First Time - What do I need to know.

[MNDisney2268]

This is my family's first time on a Disney Cruise (ok, any cruise for that matter).
Here is what I would love to know.

1. What is the one thing that is your biggest advice for a newbie?
2. Where do you prefer to have your room and why?
3. What is the one thing you learned, that no one told you?

Can't wait to hear the responses!

 

[Dug720]

1. You CANNOT do it all, and you will make yourself crazy if you try.

2. I am an ocean view girl. As far forward as possible. Has been as high up as possible, but I could see myself becoming a Deck 2 girl.

3. See number 1.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This is my family's first time on a Disney Cruise (ok, any cruise for that matter).
Here is what I would love to know.

1. What is the one thing that is your biggest advice for a newbie?
2. Where do you prefer to have your room and why?
3. What is the one thing you learned, that no one told you?

Can't wait to hear the responses!

1. Agree with Dug - don't try to do everything. You'll just stress yourself out trying.
2. On the classic ships - deck 2 midship. Quiet, and convenient to food (1 or 2 decks up) and elevators are easier to catch if you're at the lower or higher point of the shaft. No preference yet on the Dream class (only been on decks 9 & 10 thus far.
3. Remember to just sit and watch the sea go by once in a while, it's a vacation.

 

[girliesj]

1) Pack LIGHT. The rooms are tight, and too much stuff (for me it's shoes) makes things tighter. PLUS you will NEVER wear all that you think you will.
2) I prefer mid-ship, and verandah. We LOVE having the outdoor space, and mid-ship is very convenient to get to other locations on the ship
3) One thing I learned is If you love DCL as much as I have, you will cry when walking off the ship. I NEVER want to leave.

 

[Trera]

We took our first cruise without the benefit of reading any of this forum so we kind of went with day by day.

1. Read the navigators when you get them and identify the few things that you really want to do and then work from there.
2. We like to be on deck 9 between midship and aft as it is high but not right under the pool deck. We find this to be less noisy and cooler and easy to get to 2 sets of elevators.
3. Book excursions/cabanas/port arrival time as soon as you are able for the best selection.

Have fun!

 

[msmama]

Agree that you cannot do it all, BUT I do wish I'd have tried more things out of my comfort zone (that said, not doing so was a perfect reason for booking cruise #2).

I like deck 2 because it's cheap (relatively) and I can use the money somewhere else. If I had a verandah I think I'd want to spend all of my time there, therefore missing the rest of the ship).

I like sea days most! I didn't expect that. And the day we stayed on the ship when in port. I would guess that this is particular to DCL, not other cruise lines.

 

[Msmit002]

1. Pack your suitcase with everything you think you need. Then remove half of it. Packing done. Trust me, you won't miss it!
2. Ask 100 people and you will get 100 answers. What is important to one person for their cabin won't even be a blip on the radar for others.
3. Not only are the walls and doors magnetic (that I knew) but the ceiling is too! This make it easy to hang magnets above the bed for young children (like glow-in-the-dark stars and moons with magnets on them). This helped my son feel more comfortable at night and fall asleep when we took him on his first cruise. Now, he just likes to have all kinds of cool magnet up on the ceiling (strange young man... )

Above all, don't stress and have fun. And you really don't have to plan everything to the Nth degree.

 

[For the love of Pooh]

1. If an activity sounds good to you it most likely is to others too and being early is best
2. Deck 2 is a good spot. I had never been on a deck lower than 6 until my first cruise on DCL
3. Character breakfasts are available but need to be reserved ahead of time

 

[BartmanLA]

1. Pack Light
2. Bring Sunscreen & seasick meds (if anyone is sensitive to motion sickness)
3. Download the Navigator App on your mobile device, it lets you text others in your party as well as see the daily schedule
4. Pre-print your cruise documents to bring to the port so you won't be delayed checking in.
5. Arrive to the port city as early as you can (day before is best) so you won't have to make a mad dash so you won't miss the boat.
6. Book excursions ahead of time so you will have everything arranged.
7. HAVE FUN it's Disney for gosh sake!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

1. Don't be afraid to act like a kid. I can't count the number of times my husband and I were the only adults in the line (hello AquaDuck and Pelican Plunge) we had such a blast that we didn't care!
2. We like midship because it's a little steadier, which is especially good if you are worried about any motion sickness issues.
3. If your cruise includes a stop at Castaway Cay, either rent bikes or go for a walk down the path that is near Serenity Beach. We went and so many people turned back because they couldn't find the end. We trooped along and were rewarded with a beautiful and peaceful view of a secluded beach (no access, but still stunning). I would add a picture but I don't want to ruin it for you!
.

 

[diznymom]

You didn't indicate which ship your are sailing on.
Read everything you can about the cruises. Ask lots of questions. Remember, you cannot do it all.

Lay out all your clothes to pack. Take a step back for a couple of minutes. Now, take half of your clothes and put them away....you won't wear them. If you have a formal and semi-formal night, you can wear the same thing twice and nobody will notice or comment. Maybe change up the accessories / jewelry. For DH and DS, they just wear different ties.

Shoes: For us, we need 3 pairs of shoes each...(1) regular, every day tennis shoes, (2) Crocs for the beaches and (3) dress up shoes for Palo / Remy and Formal / Semi-formal nights

Location: What is important to you? On our first cruise, our TA let us know that the ship is like a huge pendulum and recommended center of the ship. I didn't know if any of were going to be seasick or not. Luckily we are not. We do bring Psi-bands and wear them the first night and any rough times, and these work for us.

Relax. Have fun. It is Disney.

 

[onesam319]

This is my family's first time on a Disney Cruise (ok, any cruise for that matter).
Here is what I would love to know.

1. What is the one thing that is your biggest advice for a newbie?
2. Where do you prefer to have your room and why?
3. What is the one thing you learned, that no one told you?

Can't wait to hear the responses!

1. If internet is important, sign up for the free 50 mb on day one. But first learn how to shut off automatic updates for your device, or you will use all your data on the first day! Better yet, turn off your cell and leave it in your safe!
2. Watch the cruise director's loop on your TV first thing every morning.
3. Plan your day with the printed navigator.
4. Make the evening show a priority.
5. Find a deck chair in the shade or in the evening and relax watching a funnel vision movie.

Enjoy! We just finished our second ever cruise a few weeks ago. Saving up for another!

 

[quickcat]

We took our first cruise without the benefit of reading any of this forum so we kind of went with day by day.

1. Read the navigators when you get them and identify the few things that you really want to do and then work from there.
2. We like to be on deck 9 between midship and aft as it is high but not right under the pool deck. We find this to be less noisy and cooler and easy to get to 2 sets of elevators.
3. Book excursions/cabanas/port arrival time as soon as you are able for the best selection.

Have fun!

Our family was exact same as you. We didn't look up anything about it until probably our third or fourth cruise. I am actually really happy about that! If I would've read these forums about dining servers, dining rotation, what tickets to get in advance, what shows to see -what shows not to see , I would've been a nervous wreck!
I completely agree with read the navigator over then decide what you want to do with your family and go from there, you will have a great time

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

Use the navigator app on your phone. You can text your family members on the cruise. You can mark favorite activities and it will give you a reminder it is time to go to one. Try out the adult only activities at night. Match your Mate is our fave adult show.

 

[Tractortom]

My wife and I are 'older' and cruise without kids. We love Disney as they treat us well, and know how to move a crowd around painlessly. We prefer a rear facing balcony cabin, as the balconies are HUGE and we tend to use it a LOT. We do NOT have issues with motion sickness, and there IS some motion in a cabin that far back. We try to pack light, but find that there is PLENTY of storage in the cabin. We try to see all the shows. For our next trip in Feb of 2018 we are already part of a social media group that is planning parties and outings. There is already 25 people signed up for the pub crawl that we are doing one sea day and we're more than 10 months out. The others have good ideas. Don't stress, watch the water, see the shows, enjoy the meals, tip your waitstaff, have fun, relax.

Tractortom in Okeechobee,FL

 

[MNDisney2268]

Thanks for these tips, I am so excited. We are going on the Dream for 4 night Bahamas cruise in October. I have a family of 5 so we will have the family suite with verandah.

Do you think there is enough room for 3 large suitcases? We will be in Orlando for a week prior to the cruise so we will have a bit of stuff with us to start.
The daily navigator, does that tell you show times, movies and other stuff?

Thanks again!!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The Disney Cruise Line Blog has lots of old Navigators to look through. It has times for everything.

 

[DisneyConvert]

There are laundries on the ship. Doing wash once means I can pack 1/2 of the shirts, shorts, pants I would otherwise have to.
Feel free to ask your Waiters and Cabin Steward for (almost) anything you might want ; Their job is to delight you. Tip well for exemplary service.
I like bringing binoculars to see what's on the horizon or a shore.
We like Deck 7-aft for its proximity to the restaurants and, while I have had the tendency to get sea-sick, have never had a problem on a DCL ship.
We use TripAdvisor and the Interweb to plan our tours and visits to the various ports at a big $avings vs Disney excursions
We go to at least one movie at the Buena Vista Theatre each cruise - it is a beautiful experience.
Don't skip the main show . . . they are as good as anything in the Parks.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Thanks for these tips, I am so excited. We are going on the Dream for 4 night Bahamas cruise in October. I have a family of 5 so we will have the family suite with verandah.

Do you think there is enough room for 3 large suitcases? We will be in Orlando for a week prior to the cruise so we will have a bit of stuff with us to start.
The daily navigator, does that tell you show times, movies and other stuff?

Thanks again!!!!

Yes, the Navigator has a daily schedule split into morning/afternoon/evening and by age group. It shows all movies playing, character greetings, special events, etc. It is truly invaluable.

 

[elaine amj]

My first cruise was on RCCL and I loved the 24 hr food. We were really thrown off on DCL when we went searching for late night eats only to find all food outlets close by midnight. We ended up getting room service and whispering on the verandah while the kids slept (Was so thankful we had paid for the upgrade!). I sleep late (and wake up early) on vacation and the ship was super quiet at 2/3am! I have to say I REALLY missed being able to get a late night snack after my DH and kids went to sleep. I didn't mind ordering room service when DH was awake, but it would definitely have woken him up if I had done it after he had gone to sleep.

That said, I loved so much about my Disney cruise that all else was equal, I would definitely cruise Disney again!

ENJOY!!