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Questions from a Newbie


thechandlers99
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Hi everyone! My husband and I have taken many cruises in the past, but we are looking at taking our first Disney Cruise in December with our 3 year old. I have a couple of questions...

 

• Is our deposit refundable if something changes before our final payment is made?

 

• What beverages are included in the cruise rate?

 

• Is Castaway Cay tendered or docked?

 

• What are the hours of the kids club?

 

• As experienced cruisers, but DCL newbies, what are things we must know?

 

Thank you for all your help! :)

 

 

 

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Yes, deposit is refundable before final payment - but you have to actually cancel, don't just wait till after PIF date and expect a refund :)

 

Beverages: basic coffee and tea, sodas, lemonade, ice tea, water (not bottled). Not included: alcohol, specialty coffees, bottled water, juices, etc.

 

CC is a docked port, but the ship has to back in to CC, so on some (rare?) occasions where it's super windy, CC has been missed.

 

I can't remember the hours of kids clubs but the "DCL Blog" site has a bunch of Navigators (daily activity sheets) from past cruises and you can look there! They are open pretty late at night. There are also lots of Open Houses.

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i forgot to add my thoughts on what you "need to know".... one thing I would mention is that the kids club on DCL is not segregated by age the way it is on Carnival or on pretty well any other cruise line. Oceaneers Lab and Club are from ages 3-12. Now, I do not know whether many 11-12 year old kids really go since they are also eligible to go to the 11-14 teen/tween club. I personally found the DCL kids clubs to be somewhat chaotic and unstructured. There is lots for kids to do but I did not find the staff to be terribly engaging with my kids.

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December will be a Merrytime cruise. The terminal, ship, and island will be decorated and there will be special activities. It would help us to know how long your cruise is and which ship you are on.

 

Generally the Oceaneer's Club is open from 9am till midnight with rare changes. On Castaway day the programming moves to the island and there is about a one hour "gap" with no programming while they move. Food is OFFERED to the kids, but they are not made to eat...so it may not work for you if they decide to not eat. If you don't want to take your child to dinner with you, make sure they eat before you drop them at the OC.

 

As above on included beverages--Coke products, hot and cold tea, coffee, lemonade, milk (all varieties), tap water. fruit juices, etc.

 

Unlike other lines, the buffet is not open all day. Breakfast and lunch hours are posted in the Navigator. At dinner, there is no buffet; Cabanas becomes a casual, sit down location with no reservations needed. The fast food outlets are open most of the day and evening.

 

CC is docked. About 2-3% of cruises will be unable to dock due to weather conditions. Many times the ship can dock but excursions can be canceled due to rough seas. They are of course fully refunded.

 

3 year olds are often overwhelmed by the OC. Take your child to the open house the first afternoon so they can get used to the space while you are there.

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Yes, deposit is refundable before final payment - but you have to actually cancel, don't just wait till after PIF date and expect a refund :)

 

....

Unless, of course, the room(s) booked are Concierge. Concierge deposits are non-refundable.

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One caveat about soft drinks. Sodas ordered during meals, in the Vibe and those provided at the drink stations are free. Soft drinks ordered at bars and room service are not.

 

Very interesting. There's always something new to learn.

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Interesting! Do they have a drink package?

 

 

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No, there is no drink package on DCL. Soft drinks are "free" 24/7 at the beverage station. They are "free" in the dining rooms during meal hours. Yes, there may be times when a bar is closer than the beverage station, but it isn't a big deal to go up to the pool deck.

 

 

It has been this way since the "free" beverages replaced the mug system MANY years ago. I don't remember exactly when it happened, but it was definitely this way in 2005.

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There are beverage stations within Cabanas where you can fill and refill a normal glass at meals, or where you can refill the bottle you bring on board. Outside of Cabanas on the pool deck there are also the beverage stations referred to in the above notes. These have paper cups and straws. On the Magic and Wonder these stations are on the port side of the ship right as you come out of Cabanas. On the Fantasy (and I assume the Dream) these stations are mid-ship. You can't miss finding them.

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