Cruise secrets that DCL doesn't tell you

[Mazz519]

Speaking of Sail Away...

Just recently off a 4 day Dream cruise. Went off to find my wife a sail away drink (in a souvenir plastic cup no less)... I get accused of drinking hers so i got 2... $22 later...

Anyways literally 10 mins later, they couldnt give them away! 2 for 1! $5! so a hint would be just chill and wait until the middle of the party and get yours 2 for 1 or 1/2 price

Same thing happened to me on the Fantasy in July…Definitely wait !!!

 

[ChristyBrown]

I was thinking about bringing one photo mat and two pillowcases, it is my hubby's 30th surprise trip to go on Dream in June. So I wanted a frame to get a birthday picture of him, then two pillowcases (one for each of us), would that be an issue? Also the free drinks and stuff, I am so lost. I thought the cruise was all inclusive. What do you pay for? We don't drink alcohol, so I don't have to worry about this. But I am lost, I thought we didn't pay for any food or drinks, can someone clarify what we pay for so I am not caught off guard. Help!

If it is just the two of you traveling, they limit the number of items you are having signed to 2. They only make exceptions if you have more than two children in your stateroom. My husband and I traveled just the two of us and we took 3 pillowcases. They would only take 2 of them when we arrived. We were on a 7 night cruise and the two cases were returned to us on the second night signed, so I took the third down after they returned the other two and they ended up signing it as well. I don't know if that was a fluke since it appears that you normally will not get your signed items until the last night. I had begged them at guest services to take all three the first day and they refused, so this is how we got around it. Not sure if it would work out that way every time though. Good luck!

 

[RapunzelFloyd]

If it is just the two of you traveling, they limit the number of items you are having signed to 2. They only make exceptions if you have more than two children in your stateroom. My husband and I traveled just the two of us and we took 3 pillowcases. They would only take 2 of them when we arrived. We were on a 7 night cruise and the two cases were returned to us on the second night signed, so I took the third down after they returned the other two and they ended up signing it as well. I don't know if that was a fluke since it appears that you normally will not get your signed items until the last night. I had begged them at guest services to take all three the first day and they refused, so this is how we got around it. Not sure if it would work out that way every time though. Good luck!

Well I will just go with one photo mat and a pillowcase, we can save it for when we have kids and put it in their room. It is only a four day cruise, so I don't know if I would have the time to try to get the other one signed. Oh well.

 

[snchpnz]

All this talk about tipping for room service. You can just write the tip on the receipt and it goes to the person bringing you the food, right? That's what I did. I hate to think I stiffed them.

 

[SG101]

Drinks are free on Captains night out in the lobby.

 

[jcemom]

All this talk about tipping for room service. You can just write the tip on the receipt and it goes to the person bringing you the food, right? That's what I did. I hate to think I stiffed them.

I was informed by a rather snippy CM delivering our room service that cash is preferred. He was the only unfriendly CM we encountered the entire cruise. I would have tipped $5 but gave him $2 cash instead.

 

[RapunzelFloyd]

I was informed by a rather snippy CM delivering our room service that cash is preferred. He was the only unfriendly CM we encountered the entire cruise. I would have tipped $5 but gave him $2 cash instead.

he should be lucky you gave him that with that attitude, don't we all think Disney is supposed to be magic? I am glad he was the only unfriendly one

 

[NJ911Emerg]

Same thing happened to me on the Fantasy in July…Definitely wait !!!

. This is good to know. I still have the cup from my first cruise. Loving all the ideas and the helpful hints. (In)patiently waiting for my August 23rd, 2014 trip on the Fantasy!

 

[Bear3412]

Regarding the room service tip; I tell them when ordering if they want a tip, bring a slip. I do this because some report they got no slip.
With a slip you can add a tip, sign, and it will be charged to your onboard account.

The other debate is whether the delivery person keeps all the tip if on a slip. It may be pooled. But may keep it all, if not on a slip. (cash) Well at least keeps more.
ETA; That may explain the preference for cash from the delivery CM.

The debate goes on, well .... at least in my mind.

 

[MDennis28]

I have heard that if u tip in cash, delivery person keeps it all. If u sign the slip and add it to your room bill, the delivery person shares it with the person you spoke with on the phone to place your order.

 

[yvetticonfetti]

And for those newbies, there's apparently a charge for smoothies. Although why you would want a smoothie when there's Mickey bars available in exchange for a room service tip...

Edited: I can mangle a sentence - I meant to convey that the info in my message was for newbies, not that only newbies are charged for smoothies. That would really be an ugly secret.

I heard smoothies are free at certain places & kids clubs. Is that true?

 

[debsters41]

I heard smoothies are free at certain places & kids clubs. Is that true?

I can say that during the 'smoothie hour' at the teen club (Vibe) my daughter was able to try many different flavored smoothies and there was no charge. Make sure your teens ask for it on the first night while they are deciding on activities.

 

[joycsk]

Same thing happened to me on the Fantasy in July…Definitely wait !!!

Just be aware that your drink will be melted and watery. That is part of why they go down in price. I've read the general tip on Never taking a drink from a passing server and always going to get them from the bar. If you get it from a deck server with a tray, the drinks are not so "fresh."

 

[jcemom]

Regarding the room service tip; I tell them when ordering if they want a tip, bring a slip. I do this because some report they got no slip.
With a slip you can add a tip, sign, and it will be charged to your onboard account.

The other debate is whether the delivery person keeps all the tip if on a slip. It may be pooled. But may keep it all, if not on a slip. (cash) Well at least keeps more.
ETA; That may explain the preference for cash from the delivery CM.

The debate goes on, well .... at least in my mind.

I had read the debate of signing the slip or tipping cash before we went, so I had a bunch of $1s and $5s just in case. The first couple of times we ordered room service they handed me a slip and I signed it, because we had a lot of stateroom credit to use up. I asked one young lady if it was better to sign the slip or tip cash, and she said whichever I preferred, and thanked me. When that guy came in he wasn't very friendly right off the bat. He didn't give me a slip. I asked if there was a slip for me to sign. He said something to the effect of "No. I would rather have cash." He didn't say it in a pleasant way. I wouldn't have minding him telling me the preference was for cash. He just wasn't nice about it.

Maybe he was just having a bad day.

 

[Bear3412]

I had read the debate of signing the slip .....

Thanks for the expanded details. Yeah, could have been a bad day. We all have them.

What MDennis228 posted sounds familiar too, and I agree. And I feel that is why some pax say they don't always bring a slip. But I feel they do infact have a slip, likely required, some just act like they don't, so they can keep more tip. IMO
Of course some are more pleasant about it, and keep the difference to themselves.

Weird how we prefer to know all the intricacies involved behind the operational scenes. I do feel the majority want to know for the crews benefit though. IMO

 

[rescuetink]

Weird how we prefer to know all the intricacies involved behind the operational scenes. I do feel the majority want to know for the crews benefit though. IMO

OH SO TRUE!!!!

 

[Racer X]

OH SO TRUE!!!!

Should cruising be this complicated

And yes - the sail away drinks to get watered a bit, but a quick stir and they are not so bad for $5

 

[Bear3412]

Should cruising be this complicated

And yes - the sail away drinks to get watered a bit, but a quick stir and they are not so bad for $5

They go down faster too in this state.

 

[autismgoesdisney]

We just got off of the Wonder. They only allowed 2 items per stateroom to be signed- so I left 2 pillowcases .. I took our photo mat to the characters and got my own signatures. It worked out great. Also our drinks (we had ones with alcohol in them) weren't free at the sailaway party You will have a wonderful time!! If you take bottles of wine, remember to take a corkscrew. We forgot ours

May I ask how many children you travelled with in your stateroom? I was told they would sign a pillowcase for each of my three children.

 

[CMontheseas]

FWIW I'm only sitting 2 tables away from the bell box crewmembers, I could ask them about tipping if you like


*nevermind I just did anyway. From the horse's mouth re: room service:
"When we receive any tips in cash we can keep it and not have to declare the total to anyone. The slips are collected and divided among the entire bell box department. It takes a while 1-2 weeks for these tips to show up on the paycheck and you can never really know how much you got. We are never supposed to just tell the guests to give us cash."