Some questions from a cruise newby...

[california37]

hi all

I'm hoping someone will be able to help me...

It's my husbands 40th birthday next October and we are looking to surprise him on a 3 night cruise. The sailing is in the 26th October 2018. From what it looks like-this will be the Halloween cruise?! So some questions:
How much different is this from the 'normal' cruise and which do you prefer?
What are the stop offs like? As it's such a short sailing do you usually get off or stay on the boat?
Which boat is it on?
What time does it sail (leaving and returning?)
As it is a Halloween cruise-does it sell out quickly? (We've not booked)
Anybody guide me into the right cabin choice? Looking for an outdoor cabin I think...
is it better without kids? I understand this question is completely subjective but we have 3 kids-aged 8/5/2 at the time of sailing and at the moment can't decide whether to take them with us (if not grAndparebts will babysit!) thinking we can at least go at our pace and have a few later nights rather than having to be back in the cabin for bed time.
Can they do anything special as it's his birthday on the 28th when we are on the boat? Do they do the buttons like in the world? I mean being on the cruise will be enough but wondered if there was anything extra special I could do!

We are DVC members so will be looking to use points for the booking-does booking using points mean it is all inclusive or do we have to pay for drinks/snacks/food?!?

Any guidance would be massively appreciated!

Anything else we need to know please let me know (ie things you'd wished you'd known before you went....)

TIA!!

 

[com_op_2000]

... We are DVC members so will be looking to use points for the booking-does booking using points mean it is all inclusive or do we have to pay for drinks/snacks/food?!?
...

I have been on 8 DCLs - 7 booked completely or partly booked on points.
The only cost is the $95.00 fee and the points. They cover the cruise, port taxes and fees, food, and on-board entertainment.
You will have to cover; tips, parking (if you drive), excursions, alcohol, Palo/Remy, gift shop purchases, bingo, can drinks from any location except meals, snacks at the location outside the main show, etc (Check other treads in this forum for a complete list of all possible expenses).
If you discuss this on the DVC forum, you will have a lot of suggestions from the people over there to rent your points that you would spend on the cruise and pay cash for the cruise. Some have come out with cash in the pocket to pay your expenses during the cruise by booking this way.

 

[squirk]

hi all

I'm hoping someone will be able to help me...

It's my husbands 40th birthday next October and we are looking to surprise him on a 3 night cruise. The sailing is in the 26th October 2018. From what it looks like-this will be the Halloween cruise?! So some questions:
How much different is this from the 'normal' cruise and which do you prefer?
What are the stop offs like? As it's such a short sailing do you usually get off or stay on the boat?
Which boat is it on?
What time does it sail (leaving and returning?)
As it is a Halloween cruise-does it sell out quickly? (We've not booked)
Anybody guide me into the right cabin choice? Looking for an outdoor cabin I think...
is it better without kids? I understand this question is completely subjective but we have 3 kids-aged 8/5/2 at the time of sailing and at the moment can't decide whether to take them with us (if not grAndparebts will babysit!) thinking we can at least go at our pace and have a few later nights rather than having to be back in the cabin for bed time.
Can they do anything special as it's his birthday on the 28th when we are on the boat? Do they do the buttons like in the world? I mean being on the cruise will be enough but wondered if there was anything extra special I could do!

We are DVC members so will be looking to use points for the booking-does booking using points mean it is all inclusive or do we have to pay for drinks/snacks/food?!?

Any guidance would be massively appreciated!

Anything else we need to know please let me know (ie things you'd wished you'd known before you went....)

TIA!!

If you know the date and length of the sailing, the DCL site can tell you things like which boat, ports of call, departure and arrival times, etc.

Most of your other questions are, as you said, somewhat subjective. For example, the "best" cabin choice for you can vary based on your budget, how prone you or your husband are to sea sickness, whether you're taking the kids, how much time you plan to spend in the room, etc.

I would suggest you:
a.) read the FAQ sticky thread;
b.) use the search function to find whatever topic tickles your fancy; and
c.) buy this book: PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call 2017 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587711699/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ogbqzb1PRM83K It is very thorough and will give you pretty much all the info you need in one place to make decisions regarding cabins, ports, specialty dining, etc.

Good luck!

 

[jdb in AZ]

hi all

I'm hoping someone will be able to help me...

It's my husbands 40th birthday next October and we are looking to surprise him on a 3 night cruise. The sailing is in the 26th October 2018. From what it looks like-this will be the Halloween cruise?! So some questions:
How much different is this from the 'normal' cruise and which do you prefer?
What are the stop offs like? As it's such a short sailing do you usually get off or stay on the boat?
Which boat is it on?
What time does it sail (leaving and returning?)
As it is a Halloween cruise-does it sell out quickly? (We've not booked)
Anybody guide me into the right cabin choice? Looking for an outdoor cabin I think...
is it better without kids? I understand this question is completely subjective but we have 3 kids-aged 8/5/2 at the time of sailing and at the moment can't decide whether to take them with us (if not grAndparebts will babysit!) thinking we can at least go at our pace and have a few later nights rather than having to be back in the cabin for bed time.
Can they do anything special as it's his birthday on the 28th when we are on the boat? Do they do the buttons like in the world? I mean being on the cruise will be enough but wondered if there was anything extra special I could do!

We are DVC members so will be looking to use points for the booking-does booking using points mean it is all inclusive or do we have to pay for drinks/snacks/food?!?

Any guidance would be massively appreciated!

Anything else we need to know please let me know (ie things you'd wished you'd known before you went....)

TIA!!

We love Halloween, so Halloween on the High Seas is fun. We went to the adult costume contest, and there were some amazing outfits. The whole cruise won't be "in your face" Halloween, tho there will be a Halloween tree in the atrium.
The three-day cruises are on the Dream, and the ports are Castaway Cay -- Disney's private island, and Nassau. Some people stay on the ship in Nassau, but since you're there, you might as well get off long enough to look around.

Since you have a two-year-old, I would recommend leaving the kids with their grandparents for this first cruise, then take them when the baby will be old enough to enjoy the kids' club and give you some adult time.

By "outdoor cabin" do you mean an ocean view, or a verandah?

We celebrated my b-day on a cruise and the waiters at dinner brought me a birthday badge and a little cake. DH told the waiter about my b-day (the wait staff usually doesn't know about celebrations unless you tell them, or it's noted on your reservation.)

 

[jdb in AZ]

We love Halloween, so Halloween on the High Seas is fun. We went to the adult costume contest, and there were some amazing outfits. The whole cruise won't be "in your face" Halloween, tho there will be a Halloween tree in the atrium.
The three-day cruises are on the Dream, and the ports are Castaway Cay -- Disney's private island, and Nassau. Some people stay on the ship in Nassau, but since you're there, you might as well get off long enough to look around.

Since you have a two-year-old, I would recommend leaving the kids with their grandparents for this first cruise, then take them when the baby will be old enough to enjoy the kids' club and give you some adult time.

By "outdoor cabin" do you mean an ocean view, or a verandah?

We celebrated my b-day on a cruise and the waiters at dinner brought me a birthday badge and a little cake.

As for selling out because it's a specialty cruise, all the Sept and Oct cruises are Halloween cruises.

 

[clten]

Some answers to your questions:
Halloween cruise will have some themed activities but still have a lot of the "normal" activities so it doesn't make a big difference to us if our cruise is a HOTHS or not.

The cruise you are looking at makes port calls in Nassau and Castaway Cay. For many people Nassau is a port that they either get off for a very short period of time or stay onboard. If you haven't been before, it's a good idea to get off and make your own determination about the port. If you want to shop, there is the straw market and then the typical "cruise port" stores. Disney offers excursions so there are opportunities to do other things if you don't want to get out and explore on your own. (we did enjoy swimming with the sea lions.) Castaway Cay is a nice beach get away - it's Disney's private island so it's basically an extension of the ship -- crew from the ship work on the island, the lunch provided is included, you use your KTTW card for expenses (drinks, gift shop) and it gets billed to your room (there are exceptions like the post office only takes cash)

The ship is the Dream. It is one of the newer ships that DCL has.

Embarkation (boarding) starts around noon but you should be onboard no later than 3pm. Disembarkation (leaving) is typically scheduled to begin at 7am but you do not need to rush off the ship. You have to be out of your room by 8 and should plan to be off the ship no later than 9:30am.

I don't believe the Halloween cruises sell out very fast. They have them themed to attract people since it is a slow time of year for cruising (can be during Hurricane season so puts some people off of sailing that time of year.)

The right cabin is very subjective. But you should get your terminology right. An outside cabin has just a port hole. You can see outside but have no access to the outside from your room. You may be referring to "outdoor" cabin and meaning a verandah. This would have a sliding glass door so you can see outside from your cabin and then allow you to go out onto the verandah. I would look at the price difference and see if it has value on a short cruise. If you decide to bring the kids, it might be worth having a verandah so you can get the sunshine while they are napping or sit out under the stars and sip an adult beverage once they have gone to bed. If you don't bring the kids and anticipate being out of the cabin at activities/events, it may not be worth having.

Bringing or not bringing the kids is a decision only you can make. They do have programming in the kids clubs to keep the older kids entertained so the parents can participate in activities. they also have a nursery for the 2 yo but you do have to reserve time and pay by the hour for that. (Kids club are included in the price.)

A lot of people are celebrating something while on board. You can get a button at Guest Services and if you let your dining team know they will bring out a dessert and sing to him. You can order a specialty cake in advance.

Using points to pay for your cruise doesn't make it any more inclusive than people who pay with cash. Your cruise fare covers your room, most scheduled activities (not beverage seminars), soft drinks, milk, coffee, tea, juice at meal times and from the drink station, meals, most food on board including room service, quick service venues and the soft-serve ice cream machines (pre-packaged snacks, popcorn at the theaters and snacks from the Gelato shop are not included). You would pay extra for drinks from the bar, gratuities, activities in port, spa services, etc.

 

[NS8VN]

If you discuss this on the DVC forum, you will have a lot of suggestions from the people over there to rent your points that you would spend on the cruise and pay cash for the cruise. Some have come out with cash in the pocket to pay your expenses during the cruise by booking this way.

I agree you should look in to this as an option. We did this and used far fewer points to cover the trip than we would have to book it. And that was through David's, if we had rented them out directly we could have used even fewer.

 

[california37]

Thank you so much for your replies and help!
Sorry I wasn't on with the lingo-yes I meant a cabin with a veranda when I meant outside!
Thanks for guiding me to the stickys-I must admit I was a bit giddy with the thought of our first cruise! I am erring on going without the kids this time especially with the youngest age.... although it will seem strange! Plus it would be great to have some adult time!
I'm glad that the Halloween element would not sell out (which is what my father in law is worried about!)

I'll keep reading more info! Thanks again!!