DCL for the non-Disney crowd: Eastern Carib. Fantasy Jan 26 - Feb 3 2013 - all done!

[Conorama]

The app Tozzle is great to occupy toddlers too! It has a series of puzzles that range from very simple 'peg' puzzles to quite complex. You would be amazed on how fast these little guys move to the more complex puzzles!

Oh - yes, thanks - another favourite. I forgot it since it's not used very often anymore with Mr. I am almost 5.

 

[LITTLEKID58]

Thank you so much for this TR... We luved it ....

 

[Conorama]

Thank you so much for this TR... We luved it ....

Glad you liked it!

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Beyond belated but I found this puttering around and I loved your trip report. We always fly out of YOW its gotten cheaper for some flights than YYZ (Crazy isnt it?!) Great report and I see you have a ticker so you're going back for more

 

[Conorama]

Beyond belated but I found this puttering around and I loved your trip report. We always fly out of YOW its gotten cheaper for some flights than YYZ (Crazy isnt it?!) Great report and I see you have a ticker so you're going back for more

Oh goodness- I assumed no one would read this again.

Thanks - and I'm glad you enjoyed it. YOW is our go-to airport ... if the flights work. They didn't, again, for the (ahem) new trip we booked on DCL. They did work for our beach vacation coming up in 26 days (but I am not counting...) so we'll be back soon. I didn't see today if they were as backed up as YYZ was - one cannot imagine that it could have been that bad.

I will do another report explaining why we changed our minds once we're back from our beach - mostly because I have now decided that all this pixie dust stuff is false - DCL must put some sort of secret substance (that would be illegal if anyone knew what it was!) in the lattés that causes parents to book another cruise when they didn't plan on doing it again anytime soon. People need to know about this. It's my public service announcement, you see.

Thanks again for reading!

 

[JCinMN]

Great review! So glad this one popped back up to the top. Very informative with a lot of helpful info for first time DCL cruisers.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I really enjoyed your TR. Your Conor is so similar in many ways to my son.

 

[pepe3penelope]

Really loved reading ur thread and trip reports. Couldn't stop reading them. Our family is the opposite. We've been on 2 DCL cruises within a year of each other. Probably won't be able to go until 2015. We are a very go-go family. Love the activities, character meet and greets, rotation dining, the service, the cabins, etc. cruises just aren't for everyone. I have a couple coworkers that said they didn't like cruises for the same reason as you. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Conorama]

Wow- you know you're cool when you manage to unsubscribe from your own thread... I missed these replies - sorry! I clicked the wrong link in my email - or that's the story we're sticking to, anyway...

Great review! So glad this one popped back up to the top. Very informative with a lot of helpful info for first time DCL cruisers.

Thanks! I lurked on here a long time before our cruise, and it fed my obsessive researching tendencies nicely, so I figured I owed the boards something in return.

I really enjoyed your TR. Your Conor is so similar in many ways to my son.

Thanks! I re-read this when it popped up again last week - it's been almost 1 year, so Conor is different in some ways now as a wise 5.5 year old, but not in most. We just got back from taking my dad out for supper, and we got a waiter who recognized Conor (small town - not that we eat out all the time - honest!) because "he's the one who talks a lot". Yep. Once he got over his disappointment that they didn't have "a vegetable salad without the vegetables" (aka veggies and dip), and the waiter was able to stop laughing, we had a grand time. Love the "in head out mouth" stage ... most of the time, anyway.

Really loved reading ur thread and trip reports. Couldn't stop reading them. Our family is the opposite. We've been on 2 DCL cruises within a year of each other. Probably won't be able to go until 2015. We are a very go-go family. Love the activities, character meet and greets, rotation dining, the service, the cabins, etc. cruises just aren't for everyone. I have a couple coworkers that said they didn't like cruises for the same reason as you. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! We did like a whole lot about the cruise, but not enough for it to be our main vacation every year - or, honestly, it's mostly me, since I really felt a bit tied down by schedules and navigators and port times. I'm the one with a crazy work schedule, so we can blame me. However, this year, through a series of good luck events, we decided to do a 2nd "mini" vacation, so, yes, as per the men's request, we're back on DCL. I will write up something once we get back from MY vacation... the one-week lie on the beach like a lump, with my Kobo, and only make one or two decisions per day ... when to hit up the juice bar, and which restaurant to visit for supper vacation, which happens in 23 days, not that I'm counting down for that or anything.

(I will grudgingly admit that there was not a lot of arm-twisting required by the men in my life to get me back on DCL. I blame the lattés - there is something in them, and I'm not buying that pixie dust story!!! )

Glad you enjoy them so much, and I hope you get back in 2015 as you hope. I'll spend the next few months coping with the highs and lows of planning, while admitting that, honestly, I do NOT care about the quality of the lanyard we'll get as first time silver CC members. (DUCK!)

 

[kagarvin]

Thanks for taking the time to complete your TR- especially on the excursions. We are sailing in June and trying to make some decisions!

 

[DressmakerJ]

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your TR. We are embarking on our first-ever cruise on the Fantasy on the 25th. Reading your observations and impressions has been very helpful. I loved your approach to packing--I wish I could be as organized! I'm looking forward to your next cruise report, as well. Thanks so much!

 

[pepe3penelope]

Wow- you know you're cool when you manage to unsubscribe from your own thread... I missed these replies - sorry! I clicked the wrong link in my email - or that's the story we're sticking to, anyway... Thanks! I lurked on here a long time before our cruise, and it fed my obsessive researching tendencies nicely, so I figured I owed the boards something in return. Thanks! I re-read this when it popped up again last week - it's been almost 1 year, so Conor is different in some ways now as a wise 5.5 year old, but not in most. We just got back from taking my dad out for supper, and we got a waiter who recognized Conor (small town - not that we eat out all the time - honest!) because "he's the one who talks a lot". Yep. Once he got over his disappointment that they didn't have "a vegetable salad without the vegetables" (aka veggies and dip), and the waiter was able to stop laughing, we had a grand time. Love the "in head out mouth" stage ... most of the time, anyway. Thanks! We did like a whole lot about the cruise, but not enough for it to be our main vacation every year - or, honestly, it's mostly me, since I really felt a bit tied down by schedules and navigators and port times. I'm the one with a crazy work schedule, so we can blame me. However, this year, through a series of good luck events, we decided to do a 2nd "mini" vacation, so, yes, as per the men's request, we're back on DCL. I will write up something once we get back from MY vacation... the one-week lie on the beach like a lump, with my Kobo, and only make one or two decisions per day ... when to hit up the juice bar, and which restaurant to visit for supper vacation, which happens in 23 days, not that I'm counting down for that or anything. (I will grudgingly admit that there was not a lot of arm-twisting required by the men in my life to get me back on DCL. I blame the lattés - there is something in them, and I'm not buying that pixie dust story!!! ) Glad you enjoy them so much, and I hope you get back in 2015 as you hope. I'll spend the next few months coping with the highs and lows of planning, while admitting that, honestly, I do NOT care about the quality of the lanyard we'll get as first time silver CC members. (DUCK!)

I was so pleased that you responded! I'm so surprised that you're going on another trip! At least you know what to expect. When is your best trip? Can't wait to hear about that next trip report!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Thanks! I re-read this when it popped up again last week - it's been almost 1 year, so Conor is different in some ways now as a wise 5.5 year old, but not in most. We just got back from taking my dad out for supper, and we got a waiter who recognized Conor (small town - not that we eat out all the time - honest!) because "he's the one who talks a lot". Yep. Once he got over his disappointment that they didn't have "a vegetable salad without the vegetables" (aka veggies and dip), and the waiter was able to stop laughing, we had a grand time. Love the "in head out mouth" stage ... most of the time, anyway.

Oh, I totally get that. We were grocery shopping yesterday and my husband was recanting the things our 6yo was saying in the (crowded) bathroom. It's always something.

 

[Conorama]

Thanks for taking the time to complete your TR- especially on the excursions. We are sailing in June and trying to make some decisions!

No problem. I'm glad it was helpful. I like to know details (this is probably beyond obvious) so happy to provide some for others.

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your TR. We are embarking on our first-ever cruise on the Fantasy on the 25th. Reading your observations and impressions has been very helpful. I loved your approach to packing--I wish I could be as organized! I'm looking forward to your next cruise report, as well. Thanks so much!

Excellent- just about exactly 1 year after us. I hope your preparations are going well! My packing approach is organized out of necessity more than anything- I really was ridiculously busy leading up to the cruise last year, so there was really no choice. We've been doing a late January/early February trip for years now, so I usually get motivated to get organized just after Christmas, out of protest of all the stuff in my house!

I was so pleased that you responded! I'm so surprised that you're going on another trip! At least you know what to expect. When is your best trip? Can't wait to hear about that next trip report!

Yes, well, you're not the only one surprised we're going back! We have a 4-day trip on the Dream in May. We are definitely bucking the "longer is better" trend. I have to be in Orlando for work anyway, which is where this idea got started.

Oh, I totally get that. We were grocery shopping yesterday and my husband was recanting the things our 6yo was saying in the (crowded) bathroom. It's always something.

Oh dear. And oh yes. ALWAYS. "Your child is so articulate" is code for either A) "Your child doesn't shut up", B) "Your child says the most embarrassing things", or some combination of the above.

It's a family-friendly forum, so I'll spare everyone his latest discussion points... needless to say, the bathroom was involved again. His latest fascination with how the body works just leads us down very scary conversational roads....

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Ha! I hear ya!

 

[afyoung]

Reflections on Day 4

This was a good day for us- we got off the ship (which we enjoyed - we're never going to be the "stay on the ship in port" people), for an age-appropriate, not too long, not too scheduled, excursion.

The rest of the day was unscheduled, and the port shops where we were at St. Thomas was super-accessible, which was nice. I was really surprised at the fact we were completely unaware of the 20,000 + tourists in town - perhaps because we took the early excursion.

We had no regrets at the fact we booked through DCL, even though it probably could have been done on our own easily enough in the end - the 6 ships in port was not something we wanted to mess about with ... we could see ourselves sitting around trying to find transportation and getting more and more stressed, which we do not need on vacation. Wimps? Yep, that's us - we pay for comfort and convenience on vacation, and have no qualms doing it, especially with a 4.5 year old.

It was nice spending some time on the ship when it wasn't as crowded, but honestly, we didn't notice a huge difference in most areas, except, of course, the Aquaduck.

Pirate night (kidlet version), though, was truly awesome for us. Disney got that one right, from our perspective. You'll note we didn't even try to stay up for the fireworks - not surprisingly, our noise-averse kid hates them, and even if he liked them, they're at 10:30 at night... he's not been awake past 9:30 p.m. more than a dozen times since he dropped his 11:00 p.m. feed at the age of 4 months. We feel no need to experiment with this on vacation - that's just crazy-making talk.

However, we were still missing our beach. We could have done a beach trip on St. Thomas, or we could have hopped over to the beach near Coral World, but again, the hordes of tourists had us spooked. Happily, a beach with our name on it was waiting in San Juan... more on that soon!

Good-night, St. Thomas:

I have a child who doesn't care for excessive noise and crowds. We found that on the Dream (and Fantasy- same layout)- sitting to the side of the stage across from Flo's cafe worked well to tone down the noise from all of the parties on deck, we could still "see" the screen and we were sitting comfortably- not squished among all the crazy people. Also, the fireworks were not as loud, as the wall is plexiglass and we were underneath the ceck above which provided somewhat of a noise shelter for us.

 

[afyoung]

Wow - I'm humbled. *Blushing* Delighted to answer your questions!





I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time, and I haven't forgotten I need to send you my packing spreadsheet - hopefully tonight, now that the banking/taxes/backlog of paperwork is in order.

Thanks for reading!




We got the Mickey Bars a few times - room service has them too (I read that on here) even though they're not on the menu, if that helps. It was Conor's special dessert the night we went to Palo. He was a happy boy - but he didn't finish it then either!

Thanks for reading, and have fun in June!

All of the ships have them. You just have to ask for them specifically.

 

[Conorama]

I have a child who doesn't care for excessive noise and crowds. We found that on the Dream (and Fantasy- same layout)- sitting to the side of the stage across from Flo's cafe worked well to tone down the noise from all of the parties on deck, we could still "see" the screen and we were sitting comfortably- not squished among all the crazy people. Also, the fireworks were not as loud, as the wall is plexiglass and we were underneath the ceck above which provided somewhat of a noise shelter for us.

All of the ships have them. You just have to ask for them specifically.

Hmmm- I think it's still too loud for our boy - anywhere near Deck 11 or 12 was just awful for sail-away, even when he was wearing his "actual noise earmuffs". And he STILL won't get anywhere near fireworks on land, so we'll just wait a while longer, I think.

Another tip re: Mickey bars - if you like them with Mickey sprinkles (Conor does) - you can ask your MDR servers for extra sprinkles- they gave us a small bowl of them, so we kept them in the room and we could sprinkle-up our bars, as the room services ones are, um, "naked" if that makes sense.

We then had a bunch to bring home, to be brought out for special occasions too!

 

[Nikodemos]

I liked this trip report a lot because your Conor's tastes map to our 3.5 year old DS when we did the Western Carib Fantasy in Nov 2014. While he loved the ship, the pool, Castaway Cay, Mickey's slide (he went about 100 times), and the captain's wheel/Peter Pan art animation, he's not that much into Disney. Like Conor, he loves the beach and pools, an unstructured vacation and didn't want to get close to the characters and is very sensitive to loud noises, so no shows/movies. My wife and I have been to DL a lot (pre-DS) mainly because of the fun we have and not necessarily because we love Disney and at the time, it was cheap to fly to John Wayne airport so I didn't have to drive.

We went to WDW pre-cruise, and I'm pretty sure my son remembers to pools at Bonnet Creek and his cousins but WDW (and Universal) were not very memorable. So I can definitely understand the OP's point of view. I do think that at 5 or 6 years old, after getting more Disney exposure, our DS will like the extra Disney stuff more than now.

He frequently asks when we're going back to the big boat though....

 

[Joyce T. Powell]

Ahh, #SuitcaseGate sounds eerily familiar to time I waited until I was driving my family to Disney Live! On Ice to ask if someone had picked up the tickets and the camera off the kitchen counter!