Where do I start? First thanks to all of those that have made prior posts, it was very helpful. We (Me 39, DW 38, DS 9, DD7) traveled with two other families with kids of similar ages (6 adults and 6 kids). We had a great time! We were on the Magic, which left 4/27. We were in rooms 2528, 2530, and 2532. I have some tips and some dos and donts. Hopefully this is helpful to a future cruiser, but obviously different people have unique circumstances. And I do NOT think this is the ultimate report I just wanted to make to title unique.
We arrived Saturday in Orlando airport at about 11:30am. Skip the restrooms (temporarily) and go straight to the main airport lobby. CM will meet you there and take you to the line for buses (youll have time then to regroup). However, Id recommend going down the night before, because security getting onto the boat caused a long (approx. 2 hour) delay boarding the ship.
So after we boarded we split up (using walkie-talkies, which are a MUST) and did the Palo and Spa reservations. Then we ate at Topsiders and then put on our swim suits (which were in our carry-on bags) and went to the pools
Palo Our seating was late PLAPLAP. If that were your seating I would recommend, (based on CM advice which proved very good) having dinner there Sunday night. If you are putting kids in the kids club make your reservations early, such as 6:00, because the kids eat early in kids club (approx 5:15). Sunday was the night of the Morty show, which we skipped since it got poor reviews. However, we still couldve made the late show if we wanted to. This gave the kids a chance to hang out at the club and the adults time to hit the adult clubs.
We did Palo brunch on Thursday (good date). Brunch was nice to have done, but in my opinion it was not a must do. (First glass of champagne is the only one included in the deal.) But I would recommend the Palo dinner, even though the portions left me a bit hungry.
Sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes, and this might not be as organized as I wouldve liked, but I hope it still helps.
Spa - We did the surial bath. It was a fun time, but now that Ive done it I dont feel the need to go again. The staterooms are much more comfortable. Take in extra towels and be careful not to push the steam button too many times it can get quite hot in the steam part of the area. Also do not schedule a surial bath the last available daily slot, because they will push you out quickly. We had an earlier appt. and got to spend a bit of time in the rain forest after we were done.
On that note, we did the cabana massage on CC. It was wonderful (expensive though, $115 per person), but you may want to consider having the massage on the ship. It is the same people doing it and CC is such a short day this cuts into a lot of the time there. Also, do not walk to the adult beach, its too far. Be careful to allow yourself 20 to 30 minutes ahead of your massage time for transit. Also, Cookies (the restaurant on CC) is only open 11:30 until 2:30, so plan accordingly.
Castaway Cay - On CC try to be one of the first off of the boat. Be there 15 minutes early to get off (remember you still need your photo IDs and KTTW card for adults and just the KTTW card for kids). If you get to the tram and its almost full get on and ride, otherwise just walk it. I would recommend getting a spot directly across from the kids play ropes (which are out in the water). It is very centrally located (close to the food, teen beach, tram to adult beach, snorkeling and kids club). Also, there is a one larger palm tree (which makes finding home base easier) and several smaller palms for shade. Get an umbrella near a palm tree, but get an umbrella near a tree where a tree is closer to the water. As the sun moves during the day, you will get more of the tree shade in the afternoon. If you dont get a hammock dont worry, Im sure someone would share.
Most of the excursions offer free snorkeling gear, but at least for the kids I would consider (and we did) buying a set of snorkeling gear at Costcos. Dont forget to write your name on things especially these.
Saint Maarten - On Saint Maarten we did the Golden Eagle Catamaran. It was fun, but my DD got sick on the boat both ways. That was the only problem any of us had with seasickness. Also, be careful not to have too much alcohol early in the afternoon (especially the free stuff which one feels obligated to have) since it can be a great de-motivator later in the day. It wasnt a problem for us, but we did see many people fade who had pushed it early.
I would not worry about getting room service to have sandwiches for the next day unless you are beaching it all day. We did the early excursions (I would recommend only the earliest excursions), which brought us back to the ship around lunchtime, and then we would eat on board and get our stuff together for the beach. On St. M. we just hung out in town in the afternoon, we shouldve gone to a beach though.
Saint Thomas - At Saint Thomas do not go to the Disney Theater for customs at 6:30 (unless you need to for an excursion) sleep until 7:00 and go down then. Youll appreciate the extra sleep and get through quicker. The excursion we picked was the Atlantis sub. The kids loved it. Try to be the LAST people to board the sub; youll get the best seats. Another trip some people in our group took was the Doubloon boat. They really loved it. Do not be afraid to have young kids snorkel even if they are not great swimmers (even the excursions which you snorkel from the boat) because the kids wear life jackets and will float while snorkeling, and adults also are given some type of floatation device, which makes it easy to snorkel. The St. T. excursion boat rides were very short and seasickness was not an issue here.
After we got back we had lunch and got our beach gear together and headed to Magans Bay beach. It was beautiful and nice amenities. However, I think next time I would choose Saphire beach. I understand it is a better mix of swimming snorkeling and modern conveniences (and I believe it has a better volleyball court). The cab ride prices are standardized and most are posted in your Navigator. Our trip to Magans Bay was $6 per person each way, plus $3 entry fee to this beach only for adults. Tour cab rides are negotiable. Friends of ours did an island tour, for four, which cost $40.
Misc. - Now here are some miscellaneous thoughts. When considering what luggage to bring or buy, try to use luggage that can fit inside each other for easy storing when emptied. We did this with our bags and put one in the closet for dirty clothes. We also brought some soda and alcohol (if you do this also bring tumblers for your own pool side refreshments). Unless you drink a lot of soda I would not buy the drink mugs. Dont forget soda is free in the restaurants. Not having this (soda and alcohol) to take home, plus having some extra room in our bags on the way down made our packing for home much easier. Be careful not to pack you IDs and KTTW and clothes and shoes (for the next day) in your luggage. Our server said several people come to breakfast, each cruise, Saturday morning in their pajamas and socks. So make sure you save that change of clothes. This is because you have to have your checked bags packed by 11 Pm Friday night. And the CMs will take those bags to be picked up when getting off of the ship.
We did not see any movies on the ship (Id rather rent it or see it at a theater here). However, the movies are: Return to Never Land, Harry Potter, Monsters Inc., and The Rookie. The live shows were very good. The seats filled up quickly so get there 5 to 10 minutes early (or at least some of your party). If you dont get center section seats the sides are very good too. Dont forget to spread out (to increase your odds at getting picked) when going to Who Wants to Be A Mouseketeer (sp?). The adult entertainment was poor, but as a group we made it fun. The kids liked to family dance night.
Excursion reservations can be made over the phone 60 days prior to your departure. So if you know where you want to go make them early (they can always be changed later). And they will not be charged to you until you go on the excursion.
If your kids have homework to do, try to get it done before you leave or on the way down. You wont find the time (or the desire) on the boat. And theyll be asleep on the way home.
Lanyards - Also, thank you Wovenwonder, she had hooked me up with some lanyards for our KTTW cards which you take everywhere. Get the ones where you can slide the card into a holder. These make it easier for the kids to keep track of their cards too. Also put a card in the holder with their name (boldly written) to make it harder to get mixed up. They cost about $6.50 each on the boat.
Passports- If you dont have a passport, I would not bother to get one. Its not worth the expense. And you can lock them in your room safe. The only time we needed them was in the theater arriving at St. T., then we put them back in the safe. One note of interest, the persons card you use to lock the safe is the only card which can open it. Only important if you need something out of it and it was locked with someone elses card. If you lose a card they will replace it free of charge.
Another must is a shoe organizer (for shoes, ha, ha) AND a toiletries organizer to hang over the bathroom door (for combs, make up, sun glasses, tooth brushes, etc.). These two items really helped on space management. Also a collapsible cooler is handy for beach days. But not necessary on CC. Ice water and fruit punch were available there.
Braids They are expensive on CC (about $2.50 each for long hair). If you have some one getting braids I would do it on the boat late in the week. Im not sure the cost, probably more expensive than the $1 each on the islands, but if you schedule it late in the week then there is less chance of burning the scalp and they stay nicer for showing friends and classmates at home. Try to make your reservations as soon as they are available (but for later in the week) since they sell out times very quickly.
Food It was good, but not great. Thats okay I was expecting that. Portions are not huge; dont be afraid of ordering several appetizers and desserts. The servers dont mind a bit. Your kids are allowed to order off of the adult menu. We encouraged them to try different things. Also, people were not charged a corking fee for wine if they took out the cork in the room and just brought the bottle to dinner with the cork shallowly put in the top. Just make sure if you do that you put the corkscrew in your checked luggage and not your carry-on bags.
We did the late seating, youve probably heard lots of pros and cons, but it worked out well for us. We did have several dinners with kids asleep before dessert, but then we either put them to bed or they rallied. It was nice not to be rushed for dinner. And the 6:30 shows typically only last an hour so the kids could stay at the pools longer, hit the shows (and be awake) and wed still have time to go back to the room (after the show) to get showers and dressed for dinner. Most people adhered to the recommendations for attire, but there were still a few in Palo wearing shorts (oh well, no big deal I didnt let it affect me). One thing did bother me though, and that was people using flash photography at the shows even after it was announced to please not to. I think CMs should also tell people as they go into the theater too.
We did the sit down (served) breakfast at Lumineres each day. I would recommend that. It is less hectic and you dont miss anything. If you do need a quick breakfast Topsiders is still very good. And with the buffet style at Topsiders you have more options.
I thought the lobster the last night was poor. Avoid the masses choice (lobster) and get the beef, I tried it and it was great.
Our servers were good, but not special. Actually we tipped the head server a bit less than the recommendation and the assistant server more.
Debarkation We had a late flight. We wanted to go to Kennedy Space center, but we asked and the staff knew of no excursion type of arrangement to be made through Disney. So if that is something you want to do check with your travel agent, maybe they can help you. We slept in as late as possible and stayed on the ship as long as possible. This made finding our luggage very easy. And we avoided lines getting off of the ship. If you get to the airport more than 4 hours early they will not let you check your bags. So even if earlier flights are booked, get yourself standby status. This will allow you to get rid of your bags and not have to drag ALL of your bags through the airport waiting to check in. The only down side (which is not a big deal) is you have to go with your bags to get them x-rayed if the stand by flight leaves close to your arriving at the airport. But dont count on getting an earlier flight, at the check in desk they laughed at us (and that was before I told them there was 12 in our group). Speaking of that I think youll have fun if you go with a group.
Kids Club Since we had a group with 6 kids, they had more fun with each other than the club. But during Palo meals and going out two nights they did the club. I was very happy with the security they used, but it cause some inconveniences. They wont let you check in kids (AT THE CLUB) while they are in transition between activities (if you time it wrong transition can be frustrating especially if you have somewhere to be). However, if you hit the timing wrong go to where the group is and check them in there (that usually can work). If it doesnt work just go back to the club (or lab) and wait. Since we had several families of kids we used the same password to get the kids out, then one adult could get all of the kids. As I said before walkie-talkies were very valuable. We also used them to tell show stragglers where we were sitting to make it easier to find each other.
Sorry, for being so long. I hope it helps. If I can be of any further help just ask. I wish I had some digital photos to insert, but Im sure youve seen many, and will get some for yourself. And if youre like me the narrative is what you want for planning purposes.
Have Fun!
We arrived Saturday in Orlando airport at about 11:30am. Skip the restrooms (temporarily) and go straight to the main airport lobby. CM will meet you there and take you to the line for buses (youll have time then to regroup). However, Id recommend going down the night before, because security getting onto the boat caused a long (approx. 2 hour) delay boarding the ship.
So after we boarded we split up (using walkie-talkies, which are a MUST) and did the Palo and Spa reservations. Then we ate at Topsiders and then put on our swim suits (which were in our carry-on bags) and went to the pools
Palo Our seating was late PLAPLAP. If that were your seating I would recommend, (based on CM advice which proved very good) having dinner there Sunday night. If you are putting kids in the kids club make your reservations early, such as 6:00, because the kids eat early in kids club (approx 5:15). Sunday was the night of the Morty show, which we skipped since it got poor reviews. However, we still couldve made the late show if we wanted to. This gave the kids a chance to hang out at the club and the adults time to hit the adult clubs.
We did Palo brunch on Thursday (good date). Brunch was nice to have done, but in my opinion it was not a must do. (First glass of champagne is the only one included in the deal.) But I would recommend the Palo dinner, even though the portions left me a bit hungry.
Sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes, and this might not be as organized as I wouldve liked, but I hope it still helps.
Spa - We did the surial bath. It was a fun time, but now that Ive done it I dont feel the need to go again. The staterooms are much more comfortable. Take in extra towels and be careful not to push the steam button too many times it can get quite hot in the steam part of the area. Also do not schedule a surial bath the last available daily slot, because they will push you out quickly. We had an earlier appt. and got to spend a bit of time in the rain forest after we were done.
On that note, we did the cabana massage on CC. It was wonderful (expensive though, $115 per person), but you may want to consider having the massage on the ship. It is the same people doing it and CC is such a short day this cuts into a lot of the time there. Also, do not walk to the adult beach, its too far. Be careful to allow yourself 20 to 30 minutes ahead of your massage time for transit. Also, Cookies (the restaurant on CC) is only open 11:30 until 2:30, so plan accordingly.
Castaway Cay - On CC try to be one of the first off of the boat. Be there 15 minutes early to get off (remember you still need your photo IDs and KTTW card for adults and just the KTTW card for kids). If you get to the tram and its almost full get on and ride, otherwise just walk it. I would recommend getting a spot directly across from the kids play ropes (which are out in the water). It is very centrally located (close to the food, teen beach, tram to adult beach, snorkeling and kids club). Also, there is a one larger palm tree (which makes finding home base easier) and several smaller palms for shade. Get an umbrella near a palm tree, but get an umbrella near a tree where a tree is closer to the water. As the sun moves during the day, you will get more of the tree shade in the afternoon. If you dont get a hammock dont worry, Im sure someone would share.
Most of the excursions offer free snorkeling gear, but at least for the kids I would consider (and we did) buying a set of snorkeling gear at Costcos. Dont forget to write your name on things especially these.
Saint Maarten - On Saint Maarten we did the Golden Eagle Catamaran. It was fun, but my DD got sick on the boat both ways. That was the only problem any of us had with seasickness. Also, be careful not to have too much alcohol early in the afternoon (especially the free stuff which one feels obligated to have) since it can be a great de-motivator later in the day. It wasnt a problem for us, but we did see many people fade who had pushed it early.
I would not worry about getting room service to have sandwiches for the next day unless you are beaching it all day. We did the early excursions (I would recommend only the earliest excursions), which brought us back to the ship around lunchtime, and then we would eat on board and get our stuff together for the beach. On St. M. we just hung out in town in the afternoon, we shouldve gone to a beach though.
Saint Thomas - At Saint Thomas do not go to the Disney Theater for customs at 6:30 (unless you need to for an excursion) sleep until 7:00 and go down then. Youll appreciate the extra sleep and get through quicker. The excursion we picked was the Atlantis sub. The kids loved it. Try to be the LAST people to board the sub; youll get the best seats. Another trip some people in our group took was the Doubloon boat. They really loved it. Do not be afraid to have young kids snorkel even if they are not great swimmers (even the excursions which you snorkel from the boat) because the kids wear life jackets and will float while snorkeling, and adults also are given some type of floatation device, which makes it easy to snorkel. The St. T. excursion boat rides were very short and seasickness was not an issue here.
After we got back we had lunch and got our beach gear together and headed to Magans Bay beach. It was beautiful and nice amenities. However, I think next time I would choose Saphire beach. I understand it is a better mix of swimming snorkeling and modern conveniences (and I believe it has a better volleyball court). The cab ride prices are standardized and most are posted in your Navigator. Our trip to Magans Bay was $6 per person each way, plus $3 entry fee to this beach only for adults. Tour cab rides are negotiable. Friends of ours did an island tour, for four, which cost $40.
Misc. - Now here are some miscellaneous thoughts. When considering what luggage to bring or buy, try to use luggage that can fit inside each other for easy storing when emptied. We did this with our bags and put one in the closet for dirty clothes. We also brought some soda and alcohol (if you do this also bring tumblers for your own pool side refreshments). Unless you drink a lot of soda I would not buy the drink mugs. Dont forget soda is free in the restaurants. Not having this (soda and alcohol) to take home, plus having some extra room in our bags on the way down made our packing for home much easier. Be careful not to pack you IDs and KTTW and clothes and shoes (for the next day) in your luggage. Our server said several people come to breakfast, each cruise, Saturday morning in their pajamas and socks. So make sure you save that change of clothes. This is because you have to have your checked bags packed by 11 Pm Friday night. And the CMs will take those bags to be picked up when getting off of the ship.
We did not see any movies on the ship (Id rather rent it or see it at a theater here). However, the movies are: Return to Never Land, Harry Potter, Monsters Inc., and The Rookie. The live shows were very good. The seats filled up quickly so get there 5 to 10 minutes early (or at least some of your party). If you dont get center section seats the sides are very good too. Dont forget to spread out (to increase your odds at getting picked) when going to Who Wants to Be A Mouseketeer (sp?). The adult entertainment was poor, but as a group we made it fun. The kids liked to family dance night.
Excursion reservations can be made over the phone 60 days prior to your departure. So if you know where you want to go make them early (they can always be changed later). And they will not be charged to you until you go on the excursion.
If your kids have homework to do, try to get it done before you leave or on the way down. You wont find the time (or the desire) on the boat. And theyll be asleep on the way home.
Lanyards - Also, thank you Wovenwonder, she had hooked me up with some lanyards for our KTTW cards which you take everywhere. Get the ones where you can slide the card into a holder. These make it easier for the kids to keep track of their cards too. Also put a card in the holder with their name (boldly written) to make it harder to get mixed up. They cost about $6.50 each on the boat.
Passports- If you dont have a passport, I would not bother to get one. Its not worth the expense. And you can lock them in your room safe. The only time we needed them was in the theater arriving at St. T., then we put them back in the safe. One note of interest, the persons card you use to lock the safe is the only card which can open it. Only important if you need something out of it and it was locked with someone elses card. If you lose a card they will replace it free of charge.
Another must is a shoe organizer (for shoes, ha, ha) AND a toiletries organizer to hang over the bathroom door (for combs, make up, sun glasses, tooth brushes, etc.). These two items really helped on space management. Also a collapsible cooler is handy for beach days. But not necessary on CC. Ice water and fruit punch were available there.
Braids They are expensive on CC (about $2.50 each for long hair). If you have some one getting braids I would do it on the boat late in the week. Im not sure the cost, probably more expensive than the $1 each on the islands, but if you schedule it late in the week then there is less chance of burning the scalp and they stay nicer for showing friends and classmates at home. Try to make your reservations as soon as they are available (but for later in the week) since they sell out times very quickly.
Food It was good, but not great. Thats okay I was expecting that. Portions are not huge; dont be afraid of ordering several appetizers and desserts. The servers dont mind a bit. Your kids are allowed to order off of the adult menu. We encouraged them to try different things. Also, people were not charged a corking fee for wine if they took out the cork in the room and just brought the bottle to dinner with the cork shallowly put in the top. Just make sure if you do that you put the corkscrew in your checked luggage and not your carry-on bags.
We did the late seating, youve probably heard lots of pros and cons, but it worked out well for us. We did have several dinners with kids asleep before dessert, but then we either put them to bed or they rallied. It was nice not to be rushed for dinner. And the 6:30 shows typically only last an hour so the kids could stay at the pools longer, hit the shows (and be awake) and wed still have time to go back to the room (after the show) to get showers and dressed for dinner. Most people adhered to the recommendations for attire, but there were still a few in Palo wearing shorts (oh well, no big deal I didnt let it affect me). One thing did bother me though, and that was people using flash photography at the shows even after it was announced to please not to. I think CMs should also tell people as they go into the theater too.
We did the sit down (served) breakfast at Lumineres each day. I would recommend that. It is less hectic and you dont miss anything. If you do need a quick breakfast Topsiders is still very good. And with the buffet style at Topsiders you have more options.
I thought the lobster the last night was poor. Avoid the masses choice (lobster) and get the beef, I tried it and it was great.
Our servers were good, but not special. Actually we tipped the head server a bit less than the recommendation and the assistant server more.
Debarkation We had a late flight. We wanted to go to Kennedy Space center, but we asked and the staff knew of no excursion type of arrangement to be made through Disney. So if that is something you want to do check with your travel agent, maybe they can help you. We slept in as late as possible and stayed on the ship as long as possible. This made finding our luggage very easy. And we avoided lines getting off of the ship. If you get to the airport more than 4 hours early they will not let you check your bags. So even if earlier flights are booked, get yourself standby status. This will allow you to get rid of your bags and not have to drag ALL of your bags through the airport waiting to check in. The only down side (which is not a big deal) is you have to go with your bags to get them x-rayed if the stand by flight leaves close to your arriving at the airport. But dont count on getting an earlier flight, at the check in desk they laughed at us (and that was before I told them there was 12 in our group). Speaking of that I think youll have fun if you go with a group.
Kids Club Since we had a group with 6 kids, they had more fun with each other than the club. But during Palo meals and going out two nights they did the club. I was very happy with the security they used, but it cause some inconveniences. They wont let you check in kids (AT THE CLUB) while they are in transition between activities (if you time it wrong transition can be frustrating especially if you have somewhere to be). However, if you hit the timing wrong go to where the group is and check them in there (that usually can work). If it doesnt work just go back to the club (or lab) and wait. Since we had several families of kids we used the same password to get the kids out, then one adult could get all of the kids. As I said before walkie-talkies were very valuable. We also used them to tell show stragglers where we were sitting to make it easier to find each other.
Sorry, for being so long. I hope it helps. If I can be of any further help just ask. I wish I had some digital photos to insert, but Im sure youve seen many, and will get some for yourself. And if youre like me the narrative is what you want for planning purposes.
Have Fun!
