BeachBoat&breaks

I sent an email and received a response 3 days later, so for non-urgent matters, that would work.  That being said, a follow-up question I have about the kids club bookings (still required on my voyage according to the agent I spoke with - again an April 13 sailing), still has not been answered which I sent 5 days ago. I will update as to the answer and response time.  

Couple of thoughts. These are all management/IT related issues and I hope people are not taking it out on the agents they speak with. DCL needs to post WHICH voyages do not have to book youth club, for instance, so that there is clarity.  It's also still sailing at reduced capacity, but they don't make that clear or what that is.  Now I realize that we never knew HOW booked a ship is in "the before times" short of looking at availability etc. The agents are still doing a beautiful job and really keeping it all together. It sounds like they're dealing with some very rude callers. 

Shortly after last posting I did reach an agent, and we are unraveling the mess of a couple of duplicate reservations caused by recent system glitches and confirming everyone has the right cabin, right reservation assigned (24 hour hold reservations were not deleting and also not allowing final payments blocking cabins w the other family members) on a trip less than 30 days out. 

216 minutes so far, also no update on "expected wait time" but I'm closing in on that 256 min quoted time (now that we blew past that original 100 minutes quoted when I called at center opening time!)

Passing the 3 hour mark...  No update message on wait time. 

DCL phone lines now has a recording on new calls saying "We cannot take your call right now".  So that's progress... 

Update: hold time update 256 min. Now I am already 154 min in, so what's another 100 min at this point. 

After holding on the quoted 100 minute time for 82 minutes a second recording just gave me a hold time of 428 minutes!!!!  

Since last weeks "system upgrade" DCL website and phone lines have been a HOT mess. Since Wednesday the phone lines haven't had wait times under 100 minutes if you don't simply get a busy signal.  The recording to get the wait time is 5-6 minutes into an automated menu and recording about COVID vaccine requirements.  I woke up early (6 am on a Sunday morning) to call when they open right at 6.  The first 5 calls gave an error recording before the 100+ minute recording. Costco travel put up a banner on their website on Saturday saying they can't book Disney Cruises on their website AND their call center.  The DCL website is also glitching, so uh... good luck for clarification on things like Kids Club reservations or a cabin change.  

We cruised Dream a month after our oldest turned 3. He struggled with being left at the club, and we were called almost every time. He regularly attends preschool on a M-W-F schedule but does the "sad" drop-off, which at the kids club means, they will call you if he doesn't calm down quickly. It was a bit big for him and overwhelming. Basically if the Star Wars section was in use - we could almost guarantee he wouldn't be staying. He did join his brother (18 months) in the nursery and did better with that. But yes, its hard on the little guys and you might find you are spending more "family time" than you bargained for. They did manage to keep him long enough for us to get through a dinner in Remy - but not dessert.

Good luck!

Could you elaborate on the differences on the two bedrooms on the Classics'? Especially post-makeover for the Wonder? I'm familiar with the Dream (which actually didn't have any two bedrooms - even the Owner's Suites would require booking an additional cabin!) Looking at that the Dream/Fantasy it would be a 1bedroom/Family Veranda combo (I can't see booking a PH suite and additional room without our group being larger to require all that entertaining space - just for our budget purposes). Disney already is a steep charge for their suites compared to say, Celebrity - and the food doesn't come close to matching. It's really a disappointment actually how badly it compares to the suite class dining room on Celebrity. Even Palo was just okay compared to the specialty dining options on the other line (but Peter Pan won't play hide and seek with my toddler on another line so the Mouse wins).

We are looking at a trip with my parents next Jan/Feb (when the grey is most unbearable). It will be my father's first cruise and something he's wanted to try for a while, so we are splurging, as it will also be their first vacation with the kids.

Recognizing we will be kind of iffy on weather (our Jan 20th Dream 3nt was okay- not as warm as I like - were able to dock at CC, but VERY windy and water was cold, excursions all cancelled). We did family stateroom Concierge on Dream and it was wonderful for that extra bit of service, the snacks and drinks (and espresso as we are VERY heavy coffee drinkers) and really that extra mile the Concierge staff went.

So knowing that time of year can be iffy - looking at some of the longer trips to go further south to get warm (and understanding that CC can be hit or miss as a finale). Little ones will be 4 and 2.

The questions are:

Better to book two adjoining cabins (Family Concierge and possibly a 1 bedroom - so we have communal seating area) on a Dream/Fantasy or just get a 2 bd suite on Magic/Wonder?

How does concierge service rate on Classic vs newer ships?

We are not big Caribbean people (been there so no urge to see another Diamonds International shop) - so we would likely stay on ship on many shore days. Not very into crowds, so that does put a plus in the Classic columns from what I have read (the Dream was VERY crowded to us - we did a lot in the Concierge lounge and sun deck). But the amenities of the larger ships are pretty attractive (especially when everyone is off the boat). We loved Remy, thought Palo was fine, and the MDR (we did Animators Palate) was just okay food wise, and very crowded/chaotic. We really enjoyed the Concierge lounge and went there for breakfast and lunch rather than the other options like Cabanas which was pretty overwhelming (especially just for chicken tenders). We are introverts

Any advice on the Classics vs (whatever the Dream class ships are called) on the Concierge level would be useful, having only sailed on the Dream.

We were on the Dream on Jan 20th and while we were able to dock, high winds cancelled excursions. It did make it chilly and just very hard for the little ones to be out in that wind for longer than about 90 minutes. It was something that I think people should be more aware of - I didn't feel like there was much of a warning about it (it was our first Disney Cruise so our first Castaway Cay experience).

Excellent point on the airport and destination points. We are going to be staying at WDW Boardwalk Resort two nights prior to the cruise, and then going back to MCO after it. So the car service would be from a Disney property to the port and then port to airport! The "hurry up and wait" comment was reflective of our time at the parks from our trip in October. Sometimes, yes, one is there and leaves right away. Sometimes you wait. And depending on the wind, position of the stars, food, sleep and a butterfly flapping its wings in Siberia - toddlers (especially our 3 year old) handle the waiting, delays, crowds, luggage stacks with varying levels of aplomb.

We are traveling with our sons ages 3 and 16 months... Looking at the cost of using Disney transfers at $105 each way or getting a private car/limo/SUV transfer (we are Military and likely can get a slightly discounted rate). Does anyone have any experience with this or a company that they liked? The bus transfer route just seems a bit expensive for a "hurry up and wait" crowded experience vs. being on our own and able to control our departure and arrival a bit more. We are booked on the Concierge level so we should be okay once we arrive at Port. Thoughts?

Yes, the goal for us for the concierge class is to avoid lines, hassle, staying up late to try to secure bookings when the window magically "opens", get preferred tables, etc. It's so we can maximize our enjoyment of our limited time - and I agree - its a personal choice and for us, our choice is to spend the money because we simply do not have the time to spend. (Honestly, as a cancer survivor - I simply will not waste time in lines anymore - life is too short and the idea that things can be put off for "later" is a gamble that isn't guaranteed, so its not about being "stuck up" or wasting money frivolously.) That being said and I do thank everyone for their feedback and knowing what our personal goal is... what does everyone think about doing the park/bus/transfer? Originally I was thinking we would just come in on Thursday night, but I am trying to squeeze out a full day of leave for my DH on Thursday so we could go to one of the resorts Wednesday night and spend Thursday enjoying one of the resorts (Wilderness Lodge - so we can maybe do some of the pony rides with the kids and pool time before we board ship with the pool that the little one can't enjoy). So my question is has anyone who has traveled concierge class done the bus transfer and do you get expedited handling or should we do a private transfer?.

Having gone on several cruises on Celebrity (confirmed Sky Suite addict now with the private dining room) and even Regent, but now with small children (1 & 2.5), we finally decided to look into a Disney Cruise. After swallowing hard at the price (really?! for 3 days? And that's not a suite?), we were further dismayed to find out that unless we were truly outside of the 120 day window, we could very well pay a large sum for a Concierge level room, only to find that we could be shut out of Remy, Palo, Spa, Cabanas, and most importantly NURSERY reservations.) So we scrapped our plan for an immediate vacation and attempted to predict the future - 122 days in advance booking a concierge room. After a lengthy phone call with the land-staff we came up with an itinerary and numerous reservation requests which we were ASSURED they would handle IMMEDIATELY when the booking window opened. Case closed. Trip planned. Nothing to do now but wait. But upon checking the website after the window opened... we had NO reservations. Nothing. Nada. No nursery. No Remy. No Palo. Almost all the cabanas were gone. It was a nightmare and I sat up for two hours trying to navigate the website and remember what we had booked and when and coordinate that with the now - going fast spaces available. I emailed the concierge too, first to see if somehow I had, in fact, been booked but somehow it didn't link (nope), and to express concern about double bookings if that was the case, and to find out about the events that did not show up on the website that I had booked nursery times around during the phone call (wine tasting). The email reply they then said they would verify everything and make sure that I wasn't double booked and fix everything. Okay. So I double checked again. No, it was still incorrect with a nursery time ending just as our wine tasting was beginning (perfect, we will bring the 1 year old, I am SURE everyone will enjoy his presence at a wine tasting.) So again, another phone call. So now everything is fixed. One would think that after multiple issues there was some "gee we are sorry that this all got botched and you had to do multiple checks and phone calls to make sure we were doing our jobs, here is a courtesy credit/call/acknowledgement and followup from say, a manager or supervisor". Nope. Nada. Nothing. I sent an email requesting that. Nope. That's the AMAZING Disney service that we are paying a PREMIUM for?!?! Concierge Class!?!? When did I become my own Concierge?!!? I booked it all!!!! Repeatedly and then checked THEIR work?!?!

Is this normal?! I would have to say I'm halfway considering canceling just based on this experience so far. Vacation days are like gold around here and seeing this cavalier attitude towards guests, especially ones who are paying extra to not have to be up in the middle of the night waging online thunder dome for reservations was no bueno. It makes me nervous about the entire trip and really not the experience we were after. Is this normal?