Thinking about our 1st cruise- Cat 3?

[triplefigs]

Please help answer a few questions. This would be our first cruise (EVER!), and I think we would really enjoy it. I especially would love the FOOD!

1. Can you tell me a little about the Category 3 suite? We have triplets and like the idea of 2 bathrooms and a separate sleeping area for us. Does it have a TV in both areas? We would like to do a Land/Sea package that includes Deluxes. That limits us to Category 3 or 4, and we'd really prefer the 2 bathrooms!
2. What is included with concierge? Do they include soft drinks and alcohol? What else is extra with concierge?
3. What is the best way to book a cruise? We are currently using DU for our upcoming trip. Are they good for cruises?
4. Please give me any tips you can think of. We would be planning for sometime in late 2006 or early 2007 (to get the cheapest rate).

thanks!

 

[DisCrazzy]

We had a cat 3 for our first cruise. We LOVED it. Very roomy. Concierge is included. You get special little treats in your room every night. You get your first 6 pack of soda for free. There is a TV in both the living room and in the bedroom. It has a big walk in closet (with bathrobes & slippers for mom & dad to where.) The only thing that I suggest, is if you are looking to keep the kids sleeping in one room and you guys in another, then you need to make sure that you book one of the mid ship cat 3's. They are room numbers 8032, 8034, 8532, & 8534. These are the only 4 cat 3's that have the pull down bed in the living room. All other cat 3's have the pull down bed in the bedroom with mom & dad. We had 8532. Also, with all of these rooms, you actually have a triple lengh verandah instead of a double.
Good luck in your planning.

Jennifer

 

[markºoº]

We have stayed in a Cat 3 twice and loved it.

When you enter the stateroom there is a small entry hall way with bathroom (shower, toilet, sink), large closet, and small desk area. The entry hall leads to the living room which features a sleeper sofa, 2 chairs, coffee table, end tables, dining room table for 4, wet bar, fridge, and a TV/stereo/CD/VCR. The 4 midship Cat 3's also have a pull down Murphy bed in the living room. The master bedroom has a pocket door to separate it from the living room. The master bedroom features a large bed, chair, small table, private entrance to verandah, TV, makeup desk, and a huge walk in closet. The "non midship" Cat 3's also have a Murphy bed in the master bedroom. The bathroom has 2 parts - the first part has a large double vanity and whirlpool tub. The second part has a toilet and shower.

If possible, book one of the four midship Cat 3. These cabins are a little larger, the Murphy bed is in the living room (thus the living room is larger), and they have a triple wide verandah with 2 door out from the living room and 1 door out from the bedroom.

With Cat 3 you also get to make reservations in advance and board the ship early (handicap and Cat 1-3 guests do not have to wait in line to board). Concierge is a nice touch. They provided a small snack each day and our room did have a few cans of soda. No alcohol is provided. You can also borrow movies and CD's for free. They will take care of any reservations or requests you have during your cruise.

As for pricing, there are not really any discounts for Cat 1-3. However, it is cheaper to book early and book for offseason. In order to get the best early booking discount and to ensure a specific stateroom, I would consider booking at least 14-18 months early. If pricing is not available yet for your requested cruise, you can put in a request with DCL for a specific cabin until pricing is available.

 

[marcij]

We've been fortunate enough to have category 3's on both our Magic sailings and they are wonderful. Our experience with the category and class of service has been great. The concierge staff is wonderful at helping with every part of your trip. If you book cat 3 or higher, you can book all your on-line things (Palo, spa, kid's club, excursions etc.) earlier than the other cruisers, plus the extra treats each day are great. They range from food, beverages, coloring books, arcade cards etc. You are usually seated in the middle of dining rooms, so you get great seating for the character breakfast and dining room server "shows", the room size/verandah is fantastic and you are normally upgraded to concierge rooms at the GF for the land portion. The rooms on the ship are a really good size with a lot of room for the kids to play and relax without being too crowded. There are two TV's so the adults don't have to watch kids shows! You have a special lounge for check-in and don't have to stand in line to get on the ship, the concierge staff takes care of your tipping so you don't have to stand in line to take care of that, etc. If you have any kind of problems while on board the concierge staff is quick to take care of them. They were like an extra set of hands, and since your triplets probably keep you very busy, I think the added service would be very helpful to you.

 

[erikthewise]

That sounds great!!
Just some random thoughts and alternatives:

-- Land-Sea package guests have priority for suites on 3- and 4-night cruises. While that will be helpful to you if select such a package, it can make it all but impossible to get a suite if you don't.

-- In any case I encourage you to get your dates set and make a reservation or room request as soon as possible. Suites are very popular and it's never to early to reserve one (well maybe it's too early for 2010).

-- An alternative to consider is two connecting rooms, which are available in most categories. Connecting rooms in category 6 will likely cost less than a category 3. Even if you're not concerned about cost, it's a good backup plan if you aren't able to land a suite.

-- Concierge services and extras are not "free" -- you will pay for them, in spades, as part of the cabin price. If you're not going to make use of them, consider other alternatives.

-- It is not only possible but often desirable to book land and sea components separately. We did this on our first WDW family vacation (2001), staying concierge at the Polynesian together with a 3-day cruise in cat 5. We saved a bundle by booking separately. Things have changed since then and the savings are not as dramatic, but separate bookings give you a lot of flexibility. You can e.g. have 5 days at WDW and a 4-day cruise instead of 4-3 or 3-4. (Three days is too short for either the land or the cruise part.) You can rent a car or use a towncar service for flexible transportation. You can mix any resort with any category cabin, etc.

-- If you do choose a land-sea package, ask about adding an extra day or two at your resort if you are interested. I think this is possible.

-- I suggest the Dec 3 2006 Wonder cruise. We just booked that one.

-- Don't book without getting some kind of discount. All of the major Disney TAs offer cruise discounts from time to time, e.g. MouseEars Vacations, Dreams Unlimited, Small World Vacations, etc.