First timer-advice needed!

[mahleraud]

Hey all! We're going on the Dream in Sept for a 4 day family cruise (us, our DD age 4, and both sets of grandparents). We got adjoining rooms for my parents and our room and are planning on bringing some alcohol with us. If you could give advice about definite do's, "make sure you don't forget"s and advice on what we could do on Castaway Key that would be amazing. I'm really nervous about what we will be able to do at the island (we plan on staying on the ship for the bahamas bc we've all been there before) but want to explore castaway. Thanks for the help!

 

[TexasMouseFan]

First advice is to sit back and enjoy the cruise! In my personal opinion, you are doing the right thing by planning to stay on the ship for Nassau. This will be the best time for you to enjoy the ship. Most people will get off the ship so you can enjoy the pools and Aquaduck. On Castaway Cay enjoy the beach! It is beautiful. They have floats that you can rent (thru shore excursions and directly on the beach). Your DD may enjoy playing in the sand. You can buy sand toys at the 2 shops on the island or if you have room in your luggage you could bring something from home. Don't waste space bringing towels...DCL provides those for you on the ship and on the island. You can rent bikes to take a tour of the island. They have a great family / kids area with water fountains to play in. Do not forget shoes to wear on the island!! The walkways get very hot!!! If you plan to try the Pelican Plunge on the island, make sure you plug your nose!!! The slides are very fast and we end up with a lot of salt water in our sinus cavity when we rode the first time.

Have fun!!!!

 

[lizabu]

Castaway Cay is probably my favourite place on Earth. My first mission was stake out a spot. The second mission was find a memorable souvenir. I ended up buying a Castaway TShirt. Don't feel bad if they don't have your size in one gift shop. I needed a medium and they didn't have it and no idea if the other place had it but when I checked myself there it was. We rented a floaty tube and floated around and had a good time. Before you know it it's lunch and there is a ton of food. I saws tons of people all lining up in the same place. I walked right up and it looked like it was all the same food in stations like Cabanas so I asked and it was confirmed so I didn't wait in the long line people were forming. I brought a book and hoped to lounge and relax and read but the day was over too fast. There is no trouble filling the day. Make sure you meet Jack Sparrow. He's hilarious.

 

[MouseMomx2]

I'm curious why you are nervous about Castaway Cay. It is very easy to navigate so you should have no troubles, even with the wide age range in your group.

Your DD will be able to go to the kids' clubs on the island if she/you wish. There is a family beach that you can all enjoy together or and adults-only beach for just those over 18. There is also a tram to get you around the island to help with the walking.

Lunch is served at two locations near the family beach and one near the adult's only beach. Lunch is also served on the ship for anyone who doesn't go ashore or who returns early.

There are lots of shore excursions on Castaway Cay, but we never do any. We prefer to just enjoy a relaxing day on the island. We swim a little, build sand castles, have lunch and just hang out. Sometimes we rent bikes or a boat, sometimes we snorkel...it depends on how we are feeling that day...but mostly we just relax.

Have a great trip!

 

[E ticket rider]

Hey all! We're going on the Dream in Sept for a 4 day family cruise (us, our DD age 4, and both sets of grandparents). We got adjoining rooms for my parents and our room and are planning on bringing some alcohol with us. If you could give advice about definite do's, "make sure you don't forget"s and advice on what we could do on Castaway Key that would be amazing. I'm really nervous about what we will be able to do at the island (we plan on staying on the ship for the bahamas bc we've all been there before) but want to explore castaway. Thanks for the help!

Must do: Get on the ship...

"make sure you don't forget": to relax and have fun...

Remember, this is your vacation. You worked hard to pay for this cruise (and as it's Disney, you are paying a little more for it!). The Dream is a beautiful ship. I've sailed on her 4 times and found new stuff each time that I didn't see the time before. I'm sure when I sail on her again, I'll find even more that I didn't see before. There are no rules that state you have to do it all at once. Lay by the pool, ride the 'Duck, see a show or a movie, do an impromptu bar crawl, shop, explore or what ever else you want to do. Some of those things may sound appealing to you, some may not. Some kids love the Oceaneer's Club & Lab and want to spend as much time there as you will let them, others will want nothing to do with it. My point is that someone else's "must do's" may or may not be your idea of fun.

I've seen way too many people on the ships (I've sailed on Fantasy and Magic as well) with their list of "must do's" and "don't forget to's". They always look uber-stressed about getting it all in and done. They don't look like their having a good time. The Dream is a big boat. It's hard to do everything in 3 or 4 days. Enjoy Castaway Cay. If you enjoy running, do the 5k on the island. You'll get a run in and some swag to boot. The island is much larger than just the area that DCL has developed. I've been there 5 times and have barely scratched the surface.

My advise to you is simple. Get on the ship, explore, relax and enjoy every minute of your cruise, right up until they make you get off when you get back to Port Canaveral.

 

[darkwing818]

Must do:

My advise to you is simple. Get on the ship, explore, relax and enjoy every minute of your cruise, right up until they make you get off when you get back to Port Canaveral.

Best advise ever....

 

[SillyInventor]

Do:
1. Bring your paperwork (Cruise contract and id's) and arrive early in PC.
2. Relax!

Don't:
1. Overplan
2. Stress

Enjoy your cruise.

 

[MouseMomx2]

Another tip...

Arrive in Florida at least a day before you sail. Cruises are different than land-based vacations. If you have a travel delay the ship will leave without you. You are traveling during hurricane season and anything can happen so having that cushion of an extra day (or more) will be worth it, even if only for the peace of mind it gives you.

 

[mahleraud]

Thanks guys for the help. We actually live about 2 hours north of PC and about 5 minutes from the beach so I don't know if we'll want to just sit around and play in the surf/sand. I was hoping there would be something a little bit different for use to do on the island - which is where my nervousness of the island begins. lol Thanks though for all of the great ideas as far as relaxing etc. This should be a lot of fun!

 

[AllThatJazz]

Thanks guys for the help. We actually live about 2 hours north of PC and about 5 minutes from the beach so I don't know if we'll want to just sit around and play in the surf/sand. I was hoping there would be something a little bit different for use to do on the island - which is where my nervousness of the island begins. lol Thanks though for all of the great ideas as far as relaxing etc. This should be a lot of fun!

I'm not sure about bike sizes or anything, but you could always bike on CC! It's a beautiful ride with rewarding views. They're available for rental.

Pelican Plunge is a floating water slide with two slides, I'm not sure about height requirements but I'm sure someone below can add on if you're interested.

Hope this helped. CC is such a unique beach experience that it might feel a bit different from home. Enjoy!