May 23, 2009 (5/23/09) E. Caribbean w/Tortola

[Disneyfalcon]

Darn ... guess I should have logged out & logged back in. I guess once you're logged in, their application is not smart enough to check the date again ... UGH!!! I was able to make my dinner ressies this a.m. for the date I wanted ... it looked like it was still wide open with all dates/times available. I did not get brunch and that's what I really wanted. Will I be able to try again at 90 days? Or do I just have to wait until I get on the ship. I'm so upset!!!

Ang

I'm sorry! I would keep checking to see if anything opens up. Check at the 75 day point too. Also, if you are among the first to board you shouldn't have any trouble getting a brunch.

If you logged in before midnight, you would get this. You would have to log out and log back in.

I discovered this after a few tries. I was able to get everything I wanted for our four cabins, but I couldn't make us reservations together at Palos. I haven't used online booking for a large group before and didn't realize it wouldn't take groups larger than 4. I wasn't reading carefully and kept trying to get it through. That was the cause of my error messages. Once I would get an error message, the whole system was messed up and I had to log out again. So it took until about 1:40 in the morning but I'm glad we're sort of done.

 

[winotracy]

I'm sorry! I would keep checking to see if anything opens up. Check at the 75 day point too. Also, if you are among the first to board you shouldn't have any trouble getting a brunch.



I discovered this after a few tries. I was able to get everything I wanted for our four cabins, but I couldn't make us reservations together at Palos. I haven't used online booking for a large group before and didn't realize it wouldn't take groups larger than 4. I wasn't reading carefully and kept trying to get it through. That was the cause of my error messages. Once I would get an error message, the whole system was messed up and I had to log out again. So it took until about 1:40 in the morning but I'm glad we're sort of done.

I wasn't able to be paid in full by today so I haven't tried getting anything yet That's disappointing about Palo brunch.

On the Magic the largest table for Palo for prebooking is 4 and on the Wonder it is 6. They reserve larger tables for once onboard. If you have reservations for everyone at least, you should be able to link them all together when you get onboard and get one table.

 

[WiscBill]

Big disappointment for us last night.

It turned out that DCL is not offering the two tank scuba dive on our cruise at Tortola (at least it wasn't last night) which Maureen was really looking forward. he diving excursions have always been the high point for the cruises for here. It wasn' that it was fully booked, it's not even available to be booked. We will be calling DCL today to see what's up. Maureen can probably book it on her own (there are lot's of dive shops) but if there are other divers on the board, let her know and she'll try to coordinate this. Strangely enough, the introduction to scuba excursion is available for booking.

This led to a long discussion on what (if any) excursions to book at Tortola or St. Thomas. We finally booked some family oriented snorkeling excursions at both islands. However, if any one is organizing beach trips on Tortola, let us know, since we'll be interested (me and DD, 7), since it's likely Maureen will probably bbe able to get her dive in.

On the plus side, we did make the Palo reservations (dinner, brunch, we decided to skip High Tea) and spa reservations we wanted. I agree with the others that the DCL site seemed a little buggy last night.

Some advice for those booking at the 75 day mark. They do open up some more reservations at that point. As others have stated, you must log into the My Trip part of the DCL after midnight. If you try to log into my trip before midnight, it won't update at midnight. Also, it's important to not only reserve the Palo time or excursion, but also to submit them on the next screen that pops up in order to have the reservation actually confirmed. I usually do that sequentially (make a reservation, then submit, make another reservation, then submit,etc) rather than try and confirm them all at once since a time may fill up while you are adding other reservations.

Now back to planning my take on wine list.

 

[itdjbw]

I also logged in before midnight and kept getting errors etc, I logged out and signed back in and even then got errors and the systems was so s l o w it was driving me crazy but I managed to get Palo brunch and dinner booked before I lost my cool and went to bed
Our friends can only book 75 days out so we will try get the same bookings for them - hopefully we can get tables for 4 then and release these but I didn't want to not book ours incase they decide not to book or something.

Last time I tried to book Palo online the morning that booking opened they were all booked but we never had a problem getting dinner booked once onboard.

 

[itdjbw]

Double post

 

[CajunGirl2]

I also logged in before midnight and kept getting errors etc, I logged out and signed back in and even then got errors and the systems was so s l o w it was driving me crazy but I managed to get Palo brunch and dinner booked before I lost my cool and went to bed
Our friends can only book 75 days out so we will try get the same bookings for them - hopefully we can get tables for 4 then and release these but I didn't want to not book ours incase they decide not to book or something.

Last time I tried to book Palo online the morning that booking opened they were all booked but we never had a problem getting dinner booked once onboard.

Hey Julia,
If you do get brunch with your friends & want to cancel the one you have for 2, let me know. I'm interesting in taking it from you. Maybe you can hang on to it then switch it on board. Or you can let me know when you release & I can pick it up. What day is the brunch for?
Angie

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I wasn't able to be paid in full by today so I haven't tried getting anything yet That's disappointing about Palo brunch.

On the Magic the largest table for Palo for prebooking is 4 and on the Wonder it is 6. They reserve larger tables for once onboard. If you have reservations for everyone at least, you should be able to link them all together when you get onboard and get one table.

Thanks Tracy. I didn't realize that before last night, I'm glad I have some experience with it now.

Disney said the same thing when I called this morning that I could probably get us together when we board. They also said it might be done automatically because we're all linked.

But one of our tables is not at the same time - I couldn't get 3 at the same time, so I don't think they'd move that tables time so we can all be together without asking us. It'd be fine with me of course if they did, I just don't think they will.

We like to board early, so I think we'll get it all worked out when we board. If not, hey, at least we can still all eat there!

 

[winotracy]

Thanks Tracy. I didn't realize that before last night, I'm glad I have some experience with it now.

Disney said the same thing when I called this morning that I could probably get us together when we board. They also said it might be done automatically because we're all linked.

But one of our tables is not at the same time - I couldn't get 3 at the same time, so I don't think they'd move that tables time so we can all be together without asking us. It'd be fine with me of course if they did, I just don't think they will.

We like to board early, so I think we'll get it all worked out when we board. If not, hey, at least we can still all eat there!

We had eight adults we were booking together, all linked, for the PC cruise. I booked two tables for 4 for the same night 1/2 hour apart. Once onboard I went to the Palo ressies and said we all wanted to dine together. They changed one reservation to a table for eight and canceled the first reservation. It was very simply. I would definitely recommend doing this when you first get onboard to make it the simplest.

 

[itdjbw]

Hey Julia,
If you do get brunch with your friends & want to cancel the one you have for 2, let me know. I'm interesting in taking it from you. Maybe you can hang on to it then switch it on board. Or you can let me know when you release & I can pick it up. What day is the brunch for?
Angie

If the system allows me to book for 4 and keep our booking for 2 I will keep it for you and we can switch it onboard. It is for Monday at 10.30am as 11am was already out of ressies.
When is 75 day booking opening?

 

[Disneyfalcon]

We had eight adults we were booking together, all linked, for the PC cruise. I booked two tables for 4 for the same night 1/2 hour apart. Once onboard I went to the Palo ressies and said we all wanted to dine together. They changed one reservation to a table for eight and canceled the first reservation. It was very simply. I would definitely recommend doing this when you first get onboard to make it the simplest.

Thanks Tracy! We plan on doing that exactly that!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

If the system allows me to book for 4 and keep our booking for 2 I will keep it for you and we can switch it onboard. It is for Monday at 10.30am as 11am was already out of ressies.
When is 75 day booking opening?

March 9th.

 

[CajunGirl2]

If the system allows me to book for 4 and keep our booking for 2 I will keep it for you and we can switch it onboard. It is for Monday at 10.30am as 11am was already out of ressies.
When is 75 day booking opening?

I doubt you'll be able to book the 4 & keep the 2. I'll try to get on at the 75 day mark too.

Ang

 

[goofygal1975]

Hey guys, sorry some of you had issues last night. I have heard this has happened before and that you ahd to log out and back in. I'm gald I didn't have to book this weekend...I have been SO sick!! Saturday I only got out of bed once! I slept the whole day. Ugh!

Tomorrow we will be at 3 months to go!!!!

 

[CajunGirl2]

Does anyone remember how long the shows last?
Ang

 

[winotracy]

Does anyone remember how long the shows last?
Ang

Under an hour. Usually about 45 minutes or so.

 

[CajunGirl2]

Hey guys, sorry some of you had issues last night. I have heard this has happened before and that you ahd to log out and back in. I'm gald I didn't have to book this weekend...I have been SO sick!! Saturday I only got out of bed once! I slept the whole day. Ugh!

Tomorrow we will be at 3 months to go!!!!

Hope you are feeling better today. Do you have the flu?
Ang

 

[CajunGirl2]

Under an hour. Usually about 45 minutes or so.

Thanks Tracy. I didn't think it would be longer than an hour.
Ang

 

[CajunGirl2]

This led to a long discussion on what (if any) excursions to book at Tortola or St. Thomas. We finally booked some family oriented snorkeling excursions at both islands. However, if any one is organizing beach trips on Tortola, let us know, since we'll be interested (me and DD, 7), since it's likely Maureen will probably bbe able to get her dive in.

When we decide what we're going to do in Tortola, I'll let you know. We have 2 DDs - one will be almost 9 & the other will be 6.5.

Angie

 

[itdjbw]

March 9th.

Thanks - I guess I will be staying up the night of March 8th

 

[goofygal1975]

Hope you are feeling better today. Do you have the flu?
Ang

No, not the flu..I think my mom had it last week...she was really bad. I think I just have a REALLY bad case of sinus crap...but worse than I've had in a long time. I'm feelign a bit better, thanks!! Slept half the day away..but i guess I needed it!!