question, new to site

[mom_of_four_2004]

Hi everyone, been lurking around for a week or so now and have a question. My family and I are wanting to plan a cruise for next year on the disney cruise lines and was just wanting some info on where you guys go to find out the rates and dates that are available. Have never been on a cruise before or to WDW. Any info any of you have would be appreciated.

Lisa

 

[RebeccaLovesDisney]

The Disney Cruise Line website, www.disneycruise.com, is a good place to start. There you can see the cruise schedules and get an online quote for various cruise dates and cabins. Before you book directly with DCL though, I suggest getting quotes from a few travel agents. Often ta's can get better rates. We have gotten great rates, significantly less than the DCL rate, with Dreams Unlimited, the sponsor of this website.

 

[CM_Mom]

Two things to do immediately:
1. Go to www.disneycruise.com and order the DVD to help you plan. It's part of a free vacation planning guide from DCL.

2. Either go to www.passporter.com or amazon.com or your favorite bookstore and get the Passporter's Guide to the Disney Cruise Line. It has some of the BEST information about rates and dates (when is more expensive, etc) and is a great planning guide. Has lots of planning info, what to do, how to do it and info about excursions with recommendations about what to do at various ports. The Passporter.com website has sample pages that you can see and tells you more about the Passporter.

Another resource that has lots of FREE info is Dave_from_Marietta's website www.dcltribute.com . He has Navigators, Menus and info about hotels and car rentals and maps and gobs more stuff.

Have fun planning. It's almost as much fun as the cruise.

However, you might want to beware....The boards are addicting.

 

[logan1_2000]

Another on-line travel agency has a very user friendly and informative site.at allseastravel.com you can find in easy to browse format comparative charts showing rates that are very competitive for all categories of staterooms on all the different dates--so for planning, you can see if a cat 6 or a cat 7 or 9 or whatever costs how much on any of several dates, and without having to go back out and enter all new info for each category and date as you would at DCL.

I have never booked through that agency by the way, and my next DCL cruise reservation is with DU (made it with DCL directly, switched it to DU and got a rebate that was a promotion not available when I booked, but still got to keep my early booking discount from making the original ressie 16 months in advance). In terms of service from an agent, that is a different Q--I just find the most information on comparative fares is available most easily at the Allseastravel.com site.

 

[chasbos]

From one mom-of-four to another hello!

We booked our first ever cruise last March through our local travel agent. Her price has been exactly the same as the Disney price, the mouseears price and others (right down to the $.15) I was very surprised!

My only peice of advice is to be prepared to pay for 4 adult prices and only 2 kids prices. The first 2 people in every stateroom pay full price and you will need 2 staterooms for 6 people. That has been my only complaint so far with Disney Cruise Lines.

I has originally booked 2 adjoining Cat 10 (the lowest category with adjoining rooms) but changed yesterday to 2 adjoining Cat 9's. Thought I would like some natural light.

We do not travel until January but we are all very excited and my kids 13, 11, 9, & 6 can't wait.

Enjoy your holiday planning - it is a lot of fun!

 

[mmouse37]

chasbos....don't be too upset with DCL about the pricing structure.....this way of pricing is standard in the whole cruise industry....not just to DCL.

All cabins are based on the first two people in the cabin regardless of age and then the 3rd and/or 4th person in cabin. Standard practice.

MJ

 

[chasbos]

I am not really upset with them - just wish they had a few more suites that we could all fit into.

We travel quite a bit and we are getting used to booking 2 rooms when we get into the resorts.

I am just glad we can still get adjoining rooms, the kids are not quite old enough to let them have their own rooms and DH would probably not go for seperate rooms!

 

[mom_of_four_2004]

Thanks everyone for the info. I have been looking at all the websites that everyone has posted and have got an idea now of what price range we are looking at atleast. Now my 10 yr old dd won't leave me alone, she thinks we should go book and go as soon as possible. She doesn't understand that we have to save for it.

Lisa

 

[staylor]

mom of four
I just sent you a PM.
Staci

 

[KaitlinsMom]

www.allseastravel.com

www.dreamsunlimited.com (we have used them twice - GREAT)

www.dcltribute.com

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