New to cruising

[wendy522]

We have never been on a cruise, let alone a Disney cruise. Is all your food included on ship? Do you pay for your food on castaway cay? Do they offer a refillable mug? How much are the cabana's?

 

[jdb in AZ]

We have never been on a cruise, let alone a Disney cruise. Is all your food included on ship? Yes, except alcoholic and specialty drinks, and room service. Adults-only restaurants also have an up-charge. Do you pay for your food on castaway cay? It's included too. Do they offer a refillable mug? Don't need one. Fountain drinks are also included. How much are the cabanas?

Too rich for my blood, and they're all reserved by concierge people. Every once in awhile, a newbie will get lucky and snag a cancellation, but don't get your heart set on it.

Have a great time!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have never been on a cruise, let alone a Disney cruise. Is all your food included on ship? Do you pay for your food on castaway cay? Do they offer a refillable mug? How much are the cabana's?

All food in the Main Dining Rooms, poolside quick service, buffet, room service and on Castaway Cay is included. As are coffee, tea (hot and cold), water, sodas during meals and from the drink station poolside, milk, hot chocolate. Adult dining (Remy & Palo) have an extra charge.

Not sure about the refillable mug, but I don't think so. Although, since sodas, water, coffee, tea, milk and hot chocolate are "free" from the drink station 24/7 it amounts to the same thing.

Cabanas on the family beach are $549.00. I'm not sure on Serenity Bay how much they are (maybe $449.00). On the family beach the cost covers up to 6 people. You can add additional people (to a maximum of 10) for $50.00 each.

 

[NCConch]

Not only is pretty much all of the food included in the price of the cruise, but you can have as much as you want. Want three appetizers and two entrees at dinner? No problem. Pack loose-fitting clothes for the trip home.

Typically, the CC Cabanas are not available to us 1st time cruisers unless you are sailing Concierge level. Sailing Disney over and over again has it's perks - like booking cabanas earlier.

 

[MouseMomx2]

We have never been on a cruise, let alone a Disney cruise. Is all your food included on ship? Do you pay for your food on castaway cay? Do they offer a refillable mug? How much are the cabana's?

As others have said, food in the main dining rooms, at the quick service locations on the pool deck, at the buffet location, through room service and on Castaway Cay is included. Also included are the various snacks put out throughout the day at the coffee bar(s) and in the adult nightclub area. Soda is free in the restaurants and from the self-serve locations on the pool deck and on Castaway Cay.

You will pay for pre-packaged snacks through room service and at the theaters. You will also pay for any alcoholic beverages, soda through room service or at the bars and smoothies that you order.

At breakfast and lunch you may go wherever you would like. There is always one restaurant serving a full-service breakfast/lunch, one serving a buffet breakfast/lunch and the buffet location on the pool deck.

For dinner you will be assigned a dining rotation and seating time. You will rotate through the three main dining rooms night after night and will have the same serving team throughout your cruise. You will have either the Main (5:45) or Late (8:15) seating. If you choose not to go to the main dining rooms you can get room service or go to the pool deck buffet location which serves a table-service meal at dinner time on all nights except the first and last of your cruise.

As others have said, getting a cabana is difficult for anyone other than Concierge-level and Platinum Castaway Club (10 cruises or more) cruisers. If you cannot reserve one you can put your name on a waitlist at Guest Services once you board. Last I knew, the cabanas on the family beach cost $499 for the first 6 guests and $50 per person up to 10 guests total. Cabanas on the adult beach are $399 for up to 6 people. We have taken 13 cruises and have had a cabana once. It was nice, but didn't add much to our enjoyment of Castaway Cay and we probably wouldn't reserve one again.

Hope that helped!

 

[Keyser]

Wanted to add one more thing: tips. Tips are not included in the price (and of course are optional, though expected). Discussing tips can sometimes lead to arguments, and I don't want to get into that, but you should be aware of them, since it is an additional cost.

In the main dining room, there is a suggested tip (based on a rate per day) for your server, assistant server, head server. I think most people pay the normal tip, some people add to it, and some probably tip less. I think they auto-charge now (someone correct me if I'm wrong), so you'll have the default unless you say otherwise.

If you order room service, the food is free (just like main dining rooms), but the person bringing it does not get tipped unless you do it on the spot. I think they bring a receipt that you can sign to have a tip charged to the room (again, someone correct me if I'm wrong). There's not a suggested amount - it's up to you. I've heard a suggestion of $1/item, but I imagine there are some who say that's too high/too low/the wrong way to do it.

At Palo/Remy there is also no tip included except what you choose at the time. I find it difficult to determine how to tip in those cases since there is no guideline and you don't even know how much the meal is worth (the fee you pay is just a supplement), especially at brunch (which is more buffet than served).