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We've gotten a Cabana on the adult beach on our last two cruises. I check the shore excursions for Castaway day, sometimes several times a day, and the just pop up. Sometimes 30 days out, sometimes closer, last time it was about 2 weeks to go. I assume someone had reserved and then canceled and I happened to pop on and see it and book it.

We sail RCL often, and you have to pay for shore excursions when you reserve them. Cabana's aren't billed to your room until you sail.

If you want a Cabana, check back often, and see what pops up as available.

I'll throw a fourth option, Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston. It's been upgraded to the newer technology from Allure. A heck of a lot closer, cheaper, and it's a great ship.

I don't think any line has free room service 24 hours, I believe they all have a delivery surcharge after midnight.

Disney has free soda, but for $8 per day you can get soda on RCL.

Yesterday Brilliance was at the downtown pier with Carnival Fantasy, Liberty and two other ships were at the International pier.

On another ship yesterday moored in Cozumel with Liberty. Talked to a Liberty passenger, said the child was in a crowded pool and was a "silent Drowning", child went under and with all of the activity by the time the pulled the child out he had been under a while. One report had a guest pulled child out, and child was attended by pool staff, then medical staff for an extended time. Was told they did CPR for a very long time and the child did not recover.

Many times when there is an accident onboard it seems to be hushed, but ALOT of people saw and heard about the CPR efforts so the word was out. Prior to making port the ship had the Captains reception in the promenade, and the Captain addressed it at the reception and had a moment of silence for the child.

There was an ambulance waiting not he pier when the passengers disembarked in Cozumel for shore excursions.

People, hug your children...

I did the Vanilla Cake for my wife's Birthday last year. Her BDay was embarkation day, ordered cake to be delivered in the dining room, early seating. As soon as we got to the stateroom it was already in it, with two plates and rolls of silverware.

We carried the cake to the dining room, and EVERYONE wished her a happy bday. We shared the cake with table mates, then took it back to the room. Our waiters brought out bowls of chocolate ice cream and helped serve it. They did sing to here night one, and as we passed ours and other stewards in the hall, everyone wished her a happy bDay. It was on a cake plate with a snap on plastic cover to keep it from going stale.

For the next few days if we ate a piece, the next time we came back to the room, our steward replaced the two clean plates and silverware.

It's good cake, a little pricy, but you are on a cruise! Live it up! We are going again this year right before Christmas, her BDay is on the second day of the cruise, and I'll do the cake again.

I've stayed at the Doubletree Universal and the Hampton Inn at Universal. Doubletree is literally across the street, we walked from hotel to park and back. Hampton Inn is maybe 1/4 mile down the road, again we walked. Both hotels have a shuttle van to Universal, we wanted to go earlier than the shuttles. There are several hotels near there, but I'm a Hilton fan. Doubletree has cookies, Hampton has free breakfast.

I'd contact the hotel and ask them for a recommendation on a shuttle service or van service, then have the same service scheduled to take you back to the airport and catch the Disney shuttle to the ship. Book the Disney shuttle back to MCO and that should make luggage much easier.

The Doubletree has an Avis rental car desk, might be cheaper to rent a car from MCO and drive to the hotel and turn it in, then rent a car at the hotel and turn it in at MCO.

I've been on Allure twice, the main bed(s) go together to make almost a king, and the sofa lays out to make a reasonable bed about twin size. There was a pull down bed above the sofa that we never needed to use.

The all access tour is $150 per person, really really neat if you are that type, other wise would be a waste. They give you gifts from different departments, and a chance to see crew quarters and spaces, the bridge ally and such. Small things like how they separate and store the veggies amazed me.

Tours and show open up on a schedule, some now, some 120 days out, 90 days out etc. Just keep checking, some things seem to only open after you make final payment. Some of it is also luck, we've gotten Cabanas the last two Disney cruises. Get tickets to see Momma Mia, the comedy shows you can, but they open doors to anyone 15 minutes before show times. Also, don't miss the water show, really neat.

I think the key is to turn off everything you aren't using, and then turn off wifi or select airplane mode when you are through. Some devices will always check for up dates etc if not off or in airplane.

First day onboard sign up for the free MB before midnight, and that is usually enough for me on a 4 day.

Another neat thing on Dream/Fantasy is the Disney cruise APP where you can see menus, show times etc, and text other people in your room all for free. Our thing was to lay by the pool at 10am, and decide what we wanted for dinner, and then of course change our minds.

Thank you for all the replies. It has given us much to consider how we cruise and what we want for this vacation.

 

 

 

This is one of our concerns. We will most likely not eat in the Traditional Dining room at least two times, maybe three.

 

 

 

What? How do you do this? This sounds perfect!

All of the RCL cruise we've done lately had the "Chops Steak" on the MDR menu, bottom right corner. It's usually $20 surcharge, but cheaper than going to Chops. Our last trip on Liberty they had a special and it was $10. We've had good experiences with the MDR wait staff making it happen, cooked perfectly, served with the sauces from chops.

First, what Anita said above.

Mama Mia is the musical onboard now, we really enjoyed it, including my daughter who is a theatre snob. Go see it, you'll be singing along.

The running track/ walking track is a quicker way to get fwd to aft or vice versa. go down out aft, then in for dinner. Disney Fantasy and Dream have a similar setup.

The Mexican place on the Boardwalk is kind of a mexi-fusion place. It was good, but I miss Rita's Cantina.

Zip Line and flow riders if you are sporty enough.

It's a beautiful ship, we spent hours just walking around and looking at the artwork on all of the stair landings. You do take the stairs don't you?

Traditional Early. Not late people anyway, and want to eat and give it a few hours to digest before bed. We do the dinner then shows and sometimes a walk on deck to get dinner settled before bed.

Like traditional because we like to get to know the wait staff, and they us, so they know that if they bring me 6 cheese rolls I'll eat them.

After our first cruise we almost always eat in the MDR, did the Windjammer on Allure in Europe once or twice when our shore trip didn't get back in time. We have eaten in Chops, but have gotten in the habit of ordering the Chops meal in the MDR at a much better price.

We also enjoy being seated with people we don't know, and a chance to make new friends.

We booked through the ship last December for the Tulum/beach adventure.

Was a 45 minute ferry ride over, a bus ride to Tulum (incredible) then a bus ride to a beach park where they fed us a decent lunch and had about 2 hours to relax.

The bus back got caught in traffic, we were late to the ferry, which they held since there were two more buses behind us, and we were late to the ship.

I think underway was supposed to be 6pm, we walked/ran down the pier and got back to the brow and walked on at 5:55pm. There was nothing but a brow and two ship's staff on the pier, and after the 20 or so people made it on behind us we were GONE. For that reason, I book through the cruise line, and yes pay a little more, but they didn't leave me.

Without alcohol do you think there would be a belly flop contest?

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Ben Franklin.

I prepaid mine for December, go to the cruise reservation, then to book under dining I beleive there is a link to pre-pay.

When we've purchased a drink package before boarding, the logo is pre-printed on out card. When we purchased at the ship, we got the sticker. The stickers are pool-proof, never had one come loose.

Prior to, our cups were in the state-room, else we were given them at purchase. The chipped cups for the coke freestyle machine take some getting used to.

I would do three days at the world, then 4 days on the ship. You'll be tired after the park and can relax on the ship. Disney's Magic Express is a great experience, but not the cheapest.

You'll have a blast!

Last week I think it was on the Boardwalk. Have done it before, skipped this one.

Our family of three walks on with a beach bag and a backpack. We wear swimsuits under shorts and t-shirts and let the baggage people take everything else to our room.

We don't talk valuables on board except a laptop and everyone has an iPad or other reader. The beach bag has lotion, pool cups, hats and sunglasses. With an 11:30 PAT we are usualy in the hotel by 11:45, watching all of the people walk by draging suitcases, pillows and coats from the plane flights.

If you fly, bring a mostly empty suitcase to put all of your cool weather or travel clothes in it, then let them check it. Our suitcases are almost always there by the muster drill, if not, they arrive just after. Yes I know they are not guaranteed that early, but we've never missed first dinner, ever.

So, maybe I'm missing something, but what's a Haloween cruise? And who cares.

Every Disney cruise has a pirate night, I'm not a pirate, I don't dress up, but I eat dinner, see the show, then go on deck and watch the fireworks. Some people spend a stupid amount of money and time to pack, and dress up like a pirate, it's just not my thing.

I've never had a cruise, that when over thought, gee, I wish I hadn't gone. Some were better than others, but any Disney cruise is better than a week at work.

Go on the cruise, you'll have a good time.

Cruise more, worry less.

Yes you'll miss Disney....

They do a Dreamworks parade down through th Promenade one night, and there is what I would call a dance party on deck after the Make-a-Wish walk as kind of a celebration. I have a picture of me and Shrek.

We did the Liberty twice with no kids, I'm sure there are other Dreamworks things, but that's all I saw.

The Ice show was pretty good, there are tickets in advance, but we walked in both times.

Saturday Night Fever is the broadway show. Loved it the first time, was OK the second, the cast changes about every 2 months.

We bought a drink package both times, Royal Replenish, and I think we got our money's worth.

I believe it also includes non-alcoholic frozen drinks. Such as a virgin pina colada.

We used it in the MED for bottled water, as you leave the ship there will be a crew mwmbwe selling large bottles of water, but show him your card with sticker and they will reach underneath and give you smaller bottles for free. We each carried two bottles off the ship with us every day and then rehydrated when we got back on.

My logic was three bottles of water a day, two sodas with dinner, and one frozen drink in the hot tub after dinner, and I saved money.

Plus Serenity Bay on Castaway Cay. You won't see anyone there under 18.

Congrats on catching a deal. Yes it's more per night than other lines but deals do happen once in a while.

Join, or start a meet and mingle for your cruise, and start the count down!

Alaska will be there next year, and the year after that, and the year after that......

Seriously, Alaska was cool, but I'm not in a hurry to go back.

We were eating dinner the night before boarding, and got an email from Disney saying our Western cruise was now an Eastern because of the remanants of a hurricane.

The captain also explained it on the 1MC during the lifeboat drill. All shore excursions were canceled and refunded.

Several guests were being a butt, complaining thay should of gotten a refund, ranting about "I'll never sail Disney again". I don't WANT to sail with those people.

Weather happens, the Captain is charged with taking you somewhere and bringing you back, SAFELY. They will veer from usual course, skirt around weather, and change port call days if they need to. They WANT you to be happy, but they HAVE to keep you safe.

Worry less, cruise more!

I book mine direct, and use our corporate folks for work trips. If you did the work it's an easy trip to book, and I wouldn't feel bad about asking for a discount.

I also work in sales, and when people ask for discounts, sometimes I can give them sometimes I can't. It never hurts to ask, all they can say is no.

That being said, it comes down to customer service, if you are not happy smile, go on your cruise, and then find another travel agent.