fantavet

Just came off deck 2 mid on Disney Magic. Yeah you can hear slight hum of engines but nothing that catches your attention. And on a full ship getting on deck 2 means you are one of the first on the elevator. Another thing that worked for me, it was easy to walk to aft and forward elevators on deck 2, less traffic and stops going up to the deck 9 pool deck.

On 6/7/2024 at 5:53 PM, Mary59105 said:

Three of the 9 have difficulty walking and would need to be dropped off as close to the specific pier our cruise ship will be docked at. 

This jumped out at me. I'm sailing out of that port in 2 weeks for the first time so I don't have any advanced insight. My wife has difficulty walking so we are bringing a collapsable wheel chair. She can walk some distance but a full day of walking a ship would keep her in bed the next day. So the wheelchair will allow her to conserve energy.

Freedom is a good size ship to put it mildly. Are you bringing any assistance devices or is Royal providing you anything? I'm travelling with a party of 6 that includes 2 kids and a stroller along with the wheelchair. 

So for piece of mind only, I booked a private van to the port. No splitting up the party between Ubers or taxis, no questions about if we can fit all our luggage and other devices etc....

But this works for me. So gather all the info and tips that you can to make the best decision for your situation. Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation, BUT our wheelchair is foldable. I have a party of 6 and add a stroller and car seat and it means we require a lot of room. I called around to a few car service companies and stated my situation to make sure they could accomodate.

Now it is not the most economical way to go but I was also lacking choices. 

Good luck!

On 5/18/2024 at 11:20 AM, Marie51 said:

Thanks. I decided to book Jiffy jeff as I have used them in the past a few years ago. There are six of us with all our luggage and junk that we insist in carrying around. Price was much cheaper than Larry’s limo.

Just wanted to follow up. I called Jiffy Jeff and yes much cheaper, I agree. I cancelled Larry and have been trying to book with Jiffy Jeff ALL DAY. Multiple phone calls/texts/emails. He is a driver owner so he is taking business while on the road.

I have a party of 6. So far my confirmation emails have stated 6 people transfer to airport, 7 people to transfer to cruise port on the WRONG day. And another email stating "Your party of 4......"

Finally I crafted a email outlining all 3 legs of my trip, with luggage counts and all airline cruise times. Hoping this puts things on the right track. 

Zero experience with them but we are using Larry's Limo for a June trip. I have a party of 6 that includes 2 grandmothers, 2 grandkids, wheel chair, stroller, too much luggage. I didn't want to mess with multiple ride share cars. So I'm getting a "Mercedes Sprinter Van". I'm including the "Mercedes" to allow them to justify what will be a little over $200 for each trip without tip for what should be a 15 minute ride. 🙂

I have not done this myself and have been researching it for my upcoming Disney cruise. So this only applies to Disney cruises, but their description states "Meet your guide at the pier". And a youtube search showed a Disney passenger taking a short walk from the ship to the meeting point.

As there are multiple ship docks that appear spread out I can't speak for the other cruise  lines. Post which cruise ship you are sailing on and I'm sure you will find someone here that knows all the details.

Valuable post. Just shared this story with my daughter who will be visiting the port this summer with her 2 daughters. I'm sure a mother towing around 2 young kids would be an easy bait and switch target.  Also a good reminder for myself as I tend to be a little too trusting while on vacation.

Thanks all a lot of good info. Yeah wish Disney did not have that crazy arrival time window, and I'm probably reading too much into it. I can't even get a arrival time unti end of May from them.

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

We've used the Renaissance shuttle service a few times, but have lately started to simply Uber over to our Terminal (which admittedly is usually T2, about 5 feet from the hotel ;o) The shuttle is OK, but yes, it will stop at every PE terminal that has passengers needing to go there from the hotel. If your terminal is the first the shuttle stops at, the trip will be quick, but if your terminal happens to be the last one, the trip can drag on as passengers and their bags are disgorged at each stop. You mention the "...Disney port arrival time" What does that entail? For every trip we have ever been on out of PE, we have been able to arrive anytime between the start of check-in to a bit before sail away, an arrival window of many hours. Bottom line for us is that it is far easier to check out of the hotel, stand outside by the Valet station, dial up an Uber and watch his progress as he arrives within a few minutes. It's not much more $$$$s than the hotel shuttle and you're not sharing a cramped minivan with a dozen other people, many of whom will get off before you do.

Have not sailed on Disney in a LONG time. But when you check in you get to pick a port arrival time. I THINK it is in half hour slots. So if you get the slot 11:30-noon then you need to be at the port at that time. If you miss it they bump you down.

Traveling with a group of 6, includes 2 kids, wheel chair so Uber is probably not a option. Its either hotel shuttle or shell out extra for a private car service so which would give me greater control over arrival times.

I'll be staying at the end of June for a Disney Cruise. You mentioned the shuttle service. I was a little nervous about trying to meet the Disney port arrival time. I heard the hotel shuttle will make multiple stops? Does this add a lot of time to travel to your terminal?

Been a long time since I cruised. Have grandkids now and I chose Disney for them because they did not grow up idolizing a RCL princess 🙂 But after this summer cruise I don't see myself going back because of the expense.

But it will make for great memories so worth the extra splurge this time. They have not been to Disney World but that trip would be exhausting to me. Give me the condensed Disney experience on a ship.

I prepaid gratuities and I'm sailing this summer. Do the staff consider the pre paid the "bare minimum"? I would like to add cash at the end but really have no idea what is considered acceptable. $25 in each envelope or for cabin staff maybe increase to $50 or is all that too much?

Tried watching youtube videos on cruise tipping and they are all over the place.

On 2/2/2024 at 5:25 PM, Shmoo here said:

The speculation at this point is everyone is starting from 2023/24 in calculating.  So, even if it's been 17 years, and you book a cruise within the next 5 years, you will retain your status.

 

At least, so far, that's how it's working.

 

Of course, DCL can change the rules at any time.

Appears to be that way, my last Disney Cruise was a LONG time ago, but my booking is still calling me Silver and my booking dates seem to reflect Silver status.

I was looking around for my granddaughter also. I pulled this from a 3rd party website but confirm with Disney.

• Hairstyling and Nail Polish
• Shimmering makeup and face gem
• Princess sash and totem
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt

This is the least expensive package available for girls as it doesn’t include a costume. The price is $99.95

Search youtube for cruise internet tips. Airplane mode being on is important. And another tip I heard about IPhones is to turn "Background Refresh" -OFF. A lot of apps will refresh on their own even closed which can burn through data.

I'm staying at Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel pre cruise. This is my first time travelling with a party of 6 and that includes a wheel chair that can fold, a stroller, and you can imagin the luggage count. Can't reserve a shuttle time until you arrive at hotel. Are the hotel shuttles adequate or am I better off booking a private van ahead of time?

Thanks for the replies, eases my mind. 

We are sailing the Disney Magic later this year. My wife does not do well with long walking distances. So we will have a collapsable wheelchair. I know the rules state these must be stored in designated public areas or our room. So if she needs help to go from our room to the pool deck I would drop her off, and return the wheelchair back to our room until she needs it again? 

At Castaway Cay I know it is a bit of a walk to the trams. Does DCL have any assistance to the trams or do I have to use our wheelchair? Really didn't want to lug that all over the island. As you can tell this is the first time we ever had to travel with a wheelchair.

Yes thank you, found the Florida Departures forum and found some useful posts. Looks like I'm picking Renaissance Ft Lauderdale Marina. Like anything I find that tastes and level of "value" can mean all kinds of things to different people. Will see how it goes!

Thanks will look there, didn't realize that section existed

Having a tough time balancing price/quality with all the hotel choices. Anyone have a recent experience? I'm travelling with 4 adults and kids 5 and 11. So main features would be a pool, on site dining, and cruise shuttle. 

Rodeway Inn seems like a value for price, but with all the money I'm spending on the cruise I didn't want to cheap out on the hotel either. Has anyone stayed here recently? 

Embassy Suites Hilton is another one I'm looking at but a bit more expensive.

Again trying to blance out that we are only staying that 1 night but also want to start the trip off with a positive experience.

Thanks all. I was aware of the whole taking a child out of the country issue and probably need a form from the other parent. Or in one case a death certificate which I may have to scramble for. I understand the cruise can't take your word for it.

The cruise line does have a form that requires a notary so I will make sure I have that and will do what I can to get a death certificate. This is why I booked a year out.

We will be having mixed familes going and I want to be sure I have the right paperwork in place. Hoping someone has been through this before. I'm taking my daughter and her 2 girls ( ages 5 and 10). The situation:

The daughter (Mom), and the 2 girls EACH have a different last name.

Mom's name is listed on both girls birth certificates.

The father of the 10 year old is deceased.

The father of the 5 year old is still alive.

Will airline and/or cruise allow Mom to take both girls as long as we provide birth certificates only?

I remember watching a documentary a long time ago where a Mom was getting questioned about boarding a cruise with her child because she did not have a permission form from the father. My TA seems to think as long as Mom is listed on both birth certificates there should not be a problem. 

Scott

Thank you so much for the replies. Very helpful!

I'm looking to book 2 rooms for next June. My wife and I in one and my daughter and her 3 kids in the 2nd one.

The dilemma is my wife is currently ill. Our hope is that once she sees a specialist in December (yup that long of a wait) he can treat her enough to get her crusie ready by June.

IF we decide she can't make the trip is there any chance of a 100% refund? I think Disney keeps your deposit and the rest goes to a future cruise credit? Really don't want to postpone, worst case is she stays home, then I know Disney will still charge for at least 2 adults in each room but for me it would seem the price would stay the same.

I'm going to go through a TA because of all uncertainty but before I get a TA involved I'm just trying to find a general idea of my options if you have gone through something similar.

Thanks,

Scott