Topheriscruisin

I understand why upcoming cruises are being cancelled and I know that there are way more upsetting things happening around the US with Houston and the literal hurricane barreling towards us, but I am so beyond disappointed with the cancellation of our cruise. Like all cruisers, we've been looking forward to this for months.

I'd love feedback on cruising during the winter time. Is it worth it? What are the pros and cons? Also I'd love to hear everyone's favorite time to sail. We were looking forward to celebrating Halloween on the DCL, but what are your favorite celebrations on the cruise? Christmas time? Star Wars day? Also we prepaid for parking at Port Canaveral -- does anyone if we'll get refund?

I'm trying to stay positive and see this as an opportunity to save money and do a little more research on timing. Trying to look for a silver lining.

Hoping everyone stays safe, especially the folks currently out at sea, and hoping that this hurricane does minimal damage. I'm very thankful that Disney told us earlier than usual. If you're cruise was cancelled, I know how you feel! :loudcry:

I've done many cruises during "hurricane season' date='" two of which were impacted by a hurricane. First, that's what travel insurance is for. Secondly, DCL is not going to risk their ships or the safety of their passengers and crew.

 

In one case, we went to a new and different port and enjoyed our stop while it gave the captain time to see which way the storm would move and to do as much of the rest of the cruise as possible. Yes, there were some very upset guests, but those who could "go with the flow" had a great trip. Our second was not as pleasant; our 7 day cruise became a 4 day out of Ft. Lauderdale. This was necessary as Port Canaveral was closed due to the storm. Yes, DCL gave us an appropriate refund for the missed days and did provide the transportation from WDW or MCO at no cost. We could also have canceled for a full refund. Bottom line, DCL doesn't control the weather and stuff happens. But they will treat you fairly and they will keep you safe.[/quote']

 

Greatly appreciate this post. Thank you for some insight on how DCL handles hurricanes and rescheduling. We don't set sail until Sept. 11 (our very first cruise!), but we still have to travel to Florida this weekend. My fingers are crossed that Irma misses us, or at the very least, grazes us. 🙏🏼

I always bring more underwear than I need, which is a good thing. You are in and out of your bathing suit and at the spa that sometimes I change it 3 times a day. Bring hair ties and leave in conditioner if you have long hair. All that sea air will tangle your hair up pretty good. :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Yup, extra underwear is a must! haha I think I'm doubling it cause I know we'll be bouncing in and out of the pool area. Thank you for your advice!

I don't like dresses on the ship, especially in the daytime, when I'm outside...the wind can cause your dress to fly right up! Shorts are easier!

Aha, good point! I didn't think of it being windy, so I appreciate the advice. This changes my whole wardrobe now. :D

With a little one wet wipes were always a must for us....still bring them and the little one is 8! Also I always pack destin because my child always buries herself in sand and always gets her bottom irritated and a child with an uncomfortable bum is not a happy child 😀

Yes, Destin! I didn't even think of that, so thank you for tip!

I only packed "well" once. That was when I did a one week cruise out of a carry on bag. The rest of the time' date=' I typically pack way too much, no matter how much I take out!

 

Take all the on line packing lists and trash them. You don't need most of the stuff that people list.

 

You only need a nice dress if you are going to Palo or Remy, and one nice pair of shoes if doing adult dining. Otherwise, the entire cruise on the Dream is "cruise casual" which basically means wear whatever you want except a swimsuit to dinner. I get a lot of mileage out of black pants combined with various tops--a sparkly one for dress up night and more casual for normal nights. Since dinner is only a couple of hours, 2 pairs of pants can do the 4 night cruise! I can't object to anything on your list....but bonine is free outside the med center or at Guest Services. My first cruise, I did everything possible for motion sickness and had no problem. Second cruise I did nothing and still no problem, so I don't mess with all that stuff now.

 

Definitely 2 swimsuits per person. Passports, credit card, and you're practically good to go! Work out clothes if you plan to hit the fitness center, but fewer sets than you think you need. Pack more kid stuff and less adult stuff. You are probably aware that your child won't be allowed in any pool unless fully trained. The swim diapers are for use in the splash areas only.

 

We do "musical chairs" packing because there are no direct flights. By this, I mean that each suitcase contains a couple of outfits for each person, one swimsuit for each person, etc. We don't pack a "my suitcase," "your suitcase," "baby suitcase." Trust me, if your luggage takes a trip to somewhere other than MCO, you will be thankful for a couple of outfits while the airline sorts out their error. Fortunately, we've only had one case (mine) lost on the way to MCO; the issue has happened several times on the way home. But after that mis-directed bag, I realized the benefit of having some of my stuff in each case; it is unlikely that they'll lose all your luggage![/quote']

 

Yes, I like the the black pants/blouse combo, and thank you for the heads up on the free Bonine at the med center! Yup, I saw that non-potty trained kids can't go in the pool, but that's ok. We're looking forward to the splash zone and the beach. :) Thank you for all the advice!

We're two weeks away from our first Disney cruise and I'm obsessing over what to pack. My strategy is to wear a bunch of summer dresses, have a bathing suit all the time, and pack a couple of nice dresses for the dinners. We have a 2 year old with us so we're packing extras of diapers, swim diapers, and wet wipes.

What was one thing you wished you pack and one thing you packed and you never used? Any advice on what to pack, clothes-wise? Any advice on what to pack when sailing with a toddler?

Random list of things I'm packing based off what I saw on reviews and YouTube

- lots of sunblock, aloe vera, and bug spray

- multiple bathing suits

- a plastic card to put in place of the KTTW card

- stroller

- sea bands, Bonine, ginger candy

- reusable water bottle

- toddler snacks

- plastic bags/trash bags

Thank you in advance!

I know this is a crazy question, but I was wondering if anyone has brought or seen people bring one of those collapsable wagons you can get from Costco?

My parents, sister, husband, and 2 year old will be taking our first cruise ever with the Dream. Because my son is not potty-trained and we have a big party, I wondered if it would make sense to bring our wagon. Would it be too much of a hassle?

Can anyone give me any insight as to navigating around Nassau and Castaway Cay? Is there a lot of walking between shops and restaurants? Does it feel crowded? Would bringing a wagon rude?

Some other facts: we're driving to the port, we have two staterooms so we have some extra room, we'll probably going to hang out by the beach for the most part -- not too many excursions.

Any insight would help! Thank you in advance!

- Topheriscruisin

Ah yes, I meant the dining rotation. I knew that staterooms are assigned different dining rooms each night and that it's printed on your key to the world card. I was hoping there was a way to find out my dining rotation in advance, but I see there is not. Good to know that pirate night is always the 3rd night of a 4-night cruise!

Thank you for your help!

I'm not sure what you mean by "dining schedule".

 

Do you mean the actual rotation? On a 4 night cruise the rotation is 1223, usually. With the order being Enchanted Garden, followed by Royal Palace, followed by Animator's Palate, etc. 1/3 of the guest complement begins in each dining room (their #1). You won't know your specific rotation until you check in at the port. It will be printed on your KTTW card.

 

The menus in each dining room are specific to that dining room, so that's 3 nights, and the 4th night will be the Pirate menu. Well, actually, night 3 is pirate night, so you get the rotational menus on nights 1, 2, & 4 and the pirate menu on night 3.

I like the idea of at least experiencing the rotational dining even with just a beverage AND going to Palo earlier or later in the evening.

Thank you for all the suggestions! It gives me some options on what we can do.

Many thanks,

Topheriscruisin

No' date=' you cannot just change your dining assignment for one night.

 

With 4 nights, you'll have the signature menu in each of the three dining rooms and the pirate menu in the repeated room. If you schedule Palo late and have early dining, you can go to your MDR assignment and just have a beverage. You can do the same thing if you have late dining and an early Palo reservation. You can schedule Palo for what you believe will be a repeat night and if you don't like what you have when you check in, go to "Dining Changes" and ask them to either change your dining assignment or your Palo night. We've put it exactly that way--"Here is the conflict. Is it easier to move the Palo or the dining assignment?" They always take care of it.

 

Of course my standard suggestion is to skip Palo on your first cruise. Do the full MDR experience. Then you'll have an idea as to which you don't mind missing on a future cruise.

 

We usually schedule Palo on pirate night--we don't care for the pirate menu as much as the others, and can easily be finished in Palo in time for the show![/quote']

Gotcha. I forgot about pirate night and I don't think we want to miss that! Is there a way to see the dining schedule in advance of the cruise? I'm not sure if I'm overlooking information on the Disney cruise site.

Thank you for your advice!

There are only three MDR restaurants and you have four nights. So do Palo on whichever night is repeated. Unfortunately while you can request a certain order of MDR, I don't believe you can get it guaranteed. Just make sure you don't schedule Palo on pirate night. That would be a shame to miss. :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hi Cruise Critic Community!

I'm new to cruising and we're taking a 4-night cruise on the Disney Dream, and I want to make sure my family and I get to experience as much as we can.

My question is if we book a reservation for Palo, is there a way we can also dine at one of the rotating dining experiences we missed on another night? If not, is it possible to view the schedule of the dining rotation and live shows ( in case we have to book dinner during one of the live shows, I'd like to choose which one we'd miss)?

Any insider information would greatly help. Thank you!

- Topheriscrusin