Sept. 7, 2012 - Magic NYC - Canada

[HopeSparkles]

I don't have experience with deck 8, since this will be my first time, but I did check out some stateroom reports and the didn't make it sound so bad. Probably the noisiest is the pirate deck party. I figure for the price and the experience, it was definitely worth trying. I'll defer to people who have experienced deck 8 first hand.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Christa

 

[Mom323]

Yay, The 9/2 Canada I'm on prior to the 9/7 is using August 1st.

In addition to 2 surgeries I also cut my toe pretty bad Saturday and also am having Reactive Airway Lung Disease that I have to get Allergy tested for on 8/1/12. Not to mention we have had 3 major power outs with one lasting 4 days and thankfully yesterday's only lasting 8 hours! What a summer this has been!?! I'm really looking forward to the cruises coming up soon

With all that said as I do not want a pity party, lol, my biggest concern was that I leave for the first cruise on 9/2 and the current cutoff would only give me 2 weeks to pack and make my gifts which take 2 hours per batch to make... Easy and fun to make but time consuming, lol! After getting hooked on the 11/6/11 cruise I just love giving the gifts in the dark of night like Santa!

Thanks again for coordinating this

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

Fellow Marylander here. We didn't lose power, but our DD and DSIL did for 8 days. This last short outage only affected a few folks in our county. Hope your health issues get better soon!

 

[HopeSparkles]

Christa you should call back DVC and ask for a supervisor to explain all of this to them, they will be the only ones that will be able to help you out. I would definately let the supr. know of the rude CM that wouldn't tell you their name and put back in the queue.
The 2nd CM is correct that you would have needed to pack up between cruises and the room host would move your bags in between sailings. Hopefully you mom is able to walk around the cabin on her own and can get in and out of the tub since that is what you will have in your bathroom. No clue why you were 'told' which deck you 'should' be on. The space difference in the cat. 5 and the cat. 4 is the width of the murphy bed, so the cat. 4 is longer by about 3 feet, so no bigger in width of the cabin and the closets are the same size.
Since the sale is over if you were to upgrade to any of the cat. 4 cabins you would most likely have to pay the price difference in the amount you booked and today's posted rate.

Thank you for the tips as we are supposed to get a consistent level of service from Disney and the only way is if things get reported.

I have had friends whose room host moved drawers and hanging clothes for them. I guess they tipped more. But the CM said they said it is a case by case basis per each host if they go beyond SOP. So that is why I chose to have 1 room for a 3 sale price cruises B2B2B.

Yes, mom can walk 10-20 feet with the scooter, but the biggest problem is that she can't stand for more than 30-60 seconds hence needing the scooter. The bathroom should be fine which is why we chose a reg. verandah where we can plug the scooter into wall by the elevators.

The reason I wanted the extra space is that my mom has to pack a lot of braces, supplies, etc. and so she needs 2 big suit cases. And because we're doing FEs for all 3 cruises I need 2 big suit cases. Not to mention cold climates mean bulkier clothes for a total of 15 nights. Unlike the new ships where you can put the cases under the bed these ships have limited storage space for items and cases. So the extra space in front of the Murphy bed would be a great spot for our 4 cases.

I would also think that since their CM talked me into a cat 5 when cat 4 was available and it was her fault I would think I should be able to be moved over at the same rate by a supervisor especially since I went through so much grief with the 1st CM.

My biggest thing is that I don't want to go to the trouble of doing this, have them move me for their mistakes, and get into the room only to hear noise from the gym, pools, etc. Someone else mentioned Pirate night, but I will be out there watching the fireworks so that won't be an issue. I usually sleep midnight to 8-10am depending on what's planned in the am. But my mom has horrible insomnia and takes naps throughout the day.

I just don't know what to do. I appreciate yours anyone else's help!

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

 

[HopeSparkles]

Fellow Marylander here. We didn't lose power, but our DD and DSIL did for 8 days. This last short outage only affected a few folks in our county. Hope your health issues get better soon!

Hi! Where in MD are you and your family? I'm up in White Marsh/Chase in Baltimore County.

Wow, 8 days is rough! Did they have a generator?

With my health issues I thought my lungs were going to catch fire I could barely breath once it got over 77 degrees. My DH had to take me Panera Bread to eat and for wifi or to his sisters house to sleep. The 1st time was 4 days, 2nd time was 5 hours and yesterday was all day. After the first time I called BGE about people with health issues and they mailed me a form my doctor signed yesterday about me having a serious health issue that can be greatly affected with no power. Also my neighbor needs oxygen too.

I'm looking forward to cooler Canadian air!

for the encouragement!

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

 

[Mom323]

Hi! Where in MD are you and your family? I'm up in White Marsh/Chase in Baltimore County.

Wow, 8 days is rough! Did they have a generator?

With my health issues I thought my lungs were going to catch fire I could barely breath once it got over 77 degrees. My DH had to take me Panera Bread to eat and for wifi or to his sisters house to sleep. The 1st time was 4 days, 2nd time was 5 hours and yesterday was all day. After the first time I called BGE about people with health issues and they mailed me a form my doctor signed yesterday about me having a serious health issue that can be greatly affected with no power. Also my neighbor needs oxygen too.

I'm looking forward to cooler Canadian air! :goodvibe

for the encouragement!

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

We are in Carroll County just south of Westminster. Our DD lives in Ellicott City. They stayed at our house for the 8 dys, we have lots of guest rooms now that we are empty nesters.
We will be getting them a generator for Christmas. Our oldest DD lives in Manchester.

 

[HopeSparkles]

We are in Carroll County just south of Westminster. Our DD lives in Ellicott City. They stayed at our house for the 8 dys, we have lots of guest rooms now that we are empty nesters.
We will be getting them a generator for Christmas. Our oldest DD lives in Manchester.

My SIlL used to live in Manchester so I know right where you all are 'neighbor' yes, I think we need a generator too between Irene last year and this Year's weather. I bet she will love the present. Are they coming on the cruise?

 

[justmestace]

You have had that habit over the years. LOL!!!


But I did get to Platinum before you. For once something I beat you to.

Can I beat him??? Please????

I actually DID make it to Platinum first, too.

NOW I really wish I'd taken you up on your offer, and come with you. Might have been awfully good fun.

 

[jilljill]

Can I beat him??? Please????

I actually DID make it to Platinum first, too.

NOW I really wish I'd taken you up on your offer, and come with you. Might have been awfully good fun.

I wish you were coming along with us too.
Not to mention cooler weather to be looking forward to.

 

[gometros]

Our youngest daughter lives in Bethesda and is doing her graduate work at American University. She was without power for five days. She sent us pictures of this huge tree that fell in front of the house she lives in.

 

[PSC]

Scott for the link! Those are some intense steps. Ive only skimmed so far, but what do you do if you don't have photo bucket or want it?

Also, am I reading your 2nd note to mean that you will be on all 3 cruises like me?!? I've been looking for other B2Bs or for the Tripple Crown... B2B2B

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

Christa

It's been a while since I set up my DVC signature, but I seem to remember an option to use BirdsOfPreyDave's photo bucket account - which is what I did.

Will I be on all 3 cruises? no, only the 9/7 cruise. I'd hate to go back to Weight Watchers and weigh in after 15 days of cruising.

 

[WVMD]

Can I beat him??? Please????

I actually DID make it to Platinum first, too.

NOW I really wish I'd taken you up on your offer, and come with you. Might have been awfully good fun.

That took longer than I thought.....

Virgil

 

[EOppegaard]

Any thoughts on which airport to fly into?

We can get the same rate from MCO to LGA and MCO to JFK. From what I hear JFK is about a $10 additional cab fare.

However JFK does have the AirTrain that we could use to connect.

 

[HopeSparkles]

I don't have experience with deck 8, since this will be my first time, but I did check out some stateroom reports and the didn't make it sound so bad. Probably the noisiest is the pirate deck party. I figure for the price and the experience, it was definitely worth trying. I'll defer to people who have experienced deck 8 first hand.

Christa you should call back DVC and ask for a supervisor to explain all of this to them, they will be the only ones that will be able to help you out. I would definately let the supr. know of the rude CM that wouldn't tell you their name and put back in the queue.
The 2nd CM is correct that you would have needed to pack up between cruises and the room host would move your bags in between sailings. Hopefully you mom is able to walk around the cabin on her own and can get in and out of the tub since that is what you will have in your bathroom. No clue why you were 'told' which deck you 'should' be on. The space difference in the cat. 5 and the cat. 4 is the width of the murphy bed, so the cat. 4 is longer by about 3 feet, so no bigger in width of the cabin and the closets are the same size.
Since the sale is over if you were to upgrade to any of the cat. 4 cabins you would most likely have to pay the price difference in the amount you booked and today's posted rate.

I just got off the phone with Brandon, a supervisor at DCL, who did a couple things...

1) Apologized for the rude CM I initially got who put me back in queue making me wait an hour before getting my 2nd CM who booked all 3 cruises.

2) Told me that all of Cat 4s were gone and wished he could move me over with the DVC pricing but the rooms were sold out. Too bad I had surgery last Friday and couldn't research til now. But then he assure me that the room I have on deck 7 is in a great location where it is much quieter and the only difference was a few feet in front of the pull down bed and an extra chair. He said that though we wanted it for space to put the luggage that we could always get the room host to lift the beds and put the bags underneath. He also said the deck 8 rooms that are quiet are Concierge under Cove Cafe, but the regular Cat 4 rooms run the risk of noise. I don't know if he was just trying to make me feel better, lol!

3) He also took requests like dining request for Lumierres for Semi-Formal night, making a table request like another mother (60s)/daughter (30s), making sure the bed is split for two twins for me and mom (where he said they did not have twins on the Dream/Fantasy), etc. He said he was sure we would have a great cruise.

4) He also informed me of the following tips...
- Semi-Formal night is on night 2
- Pirates night is on night 4 with fireworks unlike the Wonder/Alaska
- There is no High Tea in Palo anymore on any of the ships to make room for more Brunch where we can go to Rockin Bar to see if there are any extra Palo or Spa reservations or to change dining assignments.
- Jeans are fine for cruise casual nights especially since Canada may be chilly.
- Twin beds are not offered on Dream/Fantasy

for everyone's advice and for letting me vent! If there are going to be any room tours or anyone who doesn't mind me seeing/hearing their Deck 8 room for the future it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jilljill]

Christa you got a good supr. that took care of you and gave you lots of good info.

I forgot to mention earlier the beds lift up so you can store your suitcases there. Your room host can help you with that.

 

[jilljill]

Any thoughts on which airport to fly into?

We can get the same rate from MCO to LGA and MCO to JFK. From what I hear JFK is about a $10 additional cab fare.

However JFK does have the AirTrain that we could use to connect.

I'd read over the NYC cruises info thread on the main boards for advise. There are pros and cons for each airport. Another option is to fly into Newark.

 

[maggie_sam]

Hi All,

As most of you know I'm (39) gratefully sailing with my mom, Cathie (65) on all 3 DVC sale sailings.. 9/2, 9/7, & 9/12 for a B2B2B and have been pretty perking so far and haven't done any Disney venting...

But I need to do some venting that I'm hoping some veterans can help me with... When I called about the DVC sale at 8:45pm last Thursday I was left on hold for 20 minutes when the hold time said 4 minutes; when the CM answered the phone she didn't give her name, was rude, and when she wouldn't give me her name she stuck me back in the que for a 20 more minutes; I hung up thinking I was in limbo and called back where I was told the hold time was 20 minutes and was actually 30 minutes; and the next person I got was pretty good telling me the calls are recorded and the CM #1 will get coached. Should I trust that or report it to someone higher up b/c I was not treated in the normal pixie dust Disney way that I've grown to know since my first cruise in 2004 and my first WDW visit in 1993?

Next, is the part I really need advice... So I told CM #2 that I needed the handicapped cabin my mom and I sailed in during 9/11/2004 due to her being disabled for all 3 sailings of 9/2, 9/7, & 9/12. She said she only had Deck 7 HC for 9/2, Deck 6 HC for 9/7 (with no GTY that the stateroom hosts would move hanging clothes or drawers for us to help us out vs having to pack all the way for the room move), and no HC for 9/12. So, she suggested getting a reg. verandah near the elevators where my mom can plug her scooter in so that we can have the same cabin for all three dates which currently is a Cat 5 in 7024.

And now the long awaited question... I originally asked for Cat 4 which *was* available all 3 dates in the *same* cabin but she said they were on Deck 8 right below the pools with kids running around and that we would want Deck 7. So I took her advice for cabin 7024. But after reading in one of the threads that Cat 4 gives 30 extra sq ft of space over Cat 5 which would help greatly for our luggage and moving around since it is hard for my mom. Also, so many of you veterans on these sailings are so excited to get Deck 8. Reading this makes me really upset that CM #2 talked me into Cat 5 when I could have had Cat 4 telling me Deck 8 was noisy! Though the sale is sold out I've read that there are still rooms available. Should I try to get Cat 4 on deck 8 for all 3 sailings if available?

Sorry for the novel... Looking for some help,

Christa

DVC: BLT 2008 then added SSR 2010

Christa, I am so sorry that you had such a disappointing experience. I hope that Disney works it out for you and can make the accommodations that you need. I sailed on the Wonder our 1st cruise and we stayed on Deck 8. Realize now how fortunate we were, I booked through Expedia at the last minute and very close to cruise cutoff and there was a huge difference in price between their price and DCL. We loved the Family Oceanview with veranda, it was very comfortable and plenty of space. DD's wheelchair is very big, bulky and heavy and even when folded takes up lots of space, but it was really never in our way. I also found it to be very quiet, with no noise ever filtering from Deck 9, but we were closer to the spa and also went to the Pirate Party, so can't say what it might have sounded like in the cabin. It was actually fairly deserted on deck 8, even though it appeared the rest of the decks were full and busy. Don't know if that is typical. DD is ambulatory and needs the chair and walker some of the time, but she fatigues quickly and her ability to navigate can be an issue so I understand your concerns, both for safety and comfort. I hope that it works out for you. Margaret

 

[dthogue]

7 WEEKS and Counting ​

In just a short 7 weeks we all will be getting ready to set

 

[gometros]

Any thoughts on which airport to fly into?

We can get the same rate from MCO to LGA and MCO to JFK. From what I hear JFK is about a $10 additional cab fare.

However JFK does have the AirTrain that we could use to connect.

Speaking as a native New Yorker who flies frequently, they would have to give away the airfare for me to fly our of LaGuardia. It's an airport that was built in the 30s and being adjacent to the river, did not have room to grow when bigger planes demanded longer runways. Plus, public transportation into and out of LaGuardia is the worst of the three. You have the Airtrain in and out of JFL and New Jersey transit in and out of Newark. If I had to rank the choices for convenience to the port, I would say Newark, JFK, walk, LaGuardia. Newark, because New Jersey Transit is three stops to Penn Station and a quick cab ride to the port. JFK of the Airtrain, although the slight extra charge for a cab should not deter you and steer you toward LaGuardia.

 

[jilljill]

If I had to rank the choices for convenience to the port, I would say Newark, JFK, walk, LaGuardia. Newark, because New Jersey Transit is three stops to Penn Station and a quick cab ride to the port. JFK of the Airtrain, although the slight extra charge for a cab should not deter you and steer you toward LaGuardia.

This (the bolding) had me too funny.

NJTransit is convenient and we are considering it as well. Have used it many time to go to the city, even with luggage to go on a cruise.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I'm so excited, my friend Calfan and I just signed up for this cruise this morning, taking advantage of the *GT rates for our first girls trip without dh's and kids! We would have done the dvc special, but I couldn't pull the trigger quick enough and all dates are sold out. I'll read through the entire thread soon, but just wanted to say "hi."