May 18, 2013 MAGIC EBTA - Who is with us?

[hailey girl]

Haven't been on here for quite some time,so thought I would have a look today and found this post.I automatically thought the transfer would be included(maybe stupidly).how do we go about sorting this out please.thanks for any help you. Give me on this

 

[MandyGirl]

why on earth not???? what difference does it make to them where we are resident?

That's craziness!

You never know what DCL will pull. Last year for 2011 WBTA, DCL put out a MEO rate for the transatlantic and other Med cruises. It was only for European residents, not US, but yet the transatlantic was connecting both continents (Barcelona to Port Canaveral). Price difference would have saved us about $800 off the rate we booked at. You see FL resident rates, but DCL had a European resident rate for the transatlantic.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

we (dh Jim and myself Vicky) will be joining you all on the 14 day transatlantic and then 7 day med.... looking forward to meeting new friends. This will be our 6th Disney cruise. We did the Transatlantic back in 2009 to celebrate or 40th Anniversary and this time to celebrate another year and retirement (YEAH) we don't have a cabin assignment yet, because we just booked with a GTY when we were on the Fantasy in Oct. .... looking forward to the R&R... is . there a FE list anywhere.? would like to participate if so. I have a little reading to do...yikes!

Welcome, and I see Mandy already beat me to the FE information page on the website.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Haven't been on here for quite some time,so thought I would have a look today and found this post.I automatically thought the transfer would be included(maybe stupidly).how do we go about sorting this out please.thanks for any help you. Give me on this

I might be going out on a limb as I've only done the one cruise, but if you booked with a travel agent, I don't believe you'd see a way to add or remove transfers so you'd check with them. If you booked yourself through the website, I know it provides a spot to pick it during the reservation and I thought it showed under your reservation afterwards... We had transfers but since we're heading to Galveston a day early and staying in Barcelona for a couple days, we dropped it.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Check out The "W" hotel ... visible from the Barcelona port. Not sure if it is on DCL's list ... but it's a nice sight! Prices start at 325 Euros for a standard room for June 1st.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3183&PS=EAME_aa_Starwood_Iberia-3183_Google%20US_w%20barcelona%20hotel%20spain_04/23/10

It looks gorgeous. Thanks for the recommendation. However, that would blow my budget on this trip so I'll have to keep looking try to find something more modest.

I was hoping to that Disney would be providing some sort of discounted rate at some of the hotels - I'm not very good at finding good deals.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

On the Podcast cruise, my roommate and I had planned to eat dinner in Cabanas on formal night with other DISers. However, when we informed our server that we wouldn't be eating in the dining room the next evening, she practically begged us to eat there - no matter what we wore!

I found our servers did sort of the same thing (really going out of their way, not the commenting on clothes). I thought they were great. A couple times they made a point of telling us where they were be for lunch the next day and would be pleased to help us out. Even at Castaway Cay.

 

[Tink1987]

why on earth not???? what difference does it make to them where we are resident?

Well it's like they don't offer us flight options etc from the UK - getting quite annoyed with it :-(

 

[Tink1987]

Hi Tink,

We booked the transfers with our travel agent when originally booking the cruise, but after reading your comments we decided to call them to confirm that we did have them - yes no problem.

Thanks very much - I will call them later this afternoon!

Thanks again

 

[Tink1987]

That's craziness!

You never know what DCL will pull. Last year for 2011 WBTA, DCL put out a MEO rate for the transatlantic and other Med cruises. It was only for European residents, not US, but yet the transatlantic was connecting both continents (Barcelona to Port Canaveral). Price difference would have saved us about $800 off the rate we booked at. You see FL resident rates, but DCL had a European resident rate for the transatlantic.

I'll be honest, I'm getting pretty annoyed/upset about it. No flights or anything, not even from
London. Why should I have to keep calling them instead of being able to book it online like others?! :/

 

[Tink1987]

It looks gorgeous. Thanks for the recommendation. However, that would blow my budget on this trip so I'll have to keep looking try to find something more modest.

I was hoping to that Disney would be providing some sort of discounted rate at some of the hotels - I'm not very good at finding good deals.

Goofy, I know booking.com and hotels.com have great sales on right now - booking.com is where I found my great Tremont rate for Galveston. Also, booking.com let you just make a reservation at that hotel, so actual payment won't be required until you arrive at the hotel?

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Something I've been wondering about for a while. I've noticed many people seem to have GTY status rather than a room number. I know what GTY is and is what we had on our cruise but it was a pickable option when I looked on the Disney website back in 2010 for that cruise. I can't see it now for our EBTA. Is it a different rate or is it just that no room was picked?

With recent comments about being less likely to get an upgrade with a room picked, I got to wondering if I should be looking into it. I'm content with my room if it's what I end up with but a little pixie dust or cheap port upgrade would not go astray either.

 

[MandyGirl]

It looks gorgeous. Thanks for the recommendation. However, that would blow my budget on this trip so I'll have to keep looking try to find something more modest.

I was hoping to that Disney would be providing some sort of discounted rate at some of the hotels - I'm not very good at finding good deals.

You guys are 3 adults, staying two nights (or three?) in Barcelona? If three nights, look into apartments like gobcn.com
We found we were NEVER in our room in Barcelona - so much to see. We stayed just north of Placa Catalunya with great access to metro. Just needed somewhere safe to sleep, and that ended up being great walking distance to places. Another place we almost stayed at (a Novotel I think) was not as walkable but in the budget.

I found our servers did sort of the same thing (really going out of their way, not the commenting on clothes). I thought they were great. A couple times they made a point of telling us where they were be for lunch the next day and would be pleased to help us out. Even at Castaway Cay.

That sounds like our experiences as well. In fact, we have requested our assistant server from our November cruise. She was wonderful with my 2 year old, much better than who we had on the transatlantic last year. Friends have now been on the Magic twice this fall, requesting her both times.


By the way - we are on page 100 now!

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Well it's like they don't offer us flight options etc from the UK - getting quite annoyed with it :-(

We had an interesting exchange directly with Disney early on in the planning of this trip. When we called looking for airfare, after seeing how bad it would be booking one-way trips, they said that they could not offer us airfare. I cannot really remember how they said it, but gave us the impression they do not do airfare to Canada at all. However, something (can't remember what), made us go back and re-check with Disney. What it seems like they really meant to say was that they only offer Canada from a couple of hubs - Toronto being one of them. If we'd made our own way to Toronto, we could have used Disney. However, since we decided to extend the trip, we decided not to bother.

Could you be in the same boat (lol, same boat. I crack myself up...) I wonder? Maybe out of London it would have worked?


EDIT. Oops, I should have read further down the posts. You already commented on London...

 

[GoofyNewfie]

You guys are 3 adults, staying two nights (or three?) in Barcelona? If three nights, look into apartments like gobcn.com
We found we were NEVER in our room in Barcelona - so much to see. We stayed just north of Placa Catalunya with great access to metro. Just needed somewhere safe to sleep, and that ended up being great walking distance to places. Another place we almost stayed at (a Novotel I think) was not as walkable but in the budget.

We're just 2 adults. I think we're leaning towards 2 nights in Barcelona, 3 in London. But we might yet switch that. We have not decided on how/when we're getting to London.

I had a look at the other recommendation you made. The Hotel Acta Atrium. It's funny, it has a great rating but the last comment is a bad one from "grumpydude". Wouldn't you naturally discount a little someone's comments who calls himself grumpydude? I'm a fan of bigger hotels - not sure why though. Acta Atrium isn't very big.

We would be roughly the same and not in the room very much. As long as we can still walk after 14 days of cruise food.

 

[Tink1987]

We had an interesting exchange directly with Disney early on in the planning of this trip. When we called looking for airfare, after seeing how bad it would be booking one-way trips, they said that they could not offer us airfare. I cannot really remember how they said it, but gave us the impression they do not do airfare to Canada at all. However, something (can't remember what), made us go back and re-check with Disney. What it seems like they really meant to say was that they only offer Canada from a couple of hubs - Toronto being one of them. If we'd made our own way to Toronto, we could have used Disney. However, since we decided to extend the trip, we decided not to bother.

Could you be in the same boat (lol, same boat. I crack myself up...) I wonder? Maybe out of London it would have worked?

EDIT. Oops, I should have read further down the posts. You already commented on London...

Thanks for the help anyway - and loving the same boat comment

 

[wickesy]

Why should I have to keep calling them instead of being able to book it online like others?! :/

I don't think ground transfers can be added online by anyone after booking. This is what the website says under ground transportation for those making independent flight arrangements:

Ground transfers are available for an additional fee for those making their own flight arrangements. To add transfers to your cruise package, call (800) 951-3532 at least 75 days prior to vacation commencement date. In order to provide transfer service, your inbound and outbound flight details are required.

Maybe somebody in the US can confirm the same comes up for them?

 

[Tink1987]

I don't think ground transfers can be added online by anyone after booking. This is what the website says under ground transportation for those making independent flight arrangements:

Ground transfers are available for an additional fee for those making their own flight arrangements. To add transfers to your cruise package, call (800) 951-3532 at least 75 days prior to vacation commencement date. In order to provide transfer service, your inbound and outbound flight details are required.

Maybe somebody in the US can confirm the same comes up for them?

Thanks Wickesy

 

[gonecrusin]

Jeepers creepers! This return air is making me have heart palpitations. Any suggestions? Called DVC and found out they won't book air for DVC bookings. This is our 13th Disney cruise and I guess we never tried to let them book the air. Yikes!

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Jeepers creepers! This return air is making me have heart palpitations. Any suggestions? Called DVC and found out they won't book air for DVC bookings. This is our 13th Disney cruise and I guess we never tried to let them book the air. Yikes!

Iceland Air will be taking me to Halifax from London. http://www.icelandair.com/

I was extremely shocked myself at Air Canada rates. It was more than 3 times as expensive to book a one way than a return. Your other option might be a return ticket but use just one way - but I didn't like that option so went with iceland air.

 

[gonecrusin]

Iceland Air will be taking me to Halifax from London. http://www.icelandair.com/

I was extremely shocked myself at Air Canada rates. It was more than 3 times as expensive to book a one way than a return. Your other option might be a return ticket but use just one way - but I didn't like that option so went with iceland air.

We are thinking about going to London for a few nights using DVC points and coming home from there. Anyone ever stayed at the Royal Gardens Hotel in Kensington?