TA book at our open window, or do it myself?

[Bsmitty]

We used DU TA to book our upcoming cruise, for the onboard credit, basically. If we have the TA book our PAT, meet n greets, Palo, etc is there any advantage? Do they get earlier access or have better advantage to get what we want booked? Or is it the same as if I do it myself at our opening window? We're on a NYE 7 night EC on the Fantasy, Silver Castaway members.

 

[Dug720]

We used DU TA to book our upcoming cruise, for the onboard credit, basically. If we have the TA book our PAT, meet n greets, Palo, etc is there any advantage? Do they get earlier access or have better advantage to get what we want booked? Or is it the same as if I do it myself at our opening window? We're on a NYE 7 night EC on the Fantasy, Silver Castaway members.

Unless they are willing to be up at midnight, do it yourself - otherwise I'd imagine you'd be waiting until s/he got "in the office" in the morning putting you behind everyone who was up at midnight doing it themselves. There is no "early access" for TAs.

 

[Bear3412]

I would stay up and book my own PAT and excursions at midnight eastern time. Regardless of TA. But that's just me.

I trust no one. Especially TA's. Nothing personal.

Of course as newbie there won't be much to book. lol. Sorry. It seems everything is available in advance to everyone who has sailed prior. Or paid more for a higher class cabins. It really does put the newbie at a disadvantage.

Did the DU TA say they would book all your desires at midnight? I find that thin, at best. Although some will do this.

If so, I need their # and info. Because there are some days I just can't do midnight.

Book your own stuff at 12:01 Eastern time, IMO.

Good Luck

 

[Geomom]

I'd book it myself. I did have my TA add our passport numbers in advance, so that was 1 less thing I had to do at online checkin.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

For sure do it yourself if you want certain things like early PAT or Palo.

 

[Trekker]

You should plan to book this yourself. For anything that requires picking a time such as PAT or PALO if the time you asked for is not available an alternate time must be selected. You are better able to determine which times work for you than your TA can.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I agree with booking it yourself. As the PP said, you are best able to decide on specific times of things, depending on what is available at the time.

I'm more on the fence about doing it at midnight. (Though that is what I did.) In retrospect, I'm not sure anything was available at midnight that day that wasn't available the next morning. Plus, sometimes one of the two systems (Activities or check in) is not functioning right at Midnight. How late do you want to stay up hoping it starts working? There was one activity we wanted that didn't have all nine spots we needed, even at midnight (since we were first time DCLers), but over the next few days, we got the other spots we needed one at a time as people cancelled. So if we did it the next morning, it might have taken us a few more days to get all the spots, but we probably still would have. Depends mostly on your flexibility and risk tolerance.

If you don't get everything you want or a preferable PAT, keep checking back over the next days and weeks. It may open up.

 

[Bsmitty]

Thank you for all of the advice! I'll just book myself. I'm on the west coast, so luckily midnight EST is early in my book.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

I book my own things, first because I'm a details junkie. But more importantly I'm really just using my TA for the onboard credit, like you are, and I wouldn't expect her to be up at midnight for me. Brunch is too important to trust to anyone else!

 

[TestingH2O]

I listened to one DIS podcast where they explicitly said they recommend people doing their own check in and activities booking.