New to cruising...lots of questions!!??

[minster22]

A very good friend of mine works for Fedex and has an opportunity to get some very good rates on Disney cruises. I have been to the World lots of times but never been on a cruise ship. From just the little bit I have investigated I can see there is a lot to learn. Any guidance here will be greatly appreciated. First, should we do the cruise first then WDW or cruise after our stay at the world? One of my friends going tends to be clastrophobic {sp?}, is there much of a difference in cabin size and feel between cat. 4, 5, 6?It looks like we should buy all our items separately for the best price. Can we purchase transfers when we buy the cruise even if we do not buy a package? Any tips on rooms, decks and any other secrets will be warmly welcomed!!! We are thinking of going the first week in Sept right after Labor Day, how is this for timing on the ship? How much does "hurricane season" affect cruising? I have read a couple of posts saying that it may be a bit rougher seas...is this really noticeable?? Thank you all!!

 

[mmouse37]

Minster....welcome to the cruise board.

Ok...these answers are in randorm order.

1. Out of the categories you mentioned the Cat. 4 are the largest ...they hold up to 5 people comfortably. The 5 and 6 are basically the same size as each other. The difference being they are on different decks. Check out www.disneycruise.com for deck plans, room configurations and you can get a quote for comparison.

2. Buying the land and sea portion of the package separately do seem to price out cheaper. Check out www.mousesavers.com. There are always codes posted that you could possibly use during your time frame. Cruise rates are definitely cheaper late August into Fall. Even if you book at a certain rate, you can keep checking with DCL to see if a promotion applies to your sailing. Many poster use this sites sponsor, Dreams Unlimed and have been very satisfied with them.

3. Hurricane season technically starts in June and runs through November. Yes, the seas can be a bit rougher if a storm is nearby, the the cruise lines do an excellent job at averting the storms and rough seas. In an extreme case your itinerary may change ports due to weater, but the cruise has never been cancelled. The ships are so large they handle movement very well.

4. I like to do the cruise after WDW, just because it is so relaxing after the hustle and bustely of the World. If you make your own air you can still buy Disney transfers but depending on how many people you have it may be cheaper to rent a car for the trip to the port. Check out Dave's website www.dcltribute.com for all kinds of rental info.

Well, I think that's it for now. Keep posting..That what's everyone's here for to share info.

MJ

5.

 

[patches-4]

The other thing I would recommend for your friend would be an outside room over an inside room either with a porthole or verandah. It just makes the room seem a little bit bigger plus the light from the window or verandah just makes it seem less "close".