Why You Should Use a Travel Agent for a Disney Cruise

Well, I just booked a Disney cruise, and let’s just say that I felt overwhelmed.

As a reminder, I write about Disney for a living, and this is NOT my first Disney cruise.

In fact, I’ve taken one within the past calendar year. This one worked differently, though.

I wasn’t prepared for the added complexity and did what any savvy vacationer should.

I reached out to a MickeyTravels agent to book my trip and immediately felt better.

Here are a few reasons to use a travel agent for a Disney cruise…and they’re not the ones you’d expect.

The Backstory

Photo: DisneyMy wife and I loved our last Disney cruise so much that we immediately began thinking about our next one.

Alas, life has gotten in the way, preventing me from booking until now, nearly a year later.

When my wife and I discussed our plans to take a cruise, my brother and sister-in-law expressed an interest.

So, they’ll be joining us for this vacation, which is wonderful. We’ll have a terrific time.

However, we just introduced even more complexity to our vacation planning.

Now, we need to mesh our plans with those of a family member…and they have questions.

They haven’t sailed in a long time and have never been on a Disney cruise.

My family asked me countless good questions about the trip, at which point I realized something.

I know tons about Disney cruises, but they’ve asked some questions I couldn’t answer.

While I’ve written extensively about Disney Cruise Line, my knowledge has limits.

I quickly remembered that I’m friends with many MickeyTravels agents, though.

Their collective knowledge base is the gold standard in this industry.

That fact explains why they’ve earned Diamond Earmarked status for several consecutive years.

They’re literally the best of the best, and that’s why I contacted MickeyTravels to book my trip.

I realized the necessity of this move after my family asked me the following questions.

These are all organic topics that came up during the course of a 30-minute phone call.

They also speak to the complexity of a Disney vacation, especially a multi-party one.

Can I Cancel?

Honestly, I would have thought it was common sense that you can cancel a Disney cruise.

After being asked this question, I searched around and quickly realized that a LOT of people wonder about it.

The answer is obviously yes. In fact, when I booked with my MickeyTravels agent, they sent me the specifics.

I can cancel this cruise up to 90 days before sailing without any sort of cancellation fee.

During the time frame of 89-45 days before my cruise, I can cancel but will forfeit my deposit.

That’s around $300 if you’re wondering, which leads to another point.

You don’t pay the full price of your cruise when you book, merely a deposit.

The balance comes due three months after you book your cruise, giving you plenty of time to finalize details.

In our example, we booked a cruise before buying plane tickets or reserving a hotel room.

These are also steps where MickeyTravels agents can handle everything as well.

Personally, I used to work in the hospitality industry and prefer to do these things myself.

However, for those of you less experienced in booking cruises, I highly recommend using your expert.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, but MickeyTravels does all of this for free, which is unbelievable value for you.

They’ll find the best deals for free! How could anyone say no to that offer?

Which Dining Attire Is Appropriate?

What can and should you wear during your rotational dining meals?

When you order from the buffet, you could be wearing flip-flops or aqua socks.

Nobody would bat at an eye at that, but you may wonder whether the fancier dining works differently.

Well, the answer is “cruise casual,” which may not mean anything to you without an explanation.

However, Remy’s, Enchante, and Palo work quite differently. You’ll want to dress nicely for those meals.

These are the sorts of questions you may not consider on your own before it’s too late.

I was able to guide my family on this topic, but I also watched a Cast Member ask someone to change at Palo.

That sort of thing happens mainly due to a lack of information, but a travel agent for a Disney cruise would give you a heads up.

When Should We Book Our Dining Schedule?

Did you know that Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining has two waves of meals?

You can eat earlier during the 5:45 p.m. window or later at 8 p.m.

For families, the earlier meal is preferable since many small kids want to go to sleep by 8.

If you don’t know when to schedule your meals, you’ll probably end up with the later dining.

Disney even spells this out by calling the 5:45 meal Main Dining and the other Second Seating.

If you don’t like your dining assignment, you can change to the other option.

You must know when you can first make that change on the DCL Navigator app, though.

Unless you’re very detail-oriented, you’re unlikely to remember on that date…but an agent will!

Can We Book for the Entire Party?

Then, we have another consideration we had never experienced on previous cruises.

Since we’re booking two Cabins with two different confirmation numbers, how does dining work?

Can I adjust our meal schedule for my brother’s cruise as well as my own?

Well, I know the answer now, but if we’d booked together using the same agent, it’d be different.

The agent could have taken care of both traveling parties and scheduled our meals together.

What Does the Asterisk Mean?

Here’s a fun one. I was talking on the phone with my sister-in-law, discussing which Cabin to book.

She asked a seemingly innocent question. “What does the asterisk mean?”

Friends, THAT is a complicated question, as there are many potential asterisks.

She noticed that the Cabin next to theirs had an asterisk, which could have meant a few things.

One was that it had an obstructed view, while another could indicate an Accessible Cabin.

Believe it or not, I’m only scratching the surface on this one. That asterisk has multitudes.

There are even potential dining implications when you notice an asterisk on your reservation.

So, when you see an asterisk, you probably won’t have any idea what it means. You’ll make an educated guess, but you may never be sure until you’re on the cruise.

A MickeyTravels agent will know and provide you with the information you need.

Long story short, don’t book a room with an asterisk unless you’re sure you know why it’s there.

What Happens If There’s Inclement Weather?           

 

We are booking a cruise during hurricane season, which comes with some inherent risks.

My family specifically chose this cruise to enjoy two days at Disney’s private islands.

During a hurricane, Disney may adjust the itinerary to ensure the safety of its guests.

Honestly, this happens more than you may realize, and it’s not even due to hurricanes each time.

A Disney cruise altered its plans just last month due to freezing weather in the Caribbean.

Everything I’m discussing here focuses on what happens when you’re on the cruise.

However, you may worry about whether you can even fly into the port city during stormy weather.

A MickeyTravels agent can explain the process to you and also provide advice about travel insurance.

They can advise you on the pros and cons of this insurance and how to protect your vacation purchase.

Which Hotel Is Best?

I literally just asked my MickeyTravels agent this one a few hours ago.

My cruise departs from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

Coincidentally, I was just there last year, but I wanted to learn about hotels.

Specifically, I needed to know if any of them provided an advantage in getting to the port.

Which ones offer complimentary shuttle service or at least paid transportation?

How is morning traffic in and around the port? This is the sort of information I need.

Sure, I could find some of it on my own, but it’d be unreliable.

A MickeyTravels agent is speaking to clients about their Fort Lauderdale experiences.

Since the team consists of hundreds of members who communicate, they know everything.

So, they can streamline the process of choosing the best hotel for the night before my cruise. As an FYI, nobody asked me to write this article. I felt the need because I just lived it.

My wife and I invited my brother and his brother to join us on a Disney cruise.

After a series of detailed questions, I faced the reality that I don’t have all the answers.

Do you know who does? MickeyTravels agents. So, I reached out to the company to book.

Now, if anyone in my family has a question, I can ask my MickeyTravels agent for the answer.

They remove all the stress from my Disney vacation, allowing me to savor the magic.

These are just some of the reasons to use a travel agent for a Disney cruise!

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below. One of the agents from MickeyTravels, an EarMarked By Disney – Authorized Travel Agency – Diamond Level, will be in touch soon!

Feature photo: Disney