Your best tips for first timers

[LucyM123]

My family and I are getting ready to book our first cruise, sailing on April 15th. We are new to cruises and new to DCL, and would love any and all tips that you have for us. It'll be my husband, my 11 yo daughter and myself traveling, if that helps any.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bishoparc]

First, congrats on your first cruise! I would suggest reading through this thread if you haven't already as that contains a lot of things I didn't even know were available after my second cruise: http://www.disboards.com/threads/favorite-guilty-pleasure-on-dcl.3482784/

Other tips we all offer often:

• Don't try to do everything (I don't know what cruise or ship you are on but especially if it's a short one)
  • You can be just as busy or just as relaxed as you want.
• Don't miss out on the character meet & greets. The lines on the cruise are much more manageable than in the parks. (But again, don't kill yourself trying to hit every single one.)
• Since it's your first cruise, definitely don't skip the shows. Everyone has their own opinions on each but for your first time, definitely take the time. They are all excellent quality shows.
• I personally recommend avoiding the internet package and disconnect from the world. I give family and work the number to reach the stateroom and call it done. For us one of the best things about cruising is disconnecting from the world and focussing on the family. (I realize everyone can't do this for family or business reasons but at the least, stay off Facebook for the cruise )
• Don't be afraid to try new food and eat all you want (calories don't count on the cruise lol) If you find you didn't like what you ordered, order something else. Your service team is there to take care of you. If you like what you had, don't be afraid to ask for more.
• Be prepared to be addicted lol We took our first one in September of last year, and half already taken another one this year and have 3 more booked lol

Hope you all have a great time. I don't have kids so I can't help there but others will be able to.

 

[squirk]

#1 tip - unless you are getting some last-minute screaming deal, don't wait until 45 days prior to your cruise to book it.

#1 other tip - it looks like you are on the 3-day Dream sailing. As Bishoparc said, you will not get to do everything. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, then go full throttle if you must, but you run the risk of exhausting yourself and not relaxing at all.

Since the cruise is so short, consider looking at recent Navigators for this itinerary and get a "lay of the land" in terms of activities, so you know what your "must-do's" are ahead of time. You won't waste precious cruise time trying to figure things out on the fly.

 

[LucyM123]

First, congrats on your first cruise! I would suggest reading through this thread if you haven't already as that contains a lot of things I didn't even know were available after my second cruise: http://www.disboards.com/threads/favorite-guilty-pleasure-on-dcl.3482784/

Other tips we all offer often:

• Don't try to do everything (I don't know what cruise or ship you are on but especially if it's a short one)
  • You can be just as busy or just as relaxed as you want.
• Don't miss out on the character meet & greets. The lines on the cruise are much more manageable than in the parks. (But again, don't kill yourself trying to hit every single one.)
• Since it's your first cruise, definitely don't skip the shows. Everyone has their own opinions on each but for your first time, definitely take the time. They are all excellent quality shows.
• I personally recommend avoiding the internet package and disconnect from the world. I give family and work the number to reach the stateroom and call it done. For us one of the best things about cruising is disconnecting from the world and focussing on the family. (I realize everyone can't do this for family or business reasons but at the least, stay off Facebook for the cruise )
• Don't be afraid to try new food and eat all you want (calories don't count on the cruise lol) If you find you didn't like what you ordered, order something else. Your service team is there to take care of you. If you like what you had, don't be afraid to ask for more.
• Be prepared to be addicted lol We took our first one in September of last year, and half already taken another one this year and have 3 more booked lol

Hope you all have a great time. I don't have kids so I can't help there but others will be able to.

Thank you so much! We are so overwhelmed with the whole thing, had heard so many differing do's and don'ts that I figured it would be best to ask the people that know DCL inside and out.

 

[LucyM123]

#1 tip - unless you are getting some last-minute screaming deal, don't wait until 45 days prior to your cruise to book it.

#1 other tip - it looks like you are on the 3-day Dream sailing. As Bishoparc said, you will not get to do everything. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, then go full throttle if you must, but you run the risk of exhausting yourself and not relaxing at all.

Since the cruise is so short, consider looking at recent Navigators for this itinerary and get a "lay of the land" in terms of activities, so you know what your "must-do's" are ahead of time. You won't waste precious cruise time trying to figure things out on the fly.

LOL Yeah, I normally wouldn't be doing this so last minute, it's making me a little crazy. This is my daughter's last year in a year round school, and her break in April will be the last non-traditional break, so, this will be the last time we can take advantage of not doing a traditional summertime vacation.

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the Navigators?

 

[Monual]

Navigators are the onboard newsletter. A copy is left in your stateroom every day, containing the day's schedule.

My favorite tip: If you're looking to do the Aquaduck, which I think is fun, a great time to do it is immediately after you board. Pack some swimwear into your carry-on luggage, slip it on, and find that there is absolutely no line for the Aquaduck. You can go on it over and over again if you want. Your daughter might like. I, as a sober gentleman, would never do something like that. More than three times, anyway.

I also highly recommend Remy's if you're up to spending the money on a fancy dinner. An experience not to be missed, in my opinion.

The clubs are fairly dead after midnight, so don't bother. Get some sleep instead. The Dream is best experienced during the daytime anyway, again in my opinion.

 

[squirk]

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the Navigators?

Like Monual said. Here's are links to the Navigators from a recent 3-day Bahamian Dream sailing. I would think that your Navigators will look very similar:

Day 1: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...3N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20151211.pdf

Day 2: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...s-Dream-3N-Bahamian-Day-2-Nassau-20151212.pdf

Day 3: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...m-3N-Bahamian-Day-3-Castaway-Cay-20151213.pdf

It can look a little overwhelming at first, especially the grid, but it comes as a six-page newsletter and really isn't bad once you've read them a few times.

Better to get familiar with it now than trying to figure it out when you're on the ship. The quicker you know what you're gonna do, the sooner you can get on board, settle in and relax.

 

[TestingH2O]

After you look at the Nabigators and website, have every person pick one thing they absolutely want to do. Focus on those.

Also have everyone pick a second thing. Once everyone's first choice is handled, then start working on second choices.

I say only list two because there will be lots of other things that come up that you would not have anticipated wanting to do.

 

[BensDaddy]

Fly in the night before and board as early as possible after your port arrival time. You've paid for that time, might as well enjoy it. Pack bathing suits in your bag. Board, have lunch, enjoy the pool and aquaduck before the ship gets too crowded. Remember to allow enough time to get to your cabin and put on street clothes before the lifeboat drill.

On a 3 day consider staying aboard in Nassau instead of doing a shore excursion there. The ship will be less crowded and you can explore more things to do. Nassau is a mediocre port of call anyway.

Have fun!

 

[Yumi696]

This is also our first Disney cruise! We're planning on staying on board the ship as well, because we have been to Nassau already through Carnival.

 

[dyson0715]

I'm on the Dream right before you guys, so I'll do my best to save you some food, no promises..lol. we booked this cruise like 2 years ago, so I'm a little jealous that you guys don't have to wait, but it's a lot of planning too..no advise its our first cruise too. Have fun!

 

[closetmickey]

On a three night, I would skip the adults only restaurants, unless you can secure a reservation for Palo brunch. Check once onboard.

 

[LucyM123]

After you look at the Nabigators and website, have every person pick one thing they absolutely want to do. Focus on those.

Also have everyone pick a second thing. Once everyone's first choice is handled, then start working on second choices.

I say only list two because there will be lots of other things that come up that you would not have anticipated wanting to do.

That's a great idea!

 

[LucyM123]

Fly in the night before and board as early as possible after your port arrival time. You've paid for that time, might as well enjoy it. Pack bathing suits in your bag. Board, have lunch, enjoy the pool and aquaduck before the ship gets too crowded. Remember to allow enough time to get to your cabin and put on street clothes before the lifeboat drill.

On a 3 day consider staying aboard in Nassau instead of doing a shore excursion there. The ship will be less crowded and you can explore more things to do. Nassau is a mediocre port of call anyway.

Have fun!

We were already talking about staying on board in Nassau, we were assuming that it'd be less crowded.

 

[LucyM123]

Like Monual said. Here's are links to the Navigators from a recent 3-day Bahamian Dream sailing. I would think that your Navigators will look very similar:

Day 1: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...3N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20151211.pdf

Day 2: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...s-Dream-3N-Bahamian-Day-2-Nassau-20151212.pdf

Day 3: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...m-3N-Bahamian-Day-3-Castaway-Cay-20151213.pdf

It can look a little overwhelming at first, especially the grid, but it comes as a six-page newsletter and really isn't bad once you've read them a few times.

Better to get familiar with it now than trying to figure it out when you're on the ship. The quicker you know what you're gonna do, the sooner you can get on board, settle in and relax.

Oh awesome! Thank you so much. I'm going to show these to the fam, so they can start getting a basic idea of what goes on.

 

[jrabbit]

here are some excerpts from some of my prior posts on this subject .... therefor there might be some duplicate "posts"

ok this is kind of long, but its not that scary!!!

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First off ... Don't Stress It
Second ... You Can't Do It All - Especially on a 4 nighter
Third ... You Can't Eat It All - but try some foods outside of your comfort zone - don't worry if you don't like it, your waiter will bring you something else (for FREE - well you've already paid for it).

the hardest part of a Disney Cruise is deciding what NOT to do!!! The Personal Navigator that is delivered every evening will give you the run down of the next day's activities, times and locations.

Cruise

• You need your government issued photo ID if you are 16 (maybe it's 18) years old or older, Use a Drivers license to get on/off of ship (because its easy to carry). In addition you will need either an official birth certificate or a passport.
• Credit Card or other way of paying off "incidentals" on the cruise: Shore Excursions, Gratuities, Adult Beverages, Kids Beverages (smoothies, etc), Souvenirs, Spa and/or many other things that carry an additional charge.
• Sun Screen - the sun IS different there than where you are from. Use it faithfully

Fun Stuff

• Do you want to do an expensive massage or other spa treatment? you can prebook or wait until you board to decide (but the pre bookers might have taken all available slots)
• Do the adults want to do a mixology class - you reserve those once you've boarded the ship (carry a fee)
• Kids Clubs: are included in the cruise fare - unless you have an under 3 year old. Those spots carry a fee and you can pre book some time slots
• Shows: there are nightly shows in the Walt Disney Theater - times are opposite of dinner times.
• Shows: there are "shows/activities" in-between your dinner seating and WDT show time. Mostly geared to families. I really enjoy these activities.
• Shows: Movies in the other theater and in your stateroom
• Shows: the Adults Only show in the entertainment district (by "adult" I mean, still pretty family friendly - they only go as far as "Disney Dirty" - and the District/Europa, Fathoms/Wavebands is restricted to adults only after 9pm - so no kiddos allowed)
• Activities throughout the day and night: Trivia, learn to draw the characters, character meet and greats, talks, seminars, etc
• Mid Ship Detective Agency (Dream/Fantasy) - fun for the whole family - and it helps you find your way around the ship
• Pool Deck: there's the pools (adult and family), the AquaDuck (Dream/Fantasy) or AquaDunk (Magic), the sports court and mini golf (Dream/Fantasy)

Dinning
for Dinner You will be assigned a restaurant for each night of the cruise. Don't sweat this. You will be given a table in a restaurant - and you will visit all 3 of them on your cruise. Let DCL assign you a rotation - there's no reason to figure out what the "perfect" rotation is!!
Breakfast and lunches: there will always be the buffet. Some of the MDR's will be open for a sit down breakfast or lunch. And there's a lot of other options up on pool deck.


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Things to "Work" on
Where to Go: Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, other
How Long: Kind of depends upon where you go
When to Go: Bahamas and Caribbean all year, others are "limited time only" cruise
Which Ship: when and where will determine the ship taken. All of the ships are very nice. The oldest ship is the Magic, but she had a major overhaul a few years ago, the Wonder is a year newer than the Magic and retains most of her "classic" features. When totally full these ships can sail with about 2500 guests. The new, larger ships are the Dream and Fantasy. They have some "cool tech" and additional features over the classic ships (but their staterooms are smaller than the classics).
Room Choice: Inside, Oceanview (porthole), veranda ("enclosed", solid wall or plexiglass), or concierge room. The higher up you go the more you motion of the ship. same with way forward or aft. Very much a personal preference. the question that you have to ask yourself is: how much time do you spend in the stateroom. For my family, we use it for "naps" between 1am and 7am (yep we go go go and then relax on deck somewhere), and to shower and change clothes between our daytime activities and dinner / nighttime activities. We have had a veranda a couple of time and it is NOT a big deal for us. Not even in Alaska.
Port Adventures: Do you want to do something at the ports of call? Do you do a cruiseline sponsored excursion, find a shoreside operator or go totally on your own.
Picture Package: do you want to stand in line and get lots of pictures with the characters or the backdrops. If yes you should consider purchasing the photo package before boarding the ship to save a little money.
Adult Dining: Do you want a fine dining experience outside of the main dining rooms? If yes there is brunch in Palo on sea days, Dinners every evening, and additionally on the Dream and Fantasy there's Remy's which offer the brunch and dinner as described. Cost per person: Palo $30+, Remy $80+. you can only book one brunch and dinner online pre cruise. I don't know if you can book both a Palo Dinner and a Remy dinner - haven't tried that.
Getting between the Airport and Ship: DCL does have convenient transportation and luggage. It's a little "expensive" but not really. Convenience IS worth something. I usually take DCL transfers - I like the "previews of coming attractions" video with Mickey and the gang that they show on the trip to the ship.

Things to Not Worry about
Dining Rotation for dinners: you will be assigned a different restaurant each evening, have an assigned table. It will either be Main (around 5:45) or Late (around 8:30). Your tablemates and serving team go with you from restaurant to restaurant
Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks: the buffet will always be open for breakfast and lunches (closed between changeover between breakfast and lunch) and quick snack locations are open from early to late. The free drink station is open from early morning to late at night with Soda, water, coffee, tea, hot water, hot chocolate.
Room Service: most items are free - sodas delivered carry a charge. I've NEVER used this - there's enough food elsewhere on the ship
Entertainment: the main stage shows are free and your seating time is opposite of your dinner time. And there are "family shows" between the dinner seatings that are very enjoyable. And then there are all of the other activities scheduled throughout the day.
Kids Clubs: Children between the ages of 3 and 18 have a spot "reserved" for them in the various clubs


What You Need
Money - and Lots of it!!! - and that just gets you onboard - more costs to come ...
Money for Gratuities: This is how your serving team and room steward gets paid. in the past (there's a hint of changes coming industry wide) it works out to $12 per GUEST (even infants) per NIGHT of the cruise. so for 3 guests on a 7 night cruise the expected gratuities charged to your room will be: $12 * 3 people * 7 nights = $252. You don't have to leave extra for breakfasts and lunches, this covers it all. Some give less many leave more based on your service received.
Money for Shore Excursions: you DCL booked shore excursions are not charged to you until you board the ship so they will go on your onboard account
Money for Souvenirs: there are several shops on board to buy stuff that you can't live without
Government Issued Photo ID: for Caribbean and Bahama cruises you only need a Official Birth Certificate and photo id (for everyone over 16 or 18 years old). IMHO Passports are much better to travel with. All other DCL cruises to date require passports. Bring your drivers license even if you are using a passport - easier to hand to security when reboarding the ship in ports of call.
SUN SCREEN: for most cruises - because the sun IS Different (much more intense) in the caribbean and bahamas than where you live!!! Just say NO to sunburns!!!


Other things
Personal Navigator: In the Port and then every night you will receive the - will list the next day's activities and times dining locations are open
Ticketed Events: there are more ticketed events scheduled from Character Gatherings to Mixology. Some are free, some carry a charge
You Can't Do It All: so don't try, don't stress. That being said, sleep is for AFTER the cruise
You Can't Eat It All: But this is the time to try new / different foods. If you don't like something, they will bring you something else - no additional charge so it's kind of for free (see MONEY above)
Take the Stairs NOT the Elevators: you get to eat more desserts this way - and will usually get to your destination quicker than waiting.

heck, there's probably a lot more stuff to consider, but this should give you a good overview of what to expect. The cruise is not like planning a WDW vacation: Hotel, which park which day, what fast passes, dining reservations 6 months in advance, early magic mornings/evenings etc, etc, etc.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

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[diznymom]

Lots of tips here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/list-of-disney-cruise-tips-is-gone.2381506/

and here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/cruise-secrets-that-dcl-doesnt-tell-you.1380936/

I would add: Bring a night light for the bathroom. Or glow sticks make wonderful night lights. It is super dark in the bathroom at night.

 

[MPS516]

Beware both the links are very dated, you will need to go all the way through the second one to see the many things that are no longer available or allowed.

 

[Jess_S]

In addition to the what you need items posted above, I always bring Bonine (for sea sickness), aspirin and tums. That way I'm covered in case of rough seas, dehydration (and too many cocktails) and overeating. Now that I have a kid, I also bring kids Tylenol from him just in case. If you do get sea sick, it helps to be outside where there's fresh air and you can see the ocean.

 

[LucyM123]

In addition to the what you need items posted above, I always bring Bonine (for sea sickness), aspirin and tums. That way I'm covered in case of rough seas, dehydration (and too many cocktails) and overeating. Now that I have a kid, I also bring kids Tylenol from him just in case. If you do get sea sick, it helps to be outside where there's fresh air and you can see the ocean.

How common is sea sickness?