bsddsc

the last few years, the TV has gone to an "on demand" style rather than the old list of channels with fixed programming. There are the news and sports channels which do depend on your location and time. But the sitcoms, dramas and movies can be seen at any time.

What I love about that is we can pause a movie and play it again when we return to our room. We can actually see an entire movie start to finish now instead of scattered sections at a time and hope we see it all before we leave.

And I believe you can even view your bill online too.

Yes, we already did that. As we have learned from traveling with friends with severe food allergies, its noted on the reservation. But you must talk to people on board for the specifics. They didn't actually do anything until you speak with someone on board. My friend was given the next day's menu every night at dinner so he could pre-order a dinner based on recommendations from the staff.

They even do special menus for Castaway Cay. (but we don't need that) Considering they have been in operation since 1998, I would expect nutritional information to be available for foods they have been serving day in and day out since then. Even on the ship, they don't know. Its just the chefs telling you how they make things and what to avoid.

on the Dream and Fantasy, we thought the second night was even more fun than the first.

On the Magic and Wonder, I felt it was quite overrated. Only the first night had anything. I do hope the new Magic changes involved changing what happens in Animator's as well. We'll soon see.

we have done several Halloween cruises even long before they made it a big "event" Always fun seeing entire families dressed in themes, evening costume party. Even though we don't dress up, it sure is fun to watch.

We love DCL and can't wait for our upcoming Nov. 9th sailing, our 15th DCL.

But last year, we both suffered from extreme over dosing of sodium. Besides high blood pressure there were other symptoms which I wont mention here. Within 48 hours of being home and eating normal, we were both fine again.

Therefore, I want to offer a few hints to those about what to avoid on a daily basis. Also, what potassium rich foods you can pick up each morning on the buffet to help absorb the excess you are bound to eat during the day. These are items we see on every DCL cruise and that is why I am posting it here.

AVOID - bacon, sausage, hash (really bad), smoked fish (which is such a treat for us but we really over did the fish)

POTASSIUM RICH FOODS TO SNACK ON - yogurt, dried apricots and prunes, carrot or orange juice, milk, soybeans, any green leafy vegetables, beans, bananas. Sweet potatoes are at the top of the list but can't say as I have ever seen them on DCL.

Keep hydrated with water. We often forget to drink lots of water while we are cruising. I wrote DCL trying to see if they had any nutritional data on their everyday foods, and they do not. Specifically wanted to know about the scrambled eggs in the AM or burgers on deck during the day.

As always, speak with your Head Server and Servers about any issues you have. They can alert you to brined and salted foods at dinner. You can also ask to speak with one of the Head Chefs when you board about the other dining options.

We're both going to pay closer attention to what we eat this time. Its hell getting older, things creep up you don't expect. But we still want to have fun an relax on our DCL vacations.

if you have a phone or tablet that supports apps, download the DCL app. Although you can't see the meals before you leave, as soon as you are in port, you can see all the meals in all the restaurants for all the nights.

It helps if you are planning a night at Palo (or Remy) so you don't miss something you love in your normal rotation. That also applies if you are a family who likes the buffets instead of sit down dining. Just helps you plan a little better.

This will be my first cruise using the app. People on my last cruise were talking about all the menus before the life boat drill. They all seemed to love it.

Here is what you do....

Log into you DCL account, click Planning Center, your reservation info. When the main screen for your reservation comes up, scroll to In-Room Gifts and Shopping. When that screen comes up, select Port Canaveral then GO. (do not click online merchandise, that is something different)

The fastest way to see is to uncheck everything except the Spa button. Click on download order form and call the 800 number at the top. You don't need to fill out the form, just call with a credit card handy. With gratuity, the total will be $18.88 I bought 2 for my upcoming cruise.

A couple years ago I cruised just 6 months after knee replacement. When the ship was in port, I had no problem in the shower. But when we were moving, I had a hard time standing. So I went down to the ladies locker room and showered there. The larger size made it easier to keep my balance.

As ex techie listed, its available for all to use so go for it. Just walk right in, you don't have to ask anyone to use it.

to be honest, yes, stay on the ship and enjoy what it has to offer while others are in port. Short cruises are truly too short to really explore the ship. There isn't anything that great in Nassau for the family anyway.

Castaway Cay will be fun, so do go there and enjoy the day. (ps I would never to a 3 day cruise again, I prefer 7)

We bring our own wines as well, brands and varieties that we can't find on the ship. The last thing you want on vacation is something you don't like or gives you a headache before you even finish the glass.

You can uncork yourself in your room or bring to the dining room where they will charge you a "uncorking fee". We opt to enjoy our Proscesso just before going to the early show.

If all that is left is 1st and last, I would pick first. After a week of cruise eating, a specialty dinning room on the last night is a bit much for me.

And as someone else mentioned, once you check in and see your rotation, you will know which dining room you will miss. You can always change to another night as soon as you board. On the Dream and Fantasy, I loved the second night better than the first. On Magic and Wonder, I honestly didn't think what they had was a big deal at all. I am hoping it has changed to be more like the big ships. Guess I'll find out soon.

there are basic gifts given to returning guests. But also extras depending on when you reach Gold and Platinum. Platinum has in the past (can't speak to now until I cruise in Nov as things always change) also received one free Palo brunch or dinner, choice of specialty food item where we choose the Proscecco, and a ship tour of your choice.

I believe the Captains cocktail party is for gold and platinum. Used to be for silver too but they had to cut back as more people became frequent cruisers.

I do like the bags better than the back packs. They started with bags, moved to backpacks and glad to see back to bags again. (one per cabin) Why in the world they put food like cheese crackers and giant rice crispy treats is beyond me. There is so much food on a cruise, I hate to say I end up throwing those items away most the time.

Wish they would bring back more small note pads and DCL pens, those are items I love and do use. It is just nice to be remembered as a returning cruiser no matter what they do. Can't wait for cruise #15, coming up soon.

I agree with the adult entertainment area. The bars are all so different, try a couple different ones every day. If you are a coffee person, try Cove Cafe near the adult pool area. And get one of their cards to buy 5 get the 6th drink free. The card is good even on future cruises.

If you have a smart phone or table, DCL has an app you can download. You can download it now but it won't do anything until you get on the ship. On my last cruise, everyone was going crazy with it. You can see every dinner in every dining room for every night. Makes planning a night at Palo or Remy easy because you can pick a night you don't care for the dining room menu.

Its like having the Navigator on steroids. I didn't have it then, but I sure do now. Can't wait to try it in Nov.

It goes without saying, you do need to create a user name and password on the DCL site. But it is great being able to reserve special dining tables, buy a 1 day spa pass, online check in etc. And if you are traveling with others, call DCL yourself and get the others linked to you. Then you can see them when you login and can book things together all at once.

Anyone with a DCL reservation number can see their cruise info no matter how you booked.

if you do bring a fan or recorder, you may wish to bring a small extension cord too. Finding outlets can be a chore. There should be an extra outlet behind the tv.

We stayed in 10648. And even though we heard the same thing you did, we did not experience any noise at all from above. It was the same as any other room, it depends who is on either side of you.

Our room had a slightly obstructed view, the deck above jutted out and there was a support beam running out under it. We actually had more of a covered veranda and it didn't spoil the view.

YES, very much so. Maybe consider getting a hotel over on A1A somewhere and make your commute shorter in the AM. You can see the cruise ships from many of the hotels. We have done that many times. We're not this time because we are sailing on a Sunday and Sat/Sun traffic is typically light.

We find FLR, Florida resident rate, to be our best discount. You do need to be flexible with dates and show proof of Florida residence for each person within a few days of booking.

The other perk of living in Orlando, is having many cast member friends. We have sailed a few times on the family and friends discount. Its higher than the cast member themselves but even lower than FLR.

your comments really do count towards promotions and even firings. For example, being promoted to serving in the Palo from one of the dining rooms. One of our all time favorite Palo servers, Anne Marie, has even been promoted to a Concierge Level manager because of her stellar reputation.

Conversely, a very bad Palo server that we had, sadly on our 25th wedding anniversary, was actually fired because of his arrogant attitude towards the guests. We personally wrote this person up and was glad to see some action came from ours and other comments.

Not only people, but activities too. On DCL's first cruise to Puerto Rico, we were very disappointed about our bus tour. Even our tour bus driver explained they tried to get DCL to do the tour differently. After all, they live and work there. We wrote a note after the tour and gave it to the tour desk and they actually refunded us half of the tour cost. We didn't even ask.

Almost every cruise, we single out someone who went the extra mile to make our cruise special. Keep the comments coming.

its a Veranda vote for me too. We like to get our coffee in the AM and sit outside. And its also a nice to have a cocktail before the show when we sail with friends. (between the show and dinner we go to a lounge)

never had an inside room. But our first 4 or 5 DCL cruises were outside. They do have large windows and even seated on the couch I could see the water. But Veranda is always my first choice.

for 2 days, I wouldn't get a car either. Take buses to places or stay on the monorail somewhere.

We enjoy bar hopping the monorail. Make a stop at every hotel. We have also bar hopped around the boardwalk. But of course, that one you walk around the boardwalk, but still fun. The Boardwalk is less crowed than the monorail circuit or downtown Disney. All are fun.

You can bus hop to various resorts on property, check out places you haven't been. I would make dinner reservations as soon as you book your rooms to get your first choices for dinner.

You have your terms mixed up (which is what I suspected). VGT is the booking that give you a guaranteed verandah but you don't get to pick your cabin or category. OGT/IGT are the same thing with an oceanview or inside. These are restricted bookings and carry a big discount. They are typically available 74 days or less before a cruise and are used to fill a ship where bookings are light.

 

A GTY booking (as in 5EGTY) will always have a category associated with it. It can be an 11GTY or a 4GTY' date=' but there will always be a number. What this means is that DCL has booked 90+% of the cabins in that category and can no longer assign a room number at the time of booking. You are guaranteed at least that category or a more expensive one (not just a verandah, but a specific category). You pay full price for the booking and it is in all other ways normal--same cancelation policy, etc. DCL knows that some people will cancel before the penalty date and this allows them to fill the ship while keeping some of the lower price points available. Most people would not be unhappy if they booked a cat 5 and got a cat 4.....They don't overbook the ship, but they do overbook some categories. These bookings are available SOMETIMES many months to even a year in advance of a cruise IF the bookings warrant it.[/quote']

 

my current booking really does say GTY all by itself, and does have a veranda category mentioned in the description. but no number. I have booked it many times. And in all my DCL cruises, I have never paid full price for a room. Because I live in Florida, I mostly book cruises with Florida resident rates. Many times, the FLR only has GTY. So you pick your category of GTY and wait for your room to be assigned. I only had 4 out of my 15 cruises where I picked my room.

 

Changed rooms a couple times when I got to port, upgraded once. But one time we did get stuck in a solid wall veranda. Being short, I couldn't see the water when I was sitting down. They were full and I couldn't move. I wasn't happy at all. But other than that, I'll keep cruising GTY if I need to. Beats not cruising at all.

 

I have often tried to beat my FLR thru the DCL website with other travel sites. And even with the ship board credits the other sites had, I couldn't beat the DCL price. I guess it really matters when you book, how you book and how far out and where you live.

 

A good 10 years ago, we were traveling with cast members but only had an outside room. We met someone who booked 12 days before the cruise, got a veranda and paid less than we did. Timing is everything.

(sorry didn't mean to ramble on)

bsddsc' date=' are you talking about GTY or are you meaning *GT (as in VGT/OGT/IGT)? These are totally different types of bookings.[/quote']

 

I do mean GTY. You know, when you book a guarantee veranda but you can't pick the room. Its always a lower rate. I've done that several times. I've got one right now, haven't gotten my room yet.

 

Actually, what are those other rates? I've never heard of them?

 

To connes1, I request room changes when I check in, with the check in agent. I believe we had to go to another line after checking in. I don't know what a pier coordinator is, but maybe that is the agent in the second line. One time, we even upgraded our room right there. It been quiet a while ago, it was before we were Platinum.

we have almost always used the GTY rates. There can be a very significant difference in price, meaning maybe we can't go. We have never gotten a lesser room. The last time, a GTY on the Dream got us an upgrade to the Family sized deck 9 veranda room. Time before that, we got 10648 on the Fantasy.

My only problem with these rooms is because I have a fear of heights. Its just too high for me to look over the edge. I end up sitting close to the sliding door.

My girlfriend and her husband are on the Fantasy right now in port waiting to leave. Their GTY got them a nice deck 7 veranda room.

I would say go for it. You can try to change rooms when you check in at the port, but not always. We did it once. We usually book anywhere from 2-6 weeks before a cruise & we get our room pretty quick. This time, we just happened upon a great price 100 days out, so I am still waiting for my room assignment.

talked about an hour ago to my girlfriend aboard the Fantasy unpacking. (I am bummed we couldn't get a house sitter to go with her, will have to wait for Nov) Anyway, she did confirm the new black bag on the right for Platinum, which we both are.

Was the choice of wine / food items still being given? I liked when they switched from a domestic white bubbly to prosecco because my husband can't drink domestic whites.

And was there still a cocktail party?