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Disney Cruise Line Tip Thread


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Please advise if any or all of these are still effective tips at this date. It was posted on page one of this thread in 2008, and I went back to 2014 looking to see if any updates could be found, assuming more updates would be necessary.

 

Thanks!

 

1. Early arrival gets an early boarding pass number.

 

2. The terminal opens 10 a.m.

 

It's now 11 I believe and they won't let you in the terminal early in some cases.

 

3. Boarding starts around 11:30 to noon.

 

This varies

 

4. Keep a camera with you at ALL times, even in the terminal. characters will appear there for photos. There is an outdoor viewing area of the ship for photos.

 

5 Check in at kid's club table while waiting to board the ship. it saves you time on the ship.

 

I have found the lines long here and unless you have a late boarding number it might not be your best bet. Just play it by ear. I have signed my daughter up only once in the terminal. The other times we did it right on the ship.

 

6. Take a few ones. Some for room service tips and some to tip porters who take your bags at the termnal. $1 per bag is customary.

 

$1-$2 is customary

 

7. Take small bills for the islands. Many small shops don't have change.

 

8. If you're going to use your credit card on the islands, call your CC company first and tell them or you will have to wait on a phone call to OK all your purchases. This is a big hassle and can take 30 minutes or more.

 

9. Most shops who take credit cards require a $20 minimum purchase.

 

10 Take a camera to dinner each night, surprises happen all the time. You won't be alone. You will even see camcorders at dinner.

 

Take pictures of your food and post them here on cruise critic! ;)

 

11. Arrive at all shows 20 minutes early for good seats.

 

And remember NO saving seats for others in your party

 

12. Arrive at character meets 10 minutes early.

 

Some characters now require a ticket to even get to meet them. Check at Guest service when you board to find out who requires one and then if anyone of interest set up your time and get your ticket.

 

13 Princess meets arrive 15 minutes early.

 

Princess meets now require a ticket and set time.

 

14. On Castaway Cay if you want your photo taken with Captain Jack Sparrow, do NOT ride the tram to the beach area. It does NOT stop near him. You must walk in to the beach. The signs say 20 minute walk in it takes us 10 minutes. He will be along the way in the sand and the photos have the flying Dutchman behind you, great photo! Check the Navigator for times that he will be there.

 

He is not always there. I have seen him a few other spots now. And the Dutchman has been gone since late 2010.

15 There are characters along the way to the beach, it's OK to ride the tram for this. The lines are short and move quickly so it is a great opportunity to see characters without lines. Check the Navigator for times and places.

 

16 Characters also appear at the gazebo near Cookies BBQ on the island during the day.

 

17 The adult only beach has it's own area for lunch they often have steaks or lobster there as a special treat for the grown ups. But Cookies BBQ by family beach has more variety of other foods.

 

There are 2 Cookies now.

 

18 Dont miss the good-bye late the last night in the atrium. ALL of the characters will line up on the stairs and will pose for photos for you. This farwell party is really nice and fun.

 

It is often done twice so check for times. It can be very crowded too.

 

19 Check for photos every day at shutters. Buy a package deal and save $$ if you don't buy enough photos for the package deal they will refund you the difference at the end of your cruise. If you buy a photo and then decide the next day you see one you want more, just bring back the one you bought and the receipt and tell them you want to exchange it and they will be happy to do this for you.

 

You can now buy a package online before you go and currently there is a small discount on it.

 

 

20. You can order warm chocolate chip cookies or Mickey ice cream bars from room service even though it is not on the menu. The warm cookies are available in the evenings only.

(Don't forget the milk for heaven's sake, there's an extra charge for it. Host Mick)

 

 

21. Bring 2 white pillowcases or a matte style picture frame in a zip lock baggie with water proof markers and leave at guest services desk and ask for it to be autographed and it will be returned to you the last night all signed by the characters. I also add a card with my name and room number on it just in case their card gets lost. I like to use dark colored markers, the light colors don't show up as well.

 

No longer allowed, but you can take whatever you want autographed to meet the characters and have them sign it then.

 

22. If you need to change dining times or make a Palos reservation go to Wave Bands club directly upon boarding to take care of this. The sooner you do it the better your chances of getting what you want.

 

It varies where on each ship and even on sailing to sailing so check your navigator.

 

23. If you have kids, leave a wake up call and then let them answer the phone. It will surprise them because Mickey will be on the phone telling them it is time to get up.

 

24 Afternoon matinees of the shows are great to see. They are the exact same show, they leave out nothing but it is less crowded and kids aren't as tired, plus it makes for a more leisurely evening. No need to rush to or from the shows due to your dinner time.

 

Usually only on sea days

 

25. Pop is free in all restaurants and at the drink station on deck 9. But if you order it from waiter or buy it at a lounge or bar you will be charged for it plus a gratuity.

 

 

 

26. Stop by the drink station and grab a drink to take with you to the shows or movies instead of buying a can of pop there. If you want a snack, stop and grab pizza or hot dogs or fruit on deck 9 to take it with you. Again save money over buying a bunch of snacks for the kids.

 

Remember NOT to use your own cup for sanitary reasons. Always use a new cup from the station each and every time. It is posted but not clearly and many people ignore it.

 

27. At dinner kids can order from both the kid's or adult menus.

 

Or vice versa

 

28. No need to book floats and bikes ahead of time for Castaway Cay. They have tons of them. Wait until you get there to make sure you're really going to need the floats or have time to ride the bikes before renting them. We always just walk up and do it at the beach.

 

29. If you want to do the banana boat ride or the ski-doo (eco tour) I would book them ahead of time. They do often have last minute openings so dont be afraid to ask when you arrive if you didn't book it and decided you'd like to do it.

 

30. If you rent bikes there are 2 nice trails just off the runway. The first one will have an observation tower. It has a great view of the island and ship. Bring your camera for this!! While up in the tower be sure and look around the base area of the tower. There are some whimsical things to see there too.

 

31. All the trails have ice cold water in big yellow barrels in wooden framed stands, so there's no need to carry your own unless you want to.

 

32. Find a cruise meets thread for your cruise and post there to get acquianted with others on your cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=451

 

I posted changes in red

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
So is there no Character Breakfast on the bigger ships?

 

The dining rooms are too small to accommodate the Characters and see everyone plus mandatory rest breaks for them to cool off out of costume.

Plus on the Dream they cannot do the Character Breakfast due to the number of sea days or late arrival port days required.

 

ex techie

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  • 3 weeks later...

Does anyone bring cases of bottled water! I'm considering using Garden Grocer to deliver water to the airport hotel where we're staying the night before our cruise. Wondering if it's worth it and wondering if they will take it and store it with our luggage when we board....

 

Any opinions?

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Does anyone bring cases of bottled water! I'm considering using Garden Grocer to deliver water to the airport hotel where we're staying the night before our cruise. Wondering if it's worth it and wondering if they will take it and store it with our luggage when we board....

 

Any opinions?

 

The official rule is you must carry on all beverages including water. Sometimes people get lucky and a porter will take the case of water with luggage but technically they are not supposed to and never count on it.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Does anyone bring cases of bottled water! I'm considering using Garden Grocer to deliver water to the airport hotel where we're staying the night before our cruise. Wondering if it's worth it and wondering if they will take it and store it with our luggage when we board....

 

Any opinions?

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do they have water available if we bring refillable bottles (Tervis etc)?

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Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do they have water available if we bring refillable bottles (Tervis etc)?

 

There is water on the pool deck at the included self service stations, but it is EXACTLY the same water that comes out of your tap in your Stateroom, and what they use to prepare your food.

 

The ships "bunker" (receive water from land) only in US ports (whilst sailing Caribbean cruises, and in European ports or Canadian ports on those itineraries) and store it in large tanks, then process and filter that water, but that can only provide enough water for all of those uses along with the pools and slides for a day or so.

So they also draw sea water in and use reverse osmosis or flash evaporation to convert sea water into fresh drinking water.

 

The water is treated and filtered incredibly highly and certain minerals are added to make it taste "right" and fit for human consumption.

A lot of people post that they love the pure clean and crisp taste of the Disney ships water!

 

So no need to buy a water package unless you have a preference of Dasani or Evian and pay a high price for it! Fill up your bottles at any tap or dispenser on the ship and know your are getting pure water.

 

ex techie

Edited by Ex techie
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Thanks so much for the quick response, ex techie! I am not a big fan of bottled water when other sources are available.

 

As to the pools, do they no longer fill them with sea water? It's been a while since we have cruised, and the last Disney cruise the kids only left the kid activities if we dragged them away, so we never did swim in the (very crowded) pools. Back when we cruised regularly, it was routine to fill the pools daily using sea water and they also drained them nightly.

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Thanks so much for the quick response, ex techie! I am not a big fan of bottled water when other sources are available.

 

As to the pools, do they no longer fill them with sea water? It's been a while since we have cruised, and the last Disney cruise the kids only left the kid activities if we dragged them away, so we never did swim in the (very crowded) pools. Back when we cruised regularly, it was routine to fill the pools daily using sea water and they also drained them nightly.

 

No worries!

 

AFAIK and I'm 99.9999% sure DCL pools have always been fresh water and not sea water. They do drain the pools and hot tubs usually nightly and replenish them the next morning with desalinated water.

When was your DCL cruise?

 

ex techie

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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!

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No worries!

 

AFAIK and I'm 99.9999% sure DCL pools have always been fresh water and not sea water. They do drain the pools and hot tubs usually nightly and replenish them the next morning with desalinated water.

When was your DCL cruise?

 

ex techie

 

We last cruised Disney in Oct 2010, so it's been a while. I know (on some cruise we were on) I was told they refill the pools daily with sea water. Now, that doesn't mean it was not desalinated water. Truthfully, I never thought to ask that question (duh!).

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We are traveling soon on the Disney Fantasy and are looking for an alternate way to get from the Disney Hotels to the Disney Port in Cape Canaveral. I was thinking a car service or luxury sedan might be a faster and a

more cost effective way to go. we are a family of 4. any suggestions?

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We took the bus supplied by Disney and it was pretty fast and very comfortable. They had TV's with movies on them for the kids to watch so we weren't bored. Also the bus driver briefed us on the boarding procedure. And when we got there, they were ready for us and it was pretty fast to go through the boarding process.

 

We got on the bus about 11:30 and we were in view of the ship by 12:40. The trip takes at least an hour with no traffic. It is over 66 miles.

 

We were on the ship by 1:00 and in the rooms by 1:15.

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We are traveling soon on the Disney Fantasy and are looking for an alternate way to get from the Disney Hotels to the Disney Port in Cape Canaveral. I was thinking a car service or luxury sedan might be a faster and a

more cost effective way to go. we are a family of 4. any suggestions?

 

A lot use Happy limo. I personally like Ed korgan

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  • 2 months later...

If you have a child who gets motion sickness even occasionally bring the chewable dramamine with you. My daughter got terribly nauseated when we dined at the Animator's Palette. Since she had had zero issues before then I wasn't carrying anything with me and she wasn't pre-medicated. We were directed to the medical office at the other end of the ship. They had meds in a dispenser with a sheet of tips on seasick-ness. The meds were not appropriate for children and the sheet said that sea-sickness is very rare in children (not helpful in that moment, lol)! They do sell children's dramamine in one particular gift shop or at customer service if the shop isn't open at that time. Next time I will just make sure I have one in my pocket at all times just in case!

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If you have a child who gets motion sickness even occasionally bring the chewable dramamine with you. My daughter got terribly nauseated when we dined at the Animator's Palette. Since she had had zero issues before then I wasn't carrying anything with me and she wasn't pre-medicated. We were directed to the medical office at the other end of the ship. They had meds in a dispenser with a sheet of tips on seasick-ness. The meds were not appropriate for children and the sheet said that sea-sickness is very rare in children (not helpful in that moment, lol)! They do sell children's dramamine in one particular gift shop or at customer service if the shop isn't open at that time. Next time I will just make sure I have one in my pocket at all times just in case!

 

dramamine/bonine actually works better if you take it before the onset of motion sickness. For a quick fix something with ginger, like ginger ale or green apples will help quite a bit.

Animators palette is always the worse. I think I feel sick every time in there.

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