3 night Dream with DDs 25 and 12 - 1st DCL cruise

[freshstart19]

Hello! I am booking the August 28th, 3 night Dream next week.

I've only been on one cruise and it was 17 years ago on my honeymoon. DD12 is obsessed with Disney. Went to WDW in 2012 and Disneyland last summer. We previously were on the every 5 years or so plan for Disney since we have limited vacation time. I've always wanted to try a DCL cruise. DH is not interested at all and worried about being claustrophobic. The 3 night cruise is our family compromise after 4 days at WDW which I'm already stressing about. FP+ has me totally worried on the WDW portion of our trip. I've been researching for hours and have come up with these tips. Am I missing anything?

With booking so late and being a first timer, we will not have many options for excursions. I went ahead and booked the Comfort Suites for Atlantis. I've very torn between Atlantis and a dolphin encounter. Went to Discovery Cove about 15 yeas ago and it was great. DD12 hasn't had that experience yet.

DD12 is excited about kids club. Giving a spa treament on board for DD25 for her September bday. Is there a good time to do that on such a short cruise?

Very confused about boarding early or not. DH hates lines so to start a cruise he does't want to go on in a long line might be a bad omen! I've read it's more relaxing to wait until 12:30 so we can walk on with no hassle. Would DD12 be missing anything by not boarding early?
Is there a preference of dining rotation order? I don’t want to miss Animator’s with a Palo reservation.
Does everyone do Pirates Night? Afraid with DH25 that might be a bit much.
Read that preferable deck levels are between 5 and 8 so you’re not doing too much walking in either direction up or down.
There is shade to be found on Castaway Cay so a cabana wouldn’t be so necessary. We’re booking late so we probably don’t have too many options for getting one anyway.

Do Aquaduck at night.

Sign up for 50 MB of internet when arrive.

Keep wireless devices turned off so no data automatically downloads.

Best lounge on Dream is Pink.

Which show would appeal to both DD12 and DD25?

Our flight out of Orlando is at noon. We're planning renting a car for a week and parking it which is cheaper than paying the RT ground transfer for 5 and will give us more time at the resort on the morning of departure. How quickly can we get off the ship? I've read that lines can be long but others get off quickly.

Is it true that you can bring wine on board in your carry on?

It's hard to please a family of such diverse ages!!

Thanks for your help!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hello! I am booking the August 28th, 3 night Dream next week.

I've only been on one cruise and it was 17 years ago on my honeymoon. DD12 is obsessed with Disney. Went to WDW in 2012 and Disneyland last summer. We previously were on the every 5 years or so plan for Disney since we have limited vacation time. I've always wanted to try a DCL cruise. DH is not interested at all and worried about being claustrophobic. The 3 night cruise is our family compromise after 4 days at WDW which I'm already stressing about. FP+ has me totally worried on the WDW portion of our trip. I've been researching for hours and have come up with these tips. Am I missing anything?

With booking so late and being a first timer, we will not have many options for excursions. I went ahead and booked the Comfort Suites for Atlantis. I've very torn between Atlantis and a dolphin encounter. Went to Discovery Cove about 15 yeas ago and it was great. DD12 hasn't had that experience yet.

DD12 is excited about kids club. Giving a spa treament on board for DD25 for her September bday. Is there a good time to do that on such a short cruise?

Very confused about boarding early or not. DH hates lines so to start a cruise he does't want to go on in a long line might be a bad omen!

I like to go early but if you hate lines go 1pm>3pm.

I've read it's more relaxing to wait until 12:30 so we can walk on with no hassle.

True

Would DD12 be missing anything by not boarding early? No.

Is there a preference of dining rotation order?

On a 4 night no but the Animators palate show first night is nice.


I don’t want to miss Animator’s with a Palo reservation.

Put a request in for rotation so say AP first night and book palo on other nights.

Does everyone do Pirates Night? Yes


Afraid with DH25 that might be a bit much. No its fun

Read that preferable deck levels are between 5 and 8 so you’re not doing too much walking in either direction up or down.

Yes they are very good.

There is shade to be found on Castaway Cay so a cabana wouldn’t be so necessary.

Lots get off quickly to snag it. Get off second tram stop or walk up beach from first stop.

We’re booking late so we probably don’t have too many options for getting one anyway.

Agree

Do Aquaduck at night. Pirates night is good post show.

Sign up for 50 MB of internet when arrive. Yes

Keep wireless devices turned off so no data automatically downloads. Yes

Best lounge on Dream is Pink. Yes

Which show would appeal to both DD12 and DD25?

All will all good.

Our flight out of Orlando is at noon. Fine


We're planning renting a car for a week and parking it which is cheaper than paying the RT ground transfer for 5 and will give us more time at the resort on the morning of departure. How quickly can we get off the ship? Around 7.30am

I've read that lines can be long but others get off quickly. Yes peak time 8am to 9am

Is it true that you can bring wine on board in your carry on? Yes

It's hard to please a family of such diverse ages!!

Thanks for your help!

Updating reply


Very confused about boarding early or not. DH hates lines so to start a cruise he does't want to go on in a long line might be a bad omen! I've read it's more relaxing to wait until 12:30 so we can walk on with no hassle. Would DD12 be missing anything by not boarding early?
Is there a preference of dining rotation order? I don’t want to miss Animator’s with a Palo reservation.
Does everyone do Pirates Night? Afraid with DH25 that might be a bit much.
Read that preferable deck levels are between 5 and 8 so you’re not doing too much walking in either direction up or down.
There is shade to be found on Castaway Cay so a cabana wouldn’t be so necessary. We’re booking late so we probably don’t have too many options for getting one anyway.

Do Aquaduck at night. Pirate night good post show

Sign up for 50 MB of internet when arrive. YES

Keep wireless devices turned off so no data automatically downloads. YES

Best lounge on Dream is Pink.YES

Which show would appeal to both DD12 and DD25? ALL



Our flight out of Orlando is at noon. Fine


We're planning renting a car for a week and parking it which is cheaper than paying the RT ground transfer for 5 and will give us more time at the resort on the morning of departure. How quickly can we get off the ship? Around 7.30am

I've read that lines can be long but others get off quickly. Yes peak time 8am to 9am

Is it true that you can bring wine on board in your carry on? Yes

 

[Bruiserknits]

The "best" bar is very subjective. We loved going into the 687 Pub. It is quiet, has a nice charm to it, has board games you can play, the bartender and wait staff are quite fun and are basically thrilled to have someone come in. They will even change the channel on the humongous television if you ask nicely. We had the pub to ourselves the last night after the Pirate party and played Adult Chutes and Ladders (take a drink every time you hit a chute). We also really enjoyed Skylines and the bartender told us all kinds of interesting facts about the ship as we sat at the bar before going to dinner. (And the Paris 75 drink is well worth the $10)

Don't overplan or over think. There is plenty to do and being flexible on a 3 night cruise is crucial. We don't get off at Nassau on a 3 day because A) nothing interests us there and B) more ship time. We did the Aqueduct during the day and only had about a 25 minute wait, it wasn't bad.

If you board after noon you usually don't have much of a line and can usually board right away. We had a 12:20 PAT and were able to board immediately. We actually went and visited with Pluto (or some other character) before boarding. Once on board you can head to a restaurant to eat (Cabanas can be busy, but Enchanted Garden was not busy at all).

My daughter suffers from mild agoraphobia and claustrophobia. That was our main reason for getting a verandah room so she could go outside and breathe and not be around people if she needed to. She was fine and never felt crowded even when we went to the pirate and sailaway parties. There are plenty of places to find open spaces and get away from people. The adult areas were also never crowded. We sat on the promenade deck one afternoon for a while and never saw a single person.

Since you are only doing a 3 night cruise, I would skip Palo unless you do a brunch. The dining rooms are all so beautiful and unique that you don't want to miss one. I might do Palo on a 4 night cruise, but definitely on a 7 or 11 night cruise. Also there may not be seatings available at Palo this late in the game (nor cabanas for that matter). You may also be limited as to times available for spa treatments. The more convenient ones fill up quickly on a 3 nighter. They aren't unavailable, but sometimes not convenient for when you want to do something (excursions on Nassau or while you are on Castaway Cay).

I think if I ever do another 3 nighter I will skip Castaway Cay day and stay on board (like I did at Nassau) and enjoy more of the ship offerings. I"m not a very beachy person anyway so would have enjoyed a lounge chair and a fruity cocktail while enjoying the view.

 

[freshstart19]

The "best" bar is very subjective. We loved going into the 687 Pub. It is quiet, has a nice charm to it, has board games you can play, the bartender and wait staff are quite fun and are basically thrilled to have someone come in. They will even change the channel on the humongous television if you ask nicely. We had the pub to ourselves the last night after the Pirate party and played Adult Chutes and Ladders (take a drink every time you hit a chute). We also really enjoyed Skylines and the bartender told us all kinds of interesting facts about the ship as we sat at the bar before going to dinner. (And the Paris 75 drink is well worth the $10)

Don't overplan or over think. There is plenty to do and being flexible on a 3 night cruise is crucial. We don't get off at Nassau on a 3 day because A) nothing interests us there and B) more ship time. We did the Aqueduct during the day and only had about a 25 minute wait, it wasn't bad.

If you board after noon you usually don't have much of a line and can usually board right away. We had a 12:20 PAT and were able to board immediately. We actually went and visited with Pluto (or some other character) before boarding. Once on board you can head to a restaurant to eat (Cabanas can be busy, but Enchanted Garden was not busy at all).

My daughter suffers from mild agoraphobia and claustrophobia. That was our main reason for getting a verandah room so she could go outside and breathe and not be around people if she needed to. She was fine and never felt crowded even when we went to the pirate and sailaway parties. There are plenty of places to find open spaces and get away from people. The adult areas were also never crowded. We sat on the promenade deck one afternoon for a while and never saw a single person.

Since you are only doing a 3 night cruise, I would skip Palo unless you do a brunch. The dining rooms are all so beautiful and unique that you don't want to miss one. I might do Palo on a 4 night cruise, but definitely on a 7 or 11 night cruise. Also there may not be seatings available at Palo this late in the game (nor cabanas for that matter). You may also be limited as to times available for spa treatments. The more convenient ones fill up quickly on a 3 nighter. They aren't unavailable, but sometimes not convenient for when you want to do something (excursions on Nassau or while you are on Castaway Cay).

I think if I ever do another 3 nighter I will skip Castaway Cay day and stay on board (like I did at Nassau) and enjoy more of the ship offerings. I"m not a very beachy person anyway so would have enjoyed a lounge chair and a fruity cocktail while enjoying the view.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for your reply. Palo for brunch sounds like a good idea. I guess I'll have what my options are when I'm able to book.

 

[RHSTigerMom]

Thanks for your reply. Palo for brunch sounds like a good idea. I guess I'll have what my options are when I'm able to book.

Honestly, on a 3-night I would skip Nassau and even Palo brunch. There is so much to see and do on the ship and your time is short.

Put phones in airplane mode and turn off background updating. You'll need wifi turned on to use the Navigator app.

If you board around 12:30 you won't miss anything. Make sure DD12 goes to Edge the first day and helps plan the activities.

A noon flight should be no problem. Everyone has to be off by 9:00 and if you park at the port, you can walk right to your car.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for the additional info! Is there a preference for the shows? I can't imagine checking them all out on such a short cruise. I'm hoping I can hook my DH on this one and spring for the Mediterranean cruise in the future! Barcelona is on our list of places to go.

 

[ColtGurl]

For a spa service for you DD25 she can visit the Spa during the open house and schedule an appointment. During the open house is a good time for her to tour the spa and find something that she may like. My DD20 did a Fire and Ice Pedicure and LOVED IT!

 

[Bruiserknits]

Thanks for the additional info! Is there a preference for the shows? I can't imagine checking them all out on such a short cruise. I'm hoping I can hook my DH on this one and spring for the Mediterranean cruise in the future! Barcelona is on our list of places to go.

There is a different show each night and they are all worth it. Each is right at an hour long (perhaps a bit more) and great whether you are eating late and go to the show first or eating early and going afterwards. They truly are not to be missed, especially if you are a big Disney fan. Lots of varying aged humor. What I wouldn't "waste" my time on is going to see a movie unless it is a new release and you plan on going to see it.

 

[freshstart19]

Hello. Thanks for the additional replies. If we don't get off the ship at Nassau, what would there be to do onboard other than hang out by the pool?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello. Thanks for the additional replies. If we don't get off the ship at Nassau, what would there be to do onboard other than hang out by the pool?

You can look here http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ to see past Navigators and get an idea of what sorts of activities are available onboard.

 

[Bruiserknits]

Hello. Thanks for the additional replies. If we don't get off the ship at Nassau, what would there be to do onboard other than hang out by the pool?

The spa, mixology classes, the making of the ship, movies (both at the theater and in the pool), tours, kid and family activities. I spent quite some time simply walking around the ship being amazed. Also character greetings happen while in port as well and are generally less crowded. There is plenty to do!

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks again for the new replies. Just booked today. Working on my FP+ for WDW which is pre-cruise. That process is very nerve wracking!!

 

[kiford]

Very confused about boarding early or not. DH hates lines so to start a cruise he does't want to go on in a long line might be a bad omen! I've read it's more relaxing to wait until 12:30 so we can walk on with no hassle. Would DD12 be missing anything by not boarding early?

Is there a preference of dining rotation order? I don’t want to miss Animator’s with a Palo reservation.

Does everyone do Pirates Night? Afraid with DH25 that might be a bit much.

Read that preferable deck levels are between 5 and 8 so you’re not doing too much walking in either direction up or down.

There is shade to be found on Castaway Cay so a cabana wouldn’t be so necessary. We’re booking late so we probably don’t have too many options for getting one anyway.

Best lounge on Dream is Pink.

It's hard to please a family of such diverse ages!!

I don't think you miss anything by boarding later. We always take DCL transfers from WDW and end up boarding just before we are able to go to our stateroom and then head for lunch. We're still able to fit in a lot between boarding and the muster drill.

We've never picked a dining rotation.

I would personally recommend not doing Palo on your first cruise especially one that's only 3 days even though we love Palo. Best to experience all three main dining rooms on your first time. Then it really doesn't matter what your rotation is.

We're in our 50's and our first cruise was when we were in our 30's. We still pirate night every time. Disney has a way of making everyone feel like a kid regardless of age. We always have a good time, even if it's just watching the kids feel the magic.

We like decks 6 or 7 but everyone has different preference. Pick the room category that suits you, is the right price for you and figure out if you like where you end. You're only on board for 3 days. You'll figure it out. It's not really that far from anything no matter where you are and sometimes a bit of walk is good to work off the extra calories.

We've never had problems finding shade at Castaway Cay. Never seen the purpose of a cabana, although we're not big beach people. Plus there's lots of different things to do at CC so you may not even want to be tied down to one location if you were even able to nab a cabana.

We liked Pink but preferred Meridian (between Palo and Remy). There is an outside deck there too which is nice and it's never very crowded because a lot of people think it's only for those going to either Palo or Remy (it's not).

The great thing about DCL is that they have something for every age group. You don't always need to be together all day. You can each find something to do. We never did get around to doing the Midship Detective game and since we usually cruise the Magic, it's not available there. Next time we do Dream or Fantasy we will definitely do it.

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for the additional information. I guess I need to be prepared for pirate night! Just booked yesterday. We were able to get a verandah cabin on deck 8 close to midship. Looks like it's near the elevator bank. We chose to get a separate inside cabin for DD25 and DD12 so they could have a sleepover. Won't know where their cabin is until just before the cruise. I just hope it's not on deck 1. The only dining seating left was the 2nd one which isn't bad since I don't have younger kids. We will be starving by then though! We may need to order room service one night. So, I guess we do the early shows. Probably won't want to do them all so will be checking those out.

The attire is advertised as resort casual. Are Bermuda shorts ok?

Looking forward to reading some of the navigators this weekend! I can relax a bit since I got my Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet at WDW.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Hi freshstart! I went on my first cruise at 23, and then went on cruises at 25 and 26, all Disney, all just me and my mom. I absolutely loved them and i think that your DD25 will have a great time as well. One of my favorite things was the mixology or tasting class. If your DD and you or your husband enjoy trying different cocktails, that is a great activity. I think it's worth the hour even on the shorter cruise.

I agree with the poster above who said that the pirate party/sail away is fun for all ages. Personally, I don't dress up for pirate night and am happy to stand towards the back, but it's a fun event.

As for attire, shorts are totally acceptable. You will see people wearing a range of clothing. I normally go for a sundress for dinner, but that is 100% personal preference. Don't worry about going hungry - there is always food available! We love to have an afternoon snack from the pool deck (those french fries are addictive!) or a sweet snack from one of the coffee areas. Hope you all have a great time!

 

[freshstart19]

Hi BelleWannabe4, thanks for your reply. It would be fun to take a mixology class while DD12 is in the teen club. Thanks for the suggestion.