I'll be writing about all kinds of trips from simple to extravagant. While the Disney cruise definitely lands on the side of extravagant (especially for a larger family like mine!), you really can't beat the overall value and service you get with Disney. If you are looking for an amazing family vacation that's wrapped up for you in a pretty bow with minimal planning to do, this is the trip for you.
We just returned from our third trip on the Disney Dream. We've been going for Spring break for the last few years. Since we've gotten to know the ship and the process really well, and have some really good insider tips, I thought I'd share them here for those of you considering a Disney cruise. Warning--this will be a very long post so I can get most of the details for those that really like to plan beforehand.
If you are traveling during a popular time like Spring break, you should book your trip as far in advance as possible. The ship will definitely sell out, so the sooner the better. You will have access to their online cruise planning page. As soon as you have access to booking activities online, you should go ahead and do so. This is when you will sign up for your boarding time (you will want to get the earliest time possible to maximize your time on the ship), do your online check in, fill out information for the kids' club, and also book shore excursions and ship activities such as Princess meet and greets, adult only meals, spa services, etc. It's very important to do these things in advance, especially if going during a popular time because they will fill up quickly.
On the day of the cruise, if you are driving to the port, you will drop your bags off with the luggage handlers (don't forget to have a bit of cash on hand to tip them), then proceed to the parking deck, where it will be around $80 to park for the trip. Once parked, join the line until the port opens up at 10:30. You will then go to a check-in line. If you have traveled on more than 1 Disney cruise, you will be part of the Castaway Club and will have access to a shorter line, which is a nice perk. They will also give you the plastic necklaces to hold your key to the world cards, which is great to have during the trip. After that part of the check in is complete, you will move to the other side of the building to finish checking in your children for the kids' club. This is where they will be issued a band, so you will save time once on the ship. After that process is complete, you will just wait for your section to be called to get on the ship! While you are waiting there are photo opportunities with some of the characters. This is also the time to make sure that all members of the family with smart phones have download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. This gives you access to all activities on board, dining menus, and most importantly lets you chat with anyone else that has the app. It's a lifesaver for keeping up with your family on the ship when you are off doing different things.
Once on the ship, the staff will try to direct you to Deck 11 for the lunch buffet. Thanks to my husband making friends with a very nice bartender in the Bon Voyage bar, we found out that you can actually choose to dine in the Enchanted Garden restaurant on Deck 2 for a quieter, sit down meal. The first 2 years we did the trip, this was also buffet style, but we were pleased to see this has just changed to a very nice 4 course meal....too bad we filled up on a big breakfast and couldn't enjoy it to it's full extent, but we will know next time time!
You will be able to check out your room after 1:30pm, but your checked bags will not arrive until later in the afternoon. That's why it's very important to pack a big bag that's not checked with all you will need for the afternoon. Ours included swimsuits (towels are provided, so no need to pack them), sunscreen, goggles, sunglasses, Dramamine, other important medications, paperwork and valuables. The pool area fills up quickly during this time, so try to find a chair and use brightly colored clothes pins to secure the towel and also find your chair quickly. You will have a few hours to check out the ship and swim before you have to do the munster safety drill, which is required for all passengers. Be sure to grab your belongs from the pool chairs at this time, as they will set up the Sail Away party on the pool deck during the drill and will remove all the chairs. At the Sail Away party, the characters will put on a show and then you will set sail and begin your trip!
Plenty of people choose to do excursions on the Nassau, Bahamas day. We, however, have never chosen to do so. The reason for this is partly because we've been all over the Bahamas and there's only so much to see, and partly because we paid so darn much for the boat, we want to get all our money's worth out of it that we can. Besides, it's much less crowded at the pool when half of the ship gets off at the port.
There are so many things to do and explore on the ship. It's all written down for you on your daily itinerary found in your room, but is much more accessible through your Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. You can do character meet and greets, spa treatments, sports, see movies and shows, go to brunch (only on the 4+ night cruises), adult dinners, check out the art, coffee bar, lounges, the pool and AquaDuck ride, or even send the kids to the club and check out the quieter adult only pool. So many options at all times!
The private island day at Castaway Cay (pronounced Key), is my favorite day by far. I'll let you in on a couple of secrets we have learned on our travels there. First, get up early, have breakfast and plan to be one of the first off the ship as soon as they let you (8:30 am). We packed a small bag of sand toys from home because we could fit them, but they are available for purchase on the island. We take the tram to the 2nd stop. Here's the secret...people will start grabbing chairs immediately and the first part of the family beach area will fill up very quickly. We learned by our second cruise to keep walking all the way down to the roped off area where the people with cabanas are. If you stay right before the rope, it will not get too crowded until later in the day when everyone else has discovered the same idea, but you will have a premium spot with umbrellas by then. Lunch is served between 11:30-1:30 and is buffet style with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, ribs, fish, and lots of sides. Not too bad for a picnic meal. Where we are positioned, the restaurant, restrooms and bar are all very close. Servers will also be around every few minutes to offer some yummy tropical drinks. You can go back to the ship as late as 4, but we've never made it past 2pm...the sun can be brutal on pale skin even under the umbrellas!
One night of the cruise (depending on the length) will be Pirate Night. On this night, you can dress up as much or as little as you wish for dinner. There will be people in full on pirate garb, or people like my family that only wear an eye patch and the bandana provided for each family member in your room. We now have 15 of these bandanas, so we are set for life! After dinner, you will go to the pool deck to wait for the Pirate party to begin. This starts very late, 10:30 pm, so if you have little ones, I highly suggest trying to get a good nap in this day so they are able to stay awake. At the conclusion of the show, there will be an awesome fireworks display off the ship. We like to get a spot on the balcony for the best viewing of the fireworks. After the show, they will continue with a dance party where you can dance the night away, or last about 10 more minutes which is what happens with my little ones. They will sleep well this night.
Dinners are great on the ship. There are 2 seatings, the 6:15 pm dinner and the 8:15 pm dinner and you can sign up for your preference online before the trip. The same servers follow you each night to a different dining room. My quick tip is to arrive just a few minutes after your dinner time, otherwise you will be waiting in a long line when you have assigned seats anyway. There is nothing at all to complain about with the food. You will be served multi-coursed meals every night and they are fabulous. However, my husband and I live for fine dining and jump at every chance we get to try good food. The Dream has 2 options for adults only fine dining, Palo and Remy. We of course, chose to try them both and also added in brunch at Palo this trip since we were on the 4 night cruise this time. Just a few things...with each, there are dress codes to adhere to. Check the website for more info. Palo is more casual than Remy, but still requires pants and a collared shirt for gentlemen and dress or dress pants for ladies. Remy is dressier, and men are required to have a jacket (tie is optional) and ladies are encouraged to wear cocktail attire or dressy pantsuit. I'll start with Palo brunch. There is an additional fee of $35 per person for the brunch. Definitely go on an empty stomach, since the brunch spread was huge and way more than I expected. They give you a complimentary mimosa and then show you to a huge buffet assortment with antipasti, seafood galore and pastries. They will then show you a menu of main courses to choose from. Everyone in our group enjoyed all the food and thought it was worth the money for the meal. We also tried Palo for dinner. The same charge per person applies, but will go up with the addition of wine or cocktails. We had a huge antipasti course to start and then some very good pasta, seafood and meat entrees to select. Once again, everyone enjoyed both the service and the food and thought the upcharge was worth it for a fine dining, adults only experience.
Remy, I put in it's own category. 100% it's a splurge that we look forward to once a year. I'll start by saying there is a $95 per person upcharge for the meal, but we have never once paid that minimum fee, more like 3 times that. If you go, just be prepared to pay a very large bill at the end, just so there are no surprises. We save in plenty of other ways, and find the splurge worth it for the experience, but others may not feel the same for one meal. There are two chefs for Remy, one French and one American, so their tasting menus reflect their regions. We usually do one of each and share. There is also the choice of a wine pairing with each course, but be warned that that ends up being a LOT of wine, and too much for me personally since I don't drink that often, but it's a great way to try the best pairing with each dish for wine lovers. Being food lovers, this is one of the best parts of the cruise for us. It's about 3-4 hours of pure food bliss. The chefs are very talented and you would not expect to find this level of food on a cruise ship, but it continues to be at the very top of our list for our favorite fine dining spot.
Here are a few other random side notes that I've compiled to help you plan your trip. If you or your child has food allergies (one of mine has numerous severe food allergies), Disney is wonderful in the extreme care they take for people with food allergies. They will make sure that the food is free of any allergens and your child's safety will be a top priority at meals and in the kids' club. Make sure you list all allergies in the online paperwork and also tell the servers again before meals.
As far as what NOT to pack, you don't have to worry about lugging on beach towels or a hair dryer. The room will also have H2O brand personal products. There are also 2 clotheslines in the shower area to hang wet swimsuits. Like I said above, we did bring a few sand toys that kept the kids busy on the beach day, but they are available to purchase if you do not have room to bring them. To maximize storage in the room, store your luggage under the bed and we keep our dirty clothes in a bag under there as well.
The last morning....my suggestion is to wake early to make sure everything is packed away and you're not forgetting anything. Also, try to be at breakfast when it first opens because it's going to get crazy. Now as far as luggage goes, you do have the option to put your bags out the night before and then pick them up in the terminal. We have always carried off ourselves because it gets you out and on your way home faster and easier. A small tip on this is to go to the back of the ship to use those elevators to get down with your luggage, then walk to the front or else you will be stuck waiting a very long time on the crowded front elevators or will end up lugging your bags down several flights of stairs (us our first cruise). This worked like a charm for us and we were off the ship and back into our car by 7:30 am.
I hope this post has helped anyone planning a Disney cruise. Drop me a comment or message with any questions you may have!
Disney Dream
