Our first cruise - maybe??

First - WOOOT! Cruising rocks. Second - I completely understand where you are coming from planning perspective, I've been there. Take a deep breath, because there is a lot less you have to do. Consider it DCL's gift, they take care of almost everything so that you can truly relax. It will be OK, even though it might drive you a little crazy pre-trip.

1) There's really no need to use a TA if you usually book on your own. It's not difficult, however if you chose too, there are a couple of stealth agents on the board that are awesome. Just leave a note that you would like one of them to reach out to you and I'm sure they will.

2) Worthwhile DCL Discounts are rare. It just sort of costs what it costs. Occasionally you will come across one, I think that right now there is a 50% off your deposit deal going.

3) Yes, fly into MCO at least one night before your cruise and arrange for transportation to the Port. I've taken the Disney Transportation, and I've taken a Limo. I prefer to take a limo because it allows me to get to the DCL Terminal on my own time rather than on Disney's Schedule. The Disney ground transportation doesn't usually get you to the terminal until almost 2pm.

4) This is *the* best Disney Cruise Line Blog, with the most amount of information you'll find outside of the DCL website. http://disneycruiselineblog.com/ While the schedules that they have up online may not match exactly to what your cruise will be, reading the Navigators will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Any more questions just ask away! We have lots of experienced Disney Cruisers!

I love planning WDW trips also but I was at a loss when we went on our first Disney cruise... What??? I can't make ADRs, NO FastPasses, what time is trivia, Where is the free ice cream??? It's more of a day to day trip except for port adventures. If you find Navigators from your sailing you can plan pretty well from those too.

We are going on a 7 day in 2 weeks and I am stress free this time. I am just going to go were the boat takes me and chill!!!!

ps YOU ARE GONNA LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have not been on a Disney Cruise, so I cannot help you there, but I have been on Cruises and I LOVE THEM! I can share a few reasons why cruising is a great way to go!

1) You get from Port A to Port B with no stressful driving, flying or taxi's..while the ship is moving to your next destination, you just keep on partying!

2) Live Music Venues... we love chilling out in the evening, listening to live bands, enjoying a cocktail, and just kicking back. Most ships offer multiple music genres through out the ship so you can choose your own style or shake it up!

3) Food, Food, Food. The food is pretty incredible, even the buffets have had some intricate offerings..and the sit down restaurants...amazing.

4) A classier time.... the feel of the ship, the water cascading in moonlight, there is something very classic about traveling by ship...a simpler age...things move a bit slower...and from what I've seen of the Disney Cruise Line advertisements..those beautifully Art Deco designed ships will fit right in with a throw back of nostalgia...

Enjoy cruising! Beware-it becomes addictive! (right Dee?)

You will love it!

I would not use a TA for the Disney Cruise, unless you save $$. When I booked my cruise over the phone, the Disney Cruise agent told me I could use a TA, but if i needed to make ANY changes to my reservation, my TA would have to do it. I could not call Disney and make ANY changes myself. This turned me off from using a TA because I like being in control of my vacation! We did make two detailed changes before leaving so I am glad I booked it myself!

Yes, you can still fly into MCO and you can ride the DCL bus to the port if you wish. We went down a few days early and visited WDW then we were picked up by DCL from our hotel and transported to the port. Our friends that also went on this cruise used a taxi service/van and it was actually cheaper than what we paid Disney. I think the transfers were $69 PP for the round-trip to MCO and/or Disney hotel.

Just have fun! Other than excursions, there isn't much to plan!

I had always said that for the first Disney cruise that we booked, I would probably use a TA because looking at the deck plans and the options was very overwhelming to me at first. After taking a lot of time to carefully research, I booked the trip myself. We had done three other cruises, so I at least had some understanding of what I was doing, but being a hyper-planner at WDW, I felt like you do--that I needed to be doing more. A Disney Cruise is a much more low-key activity.

That being said, it doesn't hurt you at all to use a TA and it does give you someone to be your sounding board and give you ideas and suggestions. You should never pay more than the list price for any Disney product when using a TA. If you find one that tries to charge you more, they are not reputable. Run fast and run far. Try to find someone local who you can actually sit down and have a conversation with. Remember that when you book Disney, a portion of that price is allocated to TA services--whether it's at the reservation center or to a private TA that you select. It's just like shopping local for any other good or service. When you use a TA in your community, a portion of what you pay for your travel stays in your community.

As far as the DVC aspect, it's generally accepted that using your points for cruises is not a great way to maximize the value of your points. I have yet to see a discount for DVC, AP, DisneyVisa, etc. The only regularly available discount codes are Military, Canadian Resident, and Florida Resident and the military discounts are very sparse.

MCO is still your best choice for airport arrival if you're coupling your cruise with a WDW vacation. Be advised that Magical Express is NOT complimentary to Port Canaveral. The bus is $35/person each way. You can take Magical Express to/from WDW directly. I would use that option for going to WDW from the cruise if that's cost effective for the size of your group, but NOT for going from WDW to the cruise. If you purchase a ground transfer with Disney, the buses are readily available at the Cruise Terminal and they depart for WDW or the airport as they fill up. Buses from WDW to the cruise operate on a pick-up schedule just like regular Magical Express and you have no control over when your resort is picked up and when your bus arrives at the terminal. You definitely want to be at the port early. You'll have a designated arrival time, but some arrivals are available as early as 9-10:00 in the morning. Even though you won't be able to get into your stateroom, lunch will be available right after boarding. There isn't a lot to do besides eat lunch and hang out on deck until the staterooms are cleaned, so the later you board, the more crowded and rushed your lunch will be. The ship has a mandatory lifeboat drill, so if you board right at the last minute, you could miss lunch altogether.

Missing lunch sucks. On sail away day all of the food service options close at about 3pm to make preparations to get underway. My daughter and I took the Disney bus from WDW last February and didn't arrive until 2pm. Unlike when we've arrived earlier in the day, crew was not right there filtering us to the restaurants. So - we decided to go right to our stateroom and unpack before grabbing a bit to eat. By the time we got to the restaurant at about 3:05 all of the food service options were closed. This can be a huge problem if anyone in your party has blood sugar issues.