What is a Navigator?

[Pegasus928]

Probably a strange question for you seasoned cruisers, but as someone who has only been looking at this boar for a few days I thought I would ask and - hopefully - get properly informed

Kenny

 

[EeyoreIsMyName]

Probably a strange question for you seasoned cruisers, but as someone who has only been looking at this boar for a few days I thought I would ask and - hopefully - get properly informed

Kenny

It's always good to ask questions. A Personal Navigator is a sort of DCL newspaper for the day. The stateroom host delivers it to you the night before so you can look it over and read about what is going to be happening tomorrow on the ship.

 

[Pegasus928]

Brilliant. Thank you very much

 

[Trooper8286]

I found that the Navigator was the best way to figure a day's plans. So much is going on during a day and sometimes at the same time. Study the navigator's grid schedule and you can see, visually, the day blocked off! Great tool!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Pegasus928]

Good advice and gives me a great picture as to what it is. Does it include excursions as well?

 

[disneybound08]

You can also view the Navigators from some previous cruises, then you can familiarize yourself with the format. Try to search for a navigator from the same ship/itinerary and you will get a better idea of what may be offered on your cruise. They will not be the exact same but it will give you a rough idea of what to expect.

 

[mmouse37]

It is a great way to plan the next day's events. We take a highlighter with us and highlight the things we really want to do as we forget since there are so many things to do!!!

A flyer with port info/excursions is usually put in with the Navigator if the next day is a port day....shows local shopping, specials, map, etc.

Not sure what itinerary you are looking at but you can find many past Navigators posted at this link so you can get an idea of what is offered onboard on a daily basis. Things can change from cruise to cruise but it gives a good idea of what can be available.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-stateroom-navigator.htm

MJ

 

[Chilly]

Good advice and gives me a great picture as to what it is. Does it include excursions as well?

Most people tend to book excursions in advance and these are available on the DCL website to view and book but you don't pay in advance.

 

[jrabbit]

NAVIGATOR -> in relation to a Disney cruise ...

nav·i·ga·tor - The person that plots the course of the ship... knows how to safely get from Port A to Port B

Navigator Veranda - A type of outside deck, that is enclosed on all sides, but does have a large open porthole to the sea.

Personal Navigator - There's NOTHING "Personal" about it - the same one goes to everyone - or at least almost everyone. It is the "menu" of the days scheduled activities, dinning theme, restaurant times form breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Highlights the main entertainment for all age groups for the day. Most importantly, it has the "TV Guide" listing "Hour by Hour" (or 30 or 45 minute intervals as applicable) of the activities - by "age group".

 

[wiigirl]

I found that the Navigator was the best way to figure a day's plans. So much is going on during a day and sometimes at the same time. Study the navigator's grid schedule and you can see, visually, the day blocked off! Great tool!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ibcrazie4dizney]

if you get the navigator the night before for each day, when and where do you get it for the day you board? I would love to have time to look it over good ahead of time.

 

[bumbershoot]

if you get the navigator the night before for each day, when and where do you get it for the day you board? I would love to have time to look it over good ahead of time.

I believe they simply hand out the first day's information as you board.

 

[Dug720]

I believe they simply hand out the first day's information as you board.

We got ours when we checked in at the port. I'm wondering based on all the "pick one up" comments if that is just a concierge thing though?

 

[Silverfox97]

We got ours when we checked in at the port. I'm wondering based on all the "pick one up" comments if that is just a concierge thing though?

Not just a concierge thing - they are laying in several places at the port and there is someone handing them out as you board.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Dug720]

Not just a concierge thing - they are laying in several places at the port and there is someone handing them out as you board.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Gotcha. I was just confused because a lot of people made it sound like they didn't get theirs until after they boarded - and even had to "find" one. But a lot of others talk about looking at it in the terminal and making decisions about mixology, etc. and going immediately to sign up.

 

[mmouse37]

NAVIGATOR -> in relation to a Disney cruise ...

nav·i·ga·tor - The person that plots the course of the ship... knows how to safely get from Port A to Port B

Navigator Veranda - A type of outside deck, that is enclosed on all sides, but does have a large open porthole to the sea.

Personal Navigator - There's NOTHING "Personal" about it - the same one goes to everyone - or at least almost everyone. It is the "menu" of the days scheduled activities, dinning theme, restaurant times form breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Highlights the main entertainment for all age groups for the day. Most importantly, it has the "TV Guide" listing "Hour by Hour" (or 30 or 45 minute intervals as applicable) of the activities - by "age group".

Some ancient DCL history Trivia.....when DCL first started the Navigators were PERSONALLY geared to each person. It had your name and stateroom # on it and all YOUR personal choices for activities/excursions on it for each day of the cruise. You picked your activities/excursions (limited) before sailing and a printed navigator was delivered to your cabin for the whole cruise. It was quite cumbersome and didn't last too long. Back then there were not too many activities to choose from and it seemed it was very hard to keep up with so many individualized Navigators. I still have ours from the Magic MV hanging around somewhere.

Also, in the early days of DCL there was no Cruise Director. They did have cruise staff but not in the capacity that they do now (MCing all the events, etc.)

MJ

 

[jrabbit]

mmouse - that is very interesting. And I can see how it would get to be very cumbersome (and prone to error) as the number of cruisers / rooms filled increased over time.

Our first cruise was August 1999 (13 months after your MV cruise).

I don't think they were "personal" at that point and I think that Rick was our cruise director and he was the "host" for the main stage shows. Second cruise in 2002 was Jim (now shore side entertainment director i think)

 

[Silverfox97]

Gotcha. I was just confused because a lot of people made it sound like they didn't get theirs until after they boarded - and even had to "find" one. But a lot of others talk about looking at it in the terminal and making decisions about mixology, etc. and going immediately to sign up.

Yes - we do this - review our Navigator during embarkation lunch then book the necessary stuff. It may depend on what time you arrive? We've never arrived later than 11:15am and are always in one of the first groups to board.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[bumbershoot]

We got ours when we checked in at the port. I'm wondering based on all the "pick one up" comments if that is just a concierge thing though?

Not just a concierge thing - they are laying in several places at the port and there is someone handing them out as you board.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Good to know. It was all a serious blur for us. We were concierge and took the DCL bus from the resort, extended family drove in and were onboard for nearly 2 hours before we got there, I was disappointed that we weren't there, etc etc. I barely remember the terminal and then being shunted through the "side" door to get to the picture area (you don't go through the Mickey entrance when you're in concierge) was another blur, etc etc. We were greeted by extended family and then had to rush off to the lounge.

Just a big blur and I feel I missed a lot, including where we got the first day's info! I know my cousins got a map of the ship with info on it that we never got.