Finally booked first cruise help?

[BeachMouse1]

Ok so I finally booked our first Disney cruise and asking for some help please. It’s a 4 night sailing on the Fantasy.
Just me and my wife.
We booked concierge level
Many questions
I have heard we need to get online like 60 days before to book a boarding time and do our online check in?
Also heard you can’t book boarding time until online check in is completed??
If I pay in full now can I do my online check in as soon as it opens? Would like to get on early as possible to explore the ship.

Also, we would like to eat at Remy and Paolo when can we book those and is there any chance of getting them as first time cruisers? I have heard that people with higher status get to book first

Any other helpful tips appreciated

 

[Mommb]

You cannot book activities or get a port arrival time until your booking windows for activities and online check-in open. This is true for everyone even if they make full pay payment early.

However, if you are booked in Concierge level, you will automatically have an early port arrival time and boarding group number, so you don’t need to do online check-in as soon as it opens.

Concierge guests can also make requests for actives through the Concierge team a few days before booking opens for Concierge, which is before it opens for other guests. You should get a message from Concierge about how and when to send requests. Concierge guests are very likely to be able to book whatever they like at Remy and Palo. The only opportunity that even Concierge guests often have trouble getting is private cabanas at Disney’s private islands.

 

[BeachMouse1]

You cannot book activities or get a port arrival time until your booking windows for activities and online check-in open. This is true for everyone even if they make full pay payment early.

However, if you are booked in Concierge level, you will automatically have an early port arrival time and boarding group number, so you don’t need to do online check-in as soon as it opens.

Concierge guests can also make requests for actives through the Concierge team a few days before booking opens for Concierge, which is before it opens for other guests. You should get a message from Concierge about how and when to send requests. Concierge guests are very likely to be able to book whatever they like at Remy and Palo. The only opportunity that even Concierge guests often have trouble getting is private cabanas at Disney’s private islands.

Thank you so much for this. Truly appreciated

 

[Maxie86]

No need to rush online check-in. Concierge guests do not get a PAT or boarding group. Concierge guests can go into the terminal as soon as the ship is cleared and they open the terminal. There is a concierge lounge to wait in until time to board. Ten days before the booking window opens you can email shoreside concierge with any requests. If you want a cabana you will have to set up an email to send at 12 AM on the day the booking window opens. They are hard to get even for concierge guests.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Just keep in mind, while you do get to email your requests early due to being concierge, you must be paid in full. You will get an email from them. You should be able to get your specialty dinning (Palo etc.) requests without issue. Cabana requests, due to their limited number and popularity-you must send that request right at midnight on the day the concierge window opens. I will say that while that is almost always true, my cruise this March on the Fantasy, with a stop at Lookout, has had cabana availability up until recently (about 100 days out). They are quite expensive and the cruise is on the quiet side in terms of bookings. I would not count on that though, if you want one. On-line check in- while you must do it, you automatically receive your boarding group and port arrival time. You will board early-right after Family of the Day.

 

[lanejudy]

If I pay in full now can I do my online check in as soon as it opens?

When is the cruise? If it’s within 120 days you’ll want to pay it off now and do your activity requests. If more than 4 months out, you can hold off payment for now and do that as it gets near the 120 day mark. Activities cannot be booked until you are PIF.

 

[dreamer17555]

When is the cruise? If it’s within 120 days you’ll want to pay it off now and do your activity requests. If more than 4 months out, you can hold off payment for now and do that as it gets near the 120 day mark. Activities cannot be booked until you are PIF.

For concierge guests they do not have to be Paid in Full to put in requests (I just found that out earlier this year) and the team will book the activities for them if they request them to.

They cannot book activities for themselves in the app until they are Paid in Full but they can email the shoreside team and they will do it for them

 

[lanejudy]

For concierge guests they do not have to be Paid in Full to put in requests (I just found that out earlier this year) and the team will book the activities for them if they request them to

I did not realize that!

 

[dreamer17555]

Yes! I had no idea until recently either. Shoreside will book activities for them before final payment. They cannot book activities themselves in the app but email the team and they can take care of it.