Okay, a couple of questions.
1. Do you folks think the
dcl excursions will fill up right away? Should I be looking at having a second choice? Can you go on a waitlist if your 1st choice is full?
2. Is anybody here going to be booking the Leeds debarkation excursion? I really want to do this, but if its cancelled for lack of interest, I won't have a ride back to London organized. Or if it sells out right away. Anyone hazard a guess as to why you can only book this onboard? I think that'll make people like me worry that it might not happen and therefore make alternate arrangements.
I would love you experienced folks input.
Thanks.
When we went on DCL Med cruise 2007 and some excursions did fill up immediately - usually the best ones - so I would have second choices ready. I had the same experience where I kept checking back every few days and I did get the one excursion I really wanted that had been full. I also could not get the Palo brunch for my size group and had to wait until we got on the boat but we did get one there. March 14 is my booking day for excursions so I'm crossing my fingers this time. Good luck for yours.
Two questions in the same vein:
1. Will Palo brunch fill before Palo dinner?
2. Any sense about how popular spa treatments are and whether those will fill, especially on the days at sea?
I am on the first Baltic cruise and a gold member.
I was able to book excursions this last Saturday. If an excursion had a morning and an afternoon time, I was never able to get the morning slots.
I called DCL when they opened and finally they told me the platinum people had gotten all the morning excursions.
I am looking to see if Disney will be adding more morning excursions or we will just DIY on most of the ports.
Andrew-
Had a quick question. We are staying at the Renaissance Chancery, and I have an opportunity via Marriott points to get one day tickets for HOHO River Red Rover on Thames River. Do you know if it's good?
Thanks
Re booking for these Baltic trips I expected and it does seem to be evidenced now that its following the Med 2007 trips with a very high take up for shore excursions.
Now I always expected:-
St Petersburg will sell out very very quickly; Yes some including me have booked private tours, but you cant get off the ship without a DCL tour or a private tour. Private tours are limited and expensive. So DCL shore trips will go fast. STP is the highlight of this cruise with two days there.
Berlin /Warnemunde. This will go fast as well, its expensive, but for many a must do. If you only go to Europe once, or rarely you will want to do it, and unlike other ports, you cant really do it yourself.
So these will book fast.
The other ports as said can go because people want to keep their options open, Bar Signature trips you can cancel up to 72 hours pre cruise, and people know these will sell out, so they will book asap, but may cancel, that gives them options.
MED 2007; Shore trips sold out, a lot went at 105 days, some were added, I know at 90 days many had gone and to support this as you arrivaed in port there were soo many buses lined up for tours, they were popular.
Brunch Dinner Tea etc, is the same as normal, now not, if you get to port early you will get these!!! You do not have a fall back on shore trips bar DIY.
In summary, these Baltic cruises are expensive, of course people are booking them for the sights, if they were booking them for Palo, its a rather expensive way to do it, far cheaper without cruise and air fare, so Shore trips are the priority!!!
HOHO RED ROVER
Never been on one, but see them often as i walk across the Thames river bridges, they are popular all year around i see them reasonably full. You see a lot from the river, and its a nice alternative to walking. All the best sights from Westminster, London Eye, bridges, railways stations, St Paul's, Tower of London, Festival hall, Tate, Globe, are all visible from this as well as going down to Greenwich and docklands for the new 'city' towers.
I'm pretty confident that Disney will add additional excursions if the demand for them is high enough. We know that DCL is in business to make money, and they surely get a cut from the excursions, so there would be no reason for them to not meet the demand. And, if worse comes to worst and I don't get the excursions we want, then I'll either book private tours or just keep checking with DCL for cancellations. 
