Help!!!

[HatboxHaint]

Help! We are booking a cruise! Where should I start my education on all things DCL? I am most confused about how to economically get from MCO to Port Canaveral!

Thanks!

 

[Vicki106]

I can help with your question on transport from MCO to Port Canaveral and back:

There are many ways to get to the Port. We have always rented a car at MCO and then dropped it off at the rental place at PC. And likewise, rented a car at PC and then dropped it at the airport on the way back. This has worked out to be the most economical for our family of 6. We also usually spend a few extra days in Orlando either before or after the cruise and that way we have the rental car for getting around on those days. We always rent through Costco and monitor the rates so we can adjust our rental when the rates go down.

In addition to renting for the days we plan to drive to PC (and around Orlando), you could take Disney transportation, hire a private shuttle or limo, or rent the car for both ways and pay to park it at the Port. Hopefully others will pipe in with their experiences and suggestions.

 

[FSU Girl]

Have you cruised before on a different line? I think first thing you should go to Disney's website and look at the cruises to see what's available. Do you know when you want to sail? How many nights? Their website has a lot of information about the actual ships, and this website is very helpful for any questions you might have.

 

[Rabb it]

A lot of people do Disney transport from MCO to PC, or if they're going from the parks to PC. If you don't know anything about the cruiseline yet, I would request one of the cruiseline DVDs from the website, they're free and really fun to watch!

 

[jrabbit]

RE: all things DCL ----> Well that's a loaded question.

1) You Can't Do It All! Really. But Sleep is for after the cruise.
2) You Can't Eat It All!! But it is a time to try new foods. If you don't like something, your serving team will replace it with something else (NO additional charge)
3) Sun Screen - Early and Often (For Caribbean, Mediterranean and Mexican Rivera Cruises. The SUN IS Different there than where you are from (for most of us)
4) Go with the Flow - life happens even on a DCL cruise
5) Experience the Magic of a DCL cruise. And it is NOT a check list of the best / cool things that have happened to others in the past. Its not a scavenger hunt. But you will know it when it finds you.
6) Don't fly in the day of your cruise UNLESS you have a relatively short flight and there are plenty of back up flight available to get you to MCO. Actually, just DON'T fly in the day of your cruise which leads to the next "rule"
7) Don't Miss The Ship. On embarkation day or on any port day. Pay attention to the ships time (vs local time). You can politely ask the captain to hold the ship for you for a couple of hours because of your onshore touring, but it is NOT going to happen.


That's my basic information.

Additional information....
At WDW you usually are worried about making dining ressies. on DCL DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT. You will be assigned a dining rotation and it will be perfect. Every night you have a reserved table in a specified restaurant. Others (many) will disagree with me, but they have specific requirements. There is NO best MDR (Main Dinning Room) rotation.

Staterooms: They are MUCH SMALLER than you will expect. But the best room for you and your family is different than others. Some must sail with a veranda, others are perfectly fine with an inside stateroom. There are different types of rooms of each class. Verandas can have a clear plexiglass wall, solid metal wall, or be enclosed (with an open air porthole). Oceanveiw rooms (portholes) are mostly based on location. On the classic ships however, deck 1 will have two small porthole vs one large one. Inside rooms vary in size and orientation (some are "sideways")

Extra cost that some first time cruisers consider "hidden". And that would be gratuities. The four tipped positions (Head Server (manager), Server, Assistant Server, Room Steward) are primarily paid by the guests as gratuities. Currently the standard DCL is $12 per Guest per night. So if you are a family of 3 on a 7 night cruise your standard gratuity for the WHOLE Cruise is $12 * 3 * 7 or $252.

There's probably a lot more that you will want to know as you start planning your cruise holiday.

and you wanted to know about how to get to the port...
Since this is your first cruise, I would strongly suggest just adding transfers to your DCL reservation. Currently the cost is $35 per person each way (so $70 round trip). By far not the least expensive, but it is easy and convenient. And this trip helps get you pumped up for your cruise. You get to watch Mickey and the gang get ready for their cruise as well. And you will also get a little orientation of your ship / cruise.

Least expensive is probably renting a car. But there are logistics involved with dropping off the car in Cocoa Beach and getting to the ship ...