Thinking of cruising in November....please answer a few questions

[MELSMICE]

We have never cruised and are contemplating doing a Disney cruise in November. It would just be DH & myself.

I have not done a ton of research yet, however, have plugged in the info as to when we'd want to go into the Disney Cruise website. I'm interested in a 7-day so our option would be the Disney Fantasy to the Caribbean.

My questions so far:

--Is it best to book through a TA or right through Disney?

--It looks like Disney adds the vacation insurance, which is optional. Is this recommended? Even if we booked through a TA is it good to get the insurance?

--DH is not convinced he wants to do a 7-day, however, I think I would feel too rushed with a 4-day. He is afraid there won't be enough adult activities. Any thoughts on that?

--If we're taking a cruise I feel I would want to get a room with a full verandah - no whitewall. Any thoughts on this?

--I was reading a few of the other threads. I thought I read that you can take alcohol on board. Is that correct?

--What kind of excursions do they offer & what would you recommend for 2 adults? I am fine with a beach chair & a good book, but would also like to try some different things that may be offered.

--Dumb question, but are the pools salt water or fresh water?

--What is the normal amount of deposit?

--How far in advance should it be booked? We're at 11 months out now.

Any info is appreciated. I've been "saving my pennies" & would really like to take the plunge & do a cruise.

 

[LarryDEbJesJen]

Is it best to book through a TA or right through Disney? >>>Ive always booked through disney but Dreams Unlimited has some nice perks

--It looks like Disney adds the vacation insurance, which is optional. Is this recommended? Even if we booked through a TA is it good to get the insurance?>>>I believe the insurance through Disney is a bit much, there are some other sites that cost less, that being said we havent purchased insurance for our other cruises.

--DH is not convinced he wants to do a 7-day, however, I think I would feel too rushed with a 4-day. He is afraid there won't be enough adult activities. Any thoughts on that? There are plenty of adult activities>>>.I was a bit worried about that but we found ourselves wishing it was LONGER than seven days. It sounds long but when you figure all the shows and movies you can see and throw in a couple of islands and a private island along with Palo's, spa time, alone time, shopping etc etc it becomes more of a case of what you want to cut out not what you want to do.

--If we're taking a cruise I feel I would want to get a room with a full verandah - no whitewall. Any thoughts on this? If your trying to pinch pennies get the cheapest room on the boat. You can always go to one of the upper decks for the view.

--I was reading a few of the other threads. I thought I read that you can take alcohol on board. Is that correct? >>>yes, although im not sure if there is a limit.

--What kind of excursions do they offer & what would you recommend for 2 adults? I am fine with a beach chair & a good book, but would also like to try some different things that may be offered. >>> We enjoyed the butterfly farm which was pretty cheap. What we really enjoyed more was when we rented a car and explored by ourselves.

--Dumb question, but are the pools salt water or fresh water? >>>fresh

--What is the normal amount of deposit? I believe for a 7 day cruise for 4 we had a 1000 dollar deposit and if you rebook onboard its 500.

--How far in advance should it be booked? We're at 11 months out now.>>>Book as soon as you can as you can always move the date around. You may here people comment on a "dummy date" ie a cruise they have no intenion of going on so they can move it to a different date.

Any info is appreciated. I've been "saving my pennies" & would really like to take the plunge & do a cruise.

Weve cruised twice in November and loved it. Its a great time to go as the rates are low and its wonderful on the deck at night (well except the time when they were trying to keep ahead of a hurricane and me and my wife almost fell down trying to get to Palo's...)

 

[DLW8]

We have never cruised and are contemplating doing a Disney cruise in November. It would just be DH & myself.

I have not done a ton of research yet, however, have plugged in the info as to when we'd want to go into the Disney Cruise website. I'm interested in a 7-day so our option would be the Disney Fantasy to the Caribbean.

My questions so far:

--Is it best to book through a TA or right through Disney?
Our first cruise, we booked through AAA which didn't add any benefits. We re-booked onboard and named Dreams Unlimited as our TA (and LOVE them). They give on board credit when you book through them, and will keep an eye out for discounts you can use even after you book. They have been great.

--It looks like Disney adds the vacation insurance, which is optional. Is this recommended? Even if we booked through a TA is it good to get the insurance?

Yes, good to get insurance, but I would not use Disney's. Theirs is more pricey than others you can find at insuremytrip.com or the tripinsurancestore.com (there are other threads about insurance that will help you on the boards as well).
--DH is not convinced he wants to do a 7-day, however, I think I would feel too rushed with a 4-day. He is afraid there won't be enough adult activities. Any thoughts on that?
I have only done a 3 day and then 7 day cruises. There are lots of adult activities (beer/wine/martini tastings, Palo, the adult-only areas, etc). Obviously, more options on the 7 day versus the 4 night. There aren't a lot of on board activities planned on port days though, they assume the majority of people will get off the ship. You will find most of the planned activities on the sea days.

--If we're taking a cruise I feel I would want to get a room with a full verandah - no whitewall. Any thoughts on this?

Definitely personal preference. We love our verandah (always had the full and not whitewall). Many people will get the inside stateroom and use the extra $$$ for excursions.

--I was reading a few of the other threads. I thought I read that you can take alcohol on board. Is that correct?

Yes, in a carry on that you keep with you until you can get into your room. You cannot check it with the rest of your luggage.

--What kind of excursions do they offer & what would you recommend for 2 adults? I am fine with a beach chair & a good book, but would also like to try some different things that may be offered.

You'd have to look at the ports and the excursions offered. I don't know if you are looking more at Eastern or Wester itinerary.

--Dumb question, but are the pools salt water or fresh water?

Fresh Water.

--What is the normal amount of deposit?

Deposit is now 20% of your cruise fare. I believe if you re-book onboard, it is 10%.

--How far in advance should it be booked? We're at 11 months out now.

As far out as possible. The closer the cruise date gets, the price will increase. Unless you can travel without much notice and you may be able to get a discount really close to a cruise date, but that is not guaranteed.

Any info is appreciated. I've been "saving my pennies" & would really like to take the plunge & do a cruise.

You will love it - take a look at the FAQ thread on this board, it may help answer a lot of your questions, or just post them here!

 

[MELSMICE]

Thanks so much. I will definitely take a look at the FAQ's also.

 

[Yokelridesagain]

My two cents on a few topics:

1) Travel agents-I'm definitely in the minority on this board and in general but I haven't seen the advantage to using a TA. Will admit that I only looked into brick and mortar travel agents, not online agents like Dreams Unlimited. Unless the rate you are offered once you factor in onboard credits is actually less than what you get from the line, I would do it yourself.

2) Travel insurance-A good idea; I have never bought travel insurance for anything but considering it for next cruise. The main thing is--if you happen to be sick at the time of boarding they may not let you go. Anecdotally, DCL is pretty good about offering compensation and allowing transfers to future cruises in that instance, but they're under no legal obligation to do so. Don't buy from Disney. Unless you buy your airfare/hotel through them (which is invariably more expensive that what you can get on your own), their insurance will NOT cover it.

3)Alcohol on board-As of now, your understanding is correct. However, be aware that DCL tried to rescind this policy in August without notice (firestorm of criticism led them to reconsider), but I think everyone expects they will do this at some point in the future.

4) 7 day vs. 4 day-I would do the 7. DCL doesn't have the same level of "adult" activities as, say, the Royal Caribbean megaships but there is still plenty to do between shore excursions and on-ship programming. The main reason to go on a cruise is to relax...if you want non-stop activity, go to Europe instead or something like that.

 

[jlemieu1]

My 2 cents -- Nov. is a good time to go, except during Tday week, because the rates for the cruises and flights are historical low during that time of the year. Also techincally you are out of Hurricane season although it is possible to see a storm.

 

[Yokelridesagain]

My 2 cents -- Nov. is a good time to go, except during Tday week, because the rates for the cruises and flights are historical low during that time of the year. Also techincally you are out of Hurricane season although it is possible to see a storm.

Actually, you're not. Hurricane season in the Atlantic basin ends Nov. 30.

Although rare (May and December) and exceedingly rare (January-April), tropical cyclones have existed in every month of the calendar year.

The biggest risk with hurricanes in the Caribbean is that a big one is going to come along and smash up the ports you're sailing to after you've paid in full but before your cruise. It's a vacational hazard. Cancel for any reason trip insurance is your only good hedge against all eventualities.

 

[jlemieu1]

Actually, you're not. Hurricane season in the Atlantic basin ends Nov. 30.

Although rare (May and December) and exceedingly rare (January-April), tropical cyclones have existed in every month of the calendar year.

The biggest risk with hurricanes in the Caribbean is that a big one is going to come along and smash up the ports you're sailing to after you've paid in full but before your cruise. It's a vacational hazard. Cancel for any reason trip insurance is your only good hedge against all eventualities.

I stand corrected. It's the last offical month of Hurricane season. Still I guess 1 major one every 26.6 years is a good bet but not as good as May & June.

Major hurricanes in the Atlantic by month, 1851-2008
———————————————————————-
May 1
June 3
July 9
August 80
September 149
October 60
November 6

Source:http://weather.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/11/07/interesting-historic-info-on-november-hurricanes/

 

[LarryDEbJesJen]

Having cruised in November of 2009 and 2010 I can attest huricanes and really bad storms can cause discomfort. Even though they will avoid the hurricane it still creates some nice 15 to 20 foot waves. Worst case scenario is you spend about half a day in your room as it usually calms down after they get behind the Bahamas or around Cuba. Made the docking at CC very interesting, sorta like parking a car....

 

[MELSMICE]

A question about trip insurance. I got a quote from Dreams Unlimited of $126 per person. Does that seem high?

How would I go about getting insurance for a trip if I don't book it right with my trip?

 

[LWQuestie]

--If we're taking a cruise I feel I would want to get a room with a full verandah - no whitewall. Any thoughts on this?

I believe there are three styles. Plexiglass with bars, white wall and Navigator's.

I sailed with a plexi and navigator's in the past. I liked both and think I preferred the Navigator's Verandah. I like the coziness of the wraparound wall.

 

[ilovepooh]

A question about trip insurance. I got a quote from Dreams Unlimited of $126 per person. Does that seem high?

How would I go about getting insurance for a trip if I don't book it right with my trip?

That seems high, but double check that policy against ones from insuremytrip .com They have pretty good rates and policies.

 

[kcashner]

TA vs. booking on your own: A good TA who has cruised on the ships and specializes in DCL, who will speak with you before and after booking, who will handle things other than just punching the Disney computer site can be worth his/her weight in gold. A TA who has communication issues or gives poor service is a pain!

Insurance--why are you buying? Are you concerned about getting the cost of your cruise back in an emergency? Are you buying because you need medical coverage for the trip? The reason for buying will help narrow the choices as well as dictating how much coverage you may need. I choose to buy insurance privately (thru a company suggested by my TA; she handles all of it for me) because buying thru DCL will cover only those parts of the trip you bought thru DCL. For instance, if you buy air on your own, the DCL insurance won't cover it. You can get better coverage cheaper by going private.

A 7 night cruise has many adult programming options that are not available on shorter cruises.

 

[MELSMICE]

Any thoughts on booking through AAA?

The reason we would consider trip insurance is in case something happened as far as weather or something in case we had a flight delay even though we'd fly in the day before.

 

[jilljill]

Any thoughts on booking through AAA?

The reason we would consider trip insurance is in case something happened as far as weather or something in case we had a flight delay even though we'd fly in the day before.

As with any travel agent or travel agency, your experience will differ from others. AAA agencies differ across the country and so will the service that each agent offers.

 

[blessedmomofboys]

As with any travel agent or travel agency, your experience will differ from others. AAA agencies differ across the country and so will the service that each agent offers.

This is very true! We booked thru AAA and loved our TA, so much so that we listed her when we rebooked on board. We used her for her service versus any perks because the perks booking with AAA aren't that great. However, she retired and the new TA that AAA assigned us is horrible. If it wasn't so close to our sail date, I would have requested to have our reservation be pulled from AAA. I even asked AAA to give me a new TA and they wouldn't. So, if you have a TA with AAA that you love then it can be a great experience but as jilljill pointed out, the experience can differ greatly.

 

[MELSMICE]

TA vs. booking on your own: A good TA who has cruised on the ships and specializes in DCL, who will speak with you before and after booking, who will handle things other than just punching the Disney computer site can be worth his/her weight in gold. A TA who has communication issues or gives poor service is a pain!

I'm resurrecting this thread of mine as I'm back to planning again. I had gotten a quote from Dreams Unlimited but then put it on the back burner because I wanted to check with AAA, etc.

Plus, the Dreams Unlimited thing was always done via e-mail, no one ever actually got on the phone to speak to me & I wasn't crazy about that. The guy wanted me to commit & send in my deposit & I hadn't even spoken to him.

I just called AAA & their price is exactly the same as the price on the Disney Cruise Line site, so no deal there at all. Dreams Unlimited had the best pricing so far. Tell me to plan a WDW trip & I could plan for anyone with my eyes closed, hands tied behind my back but the cruise is another story for me as we've never done it.

I want to be as informed as possible before making the commitment. BTW - it's a 25th anniversary celebration for DH & I so we'd like to do something special.........this was my first thought.

 

[DLW8]

I'm resurrecting this thread of mine as I'm back to planning again. I had gotten a quote from Dreams Unlimited but then put it on the back burner because I wanted to check with AAA, etc.

Plus, the Dreams Unlimited thing was always done via e-mail, no one ever actually got on the phone to speak to me & I wasn't crazy about that. The guy wanted me to commit & send in my deposit & I hadn't even spoken to him.

I just called AAA & their price is exactly the same as the price on the Disney Cruise Line site, so no deal there at all. Dreams Unlimited had the best pricing so far. Tell me to plan a WDW trip & I could plan for anyone with my eyes closed, hands tied behind my back but the cruise is another story for me as we've never done it.

I want to be as informed as possible before making the commitment. BTW - it's a 25th anniversary celebration for DH & I so we'd like to do something special.........this was my first thought.

I have used Dreams for our cruises and while it is all email, I've gotten great service and quick replies from Beth, so its been a great experience!

I was with you when we planned our first cruise. I can plan WDW easily, but was clueless about DCL. But, you will love it and it's way less planning and less STRESS! Way more relaxing!

I think a DCL trip is a fantastic 25th Anniversary trip! You can do excursions if you want, or just relax onboard. If you like adult beverages, there are martini/wine/beer tastings onboard (for a fee) and if you tell them it's your anniversary, they will bring you a cake to celebrate at dinner one night (at least they did for birthday celebrations in November 2010 when we were there!).

Biggest decisions to book: When you want to travel and the itinerary, and then the room category.

After booking and final payment, you can book excursions and Palo/Remy through DCL's website. You do them yourselves even if you book with DU. It's very easy!

Happy planning and you know to ask here with more questions!

 

[MELSMICE]

I have used Dreams for our cruises and while it is all email, I've gotten great service and quick replies from Beth, so its been a great experience!

I was with you when we planned our first cruise. I can plan WDW easily, but was clueless about DCL. But, you will love it and it's way less planning and less STRESS! Way more relaxing!

I think a DCL trip is a fantastic 25th Anniversary trip! You can do excursions if you want, or just relax onboard. If you like adult beverages, there are martini/wine/beer tastings onboard (for a fee) and if you tell them it's your anniversary, they will bring you a cake to celebrate at dinner one night (at least they did for birthday celebrations in November 2010 when we were there!).

Biggest decisions to book: When you want to travel and the itinerary, and then the room category.

After booking and final payment, you can book excursions and Palo/Remy through DCL's website. You do them yourselves even if you book with DU. It's very easy!

Happy planning and you know to ask here with more questions!

OK, so Dreams Unlimited is done all via e-mail? I just wasn't sure.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I just wanted to clarify the deposit amount. It's 20% of the pretax cruise fare. If you rebook onboard, it's only 10%.

Also I can vouch for the "variety" in quality of AAA TAs. Mine was awful. On my 1st cruise, I already knew more than she did just by reading here so much.

I would also recommend a 7 nt if you can swing it. Time flies and just when you start getting comfortable, before you know it, it's time to go home. My whole family prefers the cruise over the parks now.