December 12 - 19, 2009 Western Magic

[bevtoy]

I'd be jumping on that 99 dollar upgrade like a kid on a trampoline

If I was offered a 9 (from a 12) for $99, I'd take it--as you said, I might have some influence in which room I got (is it an assigned 9 or a 9 gty) and I have a DD who is convinced that she needs "at least a window." As you pointed out, I might get it without paying, but this way I'd KNOW that DD would be reasonably happy. If I was offered a 9 for $300, I'd have to seriously think about it. At this level, I'm tempted to wait and see where the pixie dust falls. Of course, as DD points out, it has been MANY years since it has fallen on me unless you count a 12 to a 10 or 11 (which I don't count).

I've been lucky with paid upgrades, but no recent pixie dust. I was secretly hoping that there might be some "unofficial" action on upgrades for platinums, but posts from the first cruise on the new system look like that's not happening--at least one platinum went from a 12 to an 11. Oh well.....

 

[Scooby3x1y]

I like "Magical Christmas Cruise" instead of holiday cruise. We're only a week away, and for us, the whole two weeks we're celebrating Christmas.

KCashner, I agree. I'm willing to wait for Pixie Dust. For us, we'd be happy anywhere, and that "Cheap" bird on my shoulder keeps telling me that the upgrade money I would spend will happily be spent somewhere else.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

You know what? If I got that call I think I'd jump at that chance.

Don't know if you noticed...but someone from our cruise posted on the main boards that they were phoned and offered an upgrade from a cat 9 to a cat 6 for $300. This is about the same price as an upgrade at the port would cost. It is a very fair offer if the person is interested. The "what you don't know" part is that some people have reported turning down paid upgrades and then getting the same upgrade as pixie dust; there's just no way to predict who will get the pixie dust if no one pays for the upgrade.

What I interpret from this--there are lots of cabins left on our sailing and DCL is trying to get some more money from guests on our sailing. I find it interesting that inventory control is working on us at this point.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Awesome! I think I need to start attending events like this!

I participated in the online cruise fair last night that AAA sponsored. I got a copy of the coupon book from the fair, and I've posted the file in the Files section of the Yahoo group site since I don't know how to post attachments here. There are two coupons for Disney Cruise Lines - a discount at Treasure Ketch, and a discount off of float rentals on Castaway Cay. Not huge, but every little bit helps.

Enjoy!

 

[pxlbarrel]

I like "Christmas Cruise" too...rather than Holiday Cruise. It's my Christmas cruise...even though it's not over Christmas. And I like either the blue background or the tropical one. They're all great!

 

[Shoog]

I like the Christmas Cruise with either the tropical background or ship.

This trip is a huge celebration for us (the week before at DW). My husband finished his MBA in HA over the summer, that he needed for his current job. This trip is the light at the end of the tunnel that kept us all going for 2 years with 3 kids. We are really celebrating this time and I would feel a little weird using P3 when staying in a suite

 

[bevtoy]

Then I will set up Christmas and Holiday versions of the same magnet .
I am still trying to set up a poll but today is hectic today so bear with me.

 

[pamrob]

If you read the other thread regarding upgrades, you'll see we were offered the upgrade as well. However, to upgrade both rooms would cost us $600. At first, I was thinking that wasn't bad but then I remembered what I have paid so far for both rooms. At this point we have connecting cat. 9 with large windows. Can I be happy in those rooms? Absolutely. Would I love a balcony? Absolutely. $600 is enough to pay for excursions, travel to and from Florida (we're driving), or alot of souveniors. We also run the risk of losing our connecting rooms. Traveling with five girls I know the convenience of that is appealing. Would I take the offer for free and deal with not having connecting rooms? Probably so. So for now I'll sit back and let the pixie dust land where it may . . . and hope some lands on us as well as all of you!

 

[kcashner]

If you read the other thread regarding upgrades, you'll see we were offered the upgrade as well. However, to upgrade both rooms would cost us $600. At first, I was thinking that wasn't bad but then I remembered what I have paid so far for both rooms. At this point we have connecting cat. 9 with large windows. Can I be happy in those rooms? Absolutely. Would I love a balcony? Absolutely. $600 is enough to pay for excursions, travel to and from Florida (we're driving), or alot of souveniors. We also run the risk of losing our connecting rooms. Traveling with five girls I know the convenience of that is appealing. Would I take the offer for free and deal with not having connecting rooms? Probably so. So for now I'll sit back and let the pixie dust land where it may . . . and hope some lands on us as well as all of you!

Do you have 5 girls or is this a "bring a friend (s) cruise? My May sailing was with 5 teens in adjoining (not connecting) rooms...and I refused to pay for an upgrade. Sorry, I paid for the friends. They could be happy in an inside cabin.

 

[pamrob]

All five are mine. I asked my TA about upgrading one cabin and using an inside for the other. Since we are in the penalty phase already I would not get any credit for downgrading one cabin. So for now, we'll wait . . .patiently? . .

 

[bevtoy]

I set the pole with two voting options:

1) Penny Pincher's In Paradise

or

2) Magical Christmas/Holiday Cruise

Voting closes on Halloween.
There are two magnets offered for both slogans.

Happy voting!
This is kinda funny because I am an election judge in our township

 

[Shelebeen]

I think if we were offered an upgrade to a cat 2 or 3, depending on cost, we would upgrade... we stayed in a 4 last time and would have again - but didn't like the noise of the chairs on the floor above us (it wasn't horrible, but you could hear them).. so this time we took a 5 with rooms above and below...

We won't get to the port early enough to pay for an upgrade I would guess, we are scheduled for a pick up at the Poly at 11 to avoid the bus lines and the early lines ..

if you call to check on the upgrade, will they just make you pay the difference in what it is worth? Not that you can see what a cat 2 or 3 is worth online (which I think is ridiculous).. but it might be worth it for a "magical" Christmas cruise

 

[HallsofVA]

I think if we were offered an upgrade to a cat 2 or 3, depending on cost, we would upgrade... we stayed in a 4 last time and would have again - but didn't like the noise of the chairs on the floor above us (it wasn't horrible, but you could hear them).. so this time we took a 5 with rooms above and below...

if you call to check on the upgrade, will they just make you pay the difference in what it is worth? Not that you can see what a cat 2 or 3 is worth online (which I think is ridiculous).. but it might be worth it for a "magical" Christmas cruise

Last December we called the week of our cruise and asked what upgrades were available (we were booked in Cat 6's). Someone else on our cruise had already reported that there were no Cat 3's available, but the CM told me there was a Cat 1 and a Cat 2 available for our cruise. The CM was more than willing to sell me an upgrade to a Cat 2 over the phone for $8000 more or something like that. We ended up upgrading at the port to a Cat 1 for $5000 less than that!

 

[Shelebeen]

Last December we called the week of our cruise and asked what upgrades were available (we were booked in Cat 6's). Someone else on our cruise had already reported that there were no Cat 3's available, but the CM told me there was a Cat 1 and a Cat 2 available for our cruise. The CM was more than willing to sell me an upgrade to a Cat 2 over the phone for $8000 more or something like that. We ended up upgrading at the port to a Cat 1 for $5000 less than that!

Hmmm.. things to think about... what kinds of perks do you get in the cat 1-3's that you dont in the 4 and below?

 

[kcashner]

I think if we were offered an upgrade to a cat 2 or 3, depending on cost, we would upgrade... we stayed in a 4 last time and would have again - but didn't like the noise of the chairs on the floor above us (it wasn't horrible, but you could hear them).. so this time we took a 5 with rooms above and below...

if you call to check on the upgrade, will they just make you pay the difference in what it is worth? Not that you can see what a cat 2 or 3 is worth online (which I think is ridiculous).. but it might be worth it for a "magical" Christmas cruise

If you call about an upgrade now (or one day before the sailing) they will charge you the rack rate price. Yes, you will get credit for what you have paid for your existing cabin. I am a little confused...it looks like you are saying that you were unhappy in a cat 4 on deck 8, but you are thinking about upgrading to deck 8 again???? If you upgrade at the port, you pay the "special" price that is only available at the port. Sorry, I have no idea what it will cost to upgrade to a cat 2. However, if you want to upgrade to a suite, it's worth checking at any time. On our May cruise, upgrades to cat 3 and 4 were available at 11:30 am. They're quite expensive, so are less popular than other upgrades. We were quoted $2900 for a cat 3, which was more than I paid for the cruise. We passed. Someday I'd love to stay in a suite, but for 2 of us it's not the way I choose to spend my money.

What you get as concierge perks--you can book excursions/Palo/spa earlier. You will attend a concierge reception where any ressies you don't already have will be available to you. You'll get tickets to Tea with Alice, wine tastings, etc. if you want them without standing in line at GS or having them be filled up. Cat 1 and 2 can order dinner in their cabin from Palo, 1, 2, and 3 can order dinner in their cabin from any of the main restaurants. Each day, there is a "concierge gift" in the cabin--cookies, cheese tray, chocolate strawberries, etc. You get 6 toiletries instead of the 3 in the normal rooms. If you want anything, ever, you can call the concierge and get it. You board first no matter what time you get to the port. You are allowed to stay in your stateroom till 9 on the last day while the rest of us need to be out of our rooms by 8.

 

[Momof3greatkids]

We are also sailing on Dec. 12th. Myself and Husband, Son Age 11, and my mom almost 80! We have done a Eastern Cruise about 5 years ago, and loved it. Our daughter who is all grown up now and married is so jealous she can't come back with us. She is in Pharmacy School, and can't get off. I am so lookinig forward to seeing all the Christams decorations, and shows.

 

[kcashner]

We are also sailing on Dec. 12th. Myself and Husband, Son Age 11, and my mom almost 80! We have done a Eastern Cruise about 5 years ago, and loved it. Our daughter who is all grown up now and married is so jealous she can't come back with us. She is in Pharmacy School, and can't get off. I am so lookinig forward to seeing all the Christams decorations, and shows.

Welcome to the group! We're all eagerly awaiting our cabin assignments. If you plan to do fish extenders with us, you'll need to sign up. We're mostly "Disney dreaming" and wishing it were December....

 

[CRSNDSNY]

2) Magical Christmas/Holiday Cruise

 

[Scooby3x1y]

Welcome Mom of 3!

 

[disneyfan19712006]

We are also sailing on Dec. 12th. Myself and Husband, Son Age 11, and my mom almost 80! We have done a Eastern Cruise about 5 years ago, and loved it. Our daughter who is all grown up now and married is so jealous she can't come back with us. She is in Pharmacy School, and can't get off. I am so lookinig forward to seeing all the Christams decorations, and shows.

Welcome to the gang. We have a meet set on boarding day in the Promenade Lounge at 3PM. It will be short and we can decide what other times we are going to meet.