WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

Would you book a Disney cruise last minute? DH is about to accept a job offer from a new company and will start mid-February. We'd like to do a vacation with DD who is 2 before he starts. One of the ideas we are throwing around is a 4 night Disney cruise.

I checked on the Disney site and they have availability for the room we want. I can also get a decently priced flight.

One drawback is they only have the 2nd seating for dinner available. DD is 2 so I'm not sure how that's gonna go. Will we miss out on anything else because we're booking late?

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

Yes, I would squeeze in a Disney cruise before your DH starts a new job. The second seating would bother me but it would not prevent me from going on the cruise.

I have never cruised with my kids but I am not sure if we would eat at a sit down for dinner every night anyways. We always do a mix of casual and sit down restaurants. My 2yo just doesn't do well with sit downs.

Message edited 1/19/2014 9:48:27 AM.

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

GO....

First when you get on the ship, go right away to guest services and see if you can get a change. It happens.

Also there is late food available up on the pool deck. They have 3 windows open (we fed hte boys there one night and we went to the adults only palo!) THey have pizza, burgers, hot dogs, some sandwiches, maybe chicken fingers etc.

Also you can feed DD and then drop her off at nursery (need reservations) (its $6 per hour totally worth it!) and go have a peaceful dinner yourselves!

We had the early seating but honestly some days the kids werent even hungry at that point. You could just try to maybe nap your DD a little later order a snack or something room service, go to the show (whcih my 2yo LOVED) and then go to dinner. My kids are fine being up a late so a late seating wouldnt really bother us. And really its only for 4 days, so I feel like you can make it work either way!!

We loved our disney cruise with our then 5yo and 2yo (who turned 2 only 2 days before our cruise!

ETA the only draw back to booking late is the seating tiems, and possibly if you want to make reservations at Palo or Remy (totally recommend Palo!) other than that you get all the same stuff, but probably at a better price!

Message edited 1/19/2014 10:33:23 AM.

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

I am going on a disney cruise with my 6,5,2 year olds and we got the second seating as well! But I rather that! My kids adjust to vacation time and we never really went to dinner before 730-8 any other vacations! I don't want to have to rush back from excursions/beach/other activities!

If they cant make it, they can always nap and/or eat before you go to dinner and then bring ipad or other toys to distract them. There is also plenty of other stuff going on in the ding room that may hold your little one's attention longer than you think. You could also get them to nap in an umbrella stroller or something while you eat!

They also have the nursery! I plan of having the older kids go to the kids club (if they want or if they are getting restless) after they eat and send the little one to the nursery - so my DH and I can enjoy a some alone adult conversation for the first time when on a family vacation!

I say go and def dont let the late seating stop you! I heard a lot of people are successful at switching if put on a wait list when checking in if you still feel you want to do that.

WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

There is another post about late seating, I would l book the cruise, call and get waitlisted for early dining. I did that, it was granted, and I ended up not liking the early dining at all.

Also, you could just order room service to hold your son over (the choices are good, and it's free), or get food from the pool deck. Then go to your late seating dinner for the experience.

Message edited 1/19/2014 1:34:26 PM.

WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

Thanks for your input. We're still trying to decide. Those that have gone, how did you book? Direct with Disney or through an authorized agent? It would be great if we could get some sort of onboard credit.

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

dreamsunlimited

or

costco

They can't save you money - but they give you on board credit or costco gift card

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute

DO it! Are you getting a good restricted rate?

You can get on the waiting list for 1st seating and you can also try to change when you get there. There actually is a casual buffet on DCL, but it doesn't compare to the main dining rooms.

Ask guest services when you get there. We cruised over Yom Kippur and we asked to have dinner early on the last night so DH could eat before sunset and they easily switched us and kept us with our same servers. We also found out the couple we sat with had been alone the whole time, so we could have had first seating the whole time. Also ask your servers. Every cruise i've been on ther ehave been people assigned to my table who just never once showed up. They should be able to squeeze you. They will try their best.

I've booked cruises as early as 9 days out and had a great time.

Definitely look for *GT rates.

Re: WWYD - Booking Disney Cruise last minute