Cruise 101, please!

[Buckeye Fan]

Would love your advice. We'd like to take a WDW cruise in the summer or 2009. It looks as if the 7 days are out (unless you're paying for them). There doesn't seem to be points for June/July/August for any of the 7 day trips.

Anyway...I know nothing. Can you help with any of the following?
* Any good links to get me started?
* If I want to book, when can/should I call MS?
* I know it's a personal preference, but what category should I choose? It will be me, DH, DS (12) and DD (5).
* Is it truly a bad deal to use DVC points? I know others have said to rent and then pay for the cruise with the cash. Just curious if anyone's really looked at this a little more closely?
* For those of you who have been, is the Disney cruise worth it? We can definitely take a similar trip on another cruise line for less. In my mind, though, I have the Dis cruise in the same category as WDW...there is no comparison!
* Something you wished you had known, but didn't or something you'd do differently if you booked again?

Thanks, all!

 

[DVC Mike]

Pickup a copy of the PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line. It's worth every penny and will help you plan your cruise.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

If you haven't already check-out the cruise boards here on the DIS.

I would strongly recommend getting a veranda cabin. It is so nice to be able to have plentiful daylight in your room, to step out or sit out and just take in the ocean, and it makes the room seem bigger.

 

[Muushka]

Would love your advice. We'd like to take a WDW cruise in the summer or 2009. It looks as if the 7 days are out (unless you're paying for them). There doesn't seem to be points for June/July/August for any of the 7 day trips.

Anyway...I know nothing. Can you help with any of the following?
* Any good links to get me started?
* If I want to book, when can/should I call MS?
* I know it's a personal preference, but what category should I choose? It will be me, DH, DS (12) and DD (5).
* Is it truly a bad deal to use DVC points? I know others have said to rent and then pay for the cruise with the cash. Just curious if anyone's really looked at this a little more closely?
* For those of you who have been, is the Disney cruise worth it? We can definitely take a similar trip on another cruise line for less. In my mind, though, I have the Dis cruise in the same category as WDW...there is no comparison!
* Something you wished you had known, but didn't or something you'd do differently if you booked again?

Thanks, all!

Are you kidding? We live to look at things more closely on these boards!

There are 2 camps in the using points, paying cash debate. And a 3rd sub-group who mixes cash with points. I am in the 'use cash and rent if you absolutely have to' camp. There are lots of threads out there that address the pros and cons of each.

My best advise would be to book early (which you are!), go at a less desirable time (choose late Aug if you can, although that is hurricane season, but so is July). We are veranda people, but we are just 2 adults so it is not as expensive for us. We also had a porthole cabin once and I really loved it. Not as much as the veranda, but way cheaper.

Your attitude about Disney is about the same as ours. We did/do DCL because it is a unique experience. But we have cruised another line and enjoy that one just as much at about 2/3 the price. But we don't have kids, and going on a cruise without as many is also a draw for us.

If you do decide to pay cash, you might check other places to book. We are getting a $300 credit from Sam's Club for a 9/08 cruise. And we got a group rate also, so between the 2 it added up to a $450 or so savings. We booked that cruise several months ago and it is now about $1300 more than when we booked it. And it is at the height of hurricane season. Go figure.

As for something I wish I had known, would do different, well, not much! I live to research.

Good luck!

 

[disneymom8589]

We've been on two cruises and will be going on our 3rd in July 2009. The 1st one was shortly before we were DVC members, so we paid for it all. The 2nd one was last July with our family of 4. We did 1/2 points, 1/2 cash. Our July 2009 cruise is with points. DH and I don't regret using the points, although we know it's not the most beneficial use of them. I guess it comes down to what your personal preference is.

In July 2006 we had a verandah and last July we had a porthole. DH and I both agreed, that although we enjoyed having the verandah, we weren't out there enough to make it worth spending the extra $. The porthole was quite big, so we still felt like we had a great view. Plus, there are plenty of places on the upper decks to enjoy the outdoor scenery. DH likes getting up early on the morning we pull into Castaway Cay and watching them dock the ship.

 

[crisi]

The cruise board here is very good for Disney - though about as insane about cruising as the DVC board is about DVC. Cruisecritic is a general purpose cruise board - if you have interest in exploring different lines.

My "camp" is that you need to look at the particular cruise (room type and time of year) YOU are going on, and compare the cost in points to the cost for cash. Renting is not necessarily an easy slam dunk - and your time is worth something. So you need to think it through for YOU. For us, we don't have a lot of DVC points - cruising would take up all three years of points and we'd still need to pay cash for someone - so we've done both - cruise one year and bank points - go to WDW with DVC points the next year. I don't know what I'd end up doing if I had to choose.

We've always had a veranda - which is nice, but it is a lot more expensive. A lot of people say they don't spend that much time in the room anyway.

What I'd do differently booking again? I'm definately in the minority on this one, but with a four day and a seven day under our belt, I wouldn't book seven days again - too long on a ship. As I said, I'm the definate minority. I also am unlikely to cruise again - the kids favorite parts are the beach and the pool - we can get better pool and more beach (with similar food quality and free drinks) for less money at a Rui or Barcelo all inclusive.