Likelihood of VGT for an 8/22 cruise...bad luck...

[NYIceQueen]

Okay so our PIF is 6/8. I know I had posted a while back about the emergency regarding the tire and, well, things happen. To the tune of about $3000 in unexpected emergency expenses AFTER the tire thing.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand now I'm looking at possible gallbladder removal.

Sooooooooooooo....what I'd like to do is cancel the cruise and get our money and keep saving it up. This way if I've recovered enough physically we can then just get the room at a VGT rate when they come out. (if there are any complications, then we just hold off). This will also give us a bit more time to recover financially.

What are the chances a cruise that late in August goes VGT?

Other option that I'm going to give DH is to just save the $ and go with Carnival or something...we'd be saving about $2500.

Advice would be good...Thanks in advance.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

It's possible as USA children are typically back to school but Europeans are still on school leave.

If your still before the PIF date I would say move that booking on to next summer and if you can book a cheap one this year on whatever is available.

 

[Dug720]

It's possible as USA children are typically back to school but Europeans are still on school leave.

Depends on the region. Much of at least the northeast if not other sections doesn't start until after Labor Day, so a lot of those families will hold off on vacations until the south and other regions that start early are back in session.

 

[NYIceQueen]

Depends on the region. Much of at least the northeast if not other sections doesn't start until after Labor Day, so a lot of those families will hold off on vacations until the south and other regions that start early are back in session.

That's our boat. We start the day after Labor Day so 8/22 was the last WC we could do before school started.

Incidentally I'm looking online and the PIF dates all seem to be earlier than 75 days from sailing now, which is strange. I must have missed a change.

I'm in the boat of doing something cheaper and then doing a big Disney thing later on. We're supposed to get some money from the sale of a family property, as well, and so we could use a small part of that to pay for the Disney cruise. I know DH really wanted DCL for the first cruise, though, and he's been through a lot lately. Most important thing is vacationing as a family to him, though, so I'll try to drive that home and then aim for DCL when things improve.

Just wasn't sure the likelihood of a VGT for that sailing since it was so close to school being in session.

 

[NYIceQueen]

It's possible as USA children are typically back to school but Europeans are still on school leave.

If your still before the PIF date I would say move that booking on to next summer and if you can book a cheap one this year on whatever is available.

My PIF date is June 8th. Which is odd because I just went on there since there was a price drop on some rooms and the PIF is...today

 

[tinkerone]

i know the feeling, things certainly do happen. we had to put in a new furnace in february ($4000), a new central air last month ($4000), resurface the driveway this week ($750), bought ds a new fridge for his condo in january ($1200) as well as replace our sofa ($2000). this year has been brutal so far. we are blessed to not have to worry about these things though so i really can't complain.
hope your surgery goes well and everything is okay. i wouldn't count out a discounted room so my fingers are crossed for you. sounds like a cruise vacation is just what you all need.

 

[NYIceQueen]

i know the feeling, things certainly do happen. we had to put in a new furnace in february ($4000), a new central air last month ($4000), resurface the driveway this week ($750), bought ds a new fridge for his condo in january ($1200) as well as replace our sofa ($2000). this year has been brutal so far. we are blessed to not have to worry about these things though so i really can't complain.
hope your surgery goes well and everything is okay. i wouldn't count out a discounted room so my fingers are crossed for you. sounds like a cruise vacation is just what you all need.

Thank you. We'd still go to Florida in August because our family is there...so it's not like the airline tickets would be wasted. But with my luck the way it's going, I'd get to port and have the cruise cancelled due to weather and not even get ON the ship LOL

 

[KEichman]

For what past history is worth, our very first DCL cruise was in a VGT, the last week of August in 2012.

 

[Ofinn]

Is this an On board booking? If it is I would move it to a future date and then ask for all the money back except the deposit. If it's not it really doesn't matter I would just cancel and wait for a VGT. If the VGT does not come out I'm sure they'll be some last minute discounts on Carnival or some other cruise line.

We were going to sail on the Norway cruise next May, but now were probably going to sail on the transatlantic in Sept. We need to get our house painted and do some other repairs. The transatlantic is cheaper and it doesn't have to paid off until May vs January. Is it possible to push the cruise back a few months? Maybe sail in the Fall or Winter???

 

[lbgraves]

Good luck with the surgery. I had mine taken out before Thanksgiving and am just now getting back to what I can consider a normal routine.

 

[NYIceQueen]

Is this an On board booking? If it is I would move it to a future date and then ask for all the money back except the deposit. If it's not it really doesn't matter I would just cancel and wait for a VGT. If the VGT does not come out I'm sure they'll be some last minute discounts on Carnival or some other cruise line.

We were going to sail on the Norway cruise next May, but now were probably going to sail on the transatlantic in Sept. We need to get our house painted and do some other repairs. The transatlantic is cheaper and it doesn't have to paid off until May vs January. Is it possible to push the cruise back a few months? Maybe sail in the Fall or Winter???

No, not an OBB - this would be our first cruise.

We would prefer not to do Fall because DD is a freshman in high school and has 9 classes...really the only open time would be Thanksgiving because she'd miss just 3 days, so not as bad, or the Christmas break, and those cruises are an arm and a leg. The Thanksgiving cruise goes to the EC and DH wants WC. But at least I have an appointment with the general surgeon soon.

My thought right now is to follow the advice of just cancelling and getting our deposit money back, have the surgery and save up in the meantime, and then either VGT with DCL or go with someone else. Plus I can see how my recovery is going.

Plan B would be to move it to Thanksgiving, DH can bite the bullet and we do WC next time, and then just stay at a resort or something in Florida. This way if I have any complications, popped stitches, etc, I'm right there versus in the middle of the ocean.

I just wanted to see how likely it was that VGTs popped up in the summer. It looks like while rare they do, and I just have to be ready to jump on them.

 

[NYIceQueen]

Good luck with the surgery. I had mine taken out before Thanksgiving and am just now getting back to what I can consider a normal routine.

Thanks...and yikes that long??!?!? My worry is getting cleared, going on the cruise and then just feeling too sick to enjoy all that lovely food we're paying for but one step at a time, I guess.

 

[Shea&Van]

I had my gallbladder removed in late February and we cruised in late March. I had a modified laprascopic procedure (my incisions are larger than what is considered "normal" but not so large as to be considered an "open" surgery). I still cannot eat certain foods and have some bathroom issues (i.e. running to make it - sorry for the TMI).

With all that said, we cruised and we LOVED it! We had trip insurance, but once I found out about my gallbladder it had to be removed PRONTO. We decided to go for it and take the cruise as we had planned. My doc said four weeks and we just made it. I was really nervous, but I'm SO glad I went! I enjoyed the food but just ate smaller portions at first to test what worked and what didn't work. I was able to move around fine and carried my luggage etc. I just took it a little easier than usual, but I was really okay. My incisions were healed up (thanks Vitamin E!) and I was able to swim (the doc okayed it). We spent the week prior in WDW and I did avoid some of the big rollercoasters. But the cruise was AMAZING and I have no regrets taking the trip!

My suggestion is to get your surgery scheduled soon and as long as you allow yourself about a month, I think you'll be good to go. It was just the sort of relaxation I needed!

Good luck with whatever you decide! And best of luck with the surgery.