Cruise secrets that DCL doesn't tell you

[rescuetink]

Ok, so thanks to msabol01 he showed me how to post the list as a Google Doc!!

I hope this works!! If not I'll just keep sending it out, I don't mind at all!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pg2mG-lswenU_d5chdnQ5VA9R34owEeevcTnQeDYrkA/edit

I meant to add this which I was including in the emails that I've sent out:

There are a number of things that seem to repeat themselves, but it shows that different people had different experiences with different things!! But all in all it seems to be an easier read then paging through the thread!! I did do a spell check and make some minor changes to some posts. It also indicates the end of each page so if you see a post that interests you, then you can just go to that page on the DIS and see the responses after it!! If you see anything that I posted incorrectly PLEASE let me know so I can change it!! I just got off the magic and can't wait to sail DCL again in 2013!!

Oh, and one of my BIGGEST tips is to re-book another DCL trip while your onboard!! And what we did was book a December 2013 3 day sailing and paid the required 10% deposit on that, we booked 2 rooms at around $89.00 per room deposit. Now we can decide when we actually want to sail, which we can even push it into 2014, and then we can change our sail date!! And if we decide that we can't do the cruise, or something else get's in the way of us going (NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!!) we can just get our deposit back, but we can never get the discount once we get off!!) You can also add a TA after you book online depending on who has the best incentives, as long as you don't pay the cruise off before you try and add the TA!! Oh, and I think that the re-booking desk was without question the #1 busiest spot we saw on the cruise!! That girl had a line of people waiting before she would sit down twice a day, and she wouldn't get a break till she cut the line off!! So try and get to her early!!

Oh, and keep the suggestions for the thread coming!!! I love the DIS... and all the DISigners who made wonderful door magnets and shirt DISigns for my family!!!

Happy Sailing!!

 

[tikimimi]

Many thanks for the Googledocs link!

 

[Four Bears]

I am not sure if this was already posted....

The Disney Magic (and I imagine the Wonder as well) do not have electrical outlets by the beds. Fortunately, I figured this out before I cruised 2 years ago, since DH uses a BiPAP machine at night due to sleep apnea. We were prepared, though, and brought an extension cord. So it wasn't an issue for us, but I want to let others know who could be affected.

 

[Kurby]

On a 4 day cruise, the restaurant that you like the least of the other two.......tell them you want to dine there on the first night of your cruise.That way you will not repeat that " least like " restaurant during the four days of cruisin'.

Who do you tell this to? Isn't your seating assignment already set By the time you check in?

 

[Queen2]

I started reading this thread at the begining. Great ideas. The only thing my computer keeps freezing. At this rate it will take me to a cow flies over the moon to finish.

I have a good secret, not sure it has been posted. When we cruised a few years ago we found you can order Mickey bars anytime you want. Room service & at any meal. On a Disney cruise you can't go a day without a Mickey Bar. Sometimes 2

 

[Grandma4ever]

Who do you tell this to? Isn't your seating assignment already set By the time you check in?

You can go to where ever they are making last min ressies once on board. On the Magic it is the Rockin Bar D. They can reorder your rotation if there are opening in the desired one. The other way I might suggest if it is really that important is to e-mail or have your TA contact DCL ahead of time. I arranged some special events for my 9 year nieces who had recently lost their dad that way.

 

[richmo]

You can go to where ever they are making last min ressies once on board. On the Magic it is the Rockin Bar D. They can reorder your rotation if there are opening in the desired one. The other way I might suggest if it is really that important is to e-mail or have your TA contact DCL ahead of time. I arranged some special events for my 9 year nieces who had recently lost their dad that way.

That's correct. On the Wonder, I think they do the dining changes in WaveBands. When you check in, they'll give you a Navigator for the first day. That will tell you where the dining changes can be made.

If you have a specific dining request, your best chance of getting it would be to call DCL about 3 weeks before your cruise and having the request noted on your reservation. I believe that's about when they do the dining assignments. There's no guarantee the request will be granted, but it worked for us when requesting a specific server.

 

[princess toria]

I am bringing my wedding guestbook on the cruise, I hope the characters will sign it!

i was thinking of doing this as we are getting married on the cruise, did they do it for you?

 

[Susiesark]

I started reading this thread at the begining. Great ideas. The only thing my computer keeps freezing. At this rate it will take me to a cow flies over the moon to finish.

I have a good secret, not sure it has been posted. When we cruised a few years ago we found you can order Mickey bars anytime you want. Room service & at any meal. On a Disney cruise you can't go a day without a Mickey Bar. Sometimes 2

We got off the Wonder 8 days ago. We had coffee and cookies delivered daily, as well as barbeque wings and BLT most days (which my husband said were the best he's had). We would also bring dessert from the dining room back to our room (so much better than the Mickey bars). Be sure to grab a handful of the cookies from Beach Blanket Buffet, too. We had lots of $1 bills for all the room service we had.

RE: changing dining rotation: My dining schedule was different than I requested so I immediately headed to Wavebands to change it. They took my request but I never heard back. If it is a full cruise, it is unlikely you will get a change.

 

[poohj80]

RE: changing dining rotation: My dining schedule was different than I requested so I immediately headed to Wavebands to change it. They took my request but I never heard back. If it is a full cruise, it is unlikely you will get a change.

We have been successful changing our dining rotation on board, but our new table was tucked back in the farthest corner we could be in each dining room. We wondered if they kept the worst tables available for such changes, but maybe we were just unlucky.

 

[Kurby]

You know, I think the Magic of the service on DCL is this: you only have to ask once or twice. For example, on our last cruise, I asked for a few slices of cheese for DD1 at dinner on the first (and maybe the 2nd) night, and then they just automatically were on the table all the rest of the nights. Same with our room steward, the first evening after dinner/show we asked for a bucket of ice. He then made sure there was a fresh bucket of ice in our room pretty much all the time (after morning clean up, and again at turn-down).

.

Happy sailing!

We must have had the one room steward who thought anything I ask for was an inconvience.

In 09 we had an inside cabin. Small. So I asked if it was possible to remove the table which was met with "why, really, are you sure". Then a second call to ask the round seat be removed because it was broken ( there was a sharp something broken off and I did t want my dd3 to get hurt. That was met wih are you sure do I really want it out

That night I ask for an extra sheet because dh is a blanket hog and I serpent half the night fighting with him in his sleep to get a corner of the sheet and rather then leaving the sheet for the next few nights I had to. Call every night to get one

What tools the cake was every time he saw dh he would smile and say hell mr x but completely ignore me. Humph

I didn't think I was asking a lot so I didnt understand the attitude

Oh well. Next trip is on the dream in just over a year

 

[Grandma4ever]

We must have had the one room steward who thought anything I ask for was an inconvience.

In 09 we had an inside cabin. Small. So I asked if it was possible to remove the table which was met with "why, really, are you sure". Then a second call to ask the round seat be removed because it was broken ( there was a sharp something broken off and I did t want my dd3 to get hurt. That was met wih are you sure do I really want it out

That night I ask for an extra sheet because dh is a blanket hog and I serpent half the night fighting with him in his sleep to get a corner of the sheet and rather then leaving the sheet for the next few nights I had to. All every night

What tools the cake was every time he saw dh he would smile and say hell mr x but completely ignore me. Humph

I didn't think I was asking a lot so I didnt understand the attitude

Oh well. Next trip is on the dream in just over a year

I am so sorry to hear you got stuck with the exception for DCL. I might reccomend that if you have poor service like that in the future that you go to guest service and discuss with a DCL officer about the problems you are having. That is the only way that DCL can train and correct staff that are not meeting the DCL standards.

We have never been questioned about a request except to assure the CM understood what we desired. Asked for an extra blanket and it MAGICALLY appeared. I wanted extra shampoo and I got it. Extra tea from the dinning room and it was provided.

Some staff are newer and still learning. There are those who just may never cut it. However, for the most part DCL does provide great service which create a great vacation. That is as long as we do not allow our expectations to get so large that it is not humanly possible to meet them.

 

[squirrel]

Does the DCL have a refillable mug like WDW? If yes, how much for one?

I thought when we went back in 2000, that they did have one for soda. We didn't bother as we were doing the land/sea and were only on the Wonder for 4 nights.

 

[poohj80]

Does the DCL have a refillable mug like WDW? If yes, how much for one?

No need for one as sodas and coffee are free at the drink station by the pool.

 

[rescuetink]

Does the DCL have a refillable mug like WDW? If yes, how much for one?

No need for one as sodas and coffee are free at the drink station by the pool.

They do sell them, but like poohj80 said, soda (ice tea, fruit juice, coffee tea, ect.) is free!!! I just packed one and stuffed it with clothes in our suitcase and brought it with me!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALT!!!

 

[2CME911]

Great thread...subbing
Thank you for the info

 

[Kurby]

I wear my laynard and put the sticker inside it and don't even take off the back of the sticker. You won't loose it and you wont have a # or Character in your photo.

What stickers are you guys referring to. Do you have a pic of what they look like

 

[Susiesark]

What stickers are you guys referring to. Do you have a pic of what they look like

When you book your shore excursion through DCL, you meet up in your group and the leader carries a placard and everyone in the group has matching stickers. This way it makes it easier to stay in your own group. It's small, maybe 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" but you don't want it in your photos.

 

[loewymartin]

I spent days reading this thread to then find the fabulous summary RescueTink posted on page 46! Thank you for summarizing - just wish I knew that a few days and pages ago

I can't wait for our first Disney cruise in February 2012. I had already started a list of the things to remember to do and bring and I'm sure I will be adding to it over the next few months.

Subbing to get more info!

 

[rosermama]

Not sure if this has been mentioned...

We make t-shirts for each cruise, we have done them in a couple of different ways. We have done iron-ons and air brushing we have a great guy in Hawaii who does the air brush for $10-$20 a shirt and ships them to us and is amazing.

We always do the shirts with a nice picture on the front we chose a different one for each cruise. Then we put on the nametags if you search the magnet boards there is templates for the disney cruise nametags.

We wear them on the day we board the ship, makes for a great first picture and you can always tell the whole family.

Also the crew will greet you by name which is really special for the kids.

Finally at the end of the day, before dinner I take the kids shirts and drop them off at Guest Services to get signed.