Birthdays &7 Night Dinner Rotation on DCL Fantasy

My wife and I are surprising our 3 children (9,7,4) on a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise next April.

On a 7 night cruise do you eat in 2 restaurants twice and one three time? Is that how it works? And if so how soon do you know which rotation you get? Can you decide which?

Also, my two girls will be celebrating their birthdays, both born on the same day, while on the cruise. Believe it's day 3. What should I expect if anything from DCL who know about this? My wife and I want to plan accordingly for celebrating birthdays at sea.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

My wife and I are surprising our 3 children (9,7,4) on a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise next April.

 

On a 7 night cruise do you eat in 2 restaurants twice and one three time? Is that how it works? And if so how soon do you know which rotation you get? Can you decide which?

 

Also, my two girls will be celebrating their birthdays, both born on the same day, while on the cruise. Believe it's day 3. What should I expect if anything from DCL who know about this? My wife and I want to plan accordingly for celebrating birthdays at sea.

 

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi,

You generally rotate through the restaurants as 123,123,3.

You can request a rotation to be in a certain restaurant on a certain night, but unless you are Concierge, it is a request. However, most times your request is honoured.

Otherwise, you may get your rotational assignment in advance or as late as when you check in at the port.

DCL will do nothing themselves to acknowledge the birthdays, but they will provide birthday pin's if you collect them from Guest Services, and they offer an included very small cake on request in the MDR's. No candles or balloons. (prohibited).

You can pay for a birthday celebration package of decorations for your Stateroom, and upgrade to a nicer cake?

ex techie

You do not get your rotation in advance. You will see it on your KTTW card when you check in at the terminal. If you want a particular rotation or to avoid a certain restaurant on a certain night, you can call DCL and notify them of your request. In addition, if you don't like what you see, go to "dining changes" after boarding and see what they can do for you.

They will know about the birthday if you listed it as "celebrations" when making your reservation or if you call between now and boarding. Usually the head server discretely talks to the mom on the first night to confirm who the birthday people are and which night you want to celebrate. You will get a birthday dessert and singing HB by the servers. At Guest Services you can get a button which reads "It's my Birthday" or "I'm Celebrating" and that gets attention al day.

The birthday dessert is a mousse thing--not a cake. The cake ended many years ago. As above, you can purchase a cake or stateroom decorations if you wish or bring your own decorations--remember no tape or sticky stuff allowed--magnets to attach things only.

In our family, all our bdays are within 2 weeks apart. You can call ahead to request a particular dining rotation (I've been granted my request each time I've asked). Also, I spread out our bd's to celebrate a different person each night, coinciding with that night's theme (DH on pirate night, my mom on formal night, etc.). I just returned from the Wonder for my birthday and got a small chocolate cake and a song from the servers. However, I didn't know to ask for a pin (although I have one from years past). Other than cake, nothing else comes for free.

Call and ask for rotation 1. That gives you animators 3 times to include pirate night

I have always gotten my rotation assignment when I checked in.

We celebrated my husbands birthday in December. He got birthday button and a small birthday cake/song in the MDR. There is a place on your online account you can select "birthday".

As far as decorating the room, I bought decorations at the dollar store. You can not use tape or thumb tacks, but all the walls and ceilings are magnetic. I was able to get magnets and birthday decorations for under $10. the package they sell on Disney is over $50 I believe. :eek:

I have always gotten my rotation assignment when I checked in.

 

We celebrated my husbands birthday in December. He got birthday button and a small birthday cake/song in the MDR. There is a place on your online account you can select "birthday".

 

As far as decorating the room, I bought decorations at the dollar store. You can not use tape or thumb tacks, but all the walls and ceilings are magnetic. I was able to get magnets and birthday decorations for under $10. the package they sell on Disney is over $50 I believe. :eek:

Unless they have changed back again, the birthday treat is a small mousse dessert, not a cake. But no one seems to like the mousse, so it is possible that they have gone back to the "standard cake." You can select "birthday" on line or call DCL to add it to your reservation. And another vote for "do your own" decorations.

Dh goes to the head waiter once on the ship. Then again the night of.

They tried to tell us they celabrate all bdays and anniversaries on the same night, well, my husband got his way.

They presented me with the gift dh gave them eariler (he bought and brought with his, NOT supplied by DCL). I don't remember an additional dessert. (I was more impressed my husband remember what was on our wedding cake ten years ago, as he gave me a one like it but with a ten on the heart).

So if you want a happy birthday or a something, then talk to your waiter once on the ship.

Dh goes to the head waiter once on the ship. Then again the night of.

 

They tried to tell us they celabrate all bdays and anniversaries on the same night, well, my husband got his way.

 

They presented me with the gift dh gave them eariler (he bought and brought with his, NOT supplied by DCL). I don't remember an additional dessert. (I was more impressed my husband remember what was on our wedding cake ten years ago, as he gave me a one like it but with a ten on the heart).

 

So if you want a happy birthday or a something, then talk to your waiter once on the ship.

When it is noted on the reservation, the head server typically talks to the mom on the first night of the cruise to confirm which night you wish to celebrate, who the birthday person is, etc.

No, they do not celebrate all birthdays on the same night. That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while!

I don't doubt that someone tried to tell your DH that, but that's not the way it had been on any of the 30+ DCL cruises I've done!

Since my TA had told the folks the day - that is when I got my MDR birthday cake. My room steward also made a birthday cake out of "towels", there was a card from the characters with happy birthday on it and the door got decorated as well (all done on my birthday) and I didn't ask for anything.(Fantasy)

On our August trip my grandson and daughter have the same birthday. At the start of the week I told the waiters which day we wanted to celebrate and we sung happy birthday on two different days. We were not on the ship on their exact birthdays so don't know if the doors would have been decorated or not (Dream)

This was my experience in 2014.