Newbie Questions

[BlackPearl695]

I have been on a cruise only once and it was my honeymoon nearly 20 years ago. We didn't pay for anything (A wedding gift from the family), so I'm starting from scratch here.

What is included in the cruise price? What things are extras? I know about the excursions being extras, but what else? How does tipping work? We are planning a 2015 cruise (hoping for November) and my head is spinning with all the information that I've read. Are Disney cruises the same as other cruise lines in terms of inclusions and exclusions? We will be traveling as a family of 6. Four adults and 2 teens. What do we need to pack? Which seating is better for dinner? Do we need passports? (Last time I just needed my DL and marriage licence.) Is it better to plan excursions in advance or wait until you are on the ship? How many excursions would you recommend? I was thinking one at each port. I remember one night we had to bring "nice clothes". Is that still required? Does Disney offer a Magical Express from MCO to the cruise ship?

I'm sure I will have a million other questions, but let's start there. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I'm a planner and not big on surprises. I wouldn't want to be on a cruise and not follow the proper etiquette.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I have been on a cruise only once and it was my honeymoon nearly 20 years ago. We didn't pay for anything (A wedding gift from the family), so I'm starting from scratch here.

What is included in the cruise price? What things are extras? I know about the excursions being extras, but what else? How does tipping work? We are planning a 2015 cruise (hoping for November) and my head is spinning with all the information that I've read. Are Disney cruises the same as other cruise lines in terms of inclusions and exclusions? We will be traveling as a family of 6. Four adults and 2 teens. What do we need to pack? Which seating is better for dinner? Do we need passports? (Last time I just needed my DL and marriage licence.) Is it better to plan excursions in advance or wait until you are on the ship? How many excursions would you recommend? I was thinking one at each port. I remember one night we had to bring "nice clothes". Is that still required? Does Disney offer a Magical Express from MCO to the cruise ship?

I'm sure I will have a million other questions, but let's start there. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I'm a planner and not big on surprises. I wouldn't want to be on a cruise and not follow the proper etiquette.

Included, is a lot, Standard food breakfast, lunch dinner, snacks, most room service, accommodation entertainment soft drinks is included. Stateroom host making room up.

Extras

Tips charged per person per day
Bookable adult meals (optional)
Spa
Shore trips
Shopping
Port adventures shore trips
Some items from room service not made on ship
Booze

DCL is far better than other cruise lines more is included, for example RCL nickel and fine you, you have to pay for a soda package you gave to pay for room service overnight, upgrades steaks, upgraded coffee even orange juice is under lock and key and payable post breakfast.

Plan shore trips in advance things like dolphins and other popular trips sellout.

Dress code.


Q:
What should I wear to dinner?

A:
The dress code for dinner varies by the venue or theme night of your cruise. In general, most meals are "cruise casual"—no swimwear or tank tops. Most cruises also have special theme nights with optional opportunities to get dressed up for a special family photo. Here's a breakdown of events by cruise itinerary:

On 3-night cruises:
•One cruise casual night—No swimwear or tank tops
•One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
•One "optional dress-up night"—jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women

On 4-night cruises:
•First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
•One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
•One optional dress-up night—jacket for men, and dress or pantsuit for women
•Final night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops

On 7-night cruises:
•First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
•One themed night (pirate, tropical or other themed deck party)
•3 additional cruise casual nights—no swimwear or tank tops
•One formal and one semi-formal night—two great opportunities to dress-up and take advantage of the onboard photography services. Though optional, we recommend: Dress pants with a jacket or a suit for men, and dress or pantsuit for women

Dress code at Palo:
•Men: Dress pants and dress shirt (a jacket is optional)
•Women: Dress or pantsuit
•No jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops or tennis shoes

Dress code at Remy:
•Men: Dress pants with jacket (sports or suit jacket) is required—ties are optional.
•Women: A dress, cocktail dress, pantsuit or skirt/blouse is required
•No jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops or tennis shoes

 

[jlemieu1]

I have been on a cruise only once and it was my honeymoon nearly 20 years ago. We didn't pay for anything (A wedding gift from the family), so I'm starting from scratch here.

What is included in the cruise price? What things are extras? I know about the excursions being extras, but what else? How does tipping work? We are planning a 2015 cruise (hoping for November) and my head is spinning with all the information that I've read. Are Disney cruises the same as other cruise lines in terms of inclusions and exclusions? We will be traveling as a family of 6. Four adults and 2 teens. What do we need to pack? Which seating is better for dinner? Do we need passports? (Last time I just needed my DL and marriage licence.) Is it better to plan excursions in advance or wait until you are on the ship? How many excursions would you recommend? I was thinking one at each port. I remember one night we had to bring "nice clothes". Is that still required? Does Disney offer a Magical Express from MCO to the cruise ship?

I'm sure I will have a million other questions, but let's start there. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I'm a planner and not big on surprises. I wouldn't want to be on a cruise and not follow the proper etiquette.

--Tipping they will charge your cabin a base about unless you go and adjust them.
-- Nov is a good time of year to go because it normally cheap.
-- Passport are a very good idea just in case you need to medivac home at a port of call.
-- They do have formal and semi formal nights. They are not required but a lot of people like to take family pictures those nights.
-- Yes you can take bus DCL bus service from MCO to port. DCL transportation has less headaches but you could save money for 6 people by a rental car or private car.
---- keyword search the DCL board here is a TON of info on here.

 

[reimero]

I have been on a cruise only once and it was my honeymoon nearly 20 years ago. We didn't pay for anything (A wedding gift from the family), so I'm starting from scratch here.
What is included in the cruise price? What things are extras?
I know about the excursions being extras, but what else? How does tipping work?

DISNEY FANTASY (above) has a pretty good list of what costs. Other than tips, all the essentials (like food) are covered. Tipping is automatically added to your stateroom account to the tune of $12 per person per night, though you are at liberty to change this as you see fit by going to Guest Services.

We are planning a 2015 cruise (hoping for November) and my head is spinning with all the information that I've read. Are Disney cruises the same as other cruise lines in terms of inclusions and exclusions?

It varies. Disney tends to be more generous with inclusions than other mainstream lines, for instance, soft drinks are included, and there is no added charge for steak in the main dining rooms.

We will be traveling as a family of 6. Four adults and 2 teens. Which seating is better for dinner?

Personally, I'd say late. There are fewer families with young children, and to be honest, late dining doesn't feel "late". On the contrary, on some itineraries, late dining will mean your return from shore isn't as rushed.

Do we need passports? (Last time I just needed my DL and marriage licence.)

Need? No. Government-issued photo ID and birth certificate are all that are required. That said, passports are strongly encouraged. Cruise lines will deny boarding if they don't think your documentation will clear customs (this happens frequently than you'd think, especially with older birth certificates that don't meet current requirements.) Also, if something unexpected should happen and you have to fly back into the US, you will need a passport book (NOT card!) to gain re-entry.

Is it better to plan excursions in advance or wait until you are on the ship?

That depends. If there's something you absolutely want to do, plan in advance. But if you prefer to play things by ear, that's fine too. But be warned, excursions can and do fill up. So I'd say book the "must do's" in advance.

How many excursions would you recommend? I was thinking one at each port.

That's really up to you. I would not recommend more than one per port, but at many ports, it's quite easy to go off on your own instead of booking an excursion. Again, it comes down to what you want to do. If, for instance, you simply want to hang out at a beach for a few hours, you can just as easily hire a taxi. The one word of warning is that the ship will wait for delayed shore excursions, but not individual passengers who lose track of time.

I remember one night we had to bring "nice clothes". Is that still required?

There is a formal night, and on 7-night cruises, there is a semi-formal night. Dressing up in "nice clothes" is optional, but they will have photographers all over so you can take advantage and have some formal photos taken for holiday cards or whatnot.

Does Disney offer a Magical Express from MCO to the cruise ship?

Yes. It's $70 per person, round-trip (it's like a 45-minute trip each way, if memory serves.)

 

[lanejudy]

Other than tips, it is possible to cruise without incurring any additional expenses onboard. All depends on what you wish to do.

Included are breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Main Dining Rooms (MDRs) and/or buffet/casual restaurant and quick-service places. Also most snacks, and 24-hour room service. Beverages are free from the beverage station and most non-alcoholic drinks from the MDRs, also juice, milk, coffee and tea from room service. Entertainment (shows) and most activities onboard are free. Kids clubs are free except for the nursery.

Additional charge for the following:
tips ($12 per passenger per night)
adult dining at specialty restaurant(s)
alcoholic beverages
specialty coffees
sodas ordered from a bar or room service
pre-packaged snacks and beverages from the theater concession stand
spa services
some activities (mixology, bingo, arcade, etc.)
port excursions
souvenirs
photos

DCL offers bus transportation between the MCO and Port Canaveral and/or WDW and Port Canaveral. However, unlike ME it costs $35 per person one way ($70 round trip). For a family your size you might want to look into a private car service or rental for less money.

Popular excursions can fill up well in advance. You can take your chances in booking onboard as long as you wouldn't be disappointed at being closed out of some. Most people will book excursions in advance; if booked through DCL they aren't charged until you are onboard.

Depending on the length of your cruise, there may be a "dress-up optional" or semi-formal and/or formal night. However, it is a suggestion and not required -- so plan how you'd like. If you plan to do adult dining at either Palo or Remy, there is dress code required.

As others have said, Passports are recommended. Minimum requirement on a closed loop cruise is official birth certificate plus for those ages 16+ a government-issued photo ID.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[BlackPearl695]

Thank you all for the helpful information!! I've got more questions...Does Disney have a Memory Maker option for cruises? Is it better to book through DCL or a TA? Does DCL offer any special promotions?

 

[reimero]

The decision to book through DCL or a TA is a personal one.

Booking through DCL

• You have complete control over your booking
• Things happen on your schedule - you're not at the whims of other peoples' vacations and whatnot
• You're able to make changes and cancellations yourself

Booking through a TA

• Someone else handles most or all of the work
• TAs tend to offer on-board credit as an incentive for booking through them
• There is no difference in cost between booking through a TA and through DCL directly
• Some TAs also give stateroom gifts

Personally, I use a TA in order to get on-board credit, but the tradeoff is that I can't make any major changes directly to my reservations. My TA has to do that.

Promotions
DCL does offer promotions from time to time. I know people on these boards track them, as do http://disneycruiselineblog.com/ and http://www.mousesavers.com/

In general, I'm aware of 3 main categories of promotions offered by DCL:

1. Florida Resident Discounts
2. Military Discounts
3. *GT rates

Most of these tend to be offered on the late side (with *GT coming last), and are generally only offered when the cruise is not selling as fast as they'd like. There is never a guarantee that these rates will be offered on any given cruise. In fact, if you're looking for a cruise over Thanksgiving, it is safe to assume that there will not be any promotions available. If you're looking for an early November cruise, on the other hand, you might be able to score a *GT rate.

A word (or several) about *GT rates
*GT is shorthand for IGT/OGT/VGT. These are the codes for "Inside guarantee, oceanview guarantee and verandah guarantee." Using VGT as an example:

• You are guaranteed a verandah of some sort. You get what they give you, but it will be a verandah.
• Your entire payment is due in full at the point of booking
• Once booked, you are not allowed to make any changes to the reservation.
• The fare is significantly less expensive than the cheapest fare for that category.

In some cases, you may get a GTY (for instance, a 7A GTY). This is a very different case: it's a full fare with no special rules, but at the time of booking, the ship was almost out of this class of stateroom. You're not booking a generic verandah, you're booking a 7A stateroom. The GTY means you'll get a 7A or better. Unlike the *GT rates, you can be moved to a "better" category (e.g. from Oceanview to Verandah), though this is rare.

Finally, if you know you want to cruise at a certain time and you know this sufficiently early, it is often in your best interests to book as early as possible. I haven't done personal research, but I've heard from several sources that opening day pricing is often as good as or better than *GT pricing, and doesn't have any of the restrictions. The 2015 itineraries are already open, but if you're considering 2016, I'd give very serious consideration to booking on opening day.