booked DCL!!!!

[petbren]

Hi All:

I have to share this here, cause most friends and acquaintances don't get it
Booked the Fantasy for the 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise for next March Break
I am trying to resist starting a new ticker until I am at least 1 day less than a year to go
DH who hates all things beach and sun, suggested in January that we go to St. Kitts next winter After I regained consciousness, I started looking into it.
Recently diagnosed with a Gluten allergy in the fall, I worried that I would not be able to be sure my diatary need would be accomodated, so I started looking at DCL, as I know WDW is really good about food allergies.
We are DVC members, but I don't have the kind of points to book a cruise for 4, so started getting quotes, and got DH to commit, so WE ARE ON
Anyone with tips about the cruise, planning excurions, and dealing with GF on the cruise boat, advice would be appreciated.

 

[dvcdisney]

If it's the March 9, 2013 cruise - we're booked for it also!

I booked it as soon as it came out and we got an okay deal, plus since we we moved it from a dummy cruise we booked onboard we got the 10% off, 10% deposit and the OBC. I'm so excited because this is the first cruise we received any time of discount. Our first cruise (Aug 2011), we paid too much because I didn't book it early enough and we decided later that we wanted to do a B2B so that was even more.

We have an upcoming cruise this Aug - also a Fantasy Eastern Caribbean cruise, and I am definitely booking 2 or more dummy dates. This has a different itinerary than the March 2013 one so each cruise will feel a little new.

We are also DVC members and we have never thought of using the points for cruises. We need them for our WDW vacations. And I'm always borrowing so no extra points.

By the way, are you from Hamilton, ON? You wrote steel town and the only place I know is Hamilton. Plus, my husband and I went to Mac so we try to visit it when we can.

 

[darwinsrule]

Don't worry there are a whole bunch of us booked for March Break. There is a thread on the cruise meet board and the number of Canadians was rather impressive.

Advice? With the gluten allergy make sure you let DCL know before the cruise and then talk to your server the first night. Otherwise enjoy. We did a 4-night on the Wonder in 2010 and B2B on the Dream last summer (during hurricane Irene). Looking forward to a fully 7-night trip. If you have kids they will love it. Our 3 year old daughter keeps wanting us to go NOW to the Mickey boat. Our 7 year old absolutely loves the Aquaduck.

You will pick up tips just by reading the boards. Unfortunately we have a year of reading boards which really bites. The only other thing to wait for a air. We fly out of Buffalo (like some many others) and we are still months away from Southwest and Jetblue releasing those dates.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

This might be your cruise thread!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=44114880

 

[petbren]

If it's the March 9, 2013 cruise - we're booked for it also!

I booked it as soon as it came out and we got an okay deal, plus since we we moved it from a dummy cruise we booked onboard we got the 10% off, 10% deposit and the OBC. I'm so excited because this is the first cruise we received any time of discount. Our first cruise (Aug 2011), we paid too much because I didn't book it early enough and we decided later that we wanted to do a B2B so that was even more.

We have an upcoming cruise this Aug - also a Fantasy Eastern Caribbean cruise, and I am definitely booking 2 or more dummy dates. This has a different itinerary than the March 2013 one so each cruise will feel a little new.

We are also DVC members and we have never thought of using the points for cruises. We need them for our WDW vacations. And I'm always borrowing so no extra points.

By the way, are you from Hamilton, ON? You wrote steel town and the only place I know is Hamilton. Plus, my husband and I went to Mac so we try to visit it when we can.

Yes, we are from Hamilton
I need to hear your trip report from the August Cruise. You must be so excited
I probably paid too much for the cruise, but it was decided just recently that we would go.
I still think it will be cheaper than an all inclusive to the Caribean. We'll see how much I have to pay for the flights
Who would have thought I needed to plan something even farther out than 11 months.
We'll see how it goes,if we plan another cruise, I'm hoping it goes well.

 

[petbren]

Don't worry there are a whole bunch of us booked for March Break. There is a thread on the cruise meet board and the number of Canadians was rather impressive.

Advice? With the gluten allergy make sure you let DCL know before the cruise and then talk to your server the first night. Otherwise enjoy. We did a 4-night on the Wonder in 2010 and B2B on the Dream last summer (during hurricane Irene). Looking forward to a fully 7-night trip. If you have kids they will love it. Our 3 year old daughter keeps wanting us to go NOW to the Mickey boat. Our 7 year old absolutely loves the Aquaduck.

You will pick up tips just by reading the boards. Unfortunately we have a year of reading boards which really bites. The only other thing to wait for a air. We fly out of Buffalo (like some many others) and we are still months away from Southwest and Jetblue releasing those dates.

We usually fly SW too. I like that luggage is included, as I usually have too much
Last year March break we paid about $2200 return for 4...hoping not much more next year

 

[dvcdisney]

Yes, we are from Hamilton
I need to hear your trip report from the August Cruise. You must be so excited
I probably paid too much for the cruise, but it was decided just recently that we would go.
I still think it will be cheaper than an all inclusive to the Caribean. We'll see how much I have to pay for the flights
Who would have thought I needed to plan something even farther out than 11 months.
We'll see how it goes,if we plan another cruise, I'm hoping it goes well.

We paid too much for our past b2b cruise in Aug 2011. I booked one 4 night Bahamian cruise about 10 mths prior, but we decided to add the 3 night cruise just about 4 mths prior and it cost more than the 4 nights.

Lesson learned. Book what you want and just cancel if it doesn't work out.

 

[darwinsrule]

Wow. $2200? Things have gone up a little since last year but our plans are to book SW first day it is available. Right now I am happy with anything under $1200 for the 4 of us. First couple of trips we did with the kids we paid the price and went out of Pearson and that matches what we paid booking early. That $1000 goes a long way in paying for other things however.

DW is a teacher here in Toronto so we don't have much choice on when we go. Neither of us is really comfortable flying down the day of the cruise but the late evening options flying from Buffalo are limited. Suspect we will be on the first direct flight out Saturday morning. Also think I will be purchasing insurance just in case the weather decides to act up.

 

[papertraveller]

We're on the March 9, 2013 cruise too -- booked it as soon as it came out. But I'm going to be re-shopping in on the Magic in just over a week

We are in a category 6A or B (can't recall) and the price has risen about $130 for two adults and DD who will be 13. I figure that even if I rebook with the OBC I'm still a few bucks ahead.

I think I'm going to sneak in a dummy booking too. DH and I have been talking about using our DVC points for a big family gathering vacation at WDW in the summer of 2013, so we might still need a little break sometime!

Is everyone over on the cruise meet thread? I haven't been there much as I'm doing the FE for our upcoming trip. But I'll be hopping in once I'm back!

 

[darwinsrule]

We're on the March 9, 2013 cruise too -- booked it as soon as it came out. But I'm going to be re-shopping in on the Magic in just over a week

We are in a category 6A or B (can't recall) and the price has risen about $130 for two adults and DD who will be 13. I figure that even if I rebook with the OBC I'm still a few bucks ahead.

I think I'm going to sneak in a dummy booking too. DH and I have been talking about using our DVC points for a big family gathering vacation at WDW in the summer of 2013, so we might still need a little break sometime!

Is everyone over on the cruise meet thread? I haven't been there much as I'm doing the FE for our upcoming trip. But I'll be hopping in once I'm back!

We have two 6A's booked AFT on Deck 8. FIL is in the connecting cabin. He loves DCL as much as we do, although he may be in it just for the grand daughters.

Book the dummy. We booked two last August. First one has been moved to the March 9th cruise. We still need to move the second. At this point we will probably move it foward with the intent of booking March 2014 (DW b-day is during March break).

Haven't hit the meet thread in a while. Its just way to far out at this point and we are more interested in trying to figure out what we are doing this summer.