Passporter Field Guide

[mishoe01]

I wanted to know how many of you have used this guide, and if you thought it was useful. Do you recommend this? Also, does anyone know if it's possible to buy the refills through the Passporter Page and then buy a binder from a local store? I can probably justify spending about $20 for the refills, but not the almost $35 for the entire deluxe edition.

TIA!

 

[SeaSpray]

My opinion:

I had the first edition of the Passporter's Guide to the Disney Cruise Line in paperback, then bought the Second edition in the deluxe (binder) form. I LOVE the binder version of it, and I thought it was worth it. I love all the extra pages where you can write in the info for all aspects of your trip, and it came in very handy on our August 2004 cruise when our cruise got extended by an extra 3 days due to Hurricane Frances. I had all the phone numbers of the limo companies, airline, and our reservation #s, all in one place. We're cruising again in 2006 and I hope they come out with a newer version before then, to include the stop in Costa Maya.

The guide doesn't have a lot of info in it that you can't find online, but it is great to have ALL of the info in one organized place. Before our cruise, I used to take it with me when I knew I'd have to wait in line somewhere, or the doctor's office, etc. to read while I was waiting.

I'm not sure if the holes in the deluxe edition fit into a regular binder or not. It might fit into one of those personal organizer type binders. I just looked at mine, and it has 2 sets of 3 rings. So there are 6 rings all together. If/when a third edition comes out, I'll only have to buy the refill.

 

[pppiglet]

I have the paperback version and love it.

 

[Lil1062]

I just started planning for a April 2006 cruise, and I bought the passporter and the Birnbaum (which I really don't like) - the passporter is great - I have read about 2/3's of it word for word - I use it as a reference tool
For example I didn't understand the Mint shower that people were talking about here online - looked it up on the passporter - and there it was!!! I'm a planner - my kids refer to my books as the clipboard of fun !!!!
Happy Reading!!
Lil

 

[disneygatorfan]

the passporter doesn't have any additional information you can't find online, or on these boards, but as someone mentioned.. it is really handy having the information compact, and with you once you are on the ship... cause how can you remember everything!

 

[ceejay13]

Love the Passporter and have bought both editions. I recently bought Birnbaum's official version but it wasn't nearly as helpful as the Passporter.

 

[Kanga]

I can't recommend the Passporter cruise book highly enough - I LOVE it. However, after recently returning from our month long Florida vacation/cruise, I have left my PASSPORTER somewhere, and am now without one. (tried lost & found, but no luck).

So I'm even considering just buying another one, even though we won't be cruising for quite a while yet - the airfare kill us!!

 

[maine_jennifer]

I use mine daily. I carry it with me everywhere. That way, when someone asks, and they do ask daily, I can look up the answer right away.

I was planning my budget and forgot to write down the suggested tipping amounts. In the time it would have taken me to log on the computer and find it online, I looked in the index and there it was.

I do not think you can just buy the refills. I remember when the first edition came out looking for a binder and found nothing for it to fit into.

HTH,

 

[MommaluvsDis]

I bought the passporter refill but didn't buy the binder. I knew I could come up with something for a cheaper price. Regular binders don't fit because of the way the holes are. I went to the office supply section at Wal-mart and bought a package of snap metal rings for about $3 and they worked just fine.

The passporter guide is something you could live without but it is VERY nice to just pick up and thumb thru whenever you want. I think I would recommend it for first time cruisers. It's just very handy.

 

[dirkus]

I love our Passporter -- we have both the cruise edition (paperback) and the WDW edition (deluxe). I think the paperback version of the cruise edition works out better as it keeps it more compact.

 

[Viking]

I have both the Cruiseline and the WDW Passporters as Deluxe editions and LOVE them. Taking into consideration the cost for our vacations in the parks and on the ship, which usually are in the range of €5,000-10,000 ($6,000-12,000) I think the additional cost for the Deluxe Edition don't make a dent in our budget I especially love the inset 'day bags', which provide space for all our receipts and to make notes.
We never cruise nor do WDW without our Passporters!!!

 

[TiggerKing]

Originally posted by mishoe01
I wanted to know how many of you have used this guide, and if you thought it was useful. Do you recommend this? Also, does anyone know if it's possible to buy the refills through the Passporter Page and then buy a binder from a local store? I can probably justify spending about $20 for the refills, but not the almost $35 for the entire deluxe edition.

TIA!

Just a quick piece of information about purchasing through the Passporter web site. When I first started looking at it, I found that they have a "Sneek Preview" section on the web site. If you download the PDF file containing the sample pages, you will also get a code to obtain 15% off your purchase of the actual book (soft cover or deluxe). You will also be signed up for their e-mails, in which they often offer 20% off codes. I think that my final price on the Deluxe edition, including shipping, was somewhere around $28. Just something you might want to consider.

As to its usefulness, my DW, who doesn't read these boards, keeps it on her nightstand and looks at it a couple of times a week (she has already read through it once) to know how to prepare for our trip.

 

[dislvr75]

When I went to amazon.com to check out what they offered, there's a 3rd edition hardcover due out soon. Should I wait and buy that one? But then some folks are saying the paperback maybe easier to travel with? If I buy the older edition paperback am I missing something newly contained in the 2005 edition? I think I read something about ports of call, are they NOt included in the older versions? I'm sorry but I am confused. And then there are refills? What if I buy the older edition but the newer edition has new stuff, like specific ports of call, can I buy new inserts, supplements, or do I buy a whole new one? If someone could explain what they would recommend I'd REALLY appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[Lil1062]

Has anyone else heard about a new Passporter????

Lil

 

[MommyTo5]

Passporter's Cruise Guide is AMAZING!!! I highly recommend it to EVERYONE planning a cruise on DCL! I have the Deluxe... I love planning / scheduling our activities on the planning pockets - I definitely think it's worth the extra $$! The Passporter Books are absolutely the best travel guides I've ever owned!

~ Angie
Mommy to 5

 

[sweet angel]

The 2004 (2nd edition?) of the DCL Passporter that I bought a month or so ago is already outdated. That said, I love it. I bought that and the WDW one. It's got a ton of info.

 

[jrp]

I bought the paperback and then pulled it apart page by page and scanned it into my computer. Due to poor eyesite I then printed them out fromt to back and made them 8.5 X 11 and then placed them in an orginizer. I also have downloaded navigators, menus and other info. I know, I know too much time on my hands The passporter is great.
James

 

[twinglez]

The 2005 version is due out in Feb I plan on getting it myself, from all these rave reviews.