Stay and Cruise Holiday

[BubandPodge]

Hi all,

We are first time cruisers (next year I hope!) and I wanted to know the best way to book a stay and cruise package trip.

-I have spoken directly to DCL who can only quote me for the cruise section of the trip at the moment. They have advised that their package deals will not be available until the Spring. I am hoping to combine our cruise with the (presumably returning) free dining offer at WDW.

-Virgin Holidays are currently offering package deals for everything, including flights.

So, should I wait for the package trip to be available to book through Disney and do we know roughly when these go live?

Should I book the cruise section only through DCL and can I add the rest of the package deal on at a later date?

Or should I book the whole package now through Virgin Holidays (in case the prices increase) but miss out on free dining?

Thank you in advance - can sort out trips to the Parks but Cruises seem a little more complicated!

[Bats]

Hi and welcome to the cruise forum!

I would steer away from VH straight away - the terms and conditions mean that you can't change anything without having a whopping fee added to your booking. Additionally, they are not very knowledgeable about DCL so steer clear!

Book your DCL now and pay the 20% deposit - then book everything else when you can. Booking direct means you can cancel and/or amend for no fee or get your money back if you have to cancel.

You could also book using a US TA which is what a lot of us regular cruisers do - with this you are at the mercy of the exchange rate though, so good and bad to doing it this way. We can offer some recommendations if you wish.

US TAs don't offer a cheaper price as DCL do not allow for discounted cruises, but they may offer some onboard credit which helps with tips etc (they are $13.50 per guest per night - cruise standard).

Hope that helps
Joa