08/17/2008 - Eastbound Panama Canal - Bringing the Magic back! About This Page:

[geffric]

Originally Posted by mclimo

Hi guys,

I finally booked some excursions (or at least what was left).

Cabo - Tolofa Tall Ship
PV - Paradise Beach
Acapulco - No tours, we'll just walk around Ft. San Diego
Cartagena - Old City Walking tour
Aruba - Sea & Land Tour

Anybody else doing any of these??

A question for our resident experts, one of the tours we were hoping for was listed as sold out online. Are the excursions pre-booked like Palo's and that they leave some spaces open for people to book on board? I'm hoping so, but that will just mean I need to be in 2 places at once!

45 day to go!!!!

Steve

Hi Steve.. we are on the walking tour too..

[steph steph]

I am so excited now I can't even sit in my seat. I'm kinda wondering waht I'm going to dow hen the trip is over and i don't have another vacation yet to plan for. I think I'm gonna go through withdrawal.
I'm still not that hype to do the shore exursions offered. As long as I can get off the ship and see some stuff through a taxi tour, I'm okay. As many islands as I've seen, for me a t-shirt or gem in one island, is the same t-shirt and gem in another. I just want to see the sites.
Other than the Blue Bayou and Goofy's Kitchen, what is another good restaurant in DL? Has anyone had the dining plan in DL yet. They said it was done differently in DL than in WDW. Anyone have info?
I was told that the sleeper car on Amtrak has shower stalls, so I was excited about that. I CAN NOT imagine 2 and half days without a shower. But then I was told that the shower is actually a sprayer that is attached to the wall in a room the size of a chair, which is a toilet. You sit on the chair/toilet while you take the spayer and wash up. What is the WORLD....!

[geffric]

Originally Posted by steph steph

I am so excited now I can't even sit in my seat. I'm kinda wondering waht I'm going to dow hen the trip is over and i don't have another vacation yet to plan for. I think I'm gonna go through withdrawal.
I'm still not that hype to do the shore exursions offered. As long as I can get off the ship and see some stuff through a taxi tour, I'm okay. As many islands as I've seen, for me a t-shirt or gem in one island, is the same t-shirt and gem in another. I just want to see the sites.
Other than the Blue Bayou and Goofy's Kitchen, what is another good restaurant in DL? Has anyone had the dining plan in DL yet. They said it was done differently in DL than in WDW. Anyone have info?
I was told that the sleeper car on Amtrak has shower stalls, so I was excited about that. I CAN NOT imagine 2 and half days without a shower. But then I was told that the shower is actually a sprayer that is attached to the wall in a room the size of a chair, which is a toilet. You sit on the chair/toilet while you take the spayer and wash up. What is the WORLD....!

that sounds like a camp shower to me... hope it is clean we did the restuarant in the Grand Califorian.. it was really good.. I can't remember the name but it was a character breakfast..

[NanaTink]

Originally Posted by geffric

we did the restuarant in the Grand Califorian.. it was really good.. I can't remember the name but it was a character breakfast.

That is Storytellers. I have not eaten there, but I have heard it is good. I have eaten at Napa Rose, it was very good, but very expensive. We also have eaten at the La Brea Bread Factory, I think it is, in DTD. Very good sandwiches and nice pastries for breakfast. We also ate counterservice at CA. I liked it pretty well, but can't remember the name.

[steph steph]

We have the Disneyland dining plan, so it does not appear that cost will be that much of an issue for us. Is anyone familiar with this as well?

[Grammy Grumpy]

I need to chime in with a question. I just got back from WDW and I had prepaid my photopass CD and was I ever glad. We had a special magical experience where photos were taken and put on a card so having prepaid it really was beneficial.

Now the question. DH and I will be at DLR pre cruise and WDW post cruise. Does DLR and DCL has photopass? If so I'll prepay again and take advantage of having a great photo souvenier when we get home.

TIA, final preparations in full swing now!

[OffKilter_Lynn]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

I need to chime in with a question. .... Does DLR and DCL has photopass? If so I'll prepay again and take advantage of having a great photo souvenier when we get home.

TIA, final preparations in full swing now!

Disneyland does have PhotoPass but DCL does NOT offer PhotoPass!

Here's is my post from a previous question regarding cruise photos:

One huge thing to keep in mind…the smaller prints, while costing less, are 6”x8” NOT the standard 5”x7”! You will have an impossible time finding frames when you get home (unless you buy from DCL, of course!) or have custom mats made for an 8”x10” frame! If you’re going to scrapbook the photos, then it’s not an issue (as long is you use bigger pages).

Single Photo Prices:

6x8 photos $9.95 each.
8x10 photos $19.95 each.

Package Prices: 6x8 Photo Packages

10 photos - $84.95 ($15 saving)
15 photos - $119.95 ($30 saving)
20 photos - $149.95 ($50 saving)
30 photos - $219.95 ($80 saving)

8x10 Photo Packages

5 photos - $84.95 ($15 saving)
10 photos - $149.95 ($50 saving)
15 photos - $219.95 ($80 saving)
20 photos - $289.95 ($110 saving)

Mixed Photo Packages

A - $169.95 (save $40) - Any 5 - 6x8 photos & Any 8 - 8x10 photos
B - $239.95 (save $79) - Any 8 - 6x8 photos & Any 12 - 8x10 photos
C - $299.95 (save $119) - Any 12 - 6x8 photos & Any 15 - 8x10 photos

All photo packages are refundable – if you don’t find enough photos you like in the quantity you bought, the difference will be refunded. You can also upgrade to a higher package if you find you'll want more pictures.

They also offer photo cards (cards are 4” x 8”) – have your Christmas cards done now!

40 cards - $39.95
100 cards - $69.95
200 cards - $119.95

Other services include film developing & processing ($10 for 24 4”x6” prints or $0.40 each); transfer digital photos to CD for @$15, 2D crystals for $59.95 (includes $50 of gifts).

If you'll want reprints made of the photos you buy onboard, you'll need a photo release: https://www.image.com/html/guest-pos...eleaseForm.cfm

The reason photopass isn't offered is the photography is run by a contracted provider (The Image Group). The photographers are employed by The Image Group, not DCL. PhotoPass is Disney's technology and I'm sure it's more cost-effective for them to contract out the photography (and spa) services then operate it themselves.

Photos are a huge part of my onboard budget! I always have a portrait session done before dinner, especially on formal night. Check your navigator for times and plan on getting their EARLY!

What is the deal with PHOTOS

[Grammy Grumpy]

Thanks Lynn, I must have missed your email on this. If you are having pictures taken will they use your personal camera to take a picture of two???

[PoohFan]

Happy 4th of July! And Welcome to all the Newbies!

I haven't been able to get involved too much recently. My mother got "woozy" and passed out and needed 17 stitches in her arm after hitting a corner of a table on the way down. I've come down with the worst case of bronchitis I've ever had. I don't stop coughing long enough to write anything. The only fireworks I'm going to hear tonight are my booming coughs. At least it's better to get it now than later.

I was reading about the photo packages and have a little bit of information to add. On the Royal Caribbean cruise we took last Feb. my husband had some conversations with the photo people. The RCCL photo company is the same company that is on the DCL. Since he worked in the photo industry all of his career he likes to talk to the photo staff on board. He asked them if they were ever going to do anything like the Disney Photo Pass. The reply was that they were working on something that would have more bells and whistles. Don't know when it will happen but something is supposedly in the works. We don't know if it will be a photo pass or something different. I always wonder if they would make out better if they didn't print all the photos and just let you choose what you wanted before they were printed or do they sell more by having them hanging on the boards? Part of the cruise experience is searching the boards for your photos. As the comedian on the last cruise said in his list of top ten crazy things people ask on a cruise, "How do we find our photos if our names aren't on the pictures".

It's getting closer and can't wait to meet everyone.
Barb

[mclimo]

Originally Posted by geffric

Hi Steve.. we are on the walking tour too..

That's great! well if we don't manage to meet anytime before I guess we'll see you then!

[Woody73]

I was on the WB PC cruise in May, and read some of your recent posts about packing lists.

I'm glad we brought a pop-up laundry basket. (Mesh fabric on a folding metal frame. Bought ours at the Dollar Store.) It made it much easier to do laundry.

Things I wish I brought:
1. A backpack to take on excursions (for carrying water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, camera, souvenirs, etc.).
2. Shoehorn.
3. 12 - 15 ft. extension audio cable (3.5mm) for using iPod earphones while watching TV. That way a person could sit on the sofa and watch TV without disturbing others trying to sleep or read.

Have a great time on the EB!

Woody

[NanaTink]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Thanks Lynn, I must have missed your email on this. If you are having pictures taken will they use your personal camera to take a picture of two???

Usually if you are having pictures made with a character, the CM with the character will. The photog on the portraits doesn't as he or she is working by themselves and usually a long line. I have also seen mentioned about 'liability' issues, which usually means 'if I take your pic with your camera, you won't buy the one my company is trying to sell'

[Grammy Grumpy]

Originally Posted by NanaTink

Usually if you are having pictures made with a character, the CM with the character will. The photog on the portraits doesn't as he or she is working by themselves and usually a long line. I have also seen mentioned about 'liability' issues, which usually means 'if I take your pic with your camera, you won't buy the one my company is trying to sell'

Makes sense. I'm now putting some extra $$ together for pictures!

[geffric]

Originally Posted by Woody73

I was on the WB PC cruise in May, and read some of your recent posts about packing lists.

I'm glad we brought a pop-up laundry basket. (Mesh fabric on a folding metal frame. Bought ours at the Dollar Store.) It made it much easier to do laundry.

Things I wish I brought:
1. A backpack to take on excursions (for carrying water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, camera, souvenirs, etc.).
2. Shoehorn.
3. 12 - 15 ft. extension audio cable (3.5mm) for using iPod earphones while watching TV. That way a person could sit on the sofa and watch TV without disturbing others trying to sleep or read.

Have a great time on the EB!

Woody

Thanks for the tips Woody.. Great ideas.

[nickcapp]

Hello all!

Just a quick notification/warning about one particular excursion:

We ran into an issue with the ATV tour on Cabo. Basically, after our painstaking midnight adventures of booking excursions, we received a call from the folks at Disney letting us know one of our party members could not attend the ATV tour because she was not 21 yet. Fully understandable, but this wasn't a requirement from the begining.

Anyway, it left us in a lurch since no other similar tours were available for a party of our size.

Luckily, in true Disney customer care fashion, Disney was able to work with a tour operator to get us all on the 4X4 Jeep Rhino adventure. This was actually our first choice, so we were ok with it. However, if the ATV thing was #1 I would have been VERY upset.

Just a little note of caution...thought I would share.