Cruise newbie with lots of (probably dumb) questions

[loislane]

We have never cruised at all and our first ever cruise will be on the Disney Dream next September. 15-18. I know, not best cruising time of year, but this is when it works in terms of family obligations.

Anyway, on to my random list of questions!

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

6. Passports or enhanced license? Are we the only crazy ones willing to risk it with just an enhanced license? Actually, I'll probably get a passport before then, but I doubt DH wants to. (And now you're starting to see why I call him Grumpy!) I have friends that have cruised with just the enhanced licenses - and say it's fine as long as there are no emergencies.

Ok - I'm gonna end it here for now or my list of silly questions could go on forever! Just looking for some info so I can be excited about the cruise instead of stressed because I don't know how anything works.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have never cruised at all and our first ever cruise will be on the Disney Dream next September. 15-18. I know, not best cruising time of year, but this is when it works in terms of family obligations.

Anyway, on to my random list of questions!

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

6. Passports or enhanced license? Are we the only crazy ones willing to risk it with just an enhanced license? Actually, I'll probably get a passport before then, but I doubt DH wants to. (And now you're starting to see why I call him Grumpy!) I have friends that have cruised with just the enhanced licenses - and say it's fine as long as there are no emergencies.

Ok - I'm gonna end it here for now or my list of silly questions could go on forever! Just looking for some info so I can be excited about the cruise instead of stressed because I don't know how anything works.

1. Certainly it can be done. Just have a plan B. Taking a direct flight (no stops) arriving as early in the morning as possible is a good idea. Also depends on the time of year. Winter time travel from snowy areas could be an issue. Generally it's best to arrive a day early - just in case. We've flown in the day of at least 3 times with no issues. But, from LA to MCO we can catch the "red-eye" departs at 11pm (not all that late) and arrives at 6am (not awfully early in the morning) giving us about a 10 hour window before the all aboard.

2. If you're just arriving late that night before, personally, I'd stay at the airport. If you're arriving a full day or two early, look into staying at, maybe a WDW resort. The cost of the DCL transfers from either MCO or a WDW resort is the same.

3. Auto-gratuities are added to your onboard account daily. This is $12 per guest (each person in your room) per night. That $12 breaks out to $4.00 per guest per day to your room host; $4.00 per guest per day to your dining room server; $3.00 per guest per night to your assistant server; and $1.00 per guest per night to your head server. Any beverages you purchase onboard will have a 15% gratuity added. Spa services have an 18% gratuity added. At the end of the cruise you will receive tip coupons and envelopes in your room. The coupons will indicate name, position and amount of the gratuity already collected. You separate the coupons and place them in the appropriate envelope for distribution the last night.


4. Can't help with the excursion - don't know your interests and how much you are comfortable spending.

5. All cruises that stop at Castaway Cay have the 5K. No charge, but you do need to sign up for it.

6. Passport are the way to go, in my opinion. That said a closed loop cruise (begins and ends in the same US port) for US citizens the minimum requirement for re-entry to the US at the end of the cruise is a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID. Yes, if there is a problem and you must fly home from a foreign port, you can't unless you have a passport. So you can fly home, but your husband cannot, until he gets an emergency passport from the US consulate (and they aren't on every corner in a foreign port).

 

[TestingH2O]

We have never cruised at all and our first ever cruise will be on the Disney Dream next September. 15-18. I know, not best cruising time of year, but this is when it works in terms of family obligations.

Anyway, on to my random list of questions!

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

I wouldn't recommend it. The last thing you want is for weather or mechanical delays to cancel your cruise. The extra couple hundred dollars is a small thing compared to missing your trip.

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

We usually stay by the airport. There is even a Hyatt inside MCO. For us, it was significantly cheaper and more comfortable to stay at the Homewood Suites MCO, but if you just need one room, the Hyatt is very convenient.

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

There are automatic gratuities for your dining room staff and room steward. You may choose to leave additional tips at the end for exceptional service. While you CAN decrease your tips, I'd encourage you to think hard before doing that as tips are most of the wages. In addition, you should tip room service, adult dining, porters, and excursion leaders. Spa services carry an 18% service charge.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

We aren't really excursion people. We've treated Nassau as a sea day.

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

Every time. No fee.

6. Passports or enhanced license? Are we the only crazy ones willing to risk it with just an enhanced license? Actually, I'll probably get a passport before then, but I doubt DH wants to. (And now you're starting to see why I call him Grumpy!) I have friends that have cruised with just the enhanced licenses - and say it's fine as long as there are no emergencies.

Lots of people do license and birth certificates. My family does passports for the added comfort of the ability to fly home in case of emergency.

Ok - I'm gonna end it here for now or my list of silly questions could go on forever! Just looking for some info so I can be excited about the cruise instead of stressed because I don't know how anything works.

Read lots of posts and have fun planning! While cruising isn't for everyone, we are definite addicts and this board has lots of good advice and ideas. Remember, you can't do it all.

 

[Dug720]

1) It's not something I would EVER do. Even the first flight out can be delayed - mechanical reasons, crew getting in late, crew member not showing up, etc. I will ALWAYS fly in at least the day before the cruise. That's a heck of a lot of money to be out if you miss that ship.

2) When going out of Port Canaveral, I personally like to stay at the Hampton Inn closest to the airport and then take DCL transportation over first thing in the morning.

3) They make it easy for you and charge your account for the tips. Cabin attendant, Head server, Server, Assistant server. Those are the auto-gratuities. Anyone else (bartenders, etc.) are at your discretion.

4) None jump out at me.

5) As far as I know every time the ship docks. No fee as of now, but you do need to sign up. Minimum age is 10 I believe. Just be aware that it's not a true 5K - you'll be lucky to hit 3 miles.

6) I don't travel out of the US without my passport. Things are fine with birth certificate and license - until they're not. I wouldn't want to be dealing with a stressful situation (the main reason you'd be off the ship and not heading back to the US on it) AND trying to deal with getting a passport.

That's my take on it. Others' opinions may vary.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's my take on it. Others' opinions may vary.

Not by much.

 

[olookasquirrel]

On the flights: it's a huge debate I've seen argued both ways. I think a lot has to do with where you're flying from. For instance, I'm coming from Chicago - if I were to take the first flight out, and something happened, there would be 6 other flights leaving before all aboard, on just my airline of choice, never mind running off to the other airport. If you're coming from a tiny regional airport, your choices of backup flights can be MUCH more limited!

To me, it's worth it for the $100 hotel room to come in the day before, and we stay at one of the (many) hotels surrounding the airport. But, I literally last night just had an anxiety dream about being late for the ship, so the earlier I can arrive, the better!

 

[PlanoNana]

I can't answer all your questions but I'll take a stab at some of them.
1. NO-NO and NO. Fly in the afternoon or night before. Stuff happens, flights get cancelled, delayed etc and luggage gets lost. On our cruise in 2004 we stayed at the Hyatt at MCO and took DCL transportation to the port. It was our first cruise and we enjoyed the experience. If you're flying in really late, ressies at the Hyatt let you just go to bed. We had a thunderstorm ground stop in Dallas in May, 2004 so our flight was delayed 2 hours leaving DFW. I think our 7:30 flight finally got to MCO around 1:30 and the quicker I could find a bed, the better. On our last cruise we were "collecting" family members so we all stayed at the same place the night before. Our Son has NO timesense so didn't want to be waiting at the port for him. We're cruising out of Galveston the day after Thanksgiving and we are driving down on Thanksgiving day.

2. There are lots of great places to stay. Depends on when your flight arrives - see comments in 1.

3. Easiest is to prepay your tips with your ressie. If you can't do that online, give DCL a call and they can add them. They will provide a suggested amount that you can adjust if you feel it's necessary. We always brought some cash for an additonal tip at the end of the cruise since we've always received fantastic service and I feel that should be rewarded by above normal tips. FYI, on our Nov 25 Very Merry Time Cruise, the suggested tips for the two of us for a 7 night cruise are $168 which comes out to $12 per person per day.

4. and 5. I'll let someone else answer.

6. We're getting our passports renewed and getting Passport Books. Both our moms are in their 90s and I worry that there will be an emergency that will require one or both of us to fly home. You can't do that with either the driver's license or even the Passport Card. Having the Passport Books just gives me one less thing to worry about so I can relax and enjoy the planning an the cruise! I expect that the passports will stay locked in the safe in the room.

And the questions aren't silly. Once they're answered you can enjoy your cruise more.

 

[over50visits]

Welcome!!! And (though it's easy for seasoned DCL cruisers to say), you don't need to stress about any of those things. Cruising is so easy, and the ship and crew are set up to make it so.

1. I agree with Dug720 (who gives great advice) and others…that's isn't a good idea. That is one "stress" you can eliminate.

2. Hyatt MCO never has seemed to have any benefits to me other than it is nearby. Homewood Suites is really more comfortable. Best of all is a Disney Resort. Gets you in the mood, a great way to relax the evening before in a Disney environment, transfers from there are easy.

3. Tipping should be absolutely stress free. Please, don't worry the details. Recommended tips to your servers and stateroom host will be automatically added to your account, and you'll get little envelopes near the end of the cruise to give them. They make it easy, they are truly appreciative, and don't give it another thought. Other tips that may exist (such as bar drinks or spa) are just put on your bill at the time, just sign and carry on. Really, really it is stress free and easy.

4. Check the boards here if you wish for plenty of advice on excursions. There are some expensive ones, but perhaps a nice cheap one would be to visit Atlantis. Gets you away from the port area to a pretty facility for walking around. Just look at the excursions on your cruise page online, the descriptions are pretty accurate, and we have taken many over the years and enjoyed all of them.

5. 5K is great. Every cruise. Just stop by shore excursions desk sometime before you arrive at Castaway Cay to sign up.

6. Always a debate on passport or not. You don't need one. Your cruise goes to Bahamas, on the very, very slight chance you will need to fly home from there, the consulate will fix you up with an emergency passport. A bit of a hassle, but the small chance of that happening makes it worth the significant savings in time and money expense for a regular passport. I know others will disagree, but please don't stress if you don't get passports. People seem to have visions of being stuck at some foreign port with no way home…that just doesn't happen.

You can plan and stress over the cruise a lot. Anticipation is half the fun, so read the boards, watch online videos, and dream of the great time you'll have. Don't worry about what to wear (anything goes, truly), what to tip (just go with the default), what excursions (they're all good), what time to eat, what of the multitude of activities to do (can't do them all), etc. You're on the world's coolest cruise line, and going to a world class island paradise (Castaway Cay). Life is good.

 

[kateandy08096]

We have never cruised at all and our first ever cruise will be on the Disney Dream next September. 15-18. I know, not best cruising time of year, but this is when it works in terms of family obligations.

Anyway, on to my random list of questions!

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

6. Passports or enhanced license? Are we the only crazy ones willing to risk it with just an enhanced license? Actually, I'll probably get a passport before then, but I doubt DH wants to. (And now you're starting to see why I call him Grumpy!) I have friends that have cruised with just the enhanced licenses - and say it's fine as long as there are no emergencies.

Ok - I'm gonna end it here for now or my list of silly questions could go on forever! Just looking for some info so I can be excited about the cruise instead of stressed because I don't know how anything works.

We have never cruised at all and our first ever cruise will be on the Disney Dream next September. 15-18. I know, not best cruising time of year, but this is when it works in terms of family obligations.

Anyway, on to my random list of questions!

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

6. Passports or enhanced license? Are we the only crazy ones willing to risk it with just an enhanced license? Actually, I'll probably get a passport before then, but I doubt DH wants to. (And now you're starting to see why I call him Grumpy!) I have friends that have cruised with just the enhanced licenses - and say it's fine as long as there are no emergencies.

Ok - I'm gonna end it here for now or my list of silly questions could go on forever! Just looking for some info so I can be excited about the cruise instead of stressed because I don't know how anything works.

Hello
Im a cruise newbie too. We will be on the dream Nov 2017 for 4 nights. We are driving from NJ and staying in Daytona Beach for a few days before then driving to Port Canaveral.
Im the same way stressing about tips but after reading all the great advice here I am no longer stressed. We will be a party of 4 so its about $200 in tips. You can pre pay that also.
I dont consider myself cheap but I do want the most for my money. I was obsessed with having to have a cabana at castaway cay but after debating a concierge room compared to a family ocean view with verandah I decided Ill take my chances and save the $2000 upgrade fee so as far as the excursions go I think we are going to spend Nassau as a sea day. The only real thing I think my husband will want to do there is hunt out cigars. We will have our 19 year old daughter and baby granddauter with us so its doubtful I will want to trek all over Nassau.
Cant give you any advice on the 5k as that really isnt our thing however depending on the ages of the ppl in your party I would just kick back and relax on castaway cay since its Disneys private island and from what I was told you have limited time.
Now here is my thought on the passports. We are not getting them. I highly doubt anything is going to happen to where we need to fly home that cant wait the 4 days. Knock on wood but yes we are not getting them. We were told by DCL all we needed was birth certificate and our state issued drivers license. For the baby who will be 17 months time of travel we need a birth certificate only.
Hope that helps
Enjoy your trip and all the planning.

 

[gismo1554]

As others have said I'm sure here are my take on the answers.

1. Is it realistic to fly in the morning of the cruise and take the Disney bus to the port? Or is this really just not do-able? We have NO problem taking an early flight - if one is available, but I'm wondering if I need to break it gently to DH that we need to fly down the night before and get a room somewhere.

Personally I wouldn't. I am a paranoid person and to me the stress of arriving on the day is just too much. Although there is lots of time to get there you just never know. The question is would you want to risk such a lot of money on missing it compared with how much a hotel and the earlier flight would cost?

2. If you do stay the night before the cruise, where is the best place to stay. Better to stay right at the airport? Or are there better options near the port?

Again personal preference, if I'm not driving then I would stay at the airport. This limits the extra expense to hire a car on top of things etc. It is however a numbers game so choose a good hotel with a free transfer from the airport that way you can get back to get the Disney bus to the port.

3. Tipping?!?! This probably has me the most stressed. I know that we will need to tip, but who and when. In the room - every day or one tip at the end? Same with dining - every night or just once at the end? And do we tip directly or is it automatically added to our bill.

You tip in one go and there are recommended tipping levels. They automatically add to your room bill or you can choose to leave it as that or add extra or change it to a cash payment its completely up to you. You tip the room steward, the head waiter, server and assistant server. Online you can see the recommended levels and I think they are around $12 per person per night split between the 4 tipped positions.

4. Excursions. Anything you feel is a "must-do" excursion? My husband is CHEAP so I need to pick wisely here. LOL

None. I find the cruise itself is enough for me so for me I wouldn't rush to do any excursions.

5. Castaway Cay 5K - is this something that happens regularly? And is there a cost to do it? It sounds like it would be fun to do, but I don't know if it's a regular option.

No cost and yes its every visit as far as I'm aware. It did knacker me however but I'm the least fit person I know to ever attempt it. I collapsed on to the beach afterwards and just couldn't move for an hour or so

Can't answer no 6 as I'm not American so always need a passport!