First cruise--soooo many questions...

[Ellajoan]

Are Dole Whips available? Inlcuded in cruise cost or for purchase?

What is the door decorating I see? Magnets? Outside or inside of your stateroom? Do people ever steal these?

What souvenirs are available? I'm thinking magnets, T shirt, mugs, etc. Best to buy right away or wait til end of cruise?

What is the nightlife? Cruising w/ two adult children, but one w/ special needs. Special needs DD likely will want to do some of the "kid stuff" but is 22. She looks younger. Will they let her?

Are the excursions worthwhile? We'll be in Ports of Cozumel and Progreso.

Will 4 adults in one stateroom be massively crowded? Only way we could swing it financially.

I've only cruised once before on Holland America, which skewed 55+. If you've cruised both, how would you compare food, amenties, entertainment, etc?

Can we use Disney gift cards to pay directly for drinks, bingo, thing on ship?

Are there any theme nights that happen on every cruise? Ours is a 5 night cruise.

Are Mickey waffles or mickey bars available? Extra fees?

Explain the 1820 club--is it something young adults have enjoyed?

Are there any benefits to early vs late dinner sitting? Will we be better off w/ later b/c we are all over 18?

Lastly, we are cruising in Feb but will surprise DDs with trip at Christmas. Any ideas for fun reveal for older kids?

 

[loislane]

Are Dole Whips available? Inlcuded in cruise cost or for purchase?

What is the door decorating I see? Magnets? Outside or inside of your stateroom? Do people ever steal these?

What souvenirs are available? I'm thinking magnets, T shirt, mugs, etc. Best to buy right away or wait til end of cruise?

What is the nightlife? Cruising w/ two adult children, but one w/ special needs. Special needs DD likely will want to do some of the "kid stuff" but is 22. She looks younger. Will they let her?

Are the excursions worthwhile? We'll be in Ports of Cozumel and Progreso.

Will 4 adults in one stateroom be massively crowded? Only way we could swing it financially.

I've only cruised once before on Holland America, which skewed 55+. If you've cruised both, how would you compare food, amenties, entertainment, etc?

Lastly, we are cruising in Feb but will surprise DDs with trip at Christmas. Any ideas for fun reveal for older kids?

Dole whips - with and without booze available for purchase
Door decorating - just a fun thing to do. We've never had anyone take something that wasn't intended to be taken.
Souvenirs - all sorts of things. Buy the first night if you really want it. Once it's gone, it's gone.
Nightlight - there are several bars/lounges and lots of entertainment that is just for the grownups. Not sure on the kids club stuff as we never cruised with kids.
Excursions - really a matter of personal opinion I think there.
4 adults will feel cramped when all 4 of you are in there. If you have a balcony, that helps. Plus the couch and the pull down bed will get closed up during the day which also helps. Your stateroom hosts will ready the beds at night.
Have only cruised Disney so can't compare.
Never did a reveal either, but maybe a Disney cruise t-shirt and a gift card as gifts to announce it?

 

[Marc D]

What souvenirs are available? I'm thinking magnets, T shirt, mugs, etc. Best to buy right away or wait til end of cruise?

There is no point in waiting until later in the cruise. There are no last minute/special sales like on other cruise lines. And they do not get more merchandise later in the cruise since they only restock during turnaround between cruises.

 

[Kwami]

Are Dole Whips available? Inlcuded in cruise cost or for purchase?

Dole Whip is available for purchase, but it's not the same as what you'd get at the parks. It's more of a drink.

What is the door decorating I see? Magnets? Outside or inside of your stateroom? Do people ever steal these?

The doors and walls of the staterooms are magnetic, so you can hang magnets pretty much anywhere. I've never seen anyone steal something, but I've read other reports about it happening. Keep in mind that kids are kids and some kids just take things without thinking. I wouldn't invest too much into anything that you leave outside the door.

What souvenirs are available? I'm thinking magnets, T shirt, mugs, etc. Best to buy right away or wait til end of cruise?

Sure, all of those are available. They also have toys, stuffed animals, other clothing, pens, ship models, pins, and assorted weird things like the butter spreaders from Animator's Palate. If you're looking for something specific, or if you want to buy clothing in a particular size, then visit on the first day. Otherwise, it's better to wait because the stores won't be as crowded later. Keep in mind that the shops don't open until about 6pm on embarkation day, which conflicts with the first dinner seating and the first evening show.

What is the nightlife? Cruising w/ two adult children, but one w/ special needs. Special needs DD likely will want to do some of the "kid stuff" but is 22. She looks younger. Will they let her?

She won't be allowed into the kids clubs, except during open house times, but she can participate in anything else. That includes arts and crafts, dance parties, characters, and so on.

Are the excursions worthwhile? We'll be in Ports of Cozumel and Progreso.

I guess that depends on what you like to do. We took a fun excursion in Cozumel that brought us to some Mayan ruins, an art museum, and a place where they teach you how to make chocolate. They also gave us some tacos for lunch. We had a great time! Disney will charge you more for excursions that independent companies do, but for the convenience of booking through Disney and not having to figure out transportation and the like is worth it to me.

Will 4 adults in one stateroom be massively crowded? Only way we could swing it financially.

The bathroom will be crowded, I bet. But otherwise, there are places for four people to sleep. There's a privacy curtain to separate the bed from the other sleeping spots, too.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

DCL is very strict about kids clubs: 17 yrs old is the limit, with no exceptions.
Door decor: magnets and only magnets, yes. The entire stateroom and both sides of the door are made of metal. Steal them: It's been posted here that it can happen. Best to have your name as part of the magnet picture, and don't put up anything you don't want to lose.
HAL: much more 55+ because of the music, entertainment, and guest speakers they are known for. Food is about the same in MDR. Amenities for you and the adult kids: Far more diversified for the entire family on DCL.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We don’t decorate the door so I can’t answer that. I just never saw the point.

We have an adult daughter with down syndrome. We always bring her best friend with different disabilities we don’t see them during the day. They are too busy. It’s very safe. They are looking for characters, eating, watching movies, doing crafts etc. My Daugher also loves Kareoke. They don’t go out with us much at night except for dancing occasionally. We usually meet in the rooM to get ready for the 630 show, then they might go to a game show or look for characters and then we Meet up again for late dinner.

We always stay in the deluxe family room with or without balcony There’s enough room for 4. You just need to regulate bathrooM time. The attendant will pull down the overhead bed and make up the couch at night.

We have been to all the ports so we rarely get off any more. We treat it as a sea day.

 

[Mommb]

A few more answers:

Everything purchased onboard will be charged to your stateroom account. This includes drinks, bingo, spa treatments, etc. The only places that may take Disney gift cards are the shops onboard. However, if you want to apply a gift card to your stateroom account, you can bring it to guest services.

The 1820 Society has activities for 18-20 year olds, usually in the adults-only areas. The first meeting will be listed in the Navigator (daily schedule) available in the Disney Cruise app once you are onboard. Future activities scheduled by cast members will also appear in the Navigator, and people in the group may also schedule their own informal activities.

Mickey waffles are typically available at breakfast in the dining room and at the buffet, and Mickey bars are available in the dining rooms at dinner, for no extra charge.

Pirate Night happens on most cruises.

 

[Kwami]

Can we use Disney gift cards to pay directly for drinks, bingo, thing on ship?

Not directly. Bring them to Guest Services and they'll credit your account.

Are there any theme nights that happen on every cruise? Ours is a 5 night cruise.

Your cruise will almost certainly have Pirate Night, which features a special menu, pirate costumes for the characters, a show, fireworks, and a dance party. Guests are encouraged to dress in pirate costumes, but that's entirely optional.

Are Mickey waffles or mickey bars available? Extra fees?

You can get Mickey waffles at breakfast if you visit the dining rooms. Sometimes, they're also available at the buffet. If you sit for Palo brunch, then you can also get Mickey waffles there (and they're very tasty). Mickey Bars are available as a dessert at dinner (though they aren't listed on the menu) or via room service at any time. There are no extra charges for waffles and bars.

Explain the 1820 club--is it something young adults have enjoyed?

It's meant for young adults, 18-20 years old. Unfortunately, your daughter is too old for the 1820 society. Basically, young adults who can't purchase or drink alcohol meet up and participate in various activities. They usually have a coffee tasting at Cove Cafe and a few other activities scheduled and sometimes they'll add more later. It really depends on what the participating guests want to do together.

Are there any benefits to early vs late dinner sitting? Will we be better off w/ later b/c we are all over 18?

I always go with late seating because it's more relaxed. The first show usually starts later than the first dinner, which gives us more time to get ready in the evening. The break between the show and dinner is a great time to browse the shops or something. And then dinner isn't rushed because nobody's coming in after us. Plus, the second seating is usually less crowded and there aren't usually as many kids. That increases our chances of getting a private table (which you'll have to request, ideally before the cruise, if you're interested).

On the other hand, second dinner is quite late and if you go to bed right after dinner, then you might feel rather full and uncomfortable. Some folks don't care for that.

 

[Budzooka]

Are Dole Whips available? Inlcuded in cruise cost or for purchase?

What is the door decorating I see? Magnets? Outside or inside of your stateroom? Do people ever steal these?

What souvenirs are available? I'm thinking magnets, T shirt, mugs, etc. Best to buy right away or wait til end of cruise?

What is the nightlife? Cruising w/ two adult children, but one w/ special needs. Special needs DD likely will want to do some of the "kid stuff" but is 22. She looks younger. Will they let her?

Are the excursions worthwhile? We'll be in Ports of Cozumel and Progreso.

Will 4 adults in one stateroom be massively crowded? Only way we could swing it financially.

I've only cruised once before on Holland America, which skewed 55+. If you've cruised both, how would you compare food, amenties, entertainment, etc?

Can we use Disney gift cards to pay directly for drinks, bingo, thing on ship?

Are there any theme nights that happen on every cruise? Ours is a 5 night cruise.

Are Mickey waffles or mickey bars available? Extra fees?

Explain the 1820 club--is it something young adults have enjoyed?

Are there any benefits to early vs late dinner sitting? Will we be better off w/ later b/c we are all over 18?

Lastly, we are cruising in Feb but will surprise DDs with trip at Christmas. Any ideas for fun reveal for older kids?

Most has been answered above but will chime in on 18-20 club. My 19 yo had a blast with this on our cruise this summer. There is an initial scheduled meet up but they formed a group chat and hung out all the time after. It wasn’t limited to just 18-20 year olds, as there were several 20somethings there but close enough in age. She has even kept up with a couple of them since we got home from the cruise. Great way to have some additional entertainment for that age group.

 

[loislane]

Can we use Disney gift cards to pay directly for drinks, bingo, thing on ship?

Are there any theme nights that happen on every cruise? Ours is a 5 night cruise.

Are Mickey waffles or mickey bars available? Extra fees?

Explain the 1820 club--is it something young adults have enjoyed?

Are there any benefits to early vs late dinner sitting? Will we be better off w/ later b/c we are all over 18?

Lastly, we are cruising in Feb but will surprise DDs with trip at Christmas. Any ideas for fun reveal for older kids?

You can opt to pay with a gift card, but Disney prefers to charge things directly to your stateroom. That said, if you have Disney gift cards, you can use them before your cruise to purchase onboard credits in the gifts section of the app/website. We did this and preloaded our spending money to our account in advance of the cruise.

Mickey waffles were available on mornings 2-4 in Marceline Market (Wish's version of Cabanas). Mickey bars can be requested in the dining rooms. Not sure if you can get them from room service.

Early vs. late really depends on when you like to eat. Keep in mind, dinner is generally a 1.5 hour or so experience between appetizers, main course and dessert. The other cruise activities are scheduled in two shifts around the dining - so early dinner goes to late show while late dinner goes to early show.