April 1 2010 cruise meet

[ppiew]

Can't answer your ? NIKISHA21 but welcome aboard!! looking forward to meeting you. oh i am so looking forward to this!!

 

[Mozart]

I have a question...if many of the reservation cancel out by Jan 16 which is the pay up date for this cruise...would it be possible for me to downgrade my cabin option???

if it were possible...how would Disney refund the money????

TIA

You could downgrade if you want, but you would pay the price for the cruise that the cabin is currently running. For example, if you booked a Cat 6 for 2500, you could drop down to a Cat 7. Only problem is that the Cat 7's price may now be 3000 because of DCL's tier pricing.

 

[Nikisha421]

im so late...but thanks for the info...now you have answered my question and apparently i didnt realize they had tiered pricing...

 

[Deb T.]

Hello again everyone!

I've been off the boards for months due to a million and one things going on in my kooky life! Just since the last time I posted, I've been to Disneyland (end of September) and then China (just got back)!! I've also changed jobs, leaving a full-time position in one school to now working in six different schools each week! As Kate says in the intro to Jon & Kate Plus Eight, "It's a crazy life, but it's our life." So, now I'm finally able to devote time to looking forward to this awesome cruise, and also start planning for our summer Baltic cruise! (We're also going to WDW in December and February!!!)

First of all, I want to say "WELCOME" to everyone who's posted so far! And, thanks ppiew for starting this thread! I'm looking forward to cruising with you again! (We were on this same spring break cruise last year!) Hooray for so many new DCL cruisers! I'm sure all of us veterans would say that you are in for the most amazing time of your life!!!

Sooo, let me catch up on what's been posted so far:
Posts #3 & #5 from ppiew: I will be more than happy to organize another FE Exchange! I know it was one of the highlights of your last cruise! For those who don't know what an FE is, it stands for Fish Extender. There is a silver fish hook outside of every cabin door for mail (invitations, notices, rebooking correspondence, Kid's Club info, etc.). It's become a fun tradition for fellow DISers to hang a bag (FE) outside your cabin door on the fish hook and then put surprises in everyone else's FE. If you do a "FE Exchange" search on the DIS Boards, you'll pull up lots of threads on the subject, from how to make a cool FE Mail Holder to lots of ideas of goodies you may want to give out. It's not meant to be an expensive thing, just little trinkets. The FUN part is checking to see what surprises have found their way into your FE each day. The kids absolutely love it, and the grownups love getting surprises, too!
Post #10 from mmmears: This cruise will probably be at capacity. This is my fourth 3-night spring break cruise in a row, and each one has been full!
Post #13 from Mozart: Sounds like you and Cobbo have cruised together before! It's sooooo much fun to sail with new friends again! We always seem to know at least one other family from previous cruises! On our 2010 Baltic cruise, there are over 20 families that we've cruised with before!!!
Post 14 from Snyder2010: CONGRATULATIONS!
Post #18 from mmmears: Yes, I have tons of advice, tips, and info for you! I will try to start posting fun stuff on a regular basis starting this week!
Post #19 from Nikisha421: Will your DD's birthday be one of the days we're on board the ship? If so, be sure to let DCL know!
Post #20 from Nikisha421: Mozart did a good job of answering this. But, I also did want to add that if the price does happen to go down, DCL does refund the difference. We actually had BOTH happen on our 2007 Mediterranean cruise: We had originally booked all four of us in one CAT4. A month prior to sailing, DCL dramatically dropped the cost of Cat12 cabins. My thought was to downgrade DH and myself to a Cat6 and with the money I *thought* we would save, move our two adult children from our cabin to a Cat12 cabin. Well, the Cat6 price had jumped to a cost that was way over what we'd already paid for our Cat4, so DH and I stuck with the Cat4. But, the cost of two in a Cat12 was actually lower than what we'd paid for the kids to be in our Cat4, so we were able to add a cabin for just the two of them AND still received a refund for the difference! Wow! Talk about a win-win situation!!!

Can't wait to meet everyone on board!!! It's going to be a fabulous cruise!
~Deb T.

 

[ppiew]

Luv ya! Mean it! You are the BEST DEb = so glad this old lady doesn't have the organize stuff.. Of course we will participate! Info to follow!

 

[mmmears]

Deb T. -- thanks for the response! I'm looking forward to reading tips & tricks for our first cruise, especially since we're going during such a super-busy week...

 

[Deb T.]

First bit of info for you:

Last year, the pre-planning packet that DCL sends out arrived in the mail at my house on November 21st! This packet usually contains a general packing checklist, a To-Do list, info on tuxedo rental, info on ordering DCL gifts for your cabin, final payment date, and the date that you can begin booking excursions, Palo, spa treatments, and Flounder's babysitting. So, hopefully, between now and Thanksgiving, we'll all receive a little bit of cruise pixie dust in our mailboxes! Ahhhhh yes, I do love being the bearer of exciting news! More tidbits to follow.......

 

[ppiew]

Got mine yesterday!!!!

 

[mmmears]

Got mine yesterday!!!!

NO WAY!!!! I haven't received anything yet, but I'm so happy that there is something that I can look forward to... Maybe it's because I used a TA, so it may go to her and then she'll have to send it to me...

I'm just happy to know that there's a little packet out there somewhere... hopefully on its way to me!

 

[ppiew]

Actually, I made the ressie on the ship last year and then transfered it to DU several months later. This packet was sent directly from DCL.

 

[mmmears]

Good to know. I'll be eagerly checking the mailbox this afternoon!

 

[Deb T.]

Nothing in my mailbox... yet.... maybe tomorrow???

Here are some Embarkation Day Tips:
*Arrive Early!! You can enter the Cruise Terminal at 10am and they usually start boarding around noon! This cruise is short, so you'll want to have as much time on the ship as possible.
*Pick up your children's Kid's Clubs wristbands and beeper in the Cruise Terminal while waiting to board.
*Upon boarding, stop by the Guest Services desk FIRST and pick up that day's Navigator. Otherwise, you won't see one until after 1:30pm when you are finally allowed to go in your cabin. Grab a map of the ship, too.
*Dress the kids in their swimsuits so they can enjoy the pools while they are the least crowded of the day. You and your DH can take turns going through Beach Blanket Buffet's embarkation buffet and carry your trays outside to the pool area while the kids swim! Or, pick up lunch from the three other all-day options: Pluto's Dog House, Pinocchio's Pizzeria, or Goofy's Galley.
*Once the kids are done swimming, walk around and become familiar with the layout of the ship on each deck.
*Come to our DIS meet (TBD). It's really fun to run into each other throughout the rest of the cruise!
*If this is your first DCL cruise, do NOT miss dining in the three special restaurants each night: Animator's Palette, Triton's, and Parrot Cay. Even if you have reservations for Palo, you should still experience the other FUN restaurants.
*Do NOT miss the evening shows each night! Arrive at least 15 minutes early to get good seats.
*Call room service and set up milk and cookies to be delivered each night at bedtime. It's absolutely FREE and your kids will LOVE the special treat!
*Get your souvenir shopping done this evening. The shops are CrAzY busy the next two nights!

Let me know if you have any questions or want clarifications on anything! I LOVE talking about Disney Cruises!!!!!! More to follow....

 

[Deb T.]

I forgot to mention that my #1 tip for right now is to keep a running list of all the hints, tips, and ideas that you'll want to remember for your family. I used to write important info in a notebook, but now I cut&paste everything into a word document that's saved on my desktop for easy access. It helps to keep me organized since I don't want to miss a thing while on board that great big beautiful ship!

 

[Deb T.]

We're flying down on March 31st and staying one night at a DVC resort before heading to the port on embarkation day. I've always heard that it's cheaper to rent a car to get to the port than to use DCL transportation so I just checked rates for Budget, Avis, and Enterprise, and they all quoted the smallest vehicles at just over $100 for a one-way airport-to-port rental (for less than a 24 hour rental period). Darn. I was hoping to get to the port by 10am, but DCL transportation leaves much later than that.

 

[ppiew]

How many of you are there ? Maybe a towncar would be a better alternative. We will be in Vero Beach and are taking a town car to the port (turning in our rental car in VB) Price is almost exactly the same plus no shuttle to deal with. But there are 6 of us sharing so maybe it is better maybe not.

 

[Deb T.]

There are only two of us this time: DH and me. I just checked Happy Limo and it was a little over $130 one-way. I think you're right, the more people you have sharing the ride, the cheaper it works out per-person. With just two of us, I think DCL is going to be our cheapest option.

Is anyone else planning to go from the WDW resort area to the port that morning? Maybe we could chip in and share a towncar? DH and I travel lightly - just 2 carry-ons - so we wouldn't take up much room!

 

[mmmears]

Well, nothing in my mailbox, still. Am I the only one? Should I be worried?

I forgot to mention that my #1 tip for right now is to keep a running list of all the hints, tips, and ideas that you'll want to remember for your family. I used to write important info in a notebook, but now I cut&paste everything into a word document that's saved on my desktop for easy access. It helps to keep me organized since I don't want to miss a thing while on board that great big beautiful ship!

I've been doing just that since we booked the cruise a few months ago! My word doc is 9 pages long!

 

[Deb T.]

Still nothing in my mailbox, either. Should be any day, though!

 

[mmmears]

Still nothing in my mailbox, either. Should be any day, though!

Thanks, that makes me feel better! Maybe it's going by horse & carriage and I do live a long way from Florida.

And thanks for all the tips!

Have you arrived around noon before? I heard that I wont have to wait as long to board the ship if I just arrive a little later... We're doing the Sunrise Safari that morning, and I don't want to rush from AK to just sit in the terminal and wait for a few hours...

Just wondering...

 

[Deb T.]

Thanks, that makes me feel better! Maybe it's going by horse & carriage and I do live a long way from Florida.

And thanks for all the tips!

Have you arrived around noon before? I heard that I wont have to wait as long to board the ship if I just arrive a little later... We're doing the Sunrise Safari that morning, and I don't want to rush from AK to just sit in the terminal and wait for a few hours...

Just wondering...

You're welcome for all the tips... so far! I have tons more to pass along! I'll try to post fun tips every week!

I've heard the Sunrise Safari is awesome! It would definitely be the perfect ending of your land stay! You can definitely take your time getting to the cruise terminal that morning. We always try to arrive by 10am because we LOVE the Disney ships and want to spend every precious moment we can on board. But, you are correct - if you arrive around noon, you won't have to wait in the cruise terminal at all, really. And, no matter what boarding card number you have, the boarding process is always easy and very, very quick! We've been able to start boarding as early as 11:45am, but it's usually right around noon.

For anyone who's planning to arrive early, it's surprising just how fast the time between 10am and noon can pass while waiting in the cruise terminal. First, it takes a little while to go through the check-in process. Then, we always enjoy going out on the little balcony to look at the ship and also find it fascinating to watch all the supplies, food, and suitcases being loaded. If you have children, you can check them into the kids' clubs, get the kids' wristbands, and pick up your beeper. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and sometimes Donald Duck take turns coming into the cruise terminal to pose for photographs. In the center of the terminal, they have a huge model of the ship - one side is intact and the other side is cut away so you can see the inside of the ship, which is really neat! There's a little snack shop that sells food and drinks, but we've never bought anything from there --- you are able to practically eat non-stop for the duration of the cruise as soon as you board the ship! And, there are little television areas with Disney cartoons playing non-stop for the kids. Oh, and don't forget to look at the design of the cruise terminal - the ceiling sort of looks like waves to me.