A Few "Plans" Questions...

[shb5007]

I have a few "plans" questions about a cruise coming up in January on the Disney Wish.

1.) There are 4 of us cruising together. We each have 4 separate reservations (for 1 person each) for Brunch at Palo. Is this normal? Versus having reservations for 4, or even 2 people? Or should we all be linked? How does the seating work at Palo?

2.) 3 of us have a reservation for 10:00am - 11:30am and 1 of us has a reservation for 10:30am - 12:00pm. We will try to get all of this fixed / joined together when we board the Wish... But does that mean we all just need to arrive around 10:30am to attempt to sit together?

3.) We have a 2pm rum tasting for the day at Castaway Cay. Is the 2pm rum tasting actually on the ship? Or is it on the island?

4.) How do cancellations (without paying) work for onboard plans (like tastings). Is it 24 hours before to not get charged? Reason being... We have a few evening tastings booked, but we were kind of waiting to see daily plans (for night events, like "Match Your Mate")... We don't want to miss certain things. But, we don't think we will know the "itinerary" until we board, right?

Thanks for the help!

 

[otten]

I have a few "plans" questions about a cruise coming up in January on the Disney Wish.

1.) There are 4 of us cruising together. We each have 4 separate reservations (for 1 person each) for Brunch at Palo. Is this normal? Versus having reservations for 4, or even 2 people? Or should we all be linked? How does the seating work at Palo?

2.) 3 of us have a reservation for 10:00am - 11:30am and 1 of us has a reservation for 10:30am - 12:00pm. We will try to get all of this fixed / joined together when we board the Wish... But does that mean we all just need to arrive around 10:30am to attempt to sit together?

3.) We have a 2pm rum tasting for the day at Castaway Cay. Is the 2pm rum tasting actually on the ship? Or is it on the island?

4.) How do cancellations (without paying) work for onboard plans (like tastings). Is it 24 hours before to not get charged? Reason being... We have a few evening tastings booked, but we were kind of waiting to see daily plans (for night events, like "Match Your Mate")... We don't want to miss certain things. But, we don't think we will know the "itinerary" until we board, right?

Thanks for the help!

They should automatically link your reservations but if not, once on board go to the location for dining changes and ask to have them merged.

 

[Jack_Sparrow_NJ]

If you have to cancel, do so 24 hours ahead of time.

 

[auntlynne]

Expect Match Your Mate in Day 2 at 10:30 pm. That gives you Day 1 to settle in and Day 2 to loosen up. Then your new cruise friends can recognize and rib you for the rest of the cruise.

Tastings in Castaway Cay Day - at 2 pm - are showing a location of Heads Up Bar.

This is it as the rest of the guests had reboarded early. It’s on the side of the island where the ship docks.

They don’t want you to pull your kids from the beach, back to the ship, just for you to drink rum. No, just leave them in the water.



Disney (and most cruise lines) seem to simply things by doing schedules repeatedly. And menus, and shows, and itineraries.

I found this info by looking at the daily schedule - Personal Navigators - on DisneyCruiseLineBlog. And it’s what I have experienced since 2007, for the most part.

…you can have a fairly good idea of the activities. It’s what dining room which night that is the big unknown.

Speaking of that - are you wanting to eat dinner together? And have linked your Reservations? I think you can do it through the app or website. It doesn’t give you control over each others’ account, but it will put you at the same table. You might get a 4-top there; you may be with others in your age, marital demographics.

 

[auntlynne]

Better to fix them ahead of time - but don’t cancel, if you can help it.

Table assignment is one table per brunch reservation. No forced table sharing.

Right now, it sounds like 3 tables for 2 are being used by your early seating. Those are prime real estate. Larger tables fill up last.

Follow @otten ’s advice: go to Dining Changes after you board. The Manager from Palo will be there. They start helping at noon.

It's better to have a reservation that can be changed than to try and pick up one in a possibly-full seating. Unless your reservations are linked, everyone go to do the change.

 

[auntlynne]

To link reservations, go to your reservation (I use the website on my iPad; phone app should be similar)

Page 1 of your reservation info:



Click on the Reservation # (where I put the black box.

The next screen will give you this option:




You will need name (as listed on the other’s reservation, Reservation # and date of birth).

 

[Beachbummer]

Better to fix them ahead of time - but don’t cancel, if you can help it.

Table assignment is one table per brunch reservation. No forced table sharing.

Right now, it sounds like 3 tables for 2 are being used by your early seating. Those are prime real estate. Larger tables fill up last.

Follow @otten ’s advice: go to Dining Changes after you board. The Manager from Palo will be there. They start helping at noon.

It's better to have a reservation that can be changed than to try and pick up one in a possibly-full seating. Unless your reservations are linked, everyone go to do the change.

How do you book a reservation at Palo or Remy and include people from other reservations at your table? We are traveling with 2 other families and want to reserve a brunch. Our reservations are already linked. Is there anyway to book a table for 6 for three separate rooms? Or is the only option to book separately and try to fix it on board? Side note: I am a first time cruiser and I’m worried that all the reservations will be gone by the time our window opens (next week)!

 

[Mommb]

How do you book a reservation at Palo or Remy and include people from other reservations at your table? We are traveling with 2 other families and want to reserve a brunch. Our reservations are already linked. Is there anyway to book a table for 6 for three separate rooms? Or is the only option to book separately and try to fix it on board? Side note: I am a first time cruiser and I’m worried that all the reservations will be gone by the time our window opens (next week)!

If you have linked your reservations, you should be able to select the other people from a drop-down menu when you book your Palo or Remy meal (and any other activities).

 

[auntlynne]

If you have linked your reservations, you should be able to select the other people from a drop-down menu when you book your Palo or Remy meal (and any other activities).

Yes, their names should show up to be ticked.

You do have the risk of no tables available, just due to your status. Or maybe a 6-top will be open.

As a solo or 2-person Platinum (just looking for dinner), I run into the problem of 2-tops not being available - and get the “nothing available message.” They are not giving us a 4-top in advance. It could happen once onboard.

But keep checking - especially the last week before the cruise. They do close reservation window 3 days pre-sailing. And go to Dining Changes on boarding if necessary.

 

[sponica]

How do you book a reservation at Palo or Remy and include people from other reservations at your table? We are traveling with 2 other families and want to reserve a brunch. Our reservations are already linked. Is there anyway to book a table for 6 for three separate rooms? Or is the only option to book separately and try to fix it on board? Side note: I am a first time cruiser and I’m worried that all the reservations will be gone by the time our window opens (next week)!

They've started running brunch on Nassau days, and that one was slower to fill to capacity (if I recall). But also things change all the time, I had a pirate night Palo dinner booked for 4 (that I booked during the first time cruiser window) that I ended up cancelling.

 

[otten]

How do you book a reservation at Palo or Remy and include people from other reservations at your table? We are traveling with 2 other families and want to reserve a brunch. Our reservations are already linked. Is there anyway to book a table for 6 for three separate rooms? Or is the only option to book separately and try to fix it on board? Side note: I am a first time cruiser and I’m worried that all the reservations will be gone by the time our window opens (next week)!

If your reservations are linked you can book for everyone once their booking window is open. For example we are gold and are travelling with a family that is platinum. Their window just opened so they can book for themselves but once our window opens in 2 weeks we can all book for everyone.

So in your case you won't be able to book Palo for everyone until your window opens as a first time cruiser. How easy or difficult that will be will depend on how many people have higher status than you. Our platinum friends weren't able to book Palo on their last cruise because there were a lot of Pearl cruisers but we've also been on cruises with a lot of first timers. If you aren't able to book right away, keep checking back. I have always been able to book everything I wanted eventually by regularly checking the website. Failing that, you can also ask on board.

 

[Beachbummer]

If your reservations are linked you can book for everyone once their booking window is open. For example we are gold and are travelling with a family that is platinum. Their window just opened so they can book for themselves but once our window opens in 2 weeks we can all book for everyone.

So in your case you won't be able to book Palo for everyone until your window opens as a first time cruiser. How easy or difficult that will be will depend on how many people have higher status than you. Our platinum friends weren't able to book Palo on their last cruise because there were a lot of Pearl cruisers but we've also been on cruises with a lot of first timers. If you aren't able to book right away, keep checking back. I have always been able to book everything I wanted eventually by regularly checking the website. Failing that, you can also ask on board.

This was my next question. We are traveling with a family who is Silver. I wasn’t sure if they could book for all of us. But I see we will have to wait if we want to book all together.

 

[Mommb]

This was my next question. We are traveling with a family who is Silver. I wasn’t sure if they could for all of us. But I see we will have to wait if we want to book all together.

Correct. The drop-down menu includes only passengers from staterooms with at least one person whose booking window based on Castaway Club status has opened. If there's a mixed group, with some staterooms able to book before others, the choices are:

• wait to book until all rooms are able to book (with the risk that there may no longer be availability)
• have the earlier groups book and then try to cancel and rebook once the other room(s) can book (which is risky because you have to cancel without being sure you can book the larger group)
• have each group book when their window opens and ask to combine the reservations once onboard (which may not work if there are no reservations available by the time the latest group books)

If each group can book a table at around the same time, it is likely that you can arrange to sit together by going to the Dining Changes area once onboard.
If the later groups were unable to book, you might still be able to add them, but that depends on how many other passengers are asking to be added.
If there's no availability on boarding day, you might still be able to add people if some people cancel over the course of the cruise. You can ask at the restaurant to be added to a wait list -- that has worked for my family.

 

[otten]

Correct. The drop-down menu includes only passengers from staterooms with at least one person whose booking window based on Castaway Club status has opened. If there's a mixed group, with some staterooms able to book before others, the choices are:

• wait to book until all rooms are able to book (with the risk that there may no longer be availability)
• have the earlier groups book and then try to cancel and rebook once the other room(s) can book (which is risky because you have to cancel without being sure you can book the larger group)
• have each group book when their window opens and ask to combine the reservations once onboard (which may not work if there are no reservations available by the time the latest group books)

If each group can book a table at around the same time, it is likely that you can arrange to sit together by going to the Dining Changes area once onboard.
If the later groups were unable to book, you might still be able to add them, but that depends on how many other passengers are asking to be added.
If there's no availability on boarding day, you might still be able to add people if some people cancel over the course of the cruise. You can ask at the restaurant to be added to a wait list -- that has worked for my family.

If the reservations are close enough together time wise they may even be merged automatically. This is what happened with us. We were sailing with another party linked to our reservation. We happened to book Palo at similar times (30 minutes apart) but we weren't trying to book together. Disney merged the reservations into one table at the same time. It worked out fine but we actually hadn't planned on doing Palo altogether lol.

So keep that in mind too if you don't want your bookings merged.