I have learned a great deal from this web-site and thought
I would contribute to it for the novices. While there's alot
of good information, there are a few things that weren't
quite covered (or maybe I missed them). Anyway here goes:
We just returned from the 3-day Wonder cruise; it was our
first. We all enjoyed it partially due to the information
provided here. Thanks to all of those who take the time to
contribute all of that information.
For reference, there are 5 family members with kids aged
13(m), 11(f) and 8(f). We drove first to WDW and stayed a few
days, then headed to the cruise.
I found great directions from WDW to Port Canaveral, however
either I missed it, or else it was over looked but... The famous
Bee-Line (528) splits near I-95. I saw no signage indicating
which direction to take. Go to the RIGHT! If there is no signage
indicating Port canaveral, follow signs to Coco Beach and I-95 South.
(The mix-up occurred because there was only signage for the Beach
and NASA Space center, and given the association of Canaveral and
NASA, I went the wrong way)
The detailed instructions for getting to the boat once at Port
Canaveral are good except our Disney Documentation said Terminal '8';
the actual Terminal is 'A'. The recommendation to drop off
passengers and luggage then park is wise, but there are two things to
note. First, stay in the left hand lane when approaching the terminal;
there will be a line that appears not to move, stay in it. They check
photo ID's for every one 18 or older against the ship's manifest. (If
they don't think you belong there, you don't!) Second, and perhaps
more important is parking. There are plenty of warnings about paying
for parking and they should be heeded. Parking is run by the Port
Authority, not Disney. Currently, it costs $30 to park for the
three-day cruise, in advance. I don't know where people come up
with the daily rate, there is none posted now. However the biggest
warning is the little one which I never once saw mentioned: ANTS!
This is important for dads who drop off their family, then get
confronted by the warning sign at the booth when they pay for
parking. Believe me, the only people who know where the food is
were just dropped off, excited to go on their cruise. Dad is left
with attempting to locate any and all opened foodstuffs. I failed
to find all sources and drove home with a couple of hundred Florida
insects. It might be worth a couple of dollars to spray insecticide
around all of the car doorways before leaving.
The week before we left, the Travel Channel had a few programs
about cruises. On in particular caught my eye, because they kept
emphasizing: It's a boat, it moves! Well guess what? It's a boat,
it moves! My wife thought that with a boat this big motion would
be dampened. Well, It's a boat, it moves! On the way out to
Nassau, we picked up some strong currents from the hurricane du jour.
One of my kids got ill (the head waiter had dramamine), and another
was ill because of worry about the first. The server gave us a whole
package of crackers to take back to the cabin which did help a
great deal. My advice is to perhaps see the pediatrician prior to
leaving and have on hand the best possible remedy just in case
(and don't pack it, keep it with you). The best thing to do is
to keep up conversation and distractions, any mental power devoted
to thinking about movement will worsen the condition. (As I
write this I'm experiencing the opposite effect, where you feel
like you're on the boat but not).
Kids: The whole reason that you're probably on this cruise. First,
we had no activities overlap; each of the kids was involved in a
different "group." We were concerned initially, but it wasn't a
problem. We opted to let our 8 yo sign herself out. She's a mature 8,
and we thought it was ok to try. It worked out well. They issue you
a beeper for contact in the event of a problem. There's a little
catch-22 about beepers that I'll cover later. After the initial
check in, while my wife was catching a nap, I took the kids on a
deck by deck tour (this was new to me also). I quizzed them on
their location, and how to get back to the room. We discussed how
to find things and what to do in an emergency. It was an hour well
spent, and I got many (answerable) questions. After that I went
to guest services and removed charging privileges. We were told that
this had to be done at Guest services on the ship. They took the kids
cards and punched a hole in them so they could be placed on a
lanyard (don't forget to bring one for each child, the card can easily
fall out of a pocket).
Our kids loved the activities at the Club and Lab. So much so that
they didn't want to check out Nassau! (We did a little of each).
They read their Navigators and scheduled activities that they wanted
to do. We imposed a bedtime for the first evening, but then let
them do what they wanted, returning to the cabin by themselves. While
late, they were home by midnight with no apparent ill effects.
The catch-22 comes about at the end of the cruise. Beepers must be
turned in by midnight before the cruise end. The problem is that once
you turn in the beeper, your child cannot enter the Oceaneers Club.
The problem arises only when your child has signout privilege.They
explained that the child could turn in the beeper (which defeats the
purpose, I think) if desired. Our solution was to return the beeper
just prior to going to a movie. Since we had a fixed location, they
(Staff members) were assured they could find us if needed.
Room: We snagged a Family Suite, since there were 5 of us. Since
this is our first cruise, I cannot comment on the relative virtues
of one cabin versus two. It did sleep 5 comfortably, though the
Murphy bed blocks the veranda, making it difficult to access after
turndown. Also, the same bed blocks a chest that we had kids clothes
in. The bed can easily be picked up for access to the chest. I was
suprised that we didn't hear more noise from upstairs (Level 9)
or neighboring cabins. It was a great room.
Dining: We were assigned the late seating. We dreaded it since
we are used to eating at around 5:00PM and 8:30PM seemed way too
much to wait. As it turns out, late seating is desirable. Days go
by really fast and it seems as if you've just finished one meal when
the next comes along. For our aged kids, the late seating is preferable.
It gives you time to get ready.
The only disappointment with dinner was an imposed rush. The staff
did things by their clocks, not yours. They didn't rush us, but I
detected a strange and subtle push to order, eat and leave. Perhaps
this is due to not having a check presented at meal's end and maybe
the feeling is due to having the table cleared quickly while still
seated. I don't know, but you may experience it.
One other little warning: When packing, if your clothes are just
a bit tight, go out and buy the next size... larger. Nobody wants
to do that psychologically, but practically it's the best thing
you can do. Once you are on the ship, that's it. You packed your
world and while it doesn't change, you will! For comfort, pledge
that you will give them to charity when you return, but definitely
take them.
The "problem" of tipping really plagued us. We've seen the recommended
tipping schedule, and paid close attention to those people (their
performance, that is). First, everyone works really hard aboard the
ship. If you tipped everyone you met or dealt with, you could pay for
another cruise. When you buy drinks, they automatically add 15%, a
practice that I detest.
At turndown on the second night, we received a letter about tipping
and 4 envelopes for gratuities. The envelopes are marked from their
intended recipients: Cabin Attendent, Head Server, Server and
Assistant Server. Though suggested elsewhere, I wouldn't pay up front,
rather observe the service you get . While the servers follow you from
resturant to resturant, they only attend to dinner. In our case, the
assistant server did the most work and was very cordial and quite
interactive with the kids. She knew what drinks we wanted at our second
seating and had them prepared! We tipped accordingly.
On returning, I was not pleased with our immigration officials.
You must show a photo ID to re-enter the country, but one "official"
stood there saying: "We don't want to see any of that Mickey Mouse
stuff (referring to the cards). This is the real world now."
Disney obviously has no control over this, and shouldn't, so a
letter is going out to my congressman and the head of INS. There's
no reason to be insulting, especially when We pay his salary.
There are lots of accounts dealing with other aspects of the cruise
elsewhere on the board, so I won't go into other details. Overall
we had a great time, and the kids are already bugging us for a
7-day cruise, maybe 2004, but not before unless I win a lottery!
I would contribute to it for the novices. While there's alot
of good information, there are a few things that weren't
quite covered (or maybe I missed them). Anyway here goes:
We just returned from the 3-day Wonder cruise; it was our
first. We all enjoyed it partially due to the information
provided here. Thanks to all of those who take the time to
contribute all of that information.
For reference, there are 5 family members with kids aged
13(m), 11(f) and 8(f). We drove first to WDW and stayed a few
days, then headed to the cruise.
I found great directions from WDW to Port Canaveral, however
either I missed it, or else it was over looked but... The famous
Bee-Line (528) splits near I-95. I saw no signage indicating
which direction to take. Go to the RIGHT! If there is no signage
indicating Port canaveral, follow signs to Coco Beach and I-95 South.
(The mix-up occurred because there was only signage for the Beach
and NASA Space center, and given the association of Canaveral and
NASA, I went the wrong way)
The detailed instructions for getting to the boat once at Port
Canaveral are good except our Disney Documentation said Terminal '8';
the actual Terminal is 'A'. The recommendation to drop off
passengers and luggage then park is wise, but there are two things to
note. First, stay in the left hand lane when approaching the terminal;
there will be a line that appears not to move, stay in it. They check
photo ID's for every one 18 or older against the ship's manifest. (If
they don't think you belong there, you don't!) Second, and perhaps
more important is parking. There are plenty of warnings about paying
for parking and they should be heeded. Parking is run by the Port
Authority, not Disney. Currently, it costs $30 to park for the
three-day cruise, in advance. I don't know where people come up
with the daily rate, there is none posted now. However the biggest
warning is the little one which I never once saw mentioned: ANTS!
This is important for dads who drop off their family, then get
confronted by the warning sign at the booth when they pay for
parking. Believe me, the only people who know where the food is
were just dropped off, excited to go on their cruise. Dad is left
with attempting to locate any and all opened foodstuffs. I failed
to find all sources and drove home with a couple of hundred Florida
insects. It might be worth a couple of dollars to spray insecticide
around all of the car doorways before leaving.
The week before we left, the Travel Channel had a few programs
about cruises. On in particular caught my eye, because they kept
emphasizing: It's a boat, it moves! Well guess what? It's a boat,
it moves! My wife thought that with a boat this big motion would
be dampened. Well, It's a boat, it moves! On the way out to
Nassau, we picked up some strong currents from the hurricane du jour.
One of my kids got ill (the head waiter had dramamine), and another
was ill because of worry about the first. The server gave us a whole
package of crackers to take back to the cabin which did help a
great deal. My advice is to perhaps see the pediatrician prior to
leaving and have on hand the best possible remedy just in case
(and don't pack it, keep it with you). The best thing to do is
to keep up conversation and distractions, any mental power devoted
to thinking about movement will worsen the condition. (As I
write this I'm experiencing the opposite effect, where you feel
like you're on the boat but not).
Kids: The whole reason that you're probably on this cruise. First,
we had no activities overlap; each of the kids was involved in a
different "group." We were concerned initially, but it wasn't a
problem. We opted to let our 8 yo sign herself out. She's a mature 8,
and we thought it was ok to try. It worked out well. They issue you
a beeper for contact in the event of a problem. There's a little
catch-22 about beepers that I'll cover later. After the initial
check in, while my wife was catching a nap, I took the kids on a
deck by deck tour (this was new to me also). I quizzed them on
their location, and how to get back to the room. We discussed how
to find things and what to do in an emergency. It was an hour well
spent, and I got many (answerable) questions. After that I went
to guest services and removed charging privileges. We were told that
this had to be done at Guest services on the ship. They took the kids
cards and punched a hole in them so they could be placed on a
lanyard (don't forget to bring one for each child, the card can easily
fall out of a pocket).
Our kids loved the activities at the Club and Lab. So much so that
they didn't want to check out Nassau! (We did a little of each).
They read their Navigators and scheduled activities that they wanted
to do. We imposed a bedtime for the first evening, but then let
them do what they wanted, returning to the cabin by themselves. While
late, they were home by midnight with no apparent ill effects.
The catch-22 comes about at the end of the cruise. Beepers must be
turned in by midnight before the cruise end. The problem is that once
you turn in the beeper, your child cannot enter the Oceaneers Club.
The problem arises only when your child has signout privilege.They
explained that the child could turn in the beeper (which defeats the
purpose, I think) if desired. Our solution was to return the beeper
just prior to going to a movie. Since we had a fixed location, they
(Staff members) were assured they could find us if needed.
Room: We snagged a Family Suite, since there were 5 of us. Since
this is our first cruise, I cannot comment on the relative virtues
of one cabin versus two. It did sleep 5 comfortably, though the
Murphy bed blocks the veranda, making it difficult to access after
turndown. Also, the same bed blocks a chest that we had kids clothes
in. The bed can easily be picked up for access to the chest. I was
suprised that we didn't hear more noise from upstairs (Level 9)
or neighboring cabins. It was a great room.
Dining: We were assigned the late seating. We dreaded it since
we are used to eating at around 5:00PM and 8:30PM seemed way too
much to wait. As it turns out, late seating is desirable. Days go
by really fast and it seems as if you've just finished one meal when
the next comes along. For our aged kids, the late seating is preferable.
It gives you time to get ready.
The only disappointment with dinner was an imposed rush. The staff
did things by their clocks, not yours. They didn't rush us, but I
detected a strange and subtle push to order, eat and leave. Perhaps
this is due to not having a check presented at meal's end and maybe
the feeling is due to having the table cleared quickly while still
seated. I don't know, but you may experience it.
One other little warning: When packing, if your clothes are just
a bit tight, go out and buy the next size... larger. Nobody wants
to do that psychologically, but practically it's the best thing
you can do. Once you are on the ship, that's it. You packed your
world and while it doesn't change, you will! For comfort, pledge
that you will give them to charity when you return, but definitely
take them.
The "problem" of tipping really plagued us. We've seen the recommended
tipping schedule, and paid close attention to those people (their
performance, that is). First, everyone works really hard aboard the
ship. If you tipped everyone you met or dealt with, you could pay for
another cruise. When you buy drinks, they automatically add 15%, a
practice that I detest.
At turndown on the second night, we received a letter about tipping
and 4 envelopes for gratuities. The envelopes are marked from their
intended recipients: Cabin Attendent, Head Server, Server and
Assistant Server. Though suggested elsewhere, I wouldn't pay up front,
rather observe the service you get . While the servers follow you from
resturant to resturant, they only attend to dinner. In our case, the
assistant server did the most work and was very cordial and quite
interactive with the kids. She knew what drinks we wanted at our second
seating and had them prepared! We tipped accordingly.
On returning, I was not pleased with our immigration officials.
You must show a photo ID to re-enter the country, but one "official"
stood there saying: "We don't want to see any of that Mickey Mouse
stuff (referring to the cards). This is the real world now."
Disney obviously has no control over this, and shouldn't, so a
letter is going out to my congressman and the head of INS. There's
no reason to be insulting, especially when We pay his salary.
There are lots of accounts dealing with other aspects of the cruise
elsewhere on the board, so I won't go into other details. Overall
we had a great time, and the kids are already bugging us for a
7-day cruise, maybe 2004, but not before unless I win a lottery!
