Disney Cruises
Have you recently booked a Disney Cruise or are looking to book one? Hopefully the information below helps. My family has been on many cruises, but Disney was the best for those with family. Recently they were award the #1 cruise line by Conde Nast. Disney cruises are special and have a lot going on and a lot of times that are special just to Disney.
Should I book a Disney Cruise?
If you have a family with young children this is a easy discussion. In my opinion the extra cost of a Disney Cruise was worth every dollar. But there are some people who may not enjoy them. Before we booked I read a lot of reviews and the ones who had a bad time seemed to be able to be grouped. While there is a lot of pixie dust on the ship, tinker bell and the enchanted woodland creatures will not be taking care of you nor can they read your mind. Now I will say, the staff on board of the ship has a bit of pixie dust and will try their hardest to make this a magical experience for you. (I never really saw the room steward, but wow, my room was cleaned up every time I left it, chocolate was left on my pillow and towel animals magically appeared (and my cloths always seemed to be folded and I never remember folding them myself). Also if you don't want to be in a crowded pool with children, and easily get agitated by children running around, this is not the cruise for you. Mind you there are many adult only areas on the boat. So just because you do not have kids, that does not mean that you shouldn't do a Disney Cruise. On the Fantasy there was a entire bar area that was only for adults, a adult only pool (the cove) and a adult only spa. Also note, Disney cruises do not have casinos on board.
What room to book?
Ah the never ending debate on what to book. Even once you book you may debate about upgrading. We booked a interior room. While I like balconies, the extra cost for us was not justified. We were booking 2 rooms. Unless you plan on spending a lot of time in the room, I don't know if it is worth the extra. Note there are always exceptions to that. If you have a infant and want to be able to come back to the room for nap time but still want to enjoy the view, book a balcony room. We had a standard inside room (not even the deluxe) and there was a ton of room. The room also has a special feature of a virtual porthole. We left it on all day and night so that in the morning we would be woken by the sun rising. The bathroom even had a tub (so nice to have the extra room). We only had 2 people in each of the rooms. But if you are a family and trying to save with your 2 kids, this would also work. There was a very thick curtain that would divide the room into 2. At nap time, it was great that my daughter could nap and we could watch TV on the other side. The bed side was dark as night behind the curtain. If you had your kids in the room, it would allow you to have a little privacy. We spent limited time in our room, with all the fun on the boat, I have no idea why people would want to hang out in the room. Go out and enjoy the ship!
GTY vs IGT/OGT/VGT
Only book these room if you don't care where or what type of room you will get. If you are particular as to where you room is or isn't on the boat, this is not an option for you. Under all of the options above, DCL will get to determine where you room is on the boat. There are different types of guarantee rooms on the boat. On most cruises there will be GTY rooms within a category. When you book a GTY within a category, DCL will either assign you one of the rooms at that level or above. Basically you are booking a bottom level and they will assign it. Upgrades are not guaranteed and completely at the discretion of Disney. They room may be assigned at any point up to embarkation.
IGT/OGT/VGT are like GTY rooms. All of the above apply, the only difference is that they are very very restrictive. When you book one of these rooms, there are no changes allowed. No changes of people in the room, no upgrading prior to arriving at embarkation, no cancellation. They cannot be changed to a different cruise, must be paid for completely at booking (no option to pay only a deposit). If something were to happen you would loose the total amount of the cruise (It is suggested that you get travel insurance because of this). In return for all the restrictions you will receive a discounted cost. This is what we booked, and we ended up being given connecting rooms. But there was no guarantee and my daughter and mother might have been on a different floor of the boat. For us we were fine with that as we have done that before, The connecting rooms though were very nice. Note these are not always offered. I would book this again, but we also booked within 2 months of departure when we booked it.
IGT/OGT/VGT are like GTY rooms. All of the above apply, the only difference is that they are very very restrictive. When you book one of these rooms, there are no changes allowed. No changes of people in the room, no upgrading prior to arriving at embarkation, no cancellation. They cannot be changed to a different cruise, must be paid for completely at booking (no option to pay only a deposit). If something were to happen you would loose the total amount of the cruise (It is suggested that you get travel insurance because of this). In return for all the restrictions you will receive a discounted cost. This is what we booked, and we ended up being given connecting rooms. But there was no guarantee and my daughter and mother might have been on a different floor of the boat. For us we were fine with that as we have done that before, The connecting rooms though were very nice. Note these are not always offered. I would book this again, but we also booked within 2 months of departure when we booked it.
This link will bring you to the discount section on mousesavers.com. Here you will see the list of which cruises currently have the special IGT/OGT/VGT rooms available.
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Door Decorations
On Disney Cruises people tend to be a little more excited than others. I believe this led to the door decorations. A tradition on Disney Cruises is to decorate your door. I actually have done this on other cruises as a way to find our room easier (like putting a tiki man decorations on it). The doors are magnetic. You can not use tape or any sticky substance to attach your decorations to the door (Disney has warned against this and people are worried that if people do use tape they will stop allowing people to decorate the doors). Also DO NOT PAY ANYONE TO CREATE THE DECORATIONS, there are many people who will design a door decoration for you. for free Just go to Disboards and do a search. If you are planning a cruise in the future, use this as a family craft to get ready for the cruise. Have your kids help out. Be creative and have fun. the below is just what I did.
Here is how I made mine:
1 - For the ears I used the below template. I then printed on normal paper, traced the outline onto glitter paper available at any craft store (like Michaels or ACMoore. To save on the magnets, I get a roll of magnet tape from Lowes (ask where magnets are) and attache a few strips to the back. It does not take much of the strip to attach to the door (try it out on your refrigerator). There are additional templates from the link below.
2 - For the Mickey heads, I used the file below. Some are plain some have our names spelled out. I used the directions on Milliepie below to make mine in word. Once printed, I cut them out, then used clear contact paper to protect them. One layer on the front, one on the back. I then used the magnets from above ( 2 small patches). There are other options, you can also print on special magnet paper (much more expensive), you can also use laminating sheets (once again much more expensive).
Here is how I made mine:
1 - For the ears I used the below template. I then printed on normal paper, traced the outline onto glitter paper available at any craft store (like Michaels or ACMoore. To save on the magnets, I get a roll of magnet tape from Lowes (ask where magnets are) and attache a few strips to the back. It does not take much of the strip to attach to the door (try it out on your refrigerator). There are additional templates from the link below.
2 - For the Mickey heads, I used the file below. Some are plain some have our names spelled out. I used the directions on Milliepie below to make mine in word. Once printed, I cut them out, then used clear contact paper to protect them. One layer on the front, one on the back. I then used the magnets from above ( 2 small patches). There are other options, you can also print on special magnet paper (much more expensive), you can also use laminating sheets (once again much more expensive).
Files used to create the ears
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Milliepie creates custom designs for free and explains how to create your own
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Looking for ears other than those that I used, check out this board on DisBoards, lots of great options.
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My file created to make the Mickey head magents.
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Fish Extender? FE Exchange?
One of my favorite parts of the cruise (and my daughters). Outside of every door there is a room number and a sea creature hook. This is where DCL will leave documents for you. Over time, Disney fans have taken it to a new level and have started a FE (Fish Extender) exchange. On DisBoards, you can find your cruise week meet and sign up to be part of the fish exchange. In this, each room will leave out a fish extender and the people who sign up will leave little gifts for those in the room. A fish extender has multiple forms. On Etsy you can have someone create one for you, you can create your own (like mine below), buy one on Ebay, hang a paper bag, etc. There are no rules as to what it has to look like, just some guideline. You want to keep the width under 8 inches wide (my top bar was larger than 8 inches and a pain the entire week - the room doors are very heavy and the stick hanging out into the door area was hit many times by me). Some people have 1 for the entire family, others have one per person in the family. Search DisBoards for additional samples and ideas. Normally there is a cut off to allow people to prepare for it. The exchange part refers to you handing out little gift. Once again no rules, you can give one gift for the entire family, one per person, only do kids, do all people. Below you will see ideas of what we received on the last cruise.
When making my fish extender, I used a fabric pouch that was 8 inches wide from JoAnne Fabrics, I then added the handles (small amount of sewing) then used paint pens and glitter glue to decorate. I also used hot glue to keep the straps together. ( not a great sewer but can make amazing items out of hot glue).
When making my fish extender, I used a fabric pouch that was 8 inches wide from JoAnne Fabrics, I then added the handles (small amount of sewing) then used paint pens and glitter glue to decorate. I also used hot glue to keep the straps together. ( not a great sewer but can make amazing items out of hot glue).
Link to DisBoards meet signups for each cruise ship.
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On eBay search for fish extender (if you want a custom one) or search for hanging pocket or hanging organizer.
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FE Gift Ideas
On our cruise we got some amazing items in the FE Exchange. The best part of this is there are no rules. You have free reign on what to give. I gave out small Disney rubix cubes for the kids and a bag of candy for the adults (every night there is a show and a little sandy is a nice treat to take with you). Since we had 2 rooms signed up, I also gave out Bubbles and coasters with a little Disney print on them. Below are samples of what other gave us. We also did label our gifts (and was glad others did too so that we could thank them). If you are creative, make your own gifts, if not so creative Party City has a favor isle that has lots of small disney gifts.
As you decide what to do remember, you have to get the items to the boat. Also try to work out a plan on how to deliver them. While I did a great job of preparing all my little bags, I didn't think about how I was going to get them around. And it was a pain! For those who gave flat gifts, they were able to organize them in a box and easily hand them out. Me not so much. I wish I had a idea to give you on how I could have made it better.
As you decide what to do remember, you have to get the items to the boat. Also try to work out a plan on how to deliver them. While I did a great job of preparing all my little bags, I didn't think about how I was going to get them around. And it was a pain! For those who gave flat gifts, they were able to organize them in a box and easily hand them out. Me not so much. I wish I had a idea to give you on how I could have made it better.
A deck of cards with the directions for a game to play using them.
Below the yellow directions, is homemade soap in the shape of mickey heads. At the top is luggage tags.
On the left is postcards that were custom made including the dates of our cruise (this is great for the Castaway Cay post office to send back home). On the left is a custom printed set of sticky notes (it is a picture of the atrium on the ship) and a sharpie to actually write notes. This picture does not do this justice. This is a Christmas tree ornament for when you go home. There is a mickey and a bell hanging in the middle of the ball and blue glitter. The outside had a strip of lace going around it.
Next to it are magnets of Mickey and Donald (these can be made using the glass beads that you can purchase at Michaels and gluing a mickey print out to the back of them, followed by a magnet. This is a plastic picture holder, filled with color paper and a black ribbon attached. Made a nice sticky note holder.
The most useful item we received! We were the envy of the crowd on Castaway Cay. This is a paint brush, that was wrapped with a mickey ribbon (available at most craft stores). This is to brush the sand off while at the beach. I don't know why but I have never thought of this! Brilliant!
You cant go wrong with Pirate gear. On the cruise there was a pirate night that people dress up for. They give you bandannas to ear but others added more fun. There were tattoos, a pirate dog tag and the dab loons on necklaces added a nice touch. While not pictured since my daughter already took it, was a pirate bag that had a pirate map in it. She loved it!
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The square items were coaters with all different items related to our cruise printed on them.
The item to the right is a paint brush (a better picture is below) In the center are travel mugs. Perfect for the soda machine on board (and the tea and coffee that they also have available).
Next to it is a magnet :) A Mickey colored key chain with a nautical theme.
Next to them is multi-color pens with fun bead necklaces. My daughter loved the princess cell phone!
I loved the special pink ribbon that was left. the ribbons were sewn together and attached to a hair ring. On the top are 3 fun key rings. (I love these).
In the middle are luggage tags that were made like scrap book pages into ships. There were lots of glow sticks. One of my favorite items was the glowing Mickey ears (personally I love that the packaging says bunny ears, when was the last time you saw a bunny with circle ears??
The pink nail polish included a note to use for formal night. And tissues are always needed! |
What to Pack...
Everyone does it, everyone wishes they didn't, THEY OVERPACK! My mother had 3 bags (ONE THAT WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO PUT A ENTIRE ADULT INTO). Try to minimize what you are bringing. As one person once said "I never thought about the items I left behind at home, just the fun that we had"
1 - Find out what you really need (on 7 day cruises there are 2 formal nights - 1 formal, 1 semiformal).
2 - If you like to wear sundresses, you only need 1 outfit for that day as long as it isn't a formal night.
3 - Try to plan out what you really plan on doing, on our cruise there were 2 sea days, on those days I wore my bathing suit for the entire day until dinner (and one of those days was a formal night). I only brought one swimsuit coverup that looked like a dress (so that I could wear it around). I ended up spending 4 days in bathing suits - 2 at sea days, 1 day at the dolphin encounter, 1 day at Castaway Cay. That means I didn't need 4 days with of shorts and 2 shirts.
4 - Dress up for the pirate night. (if you are not, do not get super dressed) a lot of people were wearing shorts/capris. Plan it out and bring it along, some people will wear amazing costumes, be part of the fun!
5 - There are washing machines available on board. If you somehow under pack, you can always do a load of laundry. It costs $2 for each cycle. Bring along purex washing sheets (these have the detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheet all in one) available at many stores and are much cheaper than the detergent on board (I bring them with me on all trips just in case).
6 - If your daughter has a princess gown, bring it, much cheaper than on the boat, also if you don't have one your child will want one, get it at Disneystore.com. They are much cheaper and wonderful quality.
7 - Sunscreen and bug spray. The last thing you want is to be sunburned or bite up by bugs (at the beach there can be all different types of biting bugs)
8 - First aid needs - You never know when you will need a band aid or cough syrup. If you have the room bring it. Remember while the boat will have some available it wont necessarily be the brand you want or are used to.
9 - I must have brought 2 times the amount of clothing that my daughter needed. Only bring what you need.
10 - When you get to the pier you drop off your bags, normally you will keep a bag with you, pack anything valuable in your take on bag, also throw in your bathing suits. Might as well start off in the pool asap!
11 - If you want to hang out at the pool with a large soda, bring your own cup. The cups they have are very small (think of a cup between a small and a medium at McDonalds).
12 - Bring something to have the characters sign. On your 1st night (or 2nd) on 7 days cruises, you can drop off at guest services a item for the characters to sign. The larger the item, the more signatures you will get. Also bring the pens that you want them to sign with. I got a 11X17 frame mat and 12 sharpies, it came our beautiful.
13 - Don't forget your camera. Bring it with you everywhere. You never know when you will run into a character and have a interaction. We came off a elevator right into Cinderella's arms!
14 - A bag for the beach that can handle the sand. We use a IKEA blue bag and brought all my daughters sand toys. I was a very proud mom when my daughter saw a kid at Costa Maya that didn't have any toys to play with in the sand and gave one of hers to him.
What don't you need
1 - Towels (Disney will provide, even when you go on excursions (and who wants to bring home a stinky wet towel in their bags).
2 - Hair dryer, there is one in the room. Not super powerful but will make do.
3 - Shampoo and Conditioner, unless you have special needs the shampoo and conditioner in the room are amazing. They smell wonderful, the shampoo also worked well as bubble bath.
4 - video games, iPads, etc for kids. Do yourself a favor, bring them if needed for the travel time, but lock them in the safe. There is so much to do on the boat, don't let your kids waist the vacation playing on a Nintendo machine in their room. I watch kids walk by me on them ignoring all the fun going around them.
1 - Find out what you really need (on 7 day cruises there are 2 formal nights - 1 formal, 1 semiformal).
2 - If you like to wear sundresses, you only need 1 outfit for that day as long as it isn't a formal night.
3 - Try to plan out what you really plan on doing, on our cruise there were 2 sea days, on those days I wore my bathing suit for the entire day until dinner (and one of those days was a formal night). I only brought one swimsuit coverup that looked like a dress (so that I could wear it around). I ended up spending 4 days in bathing suits - 2 at sea days, 1 day at the dolphin encounter, 1 day at Castaway Cay. That means I didn't need 4 days with of shorts and 2 shirts.
4 - Dress up for the pirate night. (if you are not, do not get super dressed) a lot of people were wearing shorts/capris. Plan it out and bring it along, some people will wear amazing costumes, be part of the fun!
5 - There are washing machines available on board. If you somehow under pack, you can always do a load of laundry. It costs $2 for each cycle. Bring along purex washing sheets (these have the detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheet all in one) available at many stores and are much cheaper than the detergent on board (I bring them with me on all trips just in case).
6 - If your daughter has a princess gown, bring it, much cheaper than on the boat, also if you don't have one your child will want one, get it at Disneystore.com. They are much cheaper and wonderful quality.
7 - Sunscreen and bug spray. The last thing you want is to be sunburned or bite up by bugs (at the beach there can be all different types of biting bugs)
8 - First aid needs - You never know when you will need a band aid or cough syrup. If you have the room bring it. Remember while the boat will have some available it wont necessarily be the brand you want or are used to.
9 - I must have brought 2 times the amount of clothing that my daughter needed. Only bring what you need.
10 - When you get to the pier you drop off your bags, normally you will keep a bag with you, pack anything valuable in your take on bag, also throw in your bathing suits. Might as well start off in the pool asap!
11 - If you want to hang out at the pool with a large soda, bring your own cup. The cups they have are very small (think of a cup between a small and a medium at McDonalds).
12 - Bring something to have the characters sign. On your 1st night (or 2nd) on 7 days cruises, you can drop off at guest services a item for the characters to sign. The larger the item, the more signatures you will get. Also bring the pens that you want them to sign with. I got a 11X17 frame mat and 12 sharpies, it came our beautiful.
13 - Don't forget your camera. Bring it with you everywhere. You never know when you will run into a character and have a interaction. We came off a elevator right into Cinderella's arms!
14 - A bag for the beach that can handle the sand. We use a IKEA blue bag and brought all my daughters sand toys. I was a very proud mom when my daughter saw a kid at Costa Maya that didn't have any toys to play with in the sand and gave one of hers to him.
What don't you need
1 - Towels (Disney will provide, even when you go on excursions (and who wants to bring home a stinky wet towel in their bags).
2 - Hair dryer, there is one in the room. Not super powerful but will make do.
3 - Shampoo and Conditioner, unless you have special needs the shampoo and conditioner in the room are amazing. They smell wonderful, the shampoo also worked well as bubble bath.
4 - video games, iPads, etc for kids. Do yourself a favor, bring them if needed for the travel time, but lock them in the safe. There is so much to do on the boat, don't let your kids waist the vacation playing on a Nintendo machine in their room. I watch kids walk by me on them ignoring all the fun going around them.
How to prepare
If you are going to do the FE then you should start early. You can use this as a family craft activity. Have your kids help, my daughter loves to help mommy with things like this.
Make sure you think about what shore excursions you are going to do and if you are booking through DCL, do so before you get on the cruise. You will not be charged until you get onto the boat. This way you will have your tickets awaiting you in your room when you get on. Ne need to wait in line. Also if the tour you want is full, keep checking back. I was able to move to a earlier time and was able to booked a prior excursion that was full. If by the time you leave they are still full, go to the excursion desk as there are normally some held back for people who do not book online.
Look at old personal navigators (these are the schedules that they give you daily of activities). Some people are nice enough to bring them back with them and have them posted online. (see links below).
Check out the Disney cruise line blog. There is a lot of information on there. Also check out DisBoards for their recent cruise reviews. Things change on the boats all the time, those who just got off will have the most up to date information.
Determine how you are getting to the cruise terminal. We drove so we had to decide where to park at Port of Canaveral. There are many choices that are much cheaper than the port. But the convenience of the port cannot be beet.
Consider flying or driving in the day before. You never know when there will be a travel delay, why stress. The boat leaves at the designated time, with or without you!
Remember this is a vacation and you want to have fun!
Make sure you think about what shore excursions you are going to do and if you are booking through DCL, do so before you get on the cruise. You will not be charged until you get onto the boat. This way you will have your tickets awaiting you in your room when you get on. Ne need to wait in line. Also if the tour you want is full, keep checking back. I was able to move to a earlier time and was able to booked a prior excursion that was full. If by the time you leave they are still full, go to the excursion desk as there are normally some held back for people who do not book online.
Look at old personal navigators (these are the schedules that they give you daily of activities). Some people are nice enough to bring them back with them and have them posted online. (see links below).
Check out the Disney cruise line blog. There is a lot of information on there. Also check out DisBoards for their recent cruise reviews. Things change on the boats all the time, those who just got off will have the most up to date information.
Determine how you are getting to the cruise terminal. We drove so we had to decide where to park at Port of Canaveral. There are many choices that are much cheaper than the port. But the convenience of the port cannot be beet.
Consider flying or driving in the day before. You never know when there will be a travel delay, why stress. The boat leaves at the designated time, with or without you!
Remember this is a vacation and you want to have fun!
My Experience on Disney Fantasy - April 27, 2013
One of the best vacations ever! We decided instead of flying and adding the hassle that we would drive. From Virginia to Port Canaveral is only 12 hours. Once you figure in all the driving to the airport, waiting at the airport, flight delays, arriving in Orlando, getting your bags, getting on a bus to Port Canaveral we are talking about the same amount of time. But what we did gain, was not having to stress over the amount or weight of our luggage, and we drove down the night before to ensure we didn't have any issues. I did debate on where to park, we were going to park offsite, but decided when we left we wanted to be out of there quickly and parking at port is the only option for that.
We drove up to the port, from there we followed the directions and dropped off our bags with a porter at the curb then proceeded to park the car. We parked on level 3 (this is the same level as the walkway into the terminal (you wont have to take a elevator nor escalator if you park on this level.
We were from our to checked in within 20 min or arriving to the port (including getting our daughters band for the kids club). 1st stop was the normal metal scanners, followed by check in. Have all of your documents ready and preregister to make this processes seamless. When we pre-checked in online we had a 11:30 check in time. They did not stop you from checking in, but I noticed that those with latter times had higher boarding numbers. Remember to register as soon as possible to get the earlier time (if that is a option for you). Once we checked in, we then proceeded to check in our daughter to the kids club and get her tracking device. We had also preregistered her for this and it was a 5 min process (including signing docs for her epipen). Then we waited. Mickey was in the terminal and we waited in line to get a picture. Around noon we were allowed on the boat. we had group number 9 to board the boat. We were on within 15 minutes. Once on board we went to lunch (you have a few options Cabanas (buffet) or Enchanted Garden (which is also a buffet, but there are servers and they will seat you).
At 1:30 pm our rooms were available (YEAH!!) we were worn out and my daughter was ready for her nap. We had a inside stateroom (7017 & 7019). These are connecting rooms, which was great. The room size was very generous and there was a bathtub in the bathroom. They have a virtual porthole that is a lcd tv that shows the view from the bridge of the outside. It also is enhanced and will have characters fly by every so often (my caught thought this was great). We were concerned at first that the room was right behind the laundry room that it would be noisy. It was very quiet! No worries booking these rooms at all. If you have small kids you will want to also adjust the tension on the bathroom door. At the top there is a bar that you turn that will make it easier or harder to open and close. I liked to keep the bathroom door open at night (1 - if someone tries to come into your room while it is opened they interlock and make a lot of noise 2 - With it open and the porthole on at night, when the sun rises you will be able to see it (you sleep under the virtual porthole). The room was split into 2 sections, a little sofa (that converts to a extra bed) and the main bed. Dividing the 2 was a curtain (a blackout curtain to be specific) when closed that side of the room was very dark (nice for naps). The one thing to note, while there is plenty of closet space, there is limited shelving. I actually like having my cloths folded and not on hangers so that was a slight issue. There is also a coffee table that opens and can hold items, we used this as a hamper. Watch the hinge area. I managed to get my leg pinched in it. There is a safe in the room that is large enough to fit a video camera (Sony), DSL camera, a macbook air, 3 ipad minis (Including one it a otter box), and other items.
The boat was beautiful! Since it is new (14 months I believe) it still was glistening with all the pixie dust :) One of the best areas of the boat is for the kids. It is the Oceanears Lab and Club. This one of the kids rooms, for the preteens and teens there are separate rooms. I would suggest going to the open-house. This is the only time that you are able to hang out with your kids in these rooms. There are many rooms different rooms all with themes. I will note, at first my daughter wasn't thrilled and called us within an hour of going there. We had her go back again and then she didn't want to leave and we had to drag her out each time. For the kids club they were place a tracking band on your child, you will also need to provide a password when registering and who can check your child out of the kids club. Also I did watch some parents take the band off each time they left the kids room. If you have a younger child, do yourself a favor and leave it on. At first my daughter said it wasn't comfortable, but then didn't even notice it. This is for your child's safety and they will be able to pull up where you child is on the boat even if not in the kids club. It is easy to get separated from your child. I have been on other boats and I will say, this was the best kids club I have ever seen. There are tons of activities, and the staff interacts with your child. Most others the staff are there to watch your child. Here they are there to do things and interact. There were staff everywhere in there. I didn't feel bad about dropping her off for fun time. Normally we would drop her off in-between the show and dinner (we had 2nd seating). We then would then have her quick served for dinner, so that by 9:15 she was ready to go back for 45min before bed time.
For adults we enjoyed the rainforest room. The cost for this is $16 if pre-purchased or we paid $27 a person including a scrub on board. This is a special room in the spa where for the entire day for the above cost you can use the aromatherapy showers, saunas, tile loungers and hot tubs. It was great! After dropping our daughter off at the kids club we headed over. There are 5 different showers and 3 saunas. Make sure you ask for a tour before hand and how to operate the saunas. We did not do this and had to fumble a little. But we watch as others came in on the tour. After we did the showers (I loved the waterfall :)), we tried out the saunas. The tile loungers overlook the ocean and it was so calm and peaceful. Well except for the one obnoxious person who was sitting next to me who I don't think she understood the point of the room was to relax. Luckily she didn't stay long. Also make sure you do the scrub, our skin felt great for the rest of the week after that. While we were there, I also noticed a sign that indicated they had a special on a massage/facial combo that was not advertised in the navigator so I signed up. This was the best massage I have ever had. The individual knew exactly what medium pressure was and I left feeling like a puddle of relaxed happiness.
The pool area on the boat can get very crowded. But we were at full capacity and I didn't think it was that bad. (Then again I fully anticipated being packed). Disney is very good about not allowing people to just put down towels and walk away from the chair all day. They would go around and remove the towels. We found that if we got up at our normal time (7:30 am - which my daughter was already up as normal) we could go have breakfast, and get great chairs by the pool to be able to watch the TV and could enjoy the pool for a while. Make sure you try the aquaduck, especially at sea and at night. Where else can you look down and see the seas as you float in a tube. Note, on windy days you will be required to have 2 people to ride.
The shows on board are simply wonderful. Great for kids of all ages. Don't miss any of them if you can manage that. On board there is also a movie theater (3D!!!) We saw Wreck it Ralph, Oz and Iron Man 3 (Which was the premear at sea). If there is a movie of Disney's coming out, the tend to get it on board the same as in the theaters on land and will have a midnight showing of it. It was great! I finally was able to catch up on some movies I wanted to see, some that I wouldn't have paid the extra cost for 3D in, but I will say the 3D was great!
For dinner we had the 2nd sitting. I was a little torn. 8:15 is late to eat, but 5:45 is early to eat. When we booked that was all that was left. So we made the best of it. It was good, We normally don't eat until 7pm at night anyway. Plus it gave us an extra 30 minutes. While the 1st sitting dinner starts at 5:45 the 1st show starts at 6:15. Out favorite restaurant was art of animation. Each night on a Disney cruise you rotate dinning rooms. Your server rotates with you, which allows you to have 3 different experiences.
We didn't do a fraction of the activities available on the boat. There were craft activities every day (we went to 1), there was cooking demonstrations (I went to one, then showed up how to make lobster ravioli and gave us wine to enjoy with it :)), games, dance parties, adult only activities at night (comics), the list just goes on. Because of this, I say don't bring items to do with you, enjoy what you paid for. I actually would like to do a cruise that has more at sea days to enjoy the activities on the boat.
The disembarkation on the ship is great. It is all based on what your meal time was. So 1st seating dinner has breakfast at 6:45 and 2nd seating has it at 8. You bring all your bags with you (the night before you leave all your bags outside the room that you don't need, they will pick them up and bring them ashore). And after you are done with breakfast, you head off the boat, grab your bags (there are all sorted by room number) and go through customs. From leaving breakfast to getting to our car took 20 minutes). We did get a porter, who took all our bags and loaded them into our car for us. I did not plan this out though, Our luggage that we had left over to walk off with did not have wheels and was very awkward to carry. Plan better than me :) Also make sure you have a extra bag for things you purchase :) Now if you don't want to wait and want to get off as soon as they give the all clear, you can carry off all your luggage and leave nothing outside the night before. I don't know how people do this, but to each his own.
We then had our 12 hour drive home, making a few stops along the way (oranges, RJs and South of the Border). Then it was back to reality :) No more people making my bed for me, no towel animals to great me at night, no one folding my clothing, no one cooking me dinner and somehow my magical drink cup always being full.
We drove up to the port, from there we followed the directions and dropped off our bags with a porter at the curb then proceeded to park the car. We parked on level 3 (this is the same level as the walkway into the terminal (you wont have to take a elevator nor escalator if you park on this level.
We were from our to checked in within 20 min or arriving to the port (including getting our daughters band for the kids club). 1st stop was the normal metal scanners, followed by check in. Have all of your documents ready and preregister to make this processes seamless. When we pre-checked in online we had a 11:30 check in time. They did not stop you from checking in, but I noticed that those with latter times had higher boarding numbers. Remember to register as soon as possible to get the earlier time (if that is a option for you). Once we checked in, we then proceeded to check in our daughter to the kids club and get her tracking device. We had also preregistered her for this and it was a 5 min process (including signing docs for her epipen). Then we waited. Mickey was in the terminal and we waited in line to get a picture. Around noon we were allowed on the boat. we had group number 9 to board the boat. We were on within 15 minutes. Once on board we went to lunch (you have a few options Cabanas (buffet) or Enchanted Garden (which is also a buffet, but there are servers and they will seat you).
At 1:30 pm our rooms were available (YEAH!!) we were worn out and my daughter was ready for her nap. We had a inside stateroom (7017 & 7019). These are connecting rooms, which was great. The room size was very generous and there was a bathtub in the bathroom. They have a virtual porthole that is a lcd tv that shows the view from the bridge of the outside. It also is enhanced and will have characters fly by every so often (my caught thought this was great). We were concerned at first that the room was right behind the laundry room that it would be noisy. It was very quiet! No worries booking these rooms at all. If you have small kids you will want to also adjust the tension on the bathroom door. At the top there is a bar that you turn that will make it easier or harder to open and close. I liked to keep the bathroom door open at night (1 - if someone tries to come into your room while it is opened they interlock and make a lot of noise 2 - With it open and the porthole on at night, when the sun rises you will be able to see it (you sleep under the virtual porthole). The room was split into 2 sections, a little sofa (that converts to a extra bed) and the main bed. Dividing the 2 was a curtain (a blackout curtain to be specific) when closed that side of the room was very dark (nice for naps). The one thing to note, while there is plenty of closet space, there is limited shelving. I actually like having my cloths folded and not on hangers so that was a slight issue. There is also a coffee table that opens and can hold items, we used this as a hamper. Watch the hinge area. I managed to get my leg pinched in it. There is a safe in the room that is large enough to fit a video camera (Sony), DSL camera, a macbook air, 3 ipad minis (Including one it a otter box), and other items.
The boat was beautiful! Since it is new (14 months I believe) it still was glistening with all the pixie dust :) One of the best areas of the boat is for the kids. It is the Oceanears Lab and Club. This one of the kids rooms, for the preteens and teens there are separate rooms. I would suggest going to the open-house. This is the only time that you are able to hang out with your kids in these rooms. There are many rooms different rooms all with themes. I will note, at first my daughter wasn't thrilled and called us within an hour of going there. We had her go back again and then she didn't want to leave and we had to drag her out each time. For the kids club they were place a tracking band on your child, you will also need to provide a password when registering and who can check your child out of the kids club. Also I did watch some parents take the band off each time they left the kids room. If you have a younger child, do yourself a favor and leave it on. At first my daughter said it wasn't comfortable, but then didn't even notice it. This is for your child's safety and they will be able to pull up where you child is on the boat even if not in the kids club. It is easy to get separated from your child. I have been on other boats and I will say, this was the best kids club I have ever seen. There are tons of activities, and the staff interacts with your child. Most others the staff are there to watch your child. Here they are there to do things and interact. There were staff everywhere in there. I didn't feel bad about dropping her off for fun time. Normally we would drop her off in-between the show and dinner (we had 2nd seating). We then would then have her quick served for dinner, so that by 9:15 she was ready to go back for 45min before bed time.
For adults we enjoyed the rainforest room. The cost for this is $16 if pre-purchased or we paid $27 a person including a scrub on board. This is a special room in the spa where for the entire day for the above cost you can use the aromatherapy showers, saunas, tile loungers and hot tubs. It was great! After dropping our daughter off at the kids club we headed over. There are 5 different showers and 3 saunas. Make sure you ask for a tour before hand and how to operate the saunas. We did not do this and had to fumble a little. But we watch as others came in on the tour. After we did the showers (I loved the waterfall :)), we tried out the saunas. The tile loungers overlook the ocean and it was so calm and peaceful. Well except for the one obnoxious person who was sitting next to me who I don't think she understood the point of the room was to relax. Luckily she didn't stay long. Also make sure you do the scrub, our skin felt great for the rest of the week after that. While we were there, I also noticed a sign that indicated they had a special on a massage/facial combo that was not advertised in the navigator so I signed up. This was the best massage I have ever had. The individual knew exactly what medium pressure was and I left feeling like a puddle of relaxed happiness.
The pool area on the boat can get very crowded. But we were at full capacity and I didn't think it was that bad. (Then again I fully anticipated being packed). Disney is very good about not allowing people to just put down towels and walk away from the chair all day. They would go around and remove the towels. We found that if we got up at our normal time (7:30 am - which my daughter was already up as normal) we could go have breakfast, and get great chairs by the pool to be able to watch the TV and could enjoy the pool for a while. Make sure you try the aquaduck, especially at sea and at night. Where else can you look down and see the seas as you float in a tube. Note, on windy days you will be required to have 2 people to ride.
The shows on board are simply wonderful. Great for kids of all ages. Don't miss any of them if you can manage that. On board there is also a movie theater (3D!!!) We saw Wreck it Ralph, Oz and Iron Man 3 (Which was the premear at sea). If there is a movie of Disney's coming out, the tend to get it on board the same as in the theaters on land and will have a midnight showing of it. It was great! I finally was able to catch up on some movies I wanted to see, some that I wouldn't have paid the extra cost for 3D in, but I will say the 3D was great!
For dinner we had the 2nd sitting. I was a little torn. 8:15 is late to eat, but 5:45 is early to eat. When we booked that was all that was left. So we made the best of it. It was good, We normally don't eat until 7pm at night anyway. Plus it gave us an extra 30 minutes. While the 1st sitting dinner starts at 5:45 the 1st show starts at 6:15. Out favorite restaurant was art of animation. Each night on a Disney cruise you rotate dinning rooms. Your server rotates with you, which allows you to have 3 different experiences.
We didn't do a fraction of the activities available on the boat. There were craft activities every day (we went to 1), there was cooking demonstrations (I went to one, then showed up how to make lobster ravioli and gave us wine to enjoy with it :)), games, dance parties, adult only activities at night (comics), the list just goes on. Because of this, I say don't bring items to do with you, enjoy what you paid for. I actually would like to do a cruise that has more at sea days to enjoy the activities on the boat.
The disembarkation on the ship is great. It is all based on what your meal time was. So 1st seating dinner has breakfast at 6:45 and 2nd seating has it at 8. You bring all your bags with you (the night before you leave all your bags outside the room that you don't need, they will pick them up and bring them ashore). And after you are done with breakfast, you head off the boat, grab your bags (there are all sorted by room number) and go through customs. From leaving breakfast to getting to our car took 20 minutes). We did get a porter, who took all our bags and loaded them into our car for us. I did not plan this out though, Our luggage that we had left over to walk off with did not have wheels and was very awkward to carry. Plan better than me :) Also make sure you have a extra bag for things you purchase :) Now if you don't want to wait and want to get off as soon as they give the all clear, you can carry off all your luggage and leave nothing outside the night before. I don't know how people do this, but to each his own.
We then had our 12 hour drive home, making a few stops along the way (oranges, RJs and South of the Border). Then it was back to reality :) No more people making my bed for me, no towel animals to great me at night, no one folding my clothing, no one cooking me dinner and somehow my magical drink cup always being full.
Cozumel, Mexico
In Conzumel we did the submarine tour. Due to my daughters age of 3, there are limited options for excursions. This was a great option for those who who would love to do snorkeling but don't want to get into the water. It started with a short taxi ride from the pier we were at to the pier that is farther down the road. It was great. We were able to see the reef and my daughter was very entertained.
Afterwards, we went shopping down the road. We had lunch at my favorite restaurant in Cozumel. Pancho's backyard. It is a few blocks down the road in the center of a building behind a store. Inside it is a Mexican oasis. The normally have a xylophone being played and great drinks and food. We ate at this place on our first trip together (7 years ago), and now were able to eat there with our daughter.
Afterwards, we went shopping down the road. We had lunch at my favorite restaurant in Cozumel. Pancho's backyard. It is a few blocks down the road in the center of a building behind a store. Inside it is a Mexican oasis. The normally have a xylophone being played and great drinks and food. We ate at this place on our first trip together (7 years ago), and now were able to eat there with our daughter.
Link to Pancho's Backyard
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Costa Maya, Mexico
We spent the day just hanging out at the pool at the plaza there. There is a Carlos and Charlies where we had lunch and sat and drank soda by the pool. Very large pool that isn't crowded (my daughter was in love). If you plan on doing a dolphin encounter, I actually suggest you do it here. We did it in the Caymans (see below), which was nice, but the one in Cozumel is right at the port, and your family can actually watch easily (since it is right in the middle of the port). There was a place that others did go to out side of the port. Tropicante. The raved about it, and the low cost massages. Looking at Trip Advisor they also do have high ratings.
Link to Tropicante's web site.
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Hamilton, Grand Caymen
One of the best Caribbean locations if you have a family. You feel safe while walking around this Caribbean gem. In the past we have taken they public transportation system and gotten a cheap island tour.
This time we decided to do the dolphin encounter and turtle farm. I thought my daughter would enjoy this, but I think she was too young, she is very tall for her age, but you are standing on a metal grate in the water during this encounter. She needed to be a bit taller to touch the ground and be able to do the interaction herself (mind you she is 43 inches tall and that was not tall enough). I did enjoy it since I love dolphins. The 2nd part was the turtle farm. SHE LOVED THAT. If I was to go back, I would actually just do the turtle farm. If the cruise did not have this as a option, I would just take a taxi to it. There was so much to do at the turtle farm. There is a large tank with the adult turtles for you to enjoy looking at. in the back there is smaller tanks that you can pick up a little turtle. My daughter thought this was great. Since they are small, they were more in her size range and was not intimidated by them like she was with the dolphins. We also had lunch there. The deck of the restaurant is over the snorkeling area (where you can snorkel with the baby turtles and other fish. There was also a nice beach and water slides. I was disappointed with how little time we had there. I would love to spend the day at the turtle farm. There is always next time. Under full disclosure, the farm does raise a lot of the turtles for food. On the island, this is something that they eat.
This time we decided to do the dolphin encounter and turtle farm. I thought my daughter would enjoy this, but I think she was too young, she is very tall for her age, but you are standing on a metal grate in the water during this encounter. She needed to be a bit taller to touch the ground and be able to do the interaction herself (mind you she is 43 inches tall and that was not tall enough). I did enjoy it since I love dolphins. The 2nd part was the turtle farm. SHE LOVED THAT. If I was to go back, I would actually just do the turtle farm. If the cruise did not have this as a option, I would just take a taxi to it. There was so much to do at the turtle farm. There is a large tank with the adult turtles for you to enjoy looking at. in the back there is smaller tanks that you can pick up a little turtle. My daughter thought this was great. Since they are small, they were more in her size range and was not intimidated by them like she was with the dolphins. We also had lunch there. The deck of the restaurant is over the snorkeling area (where you can snorkel with the baby turtles and other fish. There was also a nice beach and water slides. I was disappointed with how little time we had there. I would love to spend the day at the turtle farm. There is always next time. Under full disclosure, the farm does raise a lot of the turtles for food. On the island, this is something that they eat.
Link to the Caymen Island Turtle Farm. Check it out.
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Castaway Cay
The best part of the vacation was Castaway Cay. It strongly reminded me of Typhoon Lagoon. It had the Disney Magic touch. Actually I loved this place so much, I wish there were was a 7 day cruise that had 3 days at this beach and 3 at sea days. This was everything owning a private beach would be. Super Clean, everything in its place. Now, we did not purchase a cabana (I don't think they are worth the cost, but hey if you have the money spend it). We also only did a fraction of the activities on the island. We started the day by taking the tram as soon as they allowed us off the boat to the 2nd stop (we did have a excursion planed of jet skiing but due to high wind we couldn't go). We found a great set up seat that had a umbrellas between them. Note: THERE ARE TONS OF UMBRELLAS AND CHAIRS SO DON'T WORRY). I also rented a float (we chose the flat mat instead of the tube). My daughter then went surfing with her daddy on it. There was also a water sprinkler area for kids to run though. If you are adventurous, there is a 5K and Bike rentals. Near the shore is a slide area, my husband had to go down both to make sure he tried them both, and they were both great! You do need to swim out to the slide platform (not good for those little ones who cant swim). They also have life preservers available for those who are worried about their swim skills. Lunch time there was a buffet available. There are also soda machines available just like on the boat. If you want to send a little fun home, there is a post office to get a castaway cay postage mark on your postcard. Most people don't know but castaway cay has a website that you can check out that will tell you all about the activities and let you plan out what you want to do.
Link to Castaway Cay. Check it out and plan out your adventure.
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