DCL Summer 2017 Megathread - Itineraries are out!

[lanejudy]

We are silver.. so I guess not, hoping there will be some pricing info available here tomorrow We will be at the airport by 6 am on Thursday so unfortunately unlikely I will be able to check on anything.

I think the point of a TA for your situation is that the TA could actually get quotes for you while you are traveling/unavailable, placing holds on a cruise or 2. Then Thursday evening or Friday when you have reached your destination and are able to review the info, you can decide which cruise you want. But you would probably need to contact a TA today with some idea of dates/itineraries of interest.

Enjoy your travels!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

I think the point of a TA for your situation is that the TA could actually get quotes for you while you are traveling/unavailable, placing holds on a cruise or 2. Then Thursday evening or Friday when you have reached your destination and are able to review the info, you can decide which cruise you want. But you would probably need to contact a TA today with some idea of dates/itineraries of interest.

Enjoy your travels!

Thank you! I am not sure if we will be able to reach anyone from where are going. We will be in the Caribbean and I heard the Wi-Fi is sketchy at best
Hoping for the best though.

 

[AquaDame]

Thank you! I am not sure if we will be able to reach anyone from where are going. We will be in the Caribbean and I heard the Wi-Fi is sketchy at best
Hoping for the best though.

You can also leave them with instructions as to what price you are willing to pay and a payment method and allow them to book it for you. Make sure you check that you are able to cancel for a 100% refund if you need to though (concierge for example cannot).

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

You can also leave them with instructions as to what price you are willing to pay and a payment method and allow them to book it for you. Make sure you check that you are able to cancel for a 100% refund if you need to though (concierge for example cannot).

As long as I can get some pricing tomorrow, that's what I'll do. I've been wanting to book opening day forever.. we shall see the prices tomorrow! I hope

 

[CailinFig]

Couldn't tell if this had been posted. I just received an email from DCL that regular (newbie, Silver CC) can book 8am EST on Thursday, 4/14.

Does this mean online booking will open at 8am EST also?

 

[Flossbolna]

Does this mean online booking will open at 8am EST also?

From past experience I would say this is unclear. I know that when we booked on opening day for 2015 summer, the online booking became available in the early morning EST, I would say around 6 am or earlier...

ETA: Just checked the emails between me and my TA and yes, my credit card was charged at 6:10 am EST with the booking my TA made for me. Not sure if she booked anyone else before that.

 

[AquaDame]

Checked and noticed lbgraves hasn't been posting in the last few months actually so I will go ahead and set up the pricing thread. I hope all is okay with them..!

 

[soniam]

Does this mean online booking will open at 8am EST also?

It didn't say I would try when @Flossbolna suggested, just in case. I hate how vague they are, but I bet they don't want phones/network to be hammered by everyone.

 

[disneydiane61]

The ship can't sail one-way from Hawaii to San Diego. There are no distant foreign ports for it to stop along the way, so that cruise would have to end in Ensenada, Mexico. It's far more likely for the ship to do two one-way Hawaii cruises between Vancouver and Honolulu, followed by a cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, as it did in 2015. OR - a Vancouver to San Diego repo followed by one or more roundtrip Hawaii cruises from San Diego or LA - as you said.

For those of us who don't totally understand the "distant foreign port" regulations too well, can you explain a little more. If I understand it correctly, A one-way cruise from Hawaii to San Diego with Ensenada as its foreign port does not work, but round trip from San Diego the port of Ensenada will work ? I take it one-way travel has to have a MORE distant foreign port. And with Vancouver it's a moot point since it is either leaving from or going to Canada? Now I don't know which I would rather book. Vancouver to Honolulu, Honolulu to Vancouver or the what would be $$$$ round trip San Diego to Hawaii. Guess I'll have to wait and see. If price is $$$ to Hawaii then... Mexican Riveria in October it will be. Not my favorite ports by any means. Has anyone out there every done a week on Disney and not left the ship.???

 

[NancyIL]

For those of us who don't totally understand the "distant foreign port" regulations too well, can you explain a little more. If I understand it correctly, A one-way cruise from Hawaii to San Diego with Ensenada as its foreign port does not work, but round trip from San Diego the port of Ensenada will work ? I take it one-way travel has to have a MORE distant foreign port. And with Vancouver it's a moot point since it is either leaving from or going to Canada? Now I don't know which I would rather book. Vancouver to Honolulu, Honolulu to Vancouver or the what would be $$$$ round trip San Diego to Hawaii. Guess I'll have to wait and see. If price is $$$ to Hawaii then... Mexican Riveria in October it will be. Not my favorite ports by any means. Has anyone out there every done a week on Disney and not left the ship.???

You summarized the rules quite well! Roundtrip (aka "closed loop") cruises from a US port need only stop at a foreign port. Cruises traveling from one US port to a different US port must stop in a distant foreign port:

https://seatravel.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/passenger-services-act-united-states/

Distant foreign ports do NOT include Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda and most Caribbean islands. South America and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) do qualify as distant foreign ports.

San Juan, Puerto Rico is an exception to the rule, and thus DCL can offer repositioning cruises to and from San Juan without making a distant foreign port stop.

 

[Ofinn]

There are some good itinerarys, but I cant get excited until I see the prices. Chances are I wont ever get excited. I stiil remember everyones disappointment last year.

 

[WeLoveStitch42]

Quick question for you experts out there. We are interested in doing one of the Northern Europe cruises in 2017. We will be on a cruise next week. Should we try to book on Thursday? Will the prices really change that much in 3 days, or can we just wait and book on board? Or will the summer cruises be in the "blackout" group that doesn't qualify for the OBB 10% off?

 

[ILovePixieDust]

I have only one placeholder that can be used as late as summer 2017. Can my TA put two cruises on hold for us tomorrow (I'm gold) and then apply the placeholder to the one we choose in a couple of days? or does the placeholder OBB have to be designated to only one hold? Does that make sense? Thanks!

You actally need to transfer the OBB to book one of the cruises to have it apply. If you put two cruises on hold tomorrow without the OBB it would create two new reservation numbers not tied to your OBB. Your OBB has it's own reservation number and they need to use that number to book a cruise with the benefits.

What they would do if you have two bookings is cancel those booking and then make a new one with your OBB reservation number. Which negates the opening day price benefits if there are any. Probably best to pick one that you are most likely to keep and use the OBB for that one when you book tomorrow.

 

[ChicosWife]

I called and yep, they wouldn't give me prices until Thursday! I thought it was worth a try!

 

[ILovePixieDust]

Quick question for you experts out there. We are interested in doing one of the Northern Europe cruises in 2017. We will be on a cruise next week. Should we try to book on Thursday? Will the prices really change that much in 3 days, or can we just wait and book on board? Or will the summer cruises be in the "blackout" group that doesn't qualify for the OBB 10% off?

Book on thursday. And then check when you ae onboard to see if it would be cheaper to cancel and rebook onboard. As long as you are NOT booking concierge the deposit should be refundable.

 

[lorimay]

Does anyone think they will release blackout dates today, before bookings open in the morning?

 

[EEsloveDis]

Contacted my TA to hopefully book the Western European cruise out of Dover in July. Then we would only have to hit Italy after the cruise!!

 

[dvcdisney]

I know this has been asked before, but does anyone have an idea of when they would release the block out dates for the onboard booking?

I'm pretty sure the 10 night Med will be on that list, but it looks like the 7 night ones were not on the list for 2016. Can I assume, it won't be on the list for 2017 as well?

 

[closetmickey]

You actally need to transfer the OBB to book one of the cruises to have it apply. If you put two cruises on hold tomorrow without the OBB it would create two new reservation numbers not tied to your OBB. Your OBB has it's own reservation number and they need to use that number to book a cruise with the benefits.

What they would do if you have two bookings is cancel those booking and then make a new one with your OBB reservation number. Which negates the opening day price benefits if there are any. Probably best to pick one that you are most likely to keep and use the OBB for that one when you book tomorrow.

Not what I wanted to hear but thanks so much for the information!!

 

[Ofinn]

I know this has been asked before, but does anyone have an idea of when they would release the block out dates for the onboard booking?

I'm pretty sure the 10 night Med will be on that list, but it looks like the 7 night ones were not on the list for 2016. Can I assume, it won't be on the list for 2017 as well?

I think they would be crazy to black out Eurpean cruise.