Had been reading the boards here for 7-8 months, but still had some surprises on my 4-nite DCL cruise last week which I thought I'd pass on so that others could benefit.
1.) Never received package beforehand with luggage tags and waivers. I was not worried about not receiving it since I thought I could use my own tags, had already printed out the documentation at the DCL site and brought it with me, but there was another form which was not on the website which had to be filled out which I did not have. Also, must use the DCL luggage tags. If you have not received your package from DCL a few weeks b4 your cruise, you should call them.
2.) For many of the excursions and some of the massages, there are waivers and paperwork that come with your tickets which must be filled out prior to going on the excursions/massage. In all of the excitement, did not notice/fill out the waiver and had to rush to get it done prior to the excursion.
3.) You can order appetizers, salads, soups, entree, and deserts and you can order as many as you want of each. However, the more courses you order, the longer the dinner will take which may slow down the entire party at your table. Many of us ordered every course possible to try everything, and noticed that we were the last table to finish dinner. Dinner lasted 2 hours in some cases. The only problem with this is that you and fellow dinner guests may miss events planned after dinner but before the show. Also, if you buy any alcoholic beverage or smoothies during dinner, you need to close out your tab prior to rushing to the next event, taking more time.
4.) The room service menu is on Page 5 of the big thick book that is in your stateroom. Couldn't find it until I called the room service# to ask where it was. Many of the items discussed on these boards that you can order from room service are not listed in the menu (Mickey Bars, Fruit Tray, etc.). There are also a lot of other things to read in the the big thick book in your room which I wish I had time to peruse in more detail. Maybe next cruise!
5.) On Pirate night, after the fireworks there will be a huge dessert spread on deck 9. If you don't get there quickly there will be a long line. Keep your eye peeled near the dance floor.
6.) At Palos, don't forget to come prepared with your envelope/tip. Had made my envelope in advance but forgot to bring it. Also, originally, had planned to give $20 to Palos server as tip for dinner, but after seeing the huge spread and impeccable service, it was evident that a $40-$50 tip was much more in line. Shelled out the extra tip on the fly with bar tab. Did same for brunch.
7.) Had booked both the brunch and dinner on the same night (at Sea). It was extremely easy to move the dinner reservation to the Nassau evening which was the repeating restaurant (had PTTA rotation). It worked out perfectly!
8.) Getting to know other Disers b-4 the cruise and getting seats together made all of the difference in the world! Hi Triptaker and Starwood! These folks made our trip immensely more enjoyable and fun! Starwood arranged for us all to be at the same table, and I am very grateful. Our kids 12 & 13 & 13 all hung out together, and did some excursions together also.
9.) Our dinner companions did not have dinner ressies at Palos, but really wanted the Chocolate Mousse. The maitre d' arranged for them to go at 9:00 p.m. and have the mousse along with several other desserts. They did slip them a nice tip up front I think, and they had a marvelous time!
10.) The bathroom plugs did not accommodate three prong electrical devices, like my hair dryer (since the one in the bathroom was pretty weak.) Did bring along an extension cord and outlet strip which was accommodated near the mirror and verandah in the cabin. Therefore, I ended up doing my makeup and hair in the sofabed portion of the cabin instead of in the bathroom. This was ok, but my daughter (12), who slept in the sofabed, wanted her privacy and this sometimes interefered.
11.) On pirate night, brought along red bandannas, but didn't realize they give out black ones at dinner.
12.) On the day we boarded, we got there a bit later than our Disboard friends. We got #5 for boarding, while they got the coveted #2 spot. They were nice enough to include us in their party so that we were able to board in the #2 spot with them, making the first day even more magical. Thanks Triptaker!
13.) We stopped to get water, beer, and champagne at the store prior to boarding (had the limo stop for us). Should have gotten everything cold because the cooler in the room took a really long time to get everything cold. Also, only used one of the two bottles of champagne with all of the food and drinks available on board. Used only 4 out of 8 bottles of water, but almost all of the beer (12 pack).
14.) Was prepared for our luggage to arrive in our stateroom by 5pm, but it was there by 12:30pm.!
15.) Spa treatments. I booked a manicure, a Hydralift facial, the CC cabana massage, and the Hot Stone Aromatherapy massage. The manicure was probably worth it. As for the facial, I asked every spa therapist what their favorite spa treatment was, and everyone said the facial. I've had facials before, and with this one, it seemed like they kept just applying gels and removing them. One I could tell had glycolic acid in it, which was tingly, but the others were just sort of cold or rough. There was some kind of machine with a rod that they stroked over my face, but I noticed nothing special (no tingling, no vibration). Made me think it was not working. The massage portion was very short. Did not feel it was worth the $105. Other facials I've had involved attention to any acne and a better massage.
The CC cabana massage was the best of the 4 treatments, but when I asked to run to the bathroom prior to the treatment, was told the time I took would come out of my treatment time. Now I know they are heavily scheduled, but this was a bit much. Would rather that they took it out of the time they talked to me afterwards about follow-up regimens (did tell her I didn't want to hear about the products.)
With the Hot Stone Aromatherapy, the "therapist" told me I was 5 minutes late (it's really easy to get lost on the ship) and that it would come out of my 75 minutes, scalded my foot with a hot stone, continued to massage an area I repeatedly asked her not to, and missed an area altogether (presumably due to the 5 minutes I was late). Finally, I did not smell anything (where was the AROMA part of the aromatherapy?) Of course, she did not receive a gratuity. For $175, I expected a great massage, controlled stone temperatures, and even a little leniency on timing. Next time, I will be limiting my spa treatments. Just seemed to take up valuable time that I could have been enjoying some free events on the ship, and the value for the dollars paid did not seem worthwhile. Also, if you do plan to go, you may want to leave your stateroom 15 minutes early in case you get lost!
Don't get me wrong--many of the treatments were extremely relaxing. But some of the relaxation was offset by the anxiety associated with having to keep a close eye on the clock for when the spa treatment was, rushing to the appointment, stress associated with not being able to find the spa on the ship, having to fill out forms about your stress levels/exercise regimen, etc. when arriving, having to tell the therapist that you don't want to hear about the products every time, and having to sign the bill at the end!
16.) Wow--can't believe I have had so much to say! Well these are things I wish I had known before I left. Hope some of these comments help others.
1.) Never received package beforehand with luggage tags and waivers. I was not worried about not receiving it since I thought I could use my own tags, had already printed out the documentation at the DCL site and brought it with me, but there was another form which was not on the website which had to be filled out which I did not have. Also, must use the DCL luggage tags. If you have not received your package from DCL a few weeks b4 your cruise, you should call them.
2.) For many of the excursions and some of the massages, there are waivers and paperwork that come with your tickets which must be filled out prior to going on the excursions/massage. In all of the excitement, did not notice/fill out the waiver and had to rush to get it done prior to the excursion.
3.) You can order appetizers, salads, soups, entree, and deserts and you can order as many as you want of each. However, the more courses you order, the longer the dinner will take which may slow down the entire party at your table. Many of us ordered every course possible to try everything, and noticed that we were the last table to finish dinner. Dinner lasted 2 hours in some cases. The only problem with this is that you and fellow dinner guests may miss events planned after dinner but before the show. Also, if you buy any alcoholic beverage or smoothies during dinner, you need to close out your tab prior to rushing to the next event, taking more time.
4.) The room service menu is on Page 5 of the big thick book that is in your stateroom. Couldn't find it until I called the room service# to ask where it was. Many of the items discussed on these boards that you can order from room service are not listed in the menu (Mickey Bars, Fruit Tray, etc.). There are also a lot of other things to read in the the big thick book in your room which I wish I had time to peruse in more detail. Maybe next cruise!
5.) On Pirate night, after the fireworks there will be a huge dessert spread on deck 9. If you don't get there quickly there will be a long line. Keep your eye peeled near the dance floor.
6.) At Palos, don't forget to come prepared with your envelope/tip. Had made my envelope in advance but forgot to bring it. Also, originally, had planned to give $20 to Palos server as tip for dinner, but after seeing the huge spread and impeccable service, it was evident that a $40-$50 tip was much more in line. Shelled out the extra tip on the fly with bar tab. Did same for brunch.
7.) Had booked both the brunch and dinner on the same night (at Sea). It was extremely easy to move the dinner reservation to the Nassau evening which was the repeating restaurant (had PTTA rotation). It worked out perfectly!
8.) Getting to know other Disers b-4 the cruise and getting seats together made all of the difference in the world! Hi Triptaker and Starwood! These folks made our trip immensely more enjoyable and fun! Starwood arranged for us all to be at the same table, and I am very grateful. Our kids 12 & 13 & 13 all hung out together, and did some excursions together also.
9.) Our dinner companions did not have dinner ressies at Palos, but really wanted the Chocolate Mousse. The maitre d' arranged for them to go at 9:00 p.m. and have the mousse along with several other desserts. They did slip them a nice tip up front I think, and they had a marvelous time!
10.) The bathroom plugs did not accommodate three prong electrical devices, like my hair dryer (since the one in the bathroom was pretty weak.) Did bring along an extension cord and outlet strip which was accommodated near the mirror and verandah in the cabin. Therefore, I ended up doing my makeup and hair in the sofabed portion of the cabin instead of in the bathroom. This was ok, but my daughter (12), who slept in the sofabed, wanted her privacy and this sometimes interefered.
11.) On pirate night, brought along red bandannas, but didn't realize they give out black ones at dinner.
12.) On the day we boarded, we got there a bit later than our Disboard friends. We got #5 for boarding, while they got the coveted #2 spot. They were nice enough to include us in their party so that we were able to board in the #2 spot with them, making the first day even more magical. Thanks Triptaker!
13.) We stopped to get water, beer, and champagne at the store prior to boarding (had the limo stop for us). Should have gotten everything cold because the cooler in the room took a really long time to get everything cold. Also, only used one of the two bottles of champagne with all of the food and drinks available on board. Used only 4 out of 8 bottles of water, but almost all of the beer (12 pack).
14.) Was prepared for our luggage to arrive in our stateroom by 5pm, but it was there by 12:30pm.!
15.) Spa treatments. I booked a manicure, a Hydralift facial, the CC cabana massage, and the Hot Stone Aromatherapy massage. The manicure was probably worth it. As for the facial, I asked every spa therapist what their favorite spa treatment was, and everyone said the facial. I've had facials before, and with this one, it seemed like they kept just applying gels and removing them. One I could tell had glycolic acid in it, which was tingly, but the others were just sort of cold or rough. There was some kind of machine with a rod that they stroked over my face, but I noticed nothing special (no tingling, no vibration). Made me think it was not working. The massage portion was very short. Did not feel it was worth the $105. Other facials I've had involved attention to any acne and a better massage.
The CC cabana massage was the best of the 4 treatments, but when I asked to run to the bathroom prior to the treatment, was told the time I took would come out of my treatment time. Now I know they are heavily scheduled, but this was a bit much. Would rather that they took it out of the time they talked to me afterwards about follow-up regimens (did tell her I didn't want to hear about the products.)
With the Hot Stone Aromatherapy, the "therapist" told me I was 5 minutes late (it's really easy to get lost on the ship) and that it would come out of my 75 minutes, scalded my foot with a hot stone, continued to massage an area I repeatedly asked her not to, and missed an area altogether (presumably due to the 5 minutes I was late). Finally, I did not smell anything (where was the AROMA part of the aromatherapy?) Of course, she did not receive a gratuity. For $175, I expected a great massage, controlled stone temperatures, and even a little leniency on timing. Next time, I will be limiting my spa treatments. Just seemed to take up valuable time that I could have been enjoying some free events on the ship, and the value for the dollars paid did not seem worthwhile. Also, if you do plan to go, you may want to leave your stateroom 15 minutes early in case you get lost!
Don't get me wrong--many of the treatments were extremely relaxing. But some of the relaxation was offset by the anxiety associated with having to keep a close eye on the clock for when the spa treatment was, rushing to the appointment, stress associated with not being able to find the spa on the ship, having to fill out forms about your stress levels/exercise regimen, etc. when arriving, having to tell the therapist that you don't want to hear about the products every time, and having to sign the bill at the end!
16.) Wow--can't believe I have had so much to say! Well these are things I wish I had known before I left. Hope some of these comments help others.
Kelly
