Sept 20,2011 Wonder Repositioning Cruise

[mommyto3princesses]

Not sure how long it will take us to get off the boat Sunday morning... I see an arrival time of 930... could I make a flight at 1:30 at LAX?

We've had a similar scenario and were at LAX with plenty of time to spare. We used DCL transportation.

 

[disneydiane61]

Hello! How are you booking Villas at GC? I'd love to do that, but we are not DVC members.

We will be taking the train up on Monday or Tuesday. That 7:40 train arriving at 11:40 on Tues makes me a bit nervous. What time is sail away? We may take the 6:50 PM train and Priceline a room for Monday night.

Off to check out excursions...

I taking the train in as well and did just a little research. I found out that the train is rarely late and they run a pretty tight schedule during the cruise season. Also, the train station is less than three miles from the port, Canada Place. The taxis know when to be there to pick us up. There is also a metro train, across the street, that leaves every 12 min. and will take you to Canada Place in less than 10 min. Remember the more people who are on the train, the more likely they are to hold the ship if there was a problem. I would think nothing less than a train derailment would keep us from missing the boat. Also, if worse comes to worse, we can pick up the ship the next day in Victoria, which is only a few miles away. I'm taking the train... come join us!!!!

 

[taaren]

I taking the train in as well and did just a little research. I found out that the train is rarely late and they run a pretty tight schedule during the cruise season. Also, the train station is less than three miles from the port, Canada Place. The taxis know when to be there to pick us up. There is also a metro train, across the street, that leaves every 12 min. and will take you to Canada Place in less than 10 min. Remember the more people who are on the train, the more likely they are to hold the ship if there was a problem. I would think nothing less than a train derailment would keep us from missing the boat. Also, if worse comes to worse, we can pick up the ship the next day in Victoria, which is only a few miles away. I'm taking the train... come join us!!!!

Hmm ... Just bought my plane ticket into Seattle arriving very early the 18th, and was going to do 1 day in Seattle then take the train up to Vancouver on the 19th so DS4 can experience his first train ride. Then I found out the Marriotts in Vancouver (except the airport location) are completely booked on the 19th so now I'm contemplating taking the train on the 20th instead with y'all, I just didn't want to a) cut it that close timing-wise, and b) miss taking DS to the aquarium to see the belugas. Decisions, decisions. It would be fun to have a pre-cruise meet-up on the train though!

Side note - I saw on the April Repo LA-Vancouver thread that somebody on that one was chartering a bus to go from DL to the port! Man those guys are organized. We're not going to DL until a week after this cruise, but for everybody that's going to VGC directly after this could be an idea for you?

 

[mommyto3princesses]

Meet up on the train sounds great!

I believe we will be on the 9/20 train at 7:40 a.m. I am nervous only because we happened to be on a Seville train that stopped in the middle of nowhere 5 hours before we were scheduled to leave Cadiz. That volcanic ash definitely wreaked havoc.

Disneydiane, you are right, they are more likely to hold the ship if there's a lot of us on the train. There were 42 of us on that Seville train -- non-DCL approved excursion. They did tell us that they would have held it a few more hours because the next stop was Gibraltar and that was an easy route. We viewed it as an adventure and would have been fine finding our way to Gibraltar, but more than half of the American passengers in our group did not have their passports with them.

Hoping someone on this cruise is equally organized. I've been on cruises with awesome Dis'ers who are amazing cruise directors.

 

[mommyto3princesses]

taaren, jealous that you live in Maui! We are heading there for spring break. Any good suggestions for a nice dinner out for my husband and I and another couple. We are leaving the kids in the kids' club at our hotel in Wailea, so can't go too far...or we'd head to Mama's.

And the guy organizing the coach on the April sailing is a nice guy. He was on our last cruise. That sailing has a lot of involved Dis'ers. We sailed with a lot of them on our eastern TA. You should have seen all the nice things they did and planned. wow!

I can't wait to hear about their sailing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they have nice weather. April in the PNW is not typically the best weather. brrrr.

 

[mannym]

Hi there, we are going on the same crusie on sept 20, 2011 and staying at the grand californian for 3 days too! This is our first cruise.

anyone else going on this repositioning cruise? I am feeling really lonely about this.

Plan to use this as an opportunity to visit vancouver again and to see disneyland after a 15 year absence. Hopefully i can use my dvc points to get a room at the grand californian.

Also excited at seeing victoria for the first time!

Greetings to one and all aboard the cruise.

 

[mannym]

Hi all my family will be travelling to Vancouver for the Respositioning cruise from Vancouver to LA in Sept. This will be our first time cruising. We are very excited. Anyone else going on this cruise?

 

[disneydiane61]

My DH and I just booked this cruise. We are so excited!!!

This will be our third Disney cruise. If anyone would like to participate in a FE Gift exchange, please let me know. I would be happy to organize one.

Thanks,
Jennifer

Jennifer,

My BFF Donna and I would love to participate in the FE gift exchange. My first Disney cruise was on the Magic in 1998 and we were on the 6th sailing so back then there were no FE exchanges... don't know when they actually started but I have heard of them from others who have done a Disney Cruise in the past few years. Being a Disney fan ( employed with Disneyland from 1979 to 1984) yes....I's showing my age... I'll be 50 in June.... and living close to the park with an Annual Pass....I can think of lots of fun things to do and share. I know that there are a lot of first time cruisers on our sailing who may not know what a FE exchange is... here is the DIS Board link with some info and ideas.

Well...I tried to put the links... but I have to have 10 posts before I can post a link. I found the links under the FAQ section of the Disney Cruise DIS Board maybe someone else can post them for the newbies.

I have had so much fun looking at these boards and seeing all the creative and generous people there are on the Disney Cruise sailings.

Disneydiane

 

[mommyto3princesses]

Is anyone else anxiously waiting to hear summer 2012 itineraries? There's a rumor that they will be announcing the rest of summer 2012 itineraries tomorrow. I am planning on booking on board.

 

[yllek]

Hi there.

My 2 roomates and myself have just booked. We are Disney Cruise newbies but are experienced cruisers (this will be my 22nd cruise.) We all have annual passes for both Anaheim and Orlando but have never committed to a Disney Cruise until now. We will be celebrating my roomate Bill's 50th birthday on the cruise.

We live in Seattle and will be going to Vancouver on a one night repositioning cruise on a different cruise line. The Sapphire Princess leaves Seattle 9/18 and arrives in Vancouver 9/19. For about $100 per person including taxes we get transportation, a couple of meals and a show. I also have awful luck with the Amtrak train to Vancouver. Of the dozen times I took that train the only time I arrived on time was the time there was a mudslide and the train was cancelled so Amtrak had to send us up on a bus. For those of you going for this trip don't worry about the mudslide thing, it usually only happens in the winter after a heavy rain. And I have never been more than 2 hours late on the other trains. I seem to be the jinx that causes the trains to be late.

We are staying the night of the 19th at the Pan Pacific. It is a bit pricy but for us it will be a luxury to not have to worry about cabs or lugging our luggage. This will be our first time back in Vancouver since all of the construction for the Olympics.

Unfortunately due to limits on time off We have to get off the ship in San Pedro and fly straight back to Seattle so no Disneyland time for us. We will probably fly Jet Blue since they have nonstops out of Long Beach and allow 1 free checked bag so I can feel free to overpack.

Looking forward to meeting you and enjoying out 1st Disney Cruise in a little over 6 months.

Arthur, Bill and John.

 

[tinker1bell]

Hi All,

My BFF Steffy and I and two other friends are also doing the one night cruise on the Sapphire Princess. It was such a good deal to not pass up. Plus it is a way to check out another cruise line. But we are so looking forward to being on the Wonder again.

 

[taaren]

taaren, jealous that you live in Maui! We are heading there for spring break. Any good suggestions for a nice dinner out for my husband and I and another couple. We are leaving the kids in the kids' club at our hotel in Wailea, so can't go too far...or we'd head to Mama's.

I never get to go to Mama's (out of our price range ... one of these day's I'll convince my grandmother to take me for my birthday). In Wailea if you like upscale, Mala's at the Wailea Marriott is good (and though I'm a Marriott fiend when not Disney I actually go there because the guy who owns that restaurant, Mark Ellman, is just wonderful at finding great chefs and menus, and that is one of his good high-end restuarants). Matteo's is delicious and a little more affordable ($15-$25/head), very good place to take the kids for Italian food. Pita in Paradise has a sit down restaurant that just opened also in Wailea (we usually go to the take out one in Kihei that is much cheaper but the food is high quality at both locations and my dad sometimes plays music at the Wailea one).
My favorite ditch the kids restaurant in South Maui is actually in Maalea, not too far (where the whale watching/snorkeling boats launch from by Maui Ocean Center), and its called the Waterfront. Amazing steak diane, but everything is delicious. Enjoy your spring break! Maui is beautiful to visit, though living here has advantages and disadvantages like everyplace else.

Is anyone else anxiously waiting to hear summer 2012 itineraries? There's a rumor that they will be announcing the rest of summer 2012 itineraries tomorrow. I am planning on booking on board.

I'm waiting and waiting for those itineraries since I'm looking forward to my first peek at Castaway Cay for my bday in Dec 2012. The prices on the Dream go up so quickly, really hoping to get my 10-person-4-room party in on the first day bookings are available. (Also partly why I wanted to take this cruise so we will be in the cruising club and get a slightly earlier crack at the Palo ressies, etc. for that sailing.) Maybe when I'm on board this Repo cruise I'll book a dummy date for a future cruise for and move it to 2013 ... ? Have a feeling the cruise I want for 2012 will be too expensive or possibly even sold out by Sept.

Steffy, I do not think they would cancel the trip. Maybe we will all get upgraded. It would be bad press for them to cancel it.

Here's hoping for pixiedust!

 

[margo12]

I would be interested in the FE exchange this time. We didn't do it last time because we just wanted to enjoy the cruise and weren't entirely sure what the FE was. But I think I'm ready this time.

We're all booked for a veranda room, enjoying that the cruise is not fully booked because we'll probably book an inside stateroom for our grown children once they finally decide they're coming, and have booked a room at the GC for when we get to LA. On the way there we'll stay at my sister-in-law's place in Bellingham.

Our boys are really looking forward to this cruise, and will probably think that it's too short.

Does anyone know what shows they will have, and if there will be a pirate night, etc.?

Regards--
Margo Mead
Portland, OR
1st cruise: 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Disney Magic, Oct. 16-23 2010
2nd cruise: 5 night West Coast repositioning cruise on Disney Wonder, Sept. 20-25 2011

 

[roseburghughes]

We are getting some of our transportation worked out and one of our hotels booked. We booked our tickets on Amtrak Cascades for Monday morning, Sept 19th , Seattle to Vancouver. And we were able to get a hotel for Monday night, 19th, Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver. It was not easy to find a Vancouver Hotel for under $150, except near the Airport. We will arrive by Amtrak and take the Sky Train to our downtown hotel.

Still needed: Train (Amtrak) tickets Eugene to Seattle, Hotel in Anaheim, Disneyland Tickets, transportation from LA port to Hotel, and plane tickets home.

Welcome to all of the DISers who have joined this thread and we look forward to meeting you.

Terry, we looked at the one night Sapphire Princess Cruise, but decided against it. We cruised on the Sapphire Princess in 2008 to Mexico. It was no Disney Cruise Ship, but we enjoyed the food onboard. The Princess Cruise was OK, but we enjoyed 4 days before the cruise and 5 days after at Disneyland, more.
Tim and Kathy

 

[tinker1bell]

Welcome to all of the DISers who have joined this thread and we look forward to meeting you.

Terry, we looked at the one night Sapphire Princess Cruise, but decided against it. We cruised on the Sapphire Princess in 2008 to Mexico. It was no Disney Cruise Ship, but we enjoyed the food onboard. The Princess Cruise was OK, but we enjoyed 4 days before the cruise and 5 days after at Disneyland, more.
Tim and Kathy

Can't wait to see you!!!!

We know it won't be Disney, but it will be a unique way to get up to Vancouver and to see a different cruise line. All we have to do still is get a hotel in Vancouver and flights home. We scored a $99 flight from Phila to Seattle!!!!

 

[taaren]

We are getting some of our transportation worked out and one of our hotels booked. We booked our tickets on Amtrak Cascades for Monday morning, Sept 19th , Seattle to Vancouver. And we were able to get a hotel for Monday night, 19th, Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver. It was not easy to find a Vancouver Hotel for under $150, except near the Airport. We will arrive by Amtrak and take the Sky Train to our downtown hotel.

Still needed: Train (Amtrak) tickets Eugene to Seattle, Hotel in Anaheim, Disneyland Tickets, transportation from LA port to Hotel, and plane tickets home.

Hmm you're making me think I should maybe book that same train now; its so cheap and doesn't seem like it would book up I was going to wait until it was a little closer. Monday night I found the same thing - no hotels for under $200 that I would be willing to stay at; particularly disappointed that the Harbourside Renaissance booked up a few months ago (really wishing I'd snagged that $159 rate they were running last August when I first had an inkling we'd be on this cruise). We'll probably be staying at the Airport Marriott on points since I can't justify spending that much for one night.
I like the idea of having a still-need list: we've got plane tickets going, VGC 2 bdr starting a week after the cruise (long story), so need to mainly need to book the Marriotts in SEA & YVR, buy the train ticket up, car in Vancouver, and our standby tickets home. And find the butterfly/Butchart excursion for cheaper than DCL is asking.

 

[Camonkeygirl]

I taking the train in as well and did just a little research. I found out that the train is rarely late and they run a pretty tight schedule during the cruise season. Also, the train station is less than three miles from the port, Canada Place. The taxis know when to be there to pick us up. There is also a metro train, across the street, that leaves every 12 min. and will take you to Canada Place in less than 10 min. Remember the more people who are on the train, the more likely they are to hold the ship if there was a problem. I would think nothing less than a train derailment would keep us from missing the boat. Also, if worse comes to worse, we can pick up the ship the next day in Victoria, which is only a few miles away. I'm taking the train... come join us!!!!

We are arriving early Monday morning (hopefully), as we are taking the Coast Starlight from San Diego, and do not want to take the chance of being late

We are getting some of our transportation worked out and one of our hotels booked. We booked our tickets on Amtrak Cascades for Monday morning, Sept 19th , Seattle to Vancouver. And we were able to get a hotel for Monday night, 19th, Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver. It was not easy to find a Vancouver Hotel for under $150, except near the Airport. We will arrive by Amtrak and take the Sky Train to our downtown hotel.

Still needed: Train (Amtrak) tickets Eugene to Seattle, Hotel in Anaheim, Disneyland Tickets, transportation from LA port to Hotel, and plane tickets home.

Welcome to all of the DISers who have joined this thread and we look forward to meeting you.

Terry, we looked at the one night Sapphire Princess Cruise, but decided against it. We cruised on the Sapphire Princess in 2008 to Mexico. It was no Disney Cruise Ship, but we enjoyed the food onboard. The Princess Cruise was OK, but we enjoyed 4 days before the cruise and 5 days after at Disneyland, more.
Tim and Kathy

We will be at the Ramada Limited in Downtown Vancouver the night before the cruise also

 

[Steffy]

Getting excited! Thank you Arthur, Bill and John for the one day cruise tip. I figured it was a riverboat. Anyway, when I saw the ship I called Terry and the rest is history.

There was a theme to that day. Airfare $99.00. Cruise $99.00 We are staying at the Doubletree pre cruise and got that for $99.00 And not to have to worry about transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port is bonus!!

So for $314.00 each (this is including all taxes, port charges, transfers) we have arrived in Seattle. Transportation to hotel. Hotel in Seattle. Transportation to ship. Ship to Vancouver. Meals that evening, a show and breakfast.

I love the dis.

 

[CrystalS]

Hi
Our family (me, DH, DS4 and DD1 as well as my Mom and Brother22) are contemplating taking this cruise.
We are from BC, Canada, so we thought we could catch the Wonder in Vancouver and ride it down to LA for some Disneyland time too!

I'm busy doing all the research on total cost for all of us so that we can decide if thats what we want to do. I'm really hoping we do
So here is my quick hello, and hopefully I will be confirming us on this cruise soon!


Crystal & Gang

 

[mommyto3princesses]

Thanks taaren for the restaurant ideas. I didn't realize Mama's was that expensive. I looked a bit online and saw the outrageous prices. Darn. Probably best that we stay closer to Wailea anyway.

I am so tempted to look into the 1 night sailing to Vancouver. Sounds fun!

Has anyone looked at Priceline for hotels the night before?

BTW, not sure if I introduced myself. It will be me, my husband and our 3 daughters and maybe my mom. She has sailed both DCL sailings with us prior, so I'm sure she'll be joining us in September.