chemistrynerd

I think the MDR dress is more about what *you* are comfortable with rather than what the rules do or do not enforce. People wear anything and everything, and Disney allows it. The people at the table next to you might be wearing a jacket and tie or a faded Captain America t-shirt with shorts. If you and others in the party are OK with that, then you'll have a great time in the MDR. It was a great idea to have "your" servers move with you from one restaurant to another.

Our first time on a ship, I had read about the MDR and wore shorts. I felt out of place the whole meal even though plenty (lots and lots) of people also had shorts. The MDR is a nice restaurant, and the servers are certainly dressed consistent with the decor. Since then, I always wear a pair of khakis. I'm not really dressed up, but that's just how I feel more comfortable.

I think it depends on when you board and the weather. If you get on board later (1 pm?) or in bad weather, then the MDR might be better. If you're early and have good weather, go for a table on deck. The quick service stations on the pool deck are open, and you can always send a person or two for a surgical strike on Cabana's. The drink stations on deck are much less crowded than Cabana's. The outside tables also give more space to hide your luggage. Eventually, even the tables on deck start to fill, but most who go to the pool deck go all the way into the fray of Cabana's.

Does anyone know if Palo is having a hard time getting reservations? If so, DCL might be trying to generate more traffic by relaxing the dress code. Likewise, if Remy isn't filling, easing the dress code in Palo might drive those seeking a more refined experience to book a table in Remy. These changes are likely driven by profit margins as much as anything else.

They have them, but availability is not always great. That is especially true on the Dream and Fantasy, which are both heavy on outside cabins relative to inside.

We have a family of 5, though our kids are now older and we never traveled with Disney with kids under 3. Unless we've taken a shorter cruise (4-nt), we always go for adjoining cabins. Having a second shower room is nice even if only for an extra place to hang wet pool clothes. I think having a separate room for TV time and mom/dad is a big deal. We don't use the balcony much. If we want a balcony, we go up on deck. I do prefer the layout for the inside cabins better, but that's minor. My inclination is to save the funds, especially if it means a shorter window between cruises. Either way, I don't think there is a bad decision.

Here's a page on the charter.

No' date=' these are not FL res rates. They are *GT rates--also called "restricted rates." You do need to read the restrictions before booking.[/quote']

 

Thank you. Very interesting. Where are these rates posted? I peek at the Special Offers page on DCL, but I guess I've never seen the GT rates (or I didn't know what I was looking at). The Special Offers page currently does not list these.

These are just for Florida residents, yes?

For sail away this afternoon, all the damage seems to have been fixed - not just a coat of paint but the entire imprint of the dock on the stern seems to be gone.

Both the Dream and Fantasy are in Port Canaveral together today.

According to MarineTraffic.com, the Dream is headed to Cozumel.

I'm likely in the minority, but I prefer staying on the ship at CC. The beach experience at CC is lacking although I admit there is lots more to do than just go to the beach.

If the weather is nice, a very large fraction of the ship will go on to the island early. Restaurants may be crowded earlier than usual. After breakfast, you have the ship to yourself. The pool deck area will be all yours. The pools will be nearly deserted (but lifeguards will be on duty). Lunch, either sit-down or buffet or on-deck, will be at your leisure. There may be other things going on, but I've just stayed with my family at the pool. After lunch, many people will return to the ship early and crowds on deck will pick up markedly.

I was hoping you or one of the other nautical experts would chime in. For us laymen, could you briefly explain the difference in the propulsion systems from what is currently used? Thanks.

I agree. For me, the mechanical side of the ship is more interesting than the hospitality side.

There is a green background graphic on a page from a blog that gives some stats on the Wonder. The graphic lists the Wonder running on a combination of diesel and bunker oil for the 2016 Westbound Panama Canal cruise. I think that diesel (cleaner, more expensive) is for use while in port, and bunker oil (less clean, less expensive) is used while at sea. On the canal cruise, the ratio of diesel to bunker oil on the Wonder was about 1:100.

If a new ship is designed to use liquid natural gas, would that be for use only in port (with diesel/bunker oil for use at sea) or all propulsion? In other words, is this about being "green" in port or at all times? I'm not trying to judge whether anyone is truly advocating for the environment. I am just genuinely interested on how these ships operate.

If you haven't done so already, check out the huge selection of Personal Navigators (many specific to the Dream) on another site. Not sure I can post a link here, but search Disney cruise line blog. The left hand pane has a Personal Navigator graphic. Click on it, and you'll likely be able to find a schedule that matches (or closely matches) your cruise.

In my mind, it's a toss-up. The Wonder has the day at sea with more on-board programming for that day compared to the Dream with a day in Nassau. (Totally agree with moki'smommy that staying on the ship is the way to go.) On the Dream, many will enter Nassau, so areas like the pool will be very quiet until people come back aboard later in the day. In contrast, the pool areas will be hopping on the Wonder while at sea.

One more thing, I think the little kids' pool area is much better on the Wonder than the Dream. There is a lot more variety. Also, more big kids seem to invade the kid pool on the Dream (maybe because you can see the movies on the big screen?) than on the Wonder.

The repeat customers also frequently use placeholders from previous cruises for a discounted fare.

Palo does seem to be the only meaningful benefit for platinum. Maybe early reservations can help get a cabana.

Would anything they did in the loyalty program change my choices in cruising? Probably not.

If all Castaway Club members feel that way, then there isn't much incentive for DCL to increase benefits or add more tiers.

We have been on 8 cruises and no passports just birth certificates. Maybe we should be nervous but we just are not. We are also turned off by the five year window on the kids' passports. For context, we also do not do trip insurance and consider that stuff a complete rip off. So we are comfortable with a certain level of risk- everyone is different on that.

I'm with you, and my family is in the same position. I'm maybe not as comfortable with the risk as you, but I do understand it's the decision I've made.

I would have called it bbq (which here is served with various sauces). No' date=' I didn't see this on the Fantasy or Dream, but Dream was a long time ago.[/quote']

 

It's not bbq. In other words, a shawarma would never be served at Cookies on CC. This is distinctively a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish. They are excellent if you can navigate the myriad of sauces to suit your palate.

Got it--seen them' date=' just didn't know the name.[/quote']

 

Have you seen them on a bigger ship? Here's a blogger who, back in 2015, claimed that they are only on the Magic. After the renovation, I know they are on the Wonder as well.

What is a shawarma?

 

OK' date=' I know where Pluto's Dog House is, and I'm scratching my head as to what is next to it.....will have to ask daughter.[/quote']

 

Before going on the Magic, I hadn't had one. It's a deal where they have a spit of meat (lamb or chicken) and shave off slices and to put in a pita. You then top with salad items and sauces (creamy, spicy, mild, whatever - lots of options). They are a lot like souvlaki and gyros - indistinguishable in my book, but I'm sure there are cultural differences that I don't know. On DCL they seem to go with shawarma, and I guess Mickey knows best.

20+ cruises on the Magic and I don't know what you are talking about. If this is the area originally called "Goofy's Galley" which served salads' date=' wraps, and paninis as well as fruit and cookies, all of these items are available on the Fantasy. If it is something else, feel free to explain it to me.[/quote']

 

Thank you! I do feel free to explain.

 

There is a station (center of the ship, rear funnel) a level below the line area for the big slide. It faces the splash zone, and I suspect it's a post-renovation addition. One side of the area serves shawarmas and the other is more of a burger/dog stand. The shawarmas are on the port side, and the dogs on starboard. I don't know if it has a name. If so, it's subtle (not like Flo's etc.). We had them on the Magic and loved them. When later on the Dream, we looked, but couldn't find them. We found them again on the renovated Wonder. A couple years ago, we didn't see them on the Wonder (but we didn't know to look). They are delicious. The hardest part is figuring out which of the very many sauces work well together. The CMs are happy to help.

My wife and I are both big fans of the shawarma station, which I think is only on the Magic and Wonder. Otherwise, yes, much of the food is identical but perhaps differently placed.

You and your family will have a great time. Sure, three nights isn't very long, but you'll have plenty of time to get familiar with the ship and see what DCL is about. I think you're better off going for a short cruise and wanting more than taking a longer cruise and looking forward to getting home. You can always come back.

My family includes smaller kids. I'd say the biggest advantage I've seen for the bigger ships (only been on the Dream) is the on-demand video in the cabins and the magic portholes for inside cabins (little kids go crazy over these). The biggest advantages for the smaller ships are splash zones around the pool area and the variety of food choices on the pool deck. That's just one family's opinion, and it will vary based on kids' ages.

At least one night, after dinner, stretch out on the bed and watch a good movie with your granddaughter. Order some cookies through room service. It's not exotic, but winding down at the end of the day is my favorite time. The Disney cabins are nice. Try to enjoy them at least a little bit.