I need your best advice and resources ASAP. I'm booking our first Disney cruise just 2 weeks out!

[Cynthia1215]

We originally booked last month to sail in late April. Then we looked at moving it up to March and now we are booking today for a January 15th sailing! It will be the 5-night western Caribbean on the Magic stopping in Grand Caymans.

I'm an ultra planner when visiting the Disney parks. I realize that the cruise doesn't need as much planning but what do I need to know or what resources would you suggest to prepare for a cruise in a very short time?

This is an all girls trip. 3 adults and 4 kids: 14, 8, 5, 2.5
We will be flying in the night before.
Our agent has said we will have late dining as main will not be available. We will also be getting 2 cabins with restrictions so we will end up wherever DCL places us. Certainly not together. She also said the early boarding times were probably all gone. We are still planning to arrive as early as possible in hopes of being able to get on early.

Thanks so much for your help. Normally I would read through so much information on disboards that I could be well prepared, but I am not going to have time for that. I've got to find swimsuits and water shoes in Northeast Ohio in January!

Oh, and one specific question. I read somewhere that Disney cruises no longer (after August 2015) allow you to drop of something for signatures at the desk. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Hundredacre]

Yes they no longer allow drop off for signatures.

 

[JackieB10]

We originally booked last month to sail in late April. Then we looked at moving it up to March and now we are booking today for a January 15th sailing! It will be the 5-night western Caribbean on the Magic stopping in Grand Caymans.

I'm an ultra planner when visiting the Disney parks. I realize that the cruise doesn't need as much planning but what do I need to know or what resources would you suggest to prepare for a cruise in a very short time?

This is an all girls trip. 3 adults and 4 kids: 14, 8, 5, 2.5
We will be flying in the night before.
Our agent has said we will have late dining as main will not be available. We will also be getting 2 cabins with restrictions so we will end up wherever DCL places us. Certainly not together. She also said the early boarding times were probably all gone. We are still planning to arrive as early as possible in hopes of being able to get on early.

Thanks so much for your help. Normally I would read through so much information on disboards that I could be well prepared, but I am not going to have time for that. I've got to find swimsuits and water shoes in Northeast Ohio in January!

Oh, and one specific question. I read somewhere that Disney cruises no longer (after August 2015) allow you to drop of something for signatures at the desk. Can anyone confirm?

I don't really have any suggestions, as this is our first cruise as well, but we are on the same cruise!!! And we are also from northeast (or central east) Ohio! Our kids just found out about the cruise at Christmas, so we are now scrambling to pack and get ready! Soooo excited. Happy packing!

 

[Cynthia1215]

I don't really have any suggestions, as this is our first cruise as well, but we are on the same cruise!!! And we are also from northeast (or central east) Ohio! Our kids just found out about the cruise at Christmas, so we are now scrambling to pack and get ready! Soooo excited. Happy packing!

That's exciting! Our kids found out about the April cruise at Christmas too. But it was not the reaction I was hoping for. They were only able to focus on the countdown I gave them which was at 122 days. They later explained that they are excited, just not patient. I'm waiting for the booking to actually happen today and then we can give them the news. I think I will definitely get the reaction I was looking for then!

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

When I was doing research for our Disney Cruise I read that if you get to the port early they can make you wait outside the terminal if they have too many people inside. You might want to look into that so your not waiting around. Did you do online check in and get a time?

 

[Cynthia1215]

When I was doing research for our Disney Cruise I read that if you get to the port early they can make you wait outside the terminal if they have too many people inside. You might want to look into that so your not waiting around. Did you do online check in and get a time?

We are actually booking today so we will do online checkin after that and get out time. Our agent expects that all earlier times will be gone since we are so close to sailing. She did tell me that they may make us wait until our time.

 

[ladypiph]

I encourage you to start packing now. Here is my packing list I use as a guide and adjust it to my families needs http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/packing.htm I would also take sometime out maybe like an hour to look at Pinterest (search Disney cruise) to get some more invaluable information. Taking a look at the trip reports on here as well is good for insight. In my experience you are given a boarding number based on your PAT. For two of my cruises I had an 11:15 PAT and received a boarding number of 8 each time. However if you get there early there are character photo ops to help pass the time. Make a list of must do's/ must see characters, but allow some wiggle room for downtime. Relax and enjoy your vacation. The weather should be awesome BTW.

 

[Cynthia1215]

I encourage you to start packing now. Here is my packing list I use as a guide and adjust it to my families needs http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/packing.htm I would also take sometime out maybe like an hour to look at Pinterest (search Disney cruise) to get some more invaluable information. Taking a look at the trip reports on here as well is good for insight. In my experience you are given a boarding number based on your PAT. For two of my cruises I had an 11:15 PAT and received a boarding number of 8 each time. However if you get there early there are character photo ops to help pass the time. Make a list of must do's/ must see characters, but allow some wiggle room for downtime. Relax and enjoy your vacation. The weather should be awesome BTW.

Thanks so much for the packing list link and other tips!!!

 

[KristiMc]

My tip is to make sure you know where all the Passports or birth certificates are and make sure the Passports are not expired.

 

[Quellman]

You can pre-register kids clubs when you do online check-in. It helps reduce time waiting in line. You can also book nursery services in advance for the 2.5 year old if you think you will use them. Don't forget to cancel if you need to.

On embarkation day, you can check the navigator and see where they are taking dining requests to try and change to main seating for diner.

 

[crabbygal902]

I've got to find swimsuits and water shoes in Northeast Ohio in January!
Do you have Amazon Prime? 2 day shipping!

Bring:
Nightlight. If you are given an inside cabin, you'll be really glad you have it.
Air freshener: Certainly nice to have in an enclosed space.
Don't bring:
Towels. They are provided everywhere you need.
Bath products. Unless you are loyal to a particular brand, the DCL H2O stuff is fantastic and smells so good!

Late dining works great for us. It gives us more time to get ready after the day's activities, it is more relaxed and quiet, and we like going to the early shows. Counselors from the kids club will come to the dining room to pick up kids who are finished eating, allowing the adults to finish their meal.

 

[Ofinn]

That's exciting! Our kids found out about the April cruise at Christmas too. But it was not the reaction I was hoping for. They were only able to focus on the countdown I gave them which was at 122 days. They later explained that they are excited, just not patient. I'm waiting for the booking to actually happen today and then we can give them the news. I think I will definitely get the reaction I was looking for then!

We've been on 11 cruises, and my kids never get excited until about 3 days before the cruise, and then they get really, really excited. I think it's hard for kids to think too far out. They like instant gratification. I'll admit I like it too. I love booking last minute. No time to stress about the cost, weather, and second guess yourself. You just do it and have fun.

 

[MagicMe]

Regardless of the check-in time you get, please keep in mind that they will often hit "open" boarding by 12:15-12:30 so even if you have a later time, you should be able to board easily by then.

 

[RedHatDisney]

Early boarding isn't really that big of a deal, all things considered. DON'T over pack! Enjoy.

 

[Krissy22222]

Dcl will, in my experience, try to place your cabins as closely together as possible. You may be pleasantly surprised! We've done plenty of gt sailings with two cabins and they've always been near each other, once even connecting. We also prefer the late dining, you may too. The kids tended to fall asleep in the show otherwise. And there is plenty of food if they need a snack before dinner. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[ladypiph]

We've been on 11 cruises, and my kids never get excited until about 3 days before the cruise, and then they get really, really excited. I think it's hard for kids to think too far out. They like instant gratification. I'll admit I like it too. I love booking last minute. No time to stress about the cost, weather, and second guess yourself. You just do it and have fun.

I second this both my DH and DS get excited about two to three days out. DH likes this instant gratification and will even avoid talking about the cruise until it is almost a week away. Which drives me a little crazy since I am an ultra planner. Another tip is if you end up with a late dining try not to eat too much on pirate night since shorty after dinner there will be an abundance of more food after the show and fireworks, which is a must see. Another odd tip take your time at some point and just leisurely walk around the ship, you will enjoy it.

 

[princessmommyx3]

Be sure and get your tickets for the Princess Gathering and Elsa/Anna as soon as you board. The location to get tickets will be in the daily navigator that they give you when you check in at the port.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Make sure you get online and book your port excursions, Palo, Senses - anything you want today if they are still available. If not, hit up the Guest Relations as soon as you board.

 

[BruinEd03]

Arrive earlier than your check-in time because they may be able to get you onboard the ship earlier (because they will get to your group number faster than the assigned time). Furthermore, they will handle out the navigator for the first day at that time. You can then study it ahead of time and make a game plan for the rest of the night.

Also, when you get on board you can also see if they will be able to move you up to the main rotation. People have been switched before.

If you are looking for signatures, please note that just about every character that you take a photo with will sign stuff. So, you can still get signatures.

You may want to re-pack after you land at the airport to ensure you have a carry-on that you can bring with you with your essentials (e.g., swimsuit + change of clothes/flip-flops) to make sure that you can do stuff while you wait for your luggage to arrive (may not be until 5 p.m.!) even if your stateroom is ready (usually 1:30 p.m.). If anyone has an interest in doing the Aquaduck, I would suggest doing it when you get on board and when you can get into your state room, but before your lifeboat drill. The lines are much shorter.

I cannot stress this enough - the lifeboat drill is Mandatory and show up 5-10 mins. early as there are a lot of people they have to check in. No one can finish until everyone shows up. They know if you don't show up - don't try to send just one person for the group. They also know the room numbers and will shout it out.

 

[Cynthia1215]

I've got to find swimsuits and water shoes in Northeast Ohio in January!
Do you have Amazon Prime? 2 day shipping!

Bring:
Nightlight. If you are given an inside cabin, you'll be really glad you have it.
Air freshener: Certainly nice to have in an enclosed space.
Don't bring:
Towels. They are provided everywhere you need.
Bath products. Unless you are loyal to a particular brand, the DCL H2O stuff is fantastic and smells so good!

Late dining works great for us. It gives us more time to get ready after the day's activities, it is more relaxed and quiet, and we like going to the early shows. Counselors from the kids club will come to the dining room to pick up kids who are finished eating, allowing the adults to finish their meal.

I do have Amazon Prime. Thanks for all the good tips and the note about dining. That might work well for us actually.