Crazy Piglet

It would help to know a little about you for people to respond.

My daughter's preschool usually gets out the second week of May. So I'm hoping we can schedule this right after then before most of the other schools are out for the summer and before the Memorial Day holiday.

That sounds good, but it really wouldn't be so bad for her to miss a few days of preschool either.

It was my understanding that the MDR that is open for brunch is no longer a buffet. Isn't that right?

There is also the quick serve on the pool deck available.

Sea lice are actually jelly fish larva in the water, not on the beach. I believe there is something you can get to help avoid problems with them, but I have no personal experience. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the product or times of year the "lice" are most prevalent. Hopefully someone with more experience and knowledge will see this post.

I don't believe there is a formal night on a 5 day, hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Don't worry about a jacket for DH, unless he likes dressing up.

Oops! may be mistaken on the white and gray. Sorry if it's misinformation.

That is right. KTTW cards are all the same (except concierge). The lanyards are different depending on your level.

Note to self. Do not sail in December 2018 since it will be very cold and windy.

:')

I was at Castaway Cay the first week of December 2018 and had a beautiful cabana. It was a cold and windy day and we sat in the cabana with coats and blankets still a wonderful treat. Good luck

I assume you mean 2017?

I agree with moki'smommy except my experience has been that DCL does a good job of keeping kids out of all the adult-only areas. They even "card" people they think may be under the age of 18.

I'm sorry this was your experience. I'll just add my voice to those saying that this is not the norm. We've always had great servers. Our meals have stretched out pretty long, but I feel that they would have been expedited had we asked. I don't think getting there early makes any difference. However, telling them that you wanted your food quickly should. I would second saying something to your head server if things are not going well. I hope you get one of the normal amazing servers next time you cruise with Disney.

One of the things I love about Disney is all the attention they pay to little details. For one example, here's a photo of the carpet in the corridor near our stateroom:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some things to notice:

 

• North on the globe is always toward the bow of the ship (helpful if you ever get disoriented)
  
• There are red things near Anaheim, Orlando, and Paris.
  
• There are four ships on the map (I don't believe they update them for the ships' current locations, but I didn't really check)
  
• The ship's name is spelled out in the nautical flags above and below the globe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_maritime_signal_flags
  

There are other nautical flags around the ship. If you have kids who like a puzzle, print out a chart of those flags and their letters and bring it with you on your cruise. Challenge your kids to decode all the messages they can find.

 

Does anyone else have favorite little details? There are plenty!

What a great idea to print out the signal flags to be able to "translate" them around the ship.

There's a difference between "fancy" and "decent" clothing. You don't need fancy clothes on DCL. Unfortunately' date=' DCL attracts far more people who don't choose to dress reasonably than most other lines. We were on another cruise line last week and didn't see any clothing in the dining room that I considered crude or objectionable. I don't have a problem with jeans and a t-shirt at dinner. We choose to wear something more along the lines of dockers/skirts and a suitable top, but that's our choice. But I don't like to see "scuzzy" clothing at dinner, particularly when it is accompanied by scuzzy behavior. Maybe people spent so much on their DCL cruise that they couldn't afford decent clothing to bring along.

 

On one cruise, not so long ago, the other table being handled by our server had 16 people. Most of the men were wearing what I consider to be an undershirt--no sleeves, rib knit and shorts that would have benefitted by a run thru the laundry. Some of the women had very skimpy tops. But less important than their clothing was their actions. They were doing things like changing seats after they had ordered their meal, sending food back repeatedly, etc. Again, if you get something you don't like, send it back. But three times in one meal??? They were also very loud and ordered what I considered to be a lot of alcohol. The only reason we didn't ask to be moved is that we wanted to keep our server.[/quote']

I may not like what someone is wearing, but I don't have to look at it, so no big deal. Actually I have to see it less at dinner than in other situations. Their behavior is a totally different matter. I have seen impeccably dressed people act like total jerks. I don't see that one really correlates with the other.

When you look at the Navigator there are sections for different age groups. There is one "for everyone" that has family activities.

You can also bring a bottle from home, leave it in your room, pour some wine into a glass and bring the glass of wine with you to the MDR. Eases up on costs. We've also just purchased a bottle in one of the MDR's.

Actually, you're not supposed to this. That doesn't mean that people don't, but you are supposed to drink your own alcohol in your cabin.;)

The two experiences are so different that while the same princesses are likely to be present' date=' they don't really compare.

Princess Gathering you line up and walk down a table where the princesses are seated--literally a quick pass thru the line with usually 4 princesses. At the royal tea, there are typically 4-6, but they come to your table and spend a lot more time with the child. Of course, it costs a lot too.

 

You can never promise any princesses at any event as schedules, illness, etc. can change things, but typical would be Cinderella, Snow, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle with sometimes appearances by Tiana, Ariel, etc.

 

You don't have to go to an event to see princesses. They are all doing meet and greets around the ship.[/quote']

They're seated at a table? Really? I haven't done it, but my understanding was that you go from princess to princess, interact and get pictures taken. That's what I have seen in all the reports I've looked at. Maybe someone else can speak to what they experienced.

It really depends on your disability. There are often places where you can sit down for a moment as you move around the ship - not in cabin passageways, but in public areas. Unless it is really rough seas I don't think there'd be enough motion to disturb most people with a minor handicap, especially if it's distance that's difficult for you. Good luck and have a great time. Hopefully someone with more personal experience can help you out.

Which deck you're on doesn't make much difference as far as being close to things unless you intend to always take the stairs. Even then, deck one is closer to the MDRs, atrium, etc. I would go for the deluxe with the split bathroom, especially with 4 people.

Your experience sounds great, but it was quite different than many, or most. I believe most FEs are more generic in that there is no category to the group. You give what you would like to get. It can be magnets, small toys/games, edible treats, first aid kits or whatever you like. FEs vary depending on the cruise and what the group organizing it wants it to be. We have enjoyed giving and receiving a variety of gifts, from reusable Disney shopping bags to Australian biscuits to a home-made "Yacht-Sea" game. It's a great activity.

There are lots of things to do on the longer cruises. If you want to check out what has been provided before you can go to the Disney Cruise Line Blog and look at past navigators for the trip.

Too late in this case, obviously, but I once saw a tip that you should always take a picture of your contact info, so if this happens, the finder can contact you.

Since you are doing the Baja Cruise, you will be on the Wonder. There is no Venellope's sweet shop, so you don't need to worry about that. There are snacks--pop corn etc available for the theater, but you certainly don't need to buy them. We never do. You can get drinks from the beverage station anytime and snacks from various places. Room service is free, except for a very few things, although you should tip the CM a dollar or two. You really don't need to spend much on board. Your kids may want a souvenir or two from the shops though.

My understanding is that there are more tastings available when you get on board. The Navigator you get when you board should list where you can go to sign up for these.

It's called The Navigator and you can view may of them on Disney Cruiseline Blog.

You can also try using a different browser. I switched browsers when I was having a problem and it worked like a charm.