boy's mom

BEFORE LEAVING HOME

Type up a schedule for each person in your party to use for packing which includes each day/date, where you'll be (sea day, port, flying home?), possible activities (beach, zip-lining, adult brunch, formal night), & appropriate clothing for that activity. This will make packing much easier for everyone. (there are washers/driers/irons in a passenger laundry room on each cabin deck. No need to bring change. Use your room key to charge washer/drier use. You cannot bring your own iron. If you must iron your formal wear, do so well before formal night as there is only 1 iron per laundry room)

Type up another schedule that will be posted in each cabin which includes day/date, where you'll be (boarding, sea day, port), scheduled activity (shore excursion, adult restaurant, beach), reservation time/meeting place & evening dining room assignment (you will rotate through 3 different dining rooms each night-- you can leave this column blank & then pencil it in when you get your dining tickets). This way everyone in your party will know the specifics of each scheduled activity at a glance.

DOWNLOAD DISNEY NAVIGATOR APP BEFORE BOARDING

Free app. Free to use on board through the ship's wifi system, but you will not be charged if this is the only thing you utilize the ship's wifi for. However, if you download it while sailing you will have to purchase ship wifi (& of course, if you need wifi for anything else, checking email, ect.., you will have to purchase a wifi package which is sold by mb & not minutes). With this app you can see information for all ship activities, including youth clubs, shows, deck parties, ect., you can see dining menus ahead of time, and best of all, you can text other cruisers. Once on board, hook up to the ship's wifi (again, no charge for this), open the messaging part of the app & register to use this service. Each cruiser registers THEIR OWN information on their own smart phone (I emphasize this because the directions do not make this clear). You will then be assigned a "chat #". Inform others of your personal chat#. Then type in each other's chat # immediately & send a "test" message. Their name will then appear on your chat list & you will no longer need their personal chat # to send a text. You can send group texts but when we used it, my son who was registered in my cabin could not be part of the group (for some unknown reason) so we had to text him separately. There is a ship wifi/app expert to help you on deck 4 if needed. Occasionally, there is lag time between sending & receiving texts. (cell phone tip: keep your cell on "airplane mode" the entire length of the cruise so your cell company does not charge you for incoming texts or calls. You can still hook up to wifi either on the ship or in port while staying on "airplane mode".) When you're on wifi (via purchasing it on board or at port), you can text friends/family back home using a free app called WhatsApp. Obviously,you both have to have that app on your cell but your friends back home can use their 3G so they would not necessarily have to be on wifi when you txt them.

MAIN DINING ROOM SEATING TIME CHANGES OR RESERVATIONS FOR ADULT RESTAURANTS

Do this ASAP (if you didn't do this at home). Check your Navigator for location & go there immediately. We got there a few minutes before it was suppose to open & passengers were already lined up & staff was already working to help. At the same venue (Royal Court on our boarding day) there were separate lines for adult dining reservations & main dining seating time changes. If you cannot get the times you want, ask to be put on a waiting list. They will contact you via wave phone (the portable phones in your cabin) if they can accommodate your request.

SPECIAL PRINCESS MEET UPS & CHARACTER BREAKFAST RESERVATIONS

This is free but you must obtain tickets. Do this immediately upon boarding as they go fast. Only 1 person per party is needed to get tickets for everyone (who has their reservations linked together). If you can't get tickets to the special princess meet-ups, it's ok, you can still stand in line for the many "open to the public" meet & greets each day (schedules of times & places will be posted in your Navigator).

ROOM SERVICE

You do not need to bring dollar bills for tips anymore. You can sign for the tip when they deliver your food & it will be added to your on board charges. (the food itself is free). Breakfast is only continental, but you can order off the "all day" menu in the morning as well. My sons regularly had BLTs or hamburgers via room service for breakfast.

DOOR DECORATIONS

Door decor makes finding your cabin much easier as cabin numbers (just like a hotel) are not on your key cards. Disney only allows magnetic decorations. Do not spend a lot of money on this as there is always the possibility that they will get swiped. I downloaded Disney characters & Disney movie pictures from Google Images, backed them with colorful cardstock & then applied peel & stick magnetic strips (just a little bit is enough) from the craft store to the back of the pictures. Each cabin in your party might want a different Disney theme (my teenage sons chose "Pirates of the Caribbean"). You can also decorate for various celebrations: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, ect...

CABIN OUTLETS

There are not very many outlets in your cabin (there is a USB outlet on the back of the TV). You can bring your own multi USB charger (buy one with at least 20 W), but you cannot bring your own extension cord or power strip. You can borrow an extension cord/power strip at guest services upon boarding. You will need to return this at the end of the cruise or you will be charged for it. If your the type of person who needs to see a lighted clock when you wake up in the middle of the night or the dark morning, bring your own small lighted clock. Unlike American hotels (& very much like European hotels) there are no clocks in the cabins. Also, depending on your cell settings perhaps, your cell phone might not stay on Eastern time during the entire cruise.

KEY CARDS TO TURN ON CABIN LIGHTS

Like many European hotels, you must insert a key card into a slot just inside your cabin door to turn the lights on. You are then expected to remove your key card upon exiting the cabin & this will turn all your lights off (& you'll need to take your key card with you for obvious reasons). We always bring a stack of old hotel key cards to distribute to our party as this is easier to keep in the slot than your Disney Fantasy key card. (you can keep it in the slot but lift it up slightly upon exiting to turn the lights off). This way, when you unlock your cabin & enter, you can immediately put your Disney Fantasy key card back in your lanyard or bag & you won't forget it when you leave (& you won't confuse who still has their key & whose key is in the slot).

PIRATE NIGHT

One night will be designated as "Pirate Night". If you want to dress up, bring your costume, T-shirts, swords, whatever with you in your suitcase. They sell these things at the gift shops, but of course, it will be much cheaper to bring your own dress up supplies from home.

MISC THINGS I PACK TO MAKE MY LIFE EASIER

small pad of paper, highlighter, wire hangers that I don't mind leaving behind (there are never enough in the closets for everything I like to hang), light up clock, multi USB charger (at least 20 W), lots of sunscreen, "Safe Sea" (anti jellyfish/sea lice lotion- available on Amazon), night light, re-fillable water bottles, beach/pool bag, small bills for bargaining in ports, 2 sets of swimsuits each, some private shore excursions take only cash- check b4 hand, packaged snacks for port days (granola bars, raisins, ect-- many ports will not allow you to bring fresh food off the ship- like fruit or sandwiches), water proof watch, dish soap for rinsing out swim suits & re-fillable water bottles, various size zip lock bags (for many different uses that you won't know about until the time comes!). :)

Happy Cruising!

Thank you for the pics! Very helpful!

Day in Grand Cayman - Sea Grape Beach

In Grand Cayman we took the bus to one of the beaches, took the bus back to town and had lunch at Corita’s Copper Kettle.

As we did not have a formal shore excursion booked I was a little nervous about being able to board one of the tenders to the pier in a timely manner as I had read that it can take hours before one finally boards a tender, but this was not the case at all. We had breakfast at 8am, returned to our cabin to collect our beach bags (took 2 Carnival towels for the 4 of us, 1 set of youth snorkeling gear, a few odd sand toys, sunscreen and some packaged snacks), and was on a tender by 8:45am (walked right on, no waiting at all).

Upon exiting the pier area, we jogged a little to our right and walked up Front street about 1 1/2 blocks. We turned right at the clock tower onto Edward Street and immediately saw the library on the left side of the street. The public busses (actually they’re vans) were all waiting to the right of the library. It is $2.50 per person, US dollars. We told an attendant we wanted to go to Sea Grape beach, he escorted us to the correct bus and the bus driver took us straight there (about a 10 min. drive). Sea Grape beach has showers, bathrooms, chairs and umbrellas to rent (we paid $12 for 2 chairs) and an array of water sport equipment to rent (snorkeling gear, wave runners, banana boat rides, para sailing, ect..). We did not do any of these activities as it is so much cheaper in Mexico. After strolling up and down the beach, we decided that Sea Grape was the best for us as there were less people there than in other areas and also less coral/rock beds in the shallow part of the water where our boys played.

We stayed at the beach for 2 hours then crossed the street to the other side where we were planning on walking a few yards to the bus stop, however, as soon as we crossed the street a bus stopped and picked us up. (they honk at you if you’re not near a bus stop and then you wave if you want them to stop and pick you up.) We told the driver we wanted to go to Corita’s Copper Kettle for lunch. Coincidentally, it is just a few yards down the street from the library where we originally boarded the bus that morning, so he took us right to the restaurant’s front door.

Corita’s Copper Kettle is a small, local restaurant with reasonable prices. Lunch for my 2 sons, my husband and I was $50 US dollars including tip (prices are posted in Cayman dollars and US dollars). Each of my sons had a hamburger, fries, and soda. My husband had deep fried battered shrimp, onion rings, and a soda. I had the conch stew meal which included red beans and rice, a plantain and a white vegetable with ice water. My meal was not so great, but my husband and sons enjoyed their meals and the price was right compared to other establishments. Also, the waiter there (he said he’s Corita’s brother) was very personable and efficient.

After lunch we walked around a bit to shop (a block or 2 towards the pier from Corita’s), returned to the pier, waited about 5 minutes for a tender and were back on the ship in time to shower and change for our 3pm spa appointments.

We just got off Magic, Eastern Carib. this morning! Here are my quick tips:

1) Take a case of water bottles on board (healthier than soda and easy to throw in your purse or backpack). Disney does not allow roller-coolers, so bungee cord a case of water to a luggage cart. There is a refrigerator in the cabin to keep your water cool. (I guess you can't do this if your flying, sorry)

2) I did not receive a map of the ship layout with our pre-registration confirmation booklet, at boarding, or in my cabin so I asked for one at Guests Services, they gave me a couple for me and my extended family but said to keep it on the QT as they were almost out. If you definitely want a map to carry in your bag, make your own using the ship layout link on Disney.com

3) Swim towels are readily available in cabinets around the pools and as you disembark at ports.

4) At Castaway Cay-- Take an addressed postcard and you can mail it at the post office as you disembark. If you bring your own snorkeling gear you will still need to wear a yellow life vest when snorkeling. They are free of charge at each life guard station. There are showers/foot washing stations near the ship so there is no need to use the crowded ones near the beach.

5) Door decorations are fun but Disney only allows decorations attached by magnet. Do not use refrigerator magnets as these will get stolen. Poster/cardstock/picture type of decorations with magnetic strips (buy magnetic strips @ Michaels) are a safer bet.

6) If you're traveling with a large group, in order to sit together at the Walt Disney theater for the 3 big shows (Twice Charmed, Villians, Dreams) you will need to arrive 30 min. early. For the other shows, 10 min. early is fine.

7) The show that the children put on for the parents (at the Walt Disney Theater) is called "Friendship Rocks". They should attend the rehearsal before the show (at Oceaneer Club or lab) and they will get a T-shirt to wear during the show and to take home. Lots of fun!

8) On Magic, sale T-shirts are on racks outside the ship stores, towards the theater.

9) On Magic, they don't automatically offer room service warm cookies, but if you specifically ask that they be warm, they will warm them for you.

10) On the last morning, if you don't want to eat in your assigned dining room at the time that you are assigned (staff encourages you to breakfast at a particular dining room at a specifc time in order to control the flow of disembarkation ), you can still eat at Topsiders. They were still serving a hot breakfast at 9am when we were leaving.

11) Some outlet malls now have "Disney Warehouse" stores. This is an inexpensive alternative for official Disney T-shirts, bags, toys, ect... If you're in Orlando before or after the cruise there is one at Prime Outlet Mall.

Can't wait till our next Disney cruise! It was fabulous!