November 25th, 2016 - Black Friday on the Wonder

[Huskiesrule]

Group 2 has been started for the FE and it is
Tzbwilsonfam - DH, DW, MIL, DS 2.5
hamm1207/N365PA - DW, DH, DD 1

As always, don't worry about only having 2 as I am sure more people will find us in the summer.
Now, for those of you with little ones, maybe the Wonder will get a revamped water area like the Magic did in her dry dock? It wouldn't surprise me although DCL is not saying what will be done yet.

 

[hamm1207]

I think DCL has to wait to see if the new locks will be open for the PC. If not, they can't add the Aqua Dunk and duck tail--as then it would be too long to fit in the current PC locks. We shall have to play the waiting game and see...

Does anyone have any pre-cruise hotel plans yet? Or transportation to the port/airport?

 

[Huskiesrule]

I thought someone had posted that they were taking reservations for time slots in the new locks on the main page? I think they also said the opening is in June but As for transportation, since I am flying in I will have family pick me up. I am waiting to book a hotel for another couple weeks as Southwest hasn't released their airfare yet and I don't know when I'm flying in. Could be Tuesday or Wednesday and I hope not on Thanksgiving itself. I keep looking at hotels in the hopes one just really jumps out at me, but this is cruise 3 out of Galveston and I like to try new places

 

[hamm1207]

Has anyone looked into the hotels/ground transportation offered by DCL (for extra fee) if you book the hotel through DCL?

 

[Huskiesrule]

Has anyone looked into the hotels/ground transportation offered by DCL (for extra fee) if you book the hotel through DCL?

I know last year their hotel was the San Luis(?), which was a sister hotel to the Galvez. The Galvez had awesome transportation to the ship. As for the DCL transfer from the airport to the hotel, I haven't done it and I wonder if they use a bus or a car? I guess it would depend on how many people came in at the same time. Keep in mind that DCL only picks up and drops off at IAH(International) and not HOU(Hobby) so if you fly Southwest you are on your own for transportation.

And just for fun - May the 4th be with you!

 

[hamm1207]

I know last year their hotel was the San Luis(?), which was a sister hotel to the Galvez. The Galvez had awesome transportation to the ship. As for the DCL transfer from the airport to the hotel, I haven't done it and I wonder if they use a bus or a car? I guess it would depend on how many people came in at the same time. Keep in mind that DCL only picks up and drops off at IAH(International) and not HOU(Hobby) so if you fly Southwest you are on your own for transportation.

And just for fun - May the 4th be with you!

Just got off the phone with DCL. It's $190 for one night before the cruise at the San Luis, plus $90 for transfer to the port (3 people). We've done DCL transfers before in Orlando and it's a bus that picks up at the airport/WDW and drops off at the port. On our last Galveston cruise, we did transportation from port to airport through DCL and it was a bus ($35 per person) to IAH.

We're most likely going to use Galveston Express (it's a new company) which is charging $50 per person (round trip) from HOU to Galveston. We're probably going to stay at Holiday Inn and then catch a cab over to the port.

 

[Huskiesrule]

No offense to the price quoted, but I would think you could do that hotel cheaper by itself anyway. Is it $280 total for transfer to the hotel, the hotel itself, transfer to the port and then transfer back to the airport? If all of that is included, that is not a horrible price I think.

 

[hamm1207]

Just noticed that the Holiday Inn has a free shuttle to the port--called and they confirmed it! Looks like we'll be staying at the Holiday Inn. DCL pricing is a bit outrageous for the San Luis plus transfers--the $90 price quoted was simply for the transfer from the hotel to the port.

 

[Huskiesrule]

Hotels and transportation to the port are usually reasonable for Galveston, it's getting to the hotel and back to the airport that can get pricey. Of course I am surprised for a holiday that the prices aren't higher for the hotels.

 

[hamm1207]

Anyone looked at excursions? I think we're planning on the Graycliff Chocolate excursion in Nassau (we usually just stay on the ship, but we've heard great things about this excursion). We might do KeyWest on our own--depending on where we dock. All we're planning in KeyWest is to go to the marker signifying the southern most point in the US (my husband has a goal of getting his picture there that way he can say he was in the Northern most and Southern most in the same year). On Castaway, my husband will do one of the fishing excursions (it's a tradition of his--he's been on so many, the crews know him), and I'll head to the beach with our daughter. I read on the DCL website that they have complimentary wagons for kiddos on Castaway. Has anyone used them before?

 

[Huskiesrule]

Nassau is definitely staying on the ship and I think the Dream is in port also, so I am hoping for a battle of the horns. Like you, we plan to do Key West on our own although I haven't looked at the excursions so that could change. Castaway is easy - rent a cabana and chill all day

 

[Huskiesrule]

In other news, only 200 days until the cruise

 

[hamm1207]

Is anyone else traveling with super young kiddos? We'd love to meet for a play date! Our daughter is celebrating her first birthday on the first at sea day of the cruise.

 

[hamm1207]

Pre cruise hotel is booked. We decided to go with the Hampton Inn (Shuttle to port was $7 per person + it has breakfast). Now just to pay off the cruise so that we can book port adventures and what not in July...

 

[Huskiesrule]

I will have this cruise paid off by the end of the month and then need to work on my Panama Canal cruise. DCL is making $$ off me this year
ETA - I still haven't decided on a hotel, just depends when I fly in and the best priced hotel I find.

 

[hamm1207]

I will have this cruise paid off by the end of the month and then need to work on my Panama Canal cruise. DCL is making $$ off me this year

I'm jealous! I really want to do the PC cruise!

 

[Huskiesrule]

At cost per night, I think it is a better value than a week long cruise. I think that is why people like the TA and PC cruises, that and more Disney time

 

[hamm1207]

At cost per night, I think it is a better value than a week long cruise. I think that is why people like the TA and PC cruises, that and more Disney time

More Disney time is a never a bad thing...it's always relaxing to be in the "disney bubble." I'd love to do a TA cruise--with all of those at sea days, Oh! the possibilities! You're absolutely right about the cost too...more money you can spend on the ship

 

[hamm1207]

For Key West we've decided to do a trolley Hop on Hop off tour--that way we can hit most of the highlights and stay as long as we'd like. Man is this thread quiet or what... Is it sad that I already have a packing list started?

 

[Huskiesrule]

For Key West we've decided to do a trolley Hop on Hop off tour--that way we can hit most of the highlights and stay as long as we'd like. Man is this thread quiet or what... Is it sad that I already have a packing list started?

That's probably what we will do in Key West as it's the easiest. As to the thread being quiet, I still check everyday in the hopes that the participation picks up. I haven't been on a thread this inactive before. Even the PC cruise thread for next year is more active than this. Kind of sad that that thread has only been going a month and already has more comments than this cruise
Your packing list isn't as bad as I already have all my FE's labeled, packed and ready to go