10/26/2013 - A Western Fantasy Halloween Cruise

[DisneyDudet]

Hi everyone. We just signed up for this cruise a week or so ago. I convinced my family to all go together on another cruise and this one visited some nice ports. Bummer that we have to tender in Grand Cayman - tough to convince my folks to get into a tiny boat.

Cruising will be
Olline & Charles - the grandparents
Jennifer, Brad, and Alex - my sister, brother in law, and their 2 year old son
Kim & Tim - me and my brother

This is kind of a last hurrah cruise for me. Found out end of March I have incurable cancer. Doing the aggressive chemo of course, hoping for remission but being realistic. So we are gonna cram in birthday celebrations and anniversaries and think of it as a good old fashioned wake that I get to enjoy with everyone else. We will try not to be too rowdy. Just kidding.

Don't think we will do the fish extenders but I would like to go to meet up something or other on board.

We are big Disney fans and have been going to the parks since the 70s as a family. This will be our first Disney cruise. We did Carnival to Canada a few years ago. Looking forward to the restaurant rotation and finding hidden mickeys. And watching my nephew in the splash zone!

I sent a join request for the Facebook group but didn't put in my disboard name ..... Grr. So hopefully the group moderator will see this. The join request from kgregson is for me - kimatiu. Thanks.

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I hope your happy attitude will jump start you into remission. When my mom was in cancer treatments, our planned Disney trips kept her spirit high. She is now 3 years cancer free, and still going!

The tender in GC is NOT a little boat. We were in a double decker one when I went on a Carnival cruise. Have your family watch from the upper decks and see how it goes. It's a pretty place without doing an excursion.

Thanks for joining our little group! Hope to see you on the cruise!!!!

 

[mrp4352]

I'm sorry, but Mom and I have switched to the Wonder out of Galveston for this week. The savings were just too much for us to ignore! I've enjoyed getting to know you! Maybe we'll all cruise together another time!

Michelle

 

[MRAven]

I'm sorry, but Mom and I have switched to the Wonder out of Galveston for this week. The savings were just too much for us to ignore! I've enjoyed getting to know you! Maybe we'll all cruise together another time!

Michelle

Sorry we loose you but happy you are still cruising

If it's the same week do you think we could cross path ? Horn battle maybe ?

 

[wilma-bride]

Sorry to hear that Michelle.

 

[KED]

I am so excited to finally booking my first cruise and wouldn't go with any other than Disney! We are going on Oct 24, 2013 7-day western carribean cruise to celebrate my son turning 11 (born on Halloween!) I also have 8 year old twins (and lets not forget the hubby!!). Hoping to get lots of tips from all you long time cruisers and hopefully get to meet some of y'all as we sail! I get to start making reservations June28 and really want to do dinner at Palos. Does anyone know with the Halloween celebration if it changes the nights the do Pirate night? I want to reserve dinner on any night other than my sons b-day and other than Animation. What night is best? I would like to experience Formal and Semi formal nights so no Palo those nights... And what to do with the kids that night? Where will they eat/stay?
SO many more questions, but will be patient! Thx!

 

[KED]

Forgot to request I be added in all my excitement!

 

[KED]

I am sorry , trying to figure out how to post since first DIS posting and first cruise Oct 26, 2013! I posted my first "reply" which ended up on page 27, but read on FB that needed to reply to your post first? Here I am!

 

[MRAven]

I am so excited to finally booking my first cruise and wouldn't go with any other than Disney! We are going on Oct 24, 2013 7-day western carribean cruise to celebrate my son turning 11 (born on Halloween!) I also have 8 year old twins (and lets not forget the hubby!!). Hoping to get lots of tips from all you long time cruisers and hopefully get to meet some of y'all as we sail! I get to start making reservations June28 and really want to do dinner at Palos. Does anyone know with the Halloween celebration if it changes the nights the do Pirate night? I want to reserve dinner on any night other than my sons b-day and other than Animation. What night is best? I would like to experience Formal and Semi formal nights so no Palo those nights... And what to do with the kids that night? Where will they eat/stay?
SO many more questions, but will be patient! Thx!

Hi Welcome so glad you are sailing with us. First time cruisers It's adictive

My up front recomendation is Relax, you are in a vacation and also a heads up, there is no way you can do it all in a seven nighter, that's why we keep rebooking, there is always something new to do.

Considering you have small/young children get first dinner rotation 6:15 pm After that you children can go to the children/youth clubs and the night is yours.

Make sure you let all restaurant servers and castmembers of your childs birthday, they can make it very special (also on your reservation).

Focus on the live plays at the Walt Disney Theater, the movies you can see at home.

For Palo you can do brunch and you won't miss any of the rotation restaurants.

Pirate Night and Halloween night are two diferent events. So two costumes you may need.

 

[KED]

Thx for reply MRAven! What would the children do when we are at brunch? Do kids generally wander around without parents or do we have to "check " them in some where?

 

[MRAven]

Thx for reply MRAven! What would the children do when we are at brunch? Do kids generally wander around without parents or do we have to "check " them in some where?

There is plenty for kids to do under supervised Castmembers activities. Sometimes I feel jealous b/c they get soooo much more on the fun part

Here is a DCL link where you can check it out. They are age directed so big kids don't hang out with smaller ones and they give you a parent only retrieval policy.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/onboard-activities/youth-clubs/

When we did our first Disney Cruise DD was 8 yo and it became almost imposible to get her out of this places . Since we Have the policy of every one available at dinner.

 

[dizney-cruiser]

Thx for reply MRAven! What would the children do when we are at brunch? Do kids generally wander around without parents or do we have to "check " them in some where?

There will be an open house at all of the kids clubs on the first day. You can walk through the appropriate club for your children's ages, and I would bet that not only will they want to spend a lot of time there, you will want to too!

You can find more information on your Navigator (you will get your first one when checking in), or, after your family is announced when you walk into the atrium, you will be approachd by a cm that will direct you where you want to go, and answer any questions you might have.

 

[micknme]

Good morning everyone!

I just had a surprise update regarding our cruise. When I first booked, we only had the option given to us for second seating dining but wait listed for main dining because normally both our households eat around 6ish plus we are both 'early to bed, early to rise' type of people. Today I learned we are now main dining so I should be happy, right?

It's my sister and I on this cruise with no children...do you think we are going to wish we stuck with second seating? My TA said second seating is a lot calmer for adults travelling alone as well as it's not as rushed. This is my first cruise so I have no idea what to expect. Is there anyone out there who travels without kids and prefers main dining?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

 

[MRAven]

Good morning everyone!

I just had a surprise update regarding our cruise. When I first booked, we only had the option given to us for second seating dining but wait listed for main dining because normally both our households eat around 6ish plus we are both 'early to bed, early to rise' type of people. Today I learned we are now main dining so I should be happy, right?

It's my sister and I on this cruise with no children...do you think we are going to wish we stuck with second seating? My TA said second seating is a lot calmer for adults travelling alone as well as it's not as rushed. This is my first cruise so I have no idea what to expect. Is there anyone out there who travels without kids and prefers main dining?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

It all comes down to what you want.

I'll give you my reasons why we like 2nd seating:

It beguins in the morning, we are not morning ppl. Usually on a cruise breakfast for us is around 10 am for any sea day, so lunch is around 2 pm and then afternoon snaks (hamburguer/hot dogs/wraps etc) around 5 pm. Ther is no way we'll be hungry by 6 pm.

Also I don't get under the sun until after 3:30 pm (it would be too intense sun before)

My girls, DW and DD, take for ever to get ready so we would always be late for dinner at 6 pm

After dinner we usually go clubbing until they kick us out (a reason why we are not early morning ppl)

2nd seatting is more relaxed since servers don't have to prepare for another round of guests. So I've been told.

Theater shows for main dinning are after dinning and shows for 2nd are before dinning.

We have never done main dinning so cannot give you reasons to do that but I'm sure there is some one here that may have their's.

Some port adventures arrive around 5 pm which makes it stressfull to be ready by 6 pm

There was some chatting of this topic in FB pg but it's gone now I cannot find it any more.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

we're a group of 3 adults and we prefer late dining (not that we've ever done early dining though).

For us, my mother naps in the afternoon (never completely regained her stamina after the stroke) so late dining works better for us because otherwise it would be a rush to get my mother up and get us to early dining.

We've only seen a couple of the shows but I will admit, I like going to see them first and then going to diner. It feels a little more relaxed.

We've never been rushed through dinner because they don't have another service to get ready for.

It makes for a longer day for us because we're still up early (my Dad is a 6am kind of guy) but we spend more time during the day relaxing so it stretches out the day.

You'll also find that almost everything empties out during early dinner - the shops are empty, the pools and hot tubs are empty, the lounge chairs are all empty (and yes, there's usually still sun at 6pm). You'll be looking around wondering, "where did everyone go?".

 

[micknme]

Wow, you both have given me something to think about...now I'm really wondering if we should go back to second seating.

Are there any adults only groups out there who prefer main seating???

Thanks for your thoughts...I'm very close to having our dining changed back to where it was...my TA will probably be rolling his eyes thinking 'not again'...

 

[tinkerone]

Wow, you both have given me something to think about...now I'm really wondering if we should go back to second seating.

Are there any adults only groups out there who prefer main seating???

Thanks for your thoughts...I'm very close to having our dining changed back to where it was...my TA will probably be rolling his eyes thinking 'not again'...

we are an adults only group who prefer main seating. i like it because it fits well with who we are. we spend the day doing 'whatever' and are back in our room by 5 ish. thats when i'm tired of the sun and want to clean up so its in the shower and into fresh cloths for dinner. it doesn't take either of us long to get ready so this is plenty of time. once dinner is over we head back to our room to change into casual cloths so we can go to the show and then on to the clubs or back to the pool area. either way we are fully relaxed and don't feel rushed at all. it seems to give us more time when we want it the most.
as to kids in the dinning room, i have never noticed a problem with it. there probably are more children at early seating however we have always been seated with other adults and have never had an issue.
it is all a personal choice. since you have done the late dinning you should try the early. maybe you will find you like it better. good luck how ever you do it.

 

[wilma-bride]

We have only ever done late dining but are doing main on this cruise since our friends who we are meeting with do main and prefer it. For that reason, I can't tell you what I like about main but I can tell you a couple of things I don't like about late. DH and I like to have a few drinks in the evening but we are always far too full to drink much after a big dinner that late on. Plus, we are always too full to try any of the food on the buffet at the Pirate party or the snacks available in the adult-only areas late at night (on previous Magic/Wonder cruises, there have been wings and nachos available in the lounges later on - not sure if the new ships have these or similar too).

We are looking forward to giving main dining a try. Who knows, maybe it won't be for us but we are keen to give it a go and see.

To be honest, it is my understanding that there isn't normally a problem with switching to late dining once on board so you could always give it a try for a couple of nights and then see if you can switch later in the cruise

 

[micknme]

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. I think our best bet will be to keep the main seating since it's harder to get and then if we find it's not for us, we will switch to second seating while on board.

Thank you so much for helping me to decide what we should do!

 

[KED]

This looks like the most fun for my 8 yo twins and DS10. Do I need to make reservations or just show up? Anyone else on DIS going with kiddos my kiddos age?

 

[wilma-bride]

This looks like the most fun for my 8 yo twins and DS10. Do I need to make reservations or just show up? Anyone else on DIS going with kiddos my kiddos age?

Just googled it. It does look like fun. There is a group of us already booked to go to Nachi Cocom while we are in Cozumel. We have 4 kids in our group, ranging from 7 to 16. It is a similar thing, private beach limited on numbers, AI food and drink.

Might be worth asking on the FB group if anyone else is planning to go to Paradise Beach