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

[Deb T.]

Hi! This cruise will be the first ever for my family and me, and unlike planning for WDW this has been a little intimidating. Does anyone know if any of the excursions have sold out yet or have limited availability? I tried talking to DCL but they weren't helpful. Also, if anyone has any Europe-specific tips for an American, it would be greatly appreciated!

FunluvinJ23! We're glad you joined us!

I would be more than happy to check availability on DCL excursions for you. It would take a very long time to inventory each excursion that DCL is offering, so please let me know which ones are you hoping to book in each port so I can check them for you.

 

[FunluvinJ23]

Thanks a lot @Deb T. I'm really interested in:

• Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive experience (Copenhagen)
• Panoramic Copenhagen and Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen)
• Ice Bar and Old Town (Stockholm)
• Walk the Towers of Tallinn
• Tallinn and Maritime Museum

This will be a big help!

 

[Deb T.]

Thanks a lot @Deb T. I'm really interested in:

• Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive experience (Copenhagen)
• Panoramic Copenhagen and Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen)
• Ice Bar and Old Town (Stockholm)
• Walk the Towers of Tallinn
• Tallinn and Maritime Museum

This will be a big help!

Happy to help! Everything was available! I noted the times each excursion is offered for you...

• Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive experience (Copenhagen) 9:30am on Day 1; 9:30am on Day 2
  
• Panoramic Copenhagen and Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen) 12:15pm on Day 1; 8:30am on Day 2
  
• Ice Bar and Old Town (Stockholm) 12:45pm
  
• Walk the Towers of Tallinn 8:00am
  
• Tallinn and Maritime Museum 8:15am

Happy planning!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

 

[tink too]

DISNEY FANTASY - I've just taken a screenshot of our countdown, too!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just one formal night (first sea day) and a semi formal is later in the cruise (3rd sea day I think), but I'm happy to be corrected on that as I'm trying to remember. Andrew will jump in here to help me out...I hope!

100% correct and Frozen on Tallinn night.

The three rotations are as follows:



A - Animator's Palate, L - Lumiere's, C - Cariocas



Rotation #1: LACLACLACLAC

Rotation #2: ACLACLACLACL

Rotation #3: CLACLACLACLA



Formal night for the sailing will be on Thursday July 23rd and Semi-Formal night will be on Saturday August 1st. There will not be a pirate night onboard this sailing. The second and fourth time you are at Animator's Palate is when we host our two interactive shows in the dining room no matter which rotation you are on.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

DISNEY FANTASY - I've just taken a screenshot of our countdown, too!

Yes 100 today.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hi! This cruise will be the first ever for my family and me, and unlike planning for WDW this has been a little intimidating. Does anyone know if any of the excursions have sold out yet or have limited availability? I tried talking to DCL but they weren't helpful. Also, if anyone has any Europe-specific tips for an American, it would be greatly appreciated!

My tip is to book a private tour in St Petersburg with Anastasia travel, you will see far more, do more, have less people with you, cut the long lines at the Hermitage and Catherine's palace, and for a family be cheaper than DCL. Finally if your going out in the evening you can add it to the day time trip do you do not need to come back on shop and then go back off in the evening wasting an hour or do meeting up.

 

[tink too]

I've sent a message to DCL asking about the option to purchase "in room gifts" in advance as I was hoping to maybe pre-order beers for DH and one of the photo packages. When I went to check out the prices earlier, I found that their website does not give Dover sailings as an option.

Once I receive a response, I'll post the reply here just in case anyone else was curious about this.

 

[FunluvinJ23]

Happy to help! Everything was available! I noted the times each excursion is offered for you...

• Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive experience (Copenhagen) 9:30am on Day 1; 9:30am on Day 2
  
• Panoramic Copenhagen and Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen) 12:15pm on Day 1; 8:30am on Day 2
  
• Ice Bar and Old Town (Stockholm) 12:45pm
  
• Walk the Towers of Tallinn 8:00am
  
• Tallinn and Maritime Museum 8:15am

Happy planning!

Thank you for checking!!

 

[FunluvinJ23]

My tip is to book a private tour in St Petersburg with Anastasia travel, you will see far more, do more, have less people with you, cut the long lines at the Hermitage and Catherine's palace, and for a family be cheaper than DCL. Finally if your going out in the evening you can add it to the day time trip do you do not need to come back on shop and then go back off in the evening wasting an hour or do meeting up.

I've been lurking on the boards for a while now (haha) and I've taken the advice of booking St. Petersburg independently. We are doing a 2 day private tour with Denrus, so we can see things at our own pace and at half the price.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I've been lurking on the boards for a while now (haha) and I've taken the advice of booking St. Petersburg independently. We are doing a 2 day private tour with Denrus, so we can see things at our own pace and at half the price.

Yes I have heard of them some others have used them before, I booked with Anastasia as they were excellent for me and others in 2010.

A private tour IMHO is a must in St Petersburg.

 

[awaghorn]

Just had an email from our TA telling us we are getting a $65 refund as the taxes and charges have gone down.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just had an email from our TA telling us we are getting a $65 refund as the taxes and charges have gone down.

Yes a lot of people are reporting it on our cruise meets that seems an average amount.

 

[awaghorn]

Which cruise meets is that Andrew? Is this not the meet thread?

Also interestingly I thought I would look at availability on the cruise on the DCL website to see if this also indicated they were clearing through anything and the taxes and charges I would get today are much higher than what I was originally paying (i.e. pre-refund). I booked within the first few days of the cruise being announced.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Which cruise meets is that Andrew? Is this not the meet thread?

Also interestingly I thought I would look at availability on the cruise on the DCL website to see if this also indicated they were clearing through anything and the taxes and charges I would get today are much higher than what I was originally paying (i.e. pre-refund). I booked within the first few days of the cruise being announced.

We have " very active" Cruise meets but we are not allowed under the rules here to mention where they are. And cruise meets is plural more then one.


They say here,

PLEASE review the Cruise Meet Policy regarding Cruise Meet and Fish Extender programs. - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3353477

Links to Cruise Meet discussion/Fish Extenders other than those on the DIS may not be posted or offered by any other means (PM, email, "search" directions, etc.).

 

[awaghorn]

gotcha

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

gotcha

Yes not allowed to post links.....

 

[tink too]

Re: The option to pre-purchase In Room Gifts, I received this reply from DCL:

"...I sincerely regret the challenge you have encountered online. This matter has been reported and we are now diligently working towards resolving this issue.

In the meantime, may I suggest contacting our Disney Cruise Line Gifts department for assistance.

You can order exclusive merchandise, stateroom celebrations, floral arrangements, chocolates, food & beverage, and wines to be placed in the stateroom on embarkation day..."

I edited their response only to remove opening/ending formalities and their UK contact details, no other changes were made to their response. I'll be checking the website over the next few weeks to see if they fix this "issue" and will update here if I find that Dover has been added as a departure port.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Re: The option to pre-purchase In Room Gifts, I received this reply from DCL:

"...I sincerely regret the challenge you have encountered online. This matter has been reported and we are now diligently working towards resolving this issue.

In the meantime, may I suggest contacting our Disney Cruise Line Gifts department for assistance.

You can order exclusive merchandise, stateroom celebrations, floral arrangements, chocolates, food & beverage, and wines to be placed in the stateroom on embarkation day..."

I edited their response only to remove opening/ending formalities and their UK contact details, no other changes were made to their response. I'll be checking the website over the next few weeks to see if they fix this "issue" and will update here if I find that Dover has been added as a departure port.

Thank you for that update.