First Disney Cruise Anxiety

[connes1]

after my first couple DCL cruises, I learned what I just couldn't do without.

 

For dining, I never like missing the first night in each of the 3 dining rooms. So I book a Palo dinner after that. Brunch at Palo I book on the first "at sea" day of the cruise. Both of these you should do as soon as you get your reservation number by logging into the DCL online site.

 

Online cruise documents is faster than writing them out by hand, that is on the website too.

 

Want a relaxing day in the Rainforest room at the spa? Buy a day pass online. It is NOT in the spa section of activities, It is in the Stateroom Gifts section. Download the form and call the 800 number at the top. Have a credit card handy, its $18.88 including tips. An email confirmation will be sent to you and your pass will be in your room when you arrive. (there have been times when I could not book a single day on board, so now I buy it ahead of time)

 

If you can get to the port early, do. We're there waiting for the parking lot to open at 10AM and get checked in. We love to wonder around the adult areas, shops etc before the crowds show up later. And if you couldn't get the adult dining online (they limit pre-booking) go directly to where ever the Navigator tells you to go for booking as soon at they open.

 

Then sit back and relax. People keep asking why we keep doing the same cruises on DCL. Its to relax for a week, not run around site seeing. That's just us. (and we are adult cruisers with no kids ! )

Can you check in earlier then your assigned port time in Miami?

[moki'smommy]

Can you check in earlier then your assigned port time in Miami?

 

It depends on how busy the terminal is. You can check in, but the real question is whether you can board the ship. Your terminal arrival time is tied to your boarding card number. You can board when your number is called. At some point, the terminal will have cleared sufficiently and they will announce "open boarding" meaning that they are no longer using the number system--you can board as soon as you have checked in.

 

If you arrive before your scheduled time, it is possible to have a short wait--typically 10 - 15 minutes (if any). Once inside, thru screening, etc. you will get in line to check in. After you check in, you'll get your boarding card with number and just hang out till your number is called. Exactly when you will board will depend on what time boarding starts (typically 11:15, but there is some variation based on when crew is ready) and how fast your fellow guests get on board. It takes about 7-8 minutes for each number to be called.

 

If you arrive later and your number has already boarded, you can walk on as soon as you check in. You can't board before your number, but you can board any time after it is called.

Edited August 23, 2014 by moki'smommy

[Patty421]

I am new to Disney cruising as well. Our first one is set for next November. We have sailed many times before on Carinval and Royal but this rotational dinning is a new concept for us. I would like to try and book Palo but I do not want to miss any of my rotations, so how do I know what day to book. Will I get a schedule beforehand for the rotation?

[ummgood]

I am new to Disney cruising as well. Our first one is set for next November. We have sailed many times before on Carinval and Royal but this rotational dinning is a new concept for us. I would like to try and book Palo but I do not want to miss any of my rotations, so how do I know what day to book. Will I get a schedule beforehand for the rotation?

 

 

How many day cruise are you booking. You don't really know your rotation until you arrive. What I do is try to see other previous cruises on the same itinerary. Once you see that it is possible to see what days are repeats, etc. once I had the order then I requested the rotation I wanted. Both our cruises were 7 nights so we tried to book Palo on a night when we were repeating in a dining room and there was a menu that wasn't a specialized menu for the restaurant.

 

For example on our cruise there was the normal Parrot Cay, Animators Palate, and Tritons menus (wonder). Plus formal, semi formal, pirate, and one other. We booked palo on formal night so we wouldn't miss lobster on semi formal night. We also requested to be in tritons on formal and parrot cay on pirate night just for theme. (More special to be in parrot cay on pirate than say Animators.)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums