-=*September 10 2011, Westbound Transatlantic from Barcelona to Port Canaveral*=-

[TifffanyD]

Hi there!!

First thank you so so much for all the useful tips posted here...it's incredible! DH and I have already booked a 3-Day Bahamas on the Wonder in December just the 2 of us (WooHoo!). Though it's going to be our first cruise, we're major fans of WDW and the Parks!

To celebrate our anniversary, we have also decided that we want to take the WBTA in Sept 2011. I read somewhere that you can get a 10% reduction if you book your next cruise while you're on the ship. We're interested in booking either a Cat 4 or 5. So, ok here's my question: is it better to book our WBTA soon (and presumably get the room we want) or wait 'til next December to book the 09/11 WBTA while we're on our cruise (and therefore get the 10% reduction)? I am so so excited and cannot wait to meet you all (and my fellow Quebecoise AnKaG! )

Thank you again!!

Melia

Congrats on your first cruise!!! I would book now and then check on the ship and see if it's cheaper. This is what we did - we booked the first day it was available via a travel agent and then % and get the $200 shipboard credit (don't forget that part!)

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Hi all, Steve here we are thinking of booking this cruise on our DVC member cruise in september does anyone know the current promos associated with this sailing?

I hope you decide to join us. Not sure of any new promotions though. I believe the TA cruises don't go up much in price and are generally priced as about the least expensive DCL cruise available on a per-day basis.

We just booked this cruise on our back to back sailings last week!!!! I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you and to meet you eventually. I haven't read the previous six pages, but I will! I'm still unpacking from our vacation.

We have connecting cat 9A rooms. It's me, dh (Steve), Sam (15 when we cruise), Andrew (almost 14), William (11), and Margaret (5 1/2).

I've already got some GREAT fish extender gift ideas!!

You're almost making me feel guilty for leaving our 3 boys behind! We're looking forward to our first kid-free vacation since 1999.

Hi there!!

First thank you so so much for all the useful tips posted here...it's incredible! DH and I have already booked a 3-Day Bahamas on the Wonder in December just the 2 of us (WooHoo!). Though it's going to be our first cruise, we're major fans of WDW and the Parks!

To celebrate our anniversary, we have also decided that we want to take the WBTA in Sept 2011. I read somewhere that you can get a 10% reduction if you book your next cruise while you're on the ship. We're interested in booking either a Cat 4 or 5. So, ok here's my question: is it better to book our WBTA soon (and presumably get the room we want) or wait 'til next December to book the 09/11 WBTA while we're on our cruise (and therefore get the 10% reduction)? I am so so excited and cannot wait to meet you all (and my fellow Quebecoise AnKaG! )

Thank you again!!

Melia

We're celebrating our anniversary on this cruise as well.

You can always book your room now and then book another room on-board in December and cancel your exisiting room reservation. I don't believe you can "swap" your reservation for a new one on-board. You do run the risk of the price going up by more than 10%, but I don't believe that happens much with the TA cruises. As TiffanyD stated above, another huge advantage to booking on-board is the higher on-board room credit.

 

[CINGULARONE@YAHOO.CO]

Are we there yet?

Hope all is well-

 

[Meliador]

Thank you TiffanyD and KSDisneydad for the great tips!! I will definitely go ahead and make a reservation.

Other questions: (1) I've seen a couple of Disney-authorized travel agencies that seems to have great perks to offer if you book via them (e.g. onboard credits etc) vs booking online. Is there any reason why travel agents are able to offer a better "package" than booking on the official DCL website? Seems a bit strange to me, but then, i'm not in that business, so maybe something i'm missing there...

(2) I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to go for a Cat 4 instead of a Cat 5, considering that it's a 14 days cruise after all. Are the few additional square feets worth it? I thought of checking how much more $$ a Cat 3 (1 bedroom) would be, but I'm afraid to ask...

Thank you all again!!

/Melia

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Thank you TiffanyD and KSDisneydad for the great tips!! I will definitely go ahead and make a reservation.

Other questions: (1) I've seen a couple of Disney-authorized travel agencies that seems to have great perks to offer if you book via them (e.g. onboard credits etc) vs booking online. Is there any reason why travel agents are able to offer a better "package" than booking on the official DCL website? Seems a bit strange to me, but then, i'm not in that business, so maybe something i'm missing there...

(2) I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to go for a Cat 4 instead of a Cat 5, considering that it's a 14 days cruise after all. Are the few additional square feets worth it? I thought of checking how much more $$ a Cat 3 (1 bedroom) would be, but I'm afraid to ask...

Thank you all again!!

/Melia

1. I have no idea how this works either. I have read that you can even book on-line through DCL's website or on-board with the 10% discount/OBCs and then later move your reservation to a travel agent and get additional OBCs. They must be giving up part of their commission from Disney to offer the OBCs. Personally, we like to use a travel agent primarily because we want to have someone we know that we can call if something goes wrong.

2. Can't help here either as I've never sailed with a balcony (We will be in a cat 4 next month though on a 4-night Spring Break cruise). We did a 15-night Panama Canal cruise in connecting Cat 8's with 5 of us and had plenty of room without the balcony. It's a personal choice, but for two, I think the Cat 5-10 rooms are fine space wise. We may look into upgrading our current transatlantic reservation to a balcony room while on-board next month, but I'm not yet convinced it will be worth it. Perhaps I'll change my mind after sailing next month.

Good luck deciding!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Well Folks,

Looks like I am going to have to cancel the Transatlantic for now - so sad but my Disney budget has diminished greatly - must console myself with a short and inexpensive jaunt to DLP. I do look forward to reading the trip reports though!

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Hi Everyone! We're booked on this cruise. We are DH John/1Grumpy John and myself DW Deb/EllaEnchanted. This will be our 14th cruise. Wow...we have only done 8 so far but we have a total of 6 booked for this year and next. September is our anniversary month. We will be celebrating our 21st together on this cruise.

We're travelling with friends, another anniversary couple, that we met on our first cruise in 2001. This will be our 3rd cruise with them.

We would like to sit together at dinner and have another couple or two join us. Are there any other couples celebrating an anniversary....why don't you join us. We do the late seating. PM me if you're interested.

I'm really looking forward to participating in some organized events with all of you. I suppose we have plenty of time to figure all that out. haha.

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Hi there!!

First thank you so so much for all the useful tips posted here...it's incredible! DH and I have already booked a 3-Day Bahamas on the Wonder in December just the 2 of us (WooHoo!). Though it's going to be our first cruise, we're major fans of WDW and the Parks!

To celebrate our anniversary, we have also decided that we want to take the WBTA in Sept 2011. I read somewhere that you can get a 10% reduction if you book your next cruise while you're on the ship. We're interested in booking either a Cat 4 or 5. So, ok here's my question: is it better to book our WBTA soon (and presumably get the room we want) or wait 'til next December to book the 09/11 WBTA while we're on our cruise (and therefore get the 10% reduction)? I am so so excited and cannot wait to meet you all (and my fellow Quebecoise AnKaG! )

Thank you again!!

Melia

You could probably book it now and then try to rebook it onboard when you see the discounted price and the additional shipboard credit. You might have to cancel the first one when you book it the second time. At least you could lock in a specific room or location onboard this way.

Do you like the second seating for dining? You should consider joining me and my husband and our friends for dinner. We love meeting new people and we'll all be celebrating our anniversaries.

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Congrats on your first cruise!!! I would book now and then check on the ship and see if it's cheaper. This is what we did - we booked the first day it was available via a travel agent and then % and get the $200 shipboard credit (don't forget that part!)

I should have continued reading before posting my answer. Well great minds think alike.

 

[EllaEnchanted]

I hope you decide to join us. Not sure of any new promotions though. I believe the TA cruises don't go up much in price and are generally priced as about the least expensive DCL cruise available on a per-day basis.



You're almost making me feel guilty for leaving our 3 boys behind! We're looking forward to our first kid-free vacation since 1999.



We're celebrating our anniversary on this cruise as well.

YEAH another couple celebrating an anniversary. If you like the second seating, would you like to sit with us as well. I say, the more the merrier.

You can always book your room now and then book another room on-board in December and cancel your exisiting room reservation. I don't believe you can "swap" your reservation for a new one on-board. You do run the risk of the price going up by more than 10%, but I don't believe that happens much with the TA cruises. As TiffanyD stated above, another huge advantage to booking on-board is the higher on-board room credit.

Like I said, I should have kept reading. Well now I know how it works for sure. Thanks for the great info.

 

[Meliador]

Like I said, I should have kept reading. Well now I know how it works for sure. Thanks for the great info.

Hi Ella!! Sure sounds like a plan!! I think we'd prefer the second seating, I would rather not rush to dinner to catch a show (I know I would fret if I were on the early dining time). I have to first book the cruise!

Based on the recommendations I've gathered on this board, I'll use a TA for this. Imagine, while I was booking online our Disney Wonder December cruise about 2 weeks ago, the DCL site crashed...I called to finish the reservation by phone, and got a confirmation that the other online reservation never came through. Ha! Checked my credit card bill and I had 2 DCL reservation deposits taken *plus* got a second reservation by mail! Thankfully, it was easy to sort out with the DCL folks.

All this to say that for a transatlantic cruise and considering the $$ invested, I'm definitely going to use a TA.

So much fun to plan though....

/Melia

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Hi Ella!! Sure sounds like a plan!! I think we'd prefer the second seating, I would rather not rush to dinner to catch a show (I know I would fret if I were on the early dining time). I have to first book the cruise!

Based on the recommendations I've gathered on this board, I'll use a TA for this. Imagine, while I was booking online our Disney Wonder December cruise about 2 weeks ago, the DCL site crashed...I called to finish the reservation by phone, and got a confirmation that the other online reservation never came through. Ha! Checked my credit card bill and I had 2 DCL reservation deposits taken *plus* got a second reservation by mail! Thankfully, it was easy to sort out with the DCL folks.

All this to say that for a transatlantic cruise and considering the $$ invested, I'm definitely going to use a TA.

So much fun to plan though....

/Melia

Hi Melia, I'm so happy that you're going to sit with us for dinner. There will be a lot of celebrating going on at our table. WOOHOO! We'll wait until final payment is made and then we can link our reservations. But we have plenty of time for that.

I agree that planning is all the fun!

 

[Meliador]

Hello fellow DIS-ers....

Am now ready to take it to second base...

I'm sure this is something that has been probably asked many times before (and if so, please don't hesitate to send me to the link that talks about this)...but any suggestions as to TA to use for the WBTA reservation? I would probably give a shot to our sponsor (it's just fair), but if there is anyone amongst that team that you've worked with and really like, I'd love to get their names!

Thankyou Thankyou!!

Melia

 

[TifffanyD]

Hello fellow DIS-ers....

Am now ready to take it to second base...

I'm sure this is something that has been probably asked many times before (and if so, please don't hesitate to send me to the link that talks about this)...but any suggestions as to TA to use for the WBTA reservation? I would probably give a shot to our sponsor (it's just fair), but if there is anyone amongst that team that you've worked with and really like, I'd love to get their names!

Thankyou Thankyou!!

Melia

I have used Kelsie and Tracey and both have been good. I was assigned Tracey on my first cruise and it was great so I request her now. Kelsie was assigned to the one I am going on in October this year - have had no problems with her either!

 

[Meliador]

Thank you TifannyD for the tip! i will get in touch with them in the next weeks. Will let you all know how it goes.

Cheers,

/Melia

 

[Meliador]

I've just asked for a quote for the WBTA...I should hear from the TA in 2 business days. Yay!

Was wondering about the following: if you're 2 adults traveling (no kids), is it worthwhile to get the Family Room with Verandah? (cat 4), or should we be just fine in a midship regular Verandah stateroom (cat 5A)? As I am celebrating an anniversary, I asked how much $$ a one bedroom suite would cost. I still don't know if it's worthwhile...that is, should I put the extra money on the stateroom or on the excursions.

I'm much excited about the EU ports of call (can't wait to try Madeira wine!), though less impressed with St-Maarten or Tortola. Seems like it's very expensive for a day on an island. I've been to Tortola probably 10 times now (sailing), so I guess once there, I'd hit Pussers' for my collection of Painkillers (awsome drink!) mugs and my fix of English chocolate bars at "All Things British" (a store within walking distance of the dock!). If any of you have any questions about Tortola, don't hesitate to shout!!

Comments/suggestions always welcome!!

thank you again for all of your input!

/Melia

 

[Meliador]

Duh! As I was rereading my posts, I noticed that some of you already provided comments (thank you KSDisney Dad!!)...

If anyone has stayed in the verandah balcony for a longer cruise, that would be great if you could let me know whether the room was spacious enough...not that I'm ordinarily living in a castle (far from it, mind you, rather a 100-year old beach shack!), but I like my "personal space..."

I'm just trying to gage whether I can call 260' sq ft (or so) my home without (i) suffering from claustrauphobia, or worse...(ii) driving DH crazy!!

thanks again!!

/Melia

 

[Meliador]

Please officially count me in!!

Ended up booking a Cat 5A. Price delta for a Cat4A was about $500 (not bad), however I wanted to be midship, but not on the highest floor for staterooms. So we are on 7th deck, which is just perfect...

I am so so excited!!

I began reading on Barcelona, and all the stuff there is to see there...I thought I could spend just a day, day and a half, but seems like a 2-3 pre-cruise would be in order.

Curious about what your WBTA's cruisers pre-cruise plans are?

Yay!!

/Melia

 

[CINGULARONE@YAHOO.CO]

Please officially count me in!!

Ended up booking a Cat 5A. Price delta for a Cat4A was about $500 (not bad), however I wanted to be midship, but not on the highest floor for staterooms. So we are on 7th deck, which is just perfect...

I am so so excited!!

I began reading on Barcelona, and all the stuff there is to see there...I thought I could spend just a day, day and a half, but seems like a 2-3 pre-cruise would be in order.

Curious about what your WBTA's cruisers pre-cruise plans are?

Yay!!

/Melia

We did a 21 night Trans-Atlantic from Rome to FLL late last year aboard the Grand Princess. We stopped in Barcelona, had a nice visit. The city really is spread out. We bought (on our own) a ticket for the city sight seeing bus, we did 2 of the 3 'loops'. We thought that Barcelona would be a city that we would re-visit.

This brings us to our current dilemma. We lived in Orlando for 8+ years, recently moved to the Atlanta area. This cruise is in 20 months, not sure that we will be spending a considerable amount of time between now and then in Orlando. I have put my foot down, we can either spend some time in Barcelona pre-cruise, or stay on property (Grand floridian most likely) and enjoy the magic of Disney World. In all the time we lived in Orlando, we never had a need to stay on property, something that is missing out of 1000 places to visit before you die. Don't get me wrong, we had annual passes for 8 years, we would sometime go to EPCOT for a drink and walk a few laps around the lagoon. We are true Disney lovers.

If you decide on Barcelona, there was a cable car that looked amazing, if we end up just doing one day pre-cruise, it is something we will consider partaking in. The big sights are amazing as well.

Hope all is well-

 

[Meliador]

Wow...what an interesting dilemma! The Grand Floridian is of course stunning. I haven't stayed there, but I visited its grounds and had High Tea there (heartily recommend it too!). Barcelona seems to be a vibrant city with top notch architecture and great food. I too would be torn between these great opportunities! I guess it boils down to price and opportunity. What's the price difference between the 2, and how likely you are to go to Barcelona in the future if you decided to instead go to the Grand Floridian, and vice-versa. Isn't it great to have choices though!!

I will definitely check out into the cable car. So far, I have looked at the top history/architecture spots. It seems logical to book a room on La Rambla, to be on the center of everything. I saw that there were excursions for Montserrat, but that seems to be a whole day. Not sure I want to spend pre-cruise days in excursions outside of Barcelona...

Good luck with "solving the dilemma"....either way, it's going to be fantastic I'm sure!!

/Melia