Help - 1st time - want it perfect!

[domiii]

We are first time cruisers and have some questions. We are on the 3 day cruise leaving on June 27th. We will be at the parks beginning the 23rd staying at the Wilderness Lodge. It is a vacation to celebrate our 15th anniversary (May 2) and our daughter's 8th grade graduation. We honeymooned at WDW. Is there anywhere else?

Staterooms 6116 and 6118.

We are traveling with 4 generations ranging in ages from 14 to 86. Will grandma have a hard time getting around the ship? She is an active 86 year old.

I have heard and read there are ways of getting pins for different activites. Can anyone tell me what these activites are? AND is pin trading limited to the 7 PM time? We have the early dinner seating.

Mother-in-law is a picky eater. Will there be plain steak or prime rib type of food on the menus?

Are the showers large enough for 2?

Are reservations for the spa hard to get?

Do you make reservations for the wine tasting on embarktion day?

Is the refillable mug worth it? Can you use the one from the resort?

Will I see our daughter or is the teen room going to be her hangout?

We appreciate any and all help, advice and guidence.

Dying to go,
Dom & Karen

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by domiii

Will grandma have a hard time getting around the ship? She is an active 86 year old.

There are a lot of grandparents cruising with their kids and grandkids on the cruise. Folks who are confined to a wheelchair may sometimes have difficulty finding enough room for them on an elevator, but if grandma is "active", I'm sure she'll be fine.

Will there be plain steak or prime rib type of food on the menus?

Yes.

Are the showers large enough for 2?

No.

Are reservations for the spa hard to get?

For the more popular treatments, yes. You'll want to make your reservations <i><b>as soon as</b></i> the spa opens after boarding. You'll get your Navigator for the first day when you check in at the terminal. The time/place for spa ressies will be listed on the front page.

Do you make reservations for the wine tasting on embarktion day?

It's a good idea. They don't always sell out, but they sometimes do. This isn't something you need to rush to do like with spa ressies or Palo ressies, but it is a good idea to take care of this on the first day.

Is the refillable mug worth it?

Depends... do you typically drink three or more sodas a day? If so, yes. If not, no.

Can you use the one from the resort?

No, it's a different program than at the resorts. You buy the mug and you get free refills for the duration of the cruise.

Will I see our daughter or is the teen room going to be her hangout?

Depends on if she connects with anybody. She may hang out in Common Grounds, or she may hang out in the Internet Cafe IM'ing her friends back home. Or she may be all around the ship. Or she may actually prefer to hang out with you.

 

[NCRedding]

The cruise is absolutely wonderful, and a great multi-generational trip, but please remember, no vacation is ever perfect, and if you go into a vacation expecting perfection, you will be disappointed. (I'll get off my soapbox now)

 

[atigeg]

I dunno...
A few of our Disney cruises do stick in my mind as "Mary Poppins Cruises" (practically perfect in every way). But after 21, I guess that the odds are with us.
A note on the steak/prime rib...if you don't see it on the menu, be sure to ask. There is a meat and potatoes offering each night, in addition to the regular menu items. And hubby has really gotten hooked on some of the vegetarian specials...he normally likes his hunks of cow, but lately he's taken to going veggie in Animators and Tritons.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Lisa F]

It is my experience, as a completely anal planner, that a disney cruise is the type of vacation where you can just sort of go with the flow and not make yourself planning crazy and have a completely wonderful time. I would know what spa treatments you want and get a reservation for palo but beyond that, just go and be confident you will have a good time.

I agree that things are rarely perfect, and if I try hard enough I might be able to remember something negative about our 7 day cruise but I can't really offhand. Maybe I was so relaxed, I just didn't care when things didn't go 100% according to plan (by the 2nd day I was thinking "plan? there was a plan?")

Enjoy it!

Lisa

 

[domiii]

Thanks all. I realize it won't be perfect, but I can always hope. We plan out every minute we are in the parks wiht alternatives if things aren't what we planned and do VERY well. I am hearing from everyone, don't over plan on the cruise part of the trip! Thanks again.

Karen and Dom

 

[BethC1952]

Don't expect perfection so that you're really thrilled when you do get it! Don't overplan either portion of your trip. You know you can't see and do everything in one trip.

We love to drink our soda (we're not really "adult beverage" drinkers, although we do have one now and then), so the mugs were a great choice for us, and they make great souvenirs. My WONDER mug sits on the shelf in my office so that I use it and see it every day to remind me that I go to that office so I can afford to take my next cruise!

We kept our mugs from the hotel filled with ice water in the cooler in our room on the ship so that we had cold drinking water all night.

We made our reservations for the wine-tasting the night before, because it was a "spur of the moment" choice. BTW, we enjoyed it tremendously and learned a lot about wine. I was pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed it.

Consider attending a cooking demonstration if there is one. That was a lot of fun, and we got a really good meal of a shrimp risotto and a glass of wine at the end. Of course, it was 10 AM, but who cares on a cruise, right?

We had no interest in the spa on our last trip, although I'm thinking about it for this upcoming trip, but I'm not going to obsess and overplan. If it works out, great, if not, it will be because I've chosen to do something else!

Please let us know how Grandma enjoys the trip. We're taking Grandpa with us (Grandma refuses to go!). Perhaps she'll have some suggestions for other seniors making the trip--both at the parks and on the cruise.

You'll have a great time. The only negative thing I can say about our cruise is that it wasn't long enough!

Beth

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

If you want a shower big enough for 2 , book the surial bath at the spa.

 

[Familyof6]

Just wanted to say Happy 15th Anniversary!!! You will be sailing on our 15th Anniversary! (27 June)
I also want to make our cruise (19 May) perfect, but I'm also willing to go with the flow. If something doesn't work out, I'll find something else that does. I will not stop planning, but I'm going to be flexible with those plans!
Enjoy your "Wonder"ful Trip!

Lisa