets applied to the new deposit). Booking on board also gives you an on-board credit, the amount of which depends on the length if the cruise you take. I think the offer now is for $100 on a cruise of 3-6 nights, and $200 on a cruise for 7 or more nights, but these offers do change, so you would get whatever the offer is when you change your reservation.

The purpose of booking a dummy cruise is to allow you to get the reduced fare, reduced deposit amount (because it's usually 20%), and on-board credit even if you don't know what you want your next cruise to be, or you're waiting for dates that haven't been announced yet. As The previous poster mentioned, you would need to move the dummy date to a new date before final payment is due and cancellation penalties begin. There is no charge for canceling or changing a cruise before the penalties begin a few months before sailing.

 

[Anubis7]

Hi PrincessShmoo!
Thanks for your quick answers. However, they caused another few questions:
You said, that snacks cost something. So, does that mean, that everything in quick service restaurants, like Goofy's Gallery and Pinocchio's Pizzeria costs something?
And although I think that 12 Dollars is a fair price, I was wondering if we could change that amount if for example the dining room server isn't quite friendly or something like that. I know, that it likely won't hppen, but I just want to be sure of everything.
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7
P.S. Thanks for explaining it further, Mommb!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hi PrincessShmoo!
Thanks for your quick answers. However, they caused another few questions:
You said, that snacks cost something. So, does that mean, that everything in quick service restaurants, like Goofy's Gallery and Pinocchio's Pizzeria costs something?
And although I think that 12 Dollars is a fair price, I was wondering if we could change that amount if for example the dining room server isn't quite friendly or something like that. I know, that it likely won't hppen, but I just want to be sure of everything.
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7
P.S. Thanks for explaining it further, Mommb!

Quick service restaurants are no extra charge. You can lower the server's tips if he/she doesn't meet expectations but we've never had that happen.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi PrincessShmoo!
Thanks for your quick answers. However, they caused another few questions:
You said, that snacks cost something. So, does that mean, that everything in quick service restaurants, like Goofy's Gallery and Pinocchio's Pizzeria costs something?
And although I think that 12 Dollars is a fair price, I was wondering if we could change that amount if for example the dining room server isn't quite friendly or something like that. I know, that it likely won't hppen, but I just want to be sure of everything.
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7
P.S. Thanks for explaining it further, Mommb!

As PP noted, the quick serve locations are not "snacks". They are food . By snacks I mean from room service - chips, nuts, popcorn. And outside the theatres the candy, popcorn, etc.

You can go to Guest Services at any time to adjust/remove tips, if you wish. Although, like jdb we've never had to the need to do so. You should do this prior to the night before the last.

 

[clairedy6]

The snacks that usually cost more in room service and outside the theaters are bagged or packaged. Like chips, candy, chocolate, etc. It will say on the room service menu what the price is so you won't get any unexpected costs.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The snacks that usually cost more in room service and outside the theaters are bagged or packaged. Like chips, candy, chocolate, etc. It will say on the room service menu what the price is so you won't get any unexpected costs.

Well, the actual price isn't on the menu, but if you ask when you call, they will tell you how much it is.

Here's a close-up of the snacks part:

 

[clairedy6]

Well, the actual price isn't on the menu, but if you ask when you call, they will tell you how much it is.

Here's a close-up of the snacks part:

Sorry! I could've sworn the price was on there..

Anyway it still has the ounce amount next to the items that cost more so you'll easily be able to tell which ones do.

 

[Celestine]

2.) We're Germans and a little unsure where to book the cruise. So far I've contacted maus-und-meer.de, dreamlines, e-hoi and fairy godmother travel. To the Europeans of you: Is there one of these and that gives you onboard credit, that you'd recommend or should I simply book it per Disney?

Ok, we use a US travel agent even though we are based in the UK. Many of them have different incentives so it pays to shop around. That said, we always use the same TA now. When we rebook on board we just get the reservation transferred to her

Celestine

 

[debsters41]

Hi there,
my family (4 persons) is planning to take a Mediterranean cruise on August 31, which is the Magic's last pre-renovation cruise, a thing we're really excited about and since I didn't get a lot of answers in another forum, I decided to post my questions here:
1.) Does anyone, who is going to take a similar cruise, have an idea which movies are shown? We're excited to see Iron Man 3, Monster U and the Lone Ranger, however, we'd wait, if we could see them onboard for free. I think these movies will be available and Planes as well, but we cannot be sure until two weeks before.
2.) We're Germans and a little unsure where to book the cruise. So far I've contacted maus-und-meer.de, dreamlines, e-hoi and fairy godmother travel. To the Europeans of you: Is there one of these and that gives you onboard credit, that you'd recommend or should I simply book it per Disney? I use Dreams Unlimited, even though I am in Greece. They are very very friendly and responsible.
3.) How many cast members are "working for us"? And what is the usual amount of tipping for them? The regular tipping positions that will get charged to your onboard account have already been explained, and totals to 336 for a family of 4.
4.) Is there any other crucial information that we should know? Included in the price is food, (non-alcoholic) beverages and the room and we dine at a different restaurant every day. Is that right?
5.)Could someone explain the idea of a dummy cruise to me? What I know so far, is that you pay around 1000 Dollars for a cruise somewhere in the future and when I find the right one for me, I transform the dummy cruise into a Disney Magic from Venice cruise for example, even if it costs four times the price I paid. Is that correct? You will pay a small deposit for a date that you have no intention of sailing. I am planning on a 200 dollar deposit, for example. Then, when you switch to a more expensive cruise, you will pay the rest of the deposit for that cruise, but you will still have 10% discount of the price at that time. For the August 31 cruise, I originally had a dummy date that I had paid 100 dollars deposit. When I switched it to the actual cruise, I ended up saving close to 500 because of the 10% discount.
6.)And while looking for a stateroom with verandah I found a very cheap one, which has "restrictions" and is listed under category VGT. What I understood, is that I book a random stateroom with verandah, which could be anyone and I only find out, when I am onboard. Also does this mean that I get a verandah, that doesn't get fresh air, because it is covered by a plexi-glas window? Is that right? I think you will get fresh air with any verandah. The price for the VGT is less than I paid for a window only! Grab it
I hope that some of you can help me with my questions. We're really excited to cruise for the first time, however we would like to know everything about the cruise before we start. I thank you in advance.
Greetings,
Anubis7

Hi! When you do book on to the cruise let us know and I will let you know all about the things we have planned on that cruise like a Mixology class (I will explain later) and a meeting in Barcelona the night before the cruise and an informal meet on board. We look forward to you joining us, if you are so inclined.

 

[Anubis7]

Wow!!! Thanks for the answers everyone, they are helping a lot!
@PrincessShmoo and jdb: Thanks for telling me about the tiping thing. I am quite sure, that our servers... will be excellent, I just wanted to make sure, that I know as much as possible about the cruise.
@debsters41: Thanks for further explaining everything and I will let you know if we take the cruise, although I believe that the chances are very high.
And now the last question (hopefully ): I heard about the Castaway Club, which sounds pretty cool, however I was wondering, if we book the cruise through a TA, does it mean that we are not going to become members, or is how you book the cruise not important?
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Wow!!! Thanks for the answers everyone, they are helping a lot!
@PrincessShmoo and jdb: Thanks for telling me about the tiping thing. I am quite sure, that our servers... will be excellent, I just wanted to make sure, that I know as much as possible about the cruise.
@debsters41: Thanks for further explaining everything and I will let you know if we take the cruise, although I believe that the chances are very high.
And now the last question (hopefully ): I heard about the Castaway Club, which sounds pretty cool, however I was wondering, if we book the cruise through a TA, does it mean that we are not going to become members, or is how you book the cruise not important?
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7

To "qualify" for the Castaway Club all you need to do is take a DCL cruise. Once you've completed 1 cruise, you will be Silver level in the CC.

It doesn't matter how the cruise was booked, only that you took one.

 

[Four Swampers]

How you book makes no difference to Castaway Club. After your first Disney cruise, you are a silver castaway club member. After you complete your fifth cruise, you are a gold castaway club member. After you complete your tenth Disney cruise, you are a platinum castaway club member.

There is talk of a new level: after 30 cruises, we will be "Drank the Kool-Aid Castaway Club Members."

 

[Anubis7]

OK, thanks again. And I am sorry to bother you again, however my brother asked me to ask this question. He saw, that there is a tv in our room, does it receive channels like Disney Channel, abc. . . and are there Disney movies on demand? And if so, does it cost anything?
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7

 

[debsters41]

There are disney shows and movies playing in the room. I do not think that the Magic has on demand movies yet, like the Dream and Fantasy do. Either way, nothing on TV costs extra that I am aware of. I am also unaware of what the programming is like on the Med cruises, but I will ask one of the people sailing on the August 31 cruise who was on another cruise earlier in the season and I will post again when she has answered. If you did, indeed, book on the Aug. 31 cruise, see this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2938576

 

[nzdisneymom]

The PP is correct that currently the movies on the tv are not on demand, but they do show on a regular basis, so you can find out when they start. They play 24-hours a day.

Other tv programming in the Med was dependent on satellite positioning. We didn't watch any regular tv, but they did have a few news channels and sports that we saw flipping thru to the movies, both animated and live action.

Note that the stage performances of the Disney production shows are aired but only on the evening they are in the main theater.

Maybe after dry dock, the Magic will have on demand for the movies.

 

[debsters41]

Here is what she said: there's constant tv, including disney's ABC channel with series e.g Lost, all the Disney movies, classics, pixar, and Disney kids channels, We put on the movie channel every time we are back in the room and get ready or fall asleep to a Disney movie, they play 24/7

 

[Anubis7]

Hi all, here is my hopefully last question concerning cruise preparation: Do you know a safe, good parking spot, where we could park our car for 7 days? We're a little afraid of letting our car alone for a week.
Thanks in advance,
Greetings,
Anubis7

 

[debsters41]

I just thought about airport parking... it's an idea in a pinch.

I also just asked on another forum and I will post whatever I learn.