First Time Cruise Questions

[Danny Crowley]

I will be booking my first cruise for Oct of 2018 for the Dream from Port Canaveral to Bahamas and I have a few questions:

1. I will be booking 2 rooms, one for me and my family and one for my in-laws. How can I make sure that we have the same meal times/rotation?

2. What views do you get from each side of the ship? We are planning on getting a veranda, so I was just curious as to the views leaving Port Canaveral, docking in Bahamas, and docking in Castaway Cay.

3. Later, after booking, will I be able to put my in-laws room on one of their credit cards? Not sure I want their charges going to me

Thanks

 

[Alicatt]

Hi, I am new also but I will take a stab and answering some of this until someone more knowledgeable comes along. For number 1 I think you can link your reservations on the website (or have your TA do it if you're using one.) Then, once you have chosen standard or late dining, you could call to make sure they have you at the same table. Then you will definitely vlbe together.
I can't help with 2.
For 3. I am pretty sure your in laws can hook their own card to the or account. It shouldn't be an issue at all. You can also pay the charges off during the cruise using any method you want, regardless of the payment on record.

 

[apathetic]

You link the reservations. If you book yourself, you go online and link them on the DCL site. If you use a TA, they will do it for you

The views are either great or garbage. At CC, the starboard side (right side facing forward) is the best. You will see all the way down the beach. The other side is nothing. Same in Nassau, one side will look at the pier and the other you will see out toward Paradise Island. To be honest, doesn't matter a whole lot. You can get pictures from the top of the ship and when in port you won't spend a lot of time in your room to enjoy the view (normally).

You can all use different credit cards. You can even have people in the same room attached to different credit cards. You do that at check-in.

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

1. You can link your reservations and that will put all of you at the same table/rotation.

2. Starboard is often preferred. Starboard looks inland towards Fishlips while leaving Port Canaveral (wave to those at home)and overlooks the family beach at CC. I think the view is decent at Nassau as well as long as another ship isn't blocking the view (that goes for both sides). I believe you can see Atlantis. And you may be able to watch the fireworks from starboard (some rooms are not allowed to be on their verandahs due to safety concerns). That said, Port side has some advantages as well. You overlook the dock at CC and can see the undeveloped side of the island. At Nassau, you can see the port if another ship is not in the way. We were port side and I watched dolphins and the Coast Guard while leaving.

3. Each room, actually each individual person, can have a separate credit card for their expenses.

 

[FigmentSpark]

How much time are you spending on your verandah on Castaway Cay? We didn't mind the portside view. DH took a photo of me from the verandah when I was off the ship and I took one of him on the ship. That was cool. Mostly, other than for a photo (which you can get on deck), you will likely be on the island. Just saying, it's all about priorities. If you need that view and starboard and port rooms are available, go for starboard, but don't let that be a deciding factor to pass up great portside rooms otherwise.

 

[ivanp91]

We didn't mind the portside view.

We've been on both sides at CC, and as beautiful as the view of the beach is, being on the portside makes for some fun people watching at the end of the day

 

[apathetic]

How much time are you spending on your verandah on Castaway Cay? We didn't mind the portside view. DH took a photo of me from the verandah when I was off the ship and I took one of him on the ship. That was cool. Mostly, other than for a photo (which you can get on deck), you will likely be on the island. Just saying, it's all about priorities. If you need that view and starboard and port rooms are available, go for starboard, but don't let that be a deciding factor to pass up great portside rooms otherwise.

I agree. In ports, you aren't in your room so the view isn't that big of a deal. You can get pictures on the top deck. Nobody sits looking down the family beach at CC. Starboard is probably the better choice, though there isn't one clear favorite because each port is different. But take portside if you have to.

We've been on both sides at CC, and as beautiful as the view of the beach is, being on the portside makes for some fun people watching at the end of the day

Actually, that is one good thing about the verandah. Watching people make that last second rush to get on the ship.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Actually, that is one good thing about the verandah. Watching people make that last second rush to get on the ship.

Depending on the port, you can also sometimes be next to another ship. That happened to us a few times. It was fun to "communicate" with the people on the balconies of the other ship. Once, the two ships got into a battle with their horns too.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Actually, that is one good thing about the verandah. Watching people make that last second rush to get on the ship.

We were on our portside verandah leaving Castaway Cay. All the remaining staff come to the dock to wave goodbye to us. It was nice.

 

[tigerchic89]

We always cruise with the grandparents. We love getting adjoining rooms. Most of the time we leave the connecting door open, it makes it feel like a large room, we can share bathrooms, we can have 2 different movies on the TV's. My mom feels like she gets so much more time with the kids just in that nightly hour when everyone is getting ready since the door is open.

 

[WeLoveDisneyAlways]

We spend most our time on our verandah we just love relaxing and the reason we pay for the verandah is for the view. So yes we always book starboard side you get a view of them loading the ship we found it neat watching all the luggage and food get loaded, at castaway cay the ocean view is priceless and at Nassau you can see Atlantis in the distance but usually you'll be looking into a ship next door.

We've had a linked reservation with my parents, we booked separately and then I linked them online after. I then called DCL and asked them to request a table together and we got our request.

For the credit card I would book separately to start with, when you do online check in you can choose cash credit etc. At any point you can stop by guest services and settle the bills how ever yous like

 

[Dug720]

We always cruise with the grandparents. We love getting adjoining rooms. Most of the time we leave the connecting door open, it makes it feel like a large room, we can share bathrooms, we can have 2 different movies on the TV's. My mom feels like she gets so much more time with the kids just in that nightly hour when everyone is getting ready since the door is open.

If you need/get rooms with a door in between, you need/get CONNECTING rooms.

Adjoining rooms means they could be next to, across the hall, or even diagonally across from each other - but without a connecting door.

 

[MSPeeler]

I'm bad with "directions". I'm more of a visual learner.
Starboard is which side in this picture?

 

[FigmentSpark]

P for port comes before S for Starboard

7000-7138 = port
7500-7638 = starboard

 

[MSPeeler]

P for port comes before S for Starboard

7000-7138 = port
7500-7638 = starboard

Thank You.

 

[tigerchic89]

I'm bad with "directions". I'm more of a visual learner.
Starboard is which side in this picture?

Port is left
Starboard is right

port is the bottom of your picture

 

[diznymom]

Facing Forward: Port is Left and have the same # of letters. Starboard is the other side (Right).

 

[lanejudy]

Port is 4 letters, left is 4 letters.