Top 10 Things i learned on our Disney Cruise

[ladypirate]

Just got off the Wonder Christmas cruise on Thursday. This was our 2nd cruise (last one was Aug 2009). During the long 9 hour drive home, my mind started wandering and i came up with a top 10 list of my own...

1. Yes, even in December in 60 degree weather, you still need sunscreen.

2. Bring those extension cords, command hooks, sharpies, scissors, tape, baggies, and laundry hooks - you will need and want them.

3. No matter how many towel folding classes i take, i still cannot make any towel fold to look like any animal. That skill alone is worthy of a big tip to the room steward.

4. Pin trading is a sport.

5. Travel iron - do not bring it. Use the full size iron and ironing board in the laundry room on Deck 2. It works great and there is never anyone else using it.

6. Disney spends a LOT of money on things, but one thing Disney does NOT spend money on is the hair dryer in the cabin. They are crap. Bring your own if you need one.

7. Going from the suite in Aug 2009 and the Concierge level to the Family Stateroom was really not that bad...

8. Seeing the Pixie dust light up the theater for the show still will give adults a smile and chill every time.


ok, so i only have 8 but i am sure others have more to add...

Sarah

 

[lmhall2000]

You are so right on the blow dryer!! EEK!!

Here are two that we found:

1. Room service is a treat and so helpful on long excursion days..remember to bring dollar bills for tips!

2. Don't let your teen have charging privileges without you showing him how to use the arcarde credit machine..he put $50 on a card, not realizing it and promptly left without it on one of the games...it was stolen....he was broken hearted, it was all the money he had...we of course made up for it, but it was a lesson learned.

I would love to hear how they handled Christmas! Any special celebrations? Figgy pudding for dessert?? We're considering it one year, but not sure the kids would get that Christmas feeling on a ship...how was it??

Tara

 

[mousejunkie98]

Amen, ladypirate!! Those hair dryers remind me of the kind they have in every single hotel in Europe - they suck They don't dry your hair, but they do burn your hand. I am sooooo glad my sister had thought to bring hers, and I'm investing in a good one with a retractable cord and a folding handle for our next cruise.

And the sunscreen - I swear the sun is stronger in the Caribbean! We were slathering ourselves all day and I still got burned. Next time I'm taking a 2-pronged approach, with a layer of a good strong cream physical block and then a layer of the spray-on chemical block kind. We'll see if it works.

Here's my addition to your list:

9 - Fireworks launched off the back of a cruise ship are cooler than any land-based show, and will cause an adult to repeatedly gush "This is sooo awesome!!"

 

[tvguy]

Just got off the Wonder Christmas cruise on Thursday. This was our 2nd cruise (last one was Aug 2009). During the long 9 hour drive home, my mind started wandering and i came up with a top 10 list of my own...

1. Yes, even in December in 60 degree weather, you still need sunscreen.

My wife learned that lesson on our cruise to Alaska, she got sunburned on a 40 degree day.

2. Bring those extension cords, command hooks, sharpies, scissors, tape, baggies, and laundry hooks - you will need and want them.

Never found a use for anything other than the baggies.

3. No matter how many towel folding classes i take, i still cannot make any towel fold to look like any animal. That skill alone is worthy of a big tip to the room steward.



4. Pin trading is a sport.

Never got into that, but somehow ended up with a drawer full of Disney pins over the years.

5. Travel iron - do not bring it. Use the full size iron and ironing board in the laundry room on Deck 2. It works great and there is never anyone else using it.

Don't bring them because they are forbidden....a fire hazard

6. Disney spends a LOT of money on things, but one thing Disney does NOT spend money on is the hair dryer in the cabin. They are crap. Bring your own if you need one.

Clearly varies from stateroom to stateroom. I always have suspected that some folks must use flame throwers at home, because the 1500 watt wall dryer in our stateroom put out way too much heat. Of course, why ANYONE uses one on a Caribbean cruise baffles me. 15 minutes in the wind and humidity, and your hair is back to what mother nature gave you anyway.

7. Going from the suite in Aug 2009 and the Concierge level to the Family Stateroom was really not that bad...

8. Seeing the Pixie dust light up the theater for the show still will give adults a smile and chill every time.


ok, so i only have 8 but i am sure others have more to add...

Sarah

.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your list!!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Great post!

Something I love (but those who like to sleep in may differ) - getting up early and having coffee out on deck while it is still quiet... priceless.

 

[Dizneycrazee]

Really good post...just a couple of mine to tag on...

Join a fish extender group if you get the chance, its great fun!

Make use of room service, hot chocolate & cookies can be brought up for kiddies at bedtime (or me !!) for a couple $$ tip

For europeans- Get any cash you need for ports before you go- dont rely on currency conversion aboard, they actually have to change back to $ then to whatever youre buying, so you lose out twice!

When your checking in,if you have pre registered your children online, you dont have to stand in the queue to register your children in the kids clubs, just head up to the clubs once your onboard and they will register you there, much quicker!

bren

 

[ladypirate]

Tara - for the Christmas cruise, they had a tree lighting the first night of the cruise which i am sure that the tree is actually "lit" all thru December. We had a Santa visit on Christmas and the kids got a Cars calendar (since it was boys themed they are giving them away). Can't think of anything else to be honest except that the night of Christmas eve they did the towels as an angel. That was a new one for us. Not sure if they did that just because it was Christmas. Our Disney cruise for this Christmas was a gift from dh's mom, but for the price increase, i would not do it. too many logistics with gifts and all that...!

and another for my top 10 list -

Dining room servers will get the kids fed with their complete meal including dessert by the time you are done - that way you can have your dessert and coffee "in peace" while they go to the kids club. Priceless.

 

[Purplejewel]

Here are a few of my own "Things I learned on a Disney Cruise":

1. Meeting new people at dinner can actually be fun and enjoyable as long as you keep an open mind.
2. No matter how many times you see the same shows, they are always amazing.
3. I agree that the hair dryers are pitiful. I have waist length hair and if I tried to dry it each day with those "in cabin" hair dryers, I would be in my cabin for most of the cruise
4. Even though the cabins are not very spacious when compared to a hotel room, once you get used to it, it's kind of cozy, especially if it is just you and your spouse
5. The most memorable part of the cruise will probably end up being something you wouldn't expect. On my last cruise, mine was sitting topside with my husband, sipping coffee, chatting and watching Cinderella play on the large outdoor movie screen.
6. No matter how long the cruise is, you are always sad on the last day to be leaving

 

[ladypirate]

one more thing to add to the top ten...

After looking at my usage on my iPhone, should have taken the advice to either 1) leave it at home or 2) have my husband lock it in the safe and not tell me the code. No one at home really needs to see your warm weather pictures posted on Facebook while they are digging out of snow, right?

 

[disneylandkids]

I like this thread!

Our Top Ten List for the Disney Cruise...

Bring an 'over the door' shoe hanger because it holds a ton of those little incidentals such as hairbrushes, sunscreen, cameras, etc. and keeps your stateroom organized.

Bring enough sunscreen in your checked baggage because it's terribly expensive onboard or onshore.

Bring dollar bills for the room service staff; our kids like the pre-bedtime snack occasionally, and we are addicted to breakfast in our stateroom/coffee on the verandah. A $20 to your room steward at the *beginning* of the voyage ensures you have even more magical service.

Bring a magnetic dry erase board for the stateroom door, so we can leave each other notes as to our whereabouts.

Bring magnets and multiple color highlighters to put the Navigators up on the inside of the stateroom door so we can color-code our activities.

Bring quarters and my own laundry detergent in ziplock baggies for the laundry room. Cuts down on what we need to pack, and when the detergent is used up, it's just that much more space for souvenirs. We are particular about detergent due to allergies.

BYO feminine supplies.

Bring a power strip for plugging in the laptop, camera, etc. Turn the phone to Airplane Mode to avoid roaming charges but it can still be useful as an alarm clock. I download photos from the camera onto the laptop to make sure it has plenty of space for new photos each day.

Bring a copy of passports and credit cards; leave another copy at home where someone can get it if you need it in an emergency. Call the credit card company before you leave to let them know you're traveling.

We tend to use rolling duffel bags so they are flat when empty and go under the beds with ease.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

I like this thread!
Bring quarters and my own laundry detergent in ziplock baggies for the laundry room. Cuts down on what we need to pack, and when the detergent is used up, it's just that much more space for souvenirs. We are particular about detergent due to allergies.

Just to let you know, the laundry machines don't take quarters any more, they work off of your KTTW cards. One less thing to have to remember!

My #1, Plan, but don't get obsessed about it. Just relax and go with the flow sometimes. Oh, and don't forget to check out the desserts in Cove Cafe!

 

[Stinasmom]

Just to let you know, the laundry machines don't take quarters any more, they work off of your KTTW cards. One less thing to have to remember!

Ohh, great upgrade!
I still take a roll of quarters on our trip because of the toll booths to and from Port Canaveral, the airport, and the Orlando/theme park area.

 

[xika]

Bring dollar bills for the room service staff; our kids like the pre-bedtime snack occasionally, and we are addicted to breakfast in our stateroom/coffee on the verandah. A $20 to your room steward at the *beginning* of the voyage ensures you have even more magical service.

Bring a copy of passports and credit cards; leave another copy at home where someone can get it if you need it in an emergency. Call the credit card company before you leave to let them know you're traveling.


Great ideas thanks! what kind of extra magical service did you get?

 

[xika]

Great ideas thanks!

 

[tigger2on]

Bring quarters and my own laundry detergent in ziplock baggies for the laundry room.

Purex makes sheets of detergent/ softener/ static guard - All in one. We pack these as they are so easy, don't leak and weigh nothing.

 

[thundrmtn]

And the sunscreen - I swear the sun is stronger in the Caribbean! We were slathering ourselves all day and I still got burned. Next time I'm taking a 2-pronged approach, with a layer of a good strong cream physical block and then a layer of the spray-on chemical block kind. We'll see if it works.

And speaking of sunscreen, be sure you have plenty when you go ashore. When my husband bought some in Nassau, he failed to look at the price before he got it, and learned he had just spent $24.50 a bottle.

 

[disneylandkids]

Bring dollar bills for the room service staff; our kids like the pre-bedtime snack occasionally, and we are addicted to breakfast in our stateroom/coffee on the verandah. A $20 to your room steward at the *beginning* of the voyage ensures you have even more magical service.

Bring a copy of passports and credit cards; leave another copy at home where someone can get it if you need it in an emergency. Call the credit card company before you leave to let them know you're traveling.


Great ideas thanks! what kind of extra magical service did you get?

One of my kids is *convinced* that the bedtime mints magically cure seasickness, so our room steward always makes sure we have a generous supply (for medicinal reasons, of course, ahem). Added help with my dad's motorized scooter being recharged and watched over in the hallway. Some even more and extraordinary towel animals... and sometimes, you know, it's just not a bad idea to show your appreciation in advance...

PS to a previous poster...yes! I remember reading about the change from using quarters to the cards, but thanks for the reminder!

 

[disneylandkids]

And speaking of sunscreen, be sure you have plenty when you go ashore. When my husband bought some in Nassau, he failed to look at the price before he got it, and learned he had just spent $24.50 a bottle.

We had approximately the same thing happen, but we bought our bottle in Cozumel and...ouch! the price was pretty darned high too.

 

[dxcspilk]

Purex makes sheets of detergent/ softener/ static guard - All in one. We pack these as they are so easy, don't leak and weigh nothing.

LOVE these! Used them on our last Disneyland trip. Have to remember to bring them on the cruise. I need to start making a list...