Never been on a cruise! Where do I start, and what do I need to know?

[rosedolph]

My husband and I would like to try a cruise for our anniversary in May. We have planned many wonderful trips to Disney, but never been on a cruise. I feel so overwhelmed! I thought you just got on the boat and off you went - but it looks more complicated than that. I've looked through the Disney Cruise website but still have so many questions.
It sounds like you have to reserve your seats for meals? Is it the same way for shows?
I know we would like a veranda room, but is one room better than another?
3 nights or 4 nights (I'm leaning towards 4).
And how do we get the port from the airport? Does Disney offer transportation like to the resorts?
What is Palo?!?
Anything else I need to know as a newbie?

We just got back from a Disney trip with tons of planing before hand. For this trip I was wanting to get away from the heavy planning and have a relaxing trip - just us, no kids. Is a cruise a good idea, or does it take just as much planning?

Thanks for all your help! The Disboards have never let me down.

 

[Quellman]

You would benefit greatly from a travel agent I think. They can better tailor a cruise to your needs.

You do not reserve dinner seating unless at a premium restaurant that costs extra (Palo all ships, Remy on Dream and Fantasy).
Room choice is dependent on susceptible to motion sickness, proximity to kids/adult activities, top deck, etc. A decent travel agent can help you decide.
4 nights and you'll wish it were longer.
Disney does offer transport but at a cost.
Read read read.

 

[wcw57]

here was my battle plan when I was in your shoes a few years ago:

read the boards, specifically the procedural posts (boarding, luggage tags, parking, etc)...... ignore much of what you read in other posts (packing, diner rotation, food reviews) since many many many people (including me) over-plan and over-think...

when you get on board read your navigators. pick the things you absolutely want to do, then those you'd like to do. Do what you can but don't feel pressured to do all of 'em. relax. go with the oceanic flow. you know, "the dude abides" type stuff.

reduce stress and increase fun.

enjoy your cruise!

 

[Geomom]

My disclaimer--we haven't been on a cruise yet, but have an Alaskan DCL cruise booked for next August. This is what I've learned from all the stuff I've read. (People--please correct me if I'm wrong!)

--Dinner--they have 2 seating times for meals--usually 5:45 or 8:15. Your seating time is chosen when you book (first or second seating)...booking now for May they will likely only have late seating left. If you really want early seating, you can waitlist for it or try to change to the earlier seating after you board the ship. Disney has rotational dining, which means you'll get to visit each main dining room, but keep the same serving team, same table number. You will be assigned your rotation schedule and table number upon boarding.

--Shows--whatever your seating time is, your showtime is the opposite--so people with first seating go to the second show, etc. There is a show going on during each mealtime. There are no reserved seats for the show.

I went to the Disney Cruise Line Blog website and looked at Personal Navigators for the Alaskan cruise to find out what kind of activities are offered, especially on sea days.

I can't answer your other questions, but I would lean toward the 4 nt cruise over the 3 nt.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I whole-heartedly disagree about needing a travel agent. Disney makes things easy.

You have a few basic questions to answer -
What is your budget?
Do you have any specific requirements?
Where do you want to go?

then look at the available ships. There is a good search for it. 4 days is a good start for a first cruise. Not too many and reasonably priced, but long enough to get a day at sea.

besides buying the cruise, you have a few decisions and that's really it:
1. Veranda? concierge? Standard? What can you afford? I always prefer a Veranda if you can spend the money for it. Generally, Concierge is a little high priced for the benefits to me - especially on a first cruise.

2. Where in the ship? If you get sea sick, go mid and low. If not, higher is closer to the action and a better view of the ocean. I prefer 10th floor if I can get it. If not mid, aft or fore? I personally don't notice the difference. On some ships, you get a little vibration on the aft, but you are closer to the restaurants and night clubs. I generally stay fore because I don't care.

3. Dinner - don't worry about your rotation for the cruise. You just need to worry about main dining or second sitting. if you have kids, I recommend main dining (6pm). Second is 8:15pm which is often too late for the little ones. If you want a special dinner - that's Palo or Remy. You spend $ (where as the other restaurants are free), but you get better food. think of it like a nice night out.

4. shore Excursions - they are listed on disney's site per island / destination. Pick one. Go. Live it. Love it. Get back on the boat. I strongly recommend for a nervous cruiser you stay with Disney shore excursions. They make sure everything is taken care of for you and you get back to the ship on time.
4.5 Do you have a massage on board? Sign up the same place.

5. Transportation - easy peasy. let Disney pick you up and bring you back from the airport. Just tell them your flight and pay for Magical Express. Works just like the parks.

6. RELAX. Everything else is taken care of. read all kinds of tips about what to bring. Disney will guide you on that as well (their site gives you helpful tips like packing lists). Every day on the ship you get a flier about what activities are going on which you can sign up for.

Ask questions, read up and enjoy it. It's really fun - but remember, you really can't go wrong. it's hard to not have fun on a ship and if you plan nothing, there will be plenty to do every day on your helpful handy navigator that's passed out every day for you.

 

[jrabbit]

I thought you just got on the boat and off you went - but it looks more complicated than that.

But in reality it is NOT complicated Disclaimer: I have been on 15+ cruises - most with Disney

Things to "Work" on
Where to Go: Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, other
How Long: Kind of depends upon where you go
When to Go: Bahamas and Caribbean all year, others are "limited time only" cruise
Which Ship: when and where will determine the ship taken. All of the ships are very nice. The oldest ship is the Magic, but she had a major overhaul a few years ago, the Wonder is a year newer than the Magic and retains most of her "classic" features. When totally full these ships can sail with about 2500 guests. The new, larger ships are the Dream and Fantasy. They have some "cool tech" and additional features over the classic ships (but their staterooms are smaller than the classics).
Room Choice: Inside, Oceanview (porthole), veranda ("enclosed", solid wall or plexiglass), or concierge room. The higher up you go the more you motion of the ship. same with way forward or aft. Very much a personal preference. the question that you have to ask yourself is: how much time do you spend in the stateroom. For my family, we use it for "naps" between 1am and 7am (yep we go go go and then relax on deck somewhere), and to shower and change clothes between our daytime activities and dinner / nighttime activities. We have had a veranda a couple of time and it is NOT a big deal for us. Not even in Alaska.
Port Adventures: Do you want to do something at the ports of call? Do you do a cruiseline sponsored excursion, find a shoreside operator or go totally on your own.
Picture Package: do you want to stand in line and get lots of pictures with the characters or the backdrops. If yes you should consider purchasing the photo package before boarding the ship to save a little money.
Adult Dining: Do you want a fine dining experience outside of the main dining rooms? If yes there is brunch in Palo on sea days, Dinners every evening, and additionally on the Dream and Fantasy there's Remy's which offer the brunch and dinner as described. Cost per person: Palo $30+, Remy $80+. you can only book one brunch and dinner online pre cruise. I don't know if you can book both a Palo Dinner and a Remy dinner - haven't tried that.
Getting between the Airport and Ship: DCL does have convenient transportation and luggage. It's a little "expensive" but not really. Convenience IS worth something. I usually take DCL transfers - I like the "previews of coming attractions" video with Mickey and the gang that they show.

Things to Not Worry about
Dining Rotation for dinners: you will be assigned a different restaurant each evening, have an assigned table. It will either be Main (around 5:45) or Late (around 8:30). Your tablemates and serving team go with you from restaurant to restaurant
Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks: the buffet will always be open for breakfast and lunches (closed between changeover between breakfast and lunch) and quick snack locations are open from early to late. The free drink station is open from early morning to late at night with Soda, water, coffee, tea, hot water, hot chocolate.
Room Service: most items are free - sodas delivered carry a charge. I've NEVER used this - there's enough food elsewhere on the ship
Entertainment: the main stage shows are free and your seating time is opposite of your dinner time. And there are "family shows" between the dinner seatings that are very enjoyable. And then there are all of the other activities scheduled throughout the day.
Kids Clubs: Children between the ages of 3 and 18 have a spot "reserved" for them in the various clubs


What You Need
Money - and Lots of it!!! - and that just gets you onboard - more costs to come ...
Money for Gratuities: This is how your serving team and room steward gets paid. in the past (there's a hint of changes coming industry wide) it works out to $12 per GUEST (even infants) per NIGHT of the cruise. so for 3 guests on a 7 night cruise the expected gratuities charged to your room will be: $12 * 3 people * 7 nights = $252. You don't have to leave extra for breakfasts and lunches, this covers it all. Some give less many leave more based on your service received.
Money for Shore Excursions: you DCL booked shore excursions are not charged to you until you board the ship so they will go on your onboard account
Money for Souvenirs: there are several shops on board to buy stuff that you can't live without
Government Issued Photo ID: for Caribbean and Bahama cruises you only need a Official Birth Certificate and photo id (for everyone over 16 or 18 years old). IMHO Passports are much better to travel with. All other DCL cruises to date require passports. Bring your drivers license even if you are using a passport - easier to hand to security when reboarding the ship in ports of call.
SUN SCREEN: for most cruises - because the sun IS Different (much more intense) in the caribbean and bahamas than where you live!!! Just say NO to sunburns!!!


Other things
Personal Navigator: In the Port and then every night you will receive the - will list the next day's activities and times dining locations are open
Ticketed Events: there are more ticketed events scheduled from Character Gatherings to Mixology. Some are free, some carry a charge
You Can't Do It All: so don't try, don't stress. That being said, sleep is for AFTER the cruise
You Can't Eat It All: But this is the time to try new / different foods. If you don't like something, they will bring you something else - no additional charge so it's kind of for free (see MONEY above)
Take the Stairs NOT the Elevators: you get to eat more desserts this way - and will usually get to your destination quicker than waiting.

heck, there's probably a lot more stuff to consider, but this should give you a good overview of what to expect. The cruise is not like planning a WDW vacation: Hotel, which park which day, what fast passes, dining reservations 6 months in advance, early magic mornings/evenings etc, etc, etc.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I am putting this one in a separate post, because it's that important.

Number 1: RELAX. Enjoy. It's a vacation. don't stress. Don't over think it.
At a minimum you need:
1. reservations on the ship
2. plane reservations
3. Remember to book magical express from the airport to the ship

That's all you really have to worry about.

you won't know if you are a fore, aft or mid ship person till you do it. don't stress it - it's all personal opinion. Try it and find out for yourself what you like. Nothing is wrong.

If you don't book shore excursions, you can book them on the ship. Some may not be available, but they usually have some room. There is a person on the ship who an help you select what's right for you.

If you don't book Palo or a massage, you can often book on the ship - just go right there when you board. If you forget or there is no availability - it's not going to ruin your cruise because you didn't eat at Palo. there is no lack of food and believe me - you'll be back. Massages are just a nice way to relax, but hardly necessary. My DW and I actually don't like senses because it's too sales-y compared to what you get at home.

There is PLENTY to do or NOT do. You can just relax in the sun by the pool or you can participate in ship board activities. But you don't need to plan those. Make it a day by day decision. Look at the navigator at night (they are passed out at dinner) for the next day, discuss it together before you go to sleep and if you wake up and decide you want to do something different - there is no one to stop you or care.

Relax and enjoy!

 

[rosedolph]

You guys are AWESOME!!!!!
Seriously thank you so much for all the information. I feel like I know more, and I know what else I need to know more about. PLUS, it puts my mind at ease knowing that I don't have to book fast passes or ADRs.

 

[griffindesign]

When my husband and I did our adult only cruise we enjoyed being on the 10th floor between the mid and forward elevators. That way we could easily get to the 11th floor to workout, go to the rainforest room, quiet cove, or pop up for a quick bite. The first 3 we could do without having to wade through crowds and just stay in the adult section of the ship.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Do yourself a VERY BIG favor and get the Passporter Guide to DCL.

Many of your questions are answered there. Then use these boards to refine things, ask particular questions, etc.

 

[PowerPantsPete]

This forum is a wealth of knowledge and planning, but for what you describe you want DIS is a great place to get questions answered. The further you read the more stressed you can get, dont let it overwhelm you, everyone is either in the same boat as you or has done this plenty of times. With DCL YES, you can do just that: book it, check-in online, book excursions, and show up to the port with a bag and a husband (optional). From there your options and imagination will take over and guide you. If you want to keep it simple, you can do that, easily. But, to cut corners and cost will involve some planning, and questions/answers, which most can be found throughout the DISboard. I've had equal if not more fun just "going with the flow" rather than over planning which is my tendency as a control-freak. At the end of the day remember, if you forgot it, need it, or don't know about it, the Disney staff is excellent on-board and will bend over backwards to accommodate any request you have.