Never Cruised before & need the must know info

[Sharon]

Ive never cruised before & am thinking of doing the cruise for 4 days. It will be hubby & me & 14yo DD.
What things are a must do, what is if you have time & whats not worth doing if its your 1st time.
Is there items that are a MUST to bring on board that you would not normally bring to WDW?
Is there a link or site I should check out to get all the info for a DCL??
Thanks for any help for this newbie to the cruisin part of Disney!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ive never cruised before & am thinking of doing the cruise for 4 days. It will be hubby & me & 14yo DD.
What things are a must do, what is if you have time & whats not worth doing if its your 1st time.
Is there items that are a MUST to bring on board that you would not normally bring to WDW?
Is there a link or site I should check out to get all the info for a DCL??
Thanks for any help for this newbie to the cruisin part of Disney!

My suggestion: check out the FAQ sticky at the top of the page. And then read up on the threads on the first couple of pages here. That will give you a good starting point.

Then ask specific questions here. We're a helpful bunch, but a general "what's good to do?" question is too broad to cover everything. We don't know your likes/dislikes. Or what sort of activities you like to participate in (active or just sit and watch the ocean go by?).

 

[squirk]

Yes, just peruse the board. The forum's search feature is magical.

If you want everything there is to know about DCL collected for you in one place, I suggest the "Passporter's Disney Cruise Line" (http://amzn.com/1587711346).

 

[Maggie'sMom]

In addition to reading threads here (which contain almost everything you would want to know about Disney cruising, and many things you didn't), check out disneycruiselineblog.com. That's a hugely helpful site with old Navigators, menus, and much, much more!

 

[MunFam]

things you need to know about a 4 night:
You will not have enough time to do/see everything.
You may want to consider some door decor. Its fun and helps find your room.
Remember that if you do not love a food, you do not have to finish it. Eat only what is wonderful to save calories.

 

[samily]

At 14, your DD will be able to go to the tween club, Edge (ages 11-14) or the teen club, Vibe (ages 14-17). If she is still in middle school, she may prefer Edge but if she is in high school, she may prefer Vibe. Either way, I would suggest that she go to her chosen club on the first night. They do an ice breakers session and plan activities for the rest of the cruise. Most of the kids will be in a similar situation of not knowing anyone else on board yet and I think friendships are formed more easily that first night.

My teen DD also enjoys the teen excursion on Castaway Cay - your DD may want to check that out. I think it is snorkeling, bike riding and a speed boat ride - the counselers from the teen club on the ship participate with the kids.

One thing that we still do each cruise is attend the sail away party - I feel like my vacation has finally officially started when I hear that horn!

Enjoy your first cruise!