Lots of Questions!

[leighi123]

We are planning to go on a cruise, most likely Disney for thanksgiving, this will be my family's second cruise (We did a Royal Caribbean one a few years ago). We've got 4 generations going together, 5-6 adults and 1 child (5)

 

 

Questions:

 

1. Where do we find the cheapest price for our trip? We were thinking a 4 night cruise, leaving from Florida, the week of thanksgiving (I think there is one leaving the 21st?). We will need 2 rooms, one for 4 or 5 people (depending on if my sister goes or not), 4 adults, 1 child. And another room for 2 seniors, they don't have to be next to each other or anything. Does it matter if we book the 2 rooms together or separate (in terms of price)? One will be for the grandparents, 1 for everyone else. We don't care what the room looks like, where its located or anything like that, b/c last time we only slept in our room or changed clothes and were never there otherwise!

 

2. Do they try to sell you stuff every 5min? RC was TERRIBLE with their whole "buy this and that" and it was impossible to avoid.

 

3. What is there to do at the ports? Looking for stuff fun for all ages (5-85) and not 'touristy' or shopping related. Nasssau and Castaway Cay.

 

4. If I bring my own bedding to put on one of the beds for the 5yr old, will they turn it down at bed time and whatnot? He had a horrible allergic reaction to the laundry soap on our RC cruise, it was not fun and there was nothing we could do about it, so we plan on bringing towels/bedding for him this time. (see his face in my pic at the bottom of this post, that was from the sheets!)

 

5. What time is best to arrive to board the ship? Last time we followed the itinerary we were provided with and most people were already on board by the time we showed up!

 

6. How easy/hard is it to avoid the characters dressed up in the giant plush costumes? This is a make or break thing for my sister as to weather or not she will come on this cruise. She is 23 and still scared of those guys! She is rather odd. (my 5yr old loves them though!)

 

7. What type of transportation is there at the ports? We plan on NOT doing any excursions booked through the ship, and just doing activities on our own. Are there taxi's, buses, walking or what? Figuring out the carseat situation (my 5yr old rides in a rearfacing carseat still, I do have one that folds but it is very heavy)

 

8. Do we REALLY need to bring all the "stuff" people suggest here? hangers, clothes pins, clips, magnets, shoe racks, rolling carts, water, baskets, boxes, alarm clocks, irons, etc. It seems like a lot of crap to haul for just a short vacation! I was thinking of bringing - clothes, swimwear, 2 pairs of shoes, sunscreen, toiletries, a hat, sunglasses, and a small backpack and a camera and that's it.

 

Food related questions:

 

1. How are food restrictions accommodated? 2 of us are very strict vegetarians, 1 is allergic to everything (the 5yr old). We all like all types of food though.

 

2. Snacks: I know a lot of people mention warm cookies - do they have any dairy/oat free ones? What about the Popsicle/ice creams? Do all the popsicles have artifical dye and flavor or do they have any all fruit ones? Do they have any allergy friendly snacks (I'm going to guess fruit might be our only option...). What about other allergy friendly deserts? (we don't do desert much, it would be nice for a special thing though!)

 

3. Do they have almond or soy milk on board? If not, is there a place to keep it cold? (would be nice if he could have it for cereal at breakfast, we will bring his cereal!)

 

4. Which seating is best for dinner? 5yr old is super easy going and fine with late nights, he will sleep later in the morning if he stays up later. Last time we went on a cruise, he was 2.5 and the only kid at late seating, but he did just fine (he has good table manners and is not annoying to anyone)

 

5. Do they have any fancy dinners? (i.e do we need to dress up at any point)

 

Kid related questions:

 

1. In the kids club, is there food involved at all? Asking b/c of ds's allergies.

 

2. How much screen time is there? We don't do tv/movies, and my son has never even seen a Disney movie! He loves the characters b/c we've been to Disney World many times and he has some books. If he goes to the kids club, what exactly do they do there? I don't want him sitting there watching movies or something - will they let me know what the activities are going to be so I can decide when to let him go or not?

 

3. Clothing - I'm a kids clothing designer/sewer and make ALL of my son's clothing so plan on just making him outfits for the trip. Suggestions as to what to make for him? I know a pirate outfit would be good for pirate night, and I thought a Donald Duck type sailor suit would be cute, and a basic t-shirt with a disney cruise ship/mickey ears on it- are there any other 'themes' to use for ideas?

 

4. Autographs - I read someplace you can leave something to be signed somewhere (at a desk?) and the next morning it will have all the signatures on it - can anyone tell me more about what thats about? He already has an autograph book with signatures from disney world, but it would be fun to have a photo mat signed and then put a pic in it when we get home.

 

5. Are they gender bias like the rest of disney is? i.e. the girls directed to the princess stuff and the boys to the villains? I ask b/c my 5yr old loves the princesses, and tinkerbell is his favorite, and he and I are not a fan of the violent bad guy thing. I'm wondering how hard that is to avoid.

 

6. He is 40" tall and unlikely to grow any before our trip, is there anything he can't do b/c of his height? (water slides and whatnot)

 

 

Any other suggestions or stuff I'm forgetting?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Questions:

 

1. Where do we find the cheapest price for our trip? We were thinking a 4 night cruise, leaving from Florida, the week of thanksgiving (I think there is one leaving the 21st?). We will need 2 rooms, one for 4 or 5 people (depending on if my sister goes or not), 4 adults, 1 child. And another room for 2 seniors, they don't have to be next to each other or anything. Does it matter if we book the 2 rooms together or separate (in terms of price)? One will be for the grandparents, 1 for everyone else. We don't care what the room looks like, where its located or anything like that, b/c last time we only slept in our room or changed clothes and were never there otherwise!

You can both either directly or via a travel agent both will have the same price, care there are add ons like transfers, insurance etc, so compare like with like but they will be the same, the difference is some specialist DCL travel agents do give on board credits and therefore overall its cheaper.

 

 

2. Do they try to sell you stuff every 5min? RC was TERRIBLE with their whole "buy this and that" and it was impossible to avoid.

I have done both, now its totally not like RCL I know what you mean and they do sell you stuff all the time and quite forceful, DCL may occasionally ask in a nice way if you want a drink but nothing forced.

IE Disney has soda included where RCL force soda cards.

 

 

3. What is there to do at the ports? Looking for stuff fun for all ages (5-85) and not 'touristy' or shopping related. Nasssau and Castaway Cay.

 

Castaway Cay is fantastic the best cruise ship island and I have been to a few. Lots to do there.

Nassau I can’t comment,

 

4. If I bring my own bedding to put on one of the beds for the 5yr old, will they turn it down at bed time and whatnot? He had a horrible allergic reaction to the laundry soap on our RC cruise, it was not fun and there was nothing we could do about it, so we plan on bringing towels/bedding for him this time. (see his face in my pic at the bottom of this post, that was from the sheets!)

I would check with DCL on allergies before you go. They are good at this and will accommodate allergies.

 

5. What time is best to arrive to board the ship? Last time we followed the itinerary we were provided with and most people were already on board by the time we showed up!

Book your port arrival time online when you are allowed to do so, at 75 days, or 90 days or 105 days or 120 days depends on the number of cruises and if concierge, I will assume your 75 days.

Best to arrive around 11am but really if its before 3pm its fine you just miss a bit of fun and food.

 

6. How easy/hard is it to avoid the characters dressed up in the giant plush costumes? This is a make or break thing for my sister as to weather or not she will come on this cruise. She is 23 and still scared of those guys! She is rather odd. (my 5yr old loves them though!)

Look at the Navigator the dialy paper of the ship or look in tv for character appearances and get there early yes there are lines but they move fast. Some unscheduled character appearances, on deck are good.

 

 

7. What type of transportation is there at the ports? We plan on NOT doing any excursions booked through the ship, and just doing activities on our own. Are there taxi's, buses, walking or what? Figuring out the carseat situation (my 5yr old rides in a rearfacing carseat still, I do have one that folds but it is very heavy)

DCL shore trip, taxi, and private tour, depends on the port, too much to answer. For car seat best to book in advance,

 

8. Do we REALLY need to bring all the "stuff" people suggest here? hangers, clothes pins, clips, magnets, shoe racks, rolling carts, water, baskets, boxes, alarm clocks, irons, etc. It seems like a lot of crap to haul for just a short vacation!

You do NOT need the above, don’t get panicked into getting this.

 

I was thinking of bringing - clothes, swimwear, 2 pairs of shoes, sunscreen, toiletries, a hat, sunglasses, and a small backpack and a camera and that's it.

Yes thats correct.

 

Food related questions:

 

1. How are food restrictions accommodated? 2 of us are very strict vegetarians, 1 is allergic to everything (the 5yr old). We all like all types of food though.

DCL are good speak to them in advance on allergic reactions but on board head server will help.

 

2. Snacks: I know a lot of people mention warm cookies - do they have any dairy/oat free ones? What about the Popsicle/ice creams? Do all the popsicles have artifical dye and flavor or do they have any all fruit ones? Do they have any allergy friendly snacks (I'm going to guess fruit might be our only option...). What about other allergy friendly deserts? (we don't do desert much, it would be nice for a special thing though!)

They do provide sugar free desserts, speak to DCL on allergic requirements

 

3. Do they have almond or soy milk on board? If not, is there a place to keep it cold? (would be nice if he could have it for cereal at breakfast, we will bring his cereal!)

Soy milk yes.

 

4. Which seating is best for dinner? 5yr old is super easy going and fine with late nights, he will sleep later in the morning if he stays up later. Last time we went on a cruise, he was 2.5 and the only kid at late seating, but he did just fine (he has good table manners and is not annoying to anyone)

Main 5.45pm not late

 

5. Do they have any fancy dinners? (i.e do we need to dress up at any point)

Yes but on the short cruises its minimal a dress up night, not like formal night on 7 night cruises.

 

Kid related questions:

 

1. In the kids club, is there food involved at all? Asking b/c of ds's allergies.

Yes but they note allergies on registration

 

2. How much screen time is there? We don't do tv/movies, and my son has never even seen a Disney movie! He loves the characters b/c we've been to Disney World many times and he has some books. If he goes to the kids club, what exactly do they do there? I don't want him sitting there watching movies or something - will they let me know what the activities are going to be so I can decide when to let him go or not?

There are films in the cinema there are free movies in room, there are mocies on deck, there are characters around but inter action is quick.

 

3. Clothing - I'm a kids clothing designer/sewer and make ALL of my son's clothing so plan on just making him outfits for the trip. Suggestions as to what to make for him? I know a pirate outfit would be good for pirate night, and I thought a Donald Duck type sailor suit would be cute, and a basic t-shirt with a disney cruise ship/mickey ears on it- are there any other 'themes' to use for ideas?

Pirate night is the main one some girls dress as princesses.

 

4. Autographs - I read someplace you can leave something to be signed somewhere (at a desk?) and the next morning it will have all the signatures on it - can anyone tell me more about what thats about? He already has an autograph book with signatures from Disney world, but it would be fun to have a photo mat signed and then put a pic in it when we get home.

Guest services.

 

5. Are they gender bias like the rest of Disney is? i.e. the girls directed to the princess stuff and the boys to the villains? I ask b/c my 5yr old loves the princesses, and tinkerbell is his favourite, and he and I are not a fan of the violent bad guy thing. I'm wondering how hard that is to avoid.

Doesn’t matter go with kids preference.

 

6. He is 40" tall and unlikely to grow any before our trip, is there anything he can't do b/c of his height? (water slides and whatnot)

There are restrictions on some slides and Aquaduck see DCL website.

[leighi123]

Questions:

 

1. Where do we find the cheapest price for our trip? We were thinking a 4 night cruise, leaving from Florida, the week of thanksgiving (I think there is one leaving the 21st?). We will need 2 rooms, one for 4 or 5 people (depending on if my sister goes or not), 4 adults, 1 child. And another room for 2 seniors, they don't have to be next to each other or anything. Does it matter if we book the 2 rooms together or separate (in terms of price)? One will be for the grandparents, 1 for everyone else. We don't care what the room looks like, where its located or anything like that, b/c last time we only slept in our room or changed clothes and were never there otherwise!

You can both either directly or via a travel agent both will have the same price, care there are add ons like transfers, insurance etc, so compare like with like but they will be the same, the difference is some specialist DCL travel agents do give on board credits and therefore overall its cheaper.

Is there a place to just book online? Or is it too close to the date to do that? (this is next month)

 

 

 

3. What is there to do at the ports? Looking for stuff fun for all ages (5-85) and not 'touristy' or shopping related. Nasssau and Castaway Cay.

 

Anyone have thoughts on what to do in Nassau?

 

4. If I bring my own bedding to put on one of the beds for the 5yr old, will they turn it down at bed time and whatnot? He had a horrible allergic reaction to the laundry soap on our RC cruise, it was not fun and there was nothing we could do about it, so we plan on bringing towels/bedding for him this time. (see his face in my pic at the bottom of this post, that was from the sheets!)

I would check with DCL on allergies before you go. They are good at this and will accommodate allergies.

Do I just call them direct? Last time, on our RC cruise we were told to call in advance by members here, but when we called they said to deal with staff directly on the ship, which we did and it worked out fine (that was regarding food, didn't realize many of his other allergies yet at that point)

 

5. What time is best to arrive to board the ship? Last time we followed the itinerary we were provided with and most people were already on board by the time we showed up!

Book your port arrival time online when you are allowed to do so, at 75 days, or 90 days or 105 days or 120 days depends on the number of cruises and if concierge, I will assume your 75 days.

Best to arrive around 11am but really if its before 3pm its fine you just miss a bit of fun and food.

Is there set times you sign up for in advance for when you plan to show up? Not sure I understand this.. .this is for a cruise next month, so not that far in advance. We are driving, we are just an hour or so from the port.

 

6. How easy/hard is it to avoid the characters dressed up in the giant plush costumes? This is a make or break thing for my sister as to weather or not she will come on this cruise. She is 23 and still scared of those guys! She is rather odd. (my 5yr old loves them though!)

Look at the Navigator the dialy paper of the ship or look in tv for character appearances and get there early yes there are lines but they move fast. Some unscheduled character appearances, on deck are good.

Is it obvious when the unscheduled characters show up? (i.e. will she have time to run the other way? :p

 

7. What type of transportation is there at the ports? We plan on NOT doing any excursions booked through the ship, and just doing activities on our own. Are there taxi's, buses, walking or what? Figuring out the carseat situation (my 5yr old rides in a rearfacing carseat still, I do have one that folds but it is very heavy)

DCL shore trip, taxi, and private tour, depends on the port, too much to answer. For car seat best to book in advance,

Castaway Cay and Nassau. I'm wondering which carseat to bring, one will work with any seatbelt, but its a pain to carry, the other is tiny but will only work with either top-tethers or lap/shoulder belts. If we can take a bus/bike/walk, then I don't have to worry about it, this would only be an issue in cars/taxis/vans.

 

Food related questions:

 

 

4. Which seating is best for dinner? 5yr old is super easy going and fine with late nights, he will sleep later in the morning if he stays up later. Last time we went on a cruise, he was 2.5 and the only kid at late seating, but he did just fine (he has good table manners and is not annoying to anyone)

Main 5.45pm not late

What time is late dinner? 5:45 seems REALLY early for us, at home we eat at 7:30, later on weekends. (My kid is a homeschooler, he goes to bed later than most!)

 

 

5. Do they have any fancy dinners? (i.e do we need to dress up at any point)

Yes but on the short cruises its minimal a dress up night, not like formal night on 7 night cruises.

So on a 4-night, a suit or something for the little guy?

 

Kid related questions:

 

1. In the kids club, is there food involved at all? Asking b/c of ds's allergies.

Yes but they note allergies on registration

Do all staff members have access to this? Do they check registration each time he goes?

 

2. How much screen time is there? We don't do tv/movies, and my son has never even seen a Disney movie! He loves the characters b/c we've been to Disney World many times and he has some books. If he goes to the kids club, what exactly do they do there? I don't want him sitting there watching movies or something - will they let me know what the activities are going to be so I can decide when to let him go or not?

There are films in the cinema there are free movies in room, there are movies on deck, there are characters around but inter action is quick.

 

3. Clothing - I'm a kids clothing designer/sewer and make ALL of my son's clothing so plan on just making him outfits for the trip. Suggestions as to what to make for him? I know a pirate outfit would be good for pirate night, and I thought a Donald Duck type sailor suit would be cute, and a basic t-shirt with a disney cruise ship/mickey ears on it- are there any other 'themes' to use for ideas?

Pirate night is the main one some girls dress as princesses.

hmmmm... maybe he needs a prince outfit!

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I know it was a lot!

[drb116]

A couple of things. First, at this point, you may not have much option on your dining seating or your port arrival time. They best times might already be booked, but from the sounds of it, you might be fine with late dining, which I think is 8. We actually preferred late dining on Disney since you could see the early show, head to dinner afterwards, and then off to bed for the little ones. We thought it might be hard to keep our young ones awake after dinner at a show.

 

In Nassau, you may want to try taking a taxi to the Sheraton and buy a day pass. They have a nice beach and it is reasonably priced. The trip is about 10 minutes and cost us $20 in cab fare each way.

 

Characters just walk around the ship, so you can turn the corner and find Mickey walking down the hallway. On our 5 day cruise, we probably ran into 4 or 5 characters in the hallway.

[iloverags2]

1. Where do we find the cheapest price for our trip? We were thinking a 4 night cruise, leaving from Florida, the week of thanksgiving (I think there is one leaving the 21st?). We will need 2 rooms, one for 4 or 5 people (depending on if my sister goes or not), 4 adults, 1 child. And another room for 2 seniors, they don't have to be next to each other or anything. Does it matter if we book the 2 rooms together or separate (in terms of price)? One will be for the grandparents, 1 for everyone else. We don't care what the room looks like, where its located or anything like that, b/c last time we only slept in our room or changed clothes and were never there otherwise!

You can both either directly or via a travel agent both will have the same price, care there are add ons like transfers, insurance etc, so compare like with like but they will be the same, the difference is some specialist DCL travel agents do give on board credits and therefore overall its cheaper.

Is there a place to just book online? Or is it too close to the date to do that? (this is next month)

Regardless if you book directly with DCL or with a travel agent, the rate will be the same. What you can look for is an agent with some type of booking incentive (such as an on board credit or a stateroom gift). I did not happen to notice where you are from, but there are Florida resident rates available right now on some of the 3 and 4 night sailings in the next month or so (out of Port Canaveral on the Dream), and on a few of the Miami sailings on the Magic in January. DCL also throws out what they call VGT, OGT, and IGT rates on occasion. These are guarantee rates for a specific room type (verandah, oceanview, inside), but you do not get to pick specifically what level of that room type. The rates can be rather faboo at the last minute! The rate for how many you have in your stateroom will be the same for the first two, and than the same for the next two or three. Now you may find that there aren't any staterooms for five available (or only higher end staterooms); at that point, you may want to book someone into the room with two only. Just a thought.

 

2. Do they try to sell you stuff every 5min? RC was TERRIBLE with their whole "buy this and that" and it was impossible to avoid.

No, they really don't. Surprisingly, I had to go hunt down a CM selling drinks during Sail Away on our cruise three weekends ago! LOL Yes, there will be times you will find someone offering something to you, but other than in the spa, I find that DCL is not pushy at all with the extras. (And keep in mind, soda from the drink station and at dinner is included in your fare, so that is one less thing being pushed at you!) Oh, and DCL has no qualms about you using your own camera to take photos that the ship's photographers are also taking!

 

3. What is there to do at the ports? Looking for stuff fun for all ages (5-85) and not 'touristy' or shopping related. Nasssau and Castaway Cay.

Anyone have thoughts on what to do in Nassau?

Castaway Cay is totally awesome, but it is a small island so you won't find museums or the like here! The main attraction are the beaches (family beach, teen beach, adult beach), but there are a few other things to do. My favorite is renting bikes ($6/person/hour...although they don't keep tabs on the time you have it really). Great way to see the island! They do have a stingray excursion if you are looking for something fun, not too time-consuming, and relatively low cost (as far as excursions go). We often go to Castaway Cay without doing any excursions and are perfectly content there! Oh, and DCL allows you to bring your own snorkel gear if you want to haul it with you. There is a small snorkeling area near the family beach.

 

4. If I bring my own bedding to put on one of the beds for the 5yr old, will they turn it down at bed time and whatnot? He had a horrible allergic reaction to the laundry soap on our RC cruise, it was not fun and there was nothing we could do about it, so we plan on bringing towels/bedding for him this time. (see his face in my pic at the bottom of this post, that was from the sheets!)

I would check with DCL on allergies before you go. They are good at this and will accommodate allergies.

Do I just call them direct? Last time, on our RC cruise we were told to call in advance by members here, but when we called they said to deal with staff directly on the ship, which we did and it worked out fine (that was regarding food, didn't realize many of his other allergies yet at that point)

Yes, call DCL and share your concerns. Once you book, you can also fill out a medical form for them. And reiterate any concerns you have once on board the ship. We have friends who left there "No Service" sign hanging on their door the entire cruise, and the host abided by their wishes. Not sure you want to go to that extreme, but if necessary that's another route.

 

5. What time is best to arrive to board the ship? Last time we followed the itinerary we were provided with and most people were already on board by the time we showed up!

Book your port arrival time online when you are allowed to do so, at 75 days, or 90 days or 105 days or 120 days depends on the number of cruises and if concierge, I will assume your 75 days.

Best to arrive around 11am but really if its before 3pm its fine you just miss a bit of fun and food.

Is there set times you sign up for in advance for when you plan to show up? Not sure I understand this.. .this is for a cruise next month, so not that far in advance. We are driving, we are just an hour or so from the port.

When you do your online check-in, you will select an arrival time. They are in half-hour increments, beginning with 11:00 - 11:30. Even if you have a later arrival time (due to those being the only ones available), you can still arrive earlier. Your boarding number, though, will be based on your scheduled arrival time. No worries though...typically by the time folks are arriving at 12:30ish, they are pretty much just letting everyone on (if boarding is going smoothly). I always try and arrive anywhere between 11:00 and 12:30. 11:00 if we want to try for a discounted upgrade at the port; 12:30 if I want to miss the crowds but still get on early!

 

6. How easy/hard is it to avoid the characters dressed up in the giant plush costumes? This is a make or break thing for my sister as to weather or not she will come on this cruise. She is 23 and still scared of those guys! She is rather odd. (my 5yr old loves them though!)

Look at the Navigator the dialy paper of the ship or look in tv for character appearances and get there early yes there are lines but they move fast. Some unscheduled character appearances, on deck are good.

Is it obvious when the unscheduled characters show up? (i.e. will she have time to run the other way? :p

Not obvious, although you will see people heading in that direction all of a sudden! LOL She can dart in the opposite direction. I will tell you though, I have had random run-ins with Donald at an elevator (he walked out while we were waiting to get on), Stitch upstairs near the Future Cruise Desk, and a few others (and I have heard about folks having an impromptu elevator ride with oh, say, Pluto or Goofy...she may want to be prepared for that!). Oh, and I did bump into Minnie a couple of times. Let her know there is always a handler with them, so she won't be alone with them!

 

7. What type of transportation is there at the ports? We plan on NOT doing any excursions booked through the ship, and just doing activities on our own. Are there taxi's, buses, walking or what? Figuring out the carseat situation (my 5yr old rides in a rearfacing carseat still, I do have one that folds but it is very heavy)

DCL shore trip, taxi, and private tour, depends on the port, too much to answer. For car seat best to book in advance,

Castaway Cay and Nassau. I'm wondering which carseat to bring, one will work with any seatbelt, but its a pain to carry, the other is tiny but will only work with either top-tethers or lap/shoulder belts. If we can take a bus/bike/walk, then I don't have to worry about it, this would only be an issue in cars/taxis/vans.

Castaway Cay has only trams! This is not a large island, and can actually be handled on foot (well, maybe not Serenity Bay which is the adult beach, although that can be accessed easily by bike...walking is a stretch unless you like to walk!).

Nassau is a bit different and will depend on what you are doing. There is a beach that is within walking distance (about 15 minutes walking), and also a fort that is about the same distance, but different direction. We have always walked to the fort, but I do know others who have taken a taxi. A carseat is not required, but with the way they drive there...LOL. Oh, there is a bus to the beach as well (buses in Nassau are referred to as the jitney). Atlantis resort has a nice aquarium if you are interested in that. A bit on the pricey side, but hey...our similar attractions in the states aren't cheap either! Getting to Atlantis will be by taxi, most likely.

8. Do we REALLY need to bring all the "stuff" people suggest here? hangers, clothes pins, clips, magnets, shoe racks, rolling carts, water, baskets, boxes, alarm clocks, irons, etc. It seems like a lot of crap to haul for just a short vacation! I was thinking of bringing - clothes, swimwear, 2 pairs of shoes, sunscreen, toiletries, a hat, sunglasses, and a small backpack and a camera and that's it.

To be honest, I don't! There are more than enough hangers, and you can ask for additional ones. (Occasionally I may bring a couple of wire hangers if my suitcase has room, but that is not a make or break item.) There is a clock in the staterooms on the Dream, and you can set the stateroom phone for a wake-up call. No need for an additional clock. The laundry rooms provide irons (and you can't bring your own anyway). The Dream has awesome hair dryers, and I still don't think an over the door shoe hanger is necessary (although some swear by them). About the only thing I might bring is a bottle of my favorite wine or some other potion I want to keep in the stateroom.

 

Food related questions:

1. How are food restrictions accommodated? 2 of us are very strict vegetarians, 1 is allergic to everything (the 5yr old). We all like all types of food though.

I'm vegetarian, and on our last sailing our dining server was awesome! The menus note which items are vegetarian, and don't be afraid to ask for the pasta on the children's menu if nothing stands out on the adult menu. As for the allergies, again contact DCL ahead of time - they go above and beyond to work around allergies.

To add to the vegetarian comment, the lunch buffet had some wonderful veggie sandwiches, and always great vegetables! There are also salads in the "fast food" area (near the burgers/pizza). At the pizza station, there is always a vegetarian option available (as well as cheese).

2. Snacks: I know a lot of people mention warm cookies - do they have any dairy/oat free ones? What about the Popsicle/ice creams? Do all the popsicles have artifical dye and flavor or do they have any all fruit ones? Do they have any allergy friendly snacks (I'm going to guess fruit might be our only option...). What about other allergy friendly deserts? (we don't do desert much, it would be nice for a special thing though!)

Again, they will definitely work with those who have allergies, although I'm not sure how this will work with the buffets. Be sure to contact DCL, and then while on board the ship do not hesitate to ask questions. The crew are awesome about explaining menus and ingredients.

 

3. Do they have almond or soy milk on board? If not, is there a place to keep it cold? (would be nice if he could have it for cereal at breakfast, we will bring his cereal!)

I want to say they had at least one of those...call DCL to verify (my mantra, call DCL! LOL). All staterooms have a refrigerator on the Dream and Fantasy. On the Magic and Wonder it is more a cooling box (mini fridge size, though), but if you keep it stocked with ice it keeps nice and cool! Your stateroom host can provide ice.

 

4. Which seating is best for dinner? 5yr old is super easy going and fine with late nights, he will sleep later in the morning if he stays up later. Last time we went on a cruise, he was 2.5 and the only kid at late seating, but he did just fine (he has good table manners and is not annoying to anyone)

Main 5.45pm not late

What time is late dinner? 5:45 seems REALLY early for us, at home we eat at 7:30, later on weekends. (My kid is a homeschooler, he goes to bed later than most!)

Late dinner is 8:15. Just be prepared for about a 2 hour meal! We enjoy late dining mainly so that we are not rushed in ports. And we find the servers are not as rushed either (since the early dining requires them to get you out of there by a certain time!). If you find the pace is moving too slow, you can always ask your servers if they can get you out a bit faster. They will do their best (but of course have to go at the pace of the kitchen as well).

 

5. Do they have any fancy dinners? (i.e do we need to dress up at any point)

Yes but on the short cruises its minimal a dress up night, not like formal night on 7 night cruises.

So on a 4-night, a suit or something for the little guy?

On the shorter cruises, there is a dress-up optional night. Some do, some don't. Those who do dress up in anything from slacks/shirts/ties to suits/tuxes for the guys, and cocktail dresses, gowns, or even just a fancy pant suit for women. Those who don't for the most part just remain cruise casual, although you will still see folks uber casual on this night. Go with what you feel best in. We have done both dressy (suits and cocktail dresses/gowns) and cruise casual (khakis and tops).

 

Kid related questions:

 

1. In the kids club, is there food involved at all? Asking b/c of ds's allergies.

Yes but they note allergies on registration

Do all staff members have access to this? Do they check registration each time he goes?

They are supposed to. Do they? That only the crew can tell you. If you are concerned, visit the club on the day you board and get to know the staff. Reiterate the allergies.

 

2. How much screen time is there? We don't do tv/movies, and my son has never even seen a Disney movie! He loves the characters b/c we've been to Disney World many times and he has some books. If he goes to the kids club, what exactly do they do there? I don't want him sitting there watching movies or something - will they let me know what the activities are going to be so I can decide when to let him go or not?

There are films in the cinema there are free movies in room, there are movies on deck, there are characters around but inter action is quick.

I do believe they do have screen time in the clubs, but there is soooooo much to do in those clubs, I can't imagine it even being noticed! Take a tour once on board the ship. There are games, computers, a dance floor, interactive things such as the cool periscope (on the Dream)...I have to admit I really want to live in Andy's play room (based on Toy Story) - I could play with that giant Mr. Potato Head all day long!

 

3. Clothing - I'm a kids clothing designer/sewer and make ALL of my son's clothing so plan on just making him outfits for the trip. Suggestions as to what to make for him? I know a pirate outfit would be good for pirate night, and I thought a Donald Duck type sailor suit would be cute, and a basic t-shirt with a disney cruise ship/mickey ears on it- are there any other 'themes' to use for ideas?

Pirate night is the main one some girls dress as princesses.

hmmmm... maybe he needs a prince outfit!

Oh, a prince outfit would be cute! The pirate outfit is a must, and I like the idea of a t-shirt. How about something for the day you board the ship? Just a special shirt (I made ones for us with our names that used Disney-style fills - a Wall-E one for me!).

 

4. Autographs - I read someplace you can leave something to be signed somewhere (at a desk?) and the next morning it will have all the signatures on it - can anyone tell me more about what thats about? He already has an autograph book with signatures from disney world, but it would be fun to have a photo mat signed and then put a pic in it when we get home.

Yes, you can leave an item at Guest Services when you board the ship; it will be returned to your stateroom on the last evening. Best thing to do is put the item in a ziploc bag along with the color of Sharpie marker you want it signed in. Also note if there are specific characters you want to sign the item (DCL will do their best to accommodate this, but don't be disappointed if they cannot); otherwise you will most likely get the generic or all of them. Photo mats are popular, as are pillowcases. There is almost no limit on what you can leave - be creative! (Some people put some candy in the ziploc as well for the CMs to enjoy!)

 

5. Are they gender bias like the rest of disney is? i.e. the girls directed to the princess stuff and the boys to the villains? I ask b/c my 5yr old loves the princesses, and tinkerbell is his favorite, and he and I are not a fan of the violent bad guy thing. I'm wondering how hard that is to avoid.

No one is directed to any particular character line. Just make note of who will be where (listed in the Navigator) and head on over! To be honest, the only Villain I remember seeing was Captain Hook when returning to the ship at Castaway Cay. Stitch was about as bad as I remember! LOL

 

6. He is 40" tall and unlikely to grow any before our trip, is there anything he can't do b/c of his height? (water slides and whatnot)

Unfortunately the AquaDuck minimum height is 42", and Disney is pretty strict about their limits. He will be able to use the slide at the Mickey Pool though. :) I know Pelican Plunge (at Castaway Cay) used to be a minimum of 38"...you may want to verify that.

 

Hope all of this information helps with your planning!

[leighi123]

Very helpful, thank you so much Cindy! :)

[xrae]

The Nov 21 4-nt cruise on the Dream appears to be sold out for a cabin with 4 adults and a child, however there is availability for just 2 adults.

 

Holiday dates on DCL always book up quickly, especially when children are sailing as there are only so many kids club slots available. That may be the case here.

 

The Nov 25 4-nt can take you.

 

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[iloverags2]

Very helpful, thank you so much Cindy! :)

 

You're welcome! I just now realized I missed your question about what to do in Nassau (although somewhat answered it in a subsequent question)...sorry about that.

 

As stated in that other question, there are a few things to do in Nassau other than shopping. Junkanoo Beach is about a 15 minute walk from the pier. If you head right once outside of Festival Place, and keep on the sidewalk that goes around Senor Frogs (back behind that building) it will take you to it. A good Nassau map will direct you to the beach. This is the one you can also take a jitney to.

 

Our favorite place to visit is Fort Fincastle and Queen's Staircase...again about a 15 minute walk. It does have a bit of an incline up going to it. If you prefer you can take a taxi there. We always enjoy the walk. The folks at the information desk inside Festival Place will be able to direct you to the fort by foot.

 

And if you want to get a stamp in your passport, the Immigration office is just to the left once you walk out of Festival Place. Let the guards at the gated fence know you want a passport stamp, and they will direct you inside the building (it's a very small building, so no worries about getting lost!).

 

Are there any other types of things or places you would like to see?

[leighi123]

We do want to go to Atlantis at some point, not sure if they just have day passes or how far away that is, but that would be fun for everyone!

[iloverags2]

We do want to go to Atlantis at some point, not sure if they just have day passes or how far away that is, but that would be fun for everyone!

 

Did you want to go to Atlantis for the water park? If so, the day passes may or may not be available due to park capacity. This would definitely be something you might want to consider. The alternatives to purchasing a day pass would be either an excursion through DCL, or booking a day room at the Comfort Suites, which has access to Atlantis as well. (There is a limit to the number of people you will get passes for, but I believe you can add on additional people for a fee.) Definitely do some research on this before heading to Nassau, and if you decide to wing it for the Day Passes once you arrive be certain to have a back-up plan in place just in case.

 

Oh, I just realized I missed another question of yours. Yes, you can book your cruise either on the DCL site or through a TA up until I believe it is now 3 days prior to the sailing (or until it is sold-out). Whichever route you go, it will be the same restrictions. :)

[iloverags2]

To add, the Atlantis is just a few minutes via cab from the pier. A few years ago it was $20 in cab fare for four of us. We went over just to take a look at the resort (lobby, etc.). There is a public beach in the area of the Atlantis as well.

[leighi123]

Did you want to go to Atlantis for the water park? If so, the day passes may or may not be available due to park capacity. This would definitely be something you might want to consider. The alternatives to purchasing a day pass would be either an excursion through DCL, or booking a day room at the Comfort Suites, which has access to Atlantis as well. (There is a limit to the number of people you will get passes for, but I believe you can add on additional people for a fee.) Definitely do some research on this before heading to Nassau, and if you decide to wing it for the Day Passes once you arrive be certain to have a back-up plan in place just in case.

 

Oh, I just realized I missed another question of yours. Yes, you can book your cruise either on the DCL site or through a TA up until I believe it is now 3 days prior to the sailing (or until it is sold-out). Whichever route you go, it will be the same restrictions. :)

 

 

Yes, we want to go to the water park! I think my dad was just going to book a room at the Comfort Suites, but I'm not sure. It will most likely just be my son and I for this, and everyone else will do something else (not sure what, probably sleep on the beach knowing them). My parents/sister have been there a few times before, but Levi and I have never been. My grandparents are like 85 so not going to be going down water slides (well, my grandma might...)

[leighi123]

By the way, we booked on Disney Dream for 4 nights leaving on the 25th!

[DISNEY FANTASY]

By the way, we booked on Disney Dream for 4 nights leaving on the 25th!

 

Enjoy :)

[iloverags2]

By the way, we booked on Disney Dream for 4 nights leaving on the 25th!

Have a wonderful cruise!

[2CuteKiddies]

4. Which seating is best for dinner? 5yr old is super easy going and fine with late nights, he will sleep later in the morning if he stays up later. Last time we went on a cruise, he was 2.5 and the only kid at late seating, but he did just fine (he has good table manners and is not annoying to anyone)

Main 5.45pm not late

What time is late dinner? 5:45 seems REALLY early for us, at home we eat at 7:30, later on weekends. (My kid is a homeschooler, he goes to bed later than most!)

Late dinner is 8:15. Just be prepared for about a 2 hour meal! We enjoy late dining mainly so that we are not rushed in ports. And we find the servers are not as rushed either (since the early dining requires them to get you out of there by a certain time!). If you find the pace is moving too slow, you can always ask your servers if they can get you out a bit faster. They will do their best (but of course have to go at the pace of the kitchen as well).

 

At late seating, if the 5-year old wants to go to the kid's club, they have a hurry-up meal option for kids. A club employee comes and picks up the kids and takes them to the club. I think it's after 45 minutes. We had early seating, so it wasn't available, but information will be in the Navigators.

 

 

Kid related questions:

 

1. In the kids club, is there food involved at all? Asking b/c of ds's allergies.

Yes but they note allergies on registration

Do all staff members have access to this? Do they check registration each time he goes?

They are supposed to. Do they? That only the crew can tell you. If you are concerned, visit the club on the day you board and get to know the staff. Reiterate the allergies.

 

The kids wear an electronic tracking bracelet during the cruise. They can actually tell the kid's location within the club when you come to pick them up (the club is big). This gets scanned upon entry and exit. The kid's registration comes up on the computer each time, because you'll setup a password that you'll have to tell them before you pick them up.

 

2. How much screen time is there? We don't do tv/movies, and my son has never even seen a Disney movie! He loves the characters b/c we've been to Disney World many times and he has some books. If he goes to the kids club, what exactly do they do there? I don't want him sitting there watching movies or something - will they let me know what the activities are going to be so I can decide when to let him go or not?

There are films in the cinema there are free movies in room, there are movies on deck, there are characters around but inter action is quick.

I do believe they do have screen time in the clubs, but there is soooooo much to do in those clubs, I can't imagine it even being noticed! Take a tour once on board the ship. There are games, computers, a dance floor, interactive things such as the cool periscope (on the Dream)...I have to admit I really want to live in Andy's play room (based on Toy Story) - I could play with that giant Mr. Potato Head all day long!

 

There's usually a movie running in one location, but most kids are not watching it because there's so much else to do. The Navigator will list times of the structured activities.

 

5. Are they gender bias like the rest of disney is? i.e. the girls directed to the princess stuff and the boys to the villains? I ask b/c my 5yr old loves the princesses, and tinkerbell is his favorite, and he and I are not a fan of the violent bad guy thing. I'm wondering how hard that is to avoid.

No one is directed to any particular character line. Just make note of who will be where (listed in the Navigator) and head on over! To be honest, the only Villain I remember seeing was Captain Hook when returning to the ship at Castaway Cay. Stitch was about as bad as I remember! LOL

 

There is a princess greeting 2 or 3 times during the cruise. Also, on our trip there was a princess storytime in the kid's club at least two of the nights. Nobody is going to turn him away from anything! Tinkerbell wasn't there on our cruise. When waiting in line for the princess gathering, Peter Pan was talking to the kids. Our daughter asked him "Where's Tinkerbell?"

 

 

 

 

I've added a few responses in green. We were on the Dream a couple of weeks ago.

[afergvip]

We were on the dream last May with a child with milk allergies. After the first night we chose her meals the day prior and the chef's always had a special dessert made for her that was not made with milk products. Disney was totally awesome with her allergy needs!!