Taswira

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel:

"A 46-year-old man had to be med-evaced from the Disney Dream cruise ship Thursday near West Palm Beach, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The Coast Guard received a call from the ship, which was about 80 miles southeast of West Palm Beach, about a man in need of medical attention.A helicopter took the patient from the ship to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach."

moki'smommy - - I agree about the beds. The lack of split beds is probably the #1 reason for my decreasing number of DCL cruises. My husband is really not into cruising, but it's very uncomfortable asking a friend to share when one of us will take the sofa bed. Even if one may pay less to compensate, it's awkward because it's not an equal experience for both. Combine this with DCL's ever-increasing cruise prices and they are rapidly losing their appeal for me. Note: Adults only but lifelong Disney addict.

There's going to be massive amounts of speculation about the new ships, where they'll be based, the disposition of the rest of the fleet, but when it comes down to it, it is utterly pointless to make any guesses until the first of the new ships sets sail, in 4 years, then 5 years for the next and 6 years for the final ship. Until then all we can do is wait and see what DCL decides. There's so many factors involved that will have a bearing on what they're going to do with the new ships, I'm sure they already have a long term plan in place, but as Disney does, they always allow for changes. There could be many factors that predicate where they'll finally locate the fleet, political climate in various countries (including the U.S.), economic changes that could send the industry into a tail spin, and of course cost of operating in many ports or countries could be too prohibitive for DCL to even consider them. Sure it's great to wish for itineraries in many new and exciting places but DCL has to stay conscious of their bottom line and to their shareholders about responsible operations. I'm not so much worried about where the ships go as I am about getting more information about the design, features, venues and of course the construction of the ships (from a behind the scenes standpoint) Learning about the ships as they're built might give an indication about their intended use and destinations. Anyway this is just my opinion about the issue.

My sentiments exactly. Thank you! :cool:

It really depends on when you will be on board. They generally work a 4-6 months on' date=' 2 months off schedule with the one of the Staff Captains taking command when the main dude is on his time off.[/quote']

True of crew, NOT of captains. The captain of the Fantasy generally works 10 weeks on, then has 10 weeks off. Currently Commodore Tom is on the Fantasy. I am pretty sure he will be aboard until January 28, and that Captain Fabian will assume command at that time.

I booked this one. It's expensive for a 3-night, but I live an hour from the port so don't have transportation issues. I've sailed on the Fantasy many, many times, so view this as a brief getaway on my favorite ship. :D

The bathtubs on the DCL ships are definitely made for little people. I don't think anyone over the age of 8 could sit in one of them. But parents do like the to bathe their children.

 

That said' date=' the showers are definitely sub-optimal for adults. However, as noted, there are the adult showers in the locker rooms.[/quote']

True, but when I pay for a stateroom with shower I intend to use that shower. It is a primary feature that is expected. I personally would consider it unacceptable to have to trek to the spa to shower. :eek:

 

At least I am only 5'7" and slim enough to fit in the cabin's shower without a problem, but it would be nice to have one in each "split" section when I travel with my hubby or a friend. Doing another solo next time though so no problem! :D

But you do understand that with the setup on Carnival, two people can take a shower/bath at the same time in different rooms, whereas with Disney Cruise Line only one person can take a shower/bath at a time.

We only take showers. Being adults with no kids, we don't need a tub. It would be wasted space. Now if DCL would have a shower in each section of their split baths, THAT would be useful to us! :D

Have never sailed Carnival. How many of their ships have two "complete" bathrooms?

Even when it does work, I agree that the new site has to be the worst cruise line website there is. :(

You can no longer select a specific stateroom except from the 8 max they choose to show as available per category. Although the port adventures seem better organized than before (when the site works), they appear to have eliminated certain excursions, including 2-tank scuba diving in Tortola and St. Thomas. :confused:

I could mention numerous other gripes I have, but the bottom line is that I am baffled by DCL's compulsion to publish a glitch-filled, error filled, totally frustrating website LIVE when they know we rely on it for bookings, modifications, online check-in and reserving port adventures and activities. I am one of those who used to complain about their previous site, but to me it was golden compared to their new one! :(

Sorry' date=' but this statement is an error. Any room that will allow you go book 3 people will have sleeping space for 3, but not necessarily 3 separate beds. A room that holds only 3 will usually have the big bed (which they count as 2 sleeping spaces) and the sofa bed. If a room sleeps only 3, it usually lacks the ceiling bunk.[/quote']

Correct. And other than it not being as comfortably long as some taller occupants might like, my biggest complaint is that when the sofa is made into a bed, you no longer have use of the sofa. As the room host usually preps the bedding while Guests are at dinner and changes it back sometime the next morning, you lose that seating space in the interim. I know that some have made and un-made it themselves, but that isn't my idea of a vacation. ;)

I'm with you on being willing to pay the fee for the convenience of parking at the port, and I love the covered parking garage. I'd never do it any other way! :D

Unless they are suddenly charging extra for not pre-purchasing online, parking at the main garage at Port Canaveral is still $120 for a 7-night cruise, not $125. It was $120 there when I last sailed a few months ago. They do charge extra for vehicles over 20' though. Port Canaveral (not Disney) sets the rates and operates the parking.

http://www.portcanaveral.com/Cruise/Directions-Parking

I imagine the booking credit would be the same as currently, so it would be determined when you actually select the ship/date/length of cruise. That's what would make sense, but only DCL could answer that question "officially." ;)

You could not choose at the time of booking to select Concierge, because with this type of placeholder and the $200 deposit per stateroom you are not stating the sail date, ship or category.

But I'm sure you could book this "no info" type of placeholder, then when you modify it to designate a cruise date, ship and category, you could make it Concierge . . . including the increased non-refundable deposit, etc. ;)

I've sailed in a Concierge suite many times on DCL. That non-refundable deposit is the one sore point, especially since one can't even change the name of the secondary Guest without losing their share of the deposit, even if you were the one who paid for it. :(

True. :)

It also allows DCL to "use" all that money they'll rake in from probably almost everyone doing onboard bookings - lol.

I just got off the Fantasy again earlier this month but did not do an onboard booking this time. Had the deposit only been $200 for what I wanted, I would have.

I do have another cruise coming up in December, and I'm likely to do an onboard booking then. :)

LOL - I'm sure they do, because it made a major mess with their stateroom inventory on cruises where people would book a date, keep it until just before the PIF date, then move it. That caused them to be forced to offer *GT and other discounts in an attempt to fill the ships last minute.

FYI - Forgot to mention that the deposit per stateroom will be $200.

This info was released yesterday, but I didn't see it anywhere on this Disney cruise forum so wanted to share the news. :D

Effective immediately, Guests sailing with Disney Cruise Line can take advantage of the onboard offer without selecting an actual sailing date.

This new placeholder process allows you to book the onboard offer without booking a reservation for a specific sail date. The confirmation will include a confirmation number, but will not display details such as ship name, sail date or category. Once you decide on an actual sail date, you can reference the confirmation number when you call back to modify the booking.

Please note while this is a new process for confirming placeholder date reservations, there are no other changes to the current onboard offer policies, including the number of bookings allowed or the need to complete travel within 24 months from the date the reservation is booked.

Thanks for all the info in this thread! DD, who is a WDW CM, and I will be on the Fantasy next month and I just requested the #3 Rotation. The Castaway Club CM tried to tell me the Eastern Rotation but she double-checked when I told her I had the correct info off of the the CC Board! :) Looking forward to formal night in Royal Court!!

Yes, unfortunately a lot of the shoreside DCL CMs know little about "details" and have to look up nearly everything. It's ALWAYS a good idea to ask them to double-check with their supervisor, and often to even ask the supervisor to double-check as well if the answer doesn't seem quite right! ;)

OK, after asking around, this is what I got:

 

The first time you are in AP they do the Crush show. The second time is Pirates. And the third they do the Animation show. Regardless of formal/semi-formal.

 

:)

That is correct when you are on a rotation that gets AP three times. When you have it twice - first night in AP is Crush and second (last) night in AP in the Animation show.

The shows in AP will be the first and second times you are in there. UNLESS it's a theme night (pirate, formal, etc). Then the show will be the next time you're there.

 

:)

Yep! :D

That depends on where you want to be on formal and semi-formal nights. Rotation #1 is the one I personally would definitely NOT choose on the EASTERN, because that means Animator's Palate (and the Crush show) on formal night. So for the EASTERN, I'd go with #2 to be at Enchanted Garden on formal night and Royal Court on semi-formal night. With #3, you'd have Royal Court on formal night but Animator's on semi-formal, and that would be the "animation show" evening, which is pretty hectic in the restaurant. Not for me!

Now on the WESTERN, rotation #3 is perfect because it means Royal Court (the fanciest of the rotation restaurants) on both those nights. :)

I answered your post and then was sure I had already posted both western and eastern rotations. Sure enough, they are on the first page - lol.

Formal night is your first sea day evening. Semi-formal night is your last sea day evening. Again, subject to change if DCL deems necessary. ;)

Do you know what the rotations are for the eastern itinerary?

EASTERN Rotations on the Fantasy:

RAERAER (one)

AERAERA (two)

ERAERAE (three)

As with anything else, always subject to change!

Eastern dress code is the same as western. You will find many who ignore DCL's requested attire, but from my experience most of us honor it. Below is the "Official" statement from DCL's website - -

Dining Dress requirements vary by venue or theme night on your cruise. In general, most meals are "Cruise Casual"—NO shorts, swimwear or tank tops. Most cruises also have special theme nights with additional attire requirements. Here's a breakdown of these events.

On 7-night cruises:

First night: cruise casual—NO shorts, swimwear or tank tops

Three additional "cruise casual" nights—no shorts, swimwear or tank tops

One pirate or tropical night (deck party)

One formal and one semi-formal night—formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress; semi-formal wear for men: suit/jacket; for women: dress or pantsuit.

Dress code at Palo on all cruises:

Men: dress pants and shirt or jacket

Women: dress or pantsuit. Please NO jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops or tennis shoes

Dress code at Remy on all cruises:

A tuxedo or jacket (sports or suit jacket) is required with dress pants for men. Ties are optional.

A cocktail dress, pant suit or skirt/blouse is required for women.

Please NO jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops or tennis shoes.

For cruises that request formalwear attire, Guests can pre-order tailored formalwear rentals and have it delivered directly to their staterooms upon arrival.

Other (non-dining room) Attire:

During the summer months, lightweight shorts, slacks, sundresses, jeans and tops are all appropriate daytime attire in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Central Florida. In the winter, a light jacket, sweater and socks may be needed for cooler days and nights. Bring comfortable shoes like boat shoes, sandals or sneakers. And don't forget swimwear, sunglasses, a sunhat or visor and sunscreen. All cruises host a tropical deck party. You are invited to join in the fun by wearing festive island wear including colorful shirts, dresses, shorts or pants.

I'm just back from the 9 Jun Fantasy Western Caribbean cruise. (BTW, awesome doesn't begin to describe it!) We had Royal Court 3 times and our rotation was ERAERRA.

Yep! That is THE most awesome rotation for those who enjoy dressing up for formal and semi-formal evenings (and that's ME). Those who don't MIGHT enjoy Animator's more on those nights because the atmosphere/decor is more casual. Enchanted Garden is "in between." :D

I'm glad to hear that and glad it worked out for you! :)

A 7-night cruise will always have Animator's twice (once for Crush show and once for Animation Magic show), but what you don't want is Animator's 3 times. This is why Western rotation #3 allows you Royal Court 3 times and puts you there (the most formal of the main dining rooms) on formal and semi-formal night.

BTW - I no longer work as a TA but am a College of Disney Knowledge trained Disney Specialist and my very first cruise was a very comprehensive Disney Cruise College onboard. I will do my 17th DCL cruise (Fantasy again) next May, so I try to stay on top of what's going on with them. ;)