How to get on a wait lists?

[PittieBoo]

We just booked our cruise for the July 22 sailing to the Bahamas. Of course the castaway cabanas are sold out as well as a catamaran boat trip. Not to mention this Palo brunch everyone keeps talking about!

Is there a wait list and if so do we have any chance of someone giving up their reservation? This is our first Disney anything and I'm trying hard to get up to speed!

Thanks,
PittieBoo

 

[courtnvm]

I think you are probably out of luck on the excursion and the cabanas, unless someone cancels. Hopefully someone else here can answer about a waiting list.

But, I know that the Palo brunch will have availability once you get on board. The time that the desk opens will be listed on the navigator that you receive when you check in.

By the way, we just booked this same cruise on Tuesday. Did you get the amazing VGT rates? They were out of this world!! Make sure you go to the cruise meets and meet the rest of the DISers that are on this same cruise.

 

[Deb in IA]

Your best bet for Palo is to try to book onboard. They always hold some spots for on-board booking.

Check the Navigator when you get onboard, and it will tell you when and where to go for a Palo reservation.

I'm not sure about the cabanas or the catamaran.

We initially booked an adult cabana last year, even though our son was only 16 and we would have had to leave him. On our first night onboard, Guest Services called us in our stateroom and told us that a family that had booked a family cabana did not make it onboard, and offered us their cabana. They knew that we would have had to leave DS out! So, yes, cancellations do occur!

 

[PittieBoo]

Yes we did get a good deal with the VGT rate. But I guess the savings is the trade off for some of the excursions. Lesson learned for next time but we are excited no matter what!

Now I'm just anxious to get our stateroom, boarding time etc... So we can go to the meet ups. Heck I still have to book our flight!

 

[bmer1rick]

Your best bet for Palo is to try to book onboard. They always hold some spots for on-board booking.

Check the Navigator when you get onboard, and it will tell you when and where to go for a Palo reservation.

You will need to go up to the Palo/Remy checkin desk on Deck 12 Aft on the Dream/Fantasy and Deck 10 Aft on the Magic/Wonder. You can also call them and request a reservation, but we always just made the short trip to the desk.

 

[kcashner]

You can keep checking back on line. People can cancel up to 3 days before embarkation and not be charged for an excursion, so some do cancel.

After boarding, there is a reasonable chance of a Palo reservation --some reservations are not ever made available on line.

For the excursion, you can go to the Port Adventures desk and be waitlisted there. Again, there is always the chance that someone would want to cancel. The difference is that IF DCL can "sell" their reservation to another guest, the original person is not charged. If not, they are stuck with the fee even if they don't go. However, all excursion reservations are available on line (none held back) so it would take someone cancelling to make a spot.

Cabanas--yeah, dream on....they are very hard to get unless you are paying for concierge level. However, again, people do cancel. You do not need a cabana to have a great time at Castaway Cay.

 

[courtnvm]

Yes we did get a good deal with the VGT rate. But I guess the savings is the trade off for some of the excursions. Lesson learned for next time but we are excited no matter what!

Now I'm just anxious to get our stateroom, boarding time etc... So we can go to the meet ups. Heck I still have to book our flight!

You know that you can get your boarding time now, don't you? You get it once you complete your cruise documents online. I just filled mine out on Tuesday and got 12-12:30, so by today, it shouldn't be much later than that. The waiting on our stateroom is what has me going crazy, but I'll gladly take $1k+ off of our cruise and not get to choose where we are sleeping!

 

[Deb in IA]

You will need to go up to the Palo/Remy checkin desk on Deck 12 Aft on the Dream/Fantasy and Deck 10 Aft on the Magic/Wonder. You can also call them and request a reservation, but we always just made the short trip to the desk.

The recent Navigators from the Alaska cruises say to go to WaveBands on the Wonder between 12:30 and 3:30 for first come, first served Palo reservations.

Others have reported going up to the Palo desk, only to find no one there.

 

[kcashner]

The recent Navigators from the Alaska cruises say to go to WaveBands on the Wonder between 12:30 and 3:30 for first come, first served Palo reservations.

Others have reported going up to the Palo desk, only to find no one there.

It depends on the ship, and you do need to check the Welcome Aboard Navigator that you should get at check in. Normally it is Wavebands/Rockin Bar D on the Magic and Wonder, but I saw 2 other locations on the Magic in 2011. I believe it was in D Club on the Fantasy, but I'm a little brain dead on that--we did it, but I don't clearly remember where.

On the Dream and Fantasy you can also do it at the Palo desk at least sometimes, but I've never seen that open on the Wonder or Magic.

 

[bmer1rick]

The recent Navigators from the Alaska cruises say to go to WaveBands on the Wonder between 12:30 and 3:30 for first come, first served Palo reservations.

Others have reported going up to the Palo desk, only to find no one there.

Thanks for catching that. Check your Navigators..

 

[PittieBoo]

Ok I'll admit I don't know what a navigator is?!?! I told you we booked on a whim. I need to complete our online stuff. Discovered the son's baby passport expires the week before so I'm going to be putting a rush in for a new passport for him.

I'm sure we are on the boat we will just be happy to be there no matter what!

 

[bmer1rick]

Ok I'll admit I don't know what a navigator is?!?! I told you we booked on a whim. I need to complete our online stuff. Discovered the son's baby passport expires the week before so I'm going to be putting a rush in for a new passport for him.

I'm sure we are on the boat we will just be happy to be there no matter what!

No problem. The Navigator is Disney Cruise Line's daily schedule. They hand your first one to you when you check in. Then, each night your stateroom host puts the next day's Navigator in your room. Below is a link that has a whole bunch posted so you can see what one looks like and what a previous cruise of your type (5 night Bahamas on the Dream).. Look down to 2011 Navigators.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-stateroom-navigator.htm