Qbie

I agree with MJSailors.  Sounds like there's no need to even look at Disney if none of you are Disney fans!  I have an 11 year old and a 15 year old who are never bored on DCL.  They are adamant that we go to Disney and not to other cruise lines but every family is different :)  I could start to list out what's included and what's not but at the end of the day, you are paying a premium for the Disney 'magic' and if you aren't Disney fans there's no way to justify the cost.  

I'd choose Sea Days but they are so crowded.  We actually prefer Port days since we have the option of wandering off the ship if we want to but we also have a ship that is not crowded :) Best of both worlds!

We only sail in late January or early February. We've been very fortunate and the weather has always cooperated at Castway for us so far....(knock on wood!) We generally try to pick more southern destinations (Grand Cayman and Cozumel) to give us a better chance for heat. I've left out of Pt Canaveral when coats were required and I've left when it's crazy hot. The weather is truly random near Florida at that time of year.

We've gone swimming and snorkeling at Castaway every year but i do agree the water can be chilly at first. This past year was the coldest I remember the water at Castaway out of our last 4 years but it was 'swimmable' and lots of people were in. I agree with moki'smommy about 3 day cruises. I'd definitely suggest going with a 4 day cruise as the 3 days is really a massive tease and is so rushed.

Yes' date=' but it is pretty basic and not particularly good. Think a sandwich and piece of fruit. There was talk of improving this, so maybe it has gotten better.[/quote']

 

Agreed. My daughter won't eat there since it's just a sandwich. Works out okay though since on some days the only time we found each other was at meal times :)

For the most part 15 minutes ahead will definitely put you at the front of the line (or starting it) for the scheduled meet and greet locations posted in the Navigator. With that being said, you may have exceptions such as for Captain Jack Sparrow, Thor (on the Marvel sailings), etc. Moki'smommy is spot on with the information for the meet and greets that require tickets. Only other thing I'd emphasize is that for events that require tickets like the princess gathering and frozen meet and greets, you have to have a ticket and you can't just line up.

No need to reserve a tube in advance.. they have tons available when you get there :) Your tube will most likely be safe but we've definitely had one taken on us one year. I tend to think it was unusual that some one took it but it's a beach... lots of kids nearby and some parents don't pay much attention to their kids. Kid's sand toys and tubes can wander off quickly. Don't worry about being fined for not returning it since they don't count who returns the tubes. I'm sure if you told them what happened they'd most likely give you another tube anyway :)

Have fun on your cruise!