November 3, 2012 - Election Escape Eastern!!

[canucktinkerbell19]

Hello everyone. This will be our first cruise and we are really excited. It will be myself, wife, and two boys (4 and 8). We are flying in from Canada a couple days before the cruise. After the cruise we are meeting other family for a week at WDW. My wife and I are probably more excited than our kids for this cruise.

Wecome clarkshel! We are from Canada as well and also have an 8 year old son. It is hard not to get excited isn't it?!

 

[canucktinkerbell19]

Found this site about Puerto Rico that some of you might find useful. Still not sure what to do on that day. Don't want to pay $300 for a bus to take 3 of us to the beach!

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/san-juan-shore-excursions/

 

[WDWMarcy]

We'll be there! Prepare yourselves for the squeals of "WE HAVE THE SAME NAME!!!"

 

[Va-NanaTink]

I just signed in to Planning Centre and our stateroom was changed from GTY to an actual stateroom number. This is our second cruise. We got a nice upgrade on a VGT last time but I guess "GTY" is different . No upgrade this time. I'm okay with that. I'm just a bit nervous because our room is Aft and I'm hearing all these horror stories about Aft vibrations, etc. So was hoping for an upgrade to mid-ship. I'm just thrilled we are going soon!

I pulled out all our paperwork from our Dream cruise yesterday and was going through all the Navigators. Getting all psyched too Can't wait!!!

I love Aft! It's usually very quiet! The Magic and Wonder have a bit more vibration, but even then, you have to really concentrate to feel it!!

Hello everyone. This will be our first cruise and we are really excited. It will be myself, wife, and two boys (4 and 8). We are flying in from Canada a couple days before the cruise. After the cruise we are meeting other family for a week at WDW. My wife and I are probably more excited than our kids for this cruise.

It's gonna be a great cruise!!!

 

[canucktinkerbell19]

I love Aft! It's usually very quiet! The Magic and Wonder have a bit more vibration, but even then, you have to really concentrate to feel it!!

Well that's a relief to hear something positive about aft! Thanks :0)!

 

[trinibjill]

I love Aft! It's usually very quiet! The Magic and Wonder have a bit more vibration, but even then, you have to really concentrate to feel it!!

Well that's a relief to hear something positive about aft! Thanks :0)!

We were on deck 7 - aft - on the Dream. It wasn't rough at all. The extended deck is nice also. This cruise I will be forward. I have been midship many times. Looking forward to this cruise

 

[canucktinkerbell19]

We are 8D on deck 6. No verandah this time but a nice big porthole for DS to chill out in :0). Big relief to hear aft can be okay!!

 

[AquaDame]

I too am a little worried about aft noise... we are up on deck 6 so I am hoping that is high enough!

 

[jd99]

I love Aft! It's usually very quiet! The Magic and Wonder have a bit more vibration, but even then, you have to really concentrate to feel it!!

Well that's a relief to hear something positive about aft! Thanks :0)!

We always choose AFT. Quieter, easy access to family areas, pools, etc on the Magic and Wonder. It's different on the Dream and Fantasy in terms of access but we still prefer AFT over forward anytime.

 

[MimmsF]

Hi everyone I look forward to trying to go back read some messages on this board. We will be joining all of you on this ship and we are getting very excited for this cruise! my family of 5 includes our dd 12yrs old, ds 10, and ds 5. We have been on several cruises but never a Disney...we love Disney and are looking forward to the excellent service that we hear so much about. we are booked for the late dinner seating and I'm nervous about that especially with my 5yr old(he's 4 right now but will be 5 by November). It seems a lot of you are past Disney cruisers. Maybe you can help me understand the dinner thing.....am I accurate in thinking that we will dine in a different restaurant each night but our waiter will accompany us to the different restaurants? Has anyone been on Carnival before and if so are there any huge differences that I should be aware of?
Thanks so much for any information...

 

[AquaDame]

Hi everyone I look forward to trying to go back read some messages on this board. We will be joining all of you on this ship and we are getting very excited for this cruise! my family of 5 includes our dd 12yrs old, ds 10, and ds 5. We have been on several cruises but never a Disney...we love Disney and are looking forward to the excellent service that we hear so much about. we are booked for the late dinner seating and I'm nervous about that especially with my 5yr old(he's 4 right now but will be 5 by November). It seems a lot of you are past Disney cruisers. Maybe you can help me understand the dinner thing.....am I accurate in thinking that we will dine in a different restaurant each night but our waiter will accompany us to the different restaurants? Has anyone been on Carnival before and if so are there any huge differences that I should be aware of?
Thanks so much for any information...

Yes, that is correct! Since it is a longer cruise and there are 3 main dining rooms we will actually dine in each at least twice - once in each with their own menu, and then depending on your rotation you will also be in one of them for special theme/menu nights as well - a pirate night, princess (I think?) formal and semi formal! You will have the same service team each night, unless you opt out of the main dining room and do an adult dining one night, or use the buffet instead.

I haven't been on any other cruise line (yet!) so I can't offer help there... I'm sorry!

 

[scootch]

Found this site about Puerto Rico that some of you might find useful. Still not sure what to do on that day. Don't want to pay $300 for a bus to take 3 of us to the beach!

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/san-juan-shore-excursions/

Thanks for the site... we are doing a day pass at the Marriott Stellaris for $35 plus tax per person with a little touring of Old San Juan(on our own).

We had aft for our first cruise... for our B2B cruise we had midship, then switched to aft. Had I not been completely midship, I would have been fine with aft... but having been direct midship... I am so hoping they don't change my room number. I am probably the few people who DON"T want an upgrade,

 

[Daniellenbella]

Found this site about Puerto Rico that some of you might find useful. Still not sure what to do on that day. Don't want to pay $300 for a bus to take 3 of us to the beach!

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/san-juan-shore-excursions/

Thanks for the link! It contained a link to see what ships will be in port each day. Looks like we are the only ship in San Juan, but there are 3 others with us in St. Thomas: Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom, and Oasis of the Seas.

Welcome to all the new crusiers!!

 

[Va-NanaTink]

Hi everyone I look forward to trying to go back read some messages on this board. We will be joining all of you on this ship and we are getting very excited for this cruise! my family of 5 includes our dd 12yrs old, ds 10, and ds 5. We have been on several cruises but never a Disney...we love Disney and are looking forward to the excellent service that we hear so much about. we are booked for the late dinner seating and I'm nervous about that especially with my 5yr old(he's 4 right now but will be 5 by November). It seems a lot of you are past Disney cruisers. Maybe you can help me understand the dinner thing.....am I accurate in thinking that we will dine in a different restaurant each night but our waiter will accompany us to the different restaurants? Has anyone been on Carnival before and if so are there any huge differences that I should be aware of?
Thanks so much for any information...

So happy to have you join us!! If you love Disney, you will love cruising with Disney....
I've never sailed anyone else, so I cannot speak to comparisons.

The Dining--you can try to switch to an early seating once we board, they try to accomodate. It will depend on how sold out this cruise is and availability. Second seating IS late....8:15 and usually not out of the dining room until 9:30 or later, so good luck getting it changed if you can. You can also call DCL and ask them now if there is any availability....I have never had any problem with second seating, but I don't have little ones!

There are three dining rooms on the ship, and we rotate through them, but yes, your dining team rotates with us, so you will always have the same people taking care of you. They are very good at learning your likes and dislikes and it's lovely. You will eat in each dining room at least twice and one a third time, if you don't eat anywhere else.

 

[VincentNC313]

Thanks for the site... we are doing a day pass at the Marriott Stellaris for $35 plus tax per person with a little touring of Old San Juan(on our own).
,

Hi -- can you tell me how you booked the day pass at Marriott Stellaris? I'm thinking of doing the same thing? Thanks!

@everyone: I seem to find conflicting directions on how to bring wine/champagne on board (it's our 25th Anniversary and we have a couple of bottles from '87 that we'd like to open plus a special bottle of bubbly for the verandah!) -- can someone tell me the specifics on how to bring on wine/champagne? Must it be carried on? Can it be checked? Are there requirements on how it's packed? Also, if I wanted to bring on a 24 pack of water is that handled any differently?

I'm mostly a 'lurker' and really enjoy reading everyone's post, so thanks to all of you for your help and enthusiasm!

Vincent

 

[Daniellenbella]

Hi -- can you tell me how you booked the day pass at Marriott Stellaris? I'm thinking of doing the same thing? Thanks!

@everyone: I seem to find conflicting directions on how to bring wine/champagne on board (it's our 25th Anniversary and we have a couple of bottles from '87 that we'd like to open plus a special bottle of bubbly for the verandah!) -- can someone tell me the specifics on how to bring on wine/champagne? Must it be carried on? Can it be checked? Are there requirements on how it's packed? Also, if I wanted to bring on a 24 pack of water is that handled any differently?

I'm mostly a 'lurker' and really enjoy reading everyone's post, so thanks to all of you for your help and enthusiasm!

Vincent

Hi Vincent, welcome! You need to carry on your alcohol/liquids in a bag that will fit through the xray scanner. IMO, we didn't need to bring or buy bottled water. I was fine drinking the tap water in the rooms & from the drink machines. But if you bring it, you'll need to carry it around with you until the rooms are ready at 1:30. Hope that helps!

 

[AquaDame]

You can also get Nalgene BPA free water bottles that have filters in them and fill them up around the ship for free - that is what I am planning to do this go 'round!

 

[scootch]

Hi -- can you tell me how you booked the day pass at Marriott Stellaris? I'm thinking of doing the same thing? Thanks!

@everyone: I seem to find conflicting directions on how to bring wine/champagne on board (it's our 25th Anniversary and we have a couple of bottles from '87 that we'd like to open plus a special bottle of bubbly for the verandah!) -- can someone tell me the specifics on how to bring on wine/champagne? Must it be carried on? Can it be checked? Are there requirements on how it's packed? Also, if I wanted to bring on a 24 pack of water is that handled any differently?

I'm mostly a 'lurker' and really enjoy reading everyone's post, so thanks to all of you for your help and enthusiasm!

Vincent

email me at infanti@comcast.net and I will forward the form to you. I am going to order mine soon(kids are back to school tomorrow, so will have some free disney obsession time )

 

[Happydog]

Are you on FB??? We have a FB group, too. Join us if you can ....


http://www.facebook.com/groups/237958892943396/

Hi there! I have been so busy this summer we are moving, so I really need this cruise!!

Anyway, I have to add my room # info to the FE list, but I would love to be in the FB group. We did that for our summer cruise last year and it was great fun!

I am Jennifer, just sent the request!

 

[katzs13]

Hi there! I have been so busy this summer we are moving, so I really need this cruise!!

Anyway, I have to add my room # info to the FE list, but I would love to be in the FB group. We did that for our summer cruise last year and it was great fun!

I am Jennifer, just sent the request!

You have been added to the fe list

Thank you