Tell me about Disney Cruise Line

[ghost1000]

Doug and I took a cruise back in 1996. Neither of us enjoyed it. But if I were going to try it again, I would definitely try Disney Cruise Line.

I know there's no gambling on Disney Cruise Line, that doesn't bother us. We only used the casino in 1996 to get from point A to point B anyway. I'm confused, however, between the various stateroom options.

An inside stateroom doesn't look out onto the ocean. But what's the difference between a deluxe and standard inside stateroom. And what's the difference between a category 11 and a category 12 inside standard stateroom? An oceanview stateroom has a window to the outside. What's the difference between a category 8 and category 9 oceanview stateroom? And what's the difference between a Navigator's Verandah and a Verandah, and the difference between a category 5 and a category 6 deluxe stateroom with verandah?

All the various categories have different pricing, so I want to know what the actual differences are.

And do you have to dress up for dinner the first night out?

[Stimpy]

The standard inside cabins only have 1 bathroom. The others all have a split bathroom....toilet/sink in one and bathtub/shower/sink in another.

Usually the difference between categories with the same name, ie. oceanview stateroom, are different priced only because of the different locations. 1 may be on a higher floor or closer to the mid ship so it's more expensive. Other than that, they are pretty much the same.

A navigator veranda is kind of an enclosed veranda...not totally open to the outside.

If you go to this site, there are pictures of the different staterooms. (Plus a ton of other info, including the menus, activities, navigators (daily newsletters of activities).

http://www.castawayclub.com/

[ErinC]

ghost- we did an inside cat 11. for our 4 day cruise.(Cat 12's only sleep 3) 11's sleep 4. It worked out fine for us as we were off the ship every day in a port. Last year on our 7 day we had a Cat. 9. It had a large porthole. Since it was a 7 day cruise, I enjoyed being able to see out. Although I would love to cruise with a balcony, I just couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money (especially since we are a family of five). If you haven't cruised in a while I think the lower cat.'s won't bother you. We loved our Disney cruise. It was the best vacation we have ever taken. Stuff going on all the time. Still got off after 7 days wishing we had more time to have finished up some things.

[carolina_yankee]

We were on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise, cat 9, deck 2. It was a great location for us and we really didn't miss the verandah. Sure, it would have been nice - but not $$$ worth of nice!!

The Passporter Guide to the Disney Cruise Line (now 4th edition, I think) is a great resource as well. The DisneyCruiseline.com website isn't too bad either. They have a pretty good virtual ships tour with a stateroom photos.

What about your last cruise didn't you enjoy? It's not for everyone, but Disney sure does a great job of make cruising an enjoyable experience for as many people as possible.

Dirk

[lenshanem]

I agree, the Passporters are awesome. I read mine from cover to cover and highlighted and put page tabs on anything that caught my eye. It really helped since I had never cruised before.

Last cruise we booked a cat 12, but because we had four people I believe we were automatically moved up to a cat 11. Then later both my parents and my family were bumped up to a 10, which was nice cause it gave us a little more space.

This upcoming cruise we booked a 9 and specified our stateroom. (Used the Passporter to pick that perfect location for us!) Although we didn't miss the porthole cause we were hardly in our room before I compared the price differences and it was so little that I went ahead and booked an outside. (I'm hoping looking out at the ocean in my room isn't gonna make me hurl! I was a tad uneasy last time.) I actually requested not to be bumped up further cause the idea of the verandah makes me very nervous with my wild five year old.

Good luck!

[ghost1000]

What about your last cruise didn't you enjoy? It's not for everyone, but Disney sure does a great job of make cruising an enjoyable experience for as many people as possible.

I felt sort of stuck on the boat. There weren't enough boat activities that interested us. We spent one day in Nassau and that was OK. I think we cruised on RCCL. Doug and I aren't swimmers and so our day on the beach was boring. I wanted to do the banana boat that they had, but at the time Doug had to wear glasses to see distances, so he didn't want to do it because he would have to take his glasses off.

It seems the boat activities were gambling, eating, and partying.


Regarding the verandah, I'm a balcony type of person, so I would definitely want a verandah of some sort. I think I finally saw the difference between the verandah and the Navigator's verandah. For the Navigator's verandah, it looks like it's a balcony with a porthole.

The castaway club link was very helpful. I was thinking about a three-day cruise, but to get the Pirates of the Caribbean meal it has to be a four-day cruise. I wouldn definitely want to have that.

[carolina_yankee]

Rita - definitely check out the activities on board the Magic/Wonder to see if you are interested in them. The castawayclub.com link should have recent copies of Personal Navigators, which are daily sheets describing all activities, tours, classes, etc. The Passporter has a good description of them as well.

Cruises aren't for everyone, and neither is Disney, but I think you can have a blast on a Disney cruise as long as you like 5' mice and don't get horribly sea sick!!

We were two adults, no kids (still are, actually) and found way too much to do to get bored while at sea. Actually, we wished there were fewer activities so we could sit and relax without feeling we were missing out on something fun! We do like to swim, but only did that one day on board. DCL doesn't have Casinos, so that won't be a factor.

If you're not beach people, you might think about the 7 day cruises. To me, the shor excursions are less beach-centric and more interesting for St. Maartin and St. Thomas. We are beach people, so the choices were hard: "See something you'll not see anywhere else or have fun swimming in gorgeous water, which you can do anywhere"!! I think the Western itenerary (Key West, Grand Cayman, a Mexican Port) also have more non-beach excursions.

Vernadahs are nice, and if we could afford the extra, we would have taken it. At first I shunned the Navigator Verandah, but once I saw an example I realized it would be great, too. You're right about the description. Having said all this, remember that Deck 9, Deck 10, and Deck 4 (plus Deck 7, I think), all have outdoor lounging areas, so there's plenty of opportunity to relax, even away from people. It's still not the same as lounging outside your stateroom, though.

To me, if you like Disney, you wno't be disappointed with a Disney cruise.

Here's a link to a really cool video someone made of their trip:
http://www.cassworld.ca/videosmagic2005.htm

And check it this site at Allearsnet for more resources. The .pdf guide they link to is incredibly detailed and helpful.

http://allearsnet.com/cruise/cruise.htm

Keep posting with any more questions.

Dirk

[ghost1000]

Seasick is not an issue. We had very rough seas the first night of our cruise (I think were were on the fringes of a hurricane) and I felt just fine (although there were a lot of people who didn't feel fine). I was also in rough seas during our trip to Scotland and had no ill effects (we were heading out to an island to see Puffins).

I've been reading up on all the activities that are available on Disney Cruises and I definitely think there's enough there to interest me, especially all the excursions that are available. And Doug would probably enjoy the beer tasting that I saw.

I just need to find a way to present this idea to Doug.

What about transportation. I think Disney will pick us up at the airport and take us to the cruise. But if we decide to combine it with a DVC stay, will they then transport us to our DVC? Or will they only take us back to the airport?

[carolina_yankee]

What about transportation. I think Disney will pick us up at the airport and take us to the cruise. But if we decide to combine it with a DVC stay, will they then transport us to our DVC? Or will they only take us back to the airport?
I know what you mean about roiugh seas the first night! We had the same thing, and there were some really green people on board. We felt fine, but I avoided alcohol for 24 hours just to be safe.

As for transportation, there are confusing answers out there, but here is our experience. DCL has arrangements with specific resorts they use for their land/sea packages for transportation. However, it seems that they will make sure DVC resorts also get pick-ups and drop-offs. We stayed at SSR before our 7 day cruise, and had no problem arranging transport. We were picked up on the DCL bus as the last stop and went straight for the port. Several other people were with us, so it's not unusual.

On the way back from part (we sandwiched the cruise between 2DVC stays), we were taken to Boardwalk, but in a minivan instead of a DCL bus.

Basically, since you pay for the transfer, I think Disney will work with you regardless of what resort you stay at. If you are at a non-DCL moderate or Value, they may say you have to get yourself to a pick-up point, but otherwise you should be fine.

One caveat on the transfer - you will get to the port about 2 hours before sail away. That's not much time if you need to book popular excursions or a Palo's dinner reservartion and couldn't get it online. Many people will rent from Budget to drive one way to Port Canaveral, drop car off at Budget and shuttle to the port so they can get there earlier. For us, it wasn't worth the trouble.

Dirk

[Stimpy]

I was going to mention renting a car too. We actually prefer renting from Budget one way on departure and arrival. It's really pretty easy. We get there before they even allow boarding...hey we really like to get our money's worth :hahahaha: It's usually pretty reasonable....I think we usually get rates around $30 each way. We also avoid the big lines from the other guests using DCL transportation.

I also agree with Dirk that sometimes there is just too much to do! Plus not everything is in the Navigators, sometimes you find things going on just by walking around the ship.

We are not beach people on vacation...we live 2 minutes away from one all year so I guess we don't need one when we aren't home. (Even though the ones in the Carribean are so much nicer!) We figure CC is our "beach day". Last year we did the Western and they had great non-beach excursions, plus we arranged our own to Stingray City in Grand Cayman for snorkling which was a highlight. Key West we just got off the ship and went sightseeing on our own and hit a Pirate Museum which was really cool, trolley tour of the island etc. Cozumel we went to the ruins. Next year we are taking the Eastern and again have no plans for beachy type stuff.

BTW, DH and I went on Royal Carribean for our honeymoon for a week and hated it (Good thing we had the following week at WDW! :hahahaha: ) It took some quick talking on my part to get DH to try Disney. He was thinking it was just for kids (at the time it was just the 2 of us, pre-kids) We took a 4 day Land/Sea in the 1st year and we were hooked. We both LOVE DCL cruises now!

Good Luck!

[carolina_yankee]

It took some quick talking on my part to get DH to try Disney. He was thinking it was just for kids (at the time it was just the 2 of us, pre-kids) We took a 4 day Land/Sea in the 1st year and we were hooked. We both LOVE DCL cruises now!

Good Luck!

You mean the Disney ships are for Kids? I hardly noticed! Seriously. They keep them locked up on Deck 5 so well, and we had second seating, that I think I only saw kids in the theatre and on their well organized program tours when they were on leashes and had guard escorting them everywhere!! They looked like they were having a blast, thouigh. :)

Dirk

[lenshanem]

You mean the Disney ships are for Kids? I hardly noticed! Seriously. They keep them locked up on Deck 5 so well, and we had second seating, that I think I only saw kids in the theatre and on their well organized program tours when they were on leashes and had guard escorting them everywhere!! They looked like they were having a blast, though. :)

Dirk


Yep, if I didn't make my kids come eat with us and see the evening show we'd have never seen them. Matter of fact they'd hurry thru their meal so they could go back into the kid club for literally less than thirty minutes before we'd go get them again for the show. :jawdroppi If DCL wanted to start a cult with kids they'd have no problem recruiting. :lmbo:

[ghost1000]

I mentioned this to Doug and he's thinking about it. He's asked me a lot of questions so far. I think telling him about the kids and Deck 5 will be helpful.

[carolina_yankee]

Well, if he's asking questions, I think you've got him!!

Warning, though: Cruising is almost as addictive as DVC.

Dirk

[Stimpy]

Well, if he's asking questions, I think you've got him!!

Warning, though: Cruising is almost as addictive as DVC.

Dirk

:hahahaha: Very true!!

I agree with Shan and Dirk. When we went without kids, we hardly ever saw them. (And like Shan, going WITH kids, we hardly saw them LOL) It's amazing how well DCL handles it!

It's always staggering to hear the stats at the end of the cruise. They usually make some kind of announcement during the last day (I think during the kid's show?) about how many children were on board. You seriously would never know there were as many as they said there were.

[carolina_yankee]

When we talk the Art of the Magic tour, they gave us the stats as we were shown the child friendly Deck 5: 2400 passengers. 1200 under age 18, 900 under age 12. That was for an early May cruise when schools were still in session. Unbelievable - and I never got tripped up by a child the whole trip. Of course, I generally find children at any Disney venue to be far more sympathetic than at the local mall or grocery store!!

Dirk

[dvcconvert]

A lot of really good info in this thread!

I especially agree with Dirk's summation:

We were two adults, no kids (still are, actually) and found way too much to do to get bored while at sea. Actually, we wished there were fewer activities so we could sit and relax without feeling we were missing out on something fun! We do like to swim, but only did that one day on board. DCL doesn't have Casinos, so that won't be a factor.

If you're not beach people, you might think about the 7 day cruises. To me, the shor excursions are less beach-centric and more interesting for St. Maartin and St. Thomas. We are beach people, so the choices were hard: "See something you'll not see anywhere else or have fun swimming in gorgeous water, which you can do anywhere"!! I think the Western itenerary (Key West, Grand Cayman, a Mexican Port) also have more non-beach excursions.

Vernadahs are nice, and if we could afford the extra, we would have taken it. At first I shunned the Navigator Verandah, but once I saw an example I realized it would be great, too. You're right about the description. Having said all this, remember that Deck 9, Deck 10, and Deck 4 (plus Deck 7, I think), all have outdoor lounging areas, so there's plenty of opportunity to relax, even away from people. It's still not the same as lounging outside your stateroom, though.

To me, if you like Disney, you wno't be disappointed with a Disney cruise.

[ghost1000]

I'm continuing to do some research on this. If we do it, we'll probably be in an oceanview room (that won't have a verandah). If you book on-line, you can actually pick your room. How can I tell which room has what?

How can I tell which rooms have a queen bed and which have two twin beds? Is there a website somewhere that lists this, or do I just call DCL and ask?

I did call them and got answers to a few specific questions already. I told them that they would probably hear from me again.

[doombuggy]

I didn't know you were thinking about this, Rita. Rikersmom has gone on alot of DCL trips; she might be able to answer some of your questions. I'll email her a link, since she's sitting at home for a couple of days.

Since my step-mom used to work for Cunard, I have been on several ships myself, although never with Disney. General rule of thumb: nights at sea you dress up for dinner. Sometimes the cruise director organinzes special theme nights (like tropical, etc) to jazz it up a bit. I don't know if Disney does the same.

One of the trips I took on Cunard Line was to the Carribean, where we went to a different island each day. You know I am not a beach goer either, and this was a great option. We left from San Juan and hit Tortola, St. Maartan, Guadalupe, Antigua, St. Lucia (my favorite) and St. Thomas. I think Disney does not have this style of itinary, however.

Just my 2 cents.................:cool2:

[Stimpy]

I'm pretty sure all the beds are queens that can be converted into twins. The attendant just seperates them and uses different bedding. I think if you look at the ship layout in the free brouchure you can get it states the maximum room occupancy too. (Not all rooms in the same category hold the same amount of people. For example, we always get a Cat 6 but there are Cat 6 staterooms that only accomodate 3 and some hold 4 people) I think the Navigator Verandas only hold up to 3 people. Hmmm....I guess that's TMI since it's only you and DH! Sorry :hammer:

Even if you book through a TA or DCL 1-800#, they can assign you a specific room....unless they are already full at that category level. Then they can either assign you a "guaranteed category #" or tell you to try & reserve a different category. The good thing about GTY rooms instead of assigned rooms is that you are guaranteed to get that level room or better. On the other hand, with a actual room number, you know exactly where you should be on the ship. (ALthough it is possible they can upgrade you....rare these days but possible)

[carolina_yankee]

I can't remember the specifics on the website, but if you book a specific category, I don't think they'll let you choose a room outside of your category. Otherwise, I'm bookin Cat 11 and selecting the Roy Disney Suite!!! You might want to check with a Disney cruise specialist travel agency to see what deal they can get you. Often you'll save a couple hundred books or get a stateroom credit to use toward onboard charges. I can give you a referral to one who served us very well.

Stimpy is right abou the beds. They are all convertable to twins. Don't worry. You won't notice a down the middle split if it's made up as a queen. They are very, very comfortable beds.

As for dining, you really can't compare Disney with any other cruise line, and certainly not Cundard. First, remember that Disney as ALWAYS more than just family friendly. They are family conscioius. They know people cruise to get away from it all, as well as to experience the glory of the golden age of cruising. You will find all manner of dress in the dining rooms, though the norms are usually observed by most people.

On most nights, suggested attire for dining is "cruise casual" which is pants (often Khakis), shirt (polo or button-down), and acceptable footwear (which these days is anything from dressier flip-flops to regular dress shoes). On formal night, you see plenty of tuxes, but just as many dark suits, and quite a few who really don't want to dress up. The blend seems to be just right that it's not a buzz-kill for anyone. Men will have to wear a jacket for dinner at Palo.

On semi-formal night - jackets are the norm for men, most wear ties, but not all. So again, you can cover the whole range based on your interests.

Disney also has rotational dining, which means that you will stay with your table mates and servers, but rotate through all three on-board general dining restuarants (Palo is booked seperately). Cunard and others will often assign you a dining room based on your class of accomodation, Disney doesn't do that. You get access to the top service regardless of your "social station." One of the many reasons I love Disney!! You can also skip your assigned rotation that night for your Palo reservation or eat in Topsiders, the buffet (which does casual table service for dinner) anytime you want.

Honestly, the Magic felt like almost any Deluxe resort at Disney in the evening. Some people were dressed up doing fancy things, and others were just enjoying the amenities in vacation comfort. All bleneded well.

Dirk

[Ginger]

I skimmed this thread, but wanted to ask a question.

DH and I have never been on a cruise. Are Disney cruises very fancy at dinner time? Specifically would DH have to wear a suit and tie? Suits and ties are not his favorite thing to wear.

[ghost1000]

We're booked!

We went for a three night cruise, starting 11/1/07. It will be in conjunction with our annual Halloween trip to WDW.

Dirk, thanks for the referral. Joy actually said she couldn't do much for us for that sailing and recommended that we book direct with Disney. There's a chance we'll have to cancel (depending on what's going on at Disneyland that year), and Joy's company keeps $50 if you cancel. Disney will refund everything (up to 75 days in advance). But she was very informative and we had a nice chat.

A funny story. Joy was careful to let me know that sailing with Disney wasn't for everyone. I told her we have annual passes to both DLR and WDW, we're DVC members, and have been to Disneyland Paris twice. She laughed and agreed that we would probably enjoy a Disney cruise.

Of course, you all realize that now my questions will REALLY start.

Ginger, I already did some research on this and the 3-night cruise is not very formal at all. You have to dress one night for dinner, but it's more like a pantsuit or nice dress for women, and business casual for men.

[lllovell]

Also, while I have never been on the cruise myself, I just recently read in the Unofficial Guide that you don't HAVE to dress up at all. One restaurant requires a jacket in the regular dining rotation (can't remember which restaurant right off the top of my head though - sorry!), so if you are not the kind to even want to do that, you can switch that night for a repeat at the other two restaurants. This applies to the 3 regular dining rooms you rotate through during your stay and not to Palo which has to be specially reserved, requires formal dress and "costs" you a night of your regular dining rotation.

Make sense?

Congrats Ghost! I can't wait to hear how you like it!

[ghost1000]

That reminds me, I need to order a Disney Cruise Passporter.

It sounds like, if we want, we can do all three dinners at Animator's Palate? I am so looking forward to eating there. We learned about it on the Travel Channel's show about DCL.

[lenshanem]

FAB! Have fun! :kickingco

[Ginger]

Thanks for the dress up info. I'm sure I could get DH to dress up for 1 night.

[lllovell]

That reminds me, I need to order a Disney Cruise Passporter.

It sounds like, if we want, we can do all three dinners at Animator's Palate? I am so looking forward to eating there. We learned about it on the Travel Channel's show about DCL.

I think so based on how I read it Ghost, but your dining time would not be the same each night as it is if you are on the dining rotation. For adults, I don't think that is a problem :)

[TW1]

Just jumping in...

We did one DCL trip about 6 years ago, a 4-nighter combined with 4 land-days at our happy place. 4 days seemed to short, though DW was did have the 'dizzies' for a few days after getting back on land.

I recall wearing the jacket and tie just one night, to Poseidon's. There was the fourth "adults only" restaurant we never did go to where it seemed all the men were wearing ties and jackets.

We had a cat 11 room for the four of us. It was just fine, Small, but fine since we spent so little time in it.

It is our goal to do the cruise again, but the price :faint: ! Well, maybe after we win the powerball tonight!

[CRSNDSNY]

I recall wearing the jacket and tie just one night, to Poseidon's. There was the fourth "adults only" restaurant we never did go to where it seemed all the men were wearing ties and jackets.

Do you mean Triton's? ;)


We love Disney Cruiseline. Can't wait to get back on. We were supposed to go back again this April, but our budget isn't allowing us. We're definitely set to celebrate our anniversary in a CAT3 next October, though.

We've done one 7-night Eastern and three 4-nighters.

[TW1]

Do you mean Triton's? ;)


We love Disney Cruiseline. Can't wait to get back on. We were supposed to go back again this April, but our budget isn't allowing us. We're definitely set to celebrate our anniversary in a CAT3 next October, though.

We've done one 7-night Eastern and three 4-nighters.
Oops, Triton's it is.

Oh and we all have another shot at that PowerBall this Saturday, too! Think we should upgrade from cat 11 this time?

[CRSNDSNY]

It sounds like, if we want, we can do all three dinners at Animator's Palate? I am so looking forward to eating there. We learned about it on the Travel Channel's show about DCL.
No. You'll have a dining rotation and that's assigned when you check in at Port. You will have at least one meal at Animator's Palate.

[CRSNDSNY]

I'm continuing to do some research on this. If we do it, we'll probably be in an oceanview room (that won't have a verandah). If you book on-line, you can actually pick your room. How can I tell which room has what?

How can I tell which rooms have a queen bed and which have two twin beds? Is there a website somewhere that lists this, or do I just call DCL and ask?

I did call them and got answers to a few specific questions already. I told them that they would probably hear from me again.

Whether you go with DCL or a travel agent, you can pick your stateroom as long as it's available. What we usually do is book through DCL so we get all of our requests in. Then shop around for a good TA (we've been very happy with Tim Larison at Cruisingco.com who is affiliated with mouseearsvacation.com) and gotten great service and stateroom credit.

Another good site to check out is www.dcltribute.com. There is good info on rental cars at port as well as what staterooms are considered "noisy".

We've had CAT5s on Deck 7 twice, CAT8 on Deck 5 and CAT9 on Deck 2. I have tons of pictures on my Webshots site. Let me know if you're interested.
We're booked!

We went for a three night cruise, starting 11/1/07. It will be in conjunction with our annual Halloween trip to WDW.
CONGRATS!
That's actually the cruise immediately after the one we have booked. We sail 10/28/2007 to 11/1/2007!

[CRSNDSNY]

Oops, Triton's it is.

Oh and we all have another shot at that PowerBall this Saturday, too! Think we should upgrade from cat 11 this time?
OH YEAH! :hyper:

[PoohsPal]

Just jumping in:

A DCL book will help with how many formal nights you'll have for what cruise.

I do not think you can pick one restaurant and stay, you will at at the same time each night, with the same people, just in a diff place. The night you have Triton's (Wonder) or Poseidon's (Magic) will be formal, but not like cocktail dress. **It has been a couple years fro me, so I could be wrong** ALl the restaurants were neat in their own way, though, so if I were you, I'd try them all. JMO

As a 30-something couple, we found lots to do at sea on DCL. Not so much on this recent Holland America cruise. I think you'll have a great time on DCL. Don't know that I'll cruise with anyone else again.

Plus, Disney shows vs. show girl shows made a huge differnce. Just not the same!

Have a great cruise!

[CRSNDSNY]

I do not think you can pick one restaurant and stay, you will at at the same time each night, with the same people, just in a diff place. The night you have Triton's (Wonder) or Poseidon's (Magic) will be formal, but not like cocktail dress. **It has been a couple years fro me, so I could be wrong** ALl the restaurants were neat in their own way, though, so if I were you, I'd try them all. JMO

Just to clarify -- It's Triton's on the Wonder and Lumiere's on the Magic.

On a three night cruise, you'll get to all three rotation restaurants -- Triton's, Parrot Cay and Animator's Palette.

All three have their own "flavor". And as far as dressing up, don't worry about it on a 3-night. There is no formal night. You would only dress a little more if you were going to Palo.

If you were interested in Palo but didn't want to miss any of your dining rotation, you could always miss Parrot Cay or Triton's for dinner in exchange for Palo, but be sure to get to either of those restaurants for breakfast or lunch. They have table service at both during those meals. This way you are still technically 'dining' in those two locations.

[TW1]

Animator's was our first meal on the first night and is was a real treat. Not only was the food superb, and I mean superb, but the whole ambiance was Disney at its best. We went twice to Triton's.

Again, this was year's ago, but to this day we all remeber our waiter (who rotates to each restaurant with you each night.) His name was Zolt and he was Hungarian. He offered impeccable service. I've never had such service, ever. EVen today arond the house we call each other Zolt when we need something.. "OH Zolt, can you get me a cold one?" or "Zolt, dear, where are my car keys?"

Anyway, I really enjoy thinking about that trip and dream of going on a DCL trip again.

[PoohsPal]

Just to clarify -- It's Triton's on the Wonder and Lumiere's on the Magic.Ahhh..I knew they were different, just for got what the other was.

On our 3-day, we were dressed up at Triton's, did they change this?

[lllovell]

Not arguing :) because you all have the knowledge first hand, but that must be a mistake in the Unofficial Guide (not the cruise one - the WDW one). It says that you can cancel a night at one restaurant and eat at the same place again if you would like, but you are most likely NOT going to eat at the same time as you did the other night there. It would take a phone call and a schedule change based on what they said, so either DCL stopped this practice (I am reading the 2006 Unofficial Guide) or it is one of those "little known facts".

I would be so excited to try all three. It is great to know that even dressing up doesn't mean DRESSING up. Although I enjoy getting the kids and myself all pretty, I too have one of those hubby's that groans at the mention of wearing his suit. (he looks like a million bucks in it...but still I get the groans).

Laura

[CRSNDSNY]

Triton's is definitely the more formal of the three. I usually wear a cocktail dress for that meal even on a 4-nighter but it seems to be only on 7-nighters that people pay attention to the form and semi-formal nights. DH will wear a tie for that meal, but no jacket.

[Ginger]

I do not think you can pick one restaurant and stay, you will at at the same time each night, with the same people, just in a diff place.

Do you share a table with strangers?

[PoohsPal]

Laura - no, if that's what a more current guide says, then I'd go with that. I just didn't remeber it.

Melody - I think we're on the same wave length. I wore a dress to Tritons, but just something I'd wer to church. No need for a cocktail dress on the 3-nighter.

OK, I think I'm way too tired to beposting on a real thread today. ;)

[ghost1000]

Doug and I called our friend, Tim. We've done several Disney vacations with Tim's family, including Disneyland Paris.

Tim is bummed out. He said we should book our cruise at a time when they can join us. I told him this was just a preliminary look to see if we would like it. But he's still trying to get us to cancel and rebook at a different time of year (they have a daughter in jr. high).

So if we like it, it appears we'll be booking a second cruise with Tim's family.

[CRSNDSNY]

Do you share a table with strangers?
Our first cruise (which just happened to be our honeymoon) we were placed with three other families with teenage daughters. Very romantic :rolleyes: . The next cruise we asked to be seated alone at a table for 4 (smallest table size) and our request was granted. The third cruise with my Mom I asked for the same thing but it wasn't granted. Luckily we were put with a very nice couple. Our last cruise we didn't make any requests, but when we got onboard we made arrangements to be seated with a fellow online cruise-enthusiast that we met up with. That was nice.

Carrie - If we were going on a 3-night, I'd not pack even a cocktail dress -- unless we planned on Palo. IN fact, I usually take a one piece black dress I often wear to work in place of a suit. I paired it on two different occasions with pretty shawls -- it changed it up enough without having to bring an additional outfit.

On our last cruise I was pregnant so I was luckily able to wear maternity pants and skirts -- lots of stretchy room for stuffing myself silly!!!

[carolina_yankee]

We're booked!

We went for a three night cruise, starting 11/1/07. It will be in conjunction with our annual Halloween trip to WDW.

Dirk, thanks for the referral. Joy actually said she couldn't do much for us for that sailing and recommended that we book direct with Disney. There's a chance we'll have to cancel (depending on what's going on at Disneyland that year), and Joy's company keeps $50 if you cancel. Disney will refund everything (up to 75 days in advance). But she was very informative and we had a nice chat.

A funny story. Joy was careful to let me know that sailing with Disney wasn't for everyone. I told her we have annual passes to both DLR and WDW, we're DVC members, and have been to Disneyland Paris twice. She laughed and agreed that we would probably enjoy a Disney cruise.

Of course, you all realize that now my questions will REALLY start.

Ginger, I already did some research on this and the 3-night cruise is not very formal at all. You have to dress one night for dinner, but it's more like a pantsuit or nice dress for women, and business casual for men.

Congratulations! You're in for some exciting planning and wonderful cruise event. I'm sorry Joy couldn't be more helpful, but she is straightforward at least.

As for dining, let me clarify:

Cruisers are assigned a specific rotation, time, and table which rotates them through all 3 regular dining rooms. You can request a specific time and rotation, but Disney will generally assign based on teh demographics of the party. For instance, adults only are usually given last seating (fewer kids) with the most nights in Triton's/Lumiere's because that's the fanciest of the 3. If you want to eat in a particular dining room more than once, you can request a switch for one night, but there's no guarantee. It's all based on availability.

You are normally assigned to a table with other people who share your rotation - so you'll eat all dinners with them. (Breakfast and lunch are open seating in the dining rooms that serve them, or on your own at the buffet and counter service places.) Most tables seat 4-8. If you really want to be alone, request it. They can arrange tables for 2 and there are a few anyway. Most people enjoy their dining companions, and if you don't like them after the first night, you can always request a change.

Palo's is the only dining room that requires a jacket for dinner. It's the adults only dining room and charges $10 per person for a reservation. You will want to book a seating there as soon as you can (75 days online) or as soon as you board if you get locked out of the online reservations. They go as soon as they are available, but DCL holds some for booking on board.

Disney encourages participation on formal and semi-formal nights, but it really is optional. In every restuarant (except Palo), you will see a mixture of attire. We were on the 7 day and decided to not do a tux, but just wore black suits with white shirts, cuff-links, and nice formal Mickey ties we found on EBay. We blended in just fine. On semi-formal night, we wore the same black suits, but with colored shirts and more whimsical Mickey ties. The bottom line, dress as you feel comfortable, but don't feel pressured to do more than you're prepared to do (packing wise or cost wise). There are photographers everywhere, so you can get some good mileage out of dressing up.

Lumiere's/Triton's requests nicer attire, but it's still cruise casual: Khaki's and polo shirts, for instance.

I normally don't recommend other forums, but the Cruise forum on that other board is not a bad place to get information and strike up friendships with others going on your cruise. They usually have a thread for most cruise dates. We met two people there who invited us to share table assignments with them. It worked out fantastic as we shared the same interests. We even met the night before at WDW for dinner, and shared their Palo brunch ressies with them on board.

Personally, I'd like the cruise forum here to get more active, so feel free to post any questions at all!!

Dirk

[ripleysmom]

Just an FYI if you are planning to pay cash for the cruise and you are a Costco member you should check to see what their pricing is like. The last time that I checked into it, Costco had the best DCL pricing out of anyone.

[carolina_yankee]

Costco is a great idea - I forgot about them. However, they can't offer the price incentives they used to because DCL ended travel agent discounts or rebates. However, Costco may have some kind of add-on that might be a nice incentive.

Dirk

[CRSNDSNY]

<snip>Personally, I'd like the cruise forum here to get more active, so feel free to post any questions at all!!

Dirk
ME TOO DIRK!
I'm ALWAYS up for cruise talk!

[disney_villain]

Don"t swim? DCL can be great for those who don't swim - I certainly don't and neither do my mother-in-law and father-in-law (he's 75 this December :birthdayc and we are taking him to DCL after WDW as DCL is his favourite type of vacation).

Here's what we are doing for our ports of call this December: We are booked for Mayan ruin tours at Costa Maya, a trip to XCaret park at Cozumel, and a floatation/bicycle rental (and outdoor cabana massage) at Castaway.

If you have issues with being on a boat or get seasick, then we both have something in common! I would not let it stop you from taking in DCL. You can make the best of it . . .

Staterooms category: The private verandahs are worth the $ in the higher-category staterooms. I have a phobia of drowning (can't even WATCH Titanic) and found that I slept better at night having "a door to the fresh air" (seeing that I was safe). Without it, I wouldn't even board!

Stateroom location: These ships have great stabilizers - like gigantic fins - that keep the motion down. If you are in the middle of the boat, halfway between aft and stern, the motion will be reduced the most. I went in January 2004 with REALLY chopping waters and got sick only once - but retiring back to our centrally-located stateroom and sitting out on the balcony did the trick for me to bring it under control quickly. Note: Booking early will increase your liklihood of getting a good central location.

Kenneth

[PoohsPal]

Do you share a table with strangers?
Sorry, missed this the first time. Yes, you do share with strangers, if you are not in a big party. We had teh 2 of us and 2 more couples on our DCL cruise.

Honestly? I liked it. I'm a people person. We had our own table last time (non-DCL) and it seemed like we were missing out a bit. My dh is less than social, though, so I requested it for him.