Just booked a cruise :) few Qs

[tinkerpea]

We have just booked our very 1st cruise!

It's 4 nights on the dream, after being on the phone for over 2 hours as the CM I was talking to was slow and had no idea what she was doing, I have been told completely different things from the day before when I called up( I would have booked with the 1st person but wanted to check flights )
Anyways apart from the price being way more expensive and not getting connecting rooms even though we're months out, and I was told they had loads the day before.
They have made me book 2 nights at the Hyatt as we fly in the night before the cruise, now I don't mind doing that but I can get it way cheaper then what Disney have charged an we wanted to do a night at AOA instead.

Anybody know if I have to book this night with them? She also made me pay for transfers from the Hyatt to the port with them when I said I wanted to make my own way so we could stop at Walmart on the way.
I'm not at all happy that my choices have been taken from me! So I wanted to make sure I had to do it this way, or can I make my own way and stay somewhere else?

Anything else I need to know about cruising? I've been reading the cruise section of the boards but wanted to ask here as I didn't know if it was different for UK visitors
Thanks

 

[crabbie1]

We have just booked our very 1st cruise!

It's 4 nights on the dream, after being on the phone for over 2 hours as the CM I was talking to was slow and had no idea what she was doing, I have been told completely different things from the day before when I called up( I would have booked with the 1st person but wanted to check flights )
Anyways apart from the price being way more expensive and not getting connecting rooms even though we're months out, and I was told they had loads the day before.
They have made me book 2 nights at the Hyatt as we fly in the night before the cruise, now I don't mind doing that but I can get it way cheaper then what Disney have charged an we wanted to do a night at AOA instead.

Anybody know if I have to book this night with them? She also made me pay for transfers from the Hyatt to the port with them when I said I wanted to make my own way so we could stop at Walmart on the way.
I'm not at all happy that my choices have been taken from me! So I wanted to make sure I had to do it this way, or can I make my own way and stay somewhere else?

Anything else I need to know about cruising? I've been reading the cruise section of the boards but wanted to ask here as I didn't know if it was different for UK visitors
Thanks

Cindy was this through DCL? When are you going? Are you doing it before or after a wdw stay? If you want to stay at AOA then I would have booked that and arranged for coach pick up for the cruise. I think the cruiseline bus only picks up from certain resorts but it would be cheaper to hop on a bus to dtd /park and get on the appropriate resort bus. That way you can get ME to AoA. We paid $35 each way for the transfer from okw to PC. That was 2011.
I was not told I had to book any hotel with them at all and so you have obviously been misinformed. I would certainly email them and complain or ring again and hopefully speak to someone who knows what they are doing. if you book through the cruise site direct it does not say you have to book at the hyatt before the cruise. A sales pitch I think.
Hope you sort it out.

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[crabbie1]

Oh congratulations on booking your first cruise. It really is magical.

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[Elise79]

I have booked (and cancelled ) a cruise on DCL. We didn't have to book any nights through them and could use our own transport.

I did use dreams unlimited though to get on board credit

 

[tinkerpea]

Cindy was this through DCL? When are you going? Are you doing it before or after a wdw stay? If you want to stay at AOA then I would have booked that and arranged for coach pick up for the cruise. I think the cruiseline bus only picks up from certain resorts but it would be cheaper to hop on a bus to dtd /park and get on the appropriate resort bus. That way you can get ME to AoA. We paid $35 each way for the transfer from okw to PC. That was 2011.
I was not told I had to book any hotel with them at all and so you have obviously been misinformed. I would certainly email them and complain or ring again and hopefully speak to someone who knows what they are doing. if you book through the cruise site direct it does not say you have to book at the hyatt before the cruise. A sales pitch I think.
Hope you sort it out.

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Yes I think I have been told the wrong info! I'm not impressed at all,
The women went through our date of births and names 12 times lol!!
I was drawing a tally chart as she was talking! I've paid all these silly extras as she told me I had to transfer with them, and as the cruise is 1st not the Disney stay part that I had to stay at the Hyatt!
Now I've looked at the reviews and I'm fine with the Hyatt but I'm not fine with being told I have to stay there! Plus I can get it cheaper through kayak!
We're doing 18 nights at SSR after the cruise as I knew if I did the cruise last I'd be wishing away the park part lol!
And thank you we're very excited I'm still on the all the invasive drugs ( I'm sure you have seen from fbook) so we need this family time!
I feel really greedy for having 2 holidays so close together especially as we're staying at the poly in October now, but DH says we deserve to make some memories xxx

 

[heatherbelle]

If you've booked through Disney UK, then you will have a fee to change or cancel. If you booked through the US, then usually you can change anything for nothing if before final payment.

If you booked with a UK TA, then you might loose your whole deposit. Just ring them up and ask them how much it will cost you to change things around.

Congratulations on your first cruise by the way, and yes it is better to fly in a couple of days before especially if you are heading to the US. You can either use the magical express to get to the port, or go under your own steam.

If you look on the Disney website for your cruise dates, it should give you availability of connecting rooms and also a price just for cruise element too.

 

[wilma-bride]

I'm not clear about exactly who you booked with. If you booked direct with DCL, then you are under no obligation to book anything extra over and above the cruise (not even their insurance - although it is worth checking that any travel insurance you take out covers you for the cruise).

We are cruising with Disney in October, fly in the night before and are staying at Port Canaveral that night. The lady you spoke to (if it was DCL) probably thought you wanted DCL transfers and, in that case, was probably right in saying that, if you want to use Disney transport to the port and you are not staying at Disney, then transfers only go from the airport. I know they have some kind of arrangement with the Hyatt that you can have your luggage collected from there and taken directly to port so that is probably why - just a misunderstanding.

In all honesty, you are no better off booking direct with Disney than you are through an agent like Dreams Unlimited (who we always use) and you wouldn't have had any of those problems.

Is there any reason you didn't just book online direct with DCL?

As far as whether there are any differences with cruising as a UK citizen, then only a separate check-in line at the terminal and a separate customs/immigration line when disembarking. Otherwise, it's exactly the same. What date are you going?

 

[tinkerpea]

I'm not clear about exactly who you booked with. If you booked direct with DCL, then you are under no obligation to book anything extra over and above the cruise (not even their insurance - although it is worth checking that any travel insurance you take out covers you for the cruise).

We are cruising with Disney in October, fly in the night before and are staying at Port Canaveral that night. The lady you spoke to (if it was DCL) probably thought you wanted DCL transfers and, in that case, was probably right in saying that, if you want to use Disney transport to the port and you are not staying at Disney, then transfers only go from the airport. I know they have some kind of arrangement with the Hyatt that you can have your luggage collected from there and taken directly to port so that is probably why - just a misunderstanding.

In all honesty, you are no better off booking direct with Disney than you are through an agent like Dreams Unlimited (who we always use) and you wouldn't have had any of those problems.

Is there any reason you didn't just book online direct with DCL?

As far as whether there are any differences with cruising as a UK citizen, then only a separate check-in line at the terminal and a separate customs/immigration line when disembarking. Otherwise, it's exactly the same. What date are you going?

I booked with UK DTC, I was on the website and they said to call that number to book the cruise as you couldn't book online,
So I called the number and this is the info I got, except when I called the 1st time ( not the time I booked) the lady knew a lot and didn't tell me I had to stay at the Hyatt or take their transfers, when I called back 2 hours later after I had checked flights I ha the useless CM who had me on the phone 2 hours checked our dob 11 times!! " no joke I did a tally chart as I was so bored" changed details time and time again as she kept Saying she had to start again.
I also booked 18 nights at SSR with them so I could eat free DDP, I've never booked a cruise before or even looked into one,

So apart from following the info on line on the Disney website I ha no idea about doing it any other way.

 

[tinkerpea]

I'm not clear about exactly who you booked with. If you booked direct with DCL, then you are under no obligation to book anything extra over and above the cruise (not even their insurance - although it is worth checking that any travel insurance you take out covers you for the cruise).

We are cruising with Disney in October, fly in the night before and are staying at Port Canaveral that night. The lady you spoke to (if it was DCL) probably thought you wanted DCL transfers and, in that case, was probably right in saying that, if you want to use Disney transport to the port and you are not staying at Disney, then transfers only go from the airport. I know they have some kind of arrangement with the Hyatt that you can have your luggage collected from there and taken directly to port so that is probably why - just a misunderstanding.

In all honesty, you are no better off booking direct with Disney than you are through an agent like Dreams Unlimited (who we always use) and you wouldn't have had any of those problems.

Is there any reason you didn't just book online direct with DCL?

As far as whether there are any differences with cruising as a UK citizen, then only a separate check-in line at the terminal and a separate customs/immigration line when disembarking. Otherwise, it's exactly the same. What date are you going?

Also the lady told me 4/5 times that as I was flying in the day before I had to stay the night at the Hyatt that she was sorry but I had no choice in the matter,
I did know that I had to be picked up from the airport if I wanted transfers with them, but I told her I wanted to make my own way and was told that's not possible I have to stay at the hotel and go with them.

 

[wilma-bride]

Also the lady told me 4/5 times that as I was flying in the day before I had to stay the night at the Hyatt that she was sorry but I had no choice in the matter,
I did know that I had to be picked up from the airport if I wanted transfers with them, but I told her I wanted to make my own way and was told that's not possible I have to stay at the hotel and go with them.

It may be that what you have booked is a land/sea package with them, in which case I don't know what the terms and conditions of that are - it may well be that you have to stay at the Hyatt in order to book it as a package. The way I see it, you have two choices - either cancel the cruise part (and accept whatever cancellation fee may apply), then book the cruise part separately, either through Dreams Unlimited, another US TA or online direct with DCL (www.disneycruiseline.com) or keep it as it is and accept that you will have to stay at the Hyatt and use their transfers (although it may be that, if you have transfers included, that's why she's told you that you can't 'make your own way' there).

I will tell you categorically, though, as others have (and will) that if you book the cruise independently, i.e. not as part of a package you do not have to stay at the Hyatt the night before the cruise (even if you're only flying in the day before) and you can make your own way to the port. DCL don't care where you stay before/after, nor do they care how you get there

 

[Elise79]

I agree with Joh - I think they have booked you a land/sea package which probably has tighter controls especially if you booked through Disney UK.

Might we worth looking at cancellation penalties if its not what you want.

 

[tinkertaylor05]

It does sound like a land and sea package as the others said so maybe they have set restrictions on where you stay If you booked it all separately ie just the cruise direct with UK DCL you don't have to stay or travel by any particular means, I cancelled our Oct cruise that was booked direct with UK DCL and received my deposit back in full.

 

[tinkerpea]

It does sound like a land and sea package as the others said so maybe they have set restrictions on where you stay If you booked it all separately ie just the cruise direct with UK DCL you don't have to stay or travel by any particular means, I cancelled our Oct cruise that was booked direct with UK DCL and received my deposit back in full.

I was too poorly yesterday and today to sit on the phone and sort it, so Im hoping I can do it tomorrow!
I'm pleased you was able to cancel your cruise without losing your deposit I'm hoping they can just teenager the money across to the SSR package part.
As I want to book the cruise with dreams hopefully unless they can sort it out so I'm actually happy! I mean I'm paying over £11000 for the package in total so you would think they would know what they was doing lol.