DCL Navigator's App--first use review

[Geomom]

We just finished our first ever cruise (8/8-8/15/16 Disney Wonder to Alaska) and LOVED using the DCL Navigator's App. We have LG phones--worked great for us! We had no issues with the chat feature--immediately got the texts from the kids. We loved being able to see the activities for ALL the days of the trip. If a movie was at a time we couldn't do, we could click on the movie and it would tell us the other date/place it would be playing. I loved being able to see the hours for breakfast/lunch to decide where we would eat. I loved the feature of being able to click 'all activities', so you could see everything going on at the same time--great to help plan out activities for the kids AND for the adults--as an example, the last day at sea, my kids went to a family magic show at the Walt Disney Theater and DH and I went on the Art of the Theme Show tour. So...I have nothing bad to say about the app--worked great for us, and I used it much more than the paper Navigators.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I used it a lot on our last cruise, also, but I did keep the paper Navigators for my scrapbook!

 

[Geomom]

I used it a lot on our last cruise, also, but I did keep the paper Navigators for my scrapbook!

Ditto! I did keep the paper ones. DD16 had snatched up the hourly activity sheets every night (attacking it with the highlighters), so I really did depend on the app, lol.

What I found great was that instead of 4 of us gathered around 1 paper navigator, we could look at it at our leisure on our phones--usually while waiting in our seats for the nightly show to begin.

 

[TestingH2O]

If a movie was at a time we couldn't do, we could click on the movie and it would tell us the other date/place it would be playing.

This was one of my favorite features. We used it several times for character meets and club activities. Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation!

 

[85glht]

Did you need wifi access for it to update or was the whole week downloaded in one shot? I never did this due to me not wanting to pay for wifi access.

 

[professorandmom]

Did you need wifi access for it to update or was the whole week downloaded in one shot? I never did this due to me not wanting to pay for wifi access.

No Internet services needed - but you will connect to the free WIFI on board
One of the best tips I have read on the boards...you can connect to the ships WIFI while waiting in the port!!! How awesome to be able to look at drink tastings and other events before you get onboard...

 

[Geomom]

Did you need wifi access for it to update or was the whole week downloaded in one shot? I never did this due to me not wanting to pay for wifi access.

You put your phone in airplane mode, login to the DCL Guest wifi, and app runs off that for free. We didn't pay for any wifi on the trip. I did turn the phone off/went out of the app occasionally so that the app could refresh--they suggested refreshing it each morning as there are updates to the app during the week as they add/change activities. As an example--we premiered 'Pete's Dragon' at 12:01AM Friday 8/12--that movie wasn't listed on the app until Thursday.

 

[85glht]

Thanks for the info! I'll try it next time.