LindaBabe or other Cruisers

[BernardandMissBianca]

Help me plan a cruise!!!!!

DH has given me the go ahead to plan the Alaskan Disney Cruise for 2011 and I have no idea where to start!

I want connecting rooms, doubt I can get a family suite. How do I do that? Should I go through a travel agent?
Does it include food?
Why do I have to dine at a certain time?

Should we just go the 2 of us or should we take the kids? This may be their only chance to go to Alaska as kids since DH doesn't do cold.

 

[hopemax]

Help me plan a cruise!!!!!

DH has given me the go ahead to plan the Alaskan Disney Cruise for 2011 and I have no idea where to start!

I want connecting rooms, doubt I can get a family suite. How do I do that? Should I go through a travel agent?
Does it include food?
Why do I have to dine at a certain time?

Should we just go the 2 of us or should we take the kids? This may be their only chance to go to Alaska as kids since DH doesn't do cold.

Our first cruise was to Alaska in 1994, on one of Royal Caribbean's older ships. It was just as the mega-ships were coming into being. Honestly, I preferred the small ship. The room was tiny, but there were less than 1000 people on the boat, so the cruise staff would recognize you, the waiters didn't have too many tables so the service was even more personal than what you get now. We've also taken two Disney cruises, and another RCL cruise pre-Disney. The cruise to Alaska is beautiful. We plan on taking the Disney one, once the rush dies down.

Food on the ship, for the most part, is free. There is even a selection of foods available through room service that is also free, although you should tip the person delivering it. The menu is in the stateroom, although it is not inclusive of everything you can get. We like to order Mickey Premium bars (not on the menu, but you can get them), and we will order lunch in the room on sea days too. You will need to pay for snacks and pop if you get it at the snack bar outside the theater. There is a $15 charge per person to eat at Palo, the adult restaurant. Pop is free in the dining rooms, or at the Drink Station on Deck 9. Just get in the habit of going up to deck 9. There will also be free food in the sports bar during certain hours (hot dogs and nachos), desserts in the adult coffee bar around 3PM, late night snacks in the "entertainment area" on deck 3(?). If you can't find free food, you are doing something wrong!

Dining is only timed if you want to eat in the main dining rooms. And it's only for dinner. If you don't want to be tied to a schedule you can eat at the counter service type food places on Deck 9, or in the buffet restaurant. They serve the same entrees as in the dining rooms. I think the times helps with crowd control for the theater. It's not big enough for the entire ship. So half the ships gets a show first, then eats. The other half eats than watches the show. We much prefer eat than show. Breakfast, one of the dining rooms will be open for "table service", or there will be the buffet, or room service.

If you can afford it, take the kids. You will rarely see them anyway, and they will think its the best vacation ever. Disney does such a great job, you might experience Mom Guilt.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Is it safe? DS8 and DD are climbers and I'm freaking that I would be fishing them out of the water, or worse. I know I'm being paranoid but seriously if there is a railing, they will climb it. Hence the reasoning behind not getting a verandah room.

I looked at the Dreams Unlimited quote form, but I don't even know what category room to pick! I'm hopeless! LOL

 

[PinballFamily]

Great news! Michellepooh is our local DCL expert - she's been on oodles of the cruises, but I don't know if she's done any of the Alaskan ones, or stayed in the Caribbean.

There's a lot of DCL cruise info on that DIS forum - we booked ourselves for our summer 2010 Wonder cruise (not Alaska). (Cat 4 - room for 5 people) Are you a DIYer, or....? The Dreams Unlimited folks seem good though (and sponsor our beloved DIS board!), so you'd probably do just fine there, too.

We've done several cruises before - but not with the two youngest kids. Last one was 15 years ago when Z2H was little. Cunard, RCCL, etc. - all were wonderful!

 

[hopemax]

Let me explain the veranda room. There is what looks like a railing from the outside of the ship, but from the other side, where kids would normally try to put they're feet...it's plexi-glass, so completely smooth. There is no place to put a foot. That is the same for the other decks. It is either a solid wall or its the railing with the plexiglass back. The railings hit me just above the chest area, and I'm 5' tall to give you an idea.

Also the locks on the balcony doors in the stateroom, are high on the door, and rather difficult to open. And the doors are HEAVY. I would always have problems getting them open.

 

[hopemax]

Oh, rooms. Our non-Disney cruises we only ever had inside staterooms. We survived. Our Disney ones we had veranda rooms, because of my Mom's discount. I LOVE veranda rooms, but they are unnecessary. There are enough places around the ship to be outside, or have a seat by a porthole, that you can get that experience elsewhere.

But DH and I do like having a porthole minimum. Some people will get rooms across the hall from each other. So one porthole, one inside. Or one veranda, one inside.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Great news! Michellepooh is our local DCL expert - she's been on oodles of the cruises, but I don't know if she's done any of the Alaskan ones, or stayed in the Caribbean.

There's a lot of DCL cruise info on that DIS forum - we booked ourselves for our summer 2010 Wonder cruise (not Alaska). (Cat 4 - room for 5 people) Are you a DIYer, or....? The Dreams Unlimited folks seem good though (and sponsor our beloved DIS board!), so you'd probably do just fine there, too.

We've done several cruises before - but not with the two youngest kids. Last one was 15 years ago when Z2H was little. Cunard, RCCL, etc. - all were wonderful!

Usually for WDW I'm a DIYer but this is uncharted territory.
the cruise for Alaska is on the Wonder.

Let me explain the veranda room. There is what looks like a railing from the outside of the ship, but from the other side, where kids would normally try to put they're feet...it's plexi-glass, so completely smooth. There is no place to put a foot. That is the same for the other decks. It is either a solid wall or its the railing with the plexiglass back. The railings hit me just above the chest area, and I'm 5' tall to give you an idea.

Also the locks on the balcony doors in the stateroom, are high on the door, and rather difficult to open. And the doors are HEAVY. I would always have problems getting them open.

OK plexi-glass is good. And I'm 5'1" so that's a good visual. Good to know about the doors, my kids are little houdini's so I have to watch them all the time.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Oh, rooms. Our non-Disney cruises we only ever had inside staterooms. We survived. Our Disney ones we had veranda rooms, because of my Mom's discount. I LOVE veranda rooms, but they are unnecessary. There are enough places around the ship to be outside, or have a seat by a porthole, that you can get that experience elsewhere.

But DH and I do like having a porthole minimum. Some people will get rooms across the hall from each other. So one porthole, one inside. Or one veranda, one inside.

I like the large porthole rooms, from the pictures anyway.

 

[hopemax]

Think about it this way...how many children do you think have sailed on a Disney cruise? Consider the parenting you have witnessed in the parks... those people take cruises too. How many stories have you heard about a child falling overboard? As bad as you think your kids are, I'm sure much worse have been on the ship, and with more oblivious parents.

 

[PinballFamily]

Yeah - the DCL thing was new for us, too. I splurged on the $15 new edition of the Passporter book on Disney cruises - this was helpful, although the library copy (a couple of years old) was practically the same, too. Info from DIS folks on the cruise forum really helped us decide to book it. (And once we've gone once, then we're eligible for bounceback offers on DCL - woo woo!)

 

[Lisa]

DD has been on four Disney cruises, no problems going overboard. The railings are high, there is no way a kid can climb because of the plexiglass being inside.

We personal love having a verandah, for the three of us, we do the navigators verandah, two adjoining might work for the six of you. In the morning we would sit out there in our jammies having coffee and oj. In the afternoon we would order cheese and crackers and relax.

We preferred doing the first seating for dinner, then walked the deck for a bit, followed by the evening shows. Since you guys are used to eating later, you may want to do the second seating for dinner.

The kids program are great. You get a beeper when you drop them off, chances are you won't see them for most of the day.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm thinking the 8:30 for the second seating would be late though. What do you think? Especially with the time change.

Oh, decisions decisions. And man is it expensive!

 

[Michellepooh]

Hi Buffy!

Looks like a lot of your questions have already been answered! I wouldn't worry about the kids on a verandah. We just had one on our cruise a couple of weeks ago and our monkey (AKA 17 month old) didn't even attempt to fall overboard!

We usually try for the earlier dinner seating. That usually books up pretty quickly, but we've never had trouble getting it when we've been waitlisted.

The kids' clubs are amazing!! I get ditched by my 5 year old on a regular basis because he'd rather go to his "school".

Let me know if you have any other questions!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Michelle how do I go about getting connecting rooms? Is there a place to find a layout of the ship that tells me where the connecting rooms are? Or do I tell my TA that I need them.

 

[fireplug]

We are on the may24th 2011 sailing. I have been to Alaska and to the ports we are going to. Its been 6 years though sothings may have changed some. OMG its also been almost 3 years since a cruise I may be a little outdated on my info sorry.


Squid

 

[hopemax]

Do you have a brochure? They have pages showing the deck plans, in the back usually. The adjoining rooms are the ones with the triangles next to the number.

Or here's a link: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/cruise/deck-plans.htm

There aren't as many of them as you would think, so they book quickly. The new ships will have more. I know you can pick your staterooms when you book online. But I saw someone say they couldn't book a connecting room online, but did have luck going through a TA.

 

[Tigger1221]

Oh we love cruising and LOVE Dreams Unlimited. I am one of those people who loves to be in control of vacation planning but Dreams has booked all our cruises. They are wonderful and you still book your own excursions. We like late dining b/c we get to see the show and then go eat. If you have early you eat then go to the show. Either way is fine but we have only ever done late and loved it.

I highly recommend the Passporter too! Its a great resource. If you want a window room a category 10 on deck 9 is what my parents book and we love it. I hope you fall in love with DCL, it is a great vacation. Oh and definatly take the kids, the clubs are great. On 2 of our cruises the adults got to take over the Lab and we all loved it, and wanted to play longer but had to let the kids back in.

 

[hopemax]

I love adult time in the Lab. They had that wall of coloring pages, hundreds of characters/poses. I got a stack about a 1/2" thick. I would get more now that I have SCAL

So there's a tip for ya, Buffy...have your kids bring you back coloring pages for making paper piecings.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I have the newest edition of the PassPorter for the cruise. It doesn't look like it has a lot of information on Alaska, but it does have tons about stuff on the ships themselves.

Did you want to borrow it?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Do you have a brochure? They have pages showing the deck plans, in the back usually. The adjoining rooms are the ones with the triangles next to the number.

Or here's a link: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/cruise/deck-plans.htm

There aren't as many of them as you would think, so they book quickly. The new ships will have more. I know you can pick your staterooms when you book online. But I saw someone say they couldn't book a connecting room online, but did have luck going through a TA.

Thanks for the map! Really helpful stuff. I think if we went for the Verandah rooms it opens more possibilities.

Oh we love cruising and LOVE Dreams Unlimited. I am one of those people who loves to be in control of vacation planning but Dreams has booked all our cruises. They are wonderful and you still book your own excursions. We like late dining b/c we get to see the show and then go eat. If you have early you eat then go to the show. Either way is fine but we have only ever done late and loved it.

I highly recommend the Passporter too! Its a great resource. If you want a window room a category 10 on deck 9 is what my parents book and we love it. I hope you fall in love with DCL, it is a great vacation. Oh and definatly take the kids, the clubs are great. On 2 of our cruises the adults got to take over the Lab and we all loved it, and wanted to play longer but had to let the kids back in.

wait, I have to plan excursions? How do I do that???

I love adult time in the Lab. They had that wall of coloring pages, hundreds of characters/poses. I got a stack about a 1/2" thick. I would get more now that I have SCAL

So there's a tip for ya, Buffy...have your kids bring you back coloring pages for making paper piecings.

Oh they know! They ask me before they color on any book. LOL

I have the newest edition of the PassPorter for the cruise. It doesn't look like it has a lot of information on Alaska, but it does have tons about stuff on the ships themselves.

Did you want to borrow it?

Thanks but I'm going to hit the bookstore later this week. I know Burnbaums has a cruise book too so I'll pick up a few different books.