First-timer scared about being nickeled and dimed!

[Mainsail Minnie]

Be careful to put your phones on Airplane Mode, so you won't get hit with any data roaming charges.

Prepay your gratuities, so you won't have to pay them at end of cruise.

Other than that, you really don't have to pay for anything you don't want to. You can have a great cruise without extra spending.

 

[Livelovedance]

Just wanted to add that if you think you’ll take a lot of photos you can preorder a photo package and save some money vs purchasing onboard. I think I read on these boards that you can get the price refunded if you don’t end up taking enough photos to make it worthwhile, but hopefully someone else can confirm this.

We brought a pack of water bottles with us to have in the room.

We had bought a popcorn bucket in WDW before the cruise, and they allowed us to use it for refills on the ship! I also recommend bringing your own snacks to save some money.

One tip I learned the hard way - check out the gift shops before visiting Castaway Cay. I bought a pin in one of the Castaway Cay gift shops before realizing they sold the same one on the ship! In the ship gift shops you don’t pay tax and can use the Disney Visa or DVC discounts (I think it’s 10% off $50+). They don’t accept the discounts in the Castaway Cay gift shops and you will pay tax.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[jscunningham699]

We have not cruised yet, but really look forward to taking a cruise on DCL. This has been a wealth of information for us. We are taking our first family trip to WDW the 1st week of September. Unfortunately we can't really take a cruise until our DD who is 11 months old is potty trained and older so maybe in about 2 years when she's 3.

 

[disney11fan]

Be careful to put your phones on Airplane Mode, so you won't get hit with any data roaming charges.

Prepay your gratuities, so you won't have to pay them at end of cruise.

Other than that, you really don't have to pay for anything you don't want to. You can have a great cruise without extra spending.

that's always a killer. Gratuity paid in advannce. If you get bad service or food or anything else not up to standards, I still want my cut. Never understand that.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Note: If you're going to use Room service, don't forget some ones to tip the person who delivers the food. Also, tip money for the porters.

Also, even though it costs $250, please budget in a placeholder, because once you're home and you realise what a great time you had, you'll wish you had it for the discounts it will offer for your next cruise. If you decide (within 2 years) that a DCL cruise isn't in the cards, you get your money back. A no risk option for a future cruise at a discount.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

that's always a killer. Gratuity paid in advannce. If you get bad service or food or anything else not up to standards, I still want my cut. Never understand that.

You can always reverse that onboard if you want it back.

 

[disney11fan]

You can always reverse that onboard if you want it back.

Oh so gratuity is not required. The way I was reading these threads, you were required to pay it. That's more like it. I wouldn't pay it in advance.

Never knew they charged you for water. Do they charge you for bottled pop?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just wanted to add that if you think you’ll take a lot of photos you can preorder a photo package and save some money vs purchasing onboard. I think I read on these boards that you can get the price refunded if you don’t end up taking enough photos to make it worthwhile, but hopefully someone else can confirm this.

Yes, if you pre-purchase a photo package and find near the end of the cruise that you're not getting enough photos you like to warrant the price, you can go to Shutters (the last full day onboard) to have the package credited back to your account.

Oh so gratuity is not required. The way I was reading these threads, you were required to pay it. That's more like it. I wouldn't pay it in advance.

Never knew they charged you for water. Do they charge you for bottled pop?

Unlike many other cruise lines gratuities are not required on DCL. Your gratuities are charged to your onboard account as a service (so you don't have to worry about bringing enough cash to tip at the end of the cruise). But you can remove the gratuities at any time.

OR you can pre-pay your gratuities, that is it becomes part of the cruise price. And, once paid for, you won't get that "sticker shock" at the end of the cruise for the gratuities.

Bottled and sparkling water have a cost. You can bring your personal, refillable water bottle onboard to fill up and use for no cost.

Sodas at the drink stations on the pool deck and in Cabanas, as well as in the main dining rooms are included in your cruise fare. Sodas ordered in a bar/lounge or from servers poolside or in the theaters, as well as room service, have a cost. Purchased sodas come in a can, not bottled.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Oh so gratuity is not required. The way I was reading these threads, you were required to pay it. That's more like it. I wouldn't pay it in advance.

Never knew they charged you for water. Do they charge you for bottled pop?

The gratuity will be automatically added on unless you tell Guest Services to take them off. The hardworking servers' pay is their gratuity, so removing it should only occur if there is an extreme violation on their part.

Bottled drinks cost extra, but water & soda are free from the tap 24/7 on the pool deck.

 

[deliela999]

We took our first cruise in March, a 3 night on the Dream. Besides the gratuities we paid for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a snow cone on Castaway Cay, and some souvenirs. That's it. Oh, and we put down a placeholder. Our next Cruise will be over Christmas next year and blacked out from the placeholder discount but we still get the onboard credit (according to my TA). I'm working on paying for that one with gift cards bought 10% off or rewards at Meijer combined with at least 1% back on my credit card. I'm also planning to make sure we have enough gift cards to cover our onboard account and probably another placeholder.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

You can have a fantastic vacation without spending anything, we have done it! You can even prepay for your gratuities prior to sailing and not even have to worry about it. One of the things I love is that I don't feel nickle and dimed on DCL. We have done 5 and have never done palo/remy, the sweet shop, cove cafe, no DCL excursions. You can book less expensive on your own or just hit a beach or town for free, or hang out on board and enjoy a far less busy pool.

There are plenty of places to have free water/soda/coffee/tea. Cabanas, pool deck and dining room.

You can bring your own bottled water on board if you would like but we have found the free to be just fine. We usually do bring a few bottles so that we can have some in the room or for ports. You can also bring beer/wine on board with you.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

How did you all find such cheap cruises? This is the one we chose: 4 nights; Castaway, Nassau, Castaway. It’s a balcony room. But it’s late June.

Yours is a double dip to castaway. If you want a more affordable cruise you should find a cruise that only hits castaway once and then has a Sea day.

 

[lklgoodman]

How did you all find such cheap cruises? This is the one we chose: 4 nights; Castaway, Nassau, Castaway. It’s a balcony room. But it’s late June.

We always cruise sometime Jan-March. We've done 4 cruises during this time of year, with another already booked for Jan 2020. We're a family of 3(myself, my dh and our 11 yr old dd) Our cruises have all been 7 nights on either the Wonder or Fantasy. We've never spent more than $5,000. If we went in summer it would cost $3,000-$4,000 more. Can you go in the winter? Definitely cheaper than summer.

 

[Erica1016]

We have sailed a total of four times, once on each ship. We spend VERY LITTLE outside of the cruise fare and automatic gratuity. We haven't spent anything extra on food or drinks and have had plenty of enjoyment. No spa treatments or alcohol, just not our thing. We've rented bikes at Castaway several times and did a trolley-type tour in Falmouth on our own. On our most recent trip, I bought a mug to commemorate our Grand Slam.

We have always had a GREAT time!!

Also, I know people have mentioned that there are few items that do have a charge on the room-service menu, I wanted to add that these are clearly marked, so no surprises there.

And someone once told me, a good rule of thumb is that if they are asking for your KTTW card, it's an extra charge. Don't be afraid to ask beforehand!

HAVE FUN!

 

[mevelandry]

How did you all find such cheap cruises? This is the one we chose: 4 nights; Castaway, Nassau, Castaway. It’s a balcony room. But it’s late June.

What kind of cabin do you have for 6000$? It sounds expensive for a 4 nights to the Bahamas, even for DCL prices.

EDIT: Nevermind, I just re-read your comment and noticed it's a douple dip. I'll never understand why they charge so much for those. IMO, Castaway Cay is very nice but not "+1000$ more to go twice" nice.

 

[kiford]

Oh so gratuity is not required. The way I was reading these threads, you were required to pay it. That's more like it. I wouldn't pay it in advance.

Note that, even if you pre-pay gratuities, they don't get it until the end of the cruise. Pre-paying effectively puts a credit on your account. We never pre-pay so it's just charged to our onboard account on the last or penultimate night (I can't recall which night) which is then paid by credit card. If you pre-pay, it's charged to your account on the last/penultimate night and paid by the credit equivalent to the gratuities which you pre-paid. DCL holds the money until it's actually paid out and the staff does not know how much it is until they receive it so your service - either good or bad - will be the same whether you pre-pay or not. While I personally consider the amount that is recommended for gratuities to be essentially part of the non-discretionary cost of the cruise unlike other costs which I choose to spend or not, I see no reason for it to leave my hands before it's necessary.

 

[MomOTwins]

OP--as others have been pointing out, the cruise you chose is one of the most expensive ones available. Go to the disney cruise website and try some other months/times and you'll see you can get basically the same cruise for half the cost (or less). Since you did not seem to be aware you are paying a BIG premium, I think your Costco agent was a little unscrupulous and directed to you to the highest-cost cruise to get a good commission, so I would also suggest a new agent.

We have not cruised yet, but really look forward to taking a cruise on DCL. This has been a wealth of information for us. We are taking our first family trip to WDW the 1st week of September. Unfortunately we can't really take a cruise until our DD who is 11 months old is potty trained and older so maybe in about 2 years when she's 3.

They do have a nursery for kids 3 and under where potty training is not required (it is an extra charge but only about $4 an hour)

Oh so gratuity is not required. The way I was reading these threads, you were required to pay it. That's more like it. I wouldn't pay it in advance. Never knew they charged you for water. Do they charge you for bottled pop?

I mean, gratuity is not required in the sense that you can go to guest services and refuse to pay it, but the 13th amendment of the United States Constitution forbids slave labor, so..... I guess that would just be on your conscience. To answer your question, non-alcoholic beverages in a bottle or can (e.g., at the theater concessions) is an extra charge. But fountain drinks are free and can be obtained on the pool deck, main dining room, or in Cabanas.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

They do have a nursery for kids 3 and under where potty training is not required (it is an extra charge but only about $4 an hour)

It's $9 an hour. Still not bad at all for someone to care for a kid.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

They do have a nursery for kids 3 and under where potty training is not required (it is an extra charge but only about $4 an hour)

I believe the nursery charge is $9/hour.

 

[Livelovedance]

If you pre-pay, it's charged to your account on the last/penultimate night and paid by the credit equivalent to the gratuities which you pre-paid. DCL holds the money until it's actually paid out and the staff does not know how much it is until they receive it so your service - either good or bad - will be the same whether you pre-pay or not. While I personally consider the amount that is recommended for gratuities to be essentially part of the non-discretionary cost of the cruise unlike other costs which I choose to spend or not, I see no reason for it to leave my hands before it's necessary.

I'm adding my experience just in case it makes a difference for anyone budgeting for their cruise. Our experience was different from the post above, but it could have been the circumstances that we booked under as well. This was our first Disney cruise so I don't know what is normal and what isn't. After our PIF date (but before our trip) we decided to add on DCL transfers and prepay our gratuities at the same time. We booked through Costco so I called them to do both. They contacted Disney, added the charge to our Costco reservation, and charged the credit card I gave them that same day. I had no issue with this because I also considered the recommended amount to be a part of the cruise price regardless, and it was nice to have the trip entirely PIF before we left.

On I believe the last night of our cruise we received envelopes for gratuities for our server, assistant server, head server, and stateroom host, along with a letter that served as "pre-paid gratuity tickets" for the amount we pre-paid. You were able to separate the tickets, put them in the appropriate envelope (they were labeled), and hand deliver them to each person if you wanted to. The letter said "If you are unable to personally present the gratuity envelopes, these gratuities will automatically be distributed to your service team." We were very satisfied with the level of service with received, and added additional cash to the envelopes.

I just want to point out that the gratuities were charged to my credit card the day we prepaid, not to my cruise account on the last night of the cruise. It never showed up on our account as a credit.