Lots of questions

[tfiga1]

My family has never been on a cruise before and I have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the Disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes DH 42, DS 13, DS 11 and me (29 jk)
Thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers?

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to?

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget?

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc?

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not?

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation?

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs.

Thanks

 

[SpideyHulk24]

my family has never been on a cruise before and i have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes dh 42, ds 13, ds 11 and me (29 jk)
thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on dcl, can i make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about disney world is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off. ---yes you can call or better yet go on line and make installments. That is how we paid off our cruise.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers? --three days is a good start but by the end of it you will think it was too short. I promise you, you will get hooked. Especially if you are a disney fan. You can rebook on board for a future cruise and the deposit is alot less than if you call from land and you get on board credits so look out for that in your navigator. We rebook onboard each time.

3. Can we stay on the ship on the bahamas day if we want to? --yes. We always do. If you have never been to the bahamas, i would say go and check it out, but we have been many times and take advantage of the ship being empty to enjoy the pools, aquaduck, etc.

4. What is the standard tips, so i have a jumping off point on budget? --check the website. It outlines it for you. But i do believe it's about $15 pp per day and you can always add more for great service which you will get!

5. Is dcl worth double compared to carnival, etc? --i have been on both. Both lines are great but different. We love the service and offerings on dcl more but would take a carnival cruise again and will!

6. Do i buy insurance now for a trip in aug 2013 before i know whether i am flying or not? --i would. You never know what will happen between now and then and it's better to air on the side of safety then lose all your hard earned $$$$$$.

7. Do i rent a car or take the disney transportation? --we have done both and have driven our own so it all depends on your budget and preference. Now keep in mind if you have a rental, you will need to park it at the port and pay for parking while you are gone unless you return it prior to getting to the port which will require you to get transportation to the port either way.....

8. How much money will i need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs. --depends. Some folks take $500. Some take $5000. It all depends. The pictures are pricey and think about excursions, etc.

Thanks

just noticed i typed in caps. Not yelling...lol...promise, just wanted to differentiate my responses to your questions....hope that helps!

 

[MisterOJ]

My family has never been on a cruise before and I have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the Disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes DH 42, DS 13, DS 11 and me (29 jk)
Thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off.

Yes. You can make payments anytime you like on the DCL website.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers?
4-days is always better than 3. And 7-days are always better than 4.

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to?
Yes. Lots of people do this. But, I'd suggest at least getting off and walking around the port for an hour or so. It's easy to do, doesn't cost anything and you can at least say you've been to a foreign country.

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget?
I can't remember this off the top of my head, but someone will fill you in, I am sure.

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc?
Double? I don't know. Depends totally on your situation. My first two cruises were on DCL and I love them. I just went on a Carnival cruise last month, and I didn't think I would like it nearly as much as DCL. Guess what? I did.

There were some things that weren't nearly as nice as DCL. Not nearly. But other things, I like a lot more than DCL. Disney is better overall, IMO. Double? I don't know.

I'll put it this way, if I could go on a 7-night Carnival cruise or a 4-night Disney cruise for about the same price, I'd probably choose Carnival. But, if I had the money to go on the 7-night DCL cruise, I'd probably choose it. If all other things are more or less equal.

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not?
It's up to you, but I'd wait to decide about how you're getting there first.

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation?
Depends. Renting a car is likely going to be cheaper. Disney transport is going to be more convenient. Which is more important to you?

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs.

Cash money? Not a lot. Most everything will be charged to your room.

Thanks

I added my answers in red above.

 

[Sereina]

My family has never been on a cruise before and I have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the Disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes DH 42, DS 13, DS 11 and me (29 jk)
Thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers?

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to?

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget?

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc?

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not?

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation?

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs.

Thanks

2. The longer the better. I would go with the 4 day, unless you can swing an even longer one. 4 days would still feel short to me.

3. Yes, you can stay on the ship if you'd like.

4. I believe the suggested tips are $12 a day per person.

8. On the ship you use your Key To The World card to pay for everything. You'll only need cash if you're going to use it at port.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Here's a cruise tip calculator.

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

Make sure you read the stickeys on top of the cruise board. A lot of your questions will be answered there.

 

[Jrsy Boy]

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers?

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to?

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget?

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc?

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not?

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation?

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs.

1. I believe you can pay it on whatever schedule you want to set as long as the final balance is paid off on time.

2. The only difference is an "at-sea" day but I suspect if you go with a 3-day, you'll wish you had more time and if you book a 4-day, you'll wish you had more time. Either one is a good way to start.

3. Yep. They don't throw you off and make you go play while they clean the ship.

4. Check this link.

5. Can't answer that one.

6. Opinions may vary, but I don't typically buy travel insurance until I've purchased something that is non-refundable.

7. Depends on where you are talking about traveling to and from.

8. Technically you won't need money until you have to pay off your stateroom charges at the end of the cruise, and you can put that on your credit card if you want.

 

[Princess Row]

My family has never been on a cruise before and I have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the Disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes DH 42, DS 13, DS 11 and me (29 jk)
Thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers?

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to?

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget?

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc?

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not?

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation?

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs.

Thanks

2. I would say a seven day cruise is best but probably a four day....a three day you will wish for more time.

3. Yep! You can stay on as much/little as you would like.

4. Tips vary, but base it off what you feel. Use the tip calculator.....comes in handy at times.

5. YES!! We have cruise Carnival, DCL and Royal. We will probably never cruise another line again....Disney has everything you could want AND MORE!

7. Depends on how many of you there are. First time in Orlando? Use the transportation....you will love it. Trying to save money? You will have to calculate it depending on your family number.

8. don't over do it with the money. People often take to much and then loose it or spend all of it. Take what you feel would be best for your family. If you arnt buying that much....dont take that much. But we have always charged to our room for a credit card account.

 

[kcashner]

I know others will disagree, but I wouldn't even bother with a 3 night cruise unless it was tied to other activities. Your transportation costs are the same whether you cruise for 2 1/2 days (3 nights) or 7 nights. Longer is always better, but I consider 4 nights to be a minimum.

Decide what is most important to you--convenience or cost. If convenience, you can do everything seamlessly thru DCL, but if cost is a priority, you'll save a chunk by renting a car.

Yes, you can stay on the ship in Nassau and not miss much. There are some free beaches if you opt for a beach day, or you can get off and just walk around a bit.

For a short cruise, price less expensive cabins. You won't spend enough time in your room to need something fancy.

You can have a great cruise and not spend a penny beyond your ticket and tips....or you can spend literally thousands. The choice is yours.

 

[ilovetexas]

My family has never been on a cruise before and I have a ton of questions. I am hoping the experts on the Disboards would be able to answer the below.
My family includes DH 42, DS 13, DS 11 and me (29 jk) (my mom stayed 29 until we passed her, I am doing the same )
Thanks so much.

1. After my deposit on DCL, can I make payments on a weekly basis? One of the things we love about Disney World is that we can make weekly payments and pay it off. I'm sure you can as long as it's before your pay in full due date.

2. 3 day or 4 day? Which is better for 1st time cruisers? Ours was a 3 day but if you can do a 4, I recommend it (or 5, or 7...). That said, a 3 day is better than no days!

3. Can we stay on the ship on the Bahamas day if we want to? Yes, but don't. There is a lot to do in Nassau and you really should experience it.

4. What is the standard tips, so I have a jumping off point on budget? $12 per person per day. Plus extra for room service. Bar tips are included in the bar bill; even though you don't drink you can buy canned soda or "virgin" drinks at the bars. Often we take extra just because we think various staff deserve extra.

5. Is DCL worth double compared to Carnival, etc? No. I've been on four different cruise lines and enjoyed them all. You will read here that food, service, etc. is better on Disney and that is only because it's through the eyes of people who really love Disney (and there's nothing wrong with that). Truth? The food has been better on other lines and the service has been the same on all of them. Celebrity ships are even nicer/as nice as DCL. If your family is not wild about Disney, then you're paying a premium for something that you may not care about. But you'll notice from my signature line that DH and I are on DCL for our anniversary...without kids! The Disney "experience" is one that can't be replicated on other lines.

6. Do I buy insurance now for a trip in Aug 2013 before I know whether I am flying or not? You will want to book your trip insurance ASAP if you need it to cover cancel for any reason or if you want a pre-existing rider. Go to insuremytrip and you can even call them and ask about your specific situation. Don't book trip insurance through DCL, it doesn't cover enough, IMO.

7. Do I rent a car or take the Disney transportation? Either, or take independently booked transportation. We've used travelynx and really liked them. There are a lot of options and you can do some research before making a decision. That's something that you don't have to book this far ahead of time.

8. How much money will I need on the ship? We do not drink and not including souvenirs. That depends on your family. There are specialty restaurants (no kids allowed) that are either $20 or $75 each plus tip, professional photos (highly recommended since you will all be in one place and dressed however you want, so hard to do on land!), there is an arcade for the boys, the movie theatre sells snacks that are about as expensive as going to a movie theatre on land and buying snacks. Lots to do that can/will cost extra but you don't HAVE to do any of it.

Thanks

Answers above in blue. After our first cruise in 2007, I want to be on a ship every other month. I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as we have!

 

[tfiga1]

Thanks so much.