First time cruiser questions

[DMLAINI]

How early should we show up for the shows in the evening? How early should we go to the muster drill? Can you go to the main dining room for breakfast & lunch? I have a Disney Visa. Are you able to use it on the ship to get 10٪ off of purchases of $50 or more in the shops? Thank you! 🛳

 

[msmama]

Shows - depends on the show, how good the seats you want, number in your party, even the ship. I'd say you'll be able to find seats for 2 showing up less than 5 minutes before showtime. They may not be where you want them, but you'll find them. Doors usually open about 30 minutes before showtime.
Muster drill - don't show up late. No need to show up too early. I am usually on the early side, personally, but that's just how I roll (they start checking people in about 20-30 minutes before time listed, in my experience).
One of the MDR's is open for breakfast and lunch. Check the Navigator.
If you do your online check-in with the Disney Visa, and that's the card you have on file, your KTTW card will have a small DV in the corner. This will show the CM's that you are using your Disney Visa and you'll get the 10% off. I always double check to make sure they see it, just in case. I don't think they actually take CC's in the stores, only KTTW cards or gift cards.

 

[DCLDVC1]

I would show up around 15 minutes before the doors open if you want to have your choice of seats, especially for Frozen, Tangled and Aladdin.

 

[kiford]

For the muster drill, I usually wait until the alarm sounds. I want to get used to the need to respond should it go off for real so I don't like to be there before. Even when you've done it several times and are expecting it, I still jump out of my skin when it happens so you get a bit of an adrenaline rush for a few seconds. I think that's important to experience when you're not already where you're supposed to end up.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

For the shows such as Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, etc., there is a line already formed well before the doors open. Plan on 15-20 minutes before the doors open for a good seat.
Muster drill: either start moving down to your post 20 minutes before to get a spot nearest the exit door (to leave the drill) or find your location well before and do the actual drill to learn the pathway to take.

 

[DCLPrincess]

For the muster drill, I usually wait until the alarm sounds. I want to get used to the need to respond should it go off for real so I don't like to be there before. Even when you've done it several times and are expecting it, I still jump out of my skin when it happens so you get a bit of an adrenaline rush for a few seconds. I think that's important to experience when you're not already where you're supposed to end up.

My first cruise I waited and I was in a crew corridor when the alarm went off and it scared the heck out of me. It was so loud and it echoed. Now I get there early.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

My first cruise I waited and I was in a crew corridor when the alarm went off and it scared the heck out of me. It was so loud and it echoed. Now I get there early.

Very true. It is L-O-U-D. The first time my ears were ringing for some time. I cover them when I know the alarm will sound.

 

[ninergrl6]

How early should we show up for the shows in the evening? How early should we go to the muster drill? Can you go to the main dining room for breakfast & lunch? I have a Disney Visa. Are you able to use it on the ship to get 10٪ off of purchases of $50 or more in the shops? Thank you! 🛳

Shows -- I usually show up ~5 minutes before showtime. It depends how picky you are about seats. If you don't care where you sit, you can get there at the last minute. I don't remember shows ever being full on my last few cruises.
Muster drill -- Just be ready at the assigned time and go when the alarm goes off. No need to go early unless someone in your party has mobility issues.
Main dining room -- One of the main 3 restaurants will be open for breakfast/lunch. The hours for all food services will be in the Navigator. I usually have breakfast there only once per cruise. There's other things I'd rather spend my time doing, and there are plenty of quick service food options.
Disney Visa -- Not sure how this card in particular works (see the above poster), but you register your credit card before you board. All on-board purchases will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise; you don't pay with the card directly.

 

[DMLAINI]

Thank you everyone!

 

[Rob1872]

All on-board purchases will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise; you don't pay with the card directly.

Just to clarify, you don't have to use the Disney Visa for charges to get the discount. As long as you have the Disney Visa as your credit card on file you get the DV mark on your Key to the World card (i.e. room key) and get the discount at the store. You can bring Disney Gift Cards, etc. to Guest Services throughout the cruise and end up not having anything charged to the credit card. (But you still got your discount.)

 

[monkeydawn]

Just to clarify, you don't have to use the Disney Visa for charges to get the discount. As long as you have the Disney Visa as your credit card on file you get the DV mark on your Key to the World card (i.e. room key) and get the discount at the store. You can bring Disney Gift Cards, etc. to Guest Services throughout the cruise and end up not having anything charged to the credit card. (But you still got your discount.)

To add on to this you can pre load money onto your account with another CC before the cruise and you will still get the DV discount provided that is what is linked on your KTTWC. If you dont use all of your preloaded credit it will go back on to the CC that you used to purchase the credit.

 

[DisBNewB]

To add on to this you can pre load money onto your account with another CC before the cruise and you will still get the DV discount provided that is what is linked on your KTTWC. If you dont use all of your preloaded credit it will go back on to the CC that you used to purchase the credit.

Though to also add to this, if you DO add the money on before the cruise using the disney visa, it'll get coded as travel, and you'll have the 6mo no interest period to pay it off. (I believe this also works for the gratuities, but I know for sure it works with pre-paying for onboard credit.)

 

[bakerworld]

If we do a show, we arrive about 15 minutes ahead. We've never had a problem finding a seat but we like to be by the back to leave early.

We do room service for breakfast as its included although we do tip the server on a daily basis versus at the cruise end.

Funny story re CC. We use our SW card to book but I paid for my Spa services the first cruise with an AMEX so now the cruise always uses that for charges even though I confirm at check-in that the SW card is on-file.

 

[DMLAINI]

So I'll have my Disney Visa linked. I don't have to settle my account at the end of the cruise, correct? I'll just get my credit card bill in the mail. I've found post mentioning needing tickets to meet the princess. Is that a current thing?

 

[monkeydawn]

So I'll have my Disney Visa linked. I don't have to settle my account at the end of the cruise, correct? I'll just get my credit card bill in the mail. I've found post mentioning needing tickets to meet the princess. Is that a current thing?

You wont need to do anything with your bill if you have a CC linked. However I would highly recommend getting a printout of your romm's charges from GS at some point on the last day before dinner. Especially if you go by and there arent long lines.

In Sept on the Magic there was a list, not tickets

 

[MomOTwins]

So I'll have my Disney Visa linked. I don't have to settle my account at the end of the cruise, correct? I'll just get my credit card bill in the mail. I've found post mentioning needing tickets to meet the princess. Is that a current thing?

There are meet and greets with various princesses throughout the cruise where no reservation is required. There is also a "princess gathering" where four princesses meet all together, as well as a "frozen gathering" with frozen characters, both of which required reservations that you can make online at your onboard booking date (just like excursions), or at guest services when you embark.

 

[freshmanjs]

Just to clarify, you don't have to use the Disney Visa for charges to get the discount. As long as you have the Disney Visa as your credit card on file you get the DV mark on your Key to the World card (i.e. room key) and get the discount at the store. You can bring Disney Gift Cards, etc. to Guest Services throughout the cruise and end up not having anything charged to the credit card. (But you still got your discount.)

So I'll have my Disney Visa linked. I don't have to settle my account at the end of the cruise, correct? I'll just get my credit card bill in the mail. I've found post mentioning needing tickets to meet the princess. Is that a current thing?

There are much better cards to use than Disney Visa for paying your cruise charges. For example, Chase Sapphire Rewards gives 3x points for travel spend. You can still get the DV discount at the store if you use a better card for the big charges.