Concierge Cat 3 Wonder 3nt (8/28-31) plus Hyatt MCO

[2disneycruzrs]

Here’s a trip report but let me warn you, mine is pretty straight-forward and not as fun as TCD’s. I warn you, it’s long…it was seven typed pages! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Thank goodness I have a holiday today to come back to reality and recover while DH had to go back to work (death knows no holiday). That is my first suggestion…take the day off after you return from the trip if possible. I’m doing this report primarily for anyone sailing concierge level because I had a hard time finding trip reports regarding this level but I’ll give my whole perspective. Here’s a little background on us. This was a work “site” trip for me as I’m coming back in November with a small group but DH came along. It was our fourth sailing with our last one being on the Wonder in December 2005, but this was our first as Concierge and were sailing it because all of my attendees will be Concierge level on the next trip (normally, we sail Cat 6 mid-ship) . The entire trip was booked only three months in advance. DH and I love DCL but are not fans of the parks. If we are blessed with children, the kids will experience Disney via DCL but probably not the parks until they’re out of melt-down stage…i.e. teens?

Pre-departure: Earlier in the week, we were really worried about Gustav until we saw him turning as the week went on so we were relieved. I will admit the packing list came in handy as I skimmed it the night before departure and found some items on there that I wanted to take but forgot to pack initially.

Orlando Arrival/Pre-cruise: We flew Southwest and opted to use the Magical Express service to the Beach Club. We waiting in the ME line for about 8 minutes, then in the bus line for another 6 minutes before boarding. In all, it took us 1 hour 12 minutes from arriving at the ME desk to stepping off the bus at BC at 1:00 PM. I will say it was nice not to have to deal with luggage. (When I went down yesterday to take photos and see it, the lines were very long possibly b/c of the holiday.)

Our room was not ready but it was nice they gave us room keys to be able to charge to our rooms immediately. We went to Downtown Disney and while there, received two calls advising room was ready at 2:00 PM. We headed back and our luggage was there for our arrival at 4:00 PM. We had dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse, and despite the recent negative feedback on review sites, we felt it was the same good quality and excellent service we’ve received on our previous two visits.

The cruise desk was closed when we arrived at BC initially but I did call to confirm our presence using the “house phone” that went direct to DCL’s main line, and I checked back with the DCL rep the next morning just to re-confirm with her. That night, we received pre-cruise instructions under our door. We had our luggage ready by 8:00 AM but it wasn’t pulled until about 9:30 AM. We had breakfast at the character breakfast buffet at Cape May. Minnie, Goofy, C/D were there and entertaining as ever. The buffet was decent but nothing spectacular and after tip, it came to $24/person. We didn’t realize you should have reservations but we got in quickly since there were only two of us. Interesting to note, the staff is readily available with sanitizing wipes on the cruise but there were none that we saw nor offered at the buffet where it’s more needed than at a sit-down dinner.

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[2disneycruzrs]

For the BC, guests using the DCL transportation meet in the Solarium by 11:30 AM for 11:45 AM departure (Wonder), 11:15 AM meeting for 11:30 AM departure (Magic). At that time, they ask each guest if they’ve had diarrhea and/or flu in the last 48 hours and provide the stomach flu letter/notice. We boarded the bus and were on our way at 11:48 AM. We arrived at the terminal around 12:45 PM.

We went through security and up the escalator to the terminal. There is a special line for Concierge guests and we were immediately processed. We had this cute man, Coop, who checked us in, gave us our CC lanyards, then he literally walked us through the ears and swiped our KTTW cards to board the ship thus bypassing the line. (There is a roped-off Concierge guest seating area for those arriving before check-in or if waiting for others.) The process kind of threw us for a loop so we didn’t get the usual “going through the ears” photo we’ve done previously. We did the usual boarding photo and had our names announced as we entered the beautiful atrium. We were told rooms would be ready at 1:30 PM, so we headed to BBB for lunch.

After lunch, we went down to our room which was 8602 – right below BBB. Our decorations ordered and cake were in place as were shore side items ordered (the silver frame and the sail-away pack) along with our CC bag and goodies, and the fruit piece courtesy of Concierge Team. Also on our table was a large envelope which contained a letter from The Suite Life on Deck team along with digitally-autographed photos of the cast and one of Mitchell Musso since they were going to be doing events on board. We knew they were going to be on board thanks to a poster on the boards but I’m sure it was a big surprise for the non-DISers.

DH was shocked by the amount of space we had in the 1BR suite, which is HCP-accessible. (Specifics about the SR will eventually be posted in the SR reports.) It was so nice that DH and I had our own bathrooms and closets so we didn’t have to spend a lot of time getting ready, waiting for the other to use the shower. I’m not sure what the current amenities are in non-suite rooms; last time we sailed, it was shampoo and conditioner in “paper” containers. In the suite, we each had 2.7 oz tubes of H2O+ brand shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body butter, and solar relief gel. We also had robes and slippers available for our usage along with a normal hair dryer. In the living area was a larger flat-screen TV with CD/DVD player and Bose surround sound. (I imagine the next dry dock may feature an iHome docking station.) The BR flat-screen included a DVD player. Guests can borrow any of the 200+ DVDs available and 100+ CDs but you really don’t find time to watch them IMHO. In general, we were really happy with the SR. Because I booked late, only HCP-accessible rooms were available. Despite all the negatives we heard re our SR, we were very pleased and would book again. There’s quick access to BBB and the largest verandah on ship…it may even be larger square-footage wise than the WD and RD suites.

After getting settled, I went to the Cadillac Lounge where concierge guests were invited to meet the concierge staff. They had light beverages and fruit and cookies. There were a couple Youth Staff members to enroll concierge kids. Anything that you didn’t already book could be provided to the staff and they would take care of from there. They also provided the personalized itinerary and excursion tickets. If you didn’t go to this session, then they were delivering it to the rooms that afternoon and evening. The Concierge staff this cruise was veteran Rodrigo from Argentina and Thabi – oh goodness, I forgot where from (South Africa?) – and they were WONDERful! Such a genuine pleasure to work with them. Before going to the gathering, I went to Guest Services to turn in my pillowcase request but the line was so long so I turned it into Rodrigo. Literally anything that is needed or can be done for you is handled by the Concierge Staff. When you call Guest Services, you’re usually directed to one of the Concierge Staff. It’s a little confusing to know what your SR attendant handles and the CS. (A note on the pillowcase: I turned in two, each in their own bag along with a photo of the children and the character request. I put those in a third ziploc bag along with sharpies and a bag of candy. They were returned to me the next night in our stateroom. The last time we had these done, one of the characters wrote the child’s name on the pillowcase but not this time.)

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[2disneycruzrs]

Meals
Our rotation was 8:15 PM PTA but we skipped Triton’s for Palo at 6:30 PM. As FYI before folks even boarded, the Palo reservations were all taken already and the only way folks were getting in was via cancellations/wait list. We were assigned to a four-person table, which we were bummed about because we enjoy getting to meet fellow cruisers. The folks at our table never showed throughout the cruise, and the staff will call to check on folks if you don’t show. But as a result, our service was much faster than previous cruises, which was nice as the meals then didn’t take more than an hour and a half. The food was better than I recall. Now, it’s not five-star but it was decent and on par with the other cruise line I’ve sailed. As Concierge guests, we could have ordered room service delivery from the restaurants but we enjoy the dining rooms. Palo, of course, was top notch as was our server Sean from South Africa. We had our required chocolate soufflé but he also brought us the Panna Cotta which was SO good as well.

On CC, we ate at Cookies instead of at Serenity Bay and were again pleasantly surprised by the food. For some reason, we just didn’t recall having the best food experiences. The only one that I would rate as Just Okay or Good at max was the buffet. And as others have recommended, I highly recommend doing breakfast in Triton’s versus the buffet.

Our serving team was great…we had 8-year veteran Vishal from India and Elizabeth from Hungary. At the end of the cruise, we gave them the tips (plus extra) and included a personal note on the Animator’s Palate canvas (found on DIS boards in design area I think) and gave them and the Head Server (Pranisha? From South Africa) each a 100 Grand candy bar… “their service is worth a 100 grand.” I placed their tip receipts in the envelopes, then put those and a letter in a translucent envelope and sealed them with a black Mickey head punch and pop dot attachment. I did feel really bad for the team…they got stiffed by 10 people out of the 21 they had over four tables during our seating. This team was especially great with the kids at the other tables.

A couple other notes: Folks always ask about attire. We went more casual than previously this cruise. First night, DH wore polo and dress shorts and tennis shoes; I wore a dress shirt and upscale dress short and dressy flip flops. At Palo, DH wore dress shirt, tie, and khaki pants; I wore a dress top and short dress skirt with heels. Last night is “dress up night”. No one went all out i.e. tux but I think I did see one suit. It was a mix but most people wore polo and dress pants. DH was going to wear dress shorts and polo but I suggested he change into his khakis. Turns out there were a lot of people in shorts. I wore a L/S dress top and dress capris. (Most of my attire was from Hilo Hattie to give perspective to anyone familiar with the Hawaiian store.) You will have no problem finding sanitizing wipes…they are literally EVERYWHERE.

Entertainment
Sail-away (Adventures Away): There is simply no better sail-away party than the one DCL puts on. DH and I watched from our usual Deck 10 chairs. The cruise staff gave out streamer ribbons but you really didn’t see folks with bubbles as we have on previous cruises, which is probably good b/c it was windy. After sail-away, DH and I went to our SR to watch the remainder since we had probably the largest balcony on the ship. As we looked to our right, there on the other balcony were the Sprouse twins and all their friends hanging out on their balcony. I don’t think they were staying in that room as I originally thought but key staff from the show was and they came and went from there often.

Shows: We skipped the Golden Mickeys since we’ve seen it before and were also pressed for time but did go to Toy Story and Disney Dreams. Toy Story was cleverly done and their performances were good but we would skip it next time since we’ve now seen it. Disney Dreams is one that we really enjoy seeing and never gets old. CD Rachel mentioned that it is the #1 ranked show in the entire cruise industry, and the Wonder and Magic are ranked # 1 and 2 in cruise shows in the industry. All of us DCL vets tend to say it’s the best but it’s nice to see them honored for it. On this sailing, we got bonus entertainment with the celebs on board. They had a red carpet session for the stars of The Suite Life on Deck and on the Ariel TV they showed the premiere episode which will air on DC in late September. I’d never seen the show but it was fun. Little oddity…one of the twins’ room number on the show ship was the same as one they hung out in with friends on our ship…8102…across the foyer from us. They also did a Q&A session with the fans after the show. Right before leaving CC on Saturday, Mitchell Musso did a concert at Goofy’s Pool. I didn’t go to that but heard this was going to be big fun for the kids.

Apparently before the Golden Mickeys, Rachel made an announcement to let the stars enjoy their cruise as well or something to that effect but I will say they were good about signing autographs and taking pictures when they were asked. On the last night, I walked right by Cole Sprouse and a friend of his who were just chatting at a table by the adult-only pool then all of a sudden these three tween girls came down the steps and asked for autographs. Next thing you know it, Cole and buddy left the area. I almost said something to the girls that they shouldn’t be in the area but didn’t. The crew does try to keep kids out of the adult areas – and they do a good job of it during the busy hours.

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[2disneycruzrs]

Ports (Nassau & CC)
Nassau: We didn’t do an excursion nor Atlantis/Comfort Suites for the waterpark. But we did get off the ship and walked around town including to the Queen’s Staircase. It was nice to see and had a beautiful waterfall next to it. Once is enough, though, and it’s not exactly the safest walk since there are no sidewalks on the side streets. We then walked through the Straw Market. I have to admit I am a rat-packer but will say this was not worth our while. If having knock-off stuff is your cup of tea, then this is a place to get it along with cheap souvies. Next time, I’ll be staying on ship.

CC: The island is beautiful as ever, rain or shine. It was quite an odd day as the morning was just beautiful. For runners, they offered a 5K run right after they opened the island. I thought that was a nice new offering I didn’t recall. We got off ship just in time for our 10:00 AM parasailing. We were on a boat with a family from the Philly area...Dad, Mom, and we guess the kids were DS8, DS12, and DD12. Dad went up with DS8 and had a great time but you could see the grey clouds coming. Dad then went up with DD12. All of a sudden they were up only half-way and were twisting and turning left and right almost parallel with the ocean. DD lost his glasses, DD cut her foot on the rope or something, and both dipped almost halfway into the water. But she was such a trooper and still smiling after coming back aboard. The crew cancelled the rest and we flew back to the dock. They drove so fast we were bumping up and down (not recommended for folks with bad backs) and were all SOAKED with rain and seawater. They offered us Noon and 2:00 PM re-bookings, so since the family had another outing planned, we gave them the Noon slots (which was beautiful at that time) and we took the 2:00 PM slots. All of a sudden as we were walking toward the main areas of CC, it stopped raining. (This is one reason to book PS early in the day…if it cancels, you may have a chance of getting on it later. Also, anyone wearing glasses that they must have, be sure to have a secure strap.)

DH and I decided to rent bikes (they charged us $6/person and I think it’s supposed to be per hour but they didn’t care when we returned them 2.5 hours later). As we were going to the observation tower, it down-poured again. We got to the tower as it stopped (of course). We then rode to Serenity Bay and parked the bikes on the racks and headed to the beach. We were told there were towels out there but we never found them so next time, I would grab towels when getting off the ship. I would also take an umbrella or poncho because the last few times, we have been caught in short downpours (note – all of our previous sailings have been in early Oct, Nov, and Dec). We grabbed a couple beach chairs and sat in the water and chatted with other adults…it was a really nice time. I did take my water shoes and they were certainly needed to walk out a good distance in the water due to all the plant life, coral or whatever it is on the ocean floor. After about 1.5 hours out there, we headed back, returning our bikes and going to Cookies BBQ before trying again for the PS.

This time we were with a mother and her DS10 and DD14 along with a family from Houston (DD, DM, DS14, DS12, DS7). Once again, it started off really nice and quickly the clouds and dark skies came. Everyone got to go up but were up for no more than five minutes. DH and I normally go solo but because of the winds once again, we had to go up tandem. When we got up there, we were flying all around (and we’re not light). I took both a waterproof camera and an old digital that I wasn’t concerned about and the crew did say, “You’re taking your camera at your risk.” We weren’t up more than four minutes when they reeled us back in but I did get a lot of video and photos in that short time. When they were unclipping us, it was really gusty and took two crew members to keep us from flying off the boat as we were unhooking. After they unhooked us – they lost the parachute but they were able to retrieve it quickly. We sped back to the dock…again getting soaked from the rain and seawater. We headed back to our SR and there was a message about our cancellation, an apology and refund. In the end, we never were charged even though we did get up there the second time around. Of course, by the time we got back to the SR and our deck, it was sunny again! We LOVE PS and would do it again. As some have posted, you get some of the most amazing shots of the ship and island as they tend to keep you close weather-permitting.

Last – we bought our postcards on CC, used pre-addressed labels, and bought the postage. It’s now 65 cents and you need to pay cash. The stamps are no longer the fun ship stamps…they’re just standard Bahamian stamps. The post office is open 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, and you may want to get stamps early in the day to avoid lines. Be it sun or liquid sunshine, CC is still one of the most wonderful places on Earth!

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[2disneycruzrs]

Other Stuff:

Additional Concierge Info: They had a Concierge Reception on Nassau day. I went for a brief while and there was only one family there. They had three hot hors d’oeuvres along with fruit and complimentary alcohol and non-alcohol beverages. It was held 5:15-6:00 PM and you could come/go as you please. The personalized itinerary was a nice surprise…it really served as a good guide to our activities and featured events during the cruise. Daily, we received a food amenity – fruit tray the first day, cookie tray the next, and petit fors the last day. At the start of the cruise, we received 8 complimentary Evian bottles. On the last afternoon, our Concierge staff came by and gave us a lithograph in a large protective tube. Though it’s a non-tipping position, we did give them each a thank you letter and $20/person tip. There is a special survey page we received with our overall cruise survey. As everyone notes, the surveys are truly the key piece the staff hopes you complete.

Castaway Clubhouse was a fun little gathering in WaveBands. It was originally scheduled for Nassau at 4:00 PM but due to the Suite Life events, they pushed it to same time on CC day. It was a nice little gathering; there were probably only about 50 people there. We got Captain Henry to sign our navigation map so we didn’t have to stand in line later that evening at the Captain’s signing thank goodness. They served fruit and Mickey bars along with beverages. The old hors d’oeuvres were nice but not necessary when you certainly don’t go hungry on the cruise. My name was drawn for one of the DCL CC clocks which are very nice. (Woo-hoo!) The five kids who volunteered to draw the names walked away with a DCL/CC floppy hat as well. Captain Henry said they will announce the new ship names by the end of the year…he looked like he knew. They are about to sign off on the blueprints. He asked the crowd where they would like us to see them sail…I shouted Alaska and it looked like I saw a twinkle. (This was at the same time someone was posting about DCL applying for AK rights. Side note – I’ve done AK on RCCL and it is just beautiful…can only imagine DCL there!) Someone else shouted Greek Islands. The first ship is expected for delivery in early 2011; I imagine that will take the Magic’s place but nothing was said. In all, the gathering was only a half-hour so it was perfectly timed and quick fun.

Pirates Night: DH and I did Palo so we could get a good spot for Pirates Night festivities but in the end, we probably would only go out for the fireworks next time. We did enjoy the show previously but since it’s changed to a dance party, it’s not really our cup of tea (call us old fuddy-duddies and we’re not even 40!). The nice thing is the crew swerved the ship in loops to avoid the clouds/rain so that the fireworks could be shot. It still is one of those “magical” moments that no other line can match. They had the buffet but other than taking pre-buffet opening pictures, we did not indulge since we were still full from Palo.

Internet: Since I had to stay in touch with work, I purchased the 250-minute package for $75. The system was slow at times (didn’t work for a short period on the last night), so I ended up using about 154 of the 250 minutes. It was a better deal by $5 booking this than booking the 100-minute package and paying for the additional minutes used. I used my laptop in the SR and on Deck 4 lounge chairs. I wanted to use it on Deck 10 and get some sun but couldn’t see the screen.

Safety Drill: Adults – remember to look at the life jacket and grab the adult ones. I accidentally grabbed the child’s one and commented how uncomfortable it was. Once I got to our station, I realized my mistake. Oops. We took our usual safety picture…these are always fun to see later!

Elevators: It wasn’t too bad trying to get elevators but being on Deck 8 was nice since the only times we really used the elevators was after dinners or returning to the ship from shore. We were also nearest the Aft elevators so that helped as well. The one thing I will say is it’s nice that the DCL kids don’t push all the buttons as I’ve experienced on two RCCL cruises. If anything, you may stop at floors and no one’s there due to lack of patience waiting.

Spa: Sorry – I didn’t even get to the Spa or do the tour so I have no news. But as it relates to Concierge level, when I inquired about booking a reservation for the next cruise for a specific treatment not offered online, when they learned I was concierge, they said we’ll have no problem getting what we want.

Photography: This is a bit overwhelming but I understand why they’re everywhere. The one that seems like a bit much is at dinner, especially Palo. I know other DISers have mentioned it. We did look at our Palo picture but we didn’t want to buy a picture with a couple ladies in the background. We did end up buying our Parrot Cay photo.

Stateroom Attendant: We had Roger from Costa Rica. Very nice guy and did a nice job. Whenever I would stash the bathroom supplies, he replenished them with new ones…morning and night. One thing to note about tips…you can pre-pay your gratuities in advance of departing home and your tickets and envelopes will be in your SR when you arrive. However, you can not pay in advance more than the recommended amount and have to do so on board or via cash. We almost always tip everyone more except Head Server (unless I have special requests handled). I especially did so with SR attendant since we were in a suite. To give him the same amount as someone in a regular room didn’t seem appropriate so we did give him $7 more per person. Our towel animals were Sally Swan, Monkey Mike, and Ella Elephant. He didn’t use the sunglasses set out nearby for any of them.

Scrapbookers: If you get to Downtown Disney, the one new item I saw (or at least new since our last visit) was an embosser for $20 with Mickey ears embossing die and some others. Otherwise, everything seemed the same. On board, they have many more photo and scrapbook albums, and I believe there were about four scrapbook kits…POTC, 2008, general Disney cruise, and something else. The luggage tags weren’t put out at Guest Services until around 7:00 PM so don’t panic if you don’t see them in the afternoon.

Characters Sessions: There are so many character sessions – even on the 3nt cruise. IMHO, it’s still better than trying to get everyone at the parks.

On-Board Rebooking: Make sure you do this as early as possible. If you decide to go through with the quote provided before you depart, they will charge your credit card…not your stateroom. I haven’t checked with the CC company yet but I was told that it would be half-off deposit and we have our OBC. However, we booked a four-night Labor Day cruise for next year with the intention of pushing it out to 2011 as dates are released. There is NO guarantee we will have our OBC come our cruise but worst case is we lose it. For a cat 6 with transfers (no TI, no air) we were quoted right around $1738 for 2 adults.

Also: I highly recommend taking a power strip. In the suite, we had four outlets useable for normal items and it wasn’t enough for all of our electronics but we made due. I think it’s even less in our usual Cat 6 room. I wish I had also taken a door stop or two. Regarding SR door decs, I saw 90% of the rooms on Deck 8 and there was only one other one with SR door decs. I printed the ears from the DIS boards and posted them. I also had a different sign for each day and slipped them in a job ticket sleeve that had magnets attached on the back. Nothing fancy…but I do love the ears!!! If you need to cash a personal check, the limit is $100 for the cruise (at least for a 3nt cruise); there’s no limit on cashing traveler’s checks.

Disembarkation & Heading Home

I stayed up late and went to GS for our final bills for review while the line was short. (Word of warning…GS lines are very long on the last night throughout the evening and in the morning of disembarkation.) Our breakfast seating was at 7:45 AM. We were done by 8:30 AM and throwing a tantrum as we headed off the ship (ok, not really). We didn’t do on-board airline but will be doing it next time. I do have the info sheet and if you didn’t sign up, you have until the last day to do so. There’s really no reason not to do it if you’re on one of the available airlines…can’t get more convenient. We quickly found our luggage and cleared customs. Once you’ve sailed other lines, you really appreciate that DCL tries to line up luggage in SR numerical order and it’s so easy to find. The two lines were fairly long but moved quickly as we were on the bus by 8:50 AM. By 10:00 AM we were off the bus and at the airport heading to the Hyatt.

On embarkation morning, I booked a day room at the Hyatt which guarantees check-in at 10:00 AM and check-out at 6:00 PM. The standard day rate is $89 plus tax…I think our bill came to right around $100. I will say it was a nice little luxury having the room to take naps, re-arrange luggage, and just relax. Since I’m a meeting planner, I met with one of the managers and he showed me a VIP suite which you can get with one BR, two BR, or none. It’s nice because it has a large sofa-style seating area, dining table, kitchen with refrigerator and microwave, and a full bathroom. You can get that for around $425 plus tax without a BR. It’s nice for large families or a group of linked SRs needing a place to hang out with a long delay before flights. I will say there are a lot of waiting areas throughout the airport but I didn’t see many open seats. It was just nice to be able to explore the airport without hauling our luggage around, and I highly recommend it. We didn’t see many folks using the pool area just because it was so windy. We took our luggage to SW ticket counters then returned to the room for our carry-on luggage and were out by 5:45 PM for our 6:50 PM flight and made it home.

Hope the report helps future cruisers! Have a magical day!

 

[LakeAriel]

We were on the the double dip right before you..Yes Castaway Cay is gorgeous and I am already plotting my next cruise..

On Nassau day we didn't have formal plans either. The previous cruise we did Atlantis and I found it too much walking etc for the price.

Last week we got off and walked around..We bought the tee's etc then walked to the Pirate museum...My younger (adult) daughter and I did that at 12pp and I thought it was a great deal and very interesting..We then went into Christ church, circa 1600's, read the memorials, said a prayer, took some photo's and signed the book...We then when back onboard still refreshed.

 

[Dreamer04]

What an enjoyable report. Thanks for posting.

Ursula

 

[2disneycruzrs]

We then went into Christ church, circa 1600's, read the memorials, said a prayer, took some photo's and signed the book...We then when back onboard still refreshed.

I bet the church was beautiful to see...the old churches and architecture are so amazing!

 

[2disneycruzrs]

What an enjoyable report. Thanks for posting.

Ursula

You're welcome! I have received a lot of info out of reading others' so it's the least I can do.

 

[LakeAriel]

I bet the church was beautiful to see...the old churches and architecture are so amazing!

Thanks...
It was very nice..I love exploring old buildings etc...I was happy with the way our improvised trek went! I understand there is anothere very old and famous church nearby..Next time!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Thanks for your trip report - I enjoyed it! We had done a 3-night in April so this was good memories back for us. I know future cruisers will appreciate the detail, esp about concierge. and how fun for you to be going back soon.

 

[Aunt KatKat]

Jen,

Thank you for posting your report. I really enjoyed reading it. I was really curious about cat 3 stateroom.

Katherine

 

[2disneycruzrs]

You're welcome, Katherine. I will have post another one in late November (same three-night cruise) when I'm sailing another unique Cat 3 stateroom (midship). After that cruise, it's back to my normal Cat 6.

 

[jenseib]

Here’s a trip report but let me warn you, mine is pretty straight-forward and not as fun as TCD’s. I warn you, it’s long…it was seven typed pages! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Thank goodness I have a holiday today to come back to reality and recover while DH had to go back to work (death knows no holiday). That is my first suggestion…take the day off after you return from the trip if possible. I’m doing this report primarily for anyone sailing concierge level because I had a hard time finding trip reports regarding this level but I’ll give my whole perspective. Here’s a little background on us. This was a work “site” trip for me as I’m coming back in November with a small group but DH came along. It was our fourth sailing with our last one being on the Wonder in December 2005, but this was our first as Concierge and were sailing it because all of my attendees will be Concierge level on the next trip (normally, we sail Cat 6 mid-ship) . The entire trip was booked only three months in advance. DH and I love DCL but are not fans of the parks. If we are blessed with children, the kids will experience Disney via DCL but probably not the parks until they’re out of melt-down stage…i.e. teens?

Pre-departure: Earlier in the week, we were really worried about Gustav until we saw him turning as the week went on so we were relieved. I will admit the packing list came in handy as I skimmed it the night before departure and found some items on there that I wanted to take but forgot to pack initially.

Orlando Arrival/Pre-cruise: We flew Southwest and opted to use the Magical Express service to the Beach Club. We waiting in the ME line for about 8 minutes, then in the bus line for another 6 minutes before boarding. In all, it took us 1 hour 12 minutes from arriving at the ME desk to stepping off the bus at BC at 1:00 PM. I will say it was nice not to have to deal with luggage. (When I went down yesterday to take photos and see it, the lines were very long possibly b/c of the holiday.)

Our room was not ready but it was nice they gave us room keys to be able to charge to our rooms immediately. We went to Downtown Disney and while there, received two calls advising room was ready at 2:00 PM. We headed back and our luggage was there for our arrival at 4:00 PM. We had dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse, and despite the recent negative feedback on review sites, we felt it was the same good quality and excellent service we’ve received on our previous two visits.

The cruise desk was closed when we arrived at BC initially but I did call to confirm our presence using the “house phone” that went direct to DCL’s main line, and I checked back with the DCL rep the next morning just to re-confirm with her. That night, we received pre-cruise instructions under our door. We had our luggage ready by 8:00 AM but it wasn’t pulled until about 9:30 AM. We had breakfast at the character breakfast buffet at Cape May. Minnie, Goofy, C/D were there and entertaining as ever. The buffet was decent but nothing spectacular and after tip, it came to $24/person. We didn’t realize you should have reservations but we got in quickly since there were only two of us. Interesting to note, the staff is readily available with sanitizing wipes on the cruise but there were none that we saw nor offered at the buffet where it’s more needed than at a sit-down dinner.

(continues)

Just starting to read this and I love it. Boy you are really lucky to have gotten into Cape May. Free dining is going on right now, and most resturants are totally booked for about a month. Some even added extra hours to accomidate the extra guests.
I have a few questions..I see you went to a Disney resort for the night before. So you can take ME to a resort and then they will ship you off to the port the next day? Was it pretty easy? How did you arrange this? Did you book right through Disney?
I have only read the first post, so some of this may be answered already. What time do they drive you over to the ports? I was half thinking about going the day before to a Value(as the cost wasn't any more really than getting a hotel over near the port, and possibly getting one the day we get off the ship as well and then flying out.

 

[jenseib]

Antoher question..What is SR?

 

[2disneycruzrs]

Just starting to read this and I love it. Boy you are really lucky to have gotten into Cape May. Free dining is going on right now, and most resturants are totally booked for about a month. Some even added extra hours to accomidate the extra guests.
I have a few questions..I see you went to a Disney resort for the night before. So you can take ME to a resort and then they will ship you off to the port the next day? Was it pretty easy? How did you arrange this? Did you book right through Disney?
I have only read the first post, so some of this may be answered already. What time do they drive you over to the ports? I was half thinking about going the day before to a Value(as the cost wasn't any more really than getting a hotel over near the port, and possibly getting one the day we get off the ship as well and then flying out.

Hi there. I never really thought about having to make breakfast reservations but now I know for my group. Since it was just DH and I, it wasn't but a two-minute wait. They did say it was 25 minutes for parties of 4 or more.

Since Magical Express is free, we only had to pay for ground transfers for the cruise. It's $69 if you go from airport to port and port to airport. If you go from resort to port and port to resort or airport, they charge $70/person and we booked right through Disney. We just like the ease of using the Disney transportation. There are only 9 Disney resorts that you can use the cruise transportation from plus Animal Kingdom Park, otherwise, you'll have to handle your luggage on your own. To be honest, I would suggest just doing your land portion beforehand i.e.your two nights then going right from the ship back home afterward rather than doing one before and one after. Whatever you do, I just highly recommend you arrive one day before sailing, whether you stay at Disney or in Port Canaveral the night before is up to you.

As for "SR" - that's just my abbreviation for stateroom.

 

[LakeAriel]

Does magical express care that your plane arrives on Tuesday (let's say) but you aren't using them till the next day because you stayed in the Hyatt over night? Also is it $69 per person regardless of age? I think because we were a party of six we used a van...it saved us half...For just two people I would definately use the Magical Express.

 

[2disneycruzrs]

Does magical express care that your plane arrives on Tuesday (let's say) but you aren't using them till the next day because you stayed in the Hyatt over night? Also is it $69 per person regardless of age? I think because we were a party of six we used a van...it saved us half...For just two people I would definately use the Magical Express.

I'm sorry I can't answer the questions. That was the first time we used it so maybe there are vets on here who can answer. I would imagine for the DCL transportation, the rate probably doesn't change because the seat is the same for all. I could be wrong but yes, for a larger party, it's much better to use your own transportation and allows you slightly earlier boarding at the terminal.

 

[LakeAriel]

Thanks! You reminded me too, with the DCL bus there is a lot of tme spent organizing before departure...

 

[bob_and_dawn]

Thanks for your very useful report. We are in a cat 3 in November and found your information great,

Dawn