Arriving Friday for 7 nighter....transportation questions???

[LAMPSKIES]

Our last 3 cruises we flew in a couple days early. How does the transportation work??

 

[The4OfUs]

We're flying in the morning before our upcoming cruise, and staying at the Hyatt - and we have DCL bus transfers booked, so we'll just find the Disney folks in the lobby the morning of the cruise, and go from there.

 

[kcashner]

How it works depends on what you've booked and how you've done it. From Crown Point, I think you're flying from Chicago, which means that DCL will not be doing the overnight as part of your air, right?

Ok, you booked your air separately? Have you booked your hotel? Is it at the airport or at the cruise port?

If you are flying in Friday after work (arriving evening), I'd suggest that you book a 3* hotel thru Priceline. It will cost in th $30-$40 per night range. Hotels included are the Hyatt, Sheraton, Renaissance, etc. THere is a full list at www.biddingfortravel.com. All of the 3* hotels have a free shuttle from the airport. SO...you call the free shuttle (phones in the airport, you just pick up the phone and it rings the hotel number). Collect your luggage, and shuttle to the hotel. IN the morning, you put your DCL tags on the luggage, take the shuttle back to the airport, and meet the DCL personel in the airport atrium. They will direct you to the bus (if the shuttle driver didn't drop you off right at the bus!)

ALternatively, if you are not doing DCL transfers, you arrange to have your private limo service pick you up at the hotel. They take you directly to the porters at the port.

Other possibilities...you fly in and either rent a car or take a limo to a hotel in Cocoa Beach or the Radisson at the port. Cocoa Beach hotels are also available thru Priceline, but the Radisson isn't. From there, the Radisson has a free shuttle to the port in the morning. The others have a shuttle service for $3 per person.

If you give me/us some more information on your plans, maybe we can be more specific.
Kathryn

 

[bassoongirl]

Kathryn,

Wow! Are you a travel agent? That was an excellent answer! I have read several of your other posts on the boards and you always give a complete answer. Thanks for helping all the rest of us in our quest for knowledge!

bassoongirl

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Kcashner........O.K., We always fly out of Midway. We book the air ourselves. But, we always spend Thursday and Friday nights at WDW. (We usually go on Thanksgiving morning) But, this time we're going to do the Western on the 4th of Dec. I don't want to take a chance of bad weather on the day of the sailing. If I book DCL's transfers but don't stay at a resort.....what happens? Can I stay at a resort for 1 night? What about one of those "hotels" you mentioned? Is there one near port that DCL will take us to the night before? I've booked the cruise but no flight or "pre night" hotel. I'm open....as long as they have a pool DD's won't mind. I don't mind spending more for convenience. All we have ever used are DCL's busses.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

The DCL busses only run on the days of cruises. There's no DCL transportation the night prior to the cruise.

I think the most convenient way is to stay at the Hyatt at MCO. It's right in the terminal, so there's no shuttle needed after you land. This is especially nice if you arrive later in the evening, as it makes the day end sooner. We always do this and don't mind paying for the convenience. When you're cruising might have a bearing on this, but right now it's about $170/night for a room at the Hyatt. We've paid as little as $79 in the past, though. Their website is http://orlandoairport.hyatt.com/, you can check prices there from time to time. The Hyatt does have a pool.

Check-in for the busses on the morning of the cruise is in the Hyatt lobby, which adds to the convenience. In addition, they will collect your bags from outside your hotel room and transfer them to the ship. You don't need to lug them downstairs with you.

There are lots of options, we always go this route.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

LLoyd.........thanks, it looks like that might be the way to go. Dec. 3rd is the "night" we will be arriving. It's a Friday but off peak. So I fly in to MCO get my luggage go to the hotel then tag it for the next day.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

One added benefit of staying at the Hyatt is that the bellhops will retrieve your luggage directly from the Baggage Claim area if you ask them to. (You will want to show your appreciation for this service in the form of a gratuity.)

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Lampskies,

Yes, don't put the cruise line tags on your bags until the morning of the cruise. We always claim our luggage, but when checking in they always ask if we need our bags retrieved from the baggage claim. While I can't pick a line in the supermarket to save my life, my bags almost always find their way off of a plane quickly. I usually grab the bags while my wife checks us in.

We very likely will be on the same cruise. Dec. 4th is my birthday, so we usually book this week.

 

[kcashner]

Ok, the real question is how many $ is convenience worth. Yes, the Hyatt is the most convenient hotel. DCL uses them for overnights that they book, and all you need to do in the morning is place your luggage outside your door and call the bellman. They will pick up your luggage and take it to the cruise truck...and take you to the bus. However, booking the Hyatt yourself will cost well over $100 for the night.

ALternatively, you can bid Priceline. You MIGHT get the Hyatt, and if you do, you can use the above service. If you don't get the Hyatt, you will get another 3* hotel with a free shuttle to/from the airport. If yo do that, your morning routine will be to put the DCL tags on your bags, and take the shuttle back to the airport. You then meet up with the DCL reps, who escort you to the bus.

Either way, on Friday nite, the routine is that you DO NOT put DCL tags on your bags when you leave Chicago. You arrive at MCO, collect your bags, and take the shuttle to whatever hotel (Hyatt or otherwise.) In the morning, you place the DCL tags on the bags.

No, I'm not a travel agent...just a frequent cruiser....

 

[kcashner]

Sorry, I didn't re-read your post before I clicked the button. You can spend one night at a Disney resort, but if you're not going to use the parks or visit part of Disney, it is a waste of time and money. It is about 30 minutes from MCO to WDW...and it is the wrong way from the cruise. You would have to take a Mears shuttle.....it just doesn't make sense unless you are visiting something "Disney" that night.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

I think if it's 100.00 campaired to 40.00 and DD's and DW can just wake up, eat some breakfast and head to the DCL bus it's worth the 60.00 difference. Have you ever tried to get a 14 and 12 year old DD up in the morning?

Next question......when we left POR the bus left at 12:45.....any idea what time the bus leaves to go the the ship from the Hyatt? I'm assuming that there will be many different times because of the airlines landing with DCL cruisers.

 

[dianthus]

Kathryn~ Thank you for the tip! I'm not the gambling type, so I can't believe I mustered the courage to do bid on Priceline!

I just completed my priceline bid of $39 for Hyatt MCO on 4/16, the night before our 4/17 cruise. It was accepted for $39, with tax, title, dealer prep it totals $50!!!! This is so cool! I had a ressie there for the AAA rate of $169.59 with tax. A savings of $119.59! I just cancelled that one.

I went on bidding for travel as you suggested & saw that someone posted today they got the Hyatt MCO for 4/11 for $37. So I got brave & bid!!

I am just so excited about this! The savings pays for more than 1/2 the limo cost to the Port the next morning! We're not doing the DCL buses, as we wanted to do a grocery stop on the way.

Thank you sooooo much!!!

~ Linda

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by LAMPSKIES
Next question......when we left POR the bus left at 12:45.....any idea what time the bus leaves to go the the ship from the Hyatt? I'm assuming that there will be many different times because of the airlines landing with DCL cruisers.

Check-in for the busses begins at around 9:30am. Let the Hyatt front desk know that you are a DCL passenger when you check in, and they'll give you an envelope with info on how and when to meet the busses. The first bus usually leaves at around 10:00am. There are usually enough people checking in at the Hyatt to fill a few busses, so you don't have to wait for passengers from incoming flights to fill the bus.

We usually get up at around 8:00 and grab some breakfast in the terminal, check in, and are on our way shortly after 10:00am. We're usually in the terminal and checked in by 11:15 or so, with a pretty good spot in line.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Lloyd......that's exactly what I needed to hear. If you didn't already know Rae519 is sailing with us.......we have a standing competition as to who is going to get to that big shrimp bowl at topsiders. LOL There is nothing worse that standing around in the lobby of a resort waiting for the bus 'till 12:45 or 1:00!!!