My first post and a few questions

[cruisenewbie2004]

Hi All!

I've been lurking here for a little while. I have booked my very first cruise for later this year. My family was so excited that now there are a group of 10 of us going, including small children. It's a 7 day Eastern cruise. I have the Passporters guide book and have been a fan of Deb's WDW info, so I am getting a lot of great info.

I had a few questions that I can't seem to find the answers to and hope you will humor me or link a thread where this is discussed.

1. When the boat goes into port (other than at Castaway Cay), say in St Maartin, can you go back on board for meals or is it once off stay off. Can you board and reboard the boat when in port?

2. I'm taking an Eastern cruise, so on those ports, are you walking off the boat or taken on tenders to the dock?

3. The youngest child with us is 3. We have a room with a veranda. We are concerned (okay maybe a bit paranoid now) that he could potential climb on something and fall off the boat. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??

I am amazed that some of you have cruised upwards of 50 times and others many times a year! Are you all retired or simply lottery winners!!


BTW, this board has really nice smilies!!


Take Care

 

[AnnMorin]

We have been on the Eastern twice and loved it both times. I will try to answer your questions...
1. . Don't worry at all about going back for meals, or alternatively you can order room service the night before and bring food with you. We have gone back to the ship many times, changed clothes, eaten and headed out again.
2. Most times on the Eastern you will dock. We have never not docked in St. Maarten but did have to tender once in St. Thomas. I actually liked the tender in st. thomas better as it brought you right downtown as oppossed to the dock which is about two miles away.
3. We have always had a veranda and it is very hard to open even for me. Even if your child was able to open the door the plexiglass wall is higher than most preschoolers anyhow, I have never in all my cruises (14 total including non disney) heard of anyone falling off a veranda. Obviously don't let your child push a chair up to the rail and lean over but other than that you should be fine

 

[TheWog]

Originally posted by cruisenewbie2004
Hi All!



1. You can reboard as many times as you like. We got off the ship in St. Maarten, went to the beach at Great Bay (which is only a water taxi ride away %5.00/adults kids/free all day pass) and had a great morning, returned for lunch, then went back to shore to do some shopping and returned for dinner that evening. It was very convenient and a wonderful time.

2. Normally dock. We docked in St. Maarten, but tendered in St. Thomas. We were supposed to be docked there as well, but it was a busy day in port. It was no big deal and actually prefered it a little as you were brought directly to downtown.

3. No I have not heard of anyone falling overboard. Just do as you would do at home and not leave the little one unsupervised and you will be fine. The door is very heavy and the lock high up so if it closed and locked you will have no worries. The rail is also pretty high and enclosed with plexiglass below. We loved our Cat. 6 on the Eastern Magic.

Have a great time and you will love the Eastern, probably so much you will want to rebook and try the Western. Have fun and plan obsessively like most of us.