"Single Ladies" Questions - New to DCL!

Hi All, please humor my huge amounts of questions. Thank you in advance!

I love to cruise and have heard so many wonderful things about DCL. So, I am tagging along with my cousin and her family for a journey on the Fantasy in September. It will be me, my aunt, my cousin and her husband, and their two kiddos. I am 30 and while not single, my husband will be at home for this one. My aunt is in the same boat (no pun intended there!). :p

I know we'll have fun, no doubt about it, but when we're not hanging out with the kiddos, what is there for us? Can I expect any kind of nightlife similar to NCL?

I was REALLY disappointed to find there is no beverage package on DCL. I am used to Celebrity and NCL where the package was "free" with booking. I've done research and see there is some kind of wine package, but I have looked hard and cannot find pricing or details on it. Any help with that?

Since there is no package for drinks other than wine, what is the pricing like for fruity pool drinks? How is the beer selection and pricing?

I know about the Coves area. Does it get very crowded? Any tips or tricks for finding some quiet time?

I have seen mention of some kind of spa pass, but couldn't find more info. I see the ship has something called "Senses Rainforest Room". What is it, how much does it cost, and how do I get in? I am looking for an experience like NCL's Thermal Suite so if the Rainforest Room is similar, I want in.

We're in room 2526 and 2524, a deluxe oceanview. I have looked just about everywhere to figure out if the big bed can be separated with no luck. Can it? I'm in a room with my aunt and one of the kids. I don't want to share a bed. How can I figure out if there is an upper berth that pulls down? None of the deck plans I've checked tell.

Can you purchase bottled water onboard for a semi-reasonable price?

Last question for now, promise: This board is DEAD compared to the other lines and my roll call for this sailing contains 2 people. What gives? Other competing boards I assume?

Thanks so much!

Having not sailed NCL I'm not 100% sure I can make a comparison on nightlife. There is a night club and some bars on all ships. At night the club tends to have a theme like they do an 80s night and on pirate night they will have a loose pirates theme. They also have adult games shows, variety acts and even a treasure hunt type event for adults.

During the day there are lots of adult activities on sea days like alcohol tastings (around $20 each), cooking demos, animation classes, quizzes etc.

I'm 36 and sail solo without kids and have always really enjoyed it but as said can't compare to NCL.

With regards to the wine package its a specific number of bottles of wine for a set price and then there is a list you can choose from. These are served at dinner and can be part drunk one night so no need to finish a bottle each night. I believe they do a 3 4 or 7 package on every ship so with the 7 you would get 7 bottles of wine over the cruise. It saves money based on wine prices but it depends what you drink.

They also do each day a drink of the day which is a cheaper cocktail which might be an option too.

Also you can carry on 2 bottles of wine (or 6 beers) per person at each port including at Port Canaveral and then these can be drunk in your room. You could also take them to the restaurant but they charge a $25 fee to cork the wine. You can ask your room steward for wine glasses and a bottle opener if needed.

Definitely crowding issues I find by the adult pool area. I don't know if there are any tricks for this.

Senses Rainforest Room is what the spa pass would be for. It is a basically a relaxation room with hot stone beds and steam rooms/showers for you to relax in. I believe its around $15 per day or you can get onboard a length of stay pass to use it every day. Its a nice area but I wouldn't go out of my way to use it more than once or twice.

No the beds can not be separated. I can tell you from cruising with my sister the sofa bed is actually really comfy! I believe that somewhere it will say which rooms hold 4. If they hold 4 they have a pull down if they hold 3 then they don't. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

You can purchase bottled water but the water in the drinks station on deck 9 is the same so once you get 1 bottle just refill it! I think they are like $3.50 I want to say but they do a package of 12 as well for a reduced price. Plus you can bring on bottled water in your hand luggage.

I have personally never found many people on the roll calls on here. Its a bit of a shame but hopefully you will find some more people.

Starting at 9 pm. the nightclub areas are adult only. There are themed dances, variety shows, "game shows" starring guests, etc. It does shut down around midnight. During the day there are trivia contests, etc., wine and other alcohol tastings, etc. which are also adult only.

How crowded the Cove area is depends on the cruise. There is no way to predict this in advance. There are also outside areas on deck 4, etc. which are not very populated.

DCL has a lot less alcohol consumption than some other lines. Yes, there is the wine package (2 actually). You can see them on the DCL site--they are priced by the standard and premium package and by number of nights of the cruise. There is a drink of the day that costs slightly less than the standard. There is also a happy hour by the adult pool about 5 pm daily. You can bring on board 2 bottles of wine or 6 beers per adult at each port. You can bring on any amount of non-alcoholic beverages.

You can purchase water--price is about $35 per case with tip, you can also buy smaller amounts. But the ship's water is totally drinkable.

Rainforest=thermal suite=Persian garden depending on the line. Cost is $16 for a day pass; multi-day and length of cruise passes are sold on board. BEST deal available is a "couple's pass." A "couple" is any 2 people so you and any other adult in your party could be a couple.

Most people join up for Disney cruises on social media these days. There is another board which was popular for a long time, but due to their ownership by a travel agency and the restrictions they place on discussions, most of the "roll call" sort of functions are found on popular social media sites. Roll calls here are traditionally dead.

There also are two different beer packages of sorts that are offered. Not a huge deal but better than nothing.

For canned/bottled beer you can purchase 10 or 20 and get two or four for free. You can mix different six packs in that. Beer is delivered to your room and you can keep it cold in the fridge or exchange a warm can or bottle for a cold one at any bar. The canned/bottled beer selection has been improved and there usually are options available from legit craft breweries like Bell's and Cigar City, along with the usual macrobrews and a few other selections.

For draft beer you can "purchase" a 22 oz. mug and get it filled for the same price as a 16 oz. draft, so you get a little bit extra each time. The draft beer selection is pretty sketchy if you want anything beyond macrobrews, however, but you can find a few more interesting options if you really look. And you can exchange the mug for a token that you can turn in for another mug when you want it. That way you don't have to drag a mug around with you all of the time.

There also are two different beer packages of sorts that are offered. Not a huge deal but better than nothing.

 

For canned/bottled beer you can purchase 10 or 20 and get two or four for free. You can mix different six packs in that. Beer is delivered to your room and you can keep it cold in the fridge or exchange a warm can or bottle for a cold one at any bar. The canned/bottled beer selection has been improved and there usually are options available from legit craft breweries like Bell's and Cigar City, along with the usual macrobrews and a few other selections.

 

For draft beer you can "purchase" a 22 oz. mug and get it filled for the same price as a 16 oz. draft, so you get a little bit extra each time. The draft beer selection is pretty sketchy if you want anything beyond macrobrews, however, but you can find a few more interesting options if you really look. And you can exchange the mug for a token that you can turn in for another mug when you want it. That way you don't have to drag a mug around with you all of the time.

Great tip, thank you!

Starting at 9 pm. the nightclub areas are adult only. There are themed dances' date=' variety shows, "game shows" starring guests, etc. It does shut down around midnight. During the day there are trivia contests, etc., wine and other alcohol tastings, etc. which are also adult only.

 

How crowded the Cove area is depends on the cruise. There is no way to predict this in advance. There are also outside areas on deck 4, etc. which are not very populated.

 

DCL has a lot less alcohol consumption than some other lines. Yes, there is the wine package (2 actually). You can see them on the DCL site--they are priced by the standard and premium package and by number of nights of the cruise. There is a drink of the day that costs slightly less than the standard. There is also a happy hour by the adult pool about 5 pm daily. You can bring on board 2 bottles of wine or 6 beers per adult at each port. You can bring on any amount of non-alcoholic beverages.

 

You can purchase water--price is about $35 per case with tip, you can also buy smaller amounts. But the ship's water is totally drinkable.

 

Rainforest=thermal suite=Persian garden depending on the line. Cost is $16 for a day pass; multi-day and length of cruise passes are sold on board. BEST deal available is a "couple's pass." A "couple" is any 2 people so you and any other adult in your party could be a couple.

 

Most people join up for Disney cruises on social media these days. There is another board which was popular for a long time, but due to their ownership by a travel agency and the restrictions they place on discussions, most of the "roll call" sort of functions are found on popular social media sites. Roll calls here are traditionally dead.[/quote']

 

This is all super helpful, many thanks! I'm looking forward to a great cruise and experiencing something different :-)

Having not sailed NCL I'm not 100% sure I can make a comparison on nightlife. There is a night club and some bars on all ships. At night the club tends to have a theme like they do an 80s night and on pirate night they will have a loose pirates theme. They also have adult games shows, variety acts and even a treasure hunt type event for adults.

 

During the day there are lots of adult activities on sea days like alcohol tastings (around $20 each), cooking demos, animation classes, quizzes etc.

 

I'm 36 and sail solo without kids and have always really enjoyed it but as said can't compare to NCL.

 

With regards to the wine package its a specific number of bottles of wine for a set price and then there is a list you can choose from. These are served at dinner and can be part drunk one night so no need to finish a bottle each night. I believe they do a 3 4 or 7 package on every ship so with the 7 you would get 7 bottles of wine over the cruise. It saves money based on wine prices but it depends what you drink.

 

They also do each day a drink of the day which is a cheaper cocktail which might be an option too.

 

Also you can carry on 2 bottles of wine (or 6 beers) per person at each port including at Port Canaveral and then these can be drunk in your room. You could also take them to the restaurant but they charge a $25 fee to cork the wine. You can ask your room steward for wine glasses and a bottle opener if needed.

 

Definitely crowding issues I find by the adult pool area. I don't know if there are any tricks for this.

 

Senses Rainforest Room is what the spa pass would be for. It is a basically a relaxation room with hot stone beds and steam rooms/showers for you to relax in. I believe its around $15 per day or you can get onboard a length of stay pass to use it every day. Its a nice area but I wouldn't go out of my way to use it more than once or twice.

 

No the beds can not be separated. I can tell you from cruising with my sister the sofa bed is actually really comfy! I believe that somewhere it will say which rooms hold 4. If they hold 4 they have a pull down if they hold 3 then they don't. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

You can purchase bottled water but the water in the drinks station on deck 9 is the same so once you get 1 bottle just refill it! I think they are like $3.50 I want to say but they do a package of 12 as well for a reduced price. Plus you can bring on bottled water in your hand luggage.

 

I have personally never found many people on the roll calls on here. Its a bit of a shame but hopefully you will find some more people.

Thank you so much for your perspective! I appreciate everyone reading this and responding, especially because of my typo in the thread title, ha! :D

I have been on many NCL cruises and many Disney. NCL our favorite line hands down. The night life on Disney is not at the same level you have experienced on NCL but there are many fun things to do in the Cove as has been mentioned. If you are looking for something like the white hot party on NCL you will not find that on Disney. Keep in mind while their are many adult only activities on DCL, most of the ships real estate is geared for the kids and familys. That is the target market of Disney. Thats why the other lines will have more adult parties, etc. and more space for adults like casino and nightclubs.

I've been following your Bermuda review!

To be honest, I've only traveled with my young daughter, so I'm not a late night girl on DCL. That being said, I've done a couple late night tastings that were quite fun and the lounges were definitely busy at those times.

The Fantasy has a nice area called Satellite Falls that is adults only. I preferred it to the adult pool.

In my experience, there was more adults only stuff to do than I had time to do it. However, the nightlife is definitely more cocktail lounge than raging dance party. That's much more my scene, so I'm happy with that.

I have been on many NCL cruises and many Disney. NCL our favorite line hands down. The night life on Disney is not at the same level you have experienced on NCL but there are many fun things to do in the Cove as has been mentioned. If you are looking for something like the white hot party on NCL you will not find that on Disney. Keep in mind while their are many adult only activities on DCL, most of the ships real estate is geared for the kids and familys. That is the target market of Disney. Thats why the other lines will have more adult parties, etc. and more space for adults like casino and nightclubs.

This. On the Fantasy your choice of nightlife is the Tube or the Tube. There will be an adult activity, show, or two scheduled starting around 10pm-ish, after which everyone promptly leaves, leaving maybe 20 (if you're lucky) people there. That's pretty much it.

You're right. After the drinks package on NCL and Celebrity, it's tough for us to go back to Disney. Truth be told, we wouldn't go back at all if it weren't for a nonrefundable concierge deposit we have to burn. Drinks we find are averaged prices. Their wine package selections are pedestrian at best.

I sail Cunard with my husband and Disney with my mom, so we are "single" on board. We usually sit at the bars rather than tables for drinking and have met many nice bartenders. The bartenders at the adult pool were particularly fun, and the champagne bar and Skyline had a nice crew, though the champagne bar on the Dream has nice evening entertainment.

The wine selection at meals (with the exception of Palo and Remy) will leave a wine enthusiast in a bemused state of disbelief. But the Meridian bar outside of Remy/Palo has good wines. The champagne bar has quality champagnes by the glass, most of the good ones running 20-25 per glass; they far beat the wine selection in the adult nightclub bars. Unless I was in Remy/Palo, then I skipped wine at meals and focused on drinking pre- and post-dinner cocktails, and stuck with beer during the day. They carry Kona brewing on draft which is pretty good.

I don't drink fruity drinks so I can't say how they are, though Skyline makes good Manhattan's and Meridian had craft cocktails also. Those 2 bars were not crowded on any nights, and therefore the bartenders had time to talk and joke, and we both had a good time. I can't speak to drink "packages" either since I don't want to limit myself to certain brands; I just pay as I go.

My mom and I never lacked for enjoyable entertainment on board, but I couldn't really compare it to a more "party" oriented ship either. Cunard isn't really a "dance till dawn" line either. I think you will have fun - just a different type of fun; Disney's attention to detail and wonderful staff are great:D

Enjoy!

I've been following your Bermuda review!

 

To be honest, I've only traveled with my young daughter, so I'm not a late night girl on DCL. That being said, I've done a couple late night tastings that were quite fun and the lounges were definitely busy at those times.

 

The Fantasy has a nice area called Satellite Falls that is adults only. I preferred it to the adult pool.

 

In my experience, there was more adults only stuff to do than I had time to do it. However, the nightlife is definitely more cocktail lounge than raging dance party. That's much more my scene, so I'm happy with that.

Thanks for following!! Great info, and cocktail lounges are definitely my style too. Great tips, thanks so much!

I sail Cunard with my husband and Disney with my mom, so we are "single" on board. We usually sit at the bars rather than tables for drinking and have met many nice bartenders. The bartenders at the adult pool were particularly fun, and the champagne bar and Skyline had a nice crew, though the champagne bar on the Dream has nice evening entertainment.

 

The wine selection at meals (with the exception of Palo and Remy) will leave a wine enthusiast in a bemused state of disbelief. But the Meridian bar outside of Remy/Palo has good wines. The champagne bar has quality champagnes by the glass, most of the good ones running 20-25 per glass; they far beat the wine selection in the adult nightclub bars. Unless I was in Remy/Palo, then I skipped wine at meals and focused on drinking pre- and post-dinner cocktails, and stuck with beer during the day. They carry Kona brewing on draft which is pretty good.

I don't drink fruity drinks so I can't say how they are, though Skyline makes good Manhattan's and Meridian had craft cocktails also. Those 2 bars were not crowded on any nights, and therefore the bartenders had time to talk and joke, and we both had a good time. I can't speak to drink "packages" either since I don't want to limit myself to certain brands; I just pay as I go.

My mom and I never lacked for enjoyable entertainment on board, but I couldn't really compare it to a more "party" oriented ship either. Cunard isn't really a "dance till dawn" line either. I think you will have fun - just a different type of fun; Disney's attention to detail and wonderful staff are great:D

Enjoy!

Champagne bar sounds fun and different! I've heard a lot about DCL's attention to detail and service, as you mentioned, and that goes such a long way towards a wonderful vacation. Thanks for your thoughts!