Newbie Questions

[BNDisney55]

This is our first cruise and our online check-in is coming up in 2 weeks. I have a lot of questions.

1. Does the website open for our bookings at 12:01 AM? Do I need to get online at that time? What are our chances of getting Palo brunch reservations when we only have 2 at sea days?

2. It is my understanding that you do not pay for any bookings online ahead of time (it is all done through your on-board account). I just want to make sure you don't need a credit card to hold the reservations.

3. Anything else we can book online besides excursions and dining reservations?

4. Can we bring snacks onboard either in carry on or luggage?

5. How early can we get to the port? We want to board the ship as early as possible.

6. Does everyone go to Cabanas for lunch on embarkation day?

I'm a little concerned about sea-sickness especially after reading a trip report on here that someone got sick using the patch.

Any other tips you want to share are welcomed! So excited!

 

[jdb in AZ]

This is our first cruise and our online check-in is coming up in 2 weeks. I have a lot of questions.

1. Does the website open for our bookings at 12:01 AM? You don't HAVE to, but it increases your chances of getting your reservations and earliest port arrival time. Do I need to get online at that time? What are our chances of getting Palo brunch reservations when we only have 2 at sea days? It varies from cruise to cruise, but if you can't get reservations on-line, DCL always holds back some of the reservations so you can schedule Palo while onboard.

2. It is my understanding that you do not pay for any bookings online ahead of time (it is all done through your on-board account). I just want to make sure you don't need a credit card to hold the reservations. Yes, it's all done through your onboard account.

3. Anything else we can book online besides excursions and dining reservations? Yes. Your port arrival time.

4. Can we bring snacks onboard either in carry on or luggage? As long as they're pre-packaged and not home made.

5. How early can we get to the port? We want to board the ship as early as possible. When you do your online check-in you choose your port arrival time, or PAT.

6. Does everyone go to Cabanas for lunch on embarkation day? One of the main dining rooms will also be open. It's still a buffet but waiters will show you to a table and bring your drinks.

I'm a little concerned about sea-sickness especially after reading a trip report on here that someone got sick using the patch. It's never been a problem for us.

Any other tips you want to share are welcomed! So excited!

Have a fun cruise!

 

[Quellman]

The other things you can book online before you board are kids club registration, and depending on length of the cruise, hours in the nursery. Of course if you aren't using those services you won't really need to worry about it.

My two tips that I always share. Bring clothes pins and magnets. Both come in handy in unexpected ways. Enjoy your trip.

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

6. Try bonine and sea bands (you can get generic sea bands on ebay for $0.70 delivered or pick them up at walmart/walgreens).
The prescription patch makes me very ill (which isn't too uncommon) but taking bonine every night (starting a couple days before we set sail) and keeping my sea bands on 24/7 (starting the morning before we even board, at least an hour before getting on the ship) and I've been just fine.
Once (on another cruise line) I took my bands off while I was in the shower and ended up sick before I got out of the tub.
Oh, and speaking of tub, don't take a really hot shower, that somehow brings on motionsickness for some people.
(I can't fly, boat, go to 3d movies, rollercoasters etc because I get so motion sick but w/ sea bands I'm just fine)

Another word on motion sickness, it's a lot easier to prevent than to treat once it sets in. Do what you can to keep it from even coming on and you'll be ok

 

[2prettygirl]

This is our first cruise and our online check-in is coming up in 2 weeks. I have a lot of questions.

1. Does the website open for our bookings at 12:01 AM? Do I need to get online at that time? What are our chances of getting Palo brunch reservations when we only have 2 at sea days?

2. It is my understanding that you do not pay for any bookings online ahead of time (it is all done through your on-board account). I just want to make sure you don't need a credit card to hold the reservations.

3. Anything else we can book online besides excursions and dining reservations?

4. Can we bring snacks onboard either in carry on or luggage?

5. How early can we get to the port? We want to board the ship as early as possible.

6. Does everyone go to Cabanas for lunch on embarkation day?

I'm a little concerned about sea-sickness especially after reading a trip report on here that someone got sick using the patch.

Any other tips you want to share are welcomed! So excited!

You can start booking at 12am Eastern time. I would suggest booking then just so you can guarantee getting all the things that you want as Castaway Cay members get to book prior so things will fill.

Everything will go onto your sail and sign account that you book online, as long as you have a credit card already linked to your online account.

You can book Bippity Boppity Boutique, excursions, dining, etc.

You can bring pre-packaged snacks if I remember correctly but we have never done this so definitely check on this.

Cabanas is the place to be for lunch on embarkation!

 

[Genie-In-Training]

This is our first cruise and our online check-in is coming up in 2 weeks. I have a lot of questions.

1. Does the website open for our bookings at 12:01 AM? Do I need to get online at that time? What are our chances of getting Palo brunch reservations when we only have 2 at sea days?

2. It is my understanding that you do not pay for any bookings online ahead of time (it is all done through your on-board account). I just want to make sure you don't need a credit card to hold the reservations.

3. Anything else we can book online besides excursions and dining reservations?

4. Can we bring snacks onboard either in carry on or luggage?

5. How early can we get to the port? We want to board the ship as early as possible.

6. Does everyone go to Cabanas for lunch on embarkation day?

I'm a little concerned about sea-sickness especially after reading a trip report on here that someone got sick using the patch.

Any other tips you want to share are welcomed! So excited!

Since this is your first cruise and the CC members have already had a chance to book dining and activities, I would suggest getting on line as soon as your window opens. Chances of getting Palo brunch often depend on how full your cruise is, but with two sea days I would think you would have a good chance. If, for some reason, you can't get a brunch reservation, keep checking back as sometimes spots open up. After you book all of your activities, you have the option to begin your on-line check-in. At the end of the check-in process you get to pick an arrival time at the port. Again, depending on how full your cruise is, the time slots can fill up. Don't worry if you can't fill out all the information, you can always go back and change it later. Unless they have changed something, pre-packaged and unopened snacks are fine. Have a wonderful time!

 

[seashell82]

I was curious about how necessary booking when my window opens too. Glad I saw this. I'll be setting my alarm for 11:59 tonight lol. Hoping to get excursions and palo reservations but it's my first cruise.

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

There's a glitch in the website, and I found out that sometimes your window doesn't open up exactly when it's supposed to. Of course I found this out when my window was supposed to open up and I freaked out and came here and discovered that it had happened other people to.
I continually refreshed for about 20 minutes and then I clicked to make a request to my room (to have bed rails added) and it opened up; there it was.
I'm not positive that adding the request to my room is what made it open up but it's a coincidence that it bounced me back to the reservation page after making my request and the link (it book activities) was suddenly there, so I don't know

 

[hanscarlet]

Yes be careful because of the glitchy website, my opening day was 2 weeks ago and I was up until 1am trying to find the online PAT check in and the link was broken... others in my cruise group had a similar problem and I was able to book 11:30 at 7am the following day but I was exhausted the entire day from staying up late to find no PAT... I was able to book other things at midnight though like Palo and BBB.

 

[BNDisney55]

thanks everyone for all the info. anyone do BBB on pirate's night? how would we know which night that would be?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

thanks everyone for all the info. anyone do BBB on pirate's night? how would we know which night that would be?

You can research past Navigators for what night pirate night was on a similar itinerary (http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/), or ask here if anyone has been on that specific itinerary and has some input as to when pirate night was on their cruise.

 

[BNDisney55]

You can research past Navigators for what night pirate night was on a similar itinerary (http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/), or ask here if anyone has been on that specific itinerary and has some input as to when pirate night was on their cruise.

thank you PrincessShmoo that was perfect! ive been all on that site and never stumbled upon that link lol