Where do I start?

Hi everyone! I'm starting my vacation planning for late November 2017 or early 2018. I've been to WDW twice, once with my husband and once with my husband and 4 year old daughter.....it's been 8 years. First time a used the local TA and second time I did all the planning online....this time around my little sister and her two boys ages 4 and 7 will be coming and will be the first time. I'm thinking we want to do a land and sea. Where do I start? Can we add airfare and transfers to the packages? Anyone done this before? What is my best options? TA or thru Disney or Myself? Thanks!!

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Hi everyone! I'm starting my vacation planning for late November 2017 or early 2018. I've been to WDW twice, once with my husband and once with my husband and 4 year old daughter.....it's been 8 years. First time a used the local TA and second time I did all the planning online....this time around my little sister and her two boys ages 4 and 7 will be coming and will be the first time. I'm thinking we want to do a land and sea. Where do I start? Can we add airfare and transfers to the packages? Anyone done this before? What is my best options? TA or thru Disney or Myself? Thanks!!

 

 

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Well, as a relative newbie into the cruising world, I'd suggest using a Travel Agent. They can walk you through many of the "what if" issues. And many of them include perks for using them to book trips.

I can tell you, booking airfare separate from the cruise is often better. You can select your flights, and the prices are usually better.

Another vote for a DCL specialist TA. Wish I could suggest mine, but that is prohibited on Cruise Critic. DO shop around--you want excellent service, preferably from someone who has been on the cruise and to the world.

Book your land and sea separately--that way you can take advantage of any specials on each. If you book your land as an add on to the cruise, you pay "rack rate" for the land portion (that's bad). You can add transfers to the cruise portion, but if I'm reading correctly you'll have more than 4 people going. I'd seriously consider a private towncar/limo service which will run on your time schedule and be cheaper than DCL transfers for that many people.

Another thought--we prefer the land portion first. If your flight runs late, your luggage gets lost, or whatever, you have the time on land to get it all worked out. Better to miss a day at WDW than be catching up with the ship! And the parks are a lot of work; the ship is relaxation.

There is a ton of good info on line, and many people here are quite experienced. Do a little research, then ask your questions. You'll get good, reliable answers here.

There is NO benefit to booking air thru Disney. It adds cost and reduces options! Also, do not buy travel insurance thru DCL. You can get better coverage at a lower price by purchasing privately. Many private companies give a free child's policy with purchase of an adult policy, and many include coverage for pre-existing conditions if coverage is purchased within 14 or 21 days of cruise purchase!

Another vote for a DCL specialist TA. Wish I could suggest mine' date=' but that is prohibited on Cruise Critic. DO shop around--you want excellent service, preferably from someone who has been on the cruise and to the world.

 

Book your land and sea separately--that way you can take advantage of any specials on each. If you book your land as an add on to the cruise, you pay "rack rate" for the land portion (that's bad). You can add transfers to the cruise portion, but if I'm reading correctly you'll have more than 4 people going. I'd seriously consider a private towncar/limo service which will run on your time schedule and be cheaper than DCL transfers for that many people.

 

Another thought--we prefer the land portion first. If your flight runs late, your luggage gets lost, or whatever, you have the time on land to get it all worked out. Better to miss a day at WDW than be catching up with the ship! And the parks are a lot of work; the ship is relaxation.

 

There is a ton of good info on line, and many people here are quite experienced. Do a little research, then ask your questions. You'll get good, reliable answers here.

 

There is NO benefit to booking air thru Disney. It adds cost and reduces options! Also, do not buy travel insurance thru DCL. You can get better coverage at a lower price by purchasing privately. Many private companies give a free child's policy with purchase of an adult policy, and many include coverage for pre-existing conditions if coverage is purchased within 14 or 21 days of cruise purchase![/quote']

 

+1 for accuracy and full content! I totally agree!

 

 

ex techie

Thank you so much for that information!!! And yes I'll do my research and get a TA.....to bad you can't tell me who you use[emoji6]

Thanks again!!!

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What I can tell you is WHY I buy trip insurance on a cruise, which might impact your choice. My health insurance specifically says that it does not cover any care outside of the US. That means that we would have no coverage on the ship or on any island. I don't buy insurance when we go to WDW--worst case, I'd lose the cost of the trip. I wouldn't be happy, but I could afford that. However, the cost of a serious medical episode could be huge, so we need health coverage on the ship! We've seen a kid fall and break a leg--stuff can happen to anyone.

You can compare policies at insuremytrip.com. What I've learned is that many companies offer multiple levels of policies. Usually the lowest one offers very little medical coverage. If you move up one notch, the fee increases minimally (sometimes only like $5 per person!) and the coverage may double or triple. You purchase the coverage based on the cost of the trip. Rates depend on the age of the traveler, where you are going, and whatever else the company puts in their system. DO be sure to look at this within 2 weeks of booking your cruise (the company I use gives 21 days, but don't push the window to get coverage for pre-existing at no extra cost).

When figuring the cost, consider all the "non-refundable" costs. For instance, if your airline would allow you to change your flights for $50, the non-refundable would be $50 per person for that item. If you book a hotel that lets you cancel before 6pm at no charge, then that amount doesn't count. The easy way to do it is cost of cruise + cost of air but that can result in being over or under insured and paying too much.

Disney insurance covers only those items booked thru Disney, gives no coverage for pre-existing conditions, and has some other quirky stuff in it. The only good thing that it has is that if the insurance company rejects your claim for any reason, DCL will apply a portion of what you paid as a credit toward a future cruise. It costs about 10% of the cruise cost, which is really high compared to private policies...especially those that give a kid policy free with parent or grandparent coverage.

The 800 number at insuremytrip is very helpful. Also, many TAs have a company that they recommend.

Thanks for that info.....I normally do not purchase the the insurance but after all the info you just gave me I'm thinking it's a good idea!

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Thanks for that info.....I normally do not purchase the the insurance but after all the info you just gave me I'm thinking it's a good idea!

 

 

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Check your health insurance--if it covers you outside of the US, your logic will be different than mine.

Also, trip insurance will cover you if you need to cancel due to a serious illness or death in a first degree relative who is not cruising. For instance, if my father is hospitalized with a heart attack and I deem that a reason to cancel, I'd have to submit appropriate documentation but I'd get all or most of what DCL won't refund from the insurance company. Just something to think about.

Over the years, I've submitted two relatively small claims--one was a visit to the ship's medical center and the other was when the cruise was delayed for 24 hours due to weather. So, the insurance company is far ahead on my premiums...but the day something serious happens, I wouldn't want to be without medical coverage.

If you're just doing a 3 or 4 day, I wouldn't waste money on insurance unless you have some pressing need. It's unlikely you'll need a helicopter back from Nassau or anything.

Booking WDW and DCL is easy peezy. You can do it all online yourself. It's part of the fun.

 

Booking WDW and DCL is easy peezy. You can do it all online yourself. It's part of the fun.

Yes, you can book on your own....and assume that you can get all your questions answered here or on another web site. But you will be leaving money on the table if you do this. Many agencies, particularly those who specialize in DCL travel, offer an onboard credit or gift card as a "thanks for booking with us" gift. Why not get that if you can?

A good agent can show you ways to save money that you might not otherwise be aware of, especially as a "first timer." She can show you options that you might not think of. The agency will also act as a buffer if there is an issue with DCL--for instance, we had a cruise where we were charged twice for the transfers and DCL insisted that it didn't happen (the agent's documentation agreed with me). OK, not a huge thing, but we did eventually get our money refunded.

IMHO, a great travel agent is worth her weight in gold. A not so good one is nothing but a pain. And I've used both types. No amount of OBC makes up for a bad agent.

Your credit card can act as a buffer for dealing with mistakes.

I do book my DCL through Costco, just because they give you 10% or so back on a card. But they don't do any work. I just tell them what I want and never call them again.

Your credit card can act as a buffer for dealing with mistakes.

 

I do book my DCL through Costco, just because they give you 10% or so back on a card. But they don't do any work. I just tell them what I want and never call them again.

So you are doing exactly what I do--Costco is acting as your TA thru their travel department.

I pick up the phone and call my agent; she books what I tell her I want and most of the time we have no further contact. But for a newbie, she has years of expertise in the travel business, many cruises on DCL, and is part of an agency that is big enough to have "specialists" in some areas like international air, insurance, etc. If "my" person can't answer a question, she has someone right there who is the agency expert in that area. One of the things I like is that ALL of the agents have been on a DCL ship recently. They also send agents on things like ABD, so often there is someone in the office who has done what a client might be considering.

And they more than earned their keep on a couple of occasions when things didn't go as planned.

Yes' date=' you can book on your own....and assume that you can get all your questions answered here or on another web site. But you will be leaving money on the table if you do this. Many agencies, particularly those who specialize in DCL travel, offer an onboard credit or gift card as a "thanks for booking with us" gift. Why not get that if you can?

 

A good agent can show you ways to save money that you might not otherwise be aware of, especially as a "first timer." She can show you options that you might not think of. The agency will also act as a buffer if there is an issue with DCL--for instance, we had a cruise where we were charged twice for the transfers and DCL insisted that it didn't happen (the agent's documentation agreed with me). OK, not a huge thing, but we did eventually get our money refunded.

 

IMHO, a great travel agent is worth her weight in gold. A not so good one is nothing but a pain. And I've used both types. No amount of OBC makes up for a bad agent.[/quote']

 

What moki'smommy said. I consider myself and experienced and fairly knowledgeable cruiser, but I still use a TA who is excellent. She has offered suggestions I would not have thought of stateroom wise and even did me a solid, managing to grab a cabana for me once, when I was having trouble with the system.

Say I went ahead and got a TA, is it "right" to get multiple quotes? Should I try to do it myself and see if I get a better deal than the TA?

Thanks again everyone!

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Thanks so much for following up. We don't get many updates.

If you feel you need a TA, then ....

Otherwise book with the TA with the biggest bonus.

Yes, get multiple quotes from many TA's.

Make then work for their commission.

If you already "got" a TA, it may be difficult to "get multiple quotes"

Keep us informed.

Update: I ended up getting a TA with an authorized Disney Agency I believe and moki'smommie would be proud....I also got the travel insurance!!! Looking forward to my new vacation!!!

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Update: I ended up getting a TA with an authorized Disney Agency I believe and moki'smommie would be proud....I also got the travel insurance!!! Looking forward to my new vacation!!!

 

 

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So now, on line check in and then prepare for a great cruise!