August 16, 2011, Disney Dream - Part 2

[jbm02]

We just came back from a 4 day cruise on the Dream and had a surprise double dip to Castaway Cay. Then spent 3 days in Disney's Old Key West resort. Weather was hot and sunny throughout. Our second day in CC happened because the Aquaduck broke down in the afternoon and they had to get replacement part shipped over to CC to fix it.
The 2nd day in CC was so much more relaxing and quiet. I think that half the passengers stayed on board ship. DD14 even got to try out a hammock on the family beach for the first time out of 7 visits to the island.
The Dream is a beautiful and elegant ship. Not sure about the iron gates they have on the concierge deck though, kinds of reminds me of the Titanic where they separated the classes.
Make sure you have comfortable shoes. It is not so easy to gain weight on this ship with all the walking up and down and along the decks.
Didn't get to try out Palo's or Remmy since I wanted to be able to experience all the restaurants. Animator's palate is not to be missed. It is a vast improvement compared to the Magic and Wonder.The Pirates party was not as fun as on the Magic or Wonder, but the stage show was very different and good.
Aquaduck is worth riding at least once. We waited for 30 minutes on the Nassau morning. This was at 9.30am. Not scary at all. If you've tried Slush n Gusher at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, then it's very tame.
We had a cat 8C, cabin and it was very big, the living floor space was more than that of the standard cat 5 cabins since it used the verandah floor space inside. Portholes are enormous and have a cushy window seat.
I did a cabin tour and I can say that anyone with an inside cabin will not be disappointed. The layout of the Dream's cabins make them feel more spacious than that of the Magic or Wonder.
Another tip, get to port early. We got there at 11.30am and got boarding #26 we did not board until 2.15pm. Almost missed my 2.30p disboard meeting. There's twice as many people on this ship so it takes longer to board.
Also gold and platinum castaway club members get $25 dollars on board credit each time they spend $100 or over on the ship.
One more tip pack early and recheck your packing list. I've cruised so many times and tend to pack at the last minute, but this time it cost me. I forgot the swim suits, PJs and beach bags. So it gave me an excuse to go buy Disney Logo replacements from the character store in the Orlando outlet and on board ship. The good thing was that I had packed the Fishextender gifts already in my checkin suitcase and refused to take it out while packing the the rest of our stuff, so that thank goodness came along with us.

Hi! My parents, sister and her family were on the same cruise!!! It was their first Disney cruise, after hearing us go on..and on..and on...about how terrific it is.

One question - they thought the ship was "teeming" with kids (granted, it was spring break week!). How would you compare the crowds on the Dream vs. crowds on the Magic/Wonder? Did Disney do a good job in trying to allocate space/things to do with so many more cruisers?

 

[FJS961]

THANKYOU for all the info !!!!!
Can you tell us AT WHAT TIME DCL STARTED TO EMBARK PEOPLE ??

DGH is thinking of arriving to the port around 10.00 am ..........

Laura,
Diana and I did the Dream in March and they started boarding at 11:45. Thats the usual time unless there is a problem.

 

[hmansure]

THANKYOU for all the info !!!!!
Can you tell us AT WHAT TIME DCL STARTED TO EMBARK PEOPLE ??

DGH is thinking of arriving to the port around 10.00 am ..........

We may be right behind you at 10:00AM!!! In the past we've arrived around 11:30-ish, but that seems like that would mean a lot of waiting around for boarding on the Dream.... I'm not too fond of waiting around (something I'm working on )!!!

 

[uncw89]

I definitely second rechecking the packing list...Last year, with all the craziness of moving the week of the cruise, we forgot the entire kid's suitcase. The whole thing!!! We stopped at Target before we got to the ship but guess what? At that time, we still had not noticed the missing suitcase. When did I notice? Right as we were going to do the drill. So, no time for shopping, just enough time for a nervous breakdown. The only good thing was that the kids outfits for our vow renewal were in the garment bag, so we at least had them. Although, we had no shoes, pjs, swim suits, socks, undies or anything else. Only the clothes on their backs...

When some crew members found out what happended, they gave us some t-shirts and shorts which at least worked for pjs and stuff. Needless, to say we had to buy a lot of things on the ship. That was definitely a bill we will never forget.

Thank you for all this info!!!



You all need to please stop with the forgetting clothes talk. :eek: I have literally been having nightmares about this the past few weeks. I've dreamt I forgot my fancy dress, shoes, etc. I don't need anymore fuel to my own craziness thank you all very much.

I agree! Now I will make sure to double and triple check my luggage to make sure I have everything!!!
We won't need real fancy duds, will we? I didn't think there was a formal night on this cruise?
Count me in on getting to the port early! We like to get there early. I hope to be on the first shuttle from CI&S!!!!

 

[BigDogHU75]

We were thinking about arriving at the port around 10:30 a.m. but might arrive earlier. What time does the port open? Also, is DCL still having you select your arrival time when you do online check-in? If so, does it matter if you arrive at the port earlier than your selected arrival time?


Also, for those who have the goal of losing weight before the cruise, don't forget about the thread over on W.I.S.H. forum started by Joanna (Mjasp) for those on our cruise who want to lose weight. Click here for the link.

 

[hbg4]

Hi! My parents, sister and her family were on the same cruise!!! It was their first Disney cruise, after hearing us go on..and on..and on...about how terrific it is.

One question - they thought the ship was "teeming" with kids (granted, it was spring break week!). How would you compare the crowds on the Dream vs. crowds on the Magic/Wonder? Did Disney do a good job in trying to allocate space/things to do with so many more cruisers?

The deck parties were crowded, but since the area was bigger, it wasn't too bad. Also at Castaway Cay family beach, the quiet end just beyond the huge pile of rocks use to be very quiet. Pelican slide is there now, so that area is crowded too. Serenity bay was very peaceful with loads of hammocks and chairs. Sand is much softer and water clearer with bigger fish. Probably because there were alot more families on on the family beach.
Because of the the shows and dinner being staggered, and overall spacious size of the ship, I did not notice the extra cruisers. There are also more elevators to use.
Anyway I've only ever been on the Disney ships in April spring break and august for the relocation cruises and there are always over 500 kids. On this cruise there were 300 teenagers, so I can imagine that there were alot more younger children. My DM, thought there were more children than adults when we were waiting at the port to board. Once on the ship, you only notice alot of them at dinner. Disney did a good job.

 

[hbg4]

We were thinking about arriving at the port around 10:30 a.m. but might arrive earlier. What time does the port open? Also, is DCL still having you select your arrival time when you do online check-in? If so, does it matter if you arrive at the port earlier than your selected arrival time?


Also, for those who have the goal of losing weight before the cruise, don't forget about the thread over on W.I.S.H. forum started by Joanna (Mjasp) for those on our cruise who want to lose weight. Click here for the link.

Yes, I selected 11-11.30am arrival, but no-one checked my supposed arrival time when I came, I just got handed the #26 boarding paper. I heard that the only people who got the #2 boarding were cruisers who arrived 9.30a- 10am.
Some-one posted somewhere on the boards the port opens at 10am and you can avoid the crowds waiting to enter the port by going up to Level 3 of the parking lot. I'll try that next time.

 

[Mjasp]

I definitely second rechecking the packing list...Last year, with all the craziness of moving the week of the cruise, we forgot the entire kid's suitcase. The whole thing!!! We stopped at Target before we got to the ship but guess what? At that time, we still had not noticed the missing suitcase. When did I notice? Right as we were going to do the drill. So, no time for shopping, just enough time for a nervous breakdown. The only good thing was that the kids outfits for our vow renewal were in the garment bag, so we at least had them. Although, we had no shoes, pjs, swim suits, socks, undies or anything else. Only the clothes on their backs...

When some crew members found out what happended, they gave us some t-shirts and shorts which at least worked for pjs and stuff. Needless, to say we had to buy a lot of things on the ship. That was definitely a bill we will never forget.

That was nice of the crew, on a trip tp Florida we have forgotten things, but on cruises I am extra careful because I know there aren't many stores on board to buy clothes.

It's awesome that you got a surprise double dip! I also REALLY want to get to the port early. Hopefully your post will convince my mom that we need to.

There is no way I want to be at the port at 11 to board at 3
I'm actually hoping by the time we sail, Disney will have this worked out?
Do you select your time of boarding/arrival when you check in online?

 

[Amanda132]

You all need to please stop with the forgetting clothes talk. I have literally been having nightmares about this the past few weeks. I've dreamt I forgot my fancy dress, shoes, etc. I don't need anymore fuel to my own craziness thank you all very much.

I went on a cruise with my boyfriend once, and he forgot his dress shoes! He remembered his dress clothes, but he had to wear sneakers with them! Needless to say, I only bought the waist-up photo of us.

 

[Amanda132]

There is no way I want to be at the port at 11 to board at 3
I'm actually hoping by the time we sail, Disney will have this worked out?
Do you select your time of boarding/arrival when you check in online?

That's why we need to get there at 10, so we can board at noon! You do select it when you check in online, but as hbg4 said, lately they've been handing you a boarding number when you walk in, so you can arrive earlier than your scheduled time, and it doesn't matter.

 

[elgerber]

I went on a cruise with my boyfriend once, and he forgot his dress shoes! He remembered his dress clothes, but he had to wear sneakers with them! Needless to say, I only bought the waist-up photo of us.

Reminds me of my hubbys senior prom. We doubled with a couple and we stayed at a hotel for the night. Well he forgot his tennis shoes and when we left in the morning he had to wear his sweatshirt, jeans and his tux shoes...and they were glossy white! it was hysterical!

 

[kritter]

Hey Everyone,

So far we have 40 families signed up for the FE Exchange!! This does not include Jen and Jude's information andI think they both will participating. So I would say we will closer to 45...

The final day to sign-up is May 16th. That evening I will email everyone on the list the spread-sheet with their assigned groups information.

THANKS!!

 

[Woobie]

Hey Everyone,

So far we have 40 families signed up for the FE Exchange!! This does not include Jen and Jude's information andI think they both will participating. So I would say we will closer to 45...

The final day to sign-up is May 16th. That evening I will email everyone on the list the spread-sheet with their assigned groups information.

THANKS!!

Thank you so much for doing this and for the update!!!

 

[Amanda132]

Hey Everyone,

So far we have 40 families signed up for the FE Exchange!! This does not include Jen and Jude's information andI think they both will participating. So I would say we will closer to 45...

The final day to sign-up is May 16th. That evening I will email everyone on the list the spread-sheet with their assigned groups information.

THANKS!!

So soon! I'm so excited! Then I'll start really thinking about FEs!

 

[disfaninca]

Hello everyone!!
Thanks Kristin for doing the FEs!!
All the cruisers coming back from their cruises is getting me so excited about our cruise in August!! I love reading about the experiences! Thanks for the advice too!

Well we are leaving Friday morning to drive to AZ to drop off DD and pick up other DD and her DH, then we are flying out of Phoenix Sat and heading to Charlotte for an over night layover, then heading to San Juan Sunday morning to board the ship for our repo cruise to NYC. Whew, lots of traveling before we even board the ship! LOL
I am going to be crazy busy tomorrow getting ready! I still have lots to do! I hope I can get everything done in time!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Laura,
Diana and I did the Dream in March and they started boarding at 11:45. Thats the usual time unless there is a problem.

We may be right behind you at 10:00AM!!! In the past we've arrived around 11:30-ish, but that seems like that would mean a lot of waiting around for boarding on the Dream.... I'm not too fond of waiting around (something I'm working on )!!!

Yes, I selected 11-11.30am arrival, but no-one checked my supposed arrival time when I came, I just got handed the #26 boarding paper. I heard that the only people who got the #2 boarding were cruisers who arrived 9.30a- 10am.
Some-one posted somewhere on the boards the port opens at 10am and you can avoid the crowds waiting to enter the port by going up to Level 3 of the parking lot. I'll try that next time.

THANKYOU !!!! We will be arriving with a town car , so I guess we will ask for departure from AKL about 8.30 !!!!!
I am the one who arrives 30 minutes BEFORE the planned meeting time ... at work but also with friends / family reunions !!


Seriously , I hope for #2 boarding paper : we'll have so much to explore !!!!

Usually at OUR check-in counter there is a short line - or no line at all ...
A PRIVILEGE of being FOREIGNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then .................... I can start to ... chat :
I think that many of us will be there so IMHO the waiting won't look sooooooooooo long

laura

 

[elgerber]

Ugh Delta strikes again! First they moved our flight into Orlando back 2 1/2 hours, not arriving until 8pm. I got that corrected so we now get in mid afternoon. Now I just got an e-mail saying our flight out of Orlando has been changed from 12:18 to 10:45 am!!! Um, NO, don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Ugh Delta strikes again! First they moved our flight into Orlando back 2 1/2 hours, not arriving until 8pm. I got that corrected so we now get in mid afternoon. Now I just got an e-mail saying our flight out of Orlando has been changed from 12:18 to 10:45 am!!! Um, NO, don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG !! We are flying Delta too !! and we have our "connecting " flight from Europe within few hours !!!
Off to DOUBLE CHECK our flights status !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for letting us know !!!

 

[acomasdiaz]

We've been debating what time to arrive at the port as well...We usually arrive around 10:30am but was afraid after hearing about the boarding numbers. I can't imagine waiting 3 or 4 hours in the lobby with the kids. We would all go stir crazy.

Laura ~ What town car service are you using? We need to book one too.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

We've been debating what time to arrive at the port as well...We usually arrive around 10:30am but was afraid after hearing about the boarding numbers. I can't imagine waiting 3 or 4 hours in the lobby with the kids. We would all go stir crazy.

Laura ~ What town car service are you using? We need to book one too.

We used Florida Tours town cars over the past years , but twice they had heavy delays : last cruise we arrived to the port in the afternoon , FL Tours driver told us there was a mess in reservations ................. he arrived to pick us up with more than 1 hour delay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was so nervous ... and did not enjoy all the "embarking" procedure .......

So this time we are looking for another company ; we have heard good comments about HAPPY LIMO ...

Can someone recommend a reliable town car service ? Suggestions please !!!

laura