June 23rd 2012 - Commandeering the Disney Fantasy - Pirates back in the Caribbean

[DisneyMama27]

Hello, friends!

I hope I'm not too late to the party! Back when we first booked this trip (October 2010), I checked out this thread and think I posted, but since then job changes made us back up and consider changing the cruise. Before we could pull the plug, DH took another look, checked the current pricing and decided we're going!! SO excited!! Can't believe it's just 105 days away!

My spring break started today (I'm a teacher ) so I will finally have time to go through this thread and see what I've been missing!

 

[Dizzyworld]

Hello, friends!

I hope I'm not too late to the party! Back when we first booked this trip (October 2010), I checked out this thread and think I posted, but since then job changes made us back up and consider changing the cruise. Before we could pull the plug, DH took another look, checked the current pricing and decided we're going!! SO excited!! Can't believe it's just 105 days away!

My spring break started today (I'm a teacher ) so I will finally have time to go through this thread and see what I've been missing!

Happy Reading. Happy Planning.
And enjoy your spring break- from another teacher whose break isn't until the end of the month.

 

[cruisin'Mike]

Hello, friends!

I hope I'm not too late to the party! Back when we first booked this trip (October 2010), I checked out this thread and think I posted, but since then job changes made us back up and consider changing the cruise. Before we could pull the plug, DH took another look, checked the current pricing and decided we're going!! SO excited!! Can't believe it's just 105 days away!

My spring break started today (I'm a teacher ) so I will finally have time to go through this thread and see what I've been missing!

It's never to late to join the party!


Welcome aboard!

Enjoy your sring break and have fun planning.

 

[cruisin'Mike]

I can't believe that it's only a little over an hour until I can book things, and I'm still up in the air over a lot of choices. I guess it'll be interesting to see what I decide on when the time comes...

 

[magiroux]

I can't believe that it's only a little over an hour until I can book things, and I'm still up in the air over a lot of choices. I guess it'll be interesting to see what I decide on when the time comes...

I'm with you, Mike. Nothing jumps out as a must do. On port days I think I could easily make an excursion out of exploring the ship, lazing by the pool and riding the AquaDuck.

 

[magiroux]

Hello, friends!

I hope I'm not too late to the party! Back when we first booked this trip (October 2010), I checked out this thread and think I posted, but since then job changes made us back up and consider changing the cruise. Before we could pull the plug, DH took another look, checked the current pricing and decided we're going!! SO excited!! Can't believe it's just 105 days away!

My spring break started today (I'm a teacher ) so I will finally have time to go through this thread and see what I've been missing!

Never to late for the party. Glad things worked out for you!

 

[wheelerkidz3]

I can't believe that it's only a little over an hour until I can book things, and I'm still up in the air over a lot of choices. I guess it'll be interesting to see what I decide on when the time comes...

10 mins and counting now!! i'm so tired, that i had to set my alarm to wake me just in case i fell asleep. tried catching up on this thread, cuz i always forget to come and read it. hope everyone gets what they have planned for tonite!!

 

[gydell]

Our schedule says we are not in Grand Caymen until 11:30 but the excursion I want starts at 10:30. Do you think I am safe taking it or should I take a later one?

 

[TIGGER/POOH4]

I would think you are safe. It is a DCL excursion. I booked the 7 mile beach break which starts at 10:45am. We'll see in a few weeks after the maiden voyage.

 

[Dizzyworld]

I figured if they were available, DCL was going to have them. Perhaps there is a docking time and an all ashore time?

It took awhile but we got everything we wanted or at least I think we wanted.

I got bumped off twice while making the reservations. A little frustrating. At least I saved/confirmed everything as I was doing it. Then I printed out a hard copy. I doubt I will stay up to check-in since we are staying at the Hyatt MCO the night before and taking a DCL bus to the port.

Good luck everyone. I hope you got the plans that you wanted.

 

[TIGGER/POOH4]

Good morning fellow cruisers. Another week has gone by.
We now have only

weeks to go to the Fantasy.

 

[MrsScooby]

I can't believe that it's only a little over an hour until I can book things, and I'm still up in the air over a lot of choices. I guess it'll be interesting to see what I decide on when the time comes...

I'm with you, Mike. Nothing jumps out as a must do. On port days I think I could easily make an excursion out of exploring the ship, lazing by the pool and riding the AquaDuck.

same here
My DD Kelly wanted to Parasail at CC so that was the only excursion I felt I had to have

I said something to Darren about maybe just staying on the ship and he insisted he wants to at least get off in the ports

I was able to do the online checkin at around 5:30 am
How strict are they about the port arrival time now?
I know they open the port now later than they used to, but not sure if they make you stick with the port arrival time that you get at checkin

 

[3PrincessGrandma]

Welcome DisneyMama27!

How do you find the excursions if you aren't PIF? I have tried with pulling our reservation number but the site keeps telling me we don't have anything saved. I would like to check out the excursions before we are pif so I am ready to book on the 25th.

 

[poohs_hunny]

Welcome DisneyMama27!

How do you find the excursions if you aren't PIF? I have tried with pulling our reservation number but the site keeps telling me we don't have anything saved. I would like to check out the excursions before we are pif so I am ready to book on the 25th.

On the DCL site, just go to the Cruises & Destinations tab and click on Port Adventures. Then choose the port(s) you want to check the excursions for.

 

[Dizzyworld]

:I was able to do the online checkin at around 5:30 am
How strict are they about the port arrival time now?
I know they open the port now later than they used to, but not sure if they make you stick with the port arrival time that you get at checkin

From what I've read it seems mixed. If you are on DCL transportation, your check-in time doesn't seem to matter. If you are driving yourself then it seems it might matter depending on how full the treminal is at the time of your arrival or who is checking you in. I've only read a few people having to wait.

What time did you get? At 3:15 AM, the earliest time available was 11 AM. (Last year they changed the port opening time after I checked in and they still had a 10:30 AM time and it was never changed. I guess now that the port opens at 11 AM, my time is the earliest time.)

 

[TIGGER/POOH4]

We also got a 11am port arrival time. 11am is the earliest time they open up the port now. There have been reports that the parking areas will not open until then and you be made to wait. From what has been reported on the boards DCL is not real strict on arrival times and allowing you in the terminal but there is a catch now. If you have a later arrival time, say 1pm, and arrive at 11am you may still get a 25 boarding number in which case you will have a long wait at the terminal. Bummer. If the terminal is crowded and you arrive early then you will be asked to come back later.

 

[MrsScooby]

From what I've read it seems mixed. If you are on DCL transportation, your check-in time doesn't seem to matter. If you are driving yourself then it seems it might matter depending on how full the treminal is at the time of your arrival or who is checking you in. I've only read a few people having to wait.

What time did you get? At 3:15 AM, the earliest time available was 11 AM. (Last year they changed the port opening time after I checked in and they still had a 10:30 AM time and it was never changed. I guess now that the port opens at 11 AM, my time is the earliest time.)

So they started online checkin at 3 am, wow!
I was surpised to see it open at 5:30 am. I'm thinking when I go to book future cruises I'll make sure I am off from work on "hassle free day"

I got 11 am too and figured that was the earliest available as I had read that they now open the port at 11 am (not 10 am like they used to).
I know this time last year the port embarktion was extremely variable and hard to predict and DCL was trying desperately to fix the problems.

I'm just so relieved to have the Palo/Remy/excursion booking done with. Every time I try to remind myself that it is not crucial to get it all on this night and every time I get myself so stressed
Both my DH and DS came running to help me when I couldn't find the booking buttons like they used to be
I did figure it out eventually, but there were some stressful minutes there

 

[MrsScooby]

We also got a 11am port arrival time. 11am is the earliest time they open up the port now. There have been reports that the parking areas will not open until then and you be made to wait. From what has been reported on the boards DCL is not real strict on arrival times and allowing you in the terminal but there is a catch now. If you have a later arrival time, say 1pm, and arrive at 11am you may still get a 25 boarding number in which case you will have a long wait at the terminal. Bummer. If the terminal is crowded and you arrive early then you will be asked to come back later.

Thanks

I was pleasantly surpised how fast they boarded the Dream last summer. We wound up with number 4 and boarded maybe 5-10 minutes after the people that had number 1 or 2.

 

[Dizzyworld]

So they started online checkin at 3 am, wow!
I was surpised to see it open at 5:30 am. I'm thinking when I go to book future cruises I'll make sure I am off from work on "hassle free day"

I'm just so relieved to have the Palo/Remy/excursion booking done with. Every time I try to remind myself that it is not crucial to get it all on this night and every time I get myself so stressed
Both my DH and DS came running to help me when I couldn't find the booking buttons like they used to be
I did figure it out eventually, but there were some stressful minutes there

I don't know why they open the booking window at midnight but the check-in window 3 hours later. At first I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't open the port arrival time window until I plugged information into the previuos two windows. We don't have our flight times, so I made it look like we were driving. And I didn't have my new credit card handy so I put in half of the information then finally it opened the check-in window.

I feel the same way about booking everything I wanted. True it is not crucial but I like things done so I don't have to think about it. There wasn't anything I would have been upset about if I didn't get it, although my DH wanted to dive at least twice. A few things I might end up canceling anyway. We'll see.

 

[3PrincessGrandma]

On the DCL site, just go to the Cruises & Destinations tab and click on Port Adventures. Then choose the port(s) you want to check the excursions for.

Thanks. Not being computer literate, I get frustrated when things do seem to be where I think they should