Please help my friend...

[indymom1]

It has been 3+ years since my last cruise but after listening to me rave about DCL a friend of mine has booked the 4 day wonder on the last Sunday in Sept. She said that he towncar was picking her up at her hotel at 11:30a.m. (in Orlando) and I said I thought she should get picked up earlier. Now I don't remember what time we went could someone tell me what time they normally start heading to the port. With the new security measures is there a certain time where they would not be allowed into the terminal or is anytime good.
2. She has been assigned late seating and wasn't sure what time she would be eating breakfast on that last day and around what time they would be off of the ship. She is travelling with 2 small children and again her towncar isn't picking her up until 9am and she wanted to make sure that was a good time. She doesn't want to end up waiting around with two kids.

I explained that with needing to check two kids into the labs, make Palo ressies, spa ressies, get lunch, get to their room etc getting there a little earlier might be better for them. I know we were at the terminal early and they let us on before the noon boarding time. Are cruisers still getting on before noon or has this changed?

Thanks in advance. They have never cruised before and I am trying to help them have a "Wonderful" time

 

[mmouse37]

Hi...the port gates open at 10:00 am and checkin start at 10:30 am.

I would suggest to her to get an earlier pickup. They do start boarding around noon, sometimes a bit before. As you said she will have a better chance of getting Palo ressies, etc. if she is there earlier.

There is plenty of things to keep little ones entertained in the terminal if she gets there earlier....the characters come out, there are televsion sets with cartoons, small coffee shop, etc.

I would suggest she gets there early to check in and gets a spot on the boarding line. Then her and hubby can take turns taking the kids over to the TV's and to see the characters, etc.

With late seating she will had breakfast on the last day at 8:00 am and everyone must be off the ship by 9:00 am. Staterooms must be vacated by 8:00 am so tell her to bring her carryons with her to breakfast. She does have a choice of eating breakfast in the dining room (it will be the same dining room she had dinner the night before) or eating a more continental breakfast up at Beach Blanket Buffet (she can eat there at any time in the morning, she does not have to wait until 8:00 am).

Hope this helps....


MJ

 

[indymom1]

mmouse37: Thank you so much...that is exactly the info I needed to get for my friend. We went in 2001 and it was those little details that I forgot. I did tell her to definitely go to the port earlier and told her how great the terminal was but I did forget about the characters so I will let her know about that. We are hoping to cruise again in 2006 I am just going to tuck this info away for future reference

Thanks again!!

 

[kcashner]

Boarding starts at 11:45. Don't worry about kid club/lab registrations...every kid on board has a spot. After boarding, one person go to "dining changes" if needed, the other to Palo and/or spa ressies. Then pick up Tea with Wendy tickets if you're on the Magic

Then...lunch or kid registration, whichever you're in the mood for....and follow with the other. There is no kid programming till the "get acquainted" session in the evening, so no rush to get them registered.

We like to get to port about 11, and have never had trouble with getting the ressies we wanted when we did that.