~~~~~~ 9/21/09 Booking Info Thread for 2011 Cruises ~~~~~~

[pillow]

Sorry but here are a couple things that you need to factor into your plan. You are not going to be able to dial DCL and get through to their holding queue first attempt at 8 am...or VERY few people do. On 9/21 I hit redial on both the home land line and the cell phone - each dialing a different DCL number - for 40 minutes before I stopped getting a busy signal.

Also, if you are not going to book if the deposit for OBBs is full price, take the kids to schol and then check the 9/28/09 booking thread first post to see if anyone has posted what they were able to do. IMO waiting 15 minutes to dial is not going to change your wait time THAT dramatically. You are looking at 2-3 hours at the least. Also, plug your cell in and once you get through on one line after 30-45 minutes call on your open line and get on hold too. It happens every single time new bookings opened and it will happen 9/28 too. On 1/31/07, 10/14/08 & 9/21/09 people were on hold for 1 - 1 1/2 hours and then were disconnected. If you have a second line available to you I would call in and be on hold there as well to prevent you from having to call back and starting to hold all over.

Also, you don't say how old your kids are. Are they old enough to handle speed dialing your cell while you drive to work? I entered all of the DCL numbers I had in both of the phones and set them as speed dials on my cell. If/when they are able to get through on the way to school just leave the phone on speaker. Chances are very good that your call will not be answered by a live person before you get home.

Good info - thanks!

J

 

[elgerber]

I didn't see this posted elsewhere so I thought I'd post:
LATEST NEWS
Member Services adjusts operating hours on Monday, 9/28/09
To accommodate Members who wish to book a 2011 Disney Cruise Line voyage, Member Services will open at 8 am EST on Monday, September 28th, one hour earlier than regular operating hours. During this additional hour, Member Services will only be booking reservations for 2011 Disney Cruise Line itineraries. For all other transactions, Members can call Member Services during our standard operating hours of 9 am to 5:30 pm EST, Sunday through Saturday

UGH, I wasn't thinking, but I have to book the Boardwalk tomorrow, do you think this is going to screw up my wait time to do that????

 

[ibouncetoo]

I'll be calling my TA in about a half hour to see about transfering my 8/30 Alaska to the 8/23 cruise. I'll be interest to see if I'm allowed to keep my 1/2 deposit since it's a transfer. I'll let you all know.

Friends have booked the Walt for the 8/23 and offered to link with me if I cruise with them! Think I'll spring for the extra deposit if DCL insists!

.

 

[pillow]

UGH, I wasn't thinking, but I have to book the Boardwalk tomorrow, do you think this is going to screw up my wait time to do that????

Thats a tough one. Since its a separate cue for that, once you get through I wouldn't think your wait time would be any longer than usual. However, you may have trouble getting through. Also, who knows if DVC has staffed up the cruise res cue and pulled staff from the regular DVC bookings side. Who knows????

Jodie

 

[wdhinn89]

Our schools are actually closed tomorrow for the Jewish holiday. I'm surprised so many schools are open.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I'm curious, how many of you have DU handling your request for a 2011 booking tomorrow, but are still planning to call in yourselves to see if you get through first (and possibly for a better price)? I had given DU my request for the PC Repo and they faxed it in to IC awhile ago, and I have full confidence in my agent- I've been in touch with her often in the last couple of weeks about handling the booking tomorrow. I guess I'm just such a control freak that I feel weird not doing anything myself tomorrow when phones open at 8:00 AM...just curious for those of you using DU or another TA, are you just standing back and letting them do the work and waiting until you hear from them, or are you going to be calling and trying to book on your own too?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I'm curious, how many of you have DU handling your request for a 2011 booking tomorrow, but are still planning to call in yourselves to see if you get through first (and possibly for a better price)? I had given DU my request for the PC Repo and they faxed it in to IC awhile ago, and I have full confidence in my agent- I've been in touch with her often in the last couple of weeks about handling the booking tomorrow. I guess I'm just such a control freak that I feel weird not doing anything myself tomorrow when phones open at 8:00 AM...just curious for those of you using DU or another TA, are you just standing back and letting them do the work and waiting until you hear from them, or are you going to be calling and trying to book on your own too?

Couple of things, firstly they are good at booking on any cruise, and have a plan in place, secondly, if you call in as well, you will contribute to bumping up prices, and if many people do this, make a cruise sell out, so no others can book, or for slower selling cruises have an effect on main dinner going or causing some to go to GTY.

Its best to trust the TA if you have instructed them.

 

[ibouncetoo]

I'll be calling my TA in about a half hour to see about transfering my 8/30 Alaska to the 8/23 cruise. I'll be interest to see if I'm allowed to keep my 1/2 deposit since it's a transfer. I'll let you all know.

Friends have booked the Walt for the 8/23 and offered to link with me if I cruise with them! Think I'll spring for the extra deposit if DCL insists!

.

Was able to move from 8/30 to 8/23, same cabin, same rate! Don't know about the depoist yet...till TA completes the transaction with DCL.

.

 

[lbgraves]

I'll be calling my TA in about a half hour to see about transfering my 8/30 Alaska to the 8/23 cruise. I'll be interest to see if I'm allowed to keep my 1/2 deposit since it's a transfer. I'll let you all know.

Friends have booked the Walt for the 8/23 and offered to link with me if I cruise with them! Think I'll spring for the extra deposit if DCL insists!

.

Right now the most honest answer from a CM about this issue is that they will not know if the system will allow you to keep your 50% on Monday if you transfer an existing OBB that has the 50% currently until they actually process one on 9/28. So a supervisor finally admitted that they just don't know the answer.

 

[gotorightway123]

I am poised with both my home and business phone lines, and Tony is poised to start dialing with our fax line.

 

[lbgraves]

Couple of things, firstly they are good at booking on any cruise, and have a plan in place, secondly, if you call in as well, you will contribute to bumping up prices, and if many people do this, make a cruise sell out, so no others can book, or for slower selling cruises have an effect on main dinner going or causing some to go to GTY.

Its best to trust the TA if you have instructed them.

Exactly! This caused the 2008 prices to go up every 20-30 minutes on opening day on some cruises. It seemed that everyone learned how this affected everyone and held back from doing this for the 2009 cruises and they did not "sell out" quickly or have the prices rise artificially with double bookings. Also, once a tier has been sold the price stays at that level until it reaches the next tier but the price does not decrease if half the bookings cancel...so it really does affect everyone's price from that point.

 

[lbgraves]

I am poised with both my home and business phone lines, and Tony is poised to start dialing with our fax line.

Barb???

 

[poohj80]

Member Services adjusts operating hours on Monday, 9/28/09

I hadn't thought about it before, but can DVC members book DCL through Member Services even if paying cash or only if booking on points? Just thinking MS may have a shorter wait time.

 

[poohj80]

I'm curious, how many of you have DU handling your request for a 2011 booking tomorrow, but are still planning to call in yourselves to see if you get through first (and possibly for a better price)? I had given DU my request for the PC Repo and they faxed it in to IC awhile ago, and I have full confidence in my agent- I've been in touch with her often in the last couple of weeks about handling the booking tomorrow. I guess I'm just such a control freak that I feel weird not doing anything myself tomorrow when phones open at 8:00 AM...just curious for those of you using DU or another TA, are you just standing back and letting them do the work and waiting until you hear from them, or are you going to be calling and trying to book on your own too?

I was just wondering if I was the only one too. Control freaks unite!

Ok, just read some of the negative effects of doing this. Given the wait times last Monday, I probably couldn't get through before I need to be at work any way.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Right now the most honest answer from a CM about this issue is that they will not know if the system will allow you to keep your 50% on Monday if you transfer an existing OBB that has the 50% currently until they actually process one on 9/28. So a supervisor finally admitted that they just don't know the answer.

I made my switch today, so if I find out in a little while that I couldn't keep the 1/2 deposit, then we'll pretty much know that the Monday bookings won't. If I was able to keep it, then things are still up in the air for the Monday folks.

(Am I remembering right that people posted the 1/2 deposit went away mid-week this week?)

.

 

[Doingitagain]

I hadn't thought about it before, but can DVC members book DCL through Member Services even if paying cash or only if booking on points? Just thinking MS may have a shorter wait time.

If you book through DVC, all cash is due immediately. Not just deposit, the entire cash cruise price, airfare, transfers, prestay. Two years in advance.

 

[ACDSNY]

For anyone interested here's the DVC pts for 2 categories on the Panama cruise...
9A 1 adult 438 pts or $3,066 cash
9B 1 adult 411 pts or $2,876 cash

 

[BLTOH]

I'm curious, how many of you have DU handling your request for a 2011 booking tomorrow, but are still planning to call in yourselves to see if you get through first (and possibly for a better price)? I had given DU my request for the PC Repo and they faxed it in to IC awhile ago, and I have full confidence in my agent- I've been in touch with her often in the last couple of weeks about handling the booking tomorrow. I guess I'm just such a control freak that I feel weird not doing anything myself tomorrow when phones open at 8:00 AM...just curious for those of you using DU or another TA, are you just standing back and letting them do the work and waiting until you hear from them, or are you going to be calling and trying to book on your own too?

Since i work all day and can't be online or the phone at work and i have a dr appointment after i am letting the TA handle mine. hoping they can get what i want but if not i will look online when i have the time and see what would work otherwise for us. We are in the if we can get what we want great if not no biggie we will wait and see what the dream does and go from there.

 

[tink too]

Was able to move from 8/30 to 8/23, same cabin, same rate!

Congrats on getting to change dates without having to shell out additional $$$.

(Am I remembering right that people posted the 1/2 deposit went away mid-week this week?)

Yup - us Silver CC members have lost out, I'm afraid.

 

[tink too]

We are in the if we can get what we want great if not no biggie we will wait and see what the dream does and go from there.

I've decided that's where we're at too.

Since ressie's open at lunchtime (UK time) and I'll be at work, I'll have to wait until I get home to see what (if anything) is still available. If the dates/$$$ are still reasonable, then I'll book online.