Need assistance with planning first Disney Cruise

[SD-NJ]

Hi there,

 

We are a family of 3 (Me - 38, DH - 42, DD - 7) planning our first cruise this November/December on Disney Fantasy. We are looking at the 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. And I need lots of help :) I will try and sort out a few things at a time. First I need to figure out when to sail and what kind of a stateroom to book and on which deck.

 

-Is there a better time between November/December?

 

-When does Disney normally have the kids sail free promo? If it is not in November, December - what months is it typically offered in?

 

-What is a good price for 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise in an inside stateroom;

 

-What are the factors we should consider while selecting the deck we prefer? And what is your favorite deck on the fantasy? (we are light sleepers not sure how good sound proofing is, would definitely want to be in a quieter section of the ship).

 

Thank you for your time and input. :)

[bear3412]

hi there,

 

we are a family of 3 (me - 38, dh - 42, dd - 7) planning our first cruise this november/december on disney fantasy. We are looking at the 7 night eastern caribbean cruise. And i need lots of help :) i will try and sort out a few things at a time. First i need to figure out when to sail and what kind of a stateroom to book and on which deck.

 

-is there a better time between november/december?

the earlier in nov. The warmer the water on castaway. However the xmas decor is nice after thanksgiving.

 

-when does disney normally have the kids sail free promo? If it is not in november, december - what months is it typically offered in?

i don't recall ksf on the fantasy, ever. They do and have had *gt rates offered. These are released after the pif date generally. (75 days out) igt, ogt, and vgt.

Pay all at once, no refunds, no changes. If you live close by and can plan/travel at the last minute and aren't picky about cabin cat or locale, these rates can make sense.

-what is a good price for 7 night eastern caribbean cruise in an inside stateroom;

dcl's site currently showing insides for 2a1c @ $3500 - 3600. If you wait for igt you could save around $1000 imo. These *gt rates were released last year on all fantasy nov. Sailings including thanksgiving.

 

-what are the factors we should consider while selecting the deck we prefer? And what is your favorite deck on the fantasy? (we are light sleepers not sure how good sound proofing is, would definitely want to be in a quieter section of the ship).

sound proofing is great on the fantasy. You would want cabins above, below , and next to you if possible. Not sure locale matters too much with insides, but, ....

 

thank you for your time and input. :)

 

hth

[bear3412]

Argh. :(

 

Why does it mess with my capitalization when I quote/format as above post?

 

:confused:

[barbaro_3003]

We are booked on Fantasy for Nov 22-28 (Thanksgiving) sailing. We booked about a year ago while onboard Fantasy, and at that time the cost for an ocean view family stateroom was about $5K, which was about $1K less than the June sailing we were on. That being said, if we were able to go first or second week of November, the cost was about $2K less.

Just for reference, right now it will cost a minimum of $7000 for my family of 4 to get on Fantasy for the Thanksgiving sailing, and I believe that would be in an inside cabin. For comparison, the Fantasy sailings on the previous two weeks or the week after Nov 22 sailing get you the same inside cabin for $4300 for family of 4.

 

Rgds

 

Eric

[moki'smommy]

Thanksgiving /Christmas will be the most expensive date in your 2 month window. We LOVE the fist 2 weeks of December--best rates, and all the Christmas decorations are up. There are Christmas activities on every cruise in December, but obviously more on the Christmas cruise. November is typically a bit warmer than December.

 

Beyond that, most of your questions are personal choice. We've been in an inside stateroom on deck 2, which was great. Very convienent to EG, but an elevator ride to the pools. We never encountered sound issues on the Fantasy.

 

There is no way to predict special rates. If you KNOW when you want to sail, you'll need to pay prevailing rates. If your dates are flexible, you can wait to see whether IGTs become available. These would typically save about $1000. I'm with the above--I don't ever remember a KSF on the Fantasy. And as above, specials are typically available 75 days or less before embarkation (but sometimes longer!) If you see a special, grab it. These often don't last long.

Edited June 6, 2014 by moki'smommy

[DaKa2002]

I love it (ha) when folks that have never sailed a line or ship express such opinions!

We have sailed all four DCL ships. Each is special in some way. The new Fantasy and Dream are funtastic (!) and magical. We sail almost every year in early December (anniversary) or early February on the Dream or Fantasy. Inside cabins have "magic portholes" that add something special to that type of room. We usually spend so little time in the room, except to change clothes and sleep, that the type of room often makes little difference.

The favorite stop is always Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. All sorts of Disney "effects" aboard the ship to experience. A free ship's tour on the design of all things Disney is amazing - what the imagineers put into the ship.

We wish a magical trip.

[moki'smommy]

what a rip off and the serve you prepackaged generic sysco food service stuff. :mad:

 

DCL's purpose is to generate income for stock holders. Yes, holiday cruises are pricey, but they usually sail completely full. To save money, don't cruise on a holiday week.

 

As to the quality of the food--we'd noticed a decline from the early years, BUT the food on the Magic last week was a definite step up from a year ago.

[jwalk03]

what a rip off and the serve you prepackaged generic sysco food service stuff. :mad:

 

I thought the food was really good on my Dream cruise, 5 star quality, no. But very very good.

[Guinness4me]

We are booked on Fantasy for Nov 22-28 (Thanksgiving) sailing. We booked about a year ago while onboard Fantasy, and at that time the cost for an ocean view family stateroom was about $5K, which was about $1K less than the June sailing we were on. That being said, if we were able to go first or second week of November, the cost was about $2K less.

Just for reference, right now it will cost a minimum of $7000 for my family of 4 to get on Fantasy for the Thanksgiving sailing, and I believe that would be in an inside cabin. For comparison, the Fantasy sailings on the previous two weeks or the week after Nov 22 sailing get you the same inside cabin for $4300 for family of 4.

 

Rgds

 

Eric

 

We booked our Fantasy 2015 Thanksgiving cruise when the prices were released a few weeks ago, we got a 7a obstructed verandha for our family of 2 adults and 2 kids (11,& 14) for $6400. We cannot wait until next year

[Guinness4me]

Hi there,

 

We are a family of 3 (Me - 38, DH - 42, DD - 7) planning our first cruise this November/December on Disney Fantasy. We are looking at the 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. And I need lots of help :) I will try and sort out a few things at a time. First I need to figure out when to sail and what kind of a stateroom to book and on which deck.

 

-Is there a better time between November/December?

 

-When does Disney normally have the kids sail free promo? If it is not in November, December - what months is it typically offered in?

 

-What is a good price for 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise in an inside stateroom;

 

-What are the factors we should consider while selecting the deck we prefer? And what is your favorite deck on the fantasy? (we are light sleepers not sure how good sound proofing is, would definitely want to be in a quieter section of the ship).

 

Thank you for your time and input. :)

 

When to sail is up to your schedule, if you can take your daughter out of school for a week you will save a lot of money and go when everyone else is on school.

 

Room choice is what you want, it you dont care and inside room will save you money, but no window. We love having a deck.

 

The KSF have typically been on the older ships, last time it was offered was in Galveston TX? I think. I also think the KSF was also a product of the economy, as the economy has rebounded the promotions have dried up or have gotten less and less lucrative.

 

We like deck 9, close enough to walk up to deck 11 where all the excitement is, we prefer aft, (rear of the ship) some say it vibrates, but we only experienced that going into or out of ports due to the thrusters, and the whole ship vibrates then..

[SD-NJ]

Thank you all for your replies. Got caught up with work but looking at booking a oceanview room for 11/29 sailing on Fantasy - $3,682.36 with a $150 credit. Not sure what deck or room to ask for - any suggestions?

 

Love the igt concept but my DH would not be very happy if he didn't have the room of his choice and I would be unhappy if it was in a busy section of the ship! That being said after we book the room, if the rates drop can we get a price adjustment?

 

Thanks again!

[bear3412]

I was going to suggest you spend $56 - 114 more for your party and get an cat 8 OV w/large porthole or two, and a bit more space, but there is only one cabin available currently for booking, cat 8c - 7514. All the other cat 8's are in GTY, which means you can't pick your cabin or location.

 

I was going to suggest the aft starboard area for these cat 8's fwiw.

 

That's amazing. Need to buy more DCL stock. :D

 

Of course that is now on DCL's website. That could change in an hour. Also not all cabins show. Are you using a TA? Did they call DCL and ask for exactly which OV cabins were available. IME the site doesn't list them all or some are blocked but not purchased, those don't show up either.

 

Prices only go up with DCL so don't worry about any credit/refund. lol. The only thing will happen is they release those *GT rates after PIF to upset us who paid retail $$$$$. lol.

 

OK, so if I had to choose a cat 9b of the ones available now it would be either 2534 or 2536.

 

HTH

 

ETA; Have you seen these exterior pics w/cabins labeled?

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t177/HallsofVA/7012f594.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t177/HallsofVA/b9bfaf22.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t177/HallsofVA/414aa1a2-1.jpg

 

I take it you have seen these accurate depictions of the OV cabins on DCL's site;

Family OV; http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/staterooms/dream-fantasy/deluxe-family-oceanview-stateroom/

 

OV; http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/staterooms/dream-fantasy/deluxe-oceanview-stateroom/

Edited June 12, 2014 by bear3412

[DaKa2002]

Thank you all for your replies. Got caught up with work but looking at booking a oceanview room for 11/29 sailing on Fantasy - $3,682.36 with a $150 credit. Not sure what deck or room to ask for - any suggestions?

 

Love the igt concept but my DH would not be very happy if he didn't have the room of his choice and I would be unhappy if it was in a busy section of the ship! That being said after we book the room, if the rates drop can we get a price adjustment?

 

Thanks again!

 

I would select a deck and room that has rooms below and above. Sleep can come hard when a band is booming away below you or the crew is moving deck chairs across the deck so that can clean and wash the decks all night long. Midway between elevators/stairs if possible or all the way front/back to reduce traffic noise in the halls.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I love it (ha) when folks that have never sailed a line or ship express such opinions!

 

We have sailed all four DCL ships. Each is special in some way. The new Fantasy and Dream are funtastic (!) and magical. We sail almost every year in early December (anniversary) or early February on the Dream or Fantasy. Inside cabins have "magic portholes" that add something special to that type of room. We usually spend so little time in the room, except to change clothes and sleep, that the type of room often makes little difference.

 

The favorite stop is always Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. All sorts of Disney "effects" aboard the ship to experience. A free ship's tour on the design of all things Disney is amazing - what the imagineers put into the ship.

 

We wish a magical trip.

 

 

I agree but it occurs, people who have not been on cruise giving advice and not declaring that it's not from personal experience.

 

Posters replying on posts on Dream and Fantasy, never been on them, or haven't cruised for a couple of years or more on Disney.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[barbaro_3003]

Thank you all for your replies. Got caught up with work but looking at booking a oceanview room for 11/29 sailing on Fantasy - $3,682.36 with a $150 credit. Not sure what deck or room to ask for - any suggestions?

 

We were on Fantasy Cat 8C Family Oceanview stateroom on the starboard side, Forward deck 7 (Stateroom 7512). We were right under the bow break (where the bow actually plows into the ocean). sometimes the spray being thrown from the bow went has high as our window! In any case, you did feel a bit of movement there when the ship hit some waves. When we booked our Thanksgiving cruise on the fantasy, the on-board agent advised us to stay on deck 7, but take an aft ocean view stateroom ( we ended up booking 7174). She said that you really felt a lot less of the pounding (not that you felt all that much in the forward section), plus you are more conveniently located on the aft stairs/elevators to get up to the pool deck. I did like Deck 7 because it was close enough to the decks where all the action was to take the stairs, but far enough away that you didn't get any noise.

[SD-NJ]

Thank you all for your replies. I am trying to decide b/w 7514 (on courtesy hold for now) or ocean view state room?

 

barbaro_3003 I see 7512 and 7514 are next to each other. How was its location on the ship? Is it very far from elevators/stairs? Also I see that 7514 and 7516 are connected. Is the sound proofing as good even when the staterooms are connected?

 

Also, what specific factor led you to book a oceanview and not family oceanview?

 

Not sure how it would feel to see waves from the stateroom or feel the movement on the ship!

[barbaro_3003]

 

barbaro_3003 I see 7512 and 7514 are next to each other. How was its location on the ship? Is it very far from elevators/stairs? Also I see that 7514 and 7516 are connected. Is the sound proofing as good even when the staterooms are connected?

 

Our stateroom was a short ways away from the foreward stairs/elevators. It wasn't a long walk, but the only thing is when you go to deck 11, you pop up in the Adults Only area of deck 11. When you go through with kids, you have to deal with the dirty looks from passengers that are apparently otherwise allergic to kids! Also, restaurants and kids club were located mid or aft, so getting to some areas of the ship was a bit of a hike.

 

As to the connection door, I never heard the family in the stateroom next to ours. Once I asked my girls to not play with the connecting door, we never gave it another thought.

 

 

Also, what specific factor led you to book a oceanview and not family oceanview?

 

7512 is a Family Ocean view. It has a bit of extra room where a 5th bed can be made up closest to the porthole. We appreciated the little bit of extra room. 7174 is also a Family Ocean View.

 

Not sure how it would feel to see waves from the stateroom or feel the movement on the ship!

 

You really heard more than felt the waves, it was like white noise that went louder and softer when the ship broke a wave. You only felt it when it got a bit rough, which was only one day out of the whole cruise. It wasn't a terrible amount of movement, but enough to be felt.

 

-E

[SD-NJ]

Barbara - thank you very much for your detailed reply and sharing your experience. Finally we placed a deposit on the deluxe oceanview stateroom.

 

Is there an alternate way to get to deck 11?

[barbaro_3003]

Is there an alternate way to get to deck 11?

 

Deck 11 is accessible via any of the stairs/elevator banks (Forward, mid, aft). The closest stairs is Forward, but that brings you up right by the Quiet Cove pool (Grown-ups only). For the most part the attendants there don't hassle kids if they are just passing through. They understand that its one of the three ways to go back below deck. You can always traverse your own deck to the mid stairs/elevators, then take that up to deck 11. Its really all relative, because its not THAT long of a walk!

 

Rgds

 

Eric

Edited June 17, 2014 by barbaro_3003

[ducklite]

DCL's purpose is to generate income for stock holders. Yes' date=' holiday cruises are pricey, but they usually sail completely full. To save money, don't cruise on a holiday week.

 

As to the quality of the food--we'd noticed a decline from the early years, BUT the food on the Magic last week was a definite step up from a year ago.[/quote']

 

We thought the food on the Dream was better than on the Magic. Worst cruise food (by far) we ever encountered was on the Mariner, best was on Wind Surf.

[ducklite]

Barbara - thank you very much for your detailed reply and sharing your experience. Finally we placed a deposit on the deluxe oceanview stateroom.

 

Is there an alternate way to get to deck 11?

 

I think you'll be very happy with the window and larger cabin.

 

Don't forget to make reservations for Palo one night. You can take your daughter to dinner at the buffet (or MDR if you get early dining) and not eat yourselves so you can still enjoy family time, and then let her play in the club while the two of you have a date night. :)