We have talked about it for years (since Disney got cruises) and may go in October.
Last minute trip.
Wondering if we should pay extra $ for a Verandah. Are the pools and hot tub open all night or do they shut everything down at early hours like Do not want to pay for a Verandah if we are never in the room.
Can I bring my own wine and / or Beer?
What extras will I need $$ for. Assuming Liquear, souveniors, anything else?
What happens last day. I think ship arrives back to Port at 7:30 am. What time are we kicked off, can we sleep in? Do they serve a last meal?
Transportation. Might spend first night close to
Port Canaveral if I can get a hotel on ocean or stay at Disney. Will need to use Disney bus, rent a car or ??
Any other suggestions?
There are people who think the verandah is worth it and others who will say save your money. Check out the price difference because the cost to upgrade to a verandah is less on the Dream and Fantasy than on the classic ships because they have so many more verandah rooms than inside or oceanview rooms. I've done inside, oceanview, and verandah and definitely prefer the verandah. But on a short cruise, you may be fine with an inside room because you probably won't spend a lot of time in the room.
Pools and hot tubs do shut down at night. Closing time varies but I'd say 10:00 is a common closing time.
Each adult age 21+ can bring on 2 bottles of wine (no larger than 750ml) OR 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) at embarkation and at each port of call. The alcohol must be carried on in your carryon bag, not in your checked luggage.
Some of the things that cost extra, besides alcohol and souvenirs, are the adult specialty restaurants (Palo and Remy), specialty coffees and smoothies, adult tasting classes (Mixology, wine tasting, etc.), tips, spa treatments, Rainforest Room in the spa, and port excursions. The Dream has a new ice cream shop called Vanellopes which is extra. I know there are additional things. There's an extremely large list of paid extras floating around here, but you can cruise and pay very little extra if you wish. It's all in what you want to do.
You do have to be out of your stateroom by 8:00am on the last day and off the ship by 9:00am or a little after. You will be assigned a time to eat breakfast in one of the MDRs based upon your assigned dining time. Early dinner gets early breakfast, which is around 6:45-7:00am. Second seating dining gets a breakfast time of around 8:00am.
DCL provides transfers either from MCO or a WDW resort for $35 per person each way. Depending on how many are in your party, it may be less expensive to rent a car or use a car service. If you are coming in the day before and not visiting the parks, I'd recommend staying at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport if you are taking the DCL transfers. It's very convenient. If you want to stay near the port, rent a car or hire a private car service. If you stay at a WDW resort, the DCL transfers won't get you to the port until around 12:30-2:00. On a short cruise, it's nice to board the ship as early as possible to start taking advantage of the ship amenities.
