I need help so bad with DCL

[Southern4sure]

Just this morning I got a wild idea to look into the DCL. I know nothing about ships and cruises....we have none neither.

For starters I dont know what kind of cabin is best of us...There is DH, ME, DS 15 and DS 9. Is there cabins for families or would I need to get 2 cabins? Best or worst floors? I know I will have to take some kind of med to keep from getting sea sick (just I do this). Im thinking around Dec. 05 for a family christmas present or is this to late?

I would appreciate any and all info you could give me. I do not know where to start.

Help,
Southern4sure

 

[alwayslisad]

A family of 4 can comfortably fit into a Deck #2 room - that is what we have gotten in the past and rebooked again. With the ages of your DS's they will be off and about and you probably will have to "make" them come be with you and DH. So this will be a mini honeymoon!

With the cost of a cruise and flights - we chose ( our opinion only ) go for the outside stateroom ( deck #2) it has a great porthole. One Son can sleep on the futon couch and the other can do the bunk in the ceiling - and switch back and forth ( since most boys like the idea of a bed in the ceiling!)

I do not think it is too late to book at all - try some Travel agents as well as the Cruise line itself. I called around and got quotes from many Travel agents - and in the end the DCL was $200.00 cheaper than all others.



Lisa

 

[perdidobay]

Booking for Dec of this year will mean it may be hard to get a room you want and the prices will be up there...... your family will easily all fit in one cabin. I try to stay on deck 5 or 6 as it is quicker to go up to the pools or down to 3 were so many clubs are. But many people prefer the lower of higher decks. If you are worried about motion sickness, you might want to stay on a lower deck, and remember you can get free seasick meds from the health clinic or even the guest services desk. The biggest decision you may have to make is balcony or no balcony. Also make sure you book a cat 9 or better so you have a split bath.

Study up on everything before you make a decision.

 

[Southern4sure]

Thanks so much for the info...I have looked some this morning and it can be over whelming since I know nothing about cruises. We do not have to fly...We just moved to Tampa so that why the "sudden idea'.

Thansk again!
Southern4sure

 

[alwayslisad]

Good morning again

For a 12/03/2005 -7 day Western Cruise outside room - ( with porthole ) it would be (APPROX) (( going through DCL )) $2050.00

 

[Southern4sure]

Good morning again

For a 12/03/2005 -7 day Western Cruise outside room - ( with porthole ) it would be (APPROX) (( going through DCL )) $2050.00

Thats do able....thanks. Im going now to play with some dates.

Southern4sure

 

[perdidobay]

That sounds like a great price! I was thinking you wanted to cruise during Christmas... that is always pricey!
Be sure you get a Florida residents price quote....

 

[alwayslisad]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr7-ovr-overview.htm#


Try here too

 

[ericamanda01]

Be sure to get quotes from: Dreams unlimited, Allseas travel and Dana @micdan.com. These three TA's have some of the best rates around.

 

[alwayslisad]

That sounds like a great price! I was thinking you wanted to cruise during Christmas... that is always pricey!
Be sure you get a Florida residents price quote....

OHHH if you want to cruise DURING Christmas - add mucho bucks to that price. We were going to do a family re-union cruise during Christmas week - and we were SHOCKED at the cost - so we booked 12/02/2006 but the ship will be decorated and all of our children know they are not getting HUGE presents that year!

 

[Southern4sure]

OMG!...I have to choose which ship? What is the difference?

Southern4sure

 

[perdidobay]

The Magic only does 7 night cruises, while the Wonder does 3 and 4 night cruises.

 

[Southern4sure]

It doesnt have to be at christmas time...but it is our family christmas present.

Southern4sure

 

[poconoboatniks]

We've stayed in cat 11 inside cabins twice and cat 10 inside cabin once. We're staying in cat 9 in May(we're traveling with family who get claustraphobic). I wouldn't hestitate to stay in either cat. 11 or 10. We're never in the room and the darkness allows us to sleep a little later in the morning. The split bathroom in the cat 10 is very nice.

Poconoboatniks

 

[Southern4sure]

The Magic only does 7 night cruises, while the Wonder does 3 and 4 night cruises.

Thanks so much! You all have been a blessing pointing me in the right direction.

Southern4sure

 

[Serena6010]

You should definitely get the Passporter book. It has lots of great information for planning a Disney Cruise. You can either purchase the book directly through the following link or you can find it at such stores as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

http://www.passporter.com/dcl/guidebook3e.htm

 

[kwork11]

Hi there! We are in New Tampa and will be taking our first Cruise in Sept. We are a cat 9 room 5018...i looked all over and got about 7-8 quotes. Dana was the best rate for me. Also there might be some Fl resident rates coming out so keep an eye out for those. Where did you move to in Tampa...We moved from St. Louis. We have a 2 year and a 10 year old son. keri

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Here's a site that makes it easy to check prices.

http://www.allseastravel.com/


We love the DCL. We've had an inside Cat 11 (Deck 5 fwd) for four people which we liked a lot, then a verandah room Cat 5 (Deck 7 mid/aft) which was a special treat. We currently are booked on the Magic for 2006 in another Cat 11 (Deck 6 aft). We happen to like the single bath rooms (see my tag). We also aren't in the room all that much and were falling asleep out on the verandah each night, LOL. Others spend a lot of time enjoying their verandahs (or portholes) - it's a personal preference.

We are not claustrophobic in the inside rooms, nor have we ever gotten seasick (though I was initially worried about that, too). There was a difference of $1500 between an inside room and a verandah room on our upcoming cruise. (We're hoping for a quick trip to WDW in the fall with that money).

We like to be aft on the ship on either Deck 6 or 7 which makes it easy to get to most of the places we want to go by stairs since the elevators can get crowded. There is also a "Secret" small deck on 7 aft which can substitute (sort of) for a verandah if you have an inside room. Deck 4 is lovely at night too.

Bottom line is: the price for a DCL cruise can run the gamut depending on when you go and what type of room you get, just like at WDW (also, the earlier you book the cheaper it usually is). For us, we're happy just to be on the ship and try to go when it's not too expensive. We originally wanted to go April vacation week in 2006 but that cruise was $1700 more than our February week. So if we had gone in April and gotten a verandah room it would be appx $3200 more than we're now paying. We also got a 10% discount and a $200 credit since we booked our upcoming cruise on our last one. So there are ways you can save.

Check the Travel Channel for a special they show on the Making of the DCL. It shows how the ships were built and highlights the different aspects of the cruise. Also send away for the DCL video through the website or call 888-325-2500. Good luck!!

 

[we6clarks]

If you don't mind waiting to go after Christmas there are magical rate sailings available in January for 3, 4 and 7 night cruises. You can look at prices on Disney's web site go to Cruises then click on the Magical Rate sailings.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

We love the verandah! Just be warned though, as a first-time cruising family you may get hooked and never be able to sail without one again! (That's what happened to us!)

When we are spending so much on a vacation anyway, we always opt to have the optimal experience, but that's just us.

Whatever you decided to choose- you will have an AWESOME time!