first post to DCL, never done it before

[mickeymule]

My wife and I are thinking of planning a 4 land 3 sea trip for us a0nd our little girl who will be 8 in 2006. Being we have never done anything like this before, i have tons of questions that I hav not searched for yet,b ut was wondering if someone could help.

1) Is it cheaper to get airfair on our own, or should we include it in the package

2) Does the price include theme park tickets for the 4 days land

3) How does one get from the airport to the world? from the world to the departing port, and finally back to the airport for home?

4) I know food is not included on the land portion, but if I understand a cruise right, food and entertainment is included?

5) What additional costs could one run into on board, or at port (i.e. jetskiing if available etc.)

6) Maybe planning on going mid to late November of 2006, is this a good time, or are there better times? We would rather not take our little one out of school, but looking at the schedual, we may not have much choice.

I just have a ton of questions to help decide if this is what we want to do. Thanks for anyone taking the time to help.

 

[adisneymama]

Hi this will be our first cruise, but between reading this board and a friend who just did the land/sea I think I can help.

Originally posted by mickeymule

1) Is it cheaper to get airfair on our own, or should we include it in the package From what I have read, it is usually cheaper to book your own flights. You also have control over the times that you fly. However, it might be a little more conveinant to book "an all in one". I think that is more of a personal preference.

2) Does the price include theme park tickets for the 4 days land? Yes, it does include the park hopper passes.

3) How does one get from the airport to the world? from the world to the departing port, and finally back to the airport for home? You can either purchase transfers from DCL or you can contact a limo service or taxi. You can also take a shuttle from the airport. I'm not sure if you have to book it in advance or not.

4) I know food is not included on the land portion, but if I understand a cruise right, food and entertainment is included? The food is included on the cruise with the exeption of alcohol and sodas and water ordered from Room Service. Also, there is an additional charge for Palo's.

5) What additional costs could one run into on board, or at port (i.e. jetskiing if available etc.) There are a lot of excursions you could do that cost extra. Go to the DCL website and click on ports of call. You can get a list of them there with prices.

6) Maybe planning on going mid to late November of 2006, is this a good time, or are there better times? We would rather not take our little one out of school, but looking at the schedual, we may not have much choice. We are cruising Nov. 13th. It is a good time of the year. Don't have to worry about Hurricanes and the weather in the caribbean is still warm.
Hope this helps some!

 

[TheWog]

Welcome to the Boards, you will find a wealth of information here. DCL is a great time and experience. I have only been on a 7 day cruise so I am not as familiary with the Wonder.

1. Yes, you can definitely find cheaper airfare on your own and it will better fit your schedule. DCL chooses for you and it is not always the most desired times to travel. I (and many others) recommend arriving a day prior to your cruise to eliminate any worry you may have of missing the ship.

2. I do not know, sorry.

3. DCL offers transportation to and from resorts/airport to Port Canaveral. You can also arrange for a private car service (limo/town car/van) or you can rent your own vehicle. Search this board and there are many reputable companies to use such as Southern Elegance, FL Tours (which sponsors these boards) and Tiffany. Sometimes a private car is cheaper than DCL transfers (which are $49.00 per person round trip).

4. Yes, food is included on the cruise. Alcoholic drinks, soda at a bar, some coffees, snacks (such as candy bars etc ... think movie theater) are not included. Room service you should tip your delivery person a couple dollars. Other than that though you can eat as much as you like pretty much when you like.

5. Jet skis were $40.00 per 1/2 hour in St. Maarten in January. Extra costs could include Palo, spa, photos, alcohol, smoothies, souveniers, excursions, stuff like that. Some are expensive, some are not so much, and some can be avoided if you are concerned. You do not have to go to Palo, you do not have to go to the spa, or buy phots or drink from the bar, or take excursions, but they are out there if you want them. Once you know more you can ask about particular items or do a search here and it may already be answered for you.

6. We love January. Gets us out of the cold and is a decent price for traveling. We took our son out of school and it did not have a bad effect on him. Some will agree with taking him out, others will not.

Hope this helps and have a great time if you decide to go.

 

[Sarangel]

Our first trip to WDW/Cruise on DCL was a 4day land/ 3day/sea trip (on the Magic when they were still doing short trips).

Originally posted by mickeymule
1) Is it cheaper to get airfair on our own, or should we include it in the package

Airfare is almost always cheaper on your own. It also allows you to fly when you like & not at the whim of the cruise line. The downside is that you have to hand off your luggage to the DCL rep & if your filght is late you may miss part of your vacation.

2) Does the price include theme park tickets for the 4 days land

Our package included UPH tickets, so we could go anywhere we wanted and do anything we wanted. Of course, we were so exhausted after hitting all 4 parks + PI that we needed most of the first day on the cruise to recover.

3) How does one get from the airport to the world? from the world to the departing port, and finally back to the airport for home?

We took the Disney Transfers, but if I had it to do over again, I'd book a Limo for the increase in price (we paid $100 for 2 of us for round trip transfers). It also allows you to get to the port when you want & not on the DCL schedule (which is often late enough that you'd miss out on getting reservations at Palo and the Spa if you're so inclined. Palo is the adults only restaurant on Deck 10, and is only available by reservation.

4) I know food is not included on the land portion, but if I understand a cruise right, food and entertainment is included?

All but alcohol (including the "Drink of the Day" that they will try to hand you upon boarding), Sodas not at meals or gotten from the Deck 9 drink station, Movie Theatre snacks, and Palos.

5) What additional costs could one run into on board, or at port (i.e. jetskiing if available etc.)

Wow. You can run into all kinds of extra costs: Excursions, Equipment rental at Castaway Cay, Pins, T-Shirts, Souveniers from the ports of call, Reservations for your next cruise (which will get you a 10% discount if booked on board), and my personal downfall: the DVC purchase that we made on board.

6) Maybe planning on going mid to late November of 2006, is this a good time, or are there better times? We would rather not take our little one out of school, but looking at the schedule, we may not have much choice.

We've gone twice in February & loved it, but November may be as good or better. That's a very personal choice.

I just have a ton of questions to help decide if this is what we want to do. Thanks for anyone taking the time to help.

Go for it, you'll love the trip. You may never be able to just have a WDW vacation again without adding on a cruise.