Overthinking room choice, transfer pickup time, everything!

[MomOTwins]

Provided you all don't hate me from my main dining post and still want to help me out with some advice I could really use a sounding board on a couple of details I am trying to work out for my cruise.

Room choice: Right now we are in 7606 which is toward the aft part of midship. A room opened up in 7590 very close to midship elevators. I am wondering if I should switch to avoid the risk of aft vibrations on the fantasy, but I am worried being so close to the elevators will mean a lot of noise in the halls. WWYD?

Transfer: We booked a private transfer from our WDW hotel to the port as we are a large family, but this is the first time we have done so and I don't know what pickup time to choose. I thought maybe 10am to give us time for a nice breakfast and a last swim in the hotel pool before leaving, and so we won't have to wait too long in the terminal. But is that cutting it too close? I don't want to get there so late that the we are stuck waiting in line to check in until after our boarding # is called (we are silver, so we won't be the first or the last to board--probably somewhere in the middle), but I also don't want the kiddos to have to wait too long in the crowded terminal which I hear can be pretty packed. For those with private transfers, what do you recommend?

Onboard activities: I've never booked before the booking date so am a little daunted by the sequence I should use for booking activities to maximize chances of getting them all. I think this sounds right, but can others critique my sequence? I am especially torn about whether to try to book palo or character breakfast first.
1. Check in and PAT (I understand I can do this a little before midnight)
2. Palo brunch for 2 people
3. Character breakfast for 5 people
4. Frozen/Princess M&G for 5 people
5. Port adventures for 5 people (we are doing two: ruins tour on Cozumel and semi-submarine on Grand Cayman)
6. Beverage tasting for 2 people
7. Royal court tea for 2 people (low priority because not sure if I want to spend the $$ and only one kid is interested)
8. Spa massages for 2 people

 

[fredandkell]

Provided you all don't hate me from my main dining post and still want to help me out with some advice I could really use a sounding board on a couple of details I am trying to work out for my cruise.

Room choice: Right now we are in 7606 which is toward the aft part of midship. A room opened up in 7590 very close to midship elevators. I am wondering if I should switch to avoid the risk of aft vibrations on the fantasy, but I am worried being so close to the elevators will mean a lot of noise in the halls. WWYD?

Transfer: We booked a private transfer from our WDW hotel to the port as we are a large family, but this is the first time we have done so and I don't know what pickup time to choose. I thought maybe 10am to give us time for a nice breakfast and a last swim in the hotel pool before leaving, and so we won't have to wait too long in the terminal. But is that cutting it too close? I don't want to get there so late that the we are stuck waiting in line to check in until after our boarding # is called (we are silver, so we won't be the first or the last to board--probably somewhere in the middle), but I also don't want the kiddos to have to wait too long in the crowded terminal which I hear can be pretty packed. For those with private transfers, what do you recommend?

Onboard activities: I've never booked before the booking date so am a little daunted by the sequence I should use for booking activities to maximize chances of getting them all. I think this sounds right, but can others critique my sequence? I am especially torn about whether to try to book palo or character breakfast first.
1. Check in and PAT (I understand I can do this a little before midnight)
2. Palo brunch for 2 people
3. Character breakfast for 5 people
4. Frozen/Princess M&G for 5 people
5. Port adventures for 5 people (we are doing two: ruins tour on Cozumel and semi-submarine on Grand Cayman)
6. Beverage tasting for 2 people
7. Royal court tea for 2 people (low priority because not sure if I want to spend the $$ and only one kid is interested)
8. Spa massages for 2 people

I would switch to the midship state room. I have stayed right by the elevators and cannot hear a thing. I do always travel with a white noise machine but the newer ships have pretty darn good soundproofing. As far as your order, I would do one, two, six, five first and then do the rest. I’ve always been able to get three and four no problem and then you can book massages the day of pretty much any day of the cruise.

 

[CamColt]

We really enjoyed being right near the elevators when we had a room there once. I don't remember any excess noise and it was very convenient.

When we have used private town cars, we usually did 10:00 as the pick up time. I believe at one point we were told they wont pick up earlier than 10:00. Personally I wouldn't want to go later as I'm of the camp, get there asap (we are platinum, boarding #1). but I know some people prefer to arrive later to avoid the crowds. The crowds never really bothered us other than the people with later #s who crowd the entrance way when we are trying to get on.

I don't usually book that many activities, so I don't really have good advice there. Maybe just book them in the order they are important to you.

 

[lanejudy]

Room choice: Right now we are in 7606 which is toward the aft part of midship. A room opened up in 7590 very close to midship elevators. I am wondering if I should switch to avoid the risk of aft vibrations on the fantasy, but I am worried being so close to the elevators will mean a lot of noise in the halls. WWYD?

I would consider 7606 to be midship, not aft. None of the room reports mention vibration. I haven't experienced the Fantasy aft vibrations, but if felt all the way to 7606 that's much more than "aft." I think 7590 will be about the same experience as 7606 - it's just a few doors up the hall.

As for transfer - do you have your PAT selected yet? If not, go ahead and book 10am pick-up but if you get an earlier or later PAT, call back and see if you can adjust the pick-up time. 10am pick-up will put you in the terminal about 11am, boarding doesn't begin until 11:30 usually, so you'll be in the thick of the crowds.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[allashore]

we have stayed in 7588 & 7594 on the Fantasy did not hear elevator noise, however if your cabin 7606 which is not that much further down the hall holds 5 people with a murphy bed, then 7590 would have to hold 5 people, that is if all 5 of you are in one cabin, if not then its not an issue.

we take a private car service and get picked up about 9:30am, by the time the driver loads the car, we make one stop for water, wine & beer, get to the terminal about 11am.
we are always in the crowded terminal, but we want the most time on the ship as possible, don't remember boarding #'s but it moves quickly.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I don't think 10am is too bad, but definitely try to get the earliest PAT as your boarding number is based on this. I think Palo brunch will go the fastest, followed by beverage tastings, character breakfast, and meet & greets - but in my (limited) experience, I think you can snag those once you're on board.... it's harder to snag Palo brunch though.

 

[bbn1122]

Hi, don’t worry it will all work out and if you don’t do something this cruise, maybe on the next?

I can not help with room. DH and I usually cruises sans our sons. I prefer the forward part of the ship to be closed to adult areas, pool, gym and spa, etc.

I always loved to get to port early and on the ship, asap, but on last year’s cruise I did not get an early PAT. The day of the cruise we were delayed and boarded around 1pm - 1:30pm. I preferred it because no lines, no waiting in a terminal and the rush was over at Cabanas. And our room was ready when we were done with lunch. Now, I had my Palo brunch and spa visit already booked. So, I didn’t have to go to guest services.

I always book Palo first, but I noticed the tastings go quick. And of course our excursions. I have not booked Character breakfasts in a long time. But never had a problem booking before cruise.

I would say book as much as you can prior to the cruise. I have added Palo dinner on board with no problem on longer cruises. And spa treatments. The couples I think can sell out on shorter cruises.

Good luck, enjoy the planning, but more enjoy your cruise. Relax and take it all in!

 

[MomOTwins]

For some reason I did not connect the dots in my head that I should see what PAT I get before I choose a pickup time--oops! Feeling foolish but of course that makes sense.

It sounds like I definitely should be doing beverage tastings and port adventures higher up on the list, so will switch it around a bit.

It also sounds like the rooms are not all that different in terms of location and noise so I will probably just keep mine unless anyone has specific insights from staying in or near one of those rooms.

 

[lilsonicfan]

We were in 7100 on the Fantasy, right between 7606 and 7590 (but on the port side). No noise from elevators. I don't think there's really any difference between 7590 and 7606, they are only about 10 rooms apart. Those rooms are definitely both midship

 

[JARNJ3]

We just stayed in the AFT section on the Disney Magic. I absolutely adored this section - the Aft elevators were much less crowded. Two decks up - there was Cabanas - three decks down - there were the restaurants and fun stuff.

I can now see how people have their favorite spots to stay.

 

[monarchsfan16]

In terms of room choice, we were in 8662 on the Fantasy in April, and for 2 nights, the vibration was significant. The rest of the cruise it was not. The folks next to us also felt it significantly. They had family in the next room over (closer to midship) and it was much less there. So the room you are currently booked in should be just fine. I got the impression that it really is from the aft elevators to the back of the ship. A shame, because we LOVE aft from a location standpoint.

 

[Dug720]

Honestly there is not that much difference in the location of the staterooms. As others have said, it would depend on if it will hold 5 AND if there is space for 5 in that lifeboat.