Booking Activities: Start Time & Order of Priority

[kappaman14]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere; I'm curious what time you can start booking activities? I'm sailing on the magic & my activity booking day in this week (8/27, to be precise). Can I stay up until midnight on 8/26 and start booking things? If so, midnight in what time zone?

Beyond the time logistics, I'm curious what books up fastest. Online check-in? Spa? Excursions? Where do you rush to first when booking?

Thanks! Excited to be sailing again - 3rd trip & first on this ship!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

00.00 Eastern USA time.

Cabana. If wanted.
Palo Brunch.
Spa on formal night.
Palo a Dinner, Remy dinner Remy brunch.
Shore trips with animals or Dolphins.
Golf.
Anything else.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere; I'm curious what time you can start booking activities? I'm sailing on the magic & my activity booking day in this week (8/27, to be precise). Can I stay up until midnight on 8/26 and start booking things? If so, midnight in what time zone?

Beyond the time logistics, I'm curious what books up fastest. Online check-in? Spa? Excursions? Where do you rush to first when booking?

Thanks! Excited to be sailing again - 3rd trip & first on this ship!

Yes, if all is working well (the DCL website does have issued on occasion), the online check-in and excursion booking windows open at midnight Eastern time. One note you cannot be already logged into the site before midnight and hit "refresh", you must log in after midnight.

Also, while you don't need to be paid in full to do the online check in, you do need to be PIF to book excursions.

What you do "first" depends on what's important to you. Some people want to be sure they get their all-important adult dining reservations, so go for that first. Others want to make sure to get a specific Port Arrival Time, so do the online check in first (another note - if going for PAT first, you must fill in all available info on the preceding pages for the PAT page to unlock).

 

[kappaman14]

Thanks for the quick responses! For the PAT element, can I do that pre-work in advance? We'd like an early check-in time so that we can do lunch on the ship if possible.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thanks for the quick responses! For the PAT element, can I do that pre-work in advance? We'd like an early check-in time so that we can do lunch on the ship if possible.

Write it down the passports the flight dates times airline and route and your credit card details but you can't add more until the on line check in starts, however if cruised before valid passports will be pre filled from your use before.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for the quick responses! For the PAT element, can I do that pre-work in advance? We'd like an early check-in time so that we can do lunch on the ship if possible.

No, all information can't be entered until your window opens.

Many people have found the quickest way to unlock the PAT page is to just use the default answers or gibberish for the spaces that you actually have to enter info. The website can't distinguish that what you've entered makes no sense, only that something was entered. Then, after getting their PAT, they take the time to go back and correct any "errors".

 

[kappaman14]

Great, thanks to both of you for the responses. This is our third cruise, but first since having a baby to plan around (the other kids have always been Oceaneer's Club aged). Want to make sure we're on top of our game so that we can sign up for everything we want.

 

[asamklove]

For what it's worth, I checked in my parents (no castaway status) at about 6am EST the morning after their 75-day mark & I got them an 11am check-in. That was just last week for a late Oct cruise.