July 22, 2015 * 12-night Northern European Cruise!

[Deb T.]

Does anyone know what time the Dover cruise terminal will open the morning that we sail?

Their website says they open at 9:30am. However, keep in mind that upwards of 3,200 passengers will be debarking first. We arrived there at 11am five years ago and it was a complete and total madhouse! People were still clearing customs and heading to buses and cars as new passengers were arriving. Luggage was everywhere and you couldn't tell what was being offloaded or loaded.

We were dropped off by a limo service and handed our suitcases to a porter who promptly put them on a cart. As we walked toward the terminal, we turned around and happened to notice the same porter roll the cart with our baggage to a median between buses that were still loading debarking passengers!!! We stopped and waited to make sure our bags weren't loaded onto one of the buses. After 15 minutes of observing our suitcases just sitting on the cart by the buses while other arriving passengers' luggage was being sent through a gate toward the ship, we took matters into our own hands. We walked over to the cart, rolled it to the gate ourselves, and handed our bags off to a different porter who immediately threw them into one of the large rolling bins of luggage that would eventually make it onto the ship.

So, based on lessons learned then, we've decided to arrive closer to 1pm when all debarking passengers should be gone and closer to boarding time. The port terminal waiting area is smaller than at Cape Canaveral, with no windows or balcony to see the ship. No sense in sitting inside the port terminal when we can have another two hours in London.

 

[Celestine]

Does anyone know what time the Dover cruise terminal will open the morning that we sail?

The terminal will be open, but boarding will not be until noon at the earliest. In 2010 there was a character M&G, but do not arrive expecting Port Canaveral. We managed to do kids club registration whilst waiting to board. I think they will be quicker to disembark passengers, bt bear in mind there may well be groups of visitors, e.g. travel agents being given a few hours on board in order to sell DCL on return to dry land

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

The terminal will be open, but boarding will not be until noon at the earliest. In 2010 there was a character M&G, but do not arrive expecting Port Canaveral. We managed to do kids club registration whilst waiting to board. I think they will be quicker to disembark passengers, bt bear in mind there may well be groups of visitors, e.g. travel agents being given a few hours on board in order to sell DCL on return to dry land

Agree I was there at 9 am too early and we could drop our bags off and park but the terminal was not open to 10 am. The ship started boarding at 11.15 but I think re recent experience in Barcelona and Vancouver it will be 11.30 am. We get on No 1 as concierge . I will try to report back on the 10th July as I am going to Dover to view the prior cruise and take photos.

Character wise I nearly agree the normal ones wee not there but we had a poor Bert from Mary Poppins, and there were some CMs dressed up as Beefeater guards.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Their website says they open at 9:30am. However, keep in mind that upwards of 3,200 passengers will be debarking first. We arrived there at 11am five years ago and it was a complete and total madhouse! People were still clearing customs and heading to buses and cars as new passengers were arriving. Luggage was everywhere and you couldn't tell what was being offloaded or loaded.

We were dropped off by a limo service and handed our suitcases to a porter who promptly put them on a cart. As we walked toward the terminal, we turned around and happened to notice the same porter roll the cart with our baggage to a median between buses that were still loading debarking passengers!!! We stopped and waited to make sure our bags weren't loaded onto one of the buses. After 15 minutes of observing our suitcases just sitting on the cart by the buses while other arriving passengers' luggage was being sent through a gate toward the ship, we took matters into our own hands. We walked over to the cart, rolled it to the gate ourselves, and handed our bags off to a different porter who immediately threw them into one of the large rolling bins of luggage that would eventually make it onto the ship.

So, based on lessons learned then, we've decided to arrive closer to 1pm when all debarking passengers should be gone and closer to boarding time. The port terminal waiting area is smaller than at Cape Canaveral, with no windows or balcony to see the ship. No sense in sitting inside the port terminal when we can have another two hours in London.

There was one of the four Baltics delayed in, in 2010 you maybe referring to that. I watched 7 am to 5pm on the first one and disembarkation started at 7 am and all off by 10 am but lack of taxis cuased a line for them. On our cruise on embarkation at 11.15 everyone had gone on the cruise before I fact by 10.30 and on my cruise we were off at 7 am and home by 8.30. But there was one delayed by high tides coming in think it was the second one.

 

[OnOurWayToDL]

Guess what was in our mailbox today!

Our Cruise Documents!

 

[Deb T.]

There was one of the four Baltics delayed in, in 2010 you maybe referring to that. I watched 7 am to 5pm on the first one and disembarkation started at 7 am and all off by 10 am but lack of taxis cuased a line for them. On our cruise on embarkation at 11.15 everyone had gone on the cruise before I fact by 10.30 and on my cruise we were off at 7 am and home by 8.30. But there was one delayed by high tides coming in think it was the second one.

I kept a detailed diary of our trip. For our 06July2010 Baltic cruise sailing, the cruise terminal opened to check in arriving passengers at noon. Boarding did not begin until 1pm for Concierge.

This year, DCL published that the terminal will open at 11am and boarding will begin at 1pm. However, we all know that Disney strives to exceed expectations, so as soon as the ship clears customs and is ready for pax, they will commence boarding.

 

[Deb T.]

Guess what was in our mailbox today!

Our Cruise Documents!

That's awesome!!! My mailbox was just full of bills today. Maybe tomorrow...

 

[ICEMANPAD]

Thank you!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I kept a detailed diary of our trip. For our 06July2010 Baltic cruise sailing, the cruise terminal opened to check in arriving passengers at noon. Boarding did not begin until 1pm for Concierge.

This year, DCL published that the terminal will open at 11am and boarding will begin at 1pm. However, we all know that Disney strives to exceed expectations, so as soon as the ship clears customs and is ready for pax, they will commence boarding.

I think you were the cruise after the one that came in late at 9 am the others were in at 7 am.

 

[GenzanoFamily]

Hello Everyone! We're finally get ourselves together for this cruise and I'm so excited.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hello Everyone! We're finally get ourselves together for this cruise and I'm so excited.

Welcome.

 

[Celestine]

Guess what was in our mailbox today!

Our Cruise Documents!

I guess ours will be a little later as they have to make a transatlantic repositioning manouvre!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I guess ours will be a little later as they have to make a transatlantic repositioning manouvre!

Well they are around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ctnurse]

I guess ours will be a little later as they have to make a transatlantic repositioning manouvre!

I was thinking the same thing. When I saw everyone in North America receiving cruise documents, I figured ours are about a week away.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I was thinking the same thing. When I saw everyone in North America receiving cruise documents, I figured ours are about a week away.

Got ours so on the way to you. I think sometimes they post the overseas ones early.

 

[paddles]

Do any of you know if the Faberge museum is very far from where the boat docks? We're doing an ABD tour, and we have a few hours free on the second afternoon, and I'd really like to go to that museum for a quick look. Thoughts?

 

[Karen727]

We got our cruise documents today!

 

[disneylove619]

Yes we got ours over the weekend! So excited!!!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Do any of you know if the Faberge museum is very far from where the boat docks? We're doing an ABD tour, and we have a few hours free on the second afternoon, and I'd really like to go to that museum for a quick look. Thoughts?

You will need to book it as a tour as you can't just get off the ship without a DCL or Private tour the dock is on reclaimed land to the west of the city, they are building the World Cup venues there. It's a good twenty to thirty minute drive to the city on weekdays. The Faberge is in the city centre bear other attractions it takes a hour to tour it. So overall needs two hours.

 

[paddles]

You will need to book it as a tour as you can't just get off the ship without a DCL or Private tour the dock is on reclaimed land to the west of the city, they are building the World Cup venues there. It's a good twenty to thirty minute drive to the city on weekdays. The Faberge is in the city centre bear other attractions it takes a hour to tour it. So overall needs two hours.

Thanks. I'll need to ask the ABD guides if it is at all possible. According to the itinerary, we have an afternoon free to do shopping, etc., so I'll need to see if a stop at Faberge is even possible.

thanks!