Just booked a cruise :D

[Tony Toon]

As it says on the tin, booked to do a five day cruise on Disney Wonder with DH, DS and DD leaving on 6th July and calling at Key West, Nassau and Castaway Cay. Come on all you experienced cruisers, what do we need to organise now? Booked Palo and was wondering what we do with our car while we're away? Any advice?

Mrs TT

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Never cruised but just wanted to say well done you!

 

[wayneg]

Great news

Have you already booked car rental?
Best way to do it is book a car before and another after, Budget have a depot just 5 mins from the Port with free shuttles, so you save paying for rental while away and save $75 parking fee. On a 5 day cruise depending on size of car you have this way will save you around £150.
If you have booked a car already best option is park at the port, $15/day, $75 for 5 days. We have done this 6 out of our 7 cruises, expensive but at least you can leave luggage in the trunk instead of trailing on the cruise.
We tried Palo for the 1st time last August, would never go when DS was younger, well worth the wait, amazing food and service. Did you see pics I posted of Palo food?
Ask anything you want about Disney cruising, lots of us have done them.

 

[Tony Toon]

Thanks Wayne. Was hoping ypu'd pick this one up, knowing that you'd cruised on the odd occasion before We were lucky enough to book our car hire much earlier in the year after a tip from your good self that Dollar had great prices. Booked a mini van for 5 weeks for £707 $75 for parking for 5 days sounds OK to me so we'll probably go for that. My next question is about gratuity. Who do we tip, when and how much? Quite happy to tip the usual 20%ish. Have drooled over your pics of Pablo before, but think I'll have another wee look. Roll on the 29th of June when we fly out for our final fling.

Mrs TT

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Great news

Have you already booked car rental?
Best way to do it is book a car before and another after, Budget have a depot just 5 mins from the Port with free shuttles, so you save paying for rental while away and save $75 parking fee. On a 5 day cruise depending on size of car you have this way will save you around £150.
If you have booked a car already best option is park at the port, $15/day, $75 for 5 days. We have done this 6 out of our 7 cruises, expensive but at least you can leave luggage in the trunk instead of trailing on the cruise.
We tried Palo for the 1st time last August, would never go when DS was younger, well worth the wait, amazing food and service. Did you see pics I posted of Palo food?
Ask anything you want about Disney cruising, lots of us have done them.

Oh could I please have the link to the Palo food? We have just booked med cruise for next year, just to two of us.

 

[wayneg]

This site works out the tip for you. http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/ but tip whatever you feel the service is worth. We usually tip around recommended amounts but I don't tip Head waiter, we have no special dietry needs and and all he/she does is say hello every evening (if they get time) maybe we should but I don't.
These are recommended amounts for a family of 4 for a 5 night cruise.
Dining room server $80, usually worth every cent.
Assistant dining room server $60, takes your drinks orders and helps server, last couple we have had have not been brilliant, OK but not knowing our names, remembering what we drink, name of drink of the day etc should be standard to me. Last 2 cruises I have not quite tipped full amount.
Head Server $20, see above.
Stateroom host $80, again usually worth it but our last cruise he was not good, only saw him once, usually we see them often, asks us if we are having a good time etc, do we need ice once or twice a day leaving? I halfed his tip.
I also tipped the waiter in the bar where we drank most evenings, looked after us well so I tipped him every round he brought and then gave him $20 on the last night.

The full August 09 cruise album is here http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/wayneg1/Disney Cruise Aug 09/?start=all
Palo brunch pics.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Thanks for that, for some reason when I go into your photobucket, it goes mad, it comes up about 28 times and I need to log off?

Where did you get your fish extender from?

We have booked a secret porthole room - have you even been in one of these?

 

[wayneg]

No idea why you have problems going to Photobucket, not heard of that before.

My Mother in Law made the Fish Extender, we picked up bits in Michaels while in Florida and then ordered rest off Ebay, it was cheaper to have the characters and name patches sent from US than buy in UK.

Secret Porthole, had 3 times. Would have been 4 but we got upgraded to Verandah on our 1st cruise. Best value cabins onboard.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Your MIL is one talented lady

I have heard that they can move you to another stateroom. Since we have a secret porthole, IF they did upgrade us, it would be to more than that? Reason I ask is that I know we have been lucky in getting this for the price of a 10A when in fact a higher category.

Can I also ask what you did as your gifts for the FE?

Do you tend to do first or second sitting for dinner?

I hope you do not mind me asking questions

 

[wayneg]

Only time we have been moved is our 1st cruise, if I remember rightly it was cat 6 they gave us instead of secret porthole, the verandah was wasted on us really. I think we used it about 10 mins the whole 4 nights.
If you get moved I am sure it would be to a far better room, DCL don't like disappointing people, they rely on repeat cruisers.

We prefer 1st seating around 6pm, although I think last cruise was 5:45, a little early but later seating is too late for us, we like to eat, watch a show then have a drink.

Gifts, I like to give a little bit of either Yorkshire or England. This last cruise we made bags up of:
Bag of Yorkshire mixtures, Yorkshire pudding recipe laminated, made bookmarks(pic below), had magnets printed (pic below) Bought pens off Ebay 2 in each bag 1 with Pooh & 1 with Eyeore.