Help for a newbie cruiser :/

[Disneydreamz16]

hi all I'm a newbie here and have just booked our first family cruise for May 2016 Norwegian fjords cruise and am in need of much help please

Was wondering about the following if anyone can help me out

. I'm from the UK so will being changing money into USD , we don't have credit cards so how do we put the USD onto our onboard account and does this pay for gratuity and onboard purchases?

. Are all meet and greets ticketed ?

.is there any area reserved for disabled guests (we are frequent Disneyland Paris visitors and there are designated areas for shows parades and meet and greets wondering if anything similar?) if yes what documentation do we need to provide

.the kids clubs are they secure ? We are worried leaving our boys so wondered what security was in place so they are not able to wonder on their own do they get wrist bands ect?

.tipping this confuses me most, when do we tip? Do we tip at the end of the meal to individual servers/staff or is this all done at the end of the cruise where we can amend the amount higher to cover extra tips? Are the room staff included or do we leave money for the room staff daily in our room

Sorry for the amount of questions and thank you for any answers

 

[gismo1554]

. I'm from the UK so will being changing money into USD , we don't have credit cards so how do we put the USD onto our onboard account and does this pay for gratuity and onboard purchases?

You drop the money in at guest services and they put it on your account. You have 2 options with grats either they can come out of this money or you can pay for them with USD seperately (or even Norweign currency as that's what the servers/stewards will be using in ports). Its up to you on that one. All onboard purchases including drinks, gifts and bingo will be charged to your account (oh and Palo if you choose to partake in that too). You can also go to Guest Services to get an account statement any time you need to check on it. I don't know if there is a min amount you have to add to your account at the start of the cruise or not I'm afraid as I use a CC.

. Are all meet and greets ticketed ?

No. On Magic this year it has been Princess Gathering, Anna & Elsa Meet, Marvel Meet and the Character Breakfast (if they do them on your cruise)

.is there any area reserved for disabled guests (we are frequent Disneyland Paris visitors and there are designated areas for shows parades and meet and greets wondering if anything similar?) if yes what documentation do we need to provide

Not really. In the theatre there is a different entrance that can be used if needed and you just ask the attendant at the main entrance to show you. You don't need to provide documentation for that. Also if you require a disabled stateroom then you need to do this ASAP as they only have a certain number. There is a form online when you log in to your reservation to let them know your disabilities etc. You just need to complete this. I am partially sighted (night blind) and this isn't covered on this form so I just emailed DCL and they noted my requirements on the reservation (additional help if lighting fails).

.the kids clubs are they secure ? We are worried leaving our boys so wondered what security was in place so they are not able to wonder on their own do they get wrist bands ect?

For older kids they have free reign but for younger you can make it so you need to come and check them in and out of the kids areas. This means you get a call on the Wave phones when they are done with their activities and want picking up. They do get a wrist band I think either way but if you let them check themselves in and out then I believe they use the wristband.

.tipping this confuses me most, when do we tip? Do we tip at the end of the meal to individual servers/staff or is this all done at the end of the cruise where we can amend the amount higher to cover extra tips? Are the room staff included or do we leave money for the room staff daily in our room

Sorry for the amount of questions and thank you for any answers

You tip at the end of the cruise not at each meal. You main dining room servers move around the ship with you. The room staff again are included in this tipping. There are recommended amounts per day of the cruise and these cover the 3 serving staff in the main dining room (the food server, drink server and the head server) and then the room steward. On the last night of the cruise you will receive a sheet telling you recommended amounts and at this stage you can add it to your stateroom or pay cash which ever is easier. I like paying cash for these only because I can keep this seperate to any charges and have it pre cruise ready to go but it is whatever works for you.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-plan.htm#tipping
This has the recommended amounts

 

[Disneydreamz16]

Thank you so much this has covered everything really helpful advice, we plan on taking rather a lot of USD on board as the little ones like to spend in shops so should cover everything in one hit thanks again for all your help

 

[Quellman]

@Disneydreamz16 Welcome aboard and congratulations on your first cruise.
Re: Tipping
Who to tip: If you order room service, it is no cost to you, but if you want to tip the person who brings it, they only accept cash, so it cannot be charged to your account. Most people will tip $1-2 for each item ordered.
Adjusting your tip amount: You can adjust the value (up or down) at any time during the cruise by visiting guest services.

 

[Weedy]

Thank you so much this has covered everything really helpful advice, we plan on taking rather a lot of USD on board as the little ones like to spend in shops so should cover everything in one hit thanks again for all your help

No cash$$ can be used on the ship. You will use your KTTW (key card) to charge everyting on the ship ( gift shop, alcohol). It is also used as your ID to get on and off the ship

 

[Weedy]

There are a few character meets that require tickets. You need to get the tickets the day you board. It will be listed in the Navigator (newsletter) where to get the tickets. You will receive the Navigator when you check in at the terminal.




They have lots everyday that don't require tickets

 

[gismo1554]

@Disneydreamz16 Welcome aboard and congratulations on your first cruise.
Re: Tipping
Who to tip: If you order room service, it is no cost to you, but if you want to tip the person who brings it, they only accept cash, so it cannot be charged to your account. Most people will tip $1-2 for each item ordered.
Adjusting your tip amount: You can adjust the value (up or down) at any time during the cruise by visiting guest services.

Very good point about room service tips. If you can get dollar bills then this is a good idea! Some exchange shops will have $1s so just see if you can get some but if not you may be able to get a higher bill changed at guest services.

Also with the kids, I've heard that you can use Disney gift cards in the shop or your KTTW card. They sell the gift cards in the shop so you could get one with a set amount on it to give the kids then they would have a limit on their spends. Not sure if you can pick these up over here or not (UK) but there is no harm in asking in the Disney store to see if you can.