More Newbie Questions

[AnthonyAllShore]

We have scheduled our first Disney Cruise on the Wish for 3 nights in Feb. I have some typical newbie questions:

1. When we talk about ships, are there multiple "Wishes" or is there only one ship for each name?
2. Any idea where it says when you are allowed to get on the ship? (I am trying to figure out air fare).
3. I purchased Concierge, is it worth it? Especailly on a short trip?

 

[PezRuth]

1. Disney currently has 5 ships in its fleet. The Wish (which hasn't started sailing yet), the Dream, the Magic, the Wonder, the Fantasy. 2. As concierge, you are able to board the ship first. Generally for most sailings that is around 10:45 but I strongly strongly recommend flying in the day before. 3. We try and do Concierge. For us it is worth it but many others think not.

 

[readyplayer]

There is only 1 Disney Wish. Each Disney ship has a different name; Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and now the Disney Wish. Once you check-in online 30 days before your sailing date, they let you choose a time to board, anywhere from 10:30 to 2 I believe.

 

[Mommb]

1. There is 1 ship with each name. Disney Cruise Line has fewer ships than most other cruise lines that sail from Florida, with 4 ships currently in the entire fleet. The Disney Wish is a brand new ship that begins Florida sailings later this month.

2. You will select a Port Arrival Time when you check in online a few weeks or months before your cruise. PATs begin around 10:30. That's the time you enter the terminal, not the time you board the ship. Boarding using begins around noon. All passengers must be onboard by 4:30, but you should plan to arrive several hours before that in case of traffic delays or other problems. Some people do fly in on the day of departure, but again, due to the possibility of delays/cancellations, many people choose to come into the departure city (or a nearby city) the previous day or night.

3. Whether Concierge is worth it is a personal preference. Some people like have Concierge staff who can help with anything that comes up during the voyage, and some are fine with handling issues themselves at Guest services. Some people like visiting the Concierge lounge for snacks and drinks, and some are fine with getting food and drinks elsewhere.

 

[MonaMN]

One more note on airfare... I don't know where you're coming from, but most would argue that coming in the day before is vastly preferable to trying to do so the day of. Yes, it means adding a hotel night, but it's better than having a flight delay mean that you miss your cruise entirely.

 

[MrsScooby]

I've never sailed concierge before, but I thought once you booked a concierge room you could not change your reservation without losing your deposit?
So, if that is the case, I wouldn't worry about if it is worth it at this point, but look into the ways you can get your moneys worth with it. Concierge can especially make your first cruise so much easier because they will handle many things for you. Do a search for concierge and you will find tons of posts about the perks available.

As for booking the flights, there are way too many sad stories about flights being delayed and people missing their cruises, especially in a winter month like February, to risk flying in day of cruise. So many places to stay the night before your cruise! You can stay at the hotel airport, or a hotel by Disney Springs or a WDW hotel or a hotel by the port.

You should also consider trip insurance at this point as it affects the look back period for any pre-existing conditions. DCL insurance will only cover the cruise so looking into other options to get a broader coverage might be better.

 

[Clarkson U]

As others said - 5 ships each with their own name. The newer and larger ships, Wish, Dream and Fantasy each can hold upwards of over 4000 guests while the Magic and Wonder are "smaller ships". I put that in quotes becuase even though there are a lot less guests (less than 3000 per smaller ship) it doesn't feel smaller at all. All are amazing

We did concierge on our first sailing when kids were really small and while the kids did enjoy it - we ultimately decided that it was "not worth it" for us given that the standard Disney Cruise Line experience is so awesome to begin with. I will agree with many others that the "worth it" debate is a very personal one and each person may come to different conclusions using the same experiences. Also, I do believe that Concierge is non-refundable once you book it. (at least it used to be)

I would definitely fly in the day before regardless of what port arrival time you get. You want to account for any delays in weather or flying challenges. Better to fly in the day before and spend a night in a hotel (which you can do at the Orlando airport or head to the port) than stress out about missing your cruise due to airline issues.

There is a ton of knowledge on this board so ask away your questions, no question is a dumb question and most of all enjoy the trip. It will be fun and over before you know it.