Eastern Caribbean Fantasy Oct. 5, 2013

[Viking]

Privacy and Facebook are two words that don't go together very well - Just my two cents, of course

We are also looking forward to meeting Y'all.
Next week we're meeting with Ccruise-friends we got to know during our last cruise with Disney in 2006. They're doing a river-cruise on the Danube, which will end in Nürnberg, Germany. That's just about 150 miles from our place and so we're heading over there next week to have a 'mini cruise-meet'

We haven't cruised for quite a while, because we shifted our focus on a different kind of vacation. Since our last cruise we've been to Thailand three times, to Fuerteventura twice, to the US seven times, and did a lot of trips within Europe, including the UK, France, Switzerland, Austria and -of course- Germany.

The new German-built ships and our 20th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday - and a gentle push by our our American friends - made us book the cruise for 2013.

 

[TCCDad]

Hi everyone.

We just booked our first Fantasy cruise yesterday on the last day of our Magic out of Galveston cruise. Hopefully our son's fall break starts on the 7th.

Met some wonderful cruisers and cast members on the Magic and can't wait to meet more on the Fantasy.

Future cruisers of the Fantasy Myself, DW, DS 8 and DS 1.

 

[Kenai1972]

Welcome Aboard FrozenMinnie and TCCDad. I am so excited about this cruise. It looks like it is shaping up to be an amazing time.

 

[pixiehallow]

Hi everyone.

We just booked our first Fantasy cruise yesterday on the last day of our Magic out of Galveston cruise. Hopefully our son's fall break starts on the 7th.

Met some wonderful cruisers and cast members on the Magic and can't wait to meet more on the Fantasy.

Future cruisers of the Fantasy Myself, DW, DS 8 and DS 1.

Welcome aboard TCCDad!

Are y'all wanting join the FE list???

Just let me know if so, and I will get you on the list.

Also, I will send you a PM in just a bit about our group page, and how to join


~Tink~

 

[TCCDad]

Welcome aboard TCCDad!

Are y'all wanting join the FE list???

Just let me know if so, and I will get you on the list.

Also, I will send you a PM in just a bit about our group page, and how to join


~Tink~

Thank you very much. We are so glad to be aboard.

We would love to be on the FE list.

 

[pixiehallow]

Here is the update to the FE

pixiehallow
tiggerb
TamaraH
Calitexan mouse
Roxy217
Viking
actnkidz
MAJPLO
CorEeyore
ARLO1
Mercinursi
Kenai1972
Monami7
jamelynn24
FrozenMinnie
epfootballcutie04
TCCDad

And just a reminder, if you are not on this list and want to be, just let me know. We don't want to leave anyone out that wants to share in the fun of FE gifts

 

[pixiehallow]

Quick question
We typically drive to Florida for our Disney trips
but, since we will be driving DS back out to Florida for college 3 months later, we are planning to fly this time around.
So, our pre-cruise hotel stay needs are a little different than our typical trips.

On to the question part.....

I have read that if we stay in the Hyatt inside MCO, that there is a Disney Cruise line check in desk that we can use (does anyone know the hours this desk is open?). The bonus (as I understand) is boarding passes under #5. However, the price is not a big savings, when you consider the whole staying at an airport thing.

I have looked to try and find out about staying at one of the Disney World Resort Hotels to see if we have access to early check in and if we were able to acquire a boarding pass. However, I have not been to successful. As a matter of fact, the live chat help sent me on a wild goose chase.
Has anyone done a pre-cruise stay at the parks, or does anyone know any information about it?

I know, it seems early to be thinking about this, but since when have I waited on any planning for this trip

~Tink~

 

[NitewolfNovels]

Hello Everyone - just booked this cruise - My husband and 10 year old daughter will be doing the Eastern with you all. We just got done doing the Western on this same ship! It was so totally awesome - the ship was incredible - the service amazing and we are excited to be going again! Looking forward to meeting you all!

 

[pixiehallow]

Welcome aboard Samantha, Jason, and Alexa (better known as NitewolfNovels)

We are excite to have you join our group, which by the way has got a group page going so that we can get to know each other a little better.

I will send you a link shortly in a PM for the group page.
Also, there is a one stop planning DIS thread for this cruise (with get together, FE info, and party/excursion plans, etc) at Genie's Magic Carpet Tours~Oct. 5, 2013 Eastern Fantasy Ship.

Speaking of FE info...are you interested in being part of our FE???

Looking forward to getting to know y'all.

~Tink~

 

[NitewolfNovels]

Thank you for the warm welcome Pixie!

Not sure about the FE's as I am going with a large group and we are doing them privately within our group - but we might branch out a bit more and I will tell you later if we do.

Thank you so much!

 

[epfootballcutie04]

Quick question
We typically drive to Florida for our Disney trips
but, since we will be driving DS back out to Florida for college 3 months later, we are planning to fly this time around.
So, our pre-cruise hotel stay needs are a little different than our typical trips.

On to the question part.....

I have read that if we stay in the Hyatt inside MCO, that there is a Disney Cruise line check in desk that we can use (does anyone know the hours this desk is open?). The bonus (as I understand) is boarding passes under #5. However, the price is not a big savings, when you consider the whole staying at an airport thing.

I have looked to try and find out about staying at one of the Disney World Resort Hotels to see if we have access to early check in and if we were able to acquire a boarding pass. However, I have not been to successful. As a matter of fact, the live chat help sent me on a wild goose chase.
Has anyone done a pre-cruise stay at the parks, or does anyone know any information about it?

I know, it seems early to be thinking about this, but since when have I waited on any planning for this trip

~Tink~

When we went on the Dream a couple weeks ago we stayed the night before at All Star Music.
I used to be a CM at a couple disney resorts and if you get to the resort before your room is ready they will be happy to store your luggage for you in bell services while you go play in the parks.
As far as early check in for the cruise line goes: it just depends on if you are taking advantage of DCL transportation. If you are, then it just depends on their pick up time at each resort. At all star, they don't pick up until 11am. The bonus was that when we got to the port around 12-1215 we were able to get checked in with maybe a 5 minute wait and then we could walk right on the ship with no waiting.

The earlier you get to the port generally means (and just going by my own personal experience here) the longer wait time that you will have before you can enter the ship.

Just my opinion of course

 

[Viking]

Pixie we stayed on Disney-property twice before a cruise:
-once when we did a a land/sea-combo at Dixie Landings (now: Port Orleans, I think). Here we used the DCL-bus and didn't like it very much as we got dropeed together with 50 other people at the Terminal
-once at the All Stars Movies. We used Tiffany Towncars then. They picked us up at the aiport, took us to ASM, a week later to the Port and after the cruise back to the Hertz rental station at MCO. We loved it - so much that
we used them again.
Once we met with cruise buddies a the MCO airport hotel, had breakfast together and then shared a couple of vans.
And once we stayed at a hotel at the Port the night before the cruise - together with about 15 - 20 other DISers and their families. We first had a bar-b-q at the state park and then partied at the hotel. Next morning we had breakfast there and then most of us drove over there in their personal vehicles, dropped everyone at the Termianl. The drivers then took their cars back and used the hotel shuttle.

Next year we'll rent a car at Tampa airport, drop it at Port Canaveral and take their shuttle to then ship. After disembarkation we'll use the Hertz shuttle again and pick up another car. We'll spend a week before and after the cruise in Florida.

But to answer Pixie's question:
We never cared about when we got aboard. Starting with Cruisetoberfest I in 1999 there were always so many new friends to meet at the Terminal and to chat with that it never got boring
To make that happen we need our T-Shirts, of course, to facilitate recognition.

So just take it easy and don't lose too much sweat on that issue!!!!

 

[pixiehallow]

Thanks for all the advice

Just a little of our cruise back ground...

On all of our past 4 Disney Cruises, we have arrived early, and not had to wait to board. It has actually been one of the big parts of the cruise that the boys look forward to.

As a matter of fact our last cruise was on the Dream, and we had a #1 boarding pass, and we were on the boat before 10 AM. The boys were so excited to get the chance to go and hunt down all of the cast members they were looking forward to seeing, exploring the boat before it got too crowded, and ride the AquaDuck (over and over again) before the hussle bussle of the sail away began.

However, this is the first time that we have joined a DIS group for a cruise. Thus, this is the first time that we will be looking forward to more than our usual. The excitement of finally meeting everyone will be top on the list this trip.

So, is anyone else starting to think about the pre-cruise stay yet???

As for transportation, our oldest (the one celebrating his graduation) wants to take a stretch hummer limo to the port. We will have to see about that

~Tink~

 

[Kenai1972]

Right now we are trying to decide whether to fly in Thursday the 3rd of Friday the 4th before the cruise. If we come in on Thursday we are going to spend Friday at Kennedy Space Center. If we fly in on Friday we will most likely stay at the airport Hyatt.
We are spending a week a WDW following the cruise to enjoy MNSSHP and the Food and Wine Festival.

 

[Viking]

As for transportation, our oldest (the one celebrating his graduation) wants to take a stretch hummer limo to the port. We will have to see about that

~Tink~

Last year we stayed at a hotel in Atlanta that had two stretch Lincoln Navigators the use of which was complimentary within a 3mile-radius. We had them take us to the subway station and pick us up at a mall a couple of times - way cool

 

[NitewolfNovels]

On our last cruise (Oct 13th) we took the auto train down and stayed a night at a SeaWorld Marriott - then was on the ship by noon the next day. Then we stayed a day after again at the SeaWorld Marriott and took the auto train down again.

ON this cruise - we will probably take the auto train again - and either come arrive on Saturday - and say a few days after the cruise to visit some parks. No matter when we come down - we will be staying at Animal Kingdom as we are DVC members.

 

[epfootballcutie04]

We are trying to decide where we want to stay. We know we will be flying down the day before. We don't really want to spend the money on park tickets as we were both cast members so we've "been there and done that" and for the price of park tickets... yikes! My parents are booking us a room with their DVC points so they don't care where we stay. We've stayed at animal kingdom, ssr, okw, pop, all star, wilderness, i've stayed at the contemporary and poly...

I LOVED them all.

I'm thinking I'm leaning more towards animal kingdom savanah view at kidani but I'm so emotionally attached to SSR since thats our home resort, I used to work there, was on the opening team for the grand re-opening of the tree houses which had their grand re-opening on my 23rd birthday, in which i was the first paying guest in one of them to have my 23rd birthday party with all of my college program friends... i stayed there before my wedding, got ready there the morning of my wedding and spent my first night as Mr and Mrs in that hotel. So when I don't stay there I sort of feel like Im cheating on it lol.

Gah... so many choices How about we all go down like 3 weeks early and spend one night in each hotel

 

[mrs stevenson]

Just introducing ourselves-we are Craig and Alison from yorkshire in the UK. This will be our second cruise-we just did the western on the fantasy in october and it just blew us away-we are hooked on cruising. Its just the 2 of us travelling but we are lucky enough to be meeting up with a great group of friends we made via this forum/facebook on the last cruise-many of us already rebooked and we have several staterooms in a row. Hope fully a few more of the group will also rebook. We had an 11c last time which was fun with the virtual porthole but this time we are having a verandah room-7158. I believe we are doing our own little FE group. Hoping to meet lots more great people on cruise number 2!

 

[Viking]

Welcome to our group. It's great to know that we are no longer the only Europeans here

 

[Kenai1972]

Welcome Alison!!!