First time cruiser with a few questions

[AA25]

We are booking our first cruise with our extended family for this coming summer. It will be on the July 4 sailing of the Dream. There will be 8 adults and my 3 children (ages 6, 4, 15 months at the time)

We are working with a travel agent who has recommended the following:
My family of 5 in a category 4D veranda stateroom
The other 3 couples in category 5 veranda staterooms
All will be on the same floor, but not right next to one another.

Is this a good arrangement, or should we be asking for something else? We are not interested in concierge or suites due to the huge jump in price.

For a July 4 cruise for first time cruisers, there is basically no chance we will be able to get a cabana through conventional means prior to the cruise, correct?

I have been reading a lot, and taking notes, so I think I am good with the basics , but anything else I need to know or keep in mind?

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Hi AA25,

I can't speak to your rooms question as I don't know exactly where they're located, but if you take a look at a floor plan (you can google it) you should be able to get an idea of how the staterooms are apart from each other. That might help you to feel more comfortable. Also, we normally spend a lot of time in the common areas of the ship so you should have plenty of space to hang out as a family

I've not tried to get a cabana personally, but from what people have posted on the boards, it seems very difficult to get a cabana if you're not concierge/Platinum. But it never hurts to look!

Have a great time on your cruise! I like to read the navigators posted on the disneycruiselineblog website to get an idea of what to expect. That might be another place to look to get excited for the cruise if you haven't looked already. He posts new navigators relatively frequently for each ship and itinerary.

 

[Skiton]

The size of the rooms should be great, but if I were you I'd double check what deck she plans to put you on. 4D could be on deck 6, and I would avoid that one. It's right above a lot of common areas and has the potential to be very noisy. Your best bet is to be sandwiched between two other decks made up entirely of staterooms, in the Dream's case either 7, 8 or 9. It might be worth upgrading to a 4C if you have concerns.

 

[scootch]

Also, do you all want the verandah? Shorter cruises we save money and go with inside categories.

 

[FindMeAFishingSpot]

We didn't have as large a group as you have, but I liked having my parents in a connecting room with us. When my son wanted to visit with Nanny, they just opened the door and he was able to pop back and forth. We also knew when each other was up by peaking around on the balcony. Not sure if that is of interest to you (or your traveling companions!), but we really liked that configuration.