First time cruise

[Bethislucy]

I've been reading these threads and I feel a little bit like I'm drowning. I'm trying to think back & remember if I felt that way for our first Disney trip but I don't think so.

So first off this is my first time on any cruise at all. We have a 3 day in October 28-31 on the Wish. I'm going to start with I'm not ashamed to admit I'm nervous about cruising. The agreement was I would go but only if I could do a Disney cruise first. (everyone says I'll love it once I do it) If I'm going to die I want to die with Donald Duck and I don't know I just feel safer with Disney. We are adults only and we are driving down from SC and after the cruise we are headed to Disney world. When I say newbie I mean newbie the stuff with water packages, room service and extra cost for other things is really confusing to me to. I never thought I needed to purchase water. Since that's mostly what I drink. We aren't big alcohol drinkers and I don't drink much soda. So my question... tell me what I need to know for this short trip from parking my car too things I need to bring and what I need to just ignore and not let stress me out. I'll take any tips you can offer. Thanks!

 

[Beaker314]

First of all, don't stress. You can easily go on a DCL cruise without any extras and you will still have a great time.

With regards to extras: If you want something in a bottle (beer, wine, water) it is going to be extra. When we last went (which was pre-covid) the only water we bought was in the theater when we came to the show thirsty. Water is also great for excursions, but having a refillable or buying drinks while out worked just as well. One thing I really like about DCL is that there is not upsell culture. When I was on other cruise lines they were always pushing for you to get the drink package or pay $X more and get these crab legs/bbq/caviar. On Disney, there are opportunities to spend more money but they are not necessary and not pushed (so much so that some people do not even know they exist).

Tipping is a bit complicated, but the general rule is that if they are going to be serving you the whole trip (like your server or the one who takes care of your room) then Disney will give you a form near the end of the trip with a suggested tip (you can change that amount if you wish). These tips will be included in your final bill, but they give you an envelope you can give to those people if you really want. If you are getting something from a bartender or room service then tip when you get the service.

If you want to do excursions, fancy dining, or alcohol tastings then I recommend signing up for them as soon as you can, the date should show up on your cruise page. Some of these sell out, so it is nice to get in early if possible. If you do not get what you want, try again when you first get on the boat. If you do not sign up, there are still tons activities to do on the boat.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Ignore about 99% of what’s being chattered about now as only about 1% matters TO YOU.

have an ideas on the big picture- right now How you are getting to port from home and then back home. Things like do you plan to do things in Nassau and what type of activities

About 3-4 months out you can start keeping an ear on specific things like what’s the current policies, ship specific activities etc.

once it gets closer focus on the little things like water package (useless!) drink cups (possibly useless) that may be things you want etc

 

[Mommb]

If you can handle trips to the parks, then you can handle a cruise -- I find it much less stressful.

When you get onboard the ship, you can use the Disney Cruiseline App to see information about onboard activities, look at dining room menus, see where character greetings will be, and more. Most onboard activities, including trivia, live performances, movies, and crafts, have no extra cost and require no reservations. Bingo has a small cost.

As Beaker314 described, spa treatments, beverage testings, and port excursions also have a cost and can be booked in advance -- you should get a message from Disney Cruise and/or your travel agent telling you when booking opens for you.

You can choose to book specialty dining for an additional fee, but you can get plenty to eat at no additional cost.

You will be assigned to either the 1st or 2nd dining time in a different dining room each night. When you end the dining room each night, you will be escorted to your table. You will have the same main server and assistant server in each dining room.

For breakfast and lunch, you can dine any time during open hours at the buffet or pick up food from places on the pool deck. One of the main dining rooms is usually open as well -- that will appear on the App.

There will be a beverage station open throughout the day where you can get soda, tea, and coffee at no cost. If you want specialty coffee/tea or alcoholic beverages, there will be places to purchase them.

Room service is available with no cost for most items -- I think there is a cost for canned sodas and maybe a few other items.

There will be a theater show each night, with a performance during 1st dining for those eating during 2nd dining, and a performance during 2nd dining for those eating during 1st dining. You don't need to reserve seats, but may want to arrive early if you're particular about where you sit.

Those are the basics that you need to know. You can do lots more research and make lots more plans, or you can just take each day as it comes -- you can have a great time either way.

If you're nervous about being on a ship, be aware that these are large ships that move fairly slowly. Often onboard I had to look out a window to tell whether we were moving, because the ride was very smooth.

If you have other specific questions, feel free to post them. Happy planning!

 

[Beaker314]

Also, if you end up loving the cruise, I recommend getting a placeholder (only available while on the cruise). This is basically putting down a deposit in exchange for a discount on a later cruise (you do not need to pick the next cruise when you get the placeholder). The discount is only good for a certain amount of time, but if you do not use it before it expires you get the deposit back. This is not something you need to think about now, but a great thing to do when on the boat.

 

[Cheburashka]

Planning a cruise is way easier than planning a trip to Disney World. So don't stress. You could literally book your 3-night cruise just a few days before sailing, show up and cruise, and have an excellent, fully-realized time without having done any planning at all.

Your restaurants are already planned for you. Your expected tips are already tallied and applied to your bill onboard for you. The only exception is room service, for which you're expected to tip on your own (the room service food itself is typically complimentary). There is a good adult-only, upcharge restaurant called Palo, that is worth having dinner at, but only if you're interested and it works for you. For your first short cruise, you might just want to enjoy the MDRs (complimentary main dining room restaurants) every night.

Entertainment does not need advance reservations- you just show up about 30 minutes before a live theatre show starts, and then sit wherever there is availability. These shows are good, particularly the main show for each ship ("Beauty and the Beast" on the Dream, "Tangled" on the Magic, etc.)

There's complimentary water & other non-alcoholic drinks on tap on the pool deck, or you can buy a water package if you want (I always do) either in advance or after boarding the ship.

Castaway Cay is an island meant to be enjoyed at leisure with no planning needed. My one recommendation is to book a bicycle rental under "Port Adventures" for Castaway Cay, so you can ride bikes on the island's paved trails. The reservation will list a time (usually "9am"), but that doesn't mean anything; just show up that day whenever you want, and you'll get your bike rental, and you can keep the rental for as long as you want. Island time, no stress.

The cruises are also extremely safe. The ships are very stable, and the guardrails are pretty high- you won't just accidentally tumble over, if that's what's worrying you. Think of all of the kids who sail- if it were easy to go overboard, it wouldn't be a family-friendly cruise line.

 

[auntlynne]

Yeah! A cruise. My first cruise was a 3-night on the Wonder. I booked it about 3 weeks in advance, knowing essentially nothing.

And that might have been for the better; I did not have expectations that I “should” do anything “more” than what is included. Unlike WDW, a cruise can be a great time to relax - without standing in lines or having to schedule every minute.

You are going to ride on a ship, sleep in a really nice bed, have food brought to you, watch some spectacular Broadway-quality shows, see latest-run Disney-owned movies, play some cruise games. You might get off the ship in Nassau, if there is something you want to do. There will be a lot of cruisers staying onboard in port, enjoying the new ship.

I do have some suggestions

…Eat your dinners in the Main Dining Rooms (MDR). There are three of them, each with their own menu. Disney prides itself on its unique system of having guests rotate through them (along with their serving team).

You can try the extra-cost restaurants on future cruises. They may be hard to book for the next year, as loyal DCL cruisers will probably snatch up the reservations (they have priority booking and many get a free meal).

…If you aren’t pinching pennies, just park your car at the port (it is Port Canaveral?). It’s about $17/ day, including boarding day ($85 for my 4-night cruise). It’s a parking deck right across from the Disney terminal. It’s nice to get off the ship and very soon be on your way to WDW. There are cheaper options if wanted. Just adds a step or two.

…The drinking water on the ship is nicely filtered. You can serve yourself from the soda fountains.

You don’t need to spend a lot of extra money! You can even pre-pay your gratuities.

There’s not a lot of things you need to pack - even beach / pool towels are provided.

Keep asking any questions you have. Many of us love talking Disney cruising.

 

[Bethislucy]

Thank you all that helps a lot.

 

[JimJoonie]

@Bethislucy. Everyone has given you some really really good advice and it seems like they are all experienced DCL cruisers. Since you are on a short cruise, just do what you can and don't stress that you missed out. Our first cruise was a 4 night and we stressed a little at the end thinking that we didn't do or experience enough. If you enjoy your cruise, you can always book another.
I did like @Mommb's comment about one of the other dining rooms being available for breakfast and lunch. I would definitely take advantage of it. We like grabbing lunch on embarkation day in the restaurant vs Cabanas. It kind of eases us into the cruising mental state. Have a wonderful time in October!

 

[Akck]

My one suggestion is to bring an insulated water bottle and/or insulated cup, as most will keep ice overnight (at least the metal ones). You can fill them with ice and water at the drink stations. No need to buy a water package. For excursions, we filled our water bottles with ice and water before heading off on a tour.

 

[tiana1989]

@Bethislucy, I’m also a first time cruiser going on the Wish cruise for my first cruise ever over Land Day weekend. I’m in the same “boat” as you with a three-night cruise, so thanks so much for starting this thread and everyone else for the helpful responses! One thing I’ve seen a lot of chatter about is people stressed out about getting a boarding time. How exactly does that whole process work?

 

[Cruising Engineer]

It's a first-timer 3-day cruise on the Wish. How exciting. Pack your favorite Disney attire, a water bottle, and let the experience just take you around the ship. Enjoy and relax. Asking what you should do on a first-time cruise is like asking what should you do on your honeymoon. Just enjoy the moment.

 

[ironz]

For our first DCL cruise--we didn't plan anything, except one dinner at Palo and one shore excursion in Nassau. Booked a reduced rate shortly before our wedding and cruised for our honeymoon. You can't do EVERYTHING on the ship, nor should you try to. Read a bit here and maybe look at some old copies of the cruise navigators on the DCL blog to get an idea of what you can do, but we went in pretty naive to the offerings and still had a wonderful time. If you like it, then you can get more into all the other stuff on future cruises.
We don't buy the water package-- we have refillable water bottles we bring and just refill those.

 

[Mommb]

@Bethislucy, One thing I’ve seen a lot of chatter about is people stressed out about getting a boarding time. How exactly does that whole process work?

When your booking window opens a few months before your cruise, you will need to go to the DCL website (or use the app) to enter information on your traveling party, such as how you are planning to arrive and leave the port, how you are planning to pay for your onboard account, whether you will use a passport or birth certificate. At the end of this process, you will also choose a port arrival time. This is the earliest time at which you may enter the port. When you check in at the port (after your COVID-19 screening, if that is still happening) you will be given a boarding group number. When boarding begins, guests are called up to enter by boarding group. An earlier port arrival time usually, but not always, leads to an earlier boarding group number.

There's no need to stress over it -- even if the earlier arrival times are taken by the time you complete your registration, you will still get on the ship well before it leaves. Some people want to get on as early as possible, but there are advantages to waiting. Staterooms typically do not open until an hour or more after boarding begins, and you will need to lug your carry-on luggage around until your room opens.

 

[Beaker314]

There is no need to be stressed about the port arrival time. The way it works is this:

30 days out (at midnight east coast time) you can do online checkin, which is when you give all your information like passport number, credit card information, etc. At the end of this process you can choose a port arrival time which is the earliest you can get to the port. When you get to the port expect to go through security, testing, check in, etc. It is a lot of waiting around. Once you are all checked in you need to wait for your number to be called to actually get on the boat, earlier port arrival times get you lower numbers. Getting there earlier just allows you to get on the boat earlier. Some people like it because

• It allows you to have lunch on the boat
• It allows you to start relaxing earlier (there is some additional stress with the testing so people want that over with)
• You get to see the boat with few people on it which is a neat experience
• You might get to be alone in the pool or go on the slides with no lines

However, some people actually like getting there later in the day because:

• There might be smaller crowds if you get there after the surge of people wanting to get on as early as possible
• After the original surge they tend to have all boarding groups called before you even get there
• You can eat a leisurely breakfast and lunch before getting there
• No need to wake up early

Also note that the PAT is the earliest you can get there, not a fixed time you have to be there. My recommendation is to get the earliest you can get but then don't worry about it. I think people on this board tend to want to optimize everything because they get excited about all of the little details but there is no need to do so.