First DCL Cruise in a long long time

[icarus827]

Hi all:

this is a bittersweet thread for me...I used to be active on this forum years ago. I’ve been on 10 DCL cruises with my family throughout the years(Magic and Wonder only) . My boys have all grown up now.

Im planning a 3 day with my gf on the Dream 1/14/22 I’m very excited about making some new memories. I’m an FL resident and will be driving up to the port

What tips, tricks and advice can you give me as a first time Dream cruiser? In the past I’ve been an absolute OCD Virgo about planning , with no detail too small

your input would be greatly appreciated. Thx

 

[icarus827]

Bump

 

[Cheburashka]

Hi all:

this is a bittersweet thread for me...I used to be active on this forum years ago. I’ve been on 10 DCL cruises with my family throughout the years(Magic and Wonder only) . My boys have all grown up now.

Im planning a 3 day with my gf on the Dream 1/14/22 I’m very excited about making some new memories. I’m an FL resident and will be driving up to the port

What tips, tricks and advice can you give me as a first time Dream cruiser? In the past I’ve been an absolute OCD Virgo about planning , with no detail too small

your input would be greatly appreciated. Thx

When you're eligible to reserve ship activities & port adventures, reserve time for virtual sports. The session can be shared between you & anyone accompanying you. If you like golf, also reserve a time for virtual golf. These virtual sports & virtual golf sessions often book up in advance of the cruise.

Be aware that you can pre-order an upcharge dessert from Vanellope's to be delivered to your dining room if you wish. So after you board & find out your dining rotation, you can look at the menus for each day & if you find one with no appealing dessert choices, then pre-order from Vanellope's for that night.

Pre-order a day pass at the Rainforest Room (if they still allow you to buy a day pass in advance when cruising resumes). The Dream's rainforest room will have a hot tub and a view out to sea, in addition to the tiled loungers, so it's a definite step up from the Magic class version.

Since you've never dined at Remy's, I recommend giving that a try, too. Have a great cruise!

 

[scroogie]

Since you've never dined at Remy's, I recommend giving that a try, too.

Definitely. And have a drink or two at the Meridian Lounge beforehand, it's a very nice space.

 

[icarus827]

When you're eligible to reserve ship activities & port adventures, reserve time for virtual sports. The session can be shared between you & anyone accompanying you. If you like golf, also reserve a time for virtual golf. These virtual sports & virtual golf sessions often book up in advance of the cruise.

Be aware that you can pre-order an upcharge dessert from Vanellope's to be delivered to your dining room if you wish. So after you board & find out your dining rotation, you can look at the menus for each day & if you find one with no appealing dessert choices, then pre-order from Vanellope's for that night.

Pre-order a day pass at the Rainforest Room (if they still allow you to buy a day pass in advance). The Dream's rainforest room will have a hot tub and a view out to sea, in addition to the tiled loungers, so it's a definite step up from the Magic class version.

Since you've never dined at Remy's, I recommend giving that a try, too. Have a great cruise!

I noticed Remys has a rather significant upcharge. Is it worth it?

 

[Cheburashka]

I noticed Remys has a rather significant upcharge. Is it worth it?

Imo if you can afford a Disney cruise, you can afford an upcharge meal, but it depends on if you are into upscale dining experiences or not. You can avoid overspending by not drinking alcohol or ordering upcharge menu items at Remy. I personally wasn't a big fan of my Remy experience, because there was a set menu (it was brunch) and I like choice, being a bit fussy. I'm more a fan of Palo, which offers tons of choices whenever you go. But many others love Remy. I think it's worth a try if you're openminded.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I noticed Remys has a rather significant upcharge. Is it worth it?

We have dined in Remy and absolutely enjoyed the dinner, about 2 hours of dining on fabulous food and wine. It was very much worth it for us. We will probably do it again in the future, but, for now, Palo is by far our favorite to have on every cruise.
You should be ready for spectacular food, wine, and service for this upcharge dining experience. It is not meat and potatoes.
I would rate the "is it worth it" more like a very, very special occasion for you and someone special.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

OP, if you've been on 10 Disney cruises, you're at the Platinum level of their Castaway Club. That means you will get Palo for free. (not including alcohol or gratuities) I'm not sure if a non-Platinum guest would still have to pay; I've never been in that situation to share a cabin with a non-Platinum passenger. Well, of course at one time neither dh nor myself were platinum but you kwim.
If you do have to pay for 1 person, it's a lot less expensive than Remy. In 20+ Disney cruises, we've never tried Remy and don't care to. We still have a wonderful cruise.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This tip would be for pre-covid crowds: arrive super early to the shows in the WD Theater. It fills up fast. It's not like the Magic/Wonder where you could arrive 15 mins before the show and find 4 seats together. The doors open 30 mins before the show's start time but people line up long before that. Who knows how it will be for post covid sailing?

It's also a lot more casual. Our first Disney cruise was in 2007. We saw plenty of men and boys with suit and tie or tuxes on for formal night, including our boys. Now if you see a button-down shirt and tie that pretty dressed up. Even Palo doesn't require a suit. Our boys joined us in Palo for the first time a few months before covid hit and polo shirts with khakis were fine. That is what they would normally wear or a regular evening (aka cruise casual) back in the old days. Now people are allowed to wear shorts in the dining room. They hadn't cruised with us in years so it felt a bit awkward for them to show up so underdressed.

 

[icarus827]

OP, if you've been on 10 Disney cruises, you're at the Platinum level of their Castaway Club. That means you will get Palo for free. (not including alcohol or gratuities) I'm not sure if a non-Platinum guest would still have to pay; I've never been in that situation to share a cabin with a non-Platinum passenger. Well, of course at one time neither dh nor myself were platinum but you kwim.
If you do have to pay for 1 person, it's a lot less expensive than Remy. In 20+ Disney cruises, we've never tried Remy and don't care to. We still have a wonderful cruise.

I actually have been on DCL 9x, do they have me listed as a gold CC member.

 

[Quellman]

I actually have been on DCL 9x, do they have me listed as a gold CC member.

You can log into the Disney Cruiseline Website and see the Castaway club section. It will tell you all the cruises and what staterooms you were in. It has mine listed from 1998!