Thursday, August 18, 2022

Adding Money to Your Onboard DCL Account Before You Sail

Adding Money to Your Onboard DCL Account Before You Sail


It is not hard to add money to your Shipboard Folio to pay for Gratuities, Merchandise, Adult Dining and Port Adventures before you sail. You can use a Debit/Credit Card or Disney Gift Cards. It is a great way to prebudget your vacation expenses! You can also specifically put money on the account for kids, so they have a little spending money for special drinks or merchandise. It gives you a way to set a limit to that spending!

If using Disney Gift Cards, there is one extra step! First thing to do with the Disney gift cards is COMBINE THEM. Go to DisneyGiftCard.com. If you have never used that website, just use the standard log in that you use for all of Disney. Upload the cards and transfer all the money to one card. You can load up to $1,000 on one card. Remember you can save money purchasing discounted Disney Grift Cards!!

The reason you combine the cards is in case they need to refund money. It will go to one card that you keep and control. If you upload one at a time refunds returned to any and all of the cards a little bit per card. Make it easy on yourself and combine those Disney Gift Cards! Pro Tip: Use Discounted Disney Gift Cards to pay for your Cruise!

Once you have all the cards combined or have your debit/credit card handy go to the DisneyCruiseLine.com website and go to your reservation. At the bottom of the reservation page is the purchase onboard gifts. Once there click on the center pull down menu, Shop by Category. When you click on that a pull-down menu will show up and you see Onboard Credit on the far right. Click on Onboard Credit and fill in the amount you wish to add and the name of the person you wish to have it delivered to. Follow the step-by-step directions to upload the funds choosing the payment method of you desire.

Happy Sailing!!!

Monday, August 15, 2022

Update to Disney Cruise Line Health and Safety Protocols

Update to Disney Cruise Line Health and Safety Protocols

By Disney Destinations

August 15, 2022


Today August 15, Disney Cruise Line announced an update to our Health and Safety Protocols regarding vaccination requirements.

COVID-19 Vaccination: For sailings departing US and Canadian ports through September 1, 2022, Disney Cruise Line requires Guests ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Beginning September 2, 2022, for sailings departing US and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the CDC. In consideration of CDC guidance, Disney Cruise Line highly recommends that Guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing.

In consideration of guidance from the CDC and the Worlds Health Organization, Disney Cruise Line accepts the following vaccine types for Guests ages 5 and older: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, CoviShield, Novavax, Sinopharm BBIBP-CovV (VeroCell), Sinovac-CoronaVac and Covavaxin (Bharat Biotech).

For guests ages 5 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving one of the following:

·         A single dose of an accepted 1-dose vaccine.

·         The second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine.

·         The full series of active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the US-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials.

·         The second does of any “mix and match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines (administered at least 17 days apart).

Disney Cruise Line accepts Pfizer and Moderna for Guests ages 4 and younger; Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV, VeroCell) for Guests ages 3-4; and Sinovac (CoronaVac) for Guests ages 6 months to 3 years old.

For Guests ages 4 and younger, the CDC defines fully vaccinates as receiving one of the following:

·         3 doses of Pfizer: the second dose administered 21 days after the first; and the third dose administered 56 days after the second.

·         2 doses of Moderna: the second dose administered one month after the first.

·         2 doses of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (VeroCell): the second dose administered 21-28 days after the first.

·         2 doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac: the second dose administered 14-28 days after the first.

COVID-19 Testing For Guests Full Vaccinated: Fully Vaccinated Guests on sailings departing US and Canadian Ports must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken one to 2 days before setting sail to be exempt from embarkation testing at the terminal. Completing pre-trip testing prior to embarkation day enhances the efficiency of boarding and confirms that you are negative for COVID-19 prior to traveling to the terminal. Pre-trip test results must be uploaded into the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day.

Antigen Tests must be completed using a proctored in-person or telehealth service and come with a digital result that can be uploaded to the Safe Passage website. A nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or PCR test also is acceptable. Guests can purchase COVID-19 tests through the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website or obtain a test from any independent online testing supplier or pharmacy.

Fully vaccinated Guests who upload their pre-trip test results to Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day will be exempt from embarkation testing. Fully vaccinated Guests who do not upload test results by midnight prior to embarkation day must be tested at the terminal on embarkation day before boarding the ship and will be charged for the cost of the test. Guests with positive COVID-19 test results are required to complete a second confirmatory test. Guests with confirmed positive test results – as well as those sharing the same stateroom and other close contacts – will be denied boarding.

The cost of the embarkation tests for full vaccinated Guests will be $74.00 (USD) plus tax for the initial antigen test, and, if needed, $125.00 (USD) plus tax for a confirmatory PCR test, charged at the time of service. For Canada sailings, the cost of embarkation tests for fully vaccinated Guests will be $95.00 (CAD) plus GST for the initial antigen test, and, if needed, $160.00 (CAD) plus GST for confirmatory PCR test, charged at the time of service.

COVID-19 Testing For Guests Not Fully Vaccinated: Guests who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 tests taken one to 3 days before the sail date. The test should be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a rapid PCR test or a lab-based PCR test. Rabid antigen tests are not accepted. This will be the first of 2 tests required for Guests not fully vaccinated; the second test will be conducted at the terminal on embarkation day.

Upload Proof of Vaccination and/or COVID-19 Test Results: in order to sail, all Guests (adults and children, regardless of age) must upload their proof of vaccination of negative COVID-19 test results on the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. A parent or legal guardian will need to use their own account to provide this information on behalf of minors. Inspire Diagnostics is Disney Cruise Line’s third-party partner for COVID-19 testing and vaccination verification. To learn more about how to provide proof of negative COVID-19 test result, please visit DisneyTravelTradeInfo.com/DCL.

Back-to-Back Sailings: All Guests on consecutive, back-to-back sailings, regardless of age and vaccination status, will be required to complete a COVID-19 test between sailings, paid for by Disney Cruise Line.

Guests Recently Recovered from COVID-19: In some cases, people who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may still test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If Guests have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within 11-90 days of their sail date, they may qualify to be considered as “90-Day-Recovered.” With the appropriate documentation and subsequent approval, Guests considered “90-DayRecovered” are not required to participate in COVID-19 testing during the Pre-Sail, Embarkation or Debarkation phases of their voyage. For details on what documentation is required, lease visit DisneyTravelTradeInfo.com/DCL.

 

Monday, August 8, 2022

Navigator, White Wall or Clear Plexiglass Wall Veranda What is the Difference and How to Tell When Booking

 Navigator, White Wall or Clear Plexiglass Wall Veranda

What is the Difference and How to Tell When Booking 

What is a Veranda?? It is a private balcony you can go out on attached to your cabin. You can sit and enjoy looking out over the ocean or the shoreline if you are in port. There are at least 2 chairs or a chair and a bench and a table for you to use there.

Are you booking a veranda and want to know the differences between the different kinds and how to tell what you are getting?? First off understand that SOME verandas can be partly or mostly obstructed. That simply means that there is something blocking your view off of it. Usually that is on Decks 5 or at the back of the ship on other decks where the white wall scoops to give the ship it’s beautiful lines.

Disney Cruise Line does not always make it easy to tell if your cabin is White Wall or Clear. I do not know why they are so nonspecific on something people really feel is important. But there is a way to know!

When you book if it says Navigator Veranda it may be a white wall with a big hole in It or a short white wall. If it is the big hole you are partly obscured from looking out but it is wonderful because you get less breeze while sitting there. It is harder to see out without standing but still nice for getting some fresh air.



Navigator Veranda also includes just white wall that is about 2.5 feet high with the upper area completely open. Being a Dwarfish Giganticus (giant dwarf), I’m only 4ft 9in tall sitting on these verandas I can not see over the wall. Still, I like these because they are slightly less expensive than the Clear Wall, more open than the Navigator with the hole and I still get to enjoy the sun in quiet.

Clear Wall Verandas have a Plexiglas wall that is about 2.5 ft high. You can easily sit in the chairs provided and enjoy the full view!! If you have connecting veranda cabins you can even open the walls between to get a larger veranda for your party.




Now how to you tell if you have a white or clear view wall?? Look at the cabin category cabin you have picked. If it is category 6 or 7 it will have a White Wall. If it is category 5 or 4 it will have a clear wall. Category 8 are white wall Navigator with the hole or partly obscured.


When booking make sure you tell your Travel Agent or the DCL representative you speak with your Veranda Wall desires! You do not want to get to the ship and find you have a Navigator Hole when you want White Wall or a Clear Wall. If you don’t tell them they can’t know.  Sadly, the DCL website does not tell you the category of the cabin when you are looking. If you book yourself, it will only tell you when start to check out.