Birth Certificates

[ImMarcik]

We are cruising in November, right before having to have passports. I was planning on going ahead and getting passports anyway. But, I had a few questions. If you bring Birth Certificates instead of passports how do you carry them on excursions and keep them from getting wet. Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[belleandthebeast]

I didn't bring my birth certificate w/ me on any excursions. Once I boarded the ship, I locked my birth certificate in the safe.

We only needed your Key to the World card and photo id to get back on the ship.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

As soon as we get into our room we put everything accept our key to the world cards in the safe, even our photo ID. We take our ID and shopping money out just befroe we get off the ship and put it back immediately upon returning to the ship.
Be aware that who ever locks the safe will have to use their KTTWK to open it again. Your spouse's card won't open it, only the same card that locked it.
mom x4, grandma 4

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi! I JUST got hooked up with this chat thing and am VERY new. I do not even know if I will be able to find my responses to my questions (can't wait til the kids get home from school to help me!!!) Anyway, We are cruising In Feb and I talked my sister into having her family go with us!!! We are doing the 7 day Western Carribean cruise out of Port Canaveral. I am getting passports for my husband and myself and will lock everything up when I get on board. Do they even have a safe in the rooms? Any tidbits on excursions or entertainment on this cruise? I am excited and trying to get as much info as possible.

 

[MrsMork]

There is a safe in every room. You lock it with your KTTW card and have to use the same card to unlock it.

 

[aprilgail2]

There is a safe in every room. You lock it with your KTTW card and have to use the same card to unlock it.

You don't have to lock it with your KTTW Card, you can use any credit card type card...I brought an expiried credit card with me to use and we hid it in the room so when anyone in our party needed access to the safe they could open it themselves and not just the one person who's KTTW card we used to lock it.

 

[TheWog]

Hi! I JUST got hooked up with this chat thing and am VERY new. I do not even know if I will be able to find my responses to my questions (can't wait til the kids get home from school to help me!!!) Anyway, We are cruising In Feb and I talked my sister into having her family go with us!!! We are doing the 7 day Western Carribean cruise out of Port Canaveral. I am getting passports for my husband and myself and will lock everything up when I get on board. Do they even have a safe in the rooms? Any tidbits on excursions or entertainment on this cruise? I am excited and trying to get as much info as possible.

Welcome and have fun planning. Ask away... people here are very friendly and willing to share experiences. There is also a search function to look up topics of interest to you.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

dreamakermom,
You'll have so many things to choose from you'll never be able to do them all!
Tomarrow we are leaving on our 6th disney cruise and I'm still trying to do it all. When you first get into your room, the Navigator newspaper will be waiting for you. A new one will be delivered every evening for the next days activities. Study it and mark what ever you want to do, then check it after each meal to see what is next in the morning, afternoon and evening. That way you'll see the highlights. We have not found anything we didn't like, so far. We have done the bridge tour, the galley tour ( a free cookie is given), the shows at night are all a must see, but if you have to miss one to do something else they usually replay it on the TV in your room several times, however it's not as exciting as seeing it in person. I liked the cooking demonstrations and ice carving with a chain saw. If you enjoy the towel animals that are left in your rooms each night, they offer a class in how to make them which was really fun, then I learned how to fold fancy napkins. If they are any kids in your group the mickey 200 is a fun race where an adult makes a race car from a potato, a carrot, 4 wheels and 4 toothpicks, then you race each other. Only 16 teams can race so be there a little early to sign up. The family night club in studio C has family dances, karoake, and games. In the evening the music in the adult clubs are geared for the 60's, or 70's or 80's etc... The comedians were all great ton castaway cay our family loves the snorkeling. Everyone tried to find the mickey statue under the water by the ship wreck. He is very hard to find! My hubby loves the parasailing, but it is spendy, I think it was about $90. for about 5 to 7 minutes of air time. The younger ones loved the banana boat ride. It's a thrill! You have to be at least 7 and know how to swim to do it, but it's worth it.
There is just too many things to mention, I hope this gave you a few ideas to think about. There are navigators on this web site you can read, however they are very old and lots of changes have taken place, but at least it will give you an idea of how it works. If I can help with any questions just address them to mom x4,grandma x4 and I'll get back to you as soon as we get back from our cruise. Got to go and make sure i didn't forget to pack anything important.
You'll have a magical time on your cruise, guaranteed!
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi Mom!!! I am a mom x4 also grandma x 1!!! We just cannot wait. Thanks for your reply. Sorry I took so long, I am new at all this. It was almost by accident that I saw my name and luckily I HAVE figured out how to respond!!! !!! While I have you here... do you know how to attach those count down lines from the ticket factory? I am saving your response so I don't forget anything you told me. I was wondering if they had things to do on board during the day, especially while we are at sea. I think I have my port days all booked up doing most of my excursions on my own from places people suggested. I DO want to have baskets delivered to our rooms ( my oldest children and my sister and her family is also going ) to make it special. Have you ever done that? Also, what are the prices like in the stores on board? Are they outrageous? Well, I could go on forever because I am way too excited. I hope I can make it until then!!! If I had one of those little countdown thingies, you would be able to see how much more time I have left, but I cannot figure out how to attach them! Thanks again! Karen

 

[DrCavin]

Hi! I JUST got hooked up with this chat thing and am VERY new. I do not even know if I will be able to find my responses to my questions (can't wait til the kids get home from school to help me!!!) Anyway, We are cruising In Feb and I talked my sister into having her family go with us!!! We are doing the 7 day Western Carribean cruise out of Port Canaveral. I am getting passports for my husband and myself and will lock everything up when I get on board. Do they even have a safe in the rooms? Any tidbits on excursions or entertainment on this cruise? I am excited and trying to get as much info as possible.

So you wont have any disappointments, you will need to have passports for EVERYONE if cruising after Dec 31, 2005, you stated you & DH, but didnt mention kids/sister/family.

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi Dr. Cavin! I was planning on bringing Birth Certificates for everyone else. The reason my husband and I are getting passports is because I plan to do some out of country traveling within the next 10 years (I think that is how long passports are good for). By next Feb, will Birth Certificates still be ok? Man, I hope so!!!! Either way, I will do whatever I have to do. Thanks for the reply! Karen

 

[DrCavin]

Hi Dr. Cavin! I was planning on bringing Birth Certificates for everyone else. The reason my husband and I are getting passports is because I plan to do some out of country traveling within the next 10 years (I think that is how long passports are good for). By next Feb, will Birth Certificates still be ok? Man, I hope so!!!! Either way, I will do whatever I have to do. Thanks for the reply! Karen

Karen:
Unfortunatly you will have to have passports for EVERYONE. I just received an email from All Seasons Travel yesterday informing us that passports will be required for any DCL cruise after 12/31/05.

You can see the countries & dates it goes into effect here:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi! Well, I certainly am glad I have the time!!! I will let everyone in our party know. I wonder what is going to happen to people that DON'T know this?! Sure wouldn't want to be in their sandals!!! Thanks for the reply Dr.C! (Man, I am glad these messages come to my email or I don't know if I would ever find them!!!) Have a great weekend! Karen

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Howdy,
I'll try to answer your questions. I have had the anniversary package delivered to the room, but no food baskets. They did a really great job decorating the room with it. I still have all the decorations.
As far as things to do during the day, things start around 9 a.m. and go until midnight or 1 a.m. You can't believe the stuff you and your family can do, if you want. All the kids clubs have their own navigators with separate things to do in their clubs. Some of the things you can choose from is a bridge tour, galley tour, art of disney ship tour, culinary demonstrations, napkin folding, towel animal folding, kite making, family karoake, who wants to be a mousketeer game show, walk the plank game show, current movies in the theater, live musicals in the disney theater, magicians, comedians, jugglers, wine tasting, learn to draw disney characters, meet and greet with all the characters, swimming and hot tubs, tropical music by the pool too. Ice carving, deck parties, salsa and cha cha lessons, live music and dancing for everyone in the promenade lounge, bingo, behind the scenes tour, best legs contest (for men), chip it golf, mister toads race, the mickey 200,Family comedy show, family dance party,disney trivia games for families, pub night,pin trading, meet the captain, board games,ping pong and shuffleboard, regular open play and contests, basketball, beer tasting, meet the captain party, vista spa, match your mate game show, the sports center games and contests, more stuff that I can't remember for now and they change things and add things to do all the time. Hope this gives you a few ideas.
Kathy,
mom x4,grandma x4

p.s. sorry it took me so long to answer your questions, but I just got backtoday from a 3 day cruise on the wonder, it was GREAT!!!!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Sorry I forgot to say I don't know where people get the countdown icons, but I'm sure someone will be able to tell you.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi Momx4... I am very thankful for your wonderful reply!!! You answered alot of my questions. Luckily, a message came directly to my email or I don't think I would have gotten this message for a while. I am very computer illiterate. In fact, in my obsession with my cruise, I JUST finished a VERY detailed temporary (as detailed as it could be...) itinerary for our whole group and because every place I went to save it on my computer was full (don't ask why, I didn't think there was THAT much stuff every place on my computer) SOMEHOW I deleted it. Talk about breaking down into tears... I was SO excited to be so on top of things and I lost all of it and will have to start from scratch. Oh well, I certainly have time!!!! Anyway, I am SURE you enjoyed your cruise. Do you know how close to our cruise we could get a hold of a Navigator? Are they all pretty much the same? Are the stores on the ship reasonable? I get excited thinking about the trivia games. I am also getting excited about the BINGO. Do you know if we can shower in the spa if we sign up for that Rainforest/Sauna deal? I will stop with the questions... and let you unpack. Thanks again I REALLY appreciate your response and am looking forward to finding out how to work the countdown icons. Karen

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Glad I could help. I'm a dummy when it comes to computers too. Luckily for me One of my sons is a college graduate with a degree and several certifications that have to do with computers and when I get lost I get him to come and help me. My dh knows a lot more than me, so he can help me some. We are going on the Western cruise on December, since your not going until Feb i will write and tell you about our excursion experiences if you want. Maybe there will be something helpful there. There will be 15 of us on different excursions, so we should have information on several different excursions. Don't feel too bad about loosing your information, you probably would of changed everything once or twice anyway. Everytime i'm all set I usually change something. And on a cruise, it's not to hard to wing it!!!
Now I have to go and get some food in the house, at least i got everything unpacked and out away last night, even got the laundry done.
I wish you were on the same cruise as us, it would be fun to meet you and your family. It's always great to meet someone who is excited about going.
momx4 grandma x4

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi Kathy (Momx4...) Man, at first I thought, I can't believe she is on this board when she just got off. THEN... I realized that I would be (will be) doing the same thing when I have actually experience the cruise. Thanks for all your tips. They were all great. My biggest dillema now is trying to look into Capt. Marvins (?) at Cayman for a tour and snorkel. I don't know if our times fit into their schedules. I am now (thanks to you) not worried about the onboard activites. I just went through olf Navigators and [re-typed] all the activities that I think we would be interested in doing so when we get our Navigator, we have a bit of knowledge of whatour choices are. I was wondering about the High Tea time and what they serve there (palos) for that time of day. I am sooo glad you had a great time on your cruise and look forward to reading more about it. Oh, the PIrates theme... if we are out in Cozumel up into the evening... we will miss the dress up fun? Once again,thanks. Karen

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Karen,
Your welcome.
I will be on these boards for quite awhile, since we have 3 more cruises in the next 20 months, so I like to keep up with all the new stuff.
I love to hear how excited people are, it gets me more excited for our next cruise. 215 days until we sail again.
Have a magical cruise!
Kathy

 

[dreamakermom]

Hi Kathy! Wow! Are you lucky to get to make so many wonderful memories all within a 20 month period!! I KNOW I am driving my family crazy but who cares!!! When we all get there, they see a personalized basket for them, I have all excursions taken care of, and all we have to do is make tiny decisions and eat and relax.... I think they will be thankful I racked my brain and drove them crazy. Besides, it is keeping me occupied and out of their hair. I am so crazy on thois, I already checked out the menus and I have an idea of the new foods I am going to try out. My only question now is about the arcade. My son was looking forward to doing that. If the machines ARE in fact down or not working, I can now tell him there are plenty of other things for him to do. I hope they get the arcade up to par by next Feb when we go. Anyway, one more thing. On Cayman, if we have time to tour by ourselves, any highlights that you know of that are somewhat close to the boat? Once again, thanks and glad you had sucj a wonderful time! Karen