1st timer questions

[stink]

We are taking our first cruise in February on the Dream, 3 days Bahamas. We're very excited and a little nervous.

Prior to the cruise we will be staying at Beach Club and after the cruise staying at AKL Jumbo. Yesterday I booked transport to Port Car. & returning to AKL Jumbo via Disney Transport. How does luggage transfer work ? I was sent two tags, similar to Magical Express tags about a week ago. I am very familiar with using Magical Express, but not sure what to do with the Cruise tags since we will be at the Beach Club ?

We decided not to do any Port Excursions in Nassau, was that a mistake ? Are their shops or anything to see in walking distance of the dock and is it relatively safe to shop alone ?

 

[JARNJ3]

I am going to do this cruise in May. Staying one night before & after at Art of Animation. I have a question about insurance. Do you buy it for such a short cruise? What if something medical happens - I guess I'll contact my health insurer to see if I am covered in the Bahamas.

I haven't chosen yet which transportation to use - I would presume if you took Disney transport - your luggage would be delivered to the resort like Magical Express....

When I took the Disney cruise in Rome last year, I didn't put the DCL tranportation tags on my luggage until the day of...... We didn't see our luggage again until about 4 pm outside our cabin.

We also chose not to do a port excursion in Nassau. We were there many years ago, and have no interest. I'd rather spend the day participating in ship activities or just hanging out by the adult pool.

 

[Marc D]

We are taking our first cruise in February on the Dream, 3 days Bahamas. We're very excited and a little nervous.

Prior to the cruise we will be staying at Beach Club and after the cruise staying at AKL Jumbo. Yesterday I booked transport to Port Car. & returning to AKL Jumbo via Disney Transport. How does luggage transfer work ? I was sent two tags, similar to Magical Express tags about a week ago. I am very familiar with using Magical Express, but not sure what to do with the Cruise tags since we will be at the Beach Club ?

We decided not to do any Port Excursions in Nassau, was that a mistake ? Are their shops or anything to see in walking distance of the dock and is it relatively safe to shop alone ?

The evening before your cruise, you’ll receive a letter giving you the time of the transfer to the ship. At 8AM on the morning of the cruise, they go around the rooms and collect the luggage that have the cruise tags on them - the ones you received in the mail. If you prefer, you can also bring your luggage to the bus yourself. Some people do not want to ready them so early in the day. The bus usually leaves between 10:30AM and 1PM. You do not see your luggage again until later in the day at your stateroom. Bring in a carry-on anything you need until then. The tags indicate where to send your luggage.

On the way back from the ship, you collect your luggage in the terminal, go through customs then bring it to the bus designated for AKL. No tags are needed for the bus.

There is a market around the port area in Nassau. I see no interest in it but that’s personal. The main area is pretty safe but the vendors can be very insistant and some try to scam some families by forcing them to pay for a service they did not ask for. Do not venture on your own in the back streets. If you want to see the city, I would suggest to book a DCL tour.

 

[Mommb]

I have a question about insurance. Do you buy it for such a short cruise? What if something medical happens - I guess I'll contact my health insurer to see if I am covered in the Bahamas.

Whether to buy insurance is a personal choice.

Some medical insurance covers treatment in other countries and some does not. You will also need to check whether your insurance would cover treatment onboard the ship. Another cost that your regular insurance may not cover is transportation back to the US during or after treatment. You might need this if something happens that can't be treated on the ship and you are still in Nassau when the ship departs, or if you have a condition that would be best treated at a US hospital.

Insurance can reimburse you if you need to cancel a cruise after the paid-in-full date for a covered reason. The reasons that are covered vary by insurance provider and plan, but typically include unforeseen weather (e.g., a winter storm that interferes with your travel plans) and unexpected medical diagnosis that leaves you unable to travel.