Need help, new to Disney

[Packerone]

I am new to Disney and planning on booking a Family Cruise on Fantasy, August 2016. First of all can you book a room before a Baby is born. Baby is due July 2015. Also what rooms are best to book for the best price. One room will be my husband and I, another room for daughter, husband and a 6 and a 3 and a half year old, another room for daughter, husband and a 6, 4 and 1 year old.

I would like the rooms close by and possibly connecting. I also like the rooms with the large port hole window. If they got a room with the large port hole could my husband and I get a veranda room close by. Any suggestions or helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

[moki'smommy]

Yes, you can book before an infant is born. You book a TBD Smith (to be determined, Smith is surname). Your best pricing will be on booking rooms for 4 people. SO, if you were to book one grandchild from the family of 5 in your room, you'll get a better price than needing to move up to a "family" room that sleeps 5. The child does not have to SLEEP in your room, but only book there. The parents will have a room with beds for 4 in addition to a pack and play crib for the infant, but DCL rules will not allow them to book 5 in a 4 person room even though one is in a crib.

 

Connecting rooms tend to be of the same type (2 connecting verandah rooms, not a verandah connecting to an oceanview). However, you can get rooms near each other. Another option might be for you to get a verandah room and the kids/grands to get an inside across the hall from you. They could even get connecting inside rooms. The virtual portholes are neat! Or they can get connecting porthole rooms.

 

A good travel agent who specializes in DCL and has actually cruised on the Fantasy should be able to do this booking for you easily. 2016 dates should be available very soon, and you'll get your best rates by booking early.

 

Do you have to cruise in August? By waiting till September, you'll save some serious money (but I guess they don't want to take 6 year old kids out of school).

Edited February 7, 2015 by moki'smommy

[Packerone]

Thank you, Moki'smommy, I think we will go with the Inside rooms, hope they won't find it too crowded. Just waiting for the summer cruises to come out.

We always do our family trip in August because one of the family members is a teacher.

My husband does have some health issues, in the event he cannot go is it possible to change the name on the reservation.

Thanks

[moki'smommy]

Thank you, Moki'smommy, I think we will go with the Inside rooms, hope they won't find it too crowded. Just waiting for the summer cruises to come out.

We always do our family trip in August because one of the family members is a teacher.

My husband does have some health issues, in the event he cannot go is it possible to change the name on the reservation.

Thanks

 

Supposedly there are some policy revisions coming out right before the rest of the 2016 dates come out next month.

 

Currently, you can change the name on a reservation up to 31 days before embarkation at no charge. 0-30 days incurs a fee of $50. Obviously, if you buy travel insurance with a "pre-existing condition" clause, this should cover any loss relating to his need to cancel for medical reasons.

 

DO NOT buy insurance thru DCL. Go privately--there are lots of good companies. You can view policies and costs at insuremytrip.com. Many companies give a free child's policy with an adult policy. Pre-existing conditions are often covered if the policy is purchased within 14 or 21 days of the initial booking. Insurance costs are based on age and cost of the vacation, so for some elderly people DCL coverage may be cheaper. BUT it is spotty coverage at best and covers only those items you book thru DCL.

 

The inside rooms have almost the same "living space" as an oceanview or even a balcony cabin BUT you dont' have the balcony space. Cat 11 has a single bathroom, cat 10 has a split bath (toilet and sink in one room, tub and sink in another). But again, that isn't really "living space." And the magic portholes are fun!

[Lovedisneycruise]

Thank you, Moki'smommy, I think we will go with the Inside rooms, hope they won't find it too crowded. Just waiting for the summer cruises to come out.

We always do our family trip in August because one of the family members is a teacher.

My husband does have some health issues, in the event he cannot go is it possible to change the name on the reservation.

Thanks

 

Hi I just wanted to add a comment--we stayed in a standard inside room recently for the first time (my adult daughter and I). We actually liked this room configuration better than the galley-type rooms (porthole and verandah). While we missed the balcony, we preferred the "bedroom" being at the back of the room instead of having to walk around the bed each time we wanted to use the balcony or the couch. In an inside, the bed faces you at the end of the room when you enter.:)

 

Also, the magical porthole was much bigger than we had expected. And it may have been my imagination, but the one bathroom on the standard actually seemed to have more room than either of the split bathrooms we were used to. With 4 or 5 people you may prefer the splits, but with 2 of us the single larger bathroom worked fine.

[Dismomx5]

In 2013 we did a family vacation on the Fantasy. My mom had the Family Oceanview and my sister was next door in a 7A balcony room. They weren't connecting but they did have that configuration. I was 1 deck below in the 7A, and my third sister was 1 deck above in the 7A. We were right at the stairs and it worked out very well for us.