GrammaMimi12

You can basically make ONE dining request. You can request a specific server. You can request a specific rotation. But you can't request both (your server may not be on that rotation and two conflicting requests will just confuse the staff.) OR you can request a head server but not both a head server and a server--again' date=' they may not be on the same rotation this cruise. DCL will not tell you if a particular server is on the ship when you are cruising. They could be on vacation or have been moved to a different ship.

 

I don't think we know which ship you are on or when you are cruising. Hard to recommend, especially not knowing which ship.

 

You make a request by calling DCL and having the notation put on your reservation. Your TA must do this if you used one. You then check in at "Dining Changes" to make sure you got your choice. Dining changes location will be listed in the Welcome Aboard Navigator that you can get in the terminal when you go to check in.[/quote']

 

We are on Fantasy. I guess for now I will be content with whomever we get since this is our first time cruising. I will be happy if we are able to change our dining time to the earlier seating since we are traveling with a 4 year old but we also have a later embarkation time so that may not happen. Thanks for the information. Glad to know where to find the dining change location.

I read somewhere that you can actually request a specific server to be your wait staff for the entire cruise. Is this correct ?? If so, anyone have a recommendation and how do we go about making the request. Sorry this is off topic.

No...we were unable to get reservation at either one. Does the brunch at Palo have a dress code just in case we are able to get in once on board ?

Good to hear as my husband would have groaned and moaned had he been forced to wear a suit !!

Thanks everyone.....whew.....this simplifies things !! I was dreading telling my hubby he would have to wear a suit or anything close to a suit !!

How strict is the dress code for men on formal night....is a suit jacket with dress pants acceptable or is it full suit and tie or tux ?

Is there any way to find out if I have successfully registered my granddaughter for the Oceaneer Club ?

Thanks both for the tips! We have 2 kids in car seats (1 and 3) so we're looking for an option where we can go straight from ship to boat without taxis. I've reached out to Patouche and I'll check these others as well.

Foxy's has bathroom and shower facilities onboard as well and life jackets too. As I had said earlier they will pick you up right off the ship. We are traveling with a 4 year old so these amenities were important to us as well. Whomever you decide on make sure they can pick you up right off the ship as many are unable to do so. Hope you will find what you are looking for. Happy cruising !!

We are looking for this as well. We come on the Disney Magic in December. I usually prefer DIY excursions and was wondering if that is an option. The ship charges $109 for adults and $84 for kids. Anyone know of any options?

We opted to go with Foxy's. They will pick you up right off the ship so you don't have to worry about wasting time with getting to a pick up point etc. they were more expensive but we wanted to be able to spend more time on JVD and they will also stop wherever you'd like to snorkel. It's a private charter so the boat and guide are yours for the day. They were prompt in returning my call and very pleasant. Check out their reviews as well....all good. Price was about $400 more than what DCL charges. Hope this helps. We cruise the end of this month so will do a post cruise review and include Foxy's.

Okay, so I am totally confused and need help !! I booked our air and ground transportation privately and did not go through DCL. We fly into Orlando and will be staying the night in Port Canaveral. At what point do we affix the luggage tags that are being sent to us ?? I have read that they need to be on the luggage when you do your airport check in but also read that if you arrange private air/ground then you shouldn't put them on until you are en route to the ship. Since we are staying overnight isn't it plausible that our luggage remains with us until embarking or is there something I am missing. So if the tags are affixed before airport check in the luggage will automatically be picked it by DCL and on its way to the ship. If not, we take the luggage with us to the ship and affix the tags just prior to embarking !? Thanks for your help and expertise...every question I have asked of my TA has gotten an "I don't know, I will check for you" and then a response a week later, maybe !!

I thought I had read somewhere that at some point during the cruise there will be an opportunity for children to take part in a play and be on stage ? I can't seem to find any info on it now. Any truth to this and if so does child need to be pre registered to take part ? Thanks.

Is it correct that Disney does not offer any type of beverage package !?

Is there any way to sign up for wine tastings before getting on the ship. We have a later embarking time of 1230 so by the time we get to guest services they might be already filled up. Also, any pros and cons to purchasing the beverage packages ?? I can't seem to find the actual price of these packages anywhere either ! Thanks

I did Halloween on the High Seas in 2015 and none of the events were ticketed.

Thanks so much...good to know.

Well, I don't know when that person sailed a Halloween cruise, but those events were certainly not ticketed ones on the Halloween cruises I've been on (4 to date).

 

Mickey's Mouse-querade is a party in the atrium:

 

Nightmare Before Christmas was in the Walt Disney Theater (late) followed by the Jack & Sally Meet & Greet in the lobby there (I got a picture of them on one of our cruises - it wasn't a ticketed event then). I seem to recall that might not been on the Halloween specific date, though. I'll have to see if I can find it.

Thank you again for all your help. Another reader who was kind enough to weigh in also believes that the article I read wasn't referring to the Halloween events as requiring tickets. So as you said, shouldn't have a problem in getting to see them. Also glad to hear the late arrival time is not the kiss of death I thought it would be !!

Hey!

 

Just located the kidsonaplane blog, and you are reading some bits wrong and worrying unnecessarily!

 

The ticketed meet and greets are not held in the atrium, so Mickey's Mouse-querade Party is for everyone aboard! And it says it's held twice.

all of these

Mask and Pumpkin Carving Crafts – Halloween-themed activities at the youth clubs

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing and Scream – An interactive movie experience followed by a character meet with Jack and Sally

Haunted Stories of the Sea – Spooky Storytime in the atrium

Halloween Isn’t Just For Kids – An adults-only dance party that includes a costume party

 

are available to everyone! No ticket!

 

And as for Character Breakfast and Princess meet's, if they are not available to book online, keep checking, and if you board without them, the Navigator newsletter you receive in the terminal before you board will list where to go to secure tickets. You may still be able to get them as many people are just so excited to board and dont even read it until later on in the day.

 

Wishing you and your gang the best cruise ever! But two things before I go!

 

If you haven't already, read the tips thread at the top of this page, as it will give you a good idea of what to do and what not to do!

Second, ask questions if you are unsure!

 

ex techie

 

Oh, and have you worked out any plans for the JVD excursion yet?

I think the water taxi you saw might have been from St Thomas not Tortola that required a customs charge.

Thank you so much for the assistance !! Glad to hear !! I contacted Foxy's and although a bit pricey, set up an excursion with them. They offer some snorkeling stops etc which appealed to us and also a plus that they could pick us up right off the dock. Thank you again for all your help ! As a first timer, it is somewhat daunting to put all the pieces together !!

As for a Palo meal, I would say yes!

 

The food is amazing IMO, and if your adult kids like very good quality wines, then they would love that too.

 

ex techie

Thanks much...sounds like a perfect evening for them !!

I don't know what two events those would be. Unless they've decided to make the Jack & Sally meet & greet one. In the past that was right after the Nightmare Before Christmas show in the Walt Disney Theater, no ticket required.

 

What were the events you heard were requiring a ticket?

So someone who writes under the name of Kids On a Plane wrote several tips concerning events and the need for tickets. She said that it's basically first come first served and guests are assigned a time slot for Halloween themed events and you can only attend during the time which you are assigned and these events include Mickey's Mouse-querade and A Nightmare Before Christmas followed by a meet and great with Jack and Sally. It was hard to tell if there were multiple days of each event or just one day with multiple time slots. Would liked to have been able to attend both events.

Unless things have changed, there are no tickets for the Halloween events.

 

As to your Port Arrival Time, arriving around 12:00-12:30 is really the "sweet spot". It's after the masses of people have started boarding, thus emptying out the terminal. You'll find much shorter check in lines, and by the time you check in, your boarding number will have already been called.

 

The Halloween-specific activities are primarily on one day. But, there may be one or two on other days.

 

Again, there's nothing you need a ticket for that's a Halloween specific activity.

 

The "sold out" events you're talking about - do you mean the Princess Gathering and/or the Frozen meet & greet? Check as soon as you board to see if there are still available tickets. The location may be indicated in the Navigator you get in the terminal at check in. If not, it's either Guest Services or the Port Adventures desk (I'd start with Guest Services). There have been reports that there were still a few tickets available onboard (possibly not all tickets are released for online booking). Also, keep checking online, sometimes people book things and then have to cancel, something may open up before your cruise.

 

Good luck.

Yes, the breakfast and princess gatherings were already sold out. Glad to hear that the later arrival might actually be a GOOD thing ! It does sound as though at least 2 of the Halloween events are per ticket only but if we miss out we will just find something else to keep us busy. Thank you so much for your help. Wanted to treat my kids to a Palo dinner with wine tasting...worth the money ?

By the time I did our online check in all the early arrivals were taken and we won't be getting on the ship until 12:15. I've read that the tickets for the Halloween events run out early so does that mean we are out of luck as far as attending these events !! This trip is not off to a good start as my travel agent said nothing about online check ins !! I have been learning as I go as a first time cruiser...many of the events my granddaughter was interested in were already sold out and now it seems we will be out of luck for the Halloween events as well. Is there anyway that we might be able get on earlier or if anyone has cruised during Halloween, do these special events occur only once during the cruise or multiple times.....or are we out of luck once again !!

We did this excursion through Disney and back in January, they used a shuttle company that took us by boat which was a 40 minute ride...Pretty nice...then we were taxied over to the Beach. They set up an area just for Disney cruisers all the way at the end of the beach for us. The beach was beautiful, the Painkillers were awesome and the food was great.

Was this from Tortola or St Maarten ? I have been checking private water taxis but prices are high and there is also some type of added fee for clearing customs ?! One company even charged $50 extra for gas...$1500 out of the question for a family of 5. Anyway, had heard that the Disney one takes awhile to get everyone organized etc etc and that time on the island is very short...did you find that to be true. Seems to be on and off for Disney as far as availability is concerned and some excursions have been cancelled on short notice.

So it seems the Disney JVD excursion appears as an option and then disappears from day to day. Some who scheduled were informed that it had been cancelled and some who scheduled were confirmed. Guess it's a crap shoot but don't want to chance it cuz those who were cancelled were last minute and scrambled to find other options. And options are very limited unless you are willing to spend your life savings on a afternoon of fun. Rates I found were anywhere from 80 to 120 each person one way !!!!!!!! ANYONE out there that has done the JVD excursion please weigh in on what company you went with, the cost and level of satisfaction, please !!!! Getting desperate !!

Went on the JVD excursion this past January (NCL Escape) on the "Reble Yell" that dropped us off almost to the beach in their catamaran. This would be no problem for your 4yr old as there were other little ones. LOVED IT!! We were planning on doing this also on our Disney cruise with their posted excursion. So, is it true that Disney no longer takes this excursion? If not I will also be looking to DIY. I am not aware if the"Rebel Yell" does anything other than charter though the cruise lines. I've read of other private companies in the search on Tortola boards that do go to JVD.

I saw in two different areas that Disney no longer offered the JVD excursion. Checked with a couple different private vendors and they run about $80 to $120 one way per person ! Yikes. Hoping I can find something more reasonable but looks iffy at best. Wonder if the Rebels Yell serves other cruise ships !

Looking for anyone who has done a JVD excursion off of Tortola. We are doing a Disney Cruise and are looking for a vendor who does the 1/2 day excursion. Willing to spend a little more to extend time on the island, avoid standing in line and general unorganized confusion. Traveling with 4 year old granddaughter so the swim to shore thing might be an issue. Have heard that Disney no longer offers an excursion to JVD. Help and advice please !! Thank you !:)

Need advice from anyone who has done the JVD excursion from Tortola such as what vendor you used and if you were satisfied...willing to spend a little more to extend time on island, waiting in line, confusion etc. traveling with 4 year old granddaughter so issue of swimming to shore is of concern as well. Thanks so much for any and all advice ! :)