Hi.
I just booked my family of 5 (first time cruisers) on this cruie. Its a suprise for my entire fmaily (husband included). I decided to book a stay at Disney fore three days prior to the cruise. I booked it seperately through Disney.
Now I am trying to figure everything out.
How to get from Disney to Port Canaveral? Car vs Magical Express
What is the bets time to check-in?
What excursions are a "must do" or share hints on how to make the most of our short cruise.
I have three kids, 12, 10, 5 and I dont know anything about cruising- so any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!!!
Well look at you planning a fantastic getaway! Your family will love it! When I first booked three years ago for my sister-in-law's wedding party of 15, I, too, didn't know what to expect and had never cruised before. Disney made everything so easy. My very first time my children were 9 and 11 and i was a bit nervous leaving them alone on a ship. I would leave them in the kids clubs and have them call for me to check them out. Well, they kept calling and i would be in the spa and somewhere relaxing, I asked the club to have them check themselves out. Now, I hardly see my kids. And that's okay! We get a great vacation just as much as they do. The wave phones that they give out per room helps keep in touch. Here i am six cruises and a DVC member later.
Here are my suggestions:
Car vs. Magical Express: I did this on our first cruise just to see what it would be like. It was so simple going from the airport to the Port and everything was taken care of. Since then, I've found Happy Limousine and get a private car (one time splurged on a limo) to pick us up from the airport and/or hotel, which includes a 15 minute grocery stop to get some last minute goodies. It turned out to be cheaper for my family of four.
Best time to check in would be anytime before 1pm. The rooms are normallly ready about 1 or 1:30 so anytime closer to that is fine. They get you in pretty quick. Anytime after that, you probably can just walk on the ship. Now, if you want to upgrade at the port, you can try to get there as soon as the doors open so you can get the earliest chance to get a larger room, for cheaper than online.
As for excursions,
Castaway Cay is the best! It's an island that has the chairs and umbrellas already out plus they have the BBQ buffet in the middle of the day. I've taken the bike ride around the island; some would say to do snorkeling but my family isn't the swimming type. It's a bit of a walk or a tram ride from the ship, but go to the chairs towards the middle b/c they are closest to the bathrooms and food buffets. I even splurged and got a cabana (yes $500!) once. It rained that day so it was worth it. You get snacks/drinks, bike rental for an hour, private beach, sand toys, hammock, and an enclosed cabana. It was worth the splurge. I don't care to much for the Nassau port. There is a lot of folks trying to get your attention once you're off the ship so it's a bit harassing so I stay on the ship during this stop. Some folks like Atlantis but it's expensive in my opinion. I enjoy exploring the ship on this day.
Book another cruise while you're on there. you get a discount and don't have to put as much of a downpayment. You can book a dummy date, but it's best to do it while on the ship.
Hope this helps!
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Hi!! 
