Quick questions about DCL

[Hanzo]

Ok, so my wife and I are considering Disney for our next cruise, by the time we go our daughter will be 2.

 

1. I see babysitting is $6 per kid per hour from searching the internet...it can't be that cheap can it?

 

2. I see no babysitting times listed anywhere, does it vary ship to ship?

 

3. Alcohol, you can bring your own? So My wife can bring a couple bottles of liquor and I can bring a case of beer?

 

4. It says you can't drink alcohol in public places, how about in adult only areas or bar areas?

 

Thanks for any assistance!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

yes the nursery is $6 per hour, at a 2 hour minimum per visit there. I don't remember the hours. I think it opens around 10 a.m. and stays open until around midnight but not 100% sure on that.

 

The cruises allow 10 hours per cruise but its usually easy to pick up extra hours as long as you keep checking back with the nursery.

 

You can bring your own alcohol and your case of beer, but it must be in a carry on piece of luggage, do NOT check it . The reasoning is it will get broken in checked luggage and make a mess in a bunch of pieces of luggage. We have seen this happen and several pieces of luggage were effected. So people who had nothing to do with it had their clothes soaked in alcohol and had to immediately wash them.

 

My DD's suitcase was drenched. It took 3 washings to get the smell out of her clothes, plus her formal had to be cleaned on the ship. Cost her around $40 to fix someone else's mistake.

 

Not sure if they would object to your own liquor in the club areas. Probably not a good idea to take it there unless you put it in a regular cup from the drink station so they do not know what you have. If they allowed everyone to bring their own alcohol there nobody would buy their drinks any more.

I would stick to public areas unless you can disguise it. Just in case.

Most lines wont let you bring alcohol at all on the ship so DCL is very generous by allowing it.

 

Hope you decide to try DCL, its a great cruise line.

[ducklite]

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faqs/preparing-for-your-cruise/alcohol-onboard-policy/

 

Question

May Guests bring alcohol onboard?

Answer

While adult Guests ages 21 and older may bring alcohol onboard, the following guidelines apply:

 

Outside alcohol cannot be consumed in any lounge or public area

At Palo and Remy, a $20 corkage fee will be charged for outside wine and champagne

Beverages must be packed in your carry-on bag—which must not exceed 22 inches wide, 14 inches high and 9 inches deep in dimension

Coolers filled with personal items (e.g. soda, alcohol, chips, candy, etc.) may not be brought on board.

Please note: Disney Cruise Line reserves the right to remove fragile items (including beverages) from checked luggage. In such cases, items will be stored and returned at the end of the voyage. Beverage containers are considered fragile and have previously caused damage in checked luggage. All fragile items must be transported inside carry-on luggage.

[Scrapnana]

On the Fantasy the nursery was open from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on sea days and 7:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. on port days.

 

On the way to port we picked up 24 beers, a couple of bottles of wine, and a couple of bottles of liquor and put it all in a wheeled carryone. Many people would carry around a tumbler like this and nobody would know what you were drinking.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Btw, there is an additional forum with lots of great resources for disney cruising fyi.

 

In the meantime, it seems like Disney is cracking down on NO COOLERS. (I think they have had major leakage problems with people trying to keep ice coolers in their rooms or something.) We had an insulated softside bag that we put our goods in to carryon. They really don't care what you bring on board, as their business model is not nickel and dime every drink etc off of you like the other cruise lines could be. (Their rates reflect that though a bit. Still we loved our cruise a LOT and picked a good time with good rates to go.)

 

I bought a drink special at the sail away and got two Disney cups. I took my DCL souvenir cup everywhere with me all over the ship and put my wine, or rum and coke, or water, whatever I wanted. It wasn't like I had a giant six pack out by the pool deck getting sloshed (I'm sure that's their reasoning behind not drinking in public places.) so basically if you are fairly low key about it, I seriously doubt they will care. We didn't take it in to the Family Karaoke (which was SO entertaining, we LOVED it!) and we didn't take it into the adult lounge (bar with karaoke) but we did take our own wine up to dinner (That we had already open in the room) and our wait staff did not say anything about it. If you a bring wine bottle up to the table, there is a $20 cork fee. Some people are adamant that you should pay the fee. We chose instead to drink our own wine and give the waitstaff extra cash in tips. They also saw us bring the wine and didn't say anything though. Again, just be low key about it. If they don't have to enforce it, they probably won't. Just as long as you aren't causing a scene or anything.

 

I love that cup. I use it like every day...

 

We didn't travel with any kids (none of us have any!) and the youngest of us were 31. We had an incredible time and can only recommend it as probably the best cruise line I've been on. (Other lines had incredible ports! Just awesome, Hawaii, Roatan etc. But as far as ship service, food, the most incredible stateroom and veranda I've been in with a REAL bathtub shower, DCL wins for me for the best cruise line I've personally cruised with.)

 

But it makes sense that with so many children, childcare is one of the draws of the DCL and that's why its cheaper than others. Actually if your child is potty trained /3, I dn't think you have to pay for it at all? But I'm not the expert on that.

 

We had incredible memories! Here, I'll share just a sample with you so you can get an idea as to why this cruise is just so great for families! (In addition to no smokey casino on board to have to walk thru-bingo is there, but you have to go to it, not the other way around, we didn't have constant pushy bartenders at the shows or lounges on us, we didn't have to pay $2.50 for a can of coke! we didn't have any vegas style thongs or suggestive dancing at the shows, we didn't hear any cussing etc. Like we mentioned, we don't have kids, but we prefer our entertainment PG!)

 

This was in the atrium where they have the professional photographers. Lots of characters are available for photos! We missed quite a few but got 4 princesses, so not bad. (Missed Tink tho. :( )

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/403258_105641966304729_1657710809_n.jpg

 

This was in the DLounge (our fave place) where you had to bring your OWN camera (which is a nice cheap way for the families to take pics of their kids...except we didn't know, and we didn't have a camera! A nice lady we chatted with in line took these for us and emailed them to us. Thanks, nice lady!)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/934700_105641822971410_1239238224_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/481017_105642049638054_743498129_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/543718_105642106304715_1491535524_n.jpg

 

This is Blue Lagoon & Sea Lion Encounter in Nassau:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/923029_110172249185034_522862991_n.jpg

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/599435_124340774434848_2006606723_n.jpg

 

These are snorkeling photos from Castaway Cay:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/934160_133440973524828_580319607_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/5218_133441016858157_88691399_n.jpg

 

There is child care at Castaway as well, I believe, and a great family beach area with floaties along with a separate adult beach. They feed you on the island, ice cream, drinks, etc. A great family day.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[moki'smommy]

Babysitting--generally 9 am to 11 pm. Cost is currently $6 per hour for the first child booked in a cabin, $4 per hour for any additional children booked in the same cabin (the "booked" is important because families sometimes save money by booking a child in a relative's cabin.) You will be able to book specific times in advance of your cruise--starting at 75 days before embarkation on a first time on DCL, farther out for repeat cruisers or concierge bookings. The number of hours you can book in advance depends on the length of the cruise--10 hours on 3 and 4 night cruises, 18 hours on a 7 night cruise, 35 hours on a 14 night cruise. Additional hours are often available on day 2 of the cruise as everyone has had a fair chance to get some times. They also try to be very flexible with you in terms of changing times and can SOMETIMES allow last minute drop offs.

 

Alcohol--yes, you can bring on board what you want in your carry on luggage. While the policy says it is for consumption in your cabin, you can carry a glass of a beverage anywhere you choose. What you cannot do is carry a 6 pack up to the pool deck. If you take a bottle of wine into a dining room, you will be charged a corkage fee; carry in a glass for each adult at no charge.

[Hanzo]

Thanks for the info everybody.

[Host Mick]

...

 

Not sure if they would object to your own liquor in the club areas. Probably not a good idea to take it there unless you put it in a regular cup from the drink station so they do not know what you have. If they allowed everyone to bring their own alcohol there nobody would buy their drinks any more.

I would stick to public areas unless you can disguise it. Just in case.

Most lines wont let you bring alcohol at all on the ship so DCL is very generous by allowing it.

 

Hope you decide to try DCL, its a great cruise line.

 

^ Don't do that. ^

DCL already fired a shot across our collective bows when, fed up with the rule abuse, they placed severe restrictions on bringing aboard alcohol then recanted them after us fans got upset.

Just stick with the very generous rules and don't scuttle the rest of us.

 

(sorry to call you out but I have to hold the line on this.)

[Hanzo]

Yeah, my only real issue was finding a place outside of my room to drink the alcohol I brought. I wouldn't belly up to the bar with my own cup in hand, I was just wondering if there were any lounges that had seating where a group of people could sit sipping their own beverages.

[ducklite]

Yeah, my only real issue was finding a place outside of my room to drink the alcohol I brought. I wouldn't belly up to the bar with my own cup in hand, I was just wondering if there were any lounges that had seating where a group of people could sit sipping their own beverages.

 

No. It's in your room or buy it from them--of course the BYOB wine with corkage to the dining room is the exception.