DCL arranged airline travel (Alaskan cruise)

[DisneyParkFan]

Has anyone chosen or let DCL to include airfare in your travel reservations? How did that work out for you? Specifically I am interested in the Alaskan cruise. I will be flying out from St. Louis, MO and wonder if they arrange enough time to make it to the ship on time (and my luggage). I am figuring this is the case since I am booking through them, but would like to be sure and hear other people's experiences.

 

[lanejudy]

DCL will schedule flights that -- AS SCHEDULED -- will get you to the port in time for boarding, and they will handle the luggage on time as well. However, you won't have any option with regards to which airline or arrival/departure times. When at all possible, DCL will schedule you to fly on embarkation day, so it could be tight timing; but with the expectation that DCL is fully aware of the travel plans and guarantees to get you onboard the ship regardless of what might happen with the flight.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[touchstone74]

We opted for them to arrange our air. They asked us if we had an airline that we preferred and took that into account when booking our flights. I priced the same itinerary on Orbitz that same day and Disney was almost half the price. We are scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at around 11 am (we leave Cincinnati at 8:15 am, not bad) On the way back they have us leaving Vancouver at around 12:45 pm and getting into Cincinnati at 10:30 pm. Not an ideal time to get home with a toddler, but overall not bad times. We fly through Minneapolis both ways with around an hour layover, give or take, each way. We also had them arranged for air from Florida for my brother's family. It was painless and smooth all the way so far... I will know more within the next month when we actually travel!

 

[thumpie's mom]

We always use DCL for our flights, since they are responsible for getting you there on time. We have never had any problems with the flights. They typically fly us in the day before and put us in a lovely hotel. This is more expensive, but I prefer it for 1) less stress getting there the day before 2) Gives a chance to rest a little before the cruise 3) We had time to walk around the historic Gastown district and have dinner. When we did Alaska, we stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel which is literally across the street from the cruise port. Disney picked up our luggage in the morning and then we simply walked across the street to check in. Later, our luggage arrived in our cabin safe and sound. They also set up a DCL table in the lobby so if you have any questions or concerns, they are there to help you. I highly recommend it. Have a great cruise!

 

[sambycat]

We always use DCL for our flights, since they are responsible for getting you there on time. We have never had any problems with the flights. They typically fly us in the day before and put us in a lovely hotel.

I'm curious to ask where you are flying from? You are the first commenter I've heard who has mentioned typically (or ever) having DCL book them the day before a cruise. Just wondering if your location makes that mandatory or something. We've never explored DCL air for a variety of reasons but primarily because it seems to be typically same day and tight scheduling (although of course they guarantee you boarding. Or meeting the ship. )

 

[thumpie's mom]

We live on the West Coast and each time we have needed to fly we do the pre-night. We do prefer it as it is way less stressful for us. It is more expensive, but we budget for it in advance.

 

[quickcat]

We always use DCL for our flights, since they are responsible for getting you there on time. We have never had any problems with the flights. They typically fly us in the day before and put us in a lovely hotel. This is more expensive, but I prefer it for 1) less stress getting there the day before 2) Gives a chance to rest a little before the cruise 3) We had time to walk around the historic Gastown district and have dinner. When we did Alaska, we stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel which is literally across the street from the cruise port. Disney picked up our luggage in the morning and then we simply walked across the street to check in. Later, our luggage arrived in our cabin safe and sound. They also set up a DCL table in the lobby so if you have any questions or concerns, they are there to help you. I highly recommend it. Have a great cruise!

I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions about this....can you request non stop flights? How far in advance do they give you your flight information? Also, is this included in your cost that is due when the cruise portion is due or is it paid separately? Thanks for sharing, it doesn't seem to come up very much on the boards! I think if we would do Alaska or Europe I would definitely consider this because as you said, it would be nice to have it all taken care of. Thanks again

 

[thumpie's mom]

I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions about this....can you request non stop flights? How far in advance do they give you your flight information? Also, is this included in your cost that is due when the cruise portion is due or is it paid separately? Thanks for sharing, it doesn't seem to come up very much on the boards! I think if we would do Alaska or Europe I would definitely consider this because as you said, it would be nice to have it all taken care of. Thanks again

No problem, that's what the Dis Boards are all about! If you tell them up front that you want Air, then it is included in the initial price. I am assuming you can add it later as well, but we always do it when we book the cruise. We do not pay separate for it, it is included in the total price. They advise you of your flights several months in advance...we are sailing in October and we have had our flight schedule since May or June. This is subject to change in the event the airline makes any changes, but they call and email you any changes. I always call and confirm the flight information with the airline as well, just to be on the safe side. We have requested non-stops and on this upcoming cruise, we actually have non-stops both ways. It does not always work out, depends on the airlines as well. We have always been pleased with their service and the fares sometimes are better than what we could get on our own. It is definitely worth calling them and discussing it. It is worth exploring! Have fun!

 

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Let them do it. You don't have to bother and it will be in you total price. One less thing to worry about. Has never failed us and we have never (literally) missed the boat.

 

[divabydisney]

I say DON'T do it! They charge significantly more and there's no control over flight times. I'm in Des Moines, IA and leave for Alaska in 37 days. I chose to fly into Seattle to save approximately $1K. If I had Disney booking my flights, it would be over $3K for 3 of us. By flying in a couple days early, I have a little more flexibility. Sure it's convenient to have them handle it all, but no way is it worth that much extra. Flying out of St. Louis you have much more options and flight times.

 

[DisneyParkFan]

We opted for them to arrange our air. They asked us if we had an airline that we preferred and took that into account when booking our flights. I priced the same itinerary on Orbitz that same day and Disney was almost half the price. We are scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at around 11 am (we leave Cincinnati at 8:15 am, not bad) On the way back they have us leaving Vancouver at around 12:45 pm and getting into Cincinnati at 10:30 pm. Not an ideal time to get home with a toddler, but overall not bad times. We fly through Minneapolis both ways with around an hour layover, give or take, each way. We also had them arranged for air from Florida for my brother's family. It was painless and smooth all the way so far... I will know more within the next month when we actually travel!

Thanks for your reply, and yes I would like to hear how the travel went for you.

 

[DisneyParkFan]

DCL will schedule flights that -- AS SCHEDULED -- will get you to the port in time for boarding, and they will handle the luggage on time as well. However, you won't have any option with regards to which airline or arrival/departure times. When at all possible, DCL will schedule you to fly on embarkation day, so it could be tight timing; but with the expectation that DCL is fully aware of the travel plans and guarantees to get you onboard the ship regardless of what might happen with the flight.

Enjoy your cruise!

I will enjoy my cruise when it finally occurs. I was curious about the tight timing (in case that happens) and the guarantee of getting on onboard the ship.

 

[DisneyParkFan]

We always use DCL for our flights, since they are responsible for getting you there on time. We have never had any problems with the flights. They typically fly us in the day before and put us in a lovely hotel. This is more expensive, but I prefer it for 1) less stress getting there the day before 2) Gives a chance to rest a little before the cruise 3) We had time to walk around the historic Gastown district and have dinner. When we did Alaska, we stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel which is literally across the street from the cruise port. Disney picked up our luggage in the morning and then we simply walked across the street to check in. Later, our luggage arrived in our cabin safe and sound. They also set up a DCL table in the lobby so if you have any questions or concerns, they are there to help you. I highly recommend it. Have a great cruise!

When they contact me I might see about the possibility of flying in the day before. I did that for my DCL Bahamas cruise but I arranged the air flight and contacted them about staying at the MCO Airport Hilton (I think that was the one) the night before and transfer to the ship the next morning. I would describe it just like you did your Alaskan cruise. and stay at the Fairmont Waterfront.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We always arrange our own air. Nice to hear that some people got a better price. Coming from Chicago we have priced out dcl vs our own air going to Florida, Europe, Seattle, etc. Have never found it to be less and in most cases significantly higher. We always go in night before or two to avoid problems.

 

[DisneyParkFan]

We always use DCL for our flights, since they are responsible for getting you there on time. We have never had any problems with the flights. They typically fly us in the day before and put us in a lovely hotel. This is more expensive, but I prefer it for 1) less stress getting there the day before 2) Gives a chance to rest a little before the cruise 3) We had time to walk around the historic Gastown district and have dinner. When we did Alaska, we stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel which is literally across the street from the cruise port. Disney picked up our luggage in the morning and then we simply walked across the street to check in. Later, our luggage arrived in our cabin safe and sound. They also set up a DCL table in the lobby so if you have any questions or concerns, they are there to help you. I highly recommend it. Have a great cruise!

Thanks. I took your advice and contacted DCL about flying in the day before and staying at the Fairmont Waterfront. It is more for peace of mind for me not having to worry about getting there on time to board.

 

[xlxo]

fyi.... Vancouver is much bigger than all the Alaskan ports combined. Since you are there... you might need additional days pre and post cruise to enjoy all the sights...

Some may choose to fly into Vancouver, but post-cruise to Seattle to check out that city on a $50 shuttle, while enjoying cheaper flights home.

 

[thumpie's mom]

Thanks. I took your advice and contacted DCL about flying in the day before and staying at the Fairmont Waterfront. It is more for peace of mind for me not having to worry about getting there on time to board.

enjoy your stay and the cruise...it is wonderful and amazing!

 

[touchstone74]

We arrived home safe and sound last night and we did make the cruise... But we did have a 3.5 hour delay in Minneapolis on the way to the boat and were the last people to board. There were 17 people on our flight for the cruise. After that experience, I would definitely recommend flying in the day before. I am not sure if Disney will book the air if it is a day in advance, but we had a stressful trip to the ship. Once we were onboard everything settled down, but in the future we will definitely try to travel a day in advance! You will be glad you switched!