13 Things a Newbie Cruiser Learned

[Msh09d]

I really appreciate your feedback! We are the April 30 Fantasy and were booked into the Palo brunch for our second sea day, I was on the fence about it and now I know it is not for us It is our first DCL cruise and we were feeling pressure like it would not be complete without Palo brunch....while in my head I knew that just wasn't the case! You have confirmed that for me

I'm on your cruise too! I've been lucky enough to sail with Disney on 5 other cruises (including once on the Fantasy) and I've tried Palo for both dinner and brunch. Frankly, the brunch is good but I think it's overrated. The dinner at Palo, however, is totally worth it in my opinion. So delicious!! See you on board!

 

[GrannyDee]

Fabulous thread. We sail on our first Disney cruise in December and are taking notes.

 

[Trera]

I also would like to say that I enjoy the experience much more at Palo on the Magic than I do on the Dream. Palo takes up the entire back of the boat and the brunch spread seems much larger and well displayed vs being in the side room on the Dream. Felice (pronounced feh-LEE-cheh) is the manager on the Magic and we always request Sylvester as our server and we have never been disappointed with our meal at brunch or at dinner.

Just my opinion.

 

[RedSox68]

2. Don’t miss the sunrise. I am an early riser and woke each day between 5:30 and 5:45. Watching the ship come alive in the morning was fun. Nothing beats a quiet walk around the fourth deck as the sun is rising.

This is one of our favorite things to do. Sunrise, sunset and storms at sea (in the distance) cannot be beat under a full sky. [Also be sure to keep an eye out for flying fish]

So glad you had a great time!

 

[tidefan]

I have to say that we've never been impressed by Palo either. We've been Platinum for our last 2 cruises and didn"t use our "free" visit b/c they were quick 3 night cruises and we didn't want to lose out on one of the MDR's...

 

[rock43]

Thank you for your post. We are booked on our first Disney cruise Sept 2017. Good stuff I will take to heart.

 

[Sevey13]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

 

[scootch]

Glad you had a great time.

How much was the taxi to Paradise Beach? That is what we are thinking of doing next time. Our last cruise I was afraid to take a taxi by ourselves(daddy doesn't cruise) but considering Paradise Beach next time.

 

[mevelandry]

About 10: Maybe we have been lucky, but our experience at Palo brunch was amazing (and Palo dinner as well)... but I wouldn't expect a 5 stars meal for Palo, I honestly don't know where you got that impression... Were the reviews that good?

Remy on other ships would be closer to 5 stars than Palo!

 

[kddlm]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

Actually this is what I LOVE about DCL.....there are only "Extras" if you want there to be! Unlike other lines, their soda, coffee and tea is free from the beverage stations and in the MDR's. There are no high priced drink packages to purchase. Alcohol and smoothies or soda if purchased from a bar are all extra. Specialty restaurants are extra if you choose to do them. Snacks outside the theaters are extra (popcorn, candy and drinks). Bingo is a fee. If you choose to purchase any pictures taken by the pros on the ship, then there are packages for those. Excursions and souveniers are the only other things that come to mind. Standard gratuities for servers and room hostess can be pre-paid, but are in addition to the price. I'm sure others will advise if I'm forgetting anything.

I actually was just pricing an RC cruise and where it appeared much cheaper on the surface, by the time I added in drink packages, it was closer to DCL.....still cheaper, but not to the level of shock factor initially.

 

[Trera]

Actually this is what I LOVE about DCL.....there are only "Extras" if you want there to be! Unlike other lines, their soda, coffee and tea is free from the beverage stations and in the MDR's. There are no high priced drink packages to purchase. Alcohol and smoothies or soda if purchased from a bar are all extra. Specialty restaurants are extra if you choose to do them. Snacks outside the theaters are extra (popcorn, candy and drinks). Bingo is a fee. If you choose to purchase any pictures taken by the pros on the ship, then there are packages for those. Excursions and souveniers are the only other things that come to mind. Standard gratuities for servers and room hostess can be pre-paid, but are in addition to the price. I'm sure others will advise if I'm forgetting anything.

I actually was just pricing an RC cruise and where it appeared much cheaper on the surface, by the time I added in drink packages, it was closer to DCL.....still cheaper, but not to the level of shock factor initially.

This sums up extra charges pretty well in my opinion.

 

[MSPeeler]

I may be the only one, but I did not know until after our cruise was booked and paid in full, that the price did not include gratuities. Now that DH knows they weren't included, and doesn't want to spend anymore than we've already paid... he wants to cancel the whole trip but can't because we are less than 30 days out. The stress and financial burden of cruising/vacation sucks.

 

[Hundredacre]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

Gratuities! ! They can be a lot. Alcohol. Drinks on deck from servers. Smoothie type drinks. Excursions. Shopping. Bingo. Spa. Some fitness classes. Photo packages. Palo and Remy (dining). Nursery .

 

[Sydnerella]

13. Be nice to the staff. While I pride myself on the fact that I think I have instilled manners in my kids and we do this without expecting anything, we found that the staff repaid kindness in many ways. We were chosen family of the cruise by three different departments: housekeeping, room service and guest services. We were shocked to find a note in our cabin saying that room service had chosen us family of the cruise. We would return to our cabin to find treats (chocolate covered strawberries, cupcakes, cheese plates. . .) at various times without being asked. Housekeeping left us 6 arcade cards. Guest Services sent us a note and three lithographs. When we asked our server how we were chosen, we were told that each department can chose families based on the interactions. The only things we did were simple. We said thank you and we talked with everyone about them, not us. What a lesson for my kids. Treat people with kindness and respect and it is paid back in ways you will never anticipate.

Big ups to you and your children!! So happy for you and impressed This was such a treat to hear - thank you for sharing. We have tried to instill similar traits in our children's behavior toward others and I do love to learn when it is valued by others as it can seem, especially at their tween ages that they get overshadowed by their louder ruder ill-mannered classmates. When 5 years old, both kids (now DS11 and DD 9) winning the award for "most polite" during the "graduation ceremony" from preschool to kindergarten was seriously a moment of pride for us while our friends at the same preschool said, "Oh, we don't expect our kids to say thank you at home, just when they are with other people".... yep... if it's not done at home why on earth would they do it with others?? And their kids still don't. It should be a part of their daily behavior from the get go - makes for a pleasant and respectful household!

 

[cruisehopeful]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

Everyone has already said what costs extra (and none of it is needed, other than gratuities), but I wanted to mention not to worry about extra costs. They will either tell you the cost ahead of time or if they bring you something and hand you a receipt to sign, you can say, "sorry, I didn't know it cost extra," and you won't be obliged to buy the item.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Great post, thanks for sharing.
And I couldn't agree more with you on number 13. We loved talking with the CM, loved learning where they were from and how they came to be on one of the DCL ships.

 

[DHSbutcher]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

There really isn't too much to "get you" compared to some other cruise lines.
Other cruise lines charge you for soda- Disney puts it free in the dining rooms and at the buffet and self service station by the pool.
Kids clubs are free except for the nursery(for those under 3)
Spa Services are extra however the gym and showers there are free to use for adults
Alcohol is extra- however you can bring on 2 bottles of wine per adult or a 6 pack of beer per adult in your carry on- and buy the same at each port of call and "reload" your stash
Smoothies for the kiddos will cost you but theres an ice cream station where they can make some ice cream floats with their 'included' soda
Room service is free 24/7 unless you order some snack items such as popcorn or candy from them or alcohol/sodas in which case there will be a small fee for those as if you were purchasing them from the gift shop or snack stand
There's no casino on board to spend your money on
Some ships have BBB(bippity boppity boutique) and that costs extra
Character meet and greets are all free including a character breakfast on longer cruises(7 nights or more I believe)
Almost all activities onboard are free except things such as alcohol tastings and bingo and things like that. These will all be marked with a fee so you'll realize when you're going to be charged.
Specialty dining such as Palo and Remy are extra- however food in the main dining rooms are FANTASTIC and you probably won't feel the need to get away from there unless you want to celebrate a special romantic occasion. (If you do- Palo and Remy are PERFECT. and totally worth the cost IMO. Never had a bad meal and always enjoy ourselves.)
Photographs taken by the ships's photographers will cost you extra if you want to take those home- but theyre always around with the characters and dinner and at ports and can capture some great moments. But no pressure on buying them- you have to visit the Photo area of the ship to purchase them so totally able to avoid that area.
Internet is an extra fee, so is calling from the room phone.
Shore excursions are extra money.
Gratuities for the staff are extra. Recommended 12 dollars a day per person and will be charged to your stateroom unless prepaid or you go to guest services and have the amounts adjusted. This is split amongst Waiter, Assistant Waiter, Room steward, and the Head of the dining room(Matri'D).

It surely is possible to not spend any additional money once onboard, but we always spend a little just to make our vacation feel more like a 'vacation'. For example we might buy a soda from room service and have some fries delivered just to not have to leave our room for awhile, or we might play a game of bingo or two because we feel like it. Its easy to budget for but we don't go overboard on spending either. We pre-pay our gratuities and bring some cash to leave extra for those who deserve it, we might order a few bar drinks here and there, and we do usually do any shore excursions. We also have no small children so no temptations for BBB, pictures, or souvenirs to take home. We usually do spring for a Palo dinner as well. Our average bill at the end of the cruise is around 150 per person usually. Sometimes more or less depending.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I've been toying with a DCL and one thing that really keeps me from it is not really knowing what the 'additional expenses' will be. I know the ticket covers room and board and use of many of the facilities. But how else do they 'get you?' The DCL website is frustratingly vague about all of that. What is free and what isn't?

Here's a list I've worked up:
WHAT COSTS EXTRA?
1. Parking/transportation
2. Port porters
3. Room upgrades (usually at port, sometimes GS)
4. Extra Wave Phone rental
5. Cellular phone calls (will be billed later to your phone bill)
6. Ship to shore calls from your room phone
7. Welcome aboard packages (flowers, candy, etc waiting in your cabin)
8. Alcohol and cigarettes for delivery at end of voyage
9. Alcoholic drinks at the bars and from roving servers (welcome aboard)
10. Tastings and Mixology
11. Wine by the glass or wine packages at meals
12. Additional tip (over the automatic) for bar servers
13. Tips for room service
14. Soft drinks and candy/snacks from room service or bar
15. Specialty coffee
16. Bottled water (sparkling or still)
17. Candy and snacks/popcorn outside theater
18. Candy and ice cream from Vanelope’s on the Dream
19. Smoothies from the bar in Senses Spa on the Dream
20. Upcharge food items at the adult clubs
21. Adult dining (Palo, Remy)
22. Shore excursions (including cabanas and rentals at CC)
23. Tip for Castaway Cay cabana host (you’ll need cash for this one)
24. Stamps from Post Office at Castaway Cay
25. Excursion tips
26. Spa treatments
27. Required gratuity added to spa services
28. Bingo
29. Sports simulator
30. Photos (individual and packages)
31. Internet
32. Art
33. Purchases from the stores: clothing, sundries, jewelry, souvenirs, etc.
34. Cameras from photo shop
35. Pins sold at trading pin sessions
36. Cigars (Meridian bar)
37. Arcade
38. Hair Braiding
39. Laundry room and send-out laundry and dry cleaning
40. Onboard booking for future cruises
41. Disney Vacation Club membership (you can purchase on board)
42. Adventures by Disney (you can purchase on board)
43. Medical care
44. Nursery (for under 3’s)
45. Kids’s club magic bands (if you want to keep them, you lose the deposit)
46. Meeting room rental
47. Onboard or Castaway Cay wedding (currently $3000/$4000)
48. Vow renewal ceremony
49. Tuxedo rentals
50. Duties at customs at end of cruise if you've made a LOT of purchases abroad
51. Fuel supplement charge if the price of oil is above a certain level(never happened yet, that I know of)
52. Fish Extender program gifts (if you participate)

 

[Deb T.]

We love the brunch as well and look forward to experience each time. I dont feel brunch is Palo is supposed to be supreme in service above what we experience in the dining room but the food selections are much different than what is offered in the dining rooms. The hot items are prepared fresh to order and we love the grape/gorgonzola pizza, chicken parm, and eggs benedicts. It is definitely not for everyone but it is most definitely for me.

I am also curious how a 1:30 pm port arrival time got a boarding group 3?? normally concierge is 1 and platinums would be 2. Boarding group 3 would be for 10:30 PATs.

We've been fortunate enough to sail Concierge twice and have been Platinum for our last six cruises. Concierge passengers actually wait in a special room and are led onto the ship through a side door while the "Family of the Day" is being announced in the main terminal. Platinums are Boarding Group #1.

 

[Sevey13]

Here's a list I've worked up:
WHAT COSTS EXTRA?
1. Parking/transportation
2. Port porters
3. Room upgrades (usually at port, sometimes GS)
4. Extra Wave Phone rental
5. Cellular phone calls (will be billed later to your phone bill)
6. Ship to shore calls from your room phone
7. Welcome aboard packages (flowers, candy, etc waiting in your cabin)
8. Alcohol and cigarettes for delivery at end of voyage
9. Alcoholic drinks at the bars and from roving servers (welcome aboard)
10. Tastings and Mixology
11. Wine by the glass or wine packages at meals
12. Additional tip (over the automatic) for bar servers
13. Tips for room service
14. Soft drinks and candy/snacks from room service or bar
15. Specialty coffee
16. Bottled water (sparkling or still)
17. Candy and snacks/popcorn outside theater
18. Candy and ice cream from Vanelope’s on the Dream
19. Smoothies from the bar in Senses Spa on the Dream
20. Upcharge food items at the adult clubs
21. Adult dining (Palo, Remy)
22. Shore excursions (including cabanas and rentals at CC)
23. Tip for Castaway Cay cabana host (you’ll need cash for this one)
24. Stamps from Post Office at Castaway Cay
25. Excursion tips
26. Spa treatments
27. Required gratuity added to spa services
28. Bingo
29. Sports simulator
30. Photos (individual and packages)
31. Internet
32. Art
33. Purchases from the stores: clothing, sundries, jewelry, souvenirs, etc.
34. Cameras from photo shop
35. Pins sold at trading pin sessions
36. Cigars (Meridian bar)
37. Arcade
38. Hair Braiding
39. Laundry room and send-out laundry and dry cleaning
40. Onboard booking for future cruises
41. Disney Vacation Club membership (you can purchase on board)
42. Adventures by Disney (you can purchase on board)
43. Medical care
44. Nursery (for under 3’s)
45. Kids’s club magic bands (if you want to keep them, you lose the deposit)
46. Meeting room rental
47. Onboard or Castaway Cay wedding (currently $3000/$4000)
48. Vow renewal ceremony
49. Tuxedo rentals
50. Duties at customs at end of cruise if you've made a LOT of purchases abroad
51. Fuel supplement charge if the price of oil is above a certain level(never happened yet, that I know of)
52. Fish Extender program gifts (if you participate)

THANK YOU. This is just the sort of thing I was looking for. It helps me have more open eyes when looking at booking and saving for the trip.

Question on the room service. I was under the impression that it is free. Am I incorrect? Your post seems to indicate otherwise.