Shmoo here

The rotation varies by cruise. As each ship has different dining rooms (all of them considered the "Main" dining room) you could start in any of the 3. For example: on the Dream the dining rooms are Enchanted Garden, Animator's Palette, and Royal Palace. The passenger load is divided in six groups (3 for each seating, early and late). 1/3 of them start in Enchanted Garden, another 1/3 start in Royal Palace, while the last 1/3 start in Animator's Palette. The rotation on a 4 night cruise is, typically, 1223, but can vary. Every one's first room is "1" in the rotation. I've been on 13 DCL cruises, all of them as adult only groups, and never "always" started in the same dining room. I would suggest you go ahead and book Palo, and then put a request on your reservation to "not be in (whichever room you don't want to miss) on night (whatever night you've got Palo)".

They would also need a connecting document between the birth certificate name and the Government ID if they changed their name.

Yep. That's mostly why we stopped using it. But it's an option for someone who just wants "some" actual cash in hand when arriving. As I said, we now just use an ATM when we get in. Although for long trips (ones where we're going to be in same monetary type for a long time) we've gotten currency at our bank, with fee.

From the DCL website: The Bahamas, Caribbean, Pacific Coast, Bermuda or Canada – Round Trip Cruises Sailing from/to: Port Canaveral, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Diego, San Juan, New Orleans and New York The following guidelines are based on government regulations, which are subject to change at any time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the proper documentation to board the ship and enter each of the countries on your cruise itinerary. Travelers can visit the US State Department's website for more information. All documents must be valid for the entire length of the voyage, unless otherwise noted. Guests without proper documentation will be denied boarding. When dropping off luggage upon arrival, please keep all documents in your possession to present during check-in at the terminal. US Citizens (Including Children) Original valid US Passport Original valid US Passport Card Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, FAST) OR Original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable Hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Children 15 years of age and younger are required to present one of the documents listed above, but do not need to present a Government-issued photo ID. Social Security Cards and Global Entry are not acceptable proof of US citizenship for purposes of traveling outside of the US

In the past we've bought what they call a "tip pak" from AAA. It's typically a small amount just so we had some money when we got into a foreign country. Then we find an ATM once incountry to get more, if we need it.

DCL doesn't "do" Black Friday/cyber Monday. For the lowest cost it's best to book as far out as you can, because that's when the lowest price is offered. Prices on DCL only increase as the space fills up.

That's why I have only 1 formal dress I take on cruises. It's fairly plain and I use accessories to change the look of it. I can wear it at least 4 times, if necessary.

While DCL may, or may not, be the be all and end all for cruising, we love it. For us the price is worth it, but we tend to compare cruises and cruise lines for comparable cruises and generally go with the best price for what we get. Sometimes it's DCL, but not always.

DCL has lifeguards.

Which cruise line?

Not everyone has this situation. We cruised with my husband's sister & her husband as well as his mother (MIL in our room). Sure, it was a "short" cruise - 7 nights, but we pretty much spent all our time together with no problem. My husband & I have taken 3 to 4 month RV trips in the past 3 years. We basically spent 24/7 together for the entire time and had no arguments.

Depends on the teenager. Some of them think they've outgrown Disney stuff, while others love Disney.

That depends - what cruise are you taking? For a Caribbean cruise what's required (and I quote from the DCL website): Sailing from/to: Port Canaveral, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Diego, San Juan, New Orleans and New York The following guidelines are based on government regulations, which are subject to change at any time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the proper documentation to board the ship and enter each of the countries on your cruise itinerary. Travelers can visit the US State Department's website for more information. All documents must be valid for the entire length of the voyage, unless otherwise noted. Guests without proper documentation will be denied boarding. When dropping off luggage upon arrival, please keep all documents in your possession to present during check-in at the terminal. US Citizens (Including Children) Original valid US Passport Original valid US Passport Card Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, FAST) OR Original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable Hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services AND a physical Government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail) Children 15 years of age and younger are required to present one of the documents listed above, but do not need to present a Government-issued photo ID. Social Security Cards and Global Entry are not acceptable proof of US citizenship for purposes of traveling outside of the US

I got the liquid style. Wet the cloth, put on Bar Keepers Friend and scrub. Some stains I had to put it on and let it sit for a minute. Be aware it's really caustic, you have to rinse it out well once the stain appears to be gone and rewash immediately (NOT in iron-rich water).

We're more interested in itinerary/price in selecting a cruise than getting a specific ship. That said, most of our cruises have been on DCL, and we've been on the Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy. The Wonder being the ship we've been on for the most cruises (5). Not really a fair comparison, since we like DCL and they have so many fewer ships than the other cruise lines. We've also cruised on HAL, Princess, and Carnival.

If lobster is on the menu, you can order as many as you wish, no extra cost. Be aware it's not your typical Maine lobster. I believe it's Rock Lobster.

Location is a factor, also, in determining cost. As well as how much availability there is in a specific category can cause a lower category to cost more than a higher one.

I have small containers for OTC stuff that I just refill from larger bottles to travel. I've never traveled with prescription meds NOT in the provided container from the pharmacy. During the trip (we tend toward 2-4 week trips) I transfer my meds to a daily container like I do at home, once settled onboard the ship (or in hotel).

Be aware, most sunscreens contain avobenzone. It doesn't really stain clothes, but if it's on your clothes and you have iron-rich water for doing laundry it shows up as rust stains. I found this out on a (land) trip in Alaska. Stained my favorite shirt. That's when I discovered Bar Keepers Friend. It's great for removing those stains.

I don't use my cell phone when cruising, only onboard. Off the ship my phone is in my room safe.

Generally, around 9:00. If you want to spend time in Cape Canaveral before your flight you need to look into getting a rental car.

DCL has gone to the multi-use (refillable) dispensers:

I've always had good "coolers"/"refrigerators"on DCL ships. Once it even froze the soda I put in there. You can ask your room host to provide ice a couple of times a day, if you find you need it to be colder, then place the ice in the cooler.

Because, when you travel (internationally, anyway), you must make reservation (and have matching ID) with your legal first, middle, last names. Certainly OP can use her middle name as the name she "goes by" but, it's not the one that has to be used to identify her. I agree - a simple "please call me XXXX" is all that's necessary.

We've done it. It was a change during COVID, and it looks like it's here to stay. The food offerings are pretty much the same, you just have to order them now. At least that was our experience. Got lots of good food, and left totally stuffed. But I agree with jalves - I miss the buffet.