Disney Cruise Advice

I have loved going on a cruise for vacation with my children. I did not start out with the kids as young as yours but the youngest was 4 when we started to cruise. I also have never had the budget to go on a Disney Cruise. I usually will go on NCL or Royal Caribbean. We usually did have second dinner seating so I found that ordering room service early for a snack and then going to dinner was better for the kids. Room service is free and there should be other places on the ship that food severed 24 hours. One of the reasons I like NCL is they now no longer have a set time to eat you just go to dinner when you like. I have also found http://boards.cruisecritic.com/ to be a great value with questions about cruiseing. I also have a packing list if you would like it to help plan . We will be going on our next cruise in march.
sorry this is long but found this information for Disney Cruises.
1. Early arrival gets an early boarding pass number.

2. The terminal opens 10 a.m.

3. Boarding starts around 11:30 to noon.

4. Keep a camera with you at ALL times, even in the terminal. Characters will appear there for photos. There is an outdoor viewing area of the ship for photos.

5 Check in at kid's club table while waiting to board the ship. it saves you time on the ship.

6. Take a few ones. Some for room service tips and some to tip porters who take your bags at the terminal. $1 per bag is customary. Oh I like to use the gold $ coins the staff then will always remember you.

7. Take small bills for the islands. Many small shops don't have change.

8. If you're going to use your credit card on the islands, call your CC company first and tell them or you will have to wait on a phone call to OK all your purchases. This is a big hassle and can take 30 minutes or more.

9. Most shops who take credit cards require a $20 minimum purchase.

10 Take a camera to dinner each night, surprises happen all the time. You won't be alone. You will even see camcorders at dinner. If you use a digital camera I bring my laptop on the ship also so that I can download the camera every day.

11. Arrive at all shows 20 minutes early for good seats.

12. Arrive at character meets 10 minutes early.

13 Princess meets arrive 15 minutes early.

14. On Castaway Cay if you want your photo taken with Captain Jack Sparrow, do NOT ride the tram to the beach area. It does NOT stop near him. You must walk in to the beach. The signs say 20 minute walk in it takes us 10 minutes. He will be along the way in the sand and the photos have the Flying Dutchman behind you, great photo! Check the Navigator for times that he will be there.

15 There are characters along the way to the beach; it's OK to ride the tram for this. The lines are short and move quickly so it is a great opportunity to see characters without lines. Check the Navigator for times and places.

16 Characters also appear at the gazebo near Cookies BBQ on the island during the day.

17 The adult only beach has it's own area for lunch they often have steaks or lobster there as a special treat for the grown ups. But Cookies BBQ by family beach has more variety of other foods.

18 Dont miss the good-bye late the last night in the atrium. ALL of the characters will line up on the stairs and will pose for photos for you. This farwell party is really nice and fun.

19 Check for photos every day at shutters. Buy a package deal and save $$ if you don't buy enough photos for the package deal they will refund you the difference at the end of your cruise. If you buy a photo and then decide the next day you see one you want more, just bring back the one you bought and the receipt and tell them you want to exchange it and they will be happy to do this for you.

20. You can order warm chocolate chip cookies or Mickey ice cream bars from room service even though it is not on the menu. The warm cookies are available in the evenings only.
(Don't forget the milk for heaven's sake, there's an extra charge for it. Host Mick)

21. Bring 2 white pillowcases or a matte style picture frame in a zip lock baggie with water proof markers and leave at guest services desk and ask for it to be autographed and it will be returned to you the last night all signed by the characters. I also add a card with my name and room number on it just in case their card gets lost. I like to use dark colored markers, the light colors don't show up as well.

22. If you need to change dining times or make a Palos reservation go to Wave Bands club directly upon boarding to take care of this. The sooner you do it the better your chances of getting what you want.

23. If you have kids, leave a wake up call and then let them answer the phone. It will surprise them because Mickey will be on the phone telling them it is time to get up.

24 Afternoon matinees of the shows are great to see. They are the exact same show, they leave out nothing but it is less crowded and kids aren't as tired, plus it makes for a more leisurely evening. No need to rush to or from the shows due to your dinner time.

25. Pop is free in all restaurants and at the drink station on deck 9. But if you order it from waiter or buy it at a lounge or bar you will be charged for it plus a gratuity.

26. Stop by the drink station and grab a drink to take with you to the shows or movies instead of buying a can of pop there. If you want a snack, stop and grab pizza or hot dogs or fruit on deck 9 to take it with you. Again save money over buying a bunch of snacks for the kids.

27. At dinner kids can order from both the kid's or adult menus.

28. No need to book floats and bikes ahead of time for Castaway Cay. They have tons of them. Wait until you get there to make sure you're really going to need the floats or have time to ride the bikes before renting them. We always just walk up and do it at the beach.

29. If you want to do the banana boat ride or the ski-doo (eco tour) I would book them ahead of time. They do often have last minute openings so dont be afraid to ask when you arrive if you didn't book it and decided you'd like to do it.

30. If you rent bikes there are 2 nice trails just off the runway. The first one will have an observation tower. It has a great view of the island and ship. Bring your camera for this!! While up in the tower be sure and look around the base area of the tower. There are some whimsical things to see there too.

31. All the trails have ice cold water in big yellow barrels in wooden framed stands, so there's no need to carry your own unless you want to.

32. Find a cruise meets thread for your cruise and post there to get acquianted with others on your cruise.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=451

--If you have young girls with you, bring princess costumes. Many little girls dress up on the ship.

--If you want the pool to yourself, head back early from Castaway Cay. From 12:30-2pm, most passengers will still be at the beach.
If you like cheese, ask your waiter to have a cheese tray ready for you the next night at dinner. When you get to your table the next night a tray of various cheeses and crackers will be waiting. No extra charge.

No need to bring the big stroller from home thru the airport. Bring a cheap $10 umbrella stroller for going thru the airport.

After you get to the ship go to the purser’s office and check out a stroller. They will give you a pretty good 3 wheel stroller with large wheels that work well on uneven pavement like is found in most ports.

They charge a deposit but its 100% refunded upon bringing the stroller back to them after you leave the last island.
Take a carry-on bag( I use a backpack) and wear your bathing suite (weather permitting) so you can go swimming after your welcome lunch if you get there early. Don't forget the sunscreen! Your bags are delivered to your room later in the afternoon.

I hope that this gives you some new information to help with your cruise

We did a Disney Cruise with my 15 month old son.

We opted for the Veranda room because he was still napping twice a day. This way, when he was napping we were not trapped in the room. It was nice to be able to put him to sleep and sit outside and read or play cards. If you get an inside stateroom, you will be sitting in the dark (or sitting by the light of the bathroom if you need to have naps in the dark.) Just so you know, I was worried about the veranda too, but there is Plexiglass that covers the entire side (besides the 2-3 inches at the bottom which is the gutter if it rains), so it is not climbable and probably 5 feet tall. But other than sleeping time you will not be in the room. Basically it is just a place to keep your things, go to the bathroom/shower and sleep, so don't be too worried about the size of the room. We also started with a pack and play in the room, but it took up most of the 'living room' area where the couch and the little table is and it made the room seem very small. So if you are okay with your 1.5 year old sleeping in a twin bed by themselves (you can ask your room steward for extra towels and roll them up under the sheet and make a psudo-bed rail.) or in the king size bed with you and your hubby, I would personally opt for that.

We also had the second seating. My son would not every sit for a 2 hour time period (still won't at 2.5). So we took our iTouch with his favorite TV/DVDs. The waiters would do good about getting his food out with our appetizers and we would feed him, then show him a show during the rest of our meal. This was the first time he watched that much TV, but we were able to enjoy our meals. But we did eat at the buffet a lot because it was just easier and much MUCH faster. I think they may have an 'express' option for the kids in the kids club where they get their meal with your appetizer then a kids councilor will come and pick them up after 30-45 minutes and take them so you can finish you meal. But if you want the earlier seating, ask to be put on the wait list and you may be able to get in.

I know for the 4 year old you will be able to use the kids club, and for your son, you or your husband will be able to go into the kids club and let your 1.5 year old play during the day. Plus you can use the nursery if you want to pay the extra. They have a splash pad for the non-potty trained ones (If you are on the old ships, not sure about the new ship, but they should) and it is next to the kid pool. Plus, they have a playhouse Disney thing where you sing and dance with your toddlers. The kids club will also take your 4 year old to the buffet for lunch if they want to eat with their new friends.

As for pre-booking, with kids the age they are, you will be very limited to the shore excursion. Look online and if there is something you can't live without book it early, but most likey you will not need to book before you get on the boat. The only think is the Nursery fills up during dinner time very quickly, so if you want to use that during a dinner or two, you should book that. Show up early for the character meet and greets, the lines can get REALLY long. But you can't pre-book those. They will have a Character breakfast too (included in the cruise) where Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Goofy and Donald will come by your table and pose for pictures.

Disney overall does a great job with keeping the kids occupied. You should have a wonderful time.

I just went to a cruise with my 4.5 year old and my 2 year old. They loved it! I also had the second dinner seating but as soon as I got in the boat I went directly to the restaurant and requested the change which they did with no problem. So just go asap with the maitre'd and ask him for a change, they usually do everything they can to make you happy.

I have never done de Disney Cruise but many in my family have and they say is the best cruise ever, specially for/with kids. I did not take a room with verandah for the same fear as you, even the lady in the reservations assured me they should be safe, but my kids always manage to climb everything so I decided not to take the risk.

The room even small was very ok and for the time we spent inside was really enough. Next time I will try to get a suite or something with more space.

Good luck and enjoy your Cruise!

I did a Disney Cruise, but it was 8 years ago and my daughter was almost 8. We had the second seating, but the way it was then, there is a full Broadway stage production show each night (different for us each night as it was a 3 night cruise), and so we saw the show first, then had dinner..opposite option for the first dinner seaters. So its not like we were floundering for something to do while half the ship was eating. We were set to eat in a different restaurant each night..there were 3 on our ship so for our short cruise, one each night! (our whole seating did, and your waitstaff was the same each night). Each restaurant had a different Disney theme, but our fave was the one where the paintings got colored in as the courses were served (Painters Palette I think it was called.) The whole place starts off in black and white, and by the time dessert comes its all in vivid color! It was neat!

I understand your kids are far different in age, I just wanted to share the dinner situation we experienced.

Be prepared for the grand tipping at the end when you check out when the cruise ends (again, this is how it was 8 years ago, could be different now). We specifically asked for a larger amount to go to the waiters assistant, as we felt she did far more than the head waiter did for us.

It was fun to read all of the name badges of the employees as it stated their home country. My 8 year old cataloged them in her travel journal...she was a good age for that and her class actually used them for a mapping project after we returned and she shared some of her journal with them (it was an agreed upon assignment deal we made with the teacher before we went).

My hubby loved that he could get fresh hot chocolate chip cookies anytime of day! LOL..Hes easy to please with his snack food! It was unseasonably cold (in the Bahamas) when we went, and our cruise was short...but we had only signed up for one shore excursion...dolphin swimming. Apparently they never refund money for things you signed up for and such, but they were for that one. We still went..it was the only thing DD wanted to do, and they did let us have the use of wetsuits free. It was COLD! We had a verandah and were glad. It was neat to be up super early and to see the ship docking, and to wave across the way to the other ships!

Have fun!

I found this Moms Panel from Disney's website. They are real good about answering all of your questions. Check it out:
http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/questions.aspx?pid=...

We went on a Disney cruise 7 years ago without children. We chose an outside room and also had the second seating for dinner. I was concerned about it and even asked to have it switched, but it worked out great. Coming from AZ we felt like we were eating at a normal time and we were not rushed to get to dinner. There is plenty of food all over the ship and dinner time is the only "scheduled" meal. You will be able to adjust your breakfast and lunch so that you are not starved by dinner as well as getting snacks. We will be requesting second seating when we take our kids.
We have had several friends take Disney cruises with their kids and have had wonderful experiences with activities and the counselors.
Have fun!!

Welcome to our Disney Cruisee Family. Please join us over on www.disboards.com and go under DCL and we can help you with all of these questions. When you come to the site, please read through the first few pages on the thread, then through the stickies, then through the FAQs. Then feel free to ask any questions that are unanswered. To answer a couple though... Your SR should be based on what you can afford. The next question is do you want an inside room or an outside room. See I am a person that "HAS TO SEE" outside when I wake up several times a night, so have to have an outside room. Do know the rooms are VERY small, but that just comes with cruising... Disney does have the largest rooms in cruising, but they are on a ship after-all. The biggest difference is that a cat. 11 only has a single BR and the others give you 2 sinks and they are seperate. Other than that, all of thee rooms are the same (besides out v/s in) until you get to a cat. 4. (NEVER WORTH IT for a family of 4), thousands of dollars more to get 2 extra feet. Verandah; I LOOOVED ours wheen sailing with our toddler, I would nap her and sit out there and read a book. Could not have cruised without it. The verandahs are very safe. They are breastline in height to a 5 foot 8 person. No way a problem with the kids. The doors lock to them and are almost imposible for an adult to open actually. So totally safe! Each night you will get a navigator with ALL of the activities on the ship for the next day. So the only way you miss something is by not reading. Your 4 year old is able to go to the kids club and will love it. Basically fun school for the kids. Your 1 1/2 year old does not qualify (must be 3 & fully potty trained). So you may need to book Flounders Nsy. time. This does cost per hour. You have to prebook the hours but they are adjustable once on the ship. Are you more comfortable with your son sleeping in a pack n play or on a single bed. DCL will provide a Pack in Play if needed and that is requested ahead of time. 2nd dinner, call DCL and have them place you on a wait list for Early dinner. If you were on The Magic, 2nd would work great as 8PM is only 5PM your time. Ask to be placed on a waiting list, usually with small kids it happens. If not, feed the kids early and have them go to Flounders and the clubs during dinner. Food is in over abundance and the kids do not have to have sit down dinner. Room Service is included in the cost of the trip as well as ALL of the buffets and counter service. They can get AWESOME food at the Buffet at 5PM and then you and hubby eat a sit down dinner together after. Hope this helps. Can you tell I help people plan DCL cruises because I am an addict....

K.,
I would worry less about the staterooms as you will have to pay through the nose to get anything large enough to feel good about space (if money is not a problem for you then nevermind ;-). You probably wont spend much time there except to sleep and if you want a view you can always walk outside. As far as activities, they should have something for the 4 yo on board though I have never tried a cruise with an 18 mo (and I probably wouldnt try and would rather find a babysitter, but that's just me). As far as second seating; you may be stuck keeping the kids up later, just let them sleep in for the duration to compensate. Also, most boats have a 24 hour place to get food and it has some basics for the whole family if you want to skip out on the second dining. Good luck and have fun; totally worth the experience.