You board the ship... and then...

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Non conceirge and conceriege we alternate according to finance..

Board early...
Eat! Start as I mean to go on lol. We like Cabanas
Change any MDR issues we don't like ( I change Animators palette as I find it too stimulating for my migraines ) plus I need a wheelchair accessible table
Hang out in conceriege lounge if going conceriege if not on the deck
Go to DVC meeting which is usually on this day
Go to room when ready!

 

[Plaid Princess]

Straight to the buffet for us! We usually skip breakfast on Embarkation day, knowing the spread that awaits us. We also always go to the MDR rather than Cabanas, as it's usually a bit quieter and it's nice to have someone seat you and bring your drinks.

 

[professorandmom]

Just a heads up: when boarding the Wonder in Miami we did not receive Navigators when checking in...it took locating several CMs to find one who had them...

 

[WDWChloe]

Non conceirge and conceriege we alternate according to finance..

Board early...
Eat! Start as I mean to go on lol. We like Cabanas
Change any MDR issues we don't like ( I change Animators palette as I find it too stimulating for my migraines ) plus I need a wheelchair accessible table
Hang out in conceriege lounge if going conceriege if not on the deck
Go to DVC meeting which is usually on this day
Go to room when ready!

We also do not care for Animator's Palette - the menu nor the entertainment. Could you clarify your changing it?
You're not able to swap it out of rotation are you? We usually hit cabanas or Palo on AP nights.

 

[Captainkate]

We have lunch and then I explore the ship while DD and DH swim! We have only had to request changes in MDR once and that only took a few minutes.

 

[carnationkila]

I hate to divulge my secrets but....the guys get a table near the pool with our carry ons while the kids go to the pool. The gals get tickets for tastings. Then we eventually get lunch at Cabanas. I promised my nieces that I would do the pool slide ( I ALWAYS forget what it's called). Once the room rope drop happens, I unpack magnets from my carry on and decorate everyone's doors (who we are traveling with). Then it's unpacking until The Drill. On the 2nd part of our BTB, I will go to Senses and get 4 day Rainforest passes fo DH and me.

 

[darnheather]

On my one and only so far: Boarded the ship and cried my eyes out because I was so happy to be there. Line for meet and greet was crazy so then had lunch at Cabanas before grabbing tickets. I think I will probably skip any FE meet ups next time because while everyone was very nice it ate up a huge chunk of that first day and left me frazzled. Next time I will take time to sit with a soda and just go over the navigator to get my bearings.

 

[gismo1554]

We also do not care for Animator's Palette - the menu nor the entertainment. Could you clarify your changing it?
You're not able to swap it out of rotation are you? We usually hit cabanas or Palo on AP nights.

I think other poster meant change the rotation so that Animators was on a certain day for them rather than swapping it out as no you can't do this.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We also do not care for Animator's Palette - the menu nor the entertainment. Could you clarify your changing it?
You're not able to swap it out of rotation are you? We usually hit cabanas or Palo on AP nights.

Last cruise the conceirge team changed our rotary dining so we did one of the other restaurants instead. We also do Palo in the mix we love that! This year we have a week on The Dream b2b 3 nights then 4. Can't wait.

 

[Yumi696]

This is gonna be our first cruise so idk how it's gonna go but my plan is to go to guest services while my parents and brothers are at lunch. They can just grab me some stuff--I'm not picky. They can then take the food to the pool, I'll eat the food while they swim and then join them. Can they take food out of Cabanas?

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

This is gonna be our first cruise so idk how it's gonna go but my plan is to go to guest services while my parents and brothers are at lunch. They can just grab me some stuff--I'm not picky. They can then take the food to the pool, I'll eat the food while they swim and then join them. Can they take food out of Cabanas?

Nice plan. We do take food out of Cabanas and eat it by the tables by the pool.

 

[BCV23]

Love this thread. Brings back great memories of the first hours of a cruise.

We head straight to Enchanted Garden, Carioca's or Parrot Cay (depending on ship obviously) for a relaxed lunch. Normally the cabins are available by the time we finish. We unpack carryons and often by the time we are finished with that the other luggage has begun to arrive.

On a couple Fantasy cruises we have gone to Palo to add a second brunch or dinner. On the Magic and Wonder, I believe we have just called.

 

[Princess Minnie of Disney]

OOO this is fun! First we go to the Guest Services for tickets, then go admire the port from Deck 4, Lunch and then Sailing Away!

 

[Yumi696]

This is gonna be our first cruise so idk how it's gonna go but my plan is to go to guest services while my parents and brothers are at lunch. They can just grab me some stuff--I'm not picky. They can then take the food to the pool, I'll eat the food while they swim and then join them. Can they take food out of Cabanas?

Nice plan. We do take food out of Cabanas and eat it by the tables by the pool.

Thanks!

Then we're gonna go to our room maybe a half hour or so after it opens, rinse off the chlorine and get dressed, and go around and take pictures! I can't wait to see the Star Wars area, and I also want to get a pic of my parents at one of the round booths in Enchanted Garden. I wonder if we can go in there when it's not a mealtime...

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Thanks!

Then we're gonna go to our room maybe a half hour or so after it opens, rinse off the chlorine and get dressed, and go around and take pictures! I can't wait to see the Star Wars area, and I also want to get a pic of my parents at one of the round booths in Enchanted Garden. I wonder if we can go in there when it's not a mealtime...

I am always one that pushes my luck...i would go into the EG and just ask can I take a photo.

 

[godde8ss]

We are usually one of the first on board so we go to and empty buffet (usually have to wait for it to open), eat, relax with a frozen drink, take care of anything we have to at Guest Services, then its about 1;30 and our room is ready.

Hi, we got a MUCH earlier boarding time for our second cruise. What are the lines like at guest services/Palo when you get on the ship early?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hi, we got a MUCH earlier boarding time for our second cruise. What are the lines like at guest services/Palo when you get on the ship early?

They quickly build up, real quick.

 

[CamColt]

Hi, we got a MUCH earlier boarding time for our second cruise. What are the lines like at guest services/Palo when you get on the ship early?

Keep in mind your PAT is not your boarding time. At check in you will receive a boarding number, based on your PAT and then you can get on once that is called. We are usually at GS around 1:00 and I've never noticed any unusually long lines. Once even we went to Port Adventures for something and again, nothing that made me think it was bad.

 

[BCV23]

When we have gone to Palo on the Fantasy to add a second brunch or dinner reservation, there has either been no line or one couple ahead of us. This has been after lunch in Enchanted Garden so in the 1-2 pm range. Perhaps it is worse when boarding first begins?