Calling for the Member Cruise

[disneynutz]

Is the "member" cruise really worth paying a premium price, waiting 2 hours plus to make a reservation and maybe not getting the category that you want?

I just don't get it.

Bill

 

[rwcmath]

Bill, I have been on 4 MC and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Today's booking took us a bit over an hour. We got what we wanted at a price we could afford.

I think people will cancel, so wait lists will work. This is the second MC we booked that sold out on booking day. Considering the negative comments I heard before hand, I am surprised and happy. I do like MCs!

 

[poison ivy]

Is the "member" cruise really worth paying a premium price, waiting 2 hours plus to make a reservation and maybe not getting the category that you want?

I just don't get it.

Bill

good question. we seriously went back and forth on this one. There is a 5 nt. Canadian cruise immediately following the Member Cruise, which is all I can compare pricing to. A cat 11A gty on 10/2 = $ 2890.74 + 120.00 grat. = 3010.74 vs a cat 11A member cruise = 3244.00

In this case we felt it was a decent tradeoff. The Member Cruise special events have so far been well worth it on our past cruises.

 

[keaster]

Is the "member" cruise really worth paying a premium price, waiting 2 hours plus to make a reservation and maybe not getting the category that you want?

I just don't get it.

Bill

We did the Bahamas MC in August this year, and we had a great time! (it was our first one). However we passed for next year.

Our Canadian dollar is hovering at 75 cents/US so to pay the extra 30% exchange on a cruise that goes to Halifax...where we can visit in our own currency...didn't make sense to us. If it was a Bahamas/Caribbean one with a Castaway Cay stop, we may have taken the plunge!

 

[CherryOnTop]

Is anyone else waiting for a call back from ABD? First they said we would book that too today with the cruise, then they said they would call back at 2:30 for that part and now no one at member services knows when we will hear - may be tomorrow. CRAZY.

 

[hbg4]

Cruise is sold out.
It took me I hr and 28 mins to get through, using 2 phone and calling since 8.58am. First 2 calls got disconnected and then a busy signal until 10.28a. Got a cat 5b. Which wasn't my first or second choice, but by then I was like book me in whatever on deck 7.

 

[southerngirl528]

Wow. I can't believe it sold out on the first day of booking and so early! Congrats to ya'll that got booked! And condolences to you that couldn't….

 

[disneynutz]

Cruise is sold out.
It took me I hr and 28 mins to get through, using 2 phone and calling since 8.58am. First 2 calls got disconnected and then a busy signal until 10.28a. Got a cat 5b. Which wasn't my first or second choice, but by then I was like book me in whatever on deck 7.

Sold out? I guess we can expect several member cruises per year.

Bill

 

[bobbiwoz]

The idea of sailing out of NYC has its appeal to lots of us. I was very happy it was not the usual. The Magic is a smaller ship, but I was surprised it filled up so fast!

Bobbi

 

[maburke]

Ok how is it sold out what do they have 20 agents and its 1000 staterooms. Sounds insane considering the face the phones cut out at 9:00 and 30 seconds

Last year on Member Cruise booking day, I heard they had 200 MS CMs working the phones.

 

[southerngirl528]

200 advisors in MS?? WOW. I can remember when there were only about 50 total advisors… But with the size of the membership now, that makes sense. No doubt it was "all hands on deck". Back years ago when I worked MS, I was in that role when we booked the first ever Member Cruise. In those days we weren't open on the weekends, just weekdays and we opened on Saturday just to take those cruise bookings. It was a more laborious process at that time, with both computer systems and paperwork to fill out but we actually had a lot of fun. It was WILD, but we were cranking out those rez's!

 

[dgaston]

I was dropped twice and when I finally got through was told the cruise sold out 10 minutes earlier. I'm waitlisted but don't really have much hope. It's the calls being dropped that really frustrated me about my 2 1/2 hours of waiting.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was dropped twice and when I finally got through was told the cruise sold out 10 minutes earlier. I'm waitlisted but don't really have much hope. It's the calls being dropped that really frustrated me about my 2 1/2 hours of waiting.

I am very sorry to read this.

The refund policy is very generous, so I do think that a certain percent of people who booked will not go. I hope you get what you want.

Bobbi

 

[imaginiff]

My cabin mate is in! I hung up, so one less in the queue...we have 6636...category 7A!

Yay Bobbi! If you need more Jersey to NY info, ask away. So glad you got in. I am amazed it sold out! Sure wish they would do a NYC to Castaway Key cruise. I guess it just goes to show that there are ALOT of Northeastern DVC members. Lets all hope for a better winter this year and happy sailing to all!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Yay Bobbi! If you need more Jersey to NY info, ask away. So glad you got in. I am amazed it sold out! Sure wish they would do a NYC to Castaway Key cruise. I guess it just goes to show that there are ALOT of Northeastern DVC members. Lets all hope for a better winter this year and happy sailing to all!

I am all for a better, milder winter this year!

Will you be on the cruise?

 

[imaginiff]

I am all for a better, milder winter this year!

Will you be on the cruise?

Nope. Did that cruise a few years ago. I want to cruise to warmer climates! But...it was a wonderful cruise. Although we never got a lobster night....something about the size/price of the lobsters. And don't be surprised if one of the Norweigin cruise lines kind of shadow you....we were told they like to enjoy the pirate nights fireworks! Seriously...they were at every port!! Although I think we stopped at more ports than the member cruise is going to stop at. Not sure if the ship will be docking at the place where the Titantic stuff is....very moving. And some great places to eat, too.

 

[bobbiwoz]

One of my best memories of Halifax is going to the cemetery where Titanic bodies are buried.