Your most important tip for a first time cruise

[mumto2]

One thing I wish I'd paid more attention to: studying the Navigator they give you at check in. We had talked about doing the ship tour, and we didn't know to go to find out about mixology classes and such, because I handed the navigator to one of the kids and didn't see it again. Not doing that this next cruise.

One tip I'm so glad I paid attention to: Ordering coffee just before bed to have on the verandah the next morning. I like cream, so I ordered coffee for two with extra cream. I can't describe how heavenly it was for me (the early riser in the family) to sit on the verandah in my jammies, watching the dawn, sipping coffee, all alone with my thoughts. And yes, the coffee was still very hot when I ordered it around 11 and drank it around 6 thanks to the high-quality thermal carafe.

 

[sambycat]

Don't over research your first cruise

 

[bode1025]

We brought our own Tervis cups and lids for the drink machines. That came in handy.

 

[ptcbass]

Don't try to do it all. We took our first cruise last May on the Dream and didn't plan any excursions. At the end of the trip we felt like we needed a "do over" cause we didn't get to see/do everything we wanted to. I couldn't even tell you what all we did but were up at 6 am and didn't get in bed till about 2 am. I don't think we would have slept at all if we thought we didn't have to. Boy were we tired when we got home! We loved every minute of it and are now hooked
I do wish we would have booked another one on board. We ended up booking about a month after we got home (got a coupon in the mail) and then switched it to a 7 night Fantasy so we missed out on the $200 OBC

 

[darkwing818]

Remember that you will not be able to do everything. Enjoy spending time together as a family and relax.

OP this our advise as well. We always will wear our bathing suits on to the ship, under shorts & a t-shirt. It makes getting to the pool & Aquaduck much quicker. Plus there are always people in the rest rooms changing into their swim suits as the staterooms aren't available if you board before 1:30. At least that's what we do.

 

[ahain]

I agree with everything others have said....plan loosely to make certain you don't miss your "must-do's" but don't plan every minute and don't freak out if something doesn't go as planned.

One thing I learned the hard way is remember to bring lip balm or lipstick that has sunscreen in it. We were on a full day sail & snorkel and although I had plenty of sunscreen o protect my body, I didn't even think about the fact that all I had was regular chap stick - my lips got sooo sunburned that they blistered - they hurt and looked awful, too.

 

[jiminy14]

One thing we learned the hard way. Have each member of your party pack a change of clothes for dinner in another member's luggage. My DH and I received our luggage at a reasonable time but our DD's duffel went missing and ended up at the wrong end of the ship and on the wrong deck. Our host told us not to worry and he found it much later that night.

 

[Footnotegirl]

Well, my number 1 tip would be "Anything less than a 7 day is too dang short!"
Sunscreen: reapply, reapply, reapply.
Food: try new things! This is your chance to find out if you really like that thing you never ordered before because either it was too expensive or you were worried about wasting food.
Take the stairs: Unless you are in heels or otherwise hampered, anything less than 2 decks up or 4 decks down, you're going to get there faster if you walk, and burn off some of that food!
Timing: Don't show up to dinner early, you'll just have to wait in line. Don't show up to dinner too late, you'll put your servers off their schedule (especially true in Animators Palate). Try to get to dinner either right on time or within 10 minutes of the start time.
Pools: Kids and family pool are at their busiest when you most want to go, because that's when everyone most wants to go. Instead, try during dinner/show time, early in the morning, or while in port.
Finally: It isn't really vacation until you've had something to drink that is unnaturally colored in a souvenir cup. It's our tradition to get the Drink of the Day on the first afternoon and just enjoy the moment of 'this is when our vacation starts'.

 

[Cruise-n-2015]

Love your food tips, I never really thought of it like that!
And well if I must try the coloured drink in the souvenir cup, I'll have to do it just because you said so lol

 

[Footnotegirl]

I can't give the food advice enough. I used to be a VERY picky eater. I'm still sort of picky, but going on Disney Cruises has allowed me to try new things without being judged or feeling like I'm wasting food or money or might end up hungry. I'm still never going to eat anything with raw meat, but the cruise got onion soup, goat cheese, and smoked buffalo (from our dinner at Remy) under my belt and made me a more adventurous eater!

 

[budamacdvcr]

If I duplicate one here sorry. Other than be flexible, have a blast, go with the flow here are some simple ones we learned that had value for us:

1. Before going to bed order a carafe of coffee from room service. It comes in a thermal pot and is still hot in the morning for your first cup of coffee without someone having to get up, dressed and go get it.
2. Bring something to get character signatures on. Many with younger kids bring a white pillowcase and markers. Drop it off at guest services (all in one bag) with your last name and cabin number. The "characters" all autograph it and it gets returned to your room before the end of the cruise. We have done Mickey plates, Christmas ornaments and an all white sailor hat as well.
3. Bring Magnetic strip cards for cabin electricity. Rooms on the Dream are like Europe hotels, you have to put your room key card in a slot for the electricity to work. Much easier to keep track of room cards that have charging privileges on them without having to worry about putting it in when you go in your room and taking it out when you leave.
   
4. Bring a multi outlet / power strip.
5. Download the Disney Cruise line app. This app provides the navigators via wifi on the ships so you can have it on your phone or tablet. Device set to airplane mode, and then free ship wifi will provide the navigators. Plus it has a countdown function to your cruise date.

Happy sailing

 

[Cruise-n-2015]

I love your coffee idea!! Coffee on the veranda in the morning while the kids sleep!
Perfect!!!

 

[MelSpees]

Unfortunately, they are cracking down on power strips. They are no longer allowed.
Please get to dinner on time. One person commented "or within 10 minutes". (Everyone runs late occasionally, but don't make a habit of it.) 10 minutes can mean a wait for others at your table. They end up eating more bread while they wait

 

[cheribelle]

Pick up a cardboard drink holder at a fast food restaurant before the cruise if you can (we drive down to Florida so plenty of places on the way!). This came in so handy carrying everyone's drinks from the drink stations on deck and at Castaway Cay. So many times I got asked where I found them. It was such a handy tip I picked up here on DisBoards

 

[NYIceQueen]

Unfortunately, they are cracking down on power strips. They are no longer allowed.
Please get to dinner on time. One person commented "or within 10 minutes". (Everyone runs late occasionally, but don't make a habit of it.) 10 minutes can mean a wait for others at your table. They end up eating more bread while they wait

Question:

Since most cellphone chargers have a removable USB head to use as a data cable (which in turn charges it on a laptop or in your car for example), can we use something like this:

As you can see it's a single plug and it just has multiple USB heads. It doesn't actually have places for plugs, so technically not a power strip.

 

[jetskigrl]

My advise to new cruisers is to always have a camera with you. Some of our favorite character experiences have been completely by chance (running into them in the hall, etc).
Also, if you use a regular camera and don't want to carry your phone, bring a watch. It is so easy to miss an event you wanted to do because you didn't know what time it was (and time moves quickly on the ship, LOL).

 

[ellyn2000]

My first cruise on the Dream was in February and my husband and I are going in June for our anniversary. All of these tips are great! This is what I learned would come in handy.....a lanyard with a pouch attached at the bottom for key card and ID. I bought one for $10 and was glad to have it. We get them free on 2nd cruise. A Tervis or some sort of insulated cup for the soda/drink station. Much better than the small, flimsy cups provided. Am taking a mug from our resort stay for a nice, large coffee. I really, really overpacked! I'm taking casual outfits for day and jersey knit type dresses for evening. We're not doing any formal dining. Easy and light to pack. I'm taking a Disney ceramic plate and a photo frame mat in a package with Sharpies to be left at Guest Services for characters to sign as souvenirs. Enjoyed room service coffee and juice each morning. Look over the Navigator and then keep it with you. I'm sure I'll learn more with each cruise. Most importantly, enjoy yourself and don't fret if you miss something. Just being on the ship was enjoyable for me.

 

[MelSpees]

We take thermal cups for soft drinks and travel mugs for coffee. The mugs work great when going to morning talks--no worries about spills. We take longer cruises, so the drink containers get a work out and are worth the space they take.
I just had the thought of taking a plain white mug for characters to sign. We have mug racks on our dining room wall with a number of special mugs on display. We use the mugs for hot cider and eggnog at our Christmas parties.
If you're not a morning person, don't worry about getting up for breakfast. There is always food on deck, room service and free coffee and tea along with soft drinks at the beverage station. Of course, if you're headed out on a port adventure, you probably want to hit the buffet.

 

[JTBE]

Bring a cheap, room fragrance to keep in your bathroom.

 

[budamacdvcr]

Question:

Since most cellphone chargers have a removable USB head to use as a data cable (which in turn charges it on a laptop or in your car for example), can we use something like this:

As you can see it's a single plug and it just has multiple USB heads. It doesn't actually have places for plugs, so technically not a power strip.

Yes this perfect for the multiple mobile devices a family of 4 has.