05/09/2009 May 9, 2009 7-Night Eastern St Maarten... Watch Out!

[YenSid1222]

Well after reading from several others that it was a good idea, and not having any set plans, we decided to rent a couple of cars on St. Martin. It also made sense financially since there are 8 of us travelling together.

Hopefully none of us drive off the road looking at airplanes or sunbathers.

If you have extra space, I will pay you to be my taxi to the airport beach!

Last time I did this cruise I started with the Under two nations tour then took a cab to the beach there. I just loved hanging out watching the planes come overhead. I am hoping this time that planes will be taking off toward the island so I can watch people get blown in the water by jetwash.

 

[DisneyMommy1022]

Is anyone willing to post a pic of the cruise docs and what it looks like. I need a Disney fix and it would make my day!

 

[DisneyMommy1022]

As odd as this may sound, I was kind of bummed to find out a couple of months back we did not pay a surcharge... I was hoping to get that money back into our shipboard account so we could spend even more onboard (and have the feel that it was "free" onboard credit)!

Me TOO!!! I was hoping for a refund!

 

[DisneyMommy1022]

Just wondering if anyone has book with a travel agent that offered a onboard credit? I have looked on-line and also called Disney and they are not showing one. She was giving me $100, and I was wondering if I need to call her to make sure she puts it on our account or will it show once we board?

 

[don604]

Me TOO!!! I was hoping for a refund!

Same here...they told me I booked before the surcharge was being applied to the trip totals

 

[scottie]

Just wondering if anyone has book with a travel agent that offered a onboard credit? I have looked on-line and also called Disney and they are not showing one. She was giving me $100, and I was wondering if I need to call her to make sure she puts it on our account or will it show once we board?

From past experience and an email update I received from my agent the other day, any credit your agent is offering likely won’t be applied to your account with DCL until about a week out from sailing. DCL won’t be able to see anything till it is requested/applied by the agent.

I am not sure exactly how they do it behind the scenes with DCL but we have not had an issue yet. You may just want to take your agents phone number/email address with you onboard in case you run into any issues.

I also plan to take a printout from my agent of the credits I have been promised and I am waiting on a letter from DCL confirming the credits they are providing because we ran into an issue with them (DCL) a month or so ago.
If you dont have anything in writing yet from her showing she is offering you a $100 credit, I would probably ask her to email you with that confirmation.

 

[Royfam]

scott- Do you know what time they do the 5K run? I might join i, if I can get up early enough to get everyone ready for the day. I don't know how my DH would do if I left him to get the kids up, dressed, feed, and to the beach by his self

I have tons of photos I could post but I don't know how or if I can

My BIL and nephew got their passports in about 5 weeks but my SIL has not yet received hers. Now she has to get hers from India! she does have her green card and they (DCL) said that was enough, but we'd feel safer with the passport.

Steve- You are all welcome at our table. You just need to switch to late seating, and be willing to put up with our goofy group of 8

 

[dollysmom]

As odd as this may sound, I was kind of bummed to find out a couple of months back we did not pay a surcharge... I was hoping to get that money back into our shipboard account so we could spend even more onboard (and have the feel that it was "free" onboard credit)!

I agree with you Scott. I thought because we bookes in July that we would have paid the fuel surcharge, but my TA told me that because she booked us with a group rate, we did not pay the surcharge. Oh well, I guess it was better to get the cruise a little cheaper.

 

[dollysmom]

I was very excited to see the FED EX man at my door this afternoon. I knew from reading here yesterday that I may be expecting a visit from him. Not sure what I was expecting, but there wasn't very much to the package. It is enough for me though.

 

[chubbyjen]

Hmm...no cruise docs here yet...wonder when it will come...

 

[DisneyMommy1022]

Do you have to sign for them or will they just leave them at the door?

 

[lyn9856]

Do you have to sign for them or will they just leave them at the door?

I had to sign

 

[WILDCATMICKEY]

Mine cam UPS today. Just left at front door.

 

[akl432]

Where exactly online can we see our shipboard credits? We are also expecting a credit from our TA and also from Disney for booking online and using a Disney Visa.

 

[dollysmom]

Do you have to sign for them or will they just leave them at the door?

Mine came FEDEX and I had to sign for them.

 

[Eeyore77]

Where exactly online can we see our shipboard credits? We are also expecting a credit from our TA and also from Disney for booking online and using a Disney Visa.

The only one that you can see online is the one for the fuel charge. I believe to check on the others you have to call DCL yourself. I have never seen one on there before.

So my grandmothers Docs came today to her home in NC. I was pretty worried about them. I was so sure that they would mail all that stuff together, but she has hers now and I told her to just bring them and we would fill them all out before we got to the port.

It is starting to feel so real now that I have the Docs here at the house. Can I make it 3 and a half more weeks?

I need to do a million things but I have to wait till I get paid on Friday and then let the trip plannong fun begin...

 

[scottie]

Where exactly online can we see our shipboard credits? We are also expecting a credit from our TA and also from Disney for booking online and using a Disney Visa.

Yep, no luck seeing the credits online... sure wish they would because it would have made my life easier a few weeks back!

You can confirm it with DCL, but the Travel Agent likely wont apply your credit till just a few days/week before the cruise and DCL may refer you back to your TA with questions about shipboard credits.

My agent said she heard talk DCL may start showing the credits online in the near future (which could be forever!)

Come on May 8th... I am ready to board the plane!

 

[scottie]

So my grandmothers Docs came today to her home in NC. I was pretty worried about them. I was so sure that they would mail all that stuff together, but she has hers now and I told her to just bring them and we would fill them all out before we got to the port.

Happy to hear grandmas paperwork arrived safely!

 

[scottie]

FYI- Some BIG News... I was just reading a post (that I included below) that states only two dining times again on the Magic and a new feature for late dining and the kids club.

Just off the Magic and they are touting this program as brand new - don't know how long it's been around.

It's for late dining only - tell your server that your children (ages 3 & up) will do dine and play and they will bring their food out first and then at 9:00, someone from the kids clubs will be at the entrance to each restaurant and will sign your children in on the spot and escort them to the kids clubs

They have done away with the staggered dining again, so it's 5:45 or 8:15 and this is only available for the late dining.

We thought it was a terrific idea, but never used it. By the time dinner comes around, my kids are spent. We always eat together and the kids all go to bed easily, so for us it was not an issue and they were never upset about missing anything in particular that was going on in the clubs at that time. I know that seemed to be a recurring theme on the early v. late dining threads recently.

We always request late - it works for us, but this may make it more appealing to those who aren't so convinced

 

[dollysmom]

FYI- Some BIG News... I was just reading a post (that I included below) that states only two dining times again on the Magic and a new feature for late dining and the kids club.

I would think that it would be alittle congested getting into the dining room all at the same time? I can't say for sure, I have never cruised before. Anyone who has sailed before ever have both - one dining time and staggered? What was your expereince and what have you preferred?

We have early dining so the new kids club feature doesn't effect us.