Booking activities questions

[willijen]

For those of you who are DCL experts, please help! I'm panicking because the 90-day mark is coming fast (I'm Castaway Club Silver), and I don't feel confident about what to do. Can someone point me to a primer on how to book the hard-to-get activities? I'm already paid in full through my TA, and I already have a DCL account and can see my cruise reservation there under My Disney Cruise.

• I'm on the East coast, so what time should I sit down with my computer at the 90-day point? Is it midnight?
• Once I'm on the DCL website and I've logged into my account, do I go to My Cruise Activities?
• Knowing full well that the Castaway Cay cabanas are long gone, where do I look for that anyway? Is it under My Cruise Activities? Do I need to check in first? I'm hoping to snag a cancellation...
• I also want to try my luck for a Palo brunch, where do I go for that? Do I need to check in for my cruise before I do that? On a 4-night Bahamian cruise, is it always on the sea day?

Thanks!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Its midnight eastern time yes.
If you want something in particular yes sit down at midnight things go fast.
You can log into your profile pre midnight, then log into your reservation at 00.00 and you will see my cruise activities, you book there.
CC Cabans are shown under port adventures for CC. They are numbered.
- if available follow the process of select and check it out from the cart.
Brunch and all adult meals are under Adult dinning.
Character breakfast and meets are under on board activities.
Palo brunch is typically a sea day but they did experiment with it before on other days.

 

[willijen]

Thanks very much. Any other advice, tips or tricks (have it open on two computers, etc.) are appreciated! I know all the tricks for booking stuff at WDW, but I'm at a loss on the watery side of things.

 

[Shanti]

Its midnight eastern time yes.
If you want something in particular yes sit down at midnight things go fast.
You can log into your profile pre midnight, then log into your reservation at 00.00 and you will see my cruise activities, you book there.
CC Cabans are shown under port adventures for CC. They are numbered.
- if available follow the process of select and check it out from the cart.
Brunch and all adult meals are under Adult dinning.
Character breakfast and meets are under on board activities.
Palo brunch is typically a sea day but they did experiment with it before on other days.

Do things you select automatically become yours when you click them during check-in, or only after you finalize the whole check-in process? Asking because I'll be taking a 9-day cruise with a lot of port adventures next summer, & don't want to lose anything critical while I'm searching for & checking off a dozen other boxes during the check-in process. Is it helpful to choose your top priority and then finalize check-in, going back afterwards to add other items, or not? Thanks.

 

[Dug720]

Do things you select automatically become yours when you click them during check-in, or only after you finalize the whole check-in process? Asking because I'll be taking a 9-day cruise with a lot of port adventures next summer, & don't want to lose anything critical while I'm searching for & checking off a dozen other boxes during the check-in process. Is it helpful to choose your top priority and then finalize check-in, going back afterwards to add other items, or not? Thanks.

It may have changed (as at least my reservations page appears to have) since I was booking for my Fantasy cruise in 2015, but I think what I did was book Palo brunch, "check out", go do check-in and get a PAT and "check out", book Palo dinner and "check out", and then shore excursions as I prioritized them and "check out" after each just to make sure it didn't disappear. Since on DCL (unlike RCCL or HAL) you don't pay for the experience until you're on board, 'checking out' doesn't mean putting your card info in each time - more just securing it for you.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When you book an excursion/adult dining/whatever, you will get a "confirm" button. The excursion/dining/whatever reservation is not yours until you click that. I find it best to click "confirm" after making each reservation, instead of waiting until the end, as someone can come in while you are making all your reservations, make one and hit "confirm" before you do, getting what may be the last slot for that time.

When you go to the main reservation page, you'll see 5 different tabs:


Port Adventures - for booking excursions in port (including cabanas)
Adult Dining - Palo/Remy
Spa & Fitness
Onboard Fun - meet & greets; character breakfast (also Bibbity Bobbity Boutique; simulators)
Nursery

 

[Dug720]

Shmoo - Is that what yours looks like all the time?? That is how mine looked back in 2015, but now it is just words. I'm a little worried I'm not going to be able to figure it out when my time to check in and book online comes with this new interface I seem to be getting. (My stupid phone camera takes the picture too big for me to upload what I'm seeing.)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Shmoo - Is that what yours looks like all the time?? That is how mine looked back in 2015, but now it is just words. I'm a little worried I'm not going to be able to figure it out when my time to check in and book online comes with this new interface I seem to be getting. (My stupid phone camera takes the picture too big for me to upload what I'm seeing.)

When you go to your reservation, click on the "Cruise Activities Overview" (I think it's on the upper right - sorry don't have a current reservation to check this out). You'll get a window that's a calendar.


Then click on the link for viewing activities (should be at the bottom of each window - sorry I cut this off) and you'll get the main activities page (with the 5 tabs). Click on whatever tab you're interested in to go to those activities. Here's the page with the Cabanas listed along with the other available activities that I got when I clicked on the activities link on our Castaway Cay day:

 

[Dug720]

Maybe it's because my booking window isn't open? When I click on My Cruise Activities in the drop down menu it bounces me to the My Cruise Reservations page. The only thing next to the word "Activities:" is "Pay in full to start booking November 24, 2016"

 

[Shanti]

When you go to your reservation, click on the "Cruise Activities Overview" (I think it's on the upper right - sorry don't have a current reservation to check this out). You'll get a window that's a calendar.
View attachment 185818

Then click on the link for viewing activities (should be at the bottom of each window - sorry I cut this off) and you'll get the main activities page (with the 5 tabs). Click on whatever tab you're interested in to go to those activities. Here's the page with the Cabanas listed along with the other available activities that I got when I clicked on the activities link on our Castaway Cay day:
View attachment 185820

Are all port adventures for a multi-port cruise listed in one long list, or on separate lists for each port?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Are all port adventures for a multi-port cruise listed in one long list, or on separate lists for each port?

Separate lists for each port. The link to the excursion list is on each individual day.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Maybe it's because my booking window isn't open? When I click on My Cruise Activities in the drop down menu it bounces me to the My Cruise Reservations page. The only thing next to the word "Activities:" is "Pay in full to start booking November 24, 2016"

That's it.

 

[Dug720]

That's it.

Gotcha. Thanks. It used to be that you saw those buttons from the start but you could only book once your window opened. That's why I was confused - it's changed since I dealt with that for Feb 2015.

 

[willijen]

These screenshots were just what I needed to get my head around it, thank you Princess Schmoo!

 

[Lonegalathome]

Is there a way to see what excursions will be offered before your online window opens? I can't find them anywhere.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is there a way to see what excursions will be offered before your online window opens? I can't find them anywhere.

On the DCL website, you can hover over "Things to do" tab, then click on "Port Adventures" Then you select an itinerary that you're interested in. They will show what sorts of excursions have been offered in the past (no guarantee they will be on your cruise). You won't know for sure what excursions will be offered on your cruise, until your booking window opens.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Is there a way to see what excursions will be offered before your online window opens? I can't find them anywhere.

Suggestion, this is what we did in our cruise meets groups,

Get the first " bookers" platinum and concierge, to get you screen shots of what they can access at 120 days. I dud thus for my recent cruises and it helped the others plan, I kept them informed on availability, Google to find your cruise meet group.

 

[jenc842]

Thanks very much. Any other advice, tips or tricks (have it open on two computers, etc.) are appreciated! I know all the tricks for booking stuff at WDW, but I'm at a loss on the watery side of things.

I don't think you'll need two computers -- in fact I think it may make it glitchy since you'll be logged into two places, but I haven't tried. I used my one laptop at midnight and at first it had trouble loading, but only briefly. I was able to get all the nursery hours I wanted, all the dinner ressies (by morning wakeup time though there were less options, but still plenty). No cabanas when I looked. Then again, I was a first time cruiser so I knew the chance was very low!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I don't think you'll need two computers -- in fact I think it may make it glitchy since you'll be logged into two places, but I haven't tried. I used my one laptop at midnight and at first it had trouble loading, but only briefly. I was able to get all the nursery hours I wanted, all the dinner ressies (by morning wakeup time though there were less options, but still plenty). No cabanas when I looked. Then again, I was a first time cruiser so I knew the chance was very low!

Great post- Actually I will add.

For the OP.

Thanks very much. Any other advice, tips or tricks (have it open on two computers, etc.) are appreciated! I know all the tricks for booking stuff at WDW, but I'm at a loss on the watery side of things.

NEVER use more than one device to log in and make reservations, that will STOP you booking. Only have one device loged in at midnight, no other devices or freinds or family, otherwise you will lock yourself out.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thanks very much. Any other advice, tips or tricks (have it open on two computers, etc.) are appreciated! I know all the tricks for booking stuff at WDW, but I'm at a loss on the watery side of things.

My advice.

Do a run through of what is where a day before.
Have a plan of what you want, what's important, and where you will book first, have a plan A plan B And plan C Booked fir things like port adventures and palo brunch.

If you are a repeat cruiser then:-
Log in about 11.55 pm Eastern USA time.- this is logging into the DCL website, not your reservation.
Do not do this too early, session times run for about 15 minutes.
Go to castaway club,
Go to my cruises.
Hover over your current reservation number, click that at 00.00 internet time.

If you are a new cruiser.
Have your reservation number.
Go in via my cruises.
Input your reservation number at 00.00.

All

You will get to your reservation,
Go to my cruise activities.
Book via the tabs.
Adult finning, port adventures, spa, nursery, on board fun.
Do select everyone in your party for the times quoted, then confirm and book when in the cart.
Repeat.
At the end check you have email confirmations, and screen print what you did.

You can now book character breakfasts and meet and greets online.

For palo, and meets, and breakfast, you can only book, one reservation, you can't for example book two palo brunches online.

Do Not log in by more than one device.
Do Not think having others log in in your family will help, it will not.
If you have issues, clear cookies, try again, keep cool.

On line check in, where you get your PAT a port arrival time, may not come up at 00.00, it may come up, 25 minutes later, or up to three hours later. Have passport information and flight information to hand and your credit card details.

To get through quickly, where there are multiple guest always click, relates to All cruisers to save updating each one. PAT not required for concierge and platinum.

By 03.00 Eastern time the DCL website will do an automatic back up, and all reservations will stop for maybe an hour.

Next day print them all out, you can select any day, click on an activity shown, not the add at the bottom, the day and activities pop up, there is an option there to print that day or all activities, print all as a back up, I have known things to disappear.

Then..........

Relax.