If you were leaving instructions for online check-in...

[kkayluvsdis]

Hi All!
Our check-in window opens up this weekend and as luck would have it I'm headed out of town with my dd for a group camping trip. This will be our fourth Disney Cruise, but first that my dh will be completing the online check-in for us. As I try to organize my thoughts and remember how things "look" on the site as I've checked in for past cruises, it made me think to ask you all-If you were leaving instructions for someone who is a novice at the DCL site/activities/etc what instructions would you make sure to include?

Also, as we have cruised in the past, will the site auto-fill information like our passport numbers? I can't remember from prior cruises!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

-Kelly

 

[MomOTwins]

Haha, if it were me I would leave dd with the group and drive until I could get cell phone signal at midnight and do it myself But in all seriousness, I would just make a detailed list and spell out exactly which activities to book, on which days, and in the sequence he should check for availability. The check in part is not important except for port arrival time, since you can edit all the info later, but yes, it did pre-populate for me on my last cruise with my existing travel documentation.

I wonder if you are on our cruise--our silver check in is tomorrow night (11/9 Fantasy)!

 

[kkayluvsdis]

Haha, if it were me I would leave dd with the group and drive until I could get cell phone signal at midnight and do it myself But in all seriousness, I would just make a detailed list and spell out exactly which activities to book, on which days, and in the sequence he should check for availability. The check in part is not important except for port arrival time, since you can edit all the info later, but yes, it did pre-populate for me on my last cruise with my existing travel documentation.

I wonder if you are on our cruise--our silver check in is tomorrow night (11/9 Fantasy)!

I know, right?!? I am such a planner and type A so it is killing me to have to leave this in his (capable) hands!

That is the same cruise we are on! So excited!

Do you happen to know where we check for CC Cabanas? I know it is highly unlikely, but figured worth a shot to check-is it under the port adventures for CC?

Good luck with your online check in as well! What excursions are you planning?

 

[MomOTwins]

It's going to be such a fun cruise!!! We've only done 3-night cruises before so I can't wait for a whole week on the ship (plus the Aladdin and new Frozen show--so excited it will be there in time for our cruise)! CC Cabanas are indeed under port adventures for CC, but I have had it confirmed by multiple platinum and gold members on our cruise that the cabanas are all gone. I plan to skip checking for cabanas and instead go straight for our next high priority items that may be hard to get (i.e. Palo brunch, character breakfast) to be on the safe side.

I keep second-guessing my excursions and going back and forth so would love your thoughts if you were thinking of any of these. I keep kind of hoping my decision is made for me because one will be booked up so I don't have to decide!
Cozumel: Isla Pasion by catamaran or Ruins/beach break/chocolate
Grand Cayman: Sea World glass bottom boat or Discover Saltwater Forest
Falmouth: Jewel Beach (but it's so expensive so I'm torn) or just go to the Margaritaville in port

 

[kkayluvsdis]

It's going to be such a fun cruise!!! We've only done 3-night cruises before so I can't wait for a whole week on the ship (plus the Aladdin and new Frozen show--so excited it will be there in time for our cruise)! CC Cabanas are indeed under port adventures for CC, but I have had it confirmed by multiple platinum and gold members on our cruise that the cabanas are all gone. I plan to skip checking for cabanas and instead go straight for our next high priority items that may be hard to get (i.e. Palo brunch, character breakfast) to be on the safe side.

I keep second-guessing my excursions and going back and forth so would love your thoughts if you were thinking of any of these. I keep kind of hoping my decision is made for me because one will be booked up so I don't have to decide!
Cozumel: Isla Pasion by catamaran or Ruins/beach break/chocolate
Grand Cayman: Sea World glass bottom boat or Discover Saltwater Forest
Falmouth: Jewel Beach (but it's so expensive so I'm torn) or just go to the Margaritaville in port

Oh, wow! Thanks for the info about the cabanas. That's a bummer but I'm not surprised.

We are still undecided about port excursions. My son turns 10 on our Cozumel day and really had his heart set on swimming with the dolphins, but the more research I do on it, the more I dislike about that option. It just seems like a lot of waiting around for not a lot of actual interaction with the dolphins. Plus, the whole photo package push-ugh! I love the idea of Nachi Cocum but not super kid friendly or "birthday friendly". So, yea..totally up in the air!

For Grand Cayman we booked a private excursion through Stingray Sailing. Super excited about that one as it gets great reviews and seems a bit more our speed than the big boats heading to Stingray City.

Falmouth, again, undecided- We, too were thinking of just getting off the boat and spending the day at Margaritaville. The only excursion option we were even considering would be the river tubing.

What are the ages of your kids? We are traveling with friends who have never cruised before so I'm a bit nervous-hoping they enjoy it. We'll have two 13-year olds, two 10-year olds and an 8-year old between the two families. Hoping we can keep everyone happy!

 

[MomOTwins]

Oh, wow! Thanks for the info about the cabanas. That's a bummer but I'm not surprised.

We are still undecided about port excursions. My son turns 10 on our Cozumel day and really had his heart set on swimming with the dolphins, but the more research I do on it, the more I dislike about that option. It just seems like a lot of waiting around for not a lot of actual interaction with the dolphins. Plus, the whole photo package push-ugh! I love the idea of Nachi Cocum but not super kid friendly or "birthday friendly". So, yea..totally up in the air!

For Grand Cayman we booked a private excursion through Stingray Sailing. Super excited about that one as it gets great reviews and seems a bit more our speed than the big boats heading to Stingray City.

Falmouth, again, undecided- We, too were thinking of just getting off the boat and spending the day at Margaritaville. The only excursion option we were even considering would be the river tubing.

What are the ages of your kids? We are traveling with friends who have never cruised before so I'm a bit nervous-hoping they enjoy it. We'll have two 13-year olds, two 10-year olds and an 8-year old between the two families. Hoping we can keep everyone happy!

Our kids are twins aged 7 and a third who will be 4 at the time of the cruise, all boys, so maybe the older two will hang out with your 8/10 year olds in the kids club! We are all going to be wearing these matching blue mickey aloha outfits on embarkation day so if you see us come say hi!!! https://www.shopdisney.com/mickey-m...rt-for-baby-disney-hawaii-4042047571204M.html

I did some more poking around on tripadviser today and I hadn't realized the Isla Pasion does not have umbrellas for their loungers (only some plastic chairs and tables in the shade far back from the beach) so that is out as I don't want the kids to get that much sun! We are also going to Mickey's Christmas party the day before the cruise and Star Wars land on debarkation day (and just got savi's workshop reservations for the twins who are HUGE star wars fans), so this trip is getting more and more $$$$expensive by the day and we may just end up staying on the ship at the ports! Then again this is our only vacation year and it has been a rough year for the kids (we moved to a new town for work reasons). I just need to have a heart to heart with DH tomorrow and pin down exactly what we are willing to spend.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

I was in the same situation a couple cruises ago. I do all the planning but was going to be at a Halloween party at Disneyland and didn’t know how well it would work on my phone or if I’d be on a ride so I had him do it.

I ended up finding a video online of someone going through the check-in process, and walking him through it so he had the general idea. I believe when he got to each section a lot of stuff was already filled in (like addresses and passport numbers) so that helped.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Dolphins were interesting and fun, but, yes, a lot of waiting your turn. Also, if you actually look at the dolphins, like, in the eye, these animals are doing what they are told, they aren't interacting with you in a genuine way. It's not like a dog that comes up, wags it's tail and looks at you, connects with you. They're more like the pony that gives rides at the petting zoo. He does what he's told, maybe doesn't even mind doing it and gets food for it, but there's no connection. For an animal like a dolphin, which is so intelligent, I think I went in hoping to see a little connection in their eyes. It wasn't there.