1st cruise - few questions I haven't seen answered yet

[nharding20]

I read this site religiously, but rarely post. I've tried to find answers to my questions without success, so I thought I'd post. This community is so helpful!

Our family is cruising for the very first time in August - a 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream. DS is 16, DD is 13.

1) Only dining option available was the later dining time. TA said we could be put on the waitlist for the earlier time, but I honestly don't know which would be preferable. We typically eat around 6-6:30 at home. The teens have asked to maybe not be at a seating with lots of little ones, but I doubt we'd avoid that at any time. (I'm OK with anything, really)

2) On a 4 night cruise would we rotate for 3 of the nights in the main dining rooms and the 4th night is Pirate night? Or could we potentially miss one of the rotations regular menus due to Pirate night? (And therefore have the same menu at a location twice during the cruise?)

3) I saw on the Personal Navigators a 'drink of the day'. Is this available everywhere; is it discounted? What is the draw?

4) Are the kids able to eat on their own if DH and I made reservations for brunch at Palo? (providing we can actually get a reservation). Are the kids limited to room service only, or can they get breakfast at a sit down venue without parents?

5) We're considering adding a few days at WDW before the cruise. But from what I'm reading, getting the earliest Port time seems to be the best way to go, and I'm not sure Disney transportation would get us there very early. Is a private shuttle an option for an earlier arrival time?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[MouseMomx2]

I read this site religiously, but rarely post. I've tried to find answers to my questions without success, so I thought I'd post. This community is so helpful!

Our family is cruising for the very first time in August - a 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream. DS is 16, DD is 13.

1) Only dining option available was the later dining time. TA said we could be put on the waitlist for the earlier time, but I honestly don't know which would be preferable. We typically eat around 6-6:30 at home. The teens have asked to maybe not be at a seating with lots of little ones, but I doubt we'd avoid that at any time. (I'm OK with anything, really)

We were diehard early dining cruisers...until we got stuck with late dining once. Now we wouldn't go back. With older kids I think you will be fine with late dining. You will see the shows before you eat and then have time to get ready in between.

2) On a 4 night cruise would we rotate for 3 of the nights in the main dining rooms and the 4th night is Pirate night? Or could we potentially miss one of the rotations regular menus due to Pirate night? (And therefore have the same menu at a location twice during the cruise?)

I am not sure what the current rotations are but, yes, you will repeat a restaurant on Pirate night. It will probably not be the fourth night though. In my cruise experience the rotation has always looked like 1223.

3) I saw on the Personal Navigators a 'drink of the day'. Is this available everywhere; is it discounted? What is the draw?

Yes, you can get it at any bar or in the dining rooms. It is cheaper than the regular cocktails. Also, if you purchase one of the drinks in a hurricane glass at the sailaway party you can bring that glass to any bar and have it filled with the Drink of the Day for the same price, giving you more drink for the same cost.

4) Are the kids able to eat on their own if DH and I made reservations for brunch at Palo? (providing we can actually get a reservation). Are the kids limited to room service only, or can they get breakfast at a sit down venue without parents?

Your kids can eat anywhere they would like. For dinner they can go to your assigned dining room without you (your servers will take great care of them), the quick service options or Cabanas which changes from buffet to casual full-service for dinner. For breakfast and lunch they can go to the full-service dining room, the buffet, the quick service options near the pool. Room service is always an option as well.

5) We're considering adding a few days at WDW before the cruise. But from what I'm reading, getting the earliest Port time seems to be the best way to go, and I'm not sure Disney transportation would get us there very early. Is a private shuttle an option for an earlier arrival time?

We always rent a car. We usually pick it up from the Dolphin resort and return it in the port area. It is far cheaper than a private shuttle or Disney transfers and lets us set our own schedule. We usually have DH drop us and the luggage off at the port. He then returns the car and hops their shuttle back to the terminal. Easy peasy.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answers are in the quoted post. Hope that helps!

 

[noahsketomom]

ASAIK....
1. It's definitely a personal preference and most of my party prefers the late dining. It's much more relaxed, and I enjoy the quiet time on the pool deck while the early diners are getting ready for dinner.
2. You will dine at your pirate night place twice....once with pirate night menu, once with normal menu
3. Just a "thing." Sometimes they are good...othertimes just ok. Usually there are drink specials around happy hour (3-6pm ish) on the pool deck. Sometimes a BOGO, etc.
4. Yup. Can eat anywhere on their own. If room service, attendant will not enter room with kids in the room, but they will hand the tray to the kids. (Kids should tip them)
5. Yes private shuttle is option. We took a private car from POFQ to the Port and stopped at a grocery en route.

Have a great cruise!

 

[erionm]

Pirate Night will not be the first or last night of the cruise. This is due to luggage delivery on day 1 and luggage pickup on the last night.

 

[Floridatinaherb]

Answers are in the quoted post. Hope that helps!

I just typed almost the same exact thing!

Additionally for #5 I don't think that getting to the port at the earliest time is any better than getting there later. Unless you are going concierge and then you just get there whenever you want to! We are in Florida so we always just drive ourselves over, even when adding days at the parks before we get on the ship

 

[jdb in AZ]

Kids much younger than yours have eaten in the main dining rooms while their parents are at Palo. If they don't want breakfast in an MDR or room service, there's still the buffet up in Cabanas.

For private transportation, check out Happy Limo online. Since there's four of you, the cost will be comparable to the four of you taking the DCL transfer bus at $35 per person each way.

The later dining time will have fewer young kids.

on pirate night all the main dining rooms will be serving the pirate menu, so no matter which MDR you're assigned, you will have the pirate menu.

 

[Sir William]

Since you have teens, I suggest you stick with the second seating. There are usually fewer small children. I usually get a light snack about 4 or so to tide me over until dinner, so you won't have to go hungry.

Sorry, I don't pay too much attention to the MDR menus except to select my meal but you won't have the same menu twice.

Your teens are old enough that they should be able to eat in the MDR without you present, if they want. Just let your servers know the night before. But they may enjoy getting room service or the quick service venues at the pool more than dining in the MDR on their own.

With four people you're at the break even point between DCL transfers and a town car. If time is an issue for you, I'd go for the town car. My experience with the DCL transfers from the resorts has been they usually arrive at the port between 1 and 2.

 

[JW9DVC]

I read this site religiously, but rarely post. I've tried to find answers to my questions without success, so I thought I'd post. This community is so helpful!

Our family is cruising for the very first time in August - a 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream. DS is 16, DD is 13.

1) Only dining option available was the later dining time. TA said we could be put on the waitlist for the earlier time, but I honestly don't know which would be preferable. We typically eat around 6-6:30 at home. The teens have asked to maybe not be at a seating with lots of little ones, but I doubt we'd avoid that at any time. (I'm OK with anything, really)

2) On a 4 night cruise would we rotate for 3 of the nights in the main dining rooms and the 4th night is Pirate night? Or could we potentially miss one of the rotations regular menus due to Pirate night? (And therefore have the same menu at a location twice during the cruise?)

3) I saw on the Personal Navigators a 'drink of the day'. Is this available everywhere; is it discounted? What is the draw?

4) Are the kids able to eat on their own if DH and I made reservations for brunch at Palo? (providing we can actually get a reservation). Are the kids limited to room service only, or can they get breakfast at a sit down venue without parents?

5) We're considering adding a few days at WDW before the cruise. But from what I'm reading, getting the earliest Port time seems to be the best way to go, and I'm not sure Disney transportation would get us there very early. Is a private shuttle an option for an earlier arrival time?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Depending on what time zone you are in. We are ok with eating at the later seating as that is much closer to our time here in Californa. You will find less little ones at this seating as well, usually.

One way rental cars work well, if you don't mind driving. It's a time saver as well at the parks instead of relying on busses. Helps with shopping trips or off property dining.

JW

 

[DisneyMom111]

Additionally for #5 I don't think that getting to the port at the earliest time is any better than getting there later. Unless you are going concierge and then you just get there whenever you want to!

I'm glad you said this. We will be spending 2 days at WDW before our cruise in May and everything I was reading was making me second guess just using Disney Transportation because I was afraid we wouldn't get there early enough. My travel agent said it would be fine but I was beginning to think she lied...lol Thank you for the peace of mind.

 

[Anisum]

Yes, you can get it at any bar or in the dining rooms. It is cheaper than the regular cocktails. Also, if you purchase one of the drinks in a hurricane glass at the sailaway party you can bring that glass to any bar and have it filled with the Drink of the Day for the same price, giving you more drink for the same cost.

I never knew you could use the hurricane glasses. I may try that next time. Is there really that much more in them?

 

[Floridatinaherb]

I'm glad you said this. We will be spending 2 days at WDW before our cruise in May and everything I was reading was making me second guess just using Disney Transportation because I was afraid we wouldn't get there early enough. My travel agent said it would be fine but I was beginning to think she lied...lol Thank you for the peace of mind.

If you are using Disney transportation the ship will not leave without you!

 

[DisneyMom111]

If you are using Disney transportation the ship will not leave without you!

LOL, I wasn't worried about that, just that it seemed that the common advice is to get there early and that Disney Transportation gets you there later. I just wasn't sure if I was missing out on anything by getting there a little later on.

 

[boundfordisney]

LOL, I wasn't worried about that, just that it seemed that the common advice is to get there early and that Disney Transportation gets you there later. I just wasn't sure if I was missing out on anything by getting there a little later on.

we have always used disney transfers to get to port and have found it works out really well for us, no long lines by the time we get there, also we dont feel so rushed in the morning and can enjoy a leisure breakfast at the resort we stay at, travelling with teenage grandkids and they always like to sleep in a little so this was another little bonus, typically you are picked up 1130 sometimes 12 noon, and we like to watch the disney cartoons on the way, little more disney magic before getting to port!

 

[DisneyMom111]

we have always used disney transfers to get to port and have found it works out really well for us, no long lines by the time we get there, also we dont feel so rushed in the morning and can enjoy a leisure breakfast at the resort we stay at, travelling with teenage grandkids and they always like to sleep in a little so this was another little bonus, typically you are picked up 1130 sometimes 12 noon, and we like to watch the disney cartoons on the way, little more disney magic before getting to port!

Thanks, I feel so much better now. We are staying at AKL for the first time ever so I'd rather get as much time there as possible before we head to port!

 

[erionm]

LOL, I wasn't worried about that, just that it seemed that the common advice is to get there early and that Disney Transportation gets you there later. I just wasn't sure if I was missing out on anything by getting there a little later on.

Apparently, some people feel like they are missing out on something if they can't spend every possible second on the ship. That includes embarkation day.

 

[Floridatinaherb]

Apparently, some people feel like they are missing out on something if they can't spend every possible second on the ship. That includes embarkation day.

We got there as early as possible for our 2nd cruise and found that we spent more time trying to keep the littles busy while we waited than was worth the excitement of getting there early. Now the kids don't really care about getting there early (they are 10 and 14) since they have "been there, done that"...my DD's words on our last cruise LOL

 

[erionm]

I will admit that we usually get to the port early. We live 70 miles from PC, so it's either sit at home and wait or drive to the port and wait.

 

[tobikaye]

I read this site religiously, but rarely post. I've tried to find answers to my questions without success, so I thought I'd post. This community is so helpful!

Our family is cruising for the very first time in August - a 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream. DS is 16, DD is 13.

1) Only dining option available was the later dining time. TA said we could be put on the waitlist for the earlier time, but I honestly don't know which would be preferable. We typically eat around 6-6:30 at home. The teens have asked to maybe not be at a seating with lots of little ones, but I doubt we'd avoid that at any time. (I'm OK with anything, really)

5) We're considering adding a few days at WDW before the cruise. But from what I'm reading, getting the earliest Port time seems to be the best way to go, and I'm not sure Disney transportation would get us there very early. Is a private shuttle an option for an earlier arrival time?

1. I have only cruised once and had early dining, but we would have been just fine with the second seating. Funny enough, there were not that many young children in our vicinity during diner.

5. Unless I cruise concierge again, I doubt I would plan for the early boarding and would prefer to arrive later when we could basically walk in and onto the ship. In fact, even if I cruise concierge again, I would probably consider a later arrival just for the lack of craziness during screening and boarding. With early boarding, comes longer lines just to get into the terminal and everyone standing around waiting for their boarding to be called.

 

[Quellman]

Our dining rotation on the Dream 4 night in Feb this year was 1233, so it can vary. Night 3 was pirate night, as it often is.

If you don't want to miss out dining with your kids, book a later Palo and go to the Main dining room with them, then head off to Palo. If you can't get a reservation in advance, try and visit them embarkation day. They should be able to accommodate you

 

[elaine amj]

We got there early so we could have a paid for lunch and extra aquaduck time.

For my 3 daycruise, it was cheaper to rent a car, and park it then for2 separate one way rentals.