Is the PASSPORTER worth it?

[nehdeh]

I'm thinking of buying the Passporter for the Disney Cruise Line. Is it worth it? I have gotten so many fabulous tips from this board, does it have lots more information or am I just as well off continuing to read this board?
Thanks!

 

[disneyisfun]

HI Nehdeh,

I bought the Passporter last year when we were taking our very first cruise and it is interesting to read. I think I bought it on Amazon.com with a few other books and got the free shipping. I think you will find it helpful..you probably will already know some things but it is a very resourceful book. By the way, we are cruising on the same cruise.

Denise

 

[Kim&Chris]

I bought the one for Disney World last year, and found that I already read most of the info right here on the DIS.

 

[ArielsMommy]

I have several years worth of the disney World version and the old version for DCL. I love the Disney World ones for the maps and pockets, but the only thing I found really useful about the DCL one was the list of reliable discount cruise agents specializing in DCL. HTH

 

[markºoº]

I am probably in the minority but I did not find the Passporter very helpful. Not that it is bad - it does contain a ton of info. Just that we had already cruised once with DCL and I already knew most of the information from past experience and internet research. Also, a good part of the book is devoted to picking your cruise, stateroom, and booking the cruise. I had already done all that by the time I ordered the book. Most of the information is already readily available for free on the internet but is just not packaged as nicely. The Magical Disney Cruise Guide is an excellent source of info and it is free at allearsnet.com

I think Passporter is good for 2 kinds of people. The compulsive planner who researches endlessly and had 3 versions of everthing planned and the casual planner who wants to devote little time to research and wants all the info in one location. (Please do not take offense to my generalizations - either way is perfectly fine). I'm somewhere in between those 2 categories.

 

[jollytammy]

I'm compulsive--loved it before our first cruise, most likely won't buy again for second...but it is wonderful, I carried mine into line with me at the terminal so I could check out what our dinner rotation was, and when our character breakfast was, so that I knew when to eat brunch at Palo's....
Tammy

 

[la37]

I am scheduled for my first cruise in May. I have been reading these boards for months and I have a Passporter. The only thing I regret about buying the Passporter is that I bought the paperback instead of the Deluxe edition. I love these boards but I also love my Passporter. It is so helpful and easy to read. It is set up so that whatever you need to find can be referenced in seconds. If you decide to buy a Passporter, they have a new edition of the cruise passporter coming out in March 2005. If you don't have to have it before that, then I would wait and get an up to date copy.

 

[GeneralMax]

I think the passporter is a great resource. I lend mine to anyone who asks me abot Disney Cruises. In fact I am lending it out so much that I am thinking of buying another one. If I am reading the web page correctly they are coming out with a new edition in March. Is that correct?

 

[CM_Mom]

The main problem with relying on the boards is that you can't read them on the airplane, in the car, on the bus or in your cabin on the ship when you know you know the answer to some question but you just can't quite remember. For me, it's worth the money.

For those of you who are still running Mom's Taxi, it's a good way to pass the time while you're waiting for football, basketball, gymnastics, piano, etc to be over. I used to get a whole lot of reading and cross stitch done during DD's piano lessons.

P.S. Some of those answers some of us have so quickly....yep, we grab our copy of our Passporter and check it out.

 

[only1mouse]

Although I haven't been on a cruise yet, I'm booked on a West Coast Cruise, this guide is great! I'm anxiously waiting for the 3rd edition as it's supposed to include more information about the West Coast cruises. Regardless, what is in the edition that I have has been great, I feel I have a pretty good understanding of things that are to happen and it will make our cruise much easier to "navigate"!

 

[scrapperjill]

In compairing the Passporter with the dis boards...I think I learned just about the same information here on the boards that I learned in the book. I fall in the "compulsive planner who researches endlessly and had 3 versions of everthing" that markºoº mentioned. So I had to have it. I don't regret getting it...it was very handy when I was at work or other places that I just couldn't log onto the computer. It also came in VERY VERY handy on our trip. (We went this past Sept...between hurricanes. But due to the weather and more hurricanes comming we were rerouted...from the Western cruise and did a motifyed Eastern...but with the handy passporter in my carryon we were able to read up on some of the new ports that we may be stopping at durring our flight to Orlando...and continued through out the cruise as we had our itenary changed just about daily)..

The book is a nice refrence to have. As here on the boards you don't get visuals with photos or diagrams...where in the passporter you do. It also gives you a list and description of each excursion at all the ports..along with prices that were current at time of publishing. They also give you ideas of what to do on your own at the ports.

Well to be honest...the passporter has a lot of information...from the dinning room menus to weather patterns.

Does anyone know if there is a new eddition of the Passporter comming out this year??? I looked at their web site...and didn't find anything about it. Just the new WDW eddition.

 

[disney for me]

The passporter is A+ in my book! I have both versions, the one for WDW and the one for DCL. It has everything you need right at your fingertips! By the way the 2nd edition is on sale now at the passporter web site! Great deal!

 

[njdrumrun]

i am in mark's second group with a slight twist..i don't mind putting in the time to research but i do want it in one location. one book to take..not five. i also don't want to miss anything because i didn't research.

 

[nehdeh]

I heard that they have a new edition coming out in March--I've emailed them asking about it, I'll let you know what I find out.

Now that I've gotten everyone's input, I've decided to buy one (hopefully I can wait on the new one--but I's so anxious to have it!!!!) Next question:

Should I buy the deluxe edition? What "extra" goodies comes with the deluxe and how do you use it?

 

[needAcruise]

Check your local library. (Do I sound like a PBS special?)

Some may have the Passporter. If they don't you can always request it (I did ), although it may come in a month or so. Then you can read it cover to cover. Then you can judge if you should get the 3rd edition.

If you time it right, you can bring the book on the cruise with you!

 

[nehdeh]

Yep, there's a new edition of the Passporter for DCL coming out at the end of March.

 

[DLANGE3386]

buy it at half.com to get a bargain!

 

[Rate Queen]

I like having all my info in one portable, easily referenced place. I took mine on our first cruise so if I needed to I could have a quick reference. It is well worth the price. The deluxe edition has so many pockets to help keep track of papers and such.
I've already ordered the 3rd edition.
Carol

 

[becobscot]

I have the Disney World passporter and so I got a discount on the Cruise Line passporter. I think these books are excellent! I also get the newsletter and it is also very good! The World passporter is great not only to take with you to keep info at hand but if you fill in the info for each day on the pockets you will have the beginnings of a nice scrapbook of your trip! Kudos to Jennifer and Dave Marx!