Everything I need to Know??? Help..

[lilys.mom]

Thinking about booking a Disney Cruise for March 2011. It would be me, Dh and Dd 4. Thinking about booking 4 or 5 night bahama that goes to Castaway Cay....the price they quote on the site is everything included? Do you have to book resturants??? Any and all details would be great!!!!!!!!! What to activities they have that we might enjoy etc.....help persuade me I guess!!!!!!!!

 

[neenslovesdisney]

Whoa! Where do I begin?! Yes, all the restaurants are included in the price except for an additional charge for the adults-only Palo. Alchoholic drinks at Cove cafe and anywhere else on the ship are not included. Most of the activities onboard are included but I think there is an additional fee for bingo. Shore excursions are not included and are fairly expensive IMHO. We usually book things on our own. For example, at Nassau, we book the Comfort Suites which gives us access to the Atlantis water park etc and find our own way there and back to the ship.
You will love it! We are going on our 5th cruise next week and can't get enough.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

Thinking about booking a Disney Cruise for March 2011. It would be me, Dh and Dd 4. Thinking about booking 4 or 5 night bahama that goes to Castaway Cay....the price they quote on the site is everything included? Do you have to book resturants??? Any and all details would be great!!!!!!!!! What to activities they have that we might enjoy etc.....help persuade me I guess!!!!!!!!

Airfare and transfers to/from the ship are not included - sometimes if you book w/a TA they include transfers. The DCL transfers are approx 70pp round trip but they handle your luggage for you so you check it at the airline before you board your plane and you don't see it again until you are on the ship. There are less expensive transportation options but you will need to handle your own luggage. We've always used DCL transportation but are considering using another option our next trip.

You will be assigned a dinning rotation and your wait staff and any tablemates will rotate with you. Upon arrival in your room you'll find all of the details on your dining rotation. There are 3 sit down restaurants and you rotate through them - but ONLY for dinner. You can eat where ever you choose for breakfast/lunch and if you aren't able or choose not to attend dinner at your assigned time/restaurant then you can just hit the buffet located near the pools. Room service is also available and food is free but you should tip the server when he arrives.

Alcohol is not included, nor are specialty coffee's from the Cove Cafe (but they are SO yummy). Non-alcoholic drinks are available with meals for free but if you order one from lounge you will be charged. There is a beverage station near the pool that has free soda, juice, and coffee/tea available 24/7.

As mentioned, excursions are not included, snorkel / beach equipment at Castaway Cay are not included (the rental fee for snorkles and floats is nominal, while excursions are a bit pricey). Lunch at Castaway Cay is buffett (and really good) and it is included. Snacks are included. On board activities and kids club are included- there is a fee for bingo, wine tasting, martini tasting... but family activities and shows are included.

 

[lilys.mom]

Could you explain a little bit more about booking at Comfort Suites and being able to access Atlantis..I know what Atlantis is


Also what all do they have at Castaway Cay that a 4 year old could participate in?

ARe the charecters around???

 

[Stitchnut]

Could you explain a little bit more about booking at Comfort Suites and being able to access Atlantis..I know what Atlantis is


Also what all do they have at Castaway Cay that a 4 year old could participate in?

ARe the charecters around???

There are characters on Castaway Cay... Minnie& Mickey, Captain Jack Sparrow, Pluto, Lilo& Stitch (these are who we saw and they allow you to take pics)

They are revamping the space to include a "water play" area with sprinklers, etc. I'm not sure when this will be done.

They also have Monstro Pointe which has a huge whale "skeleton" to dig up. My daughter loved digging on this in the sand. There is Scuttle's Cove which has supervised kids activities and play. The kids can be checked in here just like the Oceaneer Club or lab.

 

[lilys.mom]

Awesome also meant to mention we will be driving...so do you leave your car where you stay in Port Carnaveral???

Also is it worth a little more money for the 4 night or is the 3 night still enough time...also considering we will drive down one day and spend the night

 

[maria-fan-22]

Awesome also meant to mention we will be driving...so do you leave your car where you stay in Port Carnaveral???

Also is it worth a little more money for the 4 night or is the 3 night still enough time...also considering we will drive down one day and spend the night

You can leave your car at most hotels in PC but the lot accross the street from the terminal is VERY secure. But pricey. A few hotels offer a $20 cruise parking pass.

AS FOR 3/4 Nights... The only thing you'll miss with the three night is a day at sea. I always enjoy the day at sea, but some people don't. But I would say it is worth it to do the day at sea. so four night for me!

 

[lilys.mom]

I just keep thinking of questions....thanks for all the answers so far!

What type of deposit is due when you book? and when is payment due in full?

 

[FairyGrandmother]

I believe that the deposit is $200.00 for most rooms and payment is usually do 75 days out. You will have to have made final payment befor you can book any excersions, or make Palo ressies. The *** section at the top of these boards can give you the answers to a lot of your questions, and even some that you have not thought of yet. After you make your decession and book your cruise be sure to look up the thread for your cruise and join that group. You will meet others on your cruise and even make plans to possibaly do some things together. You will enjoy this and it will help pass the time until you cruise.
Cruising has become a passion with us after just the first one, be prepared for this to happen.

Magie

 

[PearlySwan]

Thinking about booking a Disney Cruise for March 2011. It would be me, Dh and Dd 4. Thinking about booking 4 or 5 night bahama that goes to Castaway Cay....the price they quote on the site is everything included? Do you have to book resturants??? Any and all details would be great!!!!!!!!! What to activities they have that we might enjoy etc.....help persuade me I guess!!!!!!!!

^^^ Welcome! You will LOVE DCL! Here are my recommendations:

Book at least 4 nights, don't downgrade to 3 nights. We went on the 5-Night last month with two stops at Castaway Cay. We all wished it had been a 7-Night cruise like our first DCL cruise back in 2006. With a 3 night cruise you don't have a day at sea (the most relaxing days on a cruise are sea days), and by the time you've become familiar with the ship's layout it's time to disembark again.

As previous posters have stated, the price includes all the food in the main dining venues, but not in the adult's only restaurant, Palo. The surcharge to dine there is $15/adult. Alcohol beverages are not included. You need not book restaurants as DCL will provide your dining rotation for dinners in the main dining venue restaurants. Your wait staff will follow you from restaurant to restaurant each and every night. They get to know your preferences real quick. The only place they don't follow you to is the adults only restaurant.

All the entertainment in the Walt Disney Theater and the Buena Vista Theater is included in the price of your cruise fare. So you can watch the Broadway style productions and movies without adding anything to your tab. We saw Toy Story 3 in 3D onboard the Disney Wonder. It was the first time they showed it on the ship. We also saw Prince of Persia. As far as shows we went to see The Golden Mickeys, Toy Story: The Musical, and Disney Dreams. They were all excellent, particularly Dreams. Since you have a little girl, you'll love it even more.

There are plenty of opportunities to interact with all the characters both onboard the ship and at Castaway Cay. The Daily Cruise Navigator will indicate the times and places to meet characters. There are many many many chances to meet characters at some point during your cruise. Some we saw last month: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Dale, Daisy, Donald (all of these character wore various outfits, Sailor Attire, Formal Attire, Pirate Attire, Beach Attire, Cruise Casual Attire, etc). Then there were the princesses: Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Tiana. We also saw Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Stitch.

There is simply too much to list here. Did you check the FAQs thread? It will answer tons of your questions, and some you didn't even know you had.

If you like Disney, you'll love DCL!

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

I just keep thinking of questions....thanks for all the answers so far!

What type of deposit is due when you book? and when is payment due in full?

Passporter's Guide to the Disney Cruise Line is a fantastic resource for new cruisers. You can buy it on Amazon or your local book seller.