April 25, 2015 Disney Fantasy 7 Night Eastern Caribbean!!

[Florida Beach Family]

My sympathies to all those who have had such a rough go of it recently. I hope life is kind to you soon. Disney parks and cruiseline have been a source of peace and joy for our family for more times than I can remember over the years. I know that no matter if you book specialty dining or spa or not you will have a wonderful vacation and be able to escape trouble for a bit. Disney tends to do that.
I have noticed there seem to be a good number of children in our group who fit into the 11-13 age range for the Edge Club. It would be nice to introduce them to each other somehow before we sail. This is our 5th Disney cruise. When we sailed the Dream October 2014 our daughter was in the club more than with us. she loves it so much. If your child is in this age group and there is interest in connecting them please let me know

 

[sonogal]

We'd be interested in meeting other kids. 13 yr old girl and 10 yr old boy. Just let me know the plan.

 

[Tannerturtle]

Sorry we have not received our cabin number yet - I will continue to check daily to update as soon as possible.......

 

[Tannerturtle]

Thank you! I updated your info ^_^

Congrats on the assignment!! May I ask when you booked? And did you get the VGT rate?


Sounds like fun ^_^ We are planning on staying on the ship for San Juan but are doing the 2 flags tour in St. Marteen ^_^
Us too! We've been on the Wonder before, but that's it. Have you ever been on the Fantasy yet?




To our group and to the DIS ^_^

Do you or anyone in your family have allergies?

I have added you to the FE list, you are family #11 because we had a family pull out. So it works well!

If you have any questions, please feel free to post here!

This will be our second trip on the Fantasy have also been on the Dream and Magic - have loved all three. Love the Aqua duck and the movie theater - we just love everything. Our kids love the kids club and this year we are planning dinner at Palo - that will be a first for us - I always feel guilty about eating without the kids but since this is so close to our anniversary I thought that would be nice.......You will love every moment.

 

[iambrink]

I have noticed there seem to be a good number of children in our group who fit into the 11-13 age range for the Edge Club. It would be nice to introduce them to each other somehow before we sail. This is our 5th Disney cruise. When we sailed the Dream October 2014 our daughter was in the club more than with us. she loves it so much. If your child is in this age group and there is interest in connecting them please let me know

DD is 13 and would enjoy the clubs more if she was introduced ahead of time. I'd be interested in being part of that arrangement!

 

[Tannerturtle]

Ok, I apologize in advance for my bummer, long post. So I am hoping some of you experienced DCL cruisers can help me. I am totally panicked about a 1:00 PAT. Yes, I knew, even as a newbie, that I had to check in online and choose the PAT early, but we didn't book until three weeks ago and life has been more than crazy for us. I am concerned because this is our family's first cruise AT ALL, a desperately needed respite from chaos, and I so want it to be everything it can be. Bear with me, maybe the back story will help. Our DS (5) had emergency brain surgery after being hit by a line drive baseball which shattered his forehead last year. As we were recovering from that, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The day we arrived in January to make hospice arrangements for him, my stepfather, mother, and DD (2) were in a horrific car accident minutes after they came to pick up DD to babysit. My stepdad was killed, mom injured, and DD miraculously survived with a few scratches. My father passed away the following week. Then both of our grandmothers passed within the last week. So many friends recommended just packing everyone up and getting away for a bit. I saw a FL resident rate in an email and just jumped in (maybe crazy to book so late....). In any free time I get I have been researching how to make the most of this trip and I am afraid we will miss out by boarding later. If we don't board till after 1, will we still be able to get meet and greet tickets, sign up for tastings, get a Palo brunch, etc.?? Or am I concerned for no reason? Or am I just rambling like a crazy, tired momma?
Btw, my DD (14) has totally gotten into the FE. She has been researching gifts and found a FE pattern online. She is so excited!

I am so sorry to hear of the losses your family is experiencing and mourning. I will pray for your family. We too are using this week as an opportunity to escape many stressors, I just lost my aunt who was like a mother to me and multiple family health issues that have kept me from being fully a mom - in fact we booked ours last minute too in a response to our children and us just needing some family time. This will be our 4th cruise and each time we go I learn a little more but that knowledge does not diminish from the fun we have. The first time I went we had no reservations and learned as we went. All of the cast members will be so very helpful that even with no plans and a late arrival you will love every minute of it. Your daily Navigator that comes to your stateroom every night will have so many activities that you will have difficulty deciding what you would like to do. I have been able to sign up for massages and dinners and tastings well into the trip as sometimes we decide to do things last minute. You may not get the peak times but lets face it a massage is wonderful at any time.

My advice to you would be to not let this trip give you any additional anxiety more than what is already going on in your life. The more you research the more you will know but let it be a joy in the craziness of life. Most of my very favorite memories have been the spontaneous ones that the magic of Disney creates- running into a character in the halls or just connecting with one of the cast members in the coffee lounge and laughing till our sides hurt - whatever choice you make or don't make you and your family will surely love every moment you will be on board! Enjoy it it will go by fast!

 

[Cheryl Fairy]

Brand new to the board and this is my very first post. Just found out about the Fish Extender Exchange out on the web and would love to get involved if possible! I'm not even sure how to use this board .

 

[sonogal]

Welcome Cheryl. My understanding is the FE for this cruise closed by March 31st. This occurs due to the preparation needed for the FE. I'm not participating either although I have in the past. It is quite time-consuming both before cruising and during but fun too. However my question for the board too is will there be a meet and greet or should I plan one for the kiddos to meet up?

 

[Amunet]

Brand new to the board and this is my very first post. Just found out about the Fish Extender Exchange out on the web and would love to get involved if possible! I'm not even sure how to use this board .

Glad to have you ^_^ As sonogal has said, the FE is closed and for the exact reasons she pointed out. If you'd like to drop off a few things in people's FE, you're welcome to (called Pixie Dusting). Also, you can make your own FE and put trinkets in it for your kids (if you're sailing with any), so they can still feel like they are a part of it

Eh, don't worry, lol we're all still trying to get ahang of this forum

Welcome Cheryl. My understanding is the FE for this cruise closed by March 31st. This occurs due to the preparation needed for the FE. I'm not participating either although I have in the past. It is quite time-consuming both before cruising and during but fun too. However my question for the board too is will there be a meet and greet or should I plan one for the kiddos to meet up?

We do not have a meet-up scheduled but you are welcome to co-ordinate one if you'd like
And thank you so much for explaining about the FE, you bopped it right on the nose!

 

[sonogal]

We do not have a meet-up scheduled but you are welcome to co-ordinate one if you'd like
And thank you so much for explaining about the FE, you bopped it right on the nose![/QUOTE]


Let's get something started! How about boarding day? When and where does everyone want to meet? I'm mainly doing this to get the kids acquainted but anyone will be welcome.

 

[Amunet]

Let's get something started! How about boarding day? When and where does everyone want to meet? I'm mainly doing this to get the kids acquainted but anyone will be welcome.

I'm not familiar with the Fantasy, so I'm not sure where to go without booking space or anything ^^; I will go with the flow!

 

[Goofysports47]

Stotlerseven, I'm sure the cruise will be a welcome break for your family. I also have a 14yr old DD that is VERY into the FE process (her twin sister, not so much). I'm sure they'll run into each other at Vibe or Edge (they can go to either as 14yr olds). Less than 19 days, but who's counting?....ALL OF US!!!

 

[FellowCollector]

...I am totally panicked about a 1:00 PAT. ... If we don't board till after 1, will we still be able to get meet and greet tickets, sign up for tastings, get a Palo brunch, etc.??

Oh, goodness, Debby, what a rough year. Your family certainly deserves the break!
Seconding Kris' suggestion to arrive at the port early, if you get there by 11AM, you may get an earlier onboard time, though probably not. DCL assigns boarding group numbers which are supposed to be close to your time. But, while they are supposed to start at 11AM, after a dozen cruises, we haven't seen it yet. It's usually closer to Noon, but then it goes pretty fast...you'll see.
If you can't get on until 1PM, though, it's probably no big deal. You'll get a Navigator in the terminal. If you haven't already done so, you might want to check out samples at http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ and you'll get an idea in advance on the when/where for tasting sign-ups, etc. I'm not sure about the meet & greet tickets, but you shouldn't have a problem getting a tasting as there are several types (beer, wine, etc.) and times offered to choose from. And, if you can't reserve the Palo time you want online in advance, most of the reservations are made onboard, so if you are flexible to their availability, you should be able to get something. The only day that getting Palo reservations is usually a problem is pirate night, as some adults opt to dress up for dinner rather than dress like a pirate for the deck party. But, if you've never done it, your family probably wants to join in the pirate fun ... aaarrrggghhh!
One suggestion for getting on at 1PM is to consider going to the MDR that is available instead of the buffet. The buffet will be crowded by then, and while you'll probably find a table for your family, it may not be the most relaxing beginning to your vacation. The MDR usually has the same buffet items in a less chaotic environment, and you get to meet some of the crew as they bring your drinks to the table, so there is less running around right away.
I hope you find these suggestions from our previous experiences helpful; after your first time, you'll be hooked too!

 

[EmptyLot]

Let's get something started! How about boarding day? When and where does everyone want to meet? I'm mainly doing this to get the kids acquainted but anyone will be welcome.

I'm not familiar with the Fantasy, so I'm not sure where to go without booking space or anything ^^; I will go with the flow!

For meet-ups that we've done before, we just met in the seating area to the right of the main staircase in the Atrium. Very low traffic area, surprisingly, but I think its because most are up in the pools or getting settled in their rooms. This also gives us a great opportunity for a group photo on the staircase before everyone scatters. It's much harder to get everyone together after we sail, so maybe doing this around 3:15p? This will give the DVC folks enough time to do their meet and greet, and then still get down to us in the lobby. It also gives us enough time to interact, take our photo, and still make it to the muster drill.

Just a suggestion based on past experience. We're up for whatever.

 

[FellowCollector]

Where have you guys gone to see what movies are playing on our cruise??

I use http://movies.disney.com/in-theaters for release dates, and just assume if it's a recent release, we'll get to see it onboard. For Avengers, there is http://marvel.com/avengers to check. I'm not aware of a place to see what movies are playing on our cruise, but someone (Kris?) stated that if you call DCL a week out they might be able to tell you. If you haven't already done so, you can take a look at recent Navigators at http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ to see what's been playing onboard, giving an indication what we might be offered as well.

 

[FellowCollector]

For meet-ups that we've done before, we just met in the seating area to the right of the main staircase in the Atrium. Very low traffic area, surprisingly, but I think its because most are up in the pools or getting settled in their rooms. This also gives us a great opportunity for a group photo on the staircase before everyone scatters. It's much harder to get everyone together after we sail, so maybe doing this around 3:15p? This will give the DVC folks enough time to do their meet and greet, and then still get down to us in the lobby. It also gives us enough time to interact, take our photo, and still make it to the muster drill.

Just a suggestion based on past experience. We're up for whatever.

Was wondering today if I missed the meet-up location and time, so thanks for the post! We'll watch the board and try to attend. Only about 25% of the time do we make it to the meet & gret. Seems there is usually something that keeps us away (such as DVC, the spa raffle, checking out the cabin, changing around dining reservations, etc).

 

[FellowCollector]

Does anyone know if we change our room this close to sailing if DCL mails replacement luggage tags or what happens? Thanks in advance for any replies.​

 

[sonogal]

Sounds good to me.

3:15pm to right of staircase in atrium. We might be there with wet swimsuits on but that's ok. Looking forward to getting the kids together!

 

[Jenjenthern]

Just checking in, still don't have our room number yet... lat time we did a guarantee we got it 14 days out. hopefully this will be the case again!

 

[CaliLawMom]

Hi Everyone -

The newbie here again! I have a few questions for some of you seasoned experts...thanks in advance for your help!

1) Are FE gifts given anonymously or do we sign our name/cabin # to them?

2) Is there a particular day assigned to each family to hand out the gifts, or do we decide on our own?

Thanks! I can't believe how close we are to sailing!