Lady_Jag

It's past my bedtime for tonight, but before I turn in, here are just a couple more pictures of our cabin:

Our view while at Port Canaveral. (Notice how wet the deck is!)

Our bed, turned down. At night, Ake would flip the center pillow so that "A Dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep..." was facing out. During the day, the pillow was reversed so that the Disney cruise logo appeared.

Alyssa's bed. Even though there were only 3 of us, Ake was kind enough to make Alyssa happy by making up the bunk bed for her each night.

The ceiling above Alyssa's bed had a night sky with stars that outlined Peter Pan, John, Michael, and Wendy.

Another cool thing about our cabin was that the table in front of the sofa opened up like a small trunk for storage. That's where I kept all Alyssa's crafts, goody bags, and coloring papers during the cruise.

Okay, so I guess I should mention before I get into too much detail that my personality noticeably changes when I go on a cruise. Really! I call this alter ego, "Lola." In real life, my normal "Laura" personality walks the straight and narrow. I'm shy, introverted, and afraid to try new things. My "Lola" personality, however, is a bit more adventurous, laid back, sometimes even a little bad.

I should also mention that I don't have many Day 1 pictures, because the batteries in both my camera and my phone were dying.

Anyway, Port Canaveral is my favorite departure port because it is run so efficiently and the employees are always friendly and helpful. We arrived at the terminal right around 10:30am (our chosen check-in time). My friend, Angie, had arrived about 10 minutes earlier and jumped in line with the other 2 families she invited.

Check-in:

We waited about 3 minutes to get through the scanners, then up the stairs to the "new" cruiser check-in, which had a considerably shorter line than the castaway club/previous cruiser line! I did online check-in, so the only form I had to fill out was the flu symptoms one, and before I knew it, it was picture time!

Score one for DCL here - unlike Carnival, where they photograph each person individually, the cast member took a single picture of the 3 of us together, then quickly sent each person's picture to the appropriate card. The cast member told me I could either get Alyssa's Navigator club GPS band at the desk on the other side of the terminal, or wait until we were onboard and get the band at the club. I asked which was the better bet, and she suggested we get the band while we were at the terminal, since we would have to wait a little while to board anyway.

Check-in (Kids' Club)

The line at the Navigator's club check-in was considerably longer, but it flowed quickly, and there were Disney cartoons playing on all the monitors nearby. Plus, a cast member was passing out registration forms to people in line who hadn't registered online. Despite wanting to go play with her friend, Madisyn, then say hi to Mickey and Minnie, she was a sport and stayed with me until she could get her wristband.

The cast member asked me my kid pick-up password and prompted, "It starts with a 'D.'" Huh? No, my password started with an "S!" I told her the password it was SUPPOSED to be, and the cast member said, "Oh! I wondered about that! I have 'Dilpow1.'" We both chuckled, and the cast member changed the password for me. I mentioned Alyssa's shellfish allergy, and she said, "Normally, we put a lock on the wristbands, but I'm not going to lock hers, because we use red locks for allergies and I don't have any red locks left. They should be able to give you one when you get on board." Alrighty then.

So when we finally got through the line and had a wristband on Alyssa (I...I mean... Lola told her that they send an electric charge to the band like on a shock collar if she misbehaves!) our boarding zone, zone 3, was ready to board. We walked through the tunnel shaped like Mickey ears, and made our way to our first photo op.

Boarding

With 4 families in our group, we totaled 15 people. Angie wanted one group shot, but her friend Francesca said the photo limit was 12. No matter, our family of 3 and Angie's family of 4 squeezed together for an embarkation photo: adults in the back, kids up front.

"I'm not sure if it was Tom [her husband] or Alex [my husband] who grabbed my _$$!" Angie exclaimed. I smiled, winked, and said, "It was ME!" Then I blew her a kiss. Welcome aboard, Lola! :-D

Speaking of welcome aboard, another score for DCL here! As we boarded, a cast member leaned in and asked for our family name. I gave her our name, and the announcement "Please welcome the ___ family" came over the speakers, followed by applause and cheers! As we walked into the atrium grinning ear to ear, a cast member fell in step next to me, introduced herself, and gave me a general rundown of our lunch options, that our room would be ready at 1:30, etc., etc. Nice!

On a side note - I happened by the main atrium a couple of hours later, and the people who were boarding in the afternoon had a much quieter reception. Instead of a line of cast members, there were 3-4 people standing there, and instead of announcing them over a microphone, one cast member just shouted, "Please welcome the ___ family!" Then the few remaining cast members gave a subdued applause/golf clap.

Check out the Mickeys atop the main atrium's chandelier!

Anyway, I sent the rest of the gang upstairs to lunch, while I went to the Guest Services desk to have my Disney gift card (my birthday was the week prior) applied to our onboard account. Angie came with me so she could make sure her pre-paid gratuities were there. The line was very short, so the wait was minimal. While we waited, I admired the world map on the background behind the desk, where castles marked each of the Disney theme parks while the Disney cruise ships sailed around the seas:

Lunch:

Angie and I took the glass elevators up to the Cabanas, where the rest of our group was waiting by the ice cream... I mean, "Eye Scream" station. Immediately upon exiting the elevators, a cast member handed each of us a hand sanitizer wipe, then told us that they had just opened up the left side of the restaurant, and directed us that way.

Angie had sailed the Dream almost a year ago to the day, so she gave me the low-down on the food choices: Flo's cafe for burgers and such, deli, a more substantial buffet inside, and so forth. I wasn't starving, so I checked out the deli options. There was a cheese, tomato and bacon panini that looked good on the menu, so that's what I ordered.

Here's where Carnival gets the point. When I order a hot sandwich from the deli on a Carnival ship, it's made fresh, right when I order it. Yes, it causes a line to form, but I'd rather wait a few minutes for a fresh hot sandwich than be served a premade one from under a heat lamp, which is what I was handed in this case. Meh!

I grabbed a tray, placed the plate with my premade lukewarm sandwich on it, then asked for a bowl of fruit for my side. As Angie and I carried our trays towards the door that would lead us to our group, one of the cast members called to us: "Ladies, don't you need a drink?"

Now since he wasn't carrying a tray filled with the daily drink special, I thought he was questioning the fact that we each had a tray of food, but no drink. So I said, "actually, I could use a Sprite Zero." Angie laughed and kept walking, but without missing a beat, the cast member said, "Sure!" and he raced off to the soda fountain to fill my order.

Too late, I realized how silly my request was, so I made my way over to the guy, who was returning with two cups of Sprite. "It's regular Sprite," he apologized, "because we don't have Sprite Zero anymore."

I thanked him and apologized, and told him I couldn't drink the regular stuff, but no worries, I could take it from here. No! He insisted that he get me a drink that would make me happy, so I settled for a light lemonade. Again, I watched as the cast member poured 2 cups of lemonade ("because the cups were small," he explained), then he insisted on carrying the cups back to our table, which was on the other side of the ship.

Angie was already at the table and was howling with laughter as she told my husband, Alex, the story! Of course, in her version, I "batted my big brown eyes" at the guy and had him following me around "like a puppy dog!" (Apparently, Lola is also a cougar!)

Meanwhile, the kids were checking out the goody bags I brought them to celebrate there birthdays: each got a Disney tote with a treasure chest of art supplies (pirate theme for Wyatt, princess theme for the girls), some toy squirty fish, Disney pads and pens for autographs, pirate patches, pirate hats, telescopes and other pirate gear, Disney cups, pre-packaged snacks, Disney bubble bath, etc. They were thrilled! Alyssa took about 3 bites of a chicken tender, then declared herself "done" with lunch. She then asked if she could have some ice cream. "Sounds good to me!" and we both helped ourselves to a cone - chocolate for Alyssa, strawberry for me.

Bottoms up!

Check out Alex's perfect ice cream! I told Angie she looked like she had "cone envy!"

Stateroom:

By 1:30, the Cabanas was a lot more populated, and I was anxious to check out our room. After 11 cruises, this would be our first aft balcony (the term opened up a TON of innuendos for Lola this cruise! Phrases like, "some people like it in the aft" was mentioned once or fifty times over the 3 days!) On our way to our room, I explained to Alyssa that we booked the cruise really late, and that there weren't a lot of rooms left by then. Then I asked her if she would be okay with an interior cabin. She was a little disappointed not to have a porthole, but she said she was just happy to be on the ship. That's my girl!

We had cabin #8684. Angie's cabin was directly above ours (#9674, I think?) Francessca's room was on the 9th deck with Angie, but down the hall. Emily's room (Emily is Angie's other friend) was on deck 10 and was a standard balcony.

We walked down the lonnnnnnnngggg hallway to the back of the ship. Along the way, I say a few cabins had Mickey-shaped doorbells to the left of their doors. I guess those were concierge rooms? Anyway, we made it to our cabin, and wow! What a great layout! As I mentioned, Alyssa's bunk was above the sofa, which was in an area that could be separated by a curtain. The veranda was HUGE, and the 2 bathrooms were a wonderful feature!

Immediately, Alyssa asked to go swimming. Alex was reluctant, but I mentioned that the pools were heated, so the two of them donned their bathing suits, while I started to unpack. Sorry, I don't feel settled until I've unpacked everything, and besides - one of our checked bags had already been delivered!

In addition to unpacking, I took the opportunity to hang our door banner (twine worked fine) and to decorate the cabin for Alyssa's birthday. I brought a couple of Happy Birthday banners, which I secured across the wall with twine (thank goodness for the hinges on the door to the adjacent cabin!), then drew on all the mirrors with window markers (like dry erase markers, but they wipe off easier). On one mirror, I drew Mickey ears at both Alyssa's level and mine and Alex's level, so that as we stood in front of the mirror, it looked like we were wearing ears. On the full-length mirror opposite, I wrote "Have a magical cruise!" then wrote the exact phrase but in reverse so that you could read it by looking in the mirror with the Mickey ears. The other mirrors bore phrases like "Happy birthday, Alyssa!" and "Alyssa's birthday cruise!"

(Alyssa's birthday banner, and a Jake & the Neverland Pirates banner.)

I also brought along some window clings so that Alyssa could decorate our balcony doors:

Speaking of balcony doors, here was my other DUH! moment when we first walked into the cabin. You see, on Carnival ships, the balcony doors open out, like a really heavy cabin door, and I was expecting the same here. I turned the handle and pushed - nothing happened. I pushed harder - still nothing. I pulled, I messed with the lock on the inside frame, and I even tried turning the handle the other way. Nada! After all that struggling, Alex walked over and SLID the door open, just like that! What?!? Alex just smiled, without saying a word. And for just a second, I imagined using him to test the overboard system!

Anyway, we didn't get to enjoy the balcony that first day because the weather was cold and raining. (Okay, it was in the 50's, but that's COLD to us Floridians!)

While I was unpacking, I met our cabin steward, Ake (pronounced "ah-KEE"), who gave me the Wave phone tutorial, and told me that he wanted to make sure our first Disney cruise was wonderful, so anything he could do, just ask. I also discovered that I had forgotten to drop off the two make-a-plate templates I had brought for autographs. (Whoops!) I had about 25 minutes before the muster drill began. Alex and Alyssa had just returned to the cabin and were changing out of their bathing suits, so while they changed clothes, I raced down to the guest services desk.

The line was a bit longer this time, but still not too bad. I waited around 10 minutes before it was my turn. While I waited, I saw a woman already filing a complaint - her giant hard-shell rolling suitcase had sustained some damage in its journey to her cabin. One of the top corners was completely smashed in, as if it had gotten into a fender-bender with a forklift. I stepped up to the desk and filled out the form for the autographs. (The plates will be GREAT to give Alyssa on her actual birthday!) I then walked up the stairs and down the hall to our cabin as announcements for the muster drill began.

Thank you so much for your info. I am surprising my hubby with this on Thurs...Mickey is supposed to call him tomorrow night and tell him. I have been on 16 cruises but this will be my first on Disney as well. I have some questions...you mentioned the aquaduck got stuck....um this scares me and I am looking forward to that.

Don't worry. It only happens when the raft has some of the smaller kids on it. My daughter and her friend got stuck, but they wiggled around enough to get it going again. Hubby said he almost got stuck at the same corner, but he had enough weight to keep going. He said there was some sort of suction right there, when the water is trying to be pushed through. Or something like that.

You'll have a great time! :)

A little background here. (Skip this post if you want to know just about the trip.) After an exhausting birthday party last year for my 7-year-old, I gave my daughter, Alyssa, the option of having a birthday party or going on a trip this year. No brainer there - she chose a trip. She wanted a cruise. A DISNEY cruise!

Well, Alyssa's friend and classmate, Madisyn, was also given the same choice for HER birthday, so us moms (me and Angie) got together to plan a Disney cruise together. We wanted to book Valentine's weekend aboard the Magic because

1. The kids would be out of school that Friday and Monday, so they wouldn't be missing anything.

2. That weekend was the weekend of Madisyn's and her brother, Wyatt's, actual birthdays.

3. It was closer to Alyssa's actual birthday (which is in March.)

So Alyssa KNEW we were going on a Disney cruise - she just didn't know when or which ship.

Well, we watched the rates for a while, and by early December, just about every weekend EXCEPT the weekend we wanted to go had a special rate. Angie suggested that we take advantage of the Florida resident rate on board the Dream sailing 1/30 out of Port Canaveral. Hey, why not? Alyssa would miss 2 days of school, but her teacher is a friend of mine and I knew she wouldn't mind as long as I gave her some notice.

Christmas Day, Mickey and Minnie called Alyssa to tell her how happy they were that she would be sailing with them aboard the Disney Dream. (Hurray for free character calls that don't mention the date!) Alyssa was ecstatic! She danced around the kitchen chanting "We're going on a Disney cruise! We're going on a Disney cruise!" over and over. She still thought we were sailing in February, though, and asked if she could start packing. I told her she'd have to wait until at least the week prior to the cruise.

Skipping ahead to the day of our cruise, I convinced Alyssa it was "Jeans Day" at school. (She goes to Catholic school.) I also told her I was taking Thursday and Friday off from work to help out with Catholic Schools week at her school and to watch her participate in the school "Fun Run" fundraiser, which happened to fall on that Friday. So Thursday morning, I suggested we get up early so we could all go to McDonalds for breakfast before school. (Hubby, Alex, had also just so happened to have the day off.)

At 7:45, I looked at my watch and gasped that we were late for school! So I suggested we "play hookey" and go visit Aunt Carlette (who lives in the Orlando area.) My only stipulation was that during the 2-hour drive, Alyssa do the "extra work" I had acquired from her teacher. (Man, was Alyssa mad at me the day before when I asked the teacher to send that work home! Hee! Hee!) I told Alyssa that I would even sit in the back seat with her so that I could help her with her schoolwork. Alyssa agreed without hesitation!

So when Goofy called my cell phone about 40 minutes before we reached the port, I was able to record Alyssa's response (just in case the jig was up.) Alyssa laughed at Goofy's antics, but was none the wiser to our actual destination! Better yet - she was so busy doing her school work, she never noticed her friend, Madisyn, or her family passing us multiple times along the way.

Finally, we reached our destination:

Alyssa was sooo excited! She first spotted the Carnival Sensation and then saw the Disney Dream. Then the gears really started to turn and she said, "Heeeyyyy! We're not going to Aunt Carlette's! We're going on a cruise!" Then things began to click: Yes, Madisyn was going too - her mom wasn't really taking her on a business trip with her. Yes, we were going on the Disney Dream. Yes, I already packed our bags, including her bathing suit, and they were in the back.

We were ready for some fun!

Hello, we leave on Sun, Feb 9th on the Dream. 1st time cruisers and soooo excited. We have a 5 and 3 yr old and have not told them about the cruise yet. Planning to pull up to port and surprise them. Just a couple of questions for those who just returned. How was the weather? Forecast looks to be high 60's to low 80's. Was the water warm enough to enjoy? What movies are playing? Would love to hear suggestions about what not to miss for the kids! Also, not really sure what to anticipate as far as motion sickness. I don't anticipate any, but welcome feedback. Thanks!

Weather in The Bahamas was warm and sunny. When we left Port Canaveral on Jan. 30th, it was cold and rainy. Us Floridians were wearing jackets to block out the cold (high in the low 60s.)

The pools were heated and felt nice. The hot tubs were boiling hot. By evening, we didn't need jackets to be out on our balcony, although the rain continued during the first night.

The ocean water was a bit cold, but tolerable enough to wade in after some time in the sun. Even so, I never made it past my waist.

Movies were:

Saving Mr. Banks

Frozen (3D)

Thor

Monsters University (I think)

There were a bunch of classics shown outdoors on the big screen, too: Aladdin, The Lion King, Snow White, etc. Plus Pixar shorts, Phineas and Ferb, and other Disney favorites.

The ship rocked a bit that first night, but nothing horrible. We moved so slowly to Castaway Cay the next night, the ship barely created a wake. The final night, we were really booking it back to PC, but barely felt any motion. None of the 8 adults or 7 children in our group felt sick at all.

Have a great time!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Glad I found your great review,it has been very helpful! Love all the details!

Glad you found it helpful. I'm hoping to add the "blow-by-blow" and pictures this weekend when I get all my pics together.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We just left the Dream yesterday and celebrated DD's 8th birthday while on board. Be sure to note birthday celebration on your reservation. She'll get a special birthday button and the characters and crew will all make a huge deal over it when she wears it. DD spent most of her time in the kids club - she even chose the club over watching the shows with us. Bring a jacket or sweater if you plan to go to the movie theater on board - it is VERY cold in there! Smallest lines for the aquaduck happened while the ship was at Castaway Cay. Kids kept getting stuck in there, so the line frequently stalled. Not many people got off the ship in Nassau, so Don't be surprised if the ship is still packed that day.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We just returned from our 3-night cruise aboard the Disney Dream. It was our first Disney cruise, but my 12th cruise overall, after becoming a Platinum guest on Carnival last year. It was my daughter's 7th cruise. This cruise was a VERY early birthday surprise for my daughter's 8th birthday and her friends. Our group consisted of 15 people altogether: 8 adults and 7 kids.

Once I settle down, I'll try to add a trip report with pictures, but for now, here are my initial impressions:

Embarkation: Smooth as silk! Port Canaveral is my favorite home port because the process is always so efficient and painless. I did online registration, so there weren't many forms to complete. The longest line was to check in our daughter for the kids club, which was about 15-20 minutes. We had boarding group #3, so by the time DD got her wristband, we were ready to board.

Cabin: We were in room 8684 and our friends were directly above us. It was a quiet location and since it was an aft balcony room, we got next to no traffic in the hall. I think the room layout on the Disney Dream was better than most of the layouts of our Carnival cabins (except for our huge cabin on the Carnival Dream.)

It was nice to be able to book a room capable of sleeping 4 people for just the 3 of us. Carnival likes to sail at full capacity, so DD ends up on the couch or on a "bonk" bed right above the head of our bed. This time, DD had a bunk above the couch and her own space that could be separated by a curtain.

The 2 bathrooms were great to have and I loved the fact that the main bed was an actual queen and not just 2 twin beds pushed together. There was more than enough closet and drawer space for the three of us.

The balcony itself was fabulous. Loved the view of the sky, the sea, and the islands. Unlike our friends who had the exact same room but one floor above, though, we had just 2 lounge chairs. They had 2 loungers and 2 regular chairs. I peeked at our neighbor's balcony when they were away, and saw that they had a total of 4 chairs too. Weird.

Service: Outstanding! (C'mon, it's DISNEY; what else would you expect?!?) Cast members always greeted us with a smile, even when just passing us in the hall. Our dining room servers, Kemal and Christobal did a phenomenal job entertaining the kids every night. In fact, my friend, Angie, said that "dining" should be under the "entertainment" category on the guest survey. Seriously, there were several cast members who went above and beyond just for us to make sure we had a great time! Lucky me, I've never encountered really bad service on any cruise ship, but I could still appreciate the extra effort by the crew of the Disney Dream.

Kudos to Disney for not keeping their pool and beach towels in lock-down! On Carnival ships, we would have to guard our blue beach towels like gold or be charged $22 each for a lost towel. Towels had to be "checked out" with the room key on the pool deck. Not only did Disney have plenty of towels readily available in unlocked and unguarded bins around the pool area, but they handed us towels (even asked how many towels we needed!) when we stepped off the ship at Castaway Cay!

Likewise, the sports equipment for ping pong, shuffleboard, etc. were readily available and didn't require a room key, signature, contract, collateral, or offer of our immortal souls to use.

Food: Nothing blew me away. It was good, but not "wow!" One of the guys in our group loved that shrimp was available even on the buffet, and another liked the variety of seafood dishes. I'm not much of a seafood eater and am allergic to shellfish, so my menu options seemed limited.

The ice cream in Cabanas was a true creamy soft serve, unlike on Carnival ships that has a crystallized ice texture. However, Carnival ice cream is available 24 hours. DD and I agreed that the room service options on Carnival were better than on Disney, even with the Mickey bars on the Disney menu.

The BBQ at Castaway Cay was yummy. Including "true" fountain sodas in the cost of the cruise was a nice touch, but I was disappointed that the flavor selection on the ship changed recently and they got rid of the Sprite Zero - the only caffeine-free diet soda option (other than CF Diet Coke) I can enjoy. Fortunately, the change didn't make it to Castaway Cay, so I was able to get a few cups of Sprite Zero there.

Tapas in the Pink bar (District area) seemed dry and a bit "iffy." I'm used to Carnival style, where it's served fresh to everyone, not just adults, before early seating, not placed under a heat lamp late at night for adults only. We did not eat at Palo or Remy.

Ship: Easy to navigate, clean, and nicely decorated. Despite Mickey Mouse and his cartoon friends being all over the place, the decor was not as "loud" as on Carnival ships and was well themed.

The Aquaduck was a big hit with the kids and adults, even though they got stuck in it a few times. The hot tubs were boiling hot and the pools were nicely heated.

The big screen outside was really clear and in good repair. There were no "squares" out or flickering on the screen, and the volume was loud enough to be heard, but not too loud to drown out a conversation with the person next to you. There were always plenty of loungers available around the pools.

The adult-only deck area was pretty quiet. I was surprised to see kids passing through several times, as on Carnival ships, kids aren't allowed to set foot in the Serenity adult area.

We didn't get a chance to play mini golf, but saw people having fun on the course. Shuffleboard was in a perfect location on an outside promenade in a low traffic area. We saw a large extended family who varied in age having a good time on both courts.

I really appreciated the limited smoking areas on board. Carnival allows smoking on one side of the ship on all the outer decks, so if you make a mistake and walk down the wrong side of the ship, you will be stuck in a cloud. Likewise, there is no casino on board the Disney ships, so there's no smoke cloud to have to pass on the way to dinner.

We liked being able to dine at a different restaurant each night. My favorite was the Royal Palace, with Animators Palate being a close second. Enchanted Garden was everyone's least favorite.

The movie theater was nice, but freezing cold with little leg room. We joked that Frozen was in 4D, rather than 3D, because it was so cold. Hubby found out the hard way that if you sit in the middle of a row and have to use the restroom, don't expect to subtly "slip out" or sneak back in. Hubby had to excuse himself to use the restroom early in the film, and after a huge ordeal to get out, he never returned to the seat next to me. Instead, he found another seat on the end of a row several rows up.

Speaking of movie theater, we thought that charging for popcorn was laughable. Carnival provides popcorn free of charge, and why not? Popcorn is cheap. But this is Disney, and there's money to be made.

Kids' Club: Hands down, the kids' club was better on this Disney ship than on any Carnival ship we've sailed. The Navigator's area was huge and had plenty of fun activities to keep DD entertained. She opted to go to the kids' club rather than the main shows, even when her BFF begged her to go to the show with the rest of us.

I was impressed that Disney moves their the kids' club services to Castaway Cay. My daughter thought that it was a cool concept, but she and her friends got bored after a bit and asked to be picked up.

The GPS bands were a great touch. My friend, Angie, said that when they cruised last year, the bands were huge and clunky. This year, they were light and fit like a rubber bracelet. My recommendation would be to improve the system for those kids old enough to check themselves out of the Navigator program by sending an automated text to the parents' wave phones whenever the child signs out.

Entertainment: Disney excels at family entertainment. The quality of the shows was of a higher caliber than those we saw on Carnival. We also participated in a few planned shipboard activities and had a good time.

However, the adult entertainment seemed to be lacking. The adult-only "District" area was pretty dead, even at 10:00pm. Many of the bars were empty. The rest were populated by maybe 2-5 people. We became bored quickly and took the party to one of the aft balconies.

Other: The photo gallery was a big fail. We had several pictures taken, and of all of those, only one picture showed up in our portfolio. That one photo was of someone else's child. :eek:

The 2 make-a-plate templates I dropped off to have autographed for DD's birthday were MIA the last night of the cruise. It took some calling around, but we finally did get them back before we walked off the ship the final morning.

Debarkation was easy-peasy, lemon squeezey. We carried off our own luggage without issue by around 7:30am and breezed through customs.

They will have all the info at the terminal. It will take just a minute for them to reprint the form for you.

 

No worries.

Good to know! Thank you! :)

Yes, I have the booklet with all the info, luggage tags, and signed cruise contract. The kids club part just states that I did it online, though. Do I need to fill out the papers again or will it be in the system?

Setting sail tomorrow on the Disney Dream. It's our first Disney cruise and a surprise for DD. I completed online check-in and printed the confirmation last month, but then I put the paper somewhere where DD wouldn't accidentally find it.

Apparently it was a great spot, because now I can't find the print out either! :eek: And now that the online check-in window is closed, I can't reprint anything.

So what do I do now? I had a 10:30 PAT, but no way to prove it. Will they have the info in the system when I get to port, I hope?

My friend said the best view of the firewworks on the Dream was while she was riding the aquaduck with her son. :)

We took my daughter and nieces to Ardastra Gardens last time we were in Nassau, but did it on our own without the expense of a ship excursion. We just took the jitney bus (I think it's the #10) to the Ardastra stop for a total of about $5, then walked a short distance to the entrance gates. We practically had the place to ourselves, as the tour groups had come by early in the day and then left to keep their schedule.

 

We wandered around without any time crunch, fed the lorikeets (free, but we tipped the trainer) participated in the marching flamingos show, fed the goats at the petting zoo, and took plenty of pictures. We took a cab back to the ship when we were done (we stayed until closing.) I want to say the cab ride for the 5 of us was something like $15.

 

At the time, my daughter was 5 and my nieces were 8 and 11. They had a GREAT time!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We took my daughter and nieces to Ardastra Gardens last time we were in Nassau, but did it on our own without the expense of a ship excursion. We just took the jitney bus (I think it's the #10) to the Ardastra stop for a total of about $5, then walked a short distance to the entrance gates. We practically had the place to ourselves, as the tour groups had come by early in the day and then left to keep their schedule.

We wandered around without any time crunch, fed the lorikeets (free, but we tipped the trainer) participated in the matching flamingos show, fed the goats at the petting zoo, and took plenty of pictures. We took a cab back to the ship when we were done (we stayed until closing.) I want to say the cab ride for the 5 of us was something like $15.

At the time, my daughter was 5 and my nieces were 8 and 11. They had a GREAT time!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We booked our Jan cruise in early/mid Dec. and could do online registration right away. Yeah, all the cabanas for CC were "sold out," but after seeing the price to rent one, I didn't care!

We were able to get a 10:30 arrival time, as did the other 3 families we're traveling with. Just a note there- when you're signed in to make your travel plans/book excursions, no one else linked to your reservation will be able to access that part of the site. So if your Ressies are linked, make sure you sign out after you've made your bookings.

Also, we were able to sign up DD for the Navigator club and indicate which people of the entire party of 14 would be able to sign her out. We also set up a password that people would need to provide to sign DD out of the club.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Mickey and Minnie called my daughter on Christmas day to tell her about the cruise. It was less than 60 seconds, but DD understood.

A friend of mine set up a call for a specific time last year, but said she had to reschedule it 3-4 times because her two kids were never in the room at the same time.

I don't buy it through the cruise line. My reasoning is that they'll want what's best for their company, and therefore not cover as much as a third party would.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

How old is your daughter? Is she big enough for a booster? We purchased an inexpensive Graco booster when we started cruising with our DD. It was light enough to carry with us or (when she still fit a stroller) bungee to a stroller while in port. Most cabs had seat belts, and those that didn't, we politely declined.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I called and asked. (Something I guess I should have done to begin with.) I was told twine would be okay - just nothing like adhesives or anything that will mar the door or remove the paint.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's not your door, you don't own it! You rented it, like the room.

And you obviously missed (or skipped over) the part of Shmoo's post where it mention door alignment?

 

 

No one on here is having an apoplectic shock, I personally are just stunned at how you can disregard the request to ONLY USE MAGNETIC ADHESION for your banner?

As requested by the cruise line. Specifically.

 

Use your twine or string if you must.

BUT the cruise line ask that you USE MAGNETS ONLY.

NO Twine, NO String, No Ribbons, No nothing, except for MAGNETS.

 

Why is that so hard for you to just do what they ask?

 

ex techie

Calm down, dear. Magnets on my vinyl banner will just slide down the door, which means possibly scratching the door. :eek: Ergo, I will use twine or string in accordance with the "spirit of the law," thereby not damaging the door.

Inhale. Exhale. Ohmmmmmmm :cool:

For goodness sakes, no banner unless it is attached by magnets ONLY!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=38068760&postcount=1

 

Just do what they ask! Magnetic ONLY!

Buy some magnetic stick on strips and use those!

 

ex techie

Wow, sorry to have stressed you out over something simple like a banner! :rolleyes:

Just calm down, I'm NOT attaching the banner directly to the door. It's essentially "tied" to the door like a ribbon around a Christmas present. I usually use bungees because it's easier, but if just the mention of bungees sends people into apoplectic shock, then I will use twine or string.

Deep breaths, now. It's all good. :D

i would use only the flat plastic clings, NOT the gel clings. The gel clings tend to melt in the sun and leave sticky residue all over the window.

Great advice! My daughter stuck the gel ones all over her bedroom window at home and they "oozed" down the window and created a huge mess!

Thanks for the replies!

Shmoo, I take two sets of bungees. My banner has metal grommets in each corner, so one end of a bungee goes in each grommet. Then I cross the bungees on the back of the door and attach all the remaining ends to each other so that the make an "X."

But maybe I'll just use twine or string this time. :cool:

Cant use the over door shoe hangar anymore? Why not?

Also, can I use bungees to secure my door banner instead of magnets?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

601. Elationismyship, Maria & Doug - Cinci OH

602. luvmysox1, Michelle & Jeff - Lake Station, IN

603. MacKenzie Girl plus 1 - Jackson AL

604. CDNseeking heat - Toronto Ontario

605. msolberg, Mark and Diane - Michigan

606. Near the Beach, Charlie,Rhonda & Phillip - Florida

607. Beave8920 - Dave and Barbee - Minden, NV

608. BenjiRodney (Roger)- WV

609. PegNRay Peg and Ray - Illinois

610. Judyzoo , Judy - Miami FL

611. Cruisingcouple2008 - Amy and Austin - Albany, NY

612 lcantwait - Knoxville, TN

613. roxy13 - TXS

614. Breadman54 - John and Christi - Austria, Europe

615. Mandnjim (1 of them ) - Florida

616. Kakraz - Austria, Europe

617. Dutch Diver,JP & Yolanda - Netherlands

618. supercrew1962 stacey and paul - Indianapolis, IN

619. Jeanarch - Oak Grove LA

620. clearwatergirl- Clearwater FL

621. MongoliaBlossom - Louisiana

622. DebJ14 - Bill and Debbie - Texas

623. Hawaii697, Waldorf, MD

624. Oldrailfan, Hiddenite, NC

625. Rusty-Girl, Hiddenite, NC

626. Angie1818, Panama City, FL

627. Tigereye, Montgomery, Al.

628. Riedela, Fayetteville, AR

629. Centurycruiser, Port Orange, FL

630. James in SA, TX

631. Regestd & Dwayne in Olympia, WA

632. Beauty1492 frozen tundra Ohio

633. Cruisingbandmom, Canton, GA

634. Elliair - California

635. Jim & Mieke -Columbus, OH

636 and 637. SteelerCruisers- Myrtle Beach, SC

638 and 639. Smiling Cruiser and Joe

640 and 641 Ocean Dancer & DH, Delaware

642 and 643 ocs1985, Bobby & Dianne- Southside,Al.

644 Lady N Red Paulla Laurinburg,N

645. & 646. Cruise2062 & DH - West Virginia

647. ourfamilylovescruising Deanna and Mike Palmetto, FL

648 Deb Brown - Winter Haven, F

649 &650. dotshub- Larry & Dot, Tampa, FL

651 shayesship - Steve Hayes, Orlando, FL

652 Beth Hayes, Orlando, FL

653. Kristi and DH, SC

654. beachbum6264 Middle Tennessee

655. moxie99 & hubby - Maine

656. Jerome & Toni - Chittenden, Vermont

657 and 658 Wayne and Shawn Orlando

659 Jiggs - USA

660. Isa and Ray - Miami Florida

661 & 662 - Realmccoy- bob and stacey -Fullerton CA

663. Leo Tenorio - Spanish Fort AlaBAMA

664 & 665 Jake & Laura UP Michigan

666 & 667 sammy1956 & GF - NC Not crazy bout the number

668 Walkenkeg - Bay area, California

669 Cricket63, SC

670 & 671 Bob & Nancy The Villages , Florida:):):)

672 & 673 Dotte & Ottawa, Kansas

674. golfpccc - Dave & Carla, College Station, TX

675. Lady_Jag - Laura, Florida