Best Advise for a new cruiser?

[TwingleMum]

We are taking our 1st cruise ever this summer. 4 day cruise. We don't know anything. so what would you tell your best friend?? Also are drinks (soda, coffee & tea ) free???? Is anything we order from room service free?? We don't drink alcohol normally but when on vacation I do enjoy trying specialty drinks. Are they expensive?? Is there any kind of bead or plan?? We have 3 boys (8,6,6) any must brings?? Thank you so much for any advise you can give me. I'm a little nervous.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

We are taking our 1st cruise ever this summer. 4 day cruise. We don't know anything. so what would you tell your best friend?? Also are drinks (soda, coffee & tea ) free????

With meals YES, from the soda station YES, Room service TIP, they are free apart from cans of soda.


Is anything we order from room service free??

NO, Most is, ie whatever they make on the ship is free, but cans of soda, candy, packaged stuff, bottled water, tins of booze beer has a cost.

We don't drink alcohol normally but when on vacation I do enjoy trying specialty drinks. Are they expensive??

Tourist prices from say $4>$6, plus tip not too bad, but more than local bar.


Is there any kind of bead or plan?? We have 3 boys (8,6,6) any must brings?? Thank you so much for any advise you can give me. I'm a little nervous.

All food is included, bar Palo adults meals have a fee, you do not need to bring anything bar clothes, do budget for TIP's, read the navigator, book shore trips, if it involves Animals ie Dolphins they sell out quickly.

 

[mickeyfan1]

On the Disney ships, sodas are free at the fountain on deck 9 as well as at meals. Coffee and tea also, but if you want specialty coffee, there is a charge. Room service food and snacks are free, but you should tip the delivery person. If you order sodas from a bar or room service, there is a charge.

My advice is don't try to do it all. Go top the sticky at the top of the board and look for the personal navigators. They will show you all the stuff to do each day, and there is plenty. Since you will have a sea day, that is a great time to just explore the ship. I would not do a beach day in Nassau as you will have a nice time at Castaway Cay.

Do your research, see what types of things your family likes to do and do them. There is something for almost everyone to enjoy on a cruise. I don't have small children, but my son was 10 on his first cruise. We brought nothing for him, he had a great time in the pools, and doing what ever there was to do on the ship. There were no clubs of any type back then, so he mostly just hung out with me. He did try all kinds of food, escargot for one, and loved it.

 

[AustinOO]

Someone recommended the Passporter Disney Cruise Guide. I did and it is very useful. I think you can find most of the info online if you look around a bit but it's nice to have a book to read through and catch things in an order.

 

[TwingleMum]

Great info Thanks!!

If there is something at dinner that we'd like to try but aren't sure of can we get it to split for everyone to try?? Like an extra meal? For example say they offer venision and no one in my family ever had it. Could we order dinner for all of us but an extra dinner of venision for the family to sample???

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Great info Thanks!!

If there is something at dinner that we'd like to try but aren't sure of can we get it to split for everyone to try?? Like an extra meal? For example say they offer venision and no one in my family ever had it. Could we order dinner for all of us but an extra dinner of venision for the family to sample???

Yes you can do that and order an extra in fact servers encourage it.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Well, I never knew you could go to dining rooms for breakfast and lunch, I dont do buffets any more, I love sit down bfasts and lunches!
Honest, they are so good, at dinner, my hubby could not decide what sweet and said he wouldnt bother, he got them ALL.

 

[Sccrmnky2005]

There is another option for drinks you can bring your own Wine or Vodka or whatever else you like as long as you carry it on with you. We always do this! Very easy and cheaper for us. We do usually buy a few drinks on the ship but bringing your own saves us money.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well, I never knew you could go to dining rooms for breakfast and lunch, I dont do buffets any more, I love sit down bfasts and lunches!
Honest, they are so good, at dinner, my hubby could not decide what sweet and said he wouldnt bother, he got them ALL.

Lumieres (Tritons)is open for Breakfast and lunch at times advertised in the navigator for a sit down meal.

Parrot Cay has a buffet at set times for Breakfast and lunch.

Animators is only open for Dinner and the odd kids club meal. (Wait staff in Topsiders for Breakfast and lunch)

Topsiders (Beach Blanket) is open long hours for Breakfast and Lunch and also some evenings for casual dinners on the Magic.

Waitstaff stay in the same place all day. And rotate with you every day.

 

[MrsScooby]

Great info Thanks!!

If there is something at dinner that we'd like to try but aren't sure of can we get it to split for everyone to try?? Like an extra meal? For example say they offer venision and no one in my family ever had it. Could we order dinner for all of us but an extra dinner of venision for the family to sample???

Sure just let your server know. I was too timid to ask for anything extra on our first cruise.

I had a friend tell me she was glad I did not tell her everything about the cruise ahead of time as she liked being surprised

Bring more than one bathing suit per person as they take a long time to dry.
Over the door shoe holder is great for holding odds and ends (toothbrushes, tooth paste, IDs, camera, sun screen,etc)-otherwise you spend time opening drawers looking for everything.

Wine tasting or martini tasting are fun-tickets are available for purchase at quest services when you board and go fast.

The boys might like the Mickey 500. The kids make a race car out of a potato and a carrot and race each other down a board against other cars. My kids liked it-their car did well

 

[tvguy]

All food is included, bar Palo adults meals have a fee, you do not need to bring anything bar clothes, do budget for TIP's, read the navigator, book shore trips, if it involves Animals ie Dolphins they sell out quickly.

Love the "tins of soda". Derek, I bet you weren't even born yet when they stopped making the cans out of tin.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Love the "tins of soda". Derek, I bet you weren't even born yet when they stopped making the cans out of tin.

hes getting mixed up with baked beans.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Love the "tins of soda". Derek, I bet you weren't even born yet when they stopped making the cans out of tin.

In the UK, we call them 'tin's' even though its ''Aluminium'' and we say that word a lot different to you guys.

As you know trying to describe the difference, between soda from the station, and what you get on Room service, and Bars.

Its the same as trying to remember its 'candy' for you guys, we call them sweets.

In fact we do not call Soda, soda!!!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

hes getting mixed up with baked beans.

Well both make you 'Windy'

 

[lbuher]

Having just gotten off the Wonder this past Thursday.... my best advice for a new cruiser.... if you think there is ANY chance you or anyone in your family might be prone to motion sickness, start taking Bonine the day before you get on and don't stop taking it until the day after you get back! Lesson learned from personal experience!! It may not stop/cure ALL feelings of seasickness, but it WILL help!!

And another helpful thing we learned... if one of your kids is sick and can't make it through the entire meal in a dining room, they will deliver your food to your stateroom... also learned through personal experience, and that was sooooo nice!

 

[orlandothebeagle]

In the UK, we call them 'tin's' even though its ''Aluminium'' and we say that word a lot different to you guys.

As you know trying to describe the difference, between soda from the station, and what you get on Room service, and Bars.

Its the same as trying to remember its 'candy' for you guys, we call them sweets.

In fact we do not call Soda, soda!!!!!

He is right, tin of joose.not a can, we dont do cans in the uk.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

He is right, tin of juice.not a can, we dont do cans in the uk.

Tin of coke, Tin of fizzy pop,-don't call it Soda either....

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Tin of coke, Tin of fizzy pop,-don't call it Soda either....

joose, not juice,,,,,dont mis quote me from scottish to english!!!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

joose, not juice,,,,,dont mis quote me from scottish to english!!!!!

Now I have to consider translation into Scottish as well as American,

 

[tvguy]

Now I have to consider translation into Scottish as well as American,

Funny how the term has hung on at least 50 years after they stopped using tin in cans.
My mom is from Canada so I get a bit of that from my family there.

Fillet is fil-a to me, and fill-it to them
Pasta is paw-sta to me, and paaaaaaaaa-sta to them.
The square paper of cloth item you wipe your mouth with at the dinner table is a napkin to me, and a servette to them. A napkin to them is what we call a diaper.
French fries are chips to them, and don't dare put catsup on them, they only serve gravy with chips (except at McDonalds).
Good luck finding non-fat milk....my uncle swears it is illegal to sell milk without fat in it in Canada, so you can by milk which would be whole milk to me, and cream milk which would be cream to me.