Disney cruise newbie

[Wines Not Whines]

I've been to WDW many times, but we just booked our first cruise for next year (so I have plenty of time to plan). We're going with a bunch of family, 9 of us total - 6 adults and 3 kids. My immediate family is 2 adults and 1 kid (he'll be 6, almost 7 when we go on the cruise). We're going on the Dream for 4 nights, with stops in Castaway Cay and Nassau, and one day at sea.

What do I need to know? What do I need to do, and when do I need to do it? What's included in the price of the cruise, and what's extra? Can we bring our own alcohol on the ship with us? I've never been on any cruise before, so I'm pretty clueless. 

[countthestars]

We just got off that cruise!

When are you flying in/out? Will you need transfers from the airport or a Disney hotel?

You don't need to know or do much, IMO! You will need to figure out transfers (I can talk about that once you answer where you're coming from/going to).

Many/most things are included!

Not included in the price of the cruise:
Transfers
Tips (these are added on to your room bill at the end at $12 per person per day. If you want to adjust them up and down you can do so)
Alcohol
Professional Pics (they will also use your camera though)
Specialty coffees/snacks - example: we bought iced coffees from the cafe daily - pricing similar to Starbucks. There is also a specialty dessert place that sells fancy ice cream, treats, candy. Regular ice cream is free
Dinner at Palo or Remy if those interest you - we didn't do them but you can pay extra for these fancier meals
Kids club is free (nursery you pay for if you are traveling with kids under 3) but they charge you for the bracelet at the beginning and then you can keep it for some money or give it back at the end
Some fancy snacks you can order in room service
Excursions
Souveniers


The chairs, towels, food on Castaway Cay is all included in the price of your cruise. Shows, activities, food, room service, etc all included.

Each adult 21 and older can bring on up to 6 beers or 2 bottles of wine but they have to be in your carry on

If you want to eat at Palo or Remy you have to book early (but not this early - I think it opens up like 90 or 180 days out)

Do you have early or late dinner?

let me know if you have any specific questions! I also just recently posted my cruise review a little ways down on this page

[sparksfly]

One thing I would highly recommend is leaving the night before your cruise. I was on a Disney Cruise in December of 2014, and we flew in the night before (from PA) and stayed at the hotel in the Orlando Airport. It was reasonably priced, could have found cheaper lodging, but we wanted the convenience of not having to worry about transportation to and from the hotel. The morning of the cruise, they picked up our luggage from our rooms and took it the bus for us. All we needed to do was go down to the main floor of the airport, go down the escalator and get on the bus.

I also recommend booking all your excursion early too. Some of them are popular and tend to fill up quickly. Their website gives you all information that you need to know when booking your excursions, including any age requirements.

Not sure about paying for transfers. Disney usually provides ground transportation via the Magical Express from the airport to the ship. And they also run Magical Express buses from the resorts to the ship. They will send you special tags to put on your luggage so that they can take it from the plane directly to the ship so that you can skip baggage claim.

And since you have done a Disney vacation before, you already know that Disney will take care of everything humanly possible.

Oh, something that PP didn't mention that you would need money for, there are various events on the ship that aren't included. I am not sure about the shorter cruises, but there are things like wine tastings, martini tastings and Bingo on the longer cruises. Something to look into on Disney's website under the ship's information, some of that will be listed there.

[countthestars]

Apr 21, 2016 11:52:55 GMT -5 sparksfly said:

Not sure about paying for transfers. Disney usually provides ground transportation via the Magical Express from the airport to the ship. And they also run Magical Express buses from the resorts to the ship. They will send you special tags to put on your luggage so that they can take it from the plane directly to the ship so that you can skip baggage claim.

Unfortunately it's not free ! It's $35 per person per trip for the Disney Cruise transfers. The regular Magical Express (airport to resort or reversed) is free. You do not pay for transfers for kids under 3.

[Wines Not Whines]

We'll be flying into Orlando, so I guess we'll need transfers to the ship. I think we may add on a couple of days at WDW either before or after the cruise.

I have no idea what time our dinner is. My ILs booked everything for all of us, so I guess I should ask them that question. I assume they chose the early time, because my kid isn't going to last until a late dinner.

What excursions did you do, and would you recommend them?

[countthestars]

Apr 21, 2016 20:40:22 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

We'll be flying into Orlando, so I guess we'll need transfers to the ship. I think we may add on a couple of days at WDW either before or after the cruise.

I have no idea what time our dinner is. My ILs booked everything for all of us, so I guess I should ask them that question. I assume they chose the early time, because my kid isn't going to last until a late dinner.

What excursions did you do, and would you recommend them?

I was actually going to recommend late dinner! My kids were both under 3 so we went with early dinner, but with late dinner the kids club will come in half way and pick up your kids. It seems like most kids were up late / able to hang late. Late dinner also allows you to go to the early show. A lot of the fun stuff (pirate fireworks, goodbye party) are late late anyway (10:30)

[countthestars]

We didn't do any excursions - dcrunnergirl52 a you did one right?

[sparksfly]

Apr 21, 2016 12:16:34 GMT -5 countthestars said:

Apr 21, 2016 11:52:55 GMT -5 sparksfly said:

Not sure about paying for transfers. Disney usually provides ground transportation via the Magical Express from the airport to the ship. And they also run Magical Express buses from the resorts to the ship. They will send you special tags to put on your luggage so that they can take it from the plane directly to the ship so that you can skip baggage claim.

Unfortunately it's not free ! It's $35 per person per trip for the Disney Cruise transfers. The regular Magical Express (airport to resort or reversed) is free. You do not pay for transfers for kids under 3.

You can see how much I pay attention! LOL I think but the time I get to that point I am so excited to be doing something Disney related I don't see it. (And with the cost of everything else the $35 doesn't stand out. )

Wines Not Whines, I did two excursions on Castaway. We swam with the sting rays and we did parasailing! They were both really fun and would do them again! 

[Wines Not Whines]

Apr 21, 2016 21:36:51 GMT -5 countthestars said:

Apr 21, 2016 20:40:22 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

We'll be flying into Orlando, so I guess we'll need transfers to the ship. I think we may add on a couple of days at WDW either before or after the cruise.

I have no idea what time our dinner is. My ILs booked everything for all of us, so I guess I should ask them that question. I assume they chose the early time, because my kid isn't going to last until a late dinner.

What excursions did you do, and would you recommend them?

I was actually going to recommend late dinner! My kids were both under 3 so we went with early dinner, but with late dinner the kids club will come in half way and pick up your kids. It seems like most kids were up late / able to hang late. Late dinner also allows you to go to the early show. A lot of the fun stuff (pirate fireworks, goodbye party) are late late anyway (10:30)

10:30 pm? Oh man, I'm not sure if we'll last that long! 

Do you know if they do the Castaway Cay 5k for every trip? I can't figure out if it's something they do a few times a year, or if it's done every single day. 

[sparksfly]

Wines Not Whines, the Castaway 5K held every cruise. I had wanted to do it, and don't remember why I didn't. It is also something that you need to book once you are on the ship.

[dcrunnergirl52]

We didn't do any excursions on Castaway Cay.

Here's my disney cruise tips blog post.

pipeandfletch.blogspot.com/2015/05/disney-cruise-tips.html?m=0

And here's my post from our day at Castaway Cay.

pipeandfletch.blogspot.com/2015/05/disney-cruise-part-4.html?m=0