Beginning to think about a cruise

[Haley R]

1. There are not many large verandahs (if you mean the oversized ones) and thats one of those advantages of booking early is picking out those "extra" special rooms.

I think we were hoping for more of a relaxing trip so sitting around the pool and eating. We just got back from Disney World and it was far from being relaxing. It was still a lot of fun, but just too much squeezed into one trip and we went with family so that made a difference, too. I am leaning towards doing a 4 night with an inside room. If we end up liking it then we can plan a future cruise and save a little more. This trip is kind of our do-over from the one we just had. I was hoping to do 2 Halloween parties before the cruise, but we will only do one if we are doing the 4 night cruise. Thanks!

 

[Haley R]

YES! You will pay more, but you will NOT regret it, once you see and get what you pay for, with DCL. For a $600 cruise to be "worth it", you will need to lower your expectations.

I was reading reviews about Carnival and even though it saves money it just doesn't seem like it's for me. DH is a little mad that alcoholic drinks aren't included, but I don't drink at all so it doesn't bother me. I like that Disney has Castaway Cay and the fireworks and I'm usually impressed with the things Disney does so I don't think I will be disappointed. Even though we don't have kids, I know the Disney cruise will be more family friendly. I read quite a few nasty reviews about Carnival.

 

[Geomom]

4 nts is definitely better than 3! I also think you'll be fine with 1 Halloween party at Disney as you'll also have Halloween activities on the ship!

We use Dreams Unlimited as our travel agent--we don't go to Costco at all, so that wouldn't benefit us, and we like having the OBC to use on board. Dreams Unlimited also sends a gift basket to your home (if you live in USA or Canada) before the cruise.

One tip is that if you think you might cruise Disney again within 24 mths--go to the 'future cruises' desk on board and buy a 'placeholder cruise'. It will cost you $250 now (it is part of the deposit for your future cruise). For non-blocked out cruise dates, it will give you 10% off a future cruise and an OBC of either $100 (cruises less than 7 nts) or $200 (for cruises 7 nights or more.) If you don't use the placeholder within 24 mths, your $250 will be refunded to you. If you booked with a TA, have them named on the placeholder reservation, so you can get also get OBC benefits from them (most TA's will give you 1/2 their normal OBC due to their reduced commission for this type of booking).

 

[Haley R]

4 nts is definitely better than 3! I also think you'll be fine with 1 Halloween party at Disney as you'll also have Halloween activities on the ship!

We use Dreams Unlimited as our travel agent--we don't go to Costco at all, so that wouldn't benefit us, and we like having the OBC to use on board. Dreams Unlimited also sends a gift basket to your home (if you live in USA or Canada) before the cruise.

One tip is that if you think you might cruise Disney again within 24 mths--go to the 'future cruises' desk on board and buy a 'placeholder cruise'. It will cost you $250 now (it is part of the deposit for your future cruise). For non-blocked out cruise dates, it will give you 10% off a future cruise and an OBC of either $100 (cruises less than 7 nts) or $200 (for cruises 7 nights or more.) If you don't use the placeholder within 24 mths, your $250 will be refunded to you. If you booked with a TA, have them named on the placeholder reservation, so you can get also get OBC benefits from them (most TA's will give you 1/2 their normal OBC due to their reduced commission for this type of booking).

Are the Halloween activities onboard fun for adults? Will we be able to trick or treat? We might not need to after doing the party at MK, but I'm just curious. I will look into Dreams Unlimited to see if that will work for us. Do they charge a fee to book through them?

 

[wanderlust7]

We usually buy gift cards from Target since we have a Target red card and get 5% back on that. That saved us a bunch on our last Disney trip!

The BJ's deal is a bit better than Target, IF you happen to have a credit card that does the rotating warehouse category (and the timing of the rotation works out). The Disney gift cards on BJ's are discounted - currently $100 for $95.99 (so like 4%). Then the 5% warehouse would be on top of that. There is usually a cap on the cashback though, Discover Card's is $1500.

 

[Haley R]

The BJ's deal is a bit better than Target, IF you happen to have a credit card that does the rotating warehouse category (and the timing of the rotation works out). The Disney gift cards on BJ's are discounted - currently $100 for $95.99 (so like 4%). Then the 5% warehouse would be on top of that. There is usually a cap on the cashback though, Discover Card's is $1500.

We have a Discover card, but I've never heard of the rotating warehouse category. I know from like October-December last year Target ran a special with 10% off gift cards so we did that.

 

[Geomom]

Are the Halloween activities onboard fun for adults? Will we be able to trick or treat? We might not need to after doing the party at MK, but I'm just curious. I will look into Dreams Unlimited to see if that will work for us. Do they charge a fee to book through them?

Dreams Unlimited does not charge a fee--no TA 'should' charge you a fee.

I've only been on the Wonder Alaska cruise, and will be going on the Magic Northern European this summer--so I'm unsure about the Halloween activities. Here is a link to the personal navigator for last year's Dream 4 nt Halloween cruise starting on 10/30/17, it will give you an idea to the types of activities they offer on the ship and for Halloween.
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/201...loween-cruise-port-canaveral-october-30-2017/

 

[wanderlust7]

We have a Discover card, but I've never heard of the rotating warehouse category. I know from like October-December last year Target ran a special with 10% off gift cards so we did that.

The warehouse category is actually going on now - through March 31!

 

[tlprice]

If you do the 10/29 cruise, you will be on the ship for Halloween. We did the 7 night Fantasy over Halloween in 2016 and it was VERY crowded for the Halloween party. Yes you can trick or treat. We did MNSSHP the night before our cruise. The candy on the ship was the exact same as at the party. MNSSHP is definitely much better than the Halloween activities on the ship. They are fun, but just not on the same level at all.

Our first cruise was a 4 night on the Dream in an inside stateroom because I wasn't sure if we'd like cruising. We have now been on 4 DCL cruises with numbers 5 and 6 booked. Warning: it's addicting! We have done one Oceanview room and the rest have all been inside rooms. It was nice having the oceanview, but not necessary. I'm all about saving money so I can cruise more. (My daughter also won't let me book a verandah because she's afraid she'll fall overboard).

 

[Haley R]

If you do the 10/29 cruise, you will be on the ship for Halloween. We did the 7 night Fantasy over Halloween in 2016 and it was VERY crowded for the Halloween party. Yes you can trick or treat. We did MNSSHP the night before our cruise. The candy on the ship was the exact same as at the party. MNSSHP is definitely much better than the Halloween activities on the ship. They are fun, but just not on the same level at all.

Our first cruise was a 4 night on the Dream in an inside stateroom because I wasn't sure if we'd like cruising. We have now been on 4 DCL cruises with numbers 5 and 6 booked. Warning: it's addicting! We have done one Oceanview room and the rest have all been inside rooms. It was nice having the oceanview, but not necessary. I'm all about saving money so I can cruise more. (My daughter also won't let me book a verandah because she's afraid she'll fall overboard).

Are you saying it was busy on the cruise or in the park? Just trying to clarify.

I’m really starting to think the inside room might work for us to save money. Our other choice is to go in February without a cruise and stay at dvc resorts but no Halloween party

 

[tlprice]

Are you saying it was busy on the cruise or in the park? Just trying to clarify.

I’m really starting to think the inside room might work for us to save money. Our other choice is to go in February without a cruise and stay at dvc resorts but no Halloween party

The party on the ship was super crowded. The one in the park is always pretty crowded, but there is much more space for people to spread out. On the ship if you want to be part of the festivities, there's really only so much space for everyone to be. They were both fun, but I would definitely pick MNSSHP over HOTHS.

I chose an inside room for our 1st cruise because I figured if we didn't like it, we could do a better room the next time. If we started with a verandah, it might be hard to go down in room choices on future cruises. We found an inside room was great (especially on the Dream and Fantasy because we love the magical port hole). Especially on a short cruise, there is so much going on on the ship, that we spend very little time in our room. If we do want to spend time outside, there are plenty of other great places to find a comfy seat and relax without costing me more money.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Are the Halloween activities onboard fun for adults? Will we be able to trick or treat? We might not need to after doing the party at MK, but I'm just curious. I will look into Dreams Unlimited to see if that will work for us. Do they charge a fee to book through them?

We've done a Halloween (& more than a few Merrytime (Christmas season)) cruises as well as 'plain' cruises . You can trick-or-treat if you like, but the kids get first shot (naturally). The atrium is PACKED, but lots of fun. DW & I dressed up (Bride of Frankenstein & the Monster) while DD 1 & 2 were the 'Frankettes'. DS was going to be Frank Jr, but came down with a case of teenager-it is.

What's fantastic about DCL is that you can choose to make it as frenetic as you want. We've done some cruises where we're nearly running from event to event and others where DW & I grabbed a cuddle pod outside the Cove Café and whiled an afternoon away chatting and sipping some really good joe. Both have been fun' it really just depended on what we needed. In 21 days (yeah, counting down!) we're doing a 3 day and treating it as a long weekend getaway. Next summer, we're doing an 11 night Southern Caribbean while in between we're doing a 7 night Alaskan cruise.

We too did a short cruise at first to see if DW was into the 'seagoing vacation'. I'm a former Naval Officer, so I knew I'd love it and after our first full day the entire family was in love with DCL.

Beware, it's addictive!

 

[Haley R]

The party on the ship was super crowded. The one in the park is always pretty crowded, but there is much more space for people to spread out. On the ship if you want to be part of the festivities, there's really only so much space for everyone to be. They were both fun, but I would definitely pick MNSSHP over HOTHS.

I chose an inside room for our 1st cruise because I figured if we didn't like it, we could do a better room the next time. If we started with a verandah, it might be hard to go down in room choices on future cruises. We found an inside room was great (especially on the Dream and Fantasy because we love the magical port hole). Especially on a short cruise, there is so much going on on the ship, that we spend very little time in our room. If we do want to spend time outside, there are plenty of other great places to find a comfy seat and relax without costing me more money.

We wouldn't be choosing one or the other, we will still do the cruise and MNSSHP. The party definitely looks more fun at the park, but we are going on a cruise anyway in October so why not go on the Halloween one right? lol

We are going to probably do an inside room now. I figured we might as well save the money and use it on a second Halloween party. Do you have any inside room location suggestions?

 

[Haley R]

We've done a Halloween (& more than a few Merrytime (Christmas season)) cruises as well as 'plain' cruises . You can trick-or-treat if you like, but the kids get first shot (naturally). The atrium is PACKED, but lots of fun. DW & I dressed up (Bride of Frankenstein & the Monster) while DD 1 & 2 were the 'Frankettes'. DS was going to be Frank Jr, but came down with a case of teenager-it is.

What's fantastic about DCL is that you can choose to make it as frenetic as you want. We've done some cruises where we're nearly running from event to event and others where DW & I grabbed a cuddle pod outside the Cove Café and whiled an afternoon away chatting and sipping some really good joe. Both have been fun' it really just depended on what we needed. In 21 days (yeah, counting down!) we're doing a 3 day and treating it as a long weekend getaway. Next summer, we're doing an 11 night Southern Caribbean while in between we're doing a 7 night Alaskan cruise.

We too did a short cruise at first to see if DW was into the 'seagoing vacation'. I'm a former Naval Officer, so I knew I'd love it and after our first full day the entire family was in love with DCL.

Beware, it's addictive!

I think we will just plan on trick or treating at the party and when we get on the cruise won't worry about it. We really won't have too much room to lug around a bunch of candy anyway.

I think we will most likely take it slow and make it relaxing, but that could change once we get on board lol. Neither of us have been on a cruise so this will be a first for both of us. DH just asked tonight what I thought about a 7 night cruise and I told him I would rather not. I would hate to take a long cruise and not enjoy it or get sick.

 

[Haley R]

Okay so here is what we are thinking. Feel free to give me any advice/comments!
10/24 Arrival Day-All Star Sports Preferred Room (hoping for renovated room)
10/25 Halloween party
10/26 Halloween party
10/27 Park day (animal kingdom & Hollywood studios?)
10/28 Park day (Epcot? trying to avoid Saturday crowds for Food and Wine)
10/29 Leave resort for cruise

The cruise is a 4-night Halloween, Bahamian cruise (will we need passports for this?!). We are looking at an Ocean view at the front of the boat because they have two rooms that are HUGE and the ocean view is about $80 more than an inside room. We aren't sure what to do about insurance, who to book the cruise through, and what excursions we want. We started looking at excursions and really didn't see much we liked. They seem pretty expensive and our trip is already gonna cost more than we planned. The only excursions we saw that we were interested in were:

Nassau

• Nassau forts and Junkanoo Discovery-$48 pp (this only interested DH, but I gotta give him something right?)

Castaway Cay

• Castaway Cay Snorkel Lagoon Equipment Rentals-$33 pp
• Bicycle Rental (one hour)-$12 pp (we both are interested in the bike rental)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

(will we need passports for this?!)

Not necessarily. The minimum requirement for US citizens on a closed loop cruise (begins & ends in the same US port) is a birth certificate PLUS (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID. That said, passports are not a bad idea, if you think you may be cruising again. If there were some reason you needed to fly home (from a foreign port) you'd have to have a passport. And if it's under an emergency situation, that can add more stress to the situation.

We aren't sure what to do about insurance, who to book the cruise through

Whether you get insurance or not depends on your tolerance for risk. I'll just point out, most US health plans do not cover out of country, and that's where you are as soon as you step aboard the ship. Medical care/evacuation from foreign ports can be massively expensive.

If you want to use a TA, ask friends, co-workers for recommendations. If you have no one to ask, you can sort of "interview" various TAs to see what booking through them will get you (if anything).

Excursions - the Castaway Cay ones you list don't have to be booked ahead. You can basically wait until you're on the island to make that decision. It won't cost more to wait, and you may choose not to do them.

 

[tlprice]

Nassau

• Nassau forts and Junkanoo Discovery-$48 pp (this only interested DH, but I gotta give him something right?)

Castaway Cay

• Castaway Cay Snorkel Lagoon Equipment Rentals-$33 pp
• Bicycle Rental (one hour)-$12 pp (we both are interested in the bike rental)

We did the forts and Junkanoo our first time to Nassau. I am a historian so I loved all of the history of this tour. My daughter loved the Junkanoo because she got picked to be the drum leader on the big drum. We did the Graycliff chocolate making on our last trip to Nassau. It was fun and super yummy if you like chocolate!

At CC we usually do the snorkel/bike/tube package because it is less money to do it that way. Like PrincessShmoo said, you can wait until you get to CC to rent these. I wait in case the water is cold or it's windy or something and I decide not to do them.

 

[TestingH2O]

We are looking at an Ocean view at the front of the boat because they have two rooms that are HUGE and the ocean view is about $80 more than an inside room. We aren't sure what to do about insurance, who to book the cruise through, and what excursions we want. We started looking at excursions and really didn't see much we liked. They seem pretty expensive and our trip is already gonna cost more than we planned.

That's a great way to upgrade to ocean view! Good find.

We buy insurance as a just in case. However, lots of people don't.

When we have done the 4 Night cruises, we haven't done any excursions. You don't have to. But, if you choose to, those sound like good options. You could also bring your own smirked great from home if you have it.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Okay so here is what we are thinking. Feel free to give me any advice/comments!
10/24 Arrival Day-All Star Sports Preferred Room (hoping for renovated room)
10/25 Halloween party
10/26 Halloween party
10/27 Park day (animal kingdom & Hollywood studios?)
10/28 Park day (Epcot? trying to avoid Saturday crowds for Food and Wine)
10/29 Leave resort for cruise

The cruise is a 4-night Halloween, Bahamian cruise (will we need passports for this?!). We are looking at an Ocean view at the front of the boat because they have two rooms that are HUGE and the ocean view is about $80 more than an inside room. We aren't sure what to do about insurance, who to book the cruise through, and what excursions we want. We started looking at excursions and really didn't see much we liked. They seem pretty expensive and our trip is already gonna cost more than we planned. The only excursions we saw that we were interested in were:

Nassau

• Nassau forts and Junkanoo Discovery-$48 pp (this only interested DH, but I gotta give him something right?)

Castaway Cay

• Castaway Cay Snorkel Lagoon Equipment Rentals-$33 pp
• Bicycle Rental (one hour)-$12 pp (we both are interested in the bike rental)

In Nassau, the excursion you mention is an easy self guided walk (we did it in a few hours). The Unofficial DCL book has a great walking tour map and guide of Nassau. It's $96 you don't have to spend.

Check the DCL site FAQ and your paperwork when the booklet arrives for all your check in needs. It's all there in one spot and has the Disney policy for nearly everything in it. Was reading online this AM about a lady who was 25 weeks pregnant and (like it or not) the policy of DCL is no women past 24 weeks can sail. I remember reading that when I made our most recent payment for Alaska and it showed up online in the email receipt. I kind of chuckled at the strident warning that there were no exceptions and whatnot.

Check with DCL online and if anything is ambiguous, give them a call. Don't want to be like that family from St. Louis that couldn't board because they were unaware/didn't read the rules.

And no, I really don't want to start a hare about the legitimacy of the rule, I was just using this as an example. The boards are great and there are some very knowledgeable people here who've done many cruises, but in the end, it's DCL policy that rules the day. We've done 7 cruises and have 8, 9 and 10 booked and I still call DCL for clarification on issues.

For example, here on the boards we were kicking around the idea of using a popcorn bucket from a previous cruise. Some people have reported success in doing so, but when I called DCL to confirm, they said that reusing popcorn buckets is not allowed. So, the people who had success were out of the norm, I guess.

The point: look on the website and/or call DCL and look there for the official policy/rules

 

[Haley R]

That's a great way to upgrade to ocean view! Good find.

We buy insurance as a just in case. However, lots of people don't.

When we have done the 4 Night cruises, we haven't done any excursions. You don't have to. But, if you choose to, those sound like good options. You could also bring your own smirked great from home if you have it.

We should have some snorkel gear at home because we did discovery cove in Orlando last year and they give you some to take home.