April 23, 2005 Western

[Stimpy]

NYMagic Welcome! Glad the adults had a good time on the Alaska cruise. We have 2 young kids and will probably wait until they are much older for a cruise there. Maybe by then DCL will be going there

Bakmmo, happy to hear you missed all the hurricanes! Is that one of the cruises that leaves out of NY?

 

[Stimpy]

bumping from page 3

 

[Yankee914]

Hello Long Islanders -

Any idea when Southwest will put April airfares on sale? I looked at Jet Blue and they are already around $350-$400 for a round trip ticket to Orlando for our cruise! I want to make sure to book Southwest as soon as they go on sale. Also, has anyone booked hotel for the night before. We were interested in going to the Radisson. Were wondering what kind of rates people are getting.

 

[Stimpy]

From our experience, I found that Southwest usually starts selling tickets about 4-5 months before. We got our airline tickets for our December trip on July 17. So my guess would be about December or January for April rates.

 

[NowaSki]

Yankee914,

We booked JetBlue in early July and got a rate of $290 round trip. JetBlue usually posts their rates about 9 months in advance. I was waiting until the last week of July to look, but when I took a peek in early July and saw the Flights where already available I booked it ASAP. Glad I did.

We are staying at the Hyatt at MCO. Got rate of 166.50 (AAA rate via the Web). Plan on taking the DCL bus from MCO.

 

[Yankee914]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I'll just keep checking Southwest to see when they go on sale. I got kind of used to paying $150 round trip to Orlando from Islip. I got a AAA rate of $109 for the Radisson. I'll be booking that. Also, I was looking to reserve rental cars. Looks like no problem on Budget to the Port, but they are much more expensive to go from Port to Orlando Airport.

 

[sillysmom]

Hey Yankee, I am also waiting for the tickets to go on sale. When I go on the website, it is only about 3 or 4 months in advance for sales, so probably November or December. Maybe we'll be on the same flight! What part of Long Island are you from? We live in Miller Place. Are you traveling with children, we have a 9 year old daughter. Talk to you soon.

 

[Yankee914]

Hi Sillysmom -

We live right next door to you -- in Mount Sinai. We were looking at taking the 3:30 flight out of Islip. I teach at Ward Melville High School and I have to work that day. We have two boys who will be 15 and 11 when we cruise. We are traveling with three other families. One of the families has a 7 year old and an 11 year old. I'm sure we will see you at one of the airports. I booked the Radisson for the 22nd and we also booked Budget Rental car -- so all we are waiting for is the air.

 

[sillysmom]

It sounds like you have a good plan. How close is the Radisson to the port, and how much are the rooms for the night? I definitely want to go out of Islip, last cruise we went out of Laguardia, and we had to be out of the house by 3 a.m., way, way, too early. We just moved to Miller Place a month ago from Coram. We love it. I booked Disney Air the first cruise, and we paid much too much money for it. So I decided when I rebooked on board to find my own air. Hopefully it will be inexpensive with Southwest, I guess we will see. Talk to you soon.

 

[Stimpy]

Yankee, we're planning on the same flight. We also booked Budget from MCO to the port but I'm waiting to book on the return trip since the rates are so high. I think the Budget at Port Canaveral is a franchise and generally the franchises don't release actual rates until closer to the time frame. Right now they have general one-way rates on their website. (All the car classes are the same price) Please don't quote me on that though!

I worked at Budget in ISP for many years when it was a franchise. 6 months after I left for a better job they went corporate (which is almost always better for employees and customers!)

 

[sillysmom]

So Stimpy, is that hotel near the port? and do you return the rental when you get there and get another for the trip back to the airport? I might just do that myself. Can you tell me how much the rooms are yankee?

 

[Stimpy]

I don't know about the hotels, but I'm sure some one else can help you there I think they're pretty close but we've never stayed at them. We usually stay the night before either at WDW or my parents condo in Orlando.

The Budget is a stand alone building. We drop the car off, take the shuttle to the port and then get a new car on return. Last September we had a really long wait for the return shuttle and the Hertz shuttle guy actually took us to the Budget office. I'm a little nervous that they may happen again. I would rent from Hertz but with 2 small kids, we like to have our rental right in the airport terminal so we don't have to worry about another shuttle.

 

[bakmmo]

We got air with Song the affiliate of Delta. We booked some time ago and paid $190 RT from JFK. We have also booked the Ron Jon's resort for the night of April 22nd for $101 per night AAA discount. We have a rental from Budget as well for an SUV for $37 one way and $54 the other.
Time is going too slow but I don't want to wish my life away!!!

 

[Stimpy]

I was just able to book a full size car from MCO to the port for $24.20, $30.95 with taxes and fees. Also got a midsize for return for about $40. (81.58 for 2 days, we're planning on going to WDW the day we return from the cruise and going home the following night)

I got these rates using the Costco discount code.

 

[Stimpy]

Also, Southwest is taking ressies for flights into March. Keep our eyes open for April dates

 

[dcbrown]

Hey there...this is DCBrown....hi Sillysmom!...so we will be onboard again together......for those of you that don't know me ....my family and I have cruised DCL 4x.......we have dd17 and dd12... we are travelling with the "Mayor of the Magic" as we call him...my bil...who travels with all the girls and winds up talking to everyone to get away from us...just kidding!!! He and his wife, my sis, have a dd15 and dd11...so sounds like the whole eastern seaboard is going "Magic" with their lovely teenage daughters!!! Should be a blast as always...can't wait!

DCBrown

 

[sillysmom]

HEY DC how the heck are you. If I remember correctly, you had the daughter you couldn't find for her braiding appointment right? This will be so cool maybe we can hang out a little more. So when did you rebook? We rebooked on board. Do you know your room number and have you gotten your flight yet. Let me know all the details. Talk to you soon, Linda

 

[dcbrown]

I just recently booked as I went to Europe w/my girls this summer and was a little tight on funds....we do not have a room # yet and the flight is the next thing I will work on. Did book Radisson for Fri night...I am sure we will be coming in late as we all have school that day...also booked the Hilton for the Sat night we disembark....thought I might like to get one last day on the beach. Will probobly book flts at end of month. I had the daughter that was hooking up w/Trekkers son...that did not work out ...but she made some everlasting friends from NY and other places that we still see from time to time. I am looking forward to another great cruise and a different itinerary.

DCBrown

 

[Yankee914]

bump...

 

[Hans Solo]

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