Transatlatic Cruising, What Should We Expect?

[soniam]

Very true! I certainly need to keep that in mind. I was not even thinking about that.

We have not done a transatlantic cruise but look forward to doing it someday. However, when DS was 3, we went to London and France during the summer. For the time change, we followed his normal sleeping schedule according to the local time. We also kept it a little dark to help him sleep in to the normal time in the morning and evening. The sun comes up much earlier in Europe than in most of the US, at least in Texas, in the summer. The sun also sets later. He dealt with the time change really well by doing this. Hope you have an awesome cruise! If you are going to tour Europe at all, bring a light weight umbrella stroller. There aren't many elevators or escalators in a lot of Europe, but the stroller is good on the street and in museums. It needs to be light weight though, because hauling a kid and a stroller up and down stairs can take a toll.

 

[disneyfan888]

Bumping this up for as we had a new question. DCL sometimes does menu's or Cabana offerings based on the ports they are going to visit. Do they do this for international cruises as well? What have been some different offerings overseas? I am hoping we get some Spanish cuisine while on board since most of the ports will be in Spain

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Bumping this up for as we had a new question. DCL sometimes does menu's or Cabana offerings based on the ports they are going to visit. Do they do this for international cruises as well? What have been some different offerings overseas? I am hoping we get some Spanish cuisine while on board since most of the ports will be in Spain

You can check out the various menus DCL has here: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/menus/

 

[Quellman]

One kind of out of the box thing to remember is enough diapers. We did a TA with one still in diapers and I momentarily panicked halfway across the ocean that we didn't have enough (it all worked out). They do have limited supplies on ship but they are crazy expensive.

We thought they were perfect cruises with little ones because the days were. Ore unstructured and we could be more laid back and adjust sleeping and eating to fit what worked.

We had a similar diaper issue on a 7 day cruise. We knew what our 'normal' numebr of diapers per day was, and then added a few extra days to the pile. Well tummy troubles hit, and by day 3 we needed to replenish in port!

People love the long transatlantic cruises. I would also bring a few new small things to engage the littlest one that you can pull out every few days. Kids like toys and things and having something new and engaging really helps pass the time. I hope you have a great cruise. We are about 3 years from a Panama Canal or Transatlantic

 

[Deb T.]

I haven't done a TA yet, but the first thing that came to mind after reading your post was... time change. I would think that would be rough on a little one and in return, you.

This! We're were on last month's EBTA and yes, we will lose six hours total again in 2018. The good thing is that it's done gradually and mostly on sea days so you have some time to recover. This year during the crossing, we moved clocks back an hour on Days 2, 3, 5, and 6, then two more times on that itinerary to Copenhagen. I'm assuming the crossing time changes will be the same again next year, then on day 8 (or 9), and finally on day 10 for the last time.

 

[Deb T.]

We also have a baby who will be 2 at the time of sailing. We have already done DCL with her, but they have been short voyages. I am a bit nervous this time around since it is a longer cruise and it would be the first time traveling International with the baby. I don't know if it's just regular mom jitters or if I should really be concerned about anything.

In addition to the paid babysitting services offered in "it's a small world nursery," the Magic has two nice play areas dedicated just for toddlers up to age 3. One is in the Promenade Lounge (where the Computer Lab used to be). Maybe someone has a photo of the area? We just quickly peeked in and there were cushioned couches around the perimeter and large cushioned blocks/shapes for the toddlers to crawl on and over. The other area is the "Nephew's Splash Zone" on Deck 9 for some fun water play.

 

[Deb T.]

Bumping this up for as we had a new question. DCL sometimes does menu's or Cabana offerings based on the ports they are going to visit. Do they do this for international cruises as well? What have been some different offerings overseas? I am hoping we get some Spanish cuisine while on board since most of the ports will be in Spain

We definitely had more themed menus on our Mediterranean and two Baltic sailings than on this year's EBTA. To be honest, I really didn't pay attention to the menu covers that might have listed themes, but nothing certainly stood out as being regional fare. It seemed to us that the only special menus were: Pirate's on Day 6, Frozen on Day 15 (but no Frozen show or Frozen Deck Party!!), Formal Nights on Days 2 and 10, and Semi-formal on Day 14. Lobster was served on the second Formal night, Day 10. One odd thing we noticed was that several menu items on the adult menus were served multiple times throughout the cruise. For example, the same zesty tomato soup was an appetizer choice on four different nights on the last half of the cruise.

 

[darnheather]

When I traveled with my then infants and toddlers they never had issues with the time changes. Hope you have a wonderful vacation.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Not to beat the insurance question into the ground but I did a comparison of the costs of buying insurance as soon as I booked or waiting until a few months before cruising (actually after our paid in full date). It did not make a difference with the company we chose. Price was the same. However....see below (we did not buy medical this last cruise).

The first time we cruised, we bought DCL insurance. The next time we shopped about and Allianz was the cheapest we found (bought the full package but child was included for "free"). Ditto when we cruised this past year except this time child is now an adult and we declined the medical portion. Something I had not done in the past was to call my insurance company to find out what they covered when one is on a cruise. Come to find out, for the areas we were cruising we were completely covered medically including air evacuation if needed (West Coast, Canada and Alaska). When choosing insurance options for our last back-to-back cruises, I declined the medical and just bought for cancelation for medical/lost of job, etc. reasons, lost or delayed luggage, delayed trip, etc.

Just saying, you might want to check with your insurance company. It could save you money. I even asked our insurance company about future travel overseas and was advised to call, that our insurance covers “most” countries.

Kate

 

[Dug720]

Not to beat the insurance question into the ground but I did a comparison of the costs of buying insurance as soon as I booked or waiting until a few months before cruising (actually after our paid in full date). It did not make a difference with the company we chose. Price was the same. However....see below (we did not buy medical this last cruise).

The first time we cruised, we bought DCL insurance. The next time we shopped about and Allianz was the cheapest we found (bought the full package but child was included for "free"). Ditto when we cruised this past year except this time child is now an adult and we declined the medical portion. Something I had not done in the past was to call my insurance company to find out what they covered when one is on a cruise. Come to find out, for the areas we were cruising we were completely covered medically including air evacuation if needed (West Coast, Canada and Alaska). When choosing insurance options for our last back-to-back cruises, I declined the medical and just bought for cancelation for medical/lost of job, etc. reasons, lost or delayed luggage, delayed trip, etc.

Just saying, you might want to check with your insurance company. It could save you money. I even asked our insurance company about future travel overseas and was advised to call, that our insurance covers “most” countries.

Kate

The primary reason to get it within 2 weeks of original booking is if you have pre-existing conditions. Most plans will only cover those if bought within 10-14 days of original booking.

I have always wondered though - as far out as we book cruises what if you don't have a pre-existing condition at booking but something happens in the interim and you can still cruise but now have what they would consider pre-existing?

 

[cmwade77]

I would ditch the DCL Insurance all together and go with regular travel insurance, it will be cheaper and cover more things.

 

[DisneyConvert]

The most memorable part of our Eastbound TransAtlantic (PCvl - CCay - 5 days - Madera - Cadiz - Gibraltar - Barcelona) was the relatively not-full ship and plenty of pleasant interactions with the Crew/Officers. Lots of time for movies, D-Lounge and Pub nonsense, meeting fellow passengers over drinks or tea. The opposite of a 4-day Bahama "milk run" (although those are fun too!).

I suppose we lost 5~6 hours along the way, but it we were able to get back home 5 hours earlier.

We made sure our son, then in 3rd Grade, keep a "journal" in lieu of taking him out of school, before he disappeared into the Oceaneer's Club/Lab. Another bonus, was that we had "met" a couple with a son the same age as ours on one of the "Boards" before our trip and we ate dinner with each other every night. Great family, with whom we have visited a few times since.

 

[disneyfan888]

Exciting to hear thanks! Looking forward to a change in menu since the last couple of cruises, while we always enjoy them, seemed more of the same. Of course there are always things we look forward to, like the chocolate souffle from Palo So sad they stopped serving the popcorn soup on the Fantasy. My family loved it.

I will be sure to take plenty of toys for our LO. We want to make her as comfy as possible

NEW QUESTION-- Has anyone taken a cruise departing from Miami? This cruise will depart from there and we have never left from that port. How is the process? Is it the same as in Port Canaveral? Do you board around noon as well? Many thanks

 

[michellekcm]

We did this cruise in 2015 when our son was 2 1/2. It was amazing. There were so few kids on board (less than 200 from ages 0-18) that he was spoiled rotten in the nursery. Often he was the only one in there when he went in, and he loved it. We got lots of photos and craft from them as they had so much time to spend with him.

We also had lots of Wake Up With Disney Jr sessions which he also loved.

We actually did this as a B2B2B with the next 2 cruises and spent 29 nights in total on the ship. At the end of the cruises he didn't want to get off - he had a ball too.

Have fun!!!

 

[gismo1554]

Heres a photo of the soft play area in the lounge (someone above mentioned someone might have a pic)

 

[disneyfan888]

Getting even more and more excited about this cruise! I can't believe it's less than a year away already.
Thanks for the photo Gismo We went on the Wonder in March and we were able to go one of the days they opened up the space for the little ones. Our baby loved it <3 She loved the soft play blocks so much we are looking into getting some for the house.

 

[Plaid Princess]

Hello everyone,
The hubby and I are super excited to be going on the Eastern Transatlantic cruise next year on the Magic. We have sailed with DCL multiple times, but have never done anything longer than 7 nights, so this will be a new experience. We also have a baby who will be 2 at the time of sailing. We have already done DCL with her, but they have been short voyages. I am a bit nervous this time around since it is a longer cruise and it would be the first time traveling International with the baby. I don't know if it's just regular mom jitters or if I should really be concerned about anything.

What are some things we should prep for for those who have done the Transatlantic voyages?

Also, we have the DCL insurance, but were considering getting additional traveler's insurance that covers anything medical in the event anything were to happen, especially traveling with the baby. Any recommendations as to what companies I should research?

I have read multiple times that the longer voyages tend to get boring, although I don't see us getting bored on DCL, if you fall into this category, why did you think it was boring? We are just looking to kick back and relax so I don't think we should have any issues, but we were curious.

Any information is greatly appreciated. TIA.

Be prepared to have all other cruise experiences ruined for you.

The absolute BEST thing about the TA cruise, was how empty the ship was. Despite the cruise being technically "sold out", the cabins are mostly filled with couples, rather than families of 4 or 5. It makes a huge difference. Want to walk into the show 5 minutes prior? No problem, still great seats to be had. Want to sleep in and still get a deck chair? Chairs aplenty! There were only about 200 kids aboard our last TA which meant that it was quieter overall, and the kids had the run of the family areas. No lines for games, waterslides, etc.

But in all seriousness, we never got bored... there was SO much to do. They add a lot of special activities and things for the longer cruises. My favorite was the opportunity to participate in Kids Club activities. Several nights during the cruise, the Club was actually adults only (and I have the Avengers Academy ID to prove it!). I actually spent a fair amount of time in our cabin just relaxing and reading as well, something that I usually don't do much of on shorter cruises because it feels like a "waste". I also watched several movies in the theater, which I also usually skip on the shorter cruises.

We have an annual travelers insurance policy, but I would definitely recommend travel insurance for any international travel. IMO, it's a small amount of money for peace of mind.

I didn't do or pack anything drastically different for the transatlantic than any other cruise, although I will say that it had a more formal feel than the Caribbean cruises do overall.

 

[disneyfan888]

Be prepared to have all other cruise experiences ruined for you.

The absolute BEST thing about the TA cruise, was how empty the ship was. Despite the cruise being technically "sold out", the cabins are mostly filled with couples, rather than families of 4 or 5. It makes a huge difference. Want to walk into the show 5 minutes prior? No problem, still great seats to be had. Want to sleep in and still get a deck chair? Chairs aplenty! There were only about 200 kids aboard our last TA which meant that it was quieter overall, and the kids had the run of the family areas. No lines for games, waterslides, etc.

But in all seriousness, we never got bored... there was SO much to do. They add a lot of special activities and things for the longer cruises. My favorite was the opportunity to participate in Kids Club activities. Several nights during the cruise, the Club was actually adults only (and I have the Avengers Academy ID to prove it!). I actually spent a fair amount of time in our cabin just relaxing and reading as well, something that I usually don't do much of on shorter cruises because it feels like a "waste". I also watched several movies in the theater, which I also usually skip on the shorter cruises.

We have an annual travelers insurance policy, but I would definitely recommend travel insurance for any international travel. IMO, it's a small amount of money for peace of mind.

I didn't do or pack anything drastically different for the transatlantic than any other cruise, although I will say that it had a more formal feel than the Caribbean cruises do overall.

Hahaha! This is all wonderful information. We keep hearing how empty it's going to be. Looking forward to all the activities and the opportunity for adults to go to the kids club, that sounds amazing! We are kids at heart

 

[SingingKayla]

Kate - when you say 'check with your insurance', what kind of insurance are you talking about? Health? Life? Thanks - we're trying to get this figured out for our first cruise in April!!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Kate - when you say 'check with your insurance', what kind of insurance are you talking about? Health? Life? Thanks - we're trying to get this figured out for our first cruise in April!!!

Most US health plans don't cover out of country, and that's where you are once you board. We always make sure we have medical and evacuation coverage in our travel insurance. Evacuations can be upwards of $100,000 in some cases. Well worth the peace of mine to get a policy.

Some US health plans cover emergency treatment, but no evacuation. Others cover everything (rare).