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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:22 PM  
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Updated: Everything You Need To Know About Disney Cruise Line

This info is being updated all of the time, please pop back often to view any new details for DCL.

All cruise trip reports can now be found HERE

Post Number
1
INDEX AND BASIC INFO
Overview of ships

2 GETTING TO THE PORT
Transport options, boarding, lifeboat drill and sailaway!

3 ENTERTAINMENT
Shows, bars, nightclubs and what's onboard

4 SPA AND FITNESS

5 SHOPPING
Onboard shops and photography

6 CHILDRENS CLUBS
Clubs for all ages

7 TIPPING
A necessity in the cruise industry

8 FOOD
Restaurants, room service, deck and late night dining

9 MEDICAL/LAUNDRY, T'INTERNET, AND MISC

10 STATEROOMS
All the categories and the benefits of each one

11 READY TO BOOK?
Details on booking

12 FISH EXTENDERS & DOOR MAGNETS

13 DECK PLANS FOR ALL 4 SHIPS

14 DESTINATIONS

disneycruise
0800 171 2317 (UK)

At present there are 4 ships in the Disney Cruise Line: The 'Classics' .. Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, then the 2 larger vessels: Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. A new ship, larger again will commence sailing in July 2022 and her name is The Disney Wish. A further 2 ships are on order but no further details have been released.

The Classics hold around 2400 guests and have 11 passenger decks and 877 state rooms. The Dream and the Fantasy hold around 4000 guests on 14 decks and 1250 staterooms. The Wish is very similar to the Fantasy and Dream in that it can hold up to 4000 passengers but it has 15 decks and 1254 staterooms.

Over the next few pages, we hope to set out some basic info for you about Disney Cruise Line, give you some top tips, some things to remember and maybe some personal experiences.

With thanks to all those who have contributed to this info section.
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:23 PM  
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TRAVELLING TO THE PORT AND YOUR FIRST HOURS ONBOARD

GETTING THERE
If you are sailing from Port Canaveral and are staying at a Disney Resort, you can travel by DCL coaches at a cost of $39 per person each way. You can also get picked up or dropped off to MCO Airport (not Sanford).

Alternatively, you can do one way car rentals with numerous rental firms which work out cheaper normally than parking your car at the terminal. You return the car to Cape Canaveral, but all of the rental firms have transfer buses to take you on the 5 min journey to the Port.

Car parking at the official terminal car park, is $17 per day (so it should be noted you are charged per day your car is in the parking lot. For example for a 3 night cruise you will pay for 4 days of parking).
There are plenty of other cheaper ones nearby as you drive towards the Port ... you can't miss the signs for them!
Dibbers recommend parkcruise as it seems to be a good price and service.

If you are staying at a Disney resort pre-cruise and don't want to take all of your luggage with you, you are allowed to leave it with Bell Services until you return.

Disney Cruise Line buses (only for Port Canaveral departures)


If you are sailing from any other port, DCL will happily charge to transport you from airport to port. My advice is to seek an alternative as you can normally do it a lot cheaper, especially if there is more than 2 of you.
For Barcelona, try Suntransfers

EMBARKATION
At all ports, they have a system in place to try to ease the congestion often seen before noon in the terminals.
The procedure is that when you complete your online check in (after full payment is made and at your designated check in date), you can then choose a port arrival time (PAT). These range from mid morning through to mid afternoon. The idea is that you choose the time period of when you will realistically arrive (if the time is available). Please do not turn up earlier as you may be turned away, but even if not, you are not assisting DCL with their health and safety within a building (why it was brought in). Ideally, choose a 12:30pm or later PAT and you will generally walk straight into the terminal, check in and be able to board immediately.

(Pre-Covid)!
Once inside the terminal, you can officially check in and get your boarding card number (directly linked to your PAT) and your Key To The World card (KTTW). They'll ask you to complete a health declaration for your party, show your passports and have your photos taken. There will be a line exclusively for silver and gold Castaway Members (those who have cruised with DCL before) and then one for Platinum (11 or more cruises) and concierge guests.
Guests staying in concierge, platinum members, wedding parties and the chosen 'Family of the Day' get to board first. Boarding is very quick so don't panic if you get a card in double figures!

Once you reach the ships entrance, be ready to give your family name to the CM at the gangplank door as he will announce you onto the ship to much clapping and cheering! We tell them our family name is the 'Bankrupt Family' so it's announced as 'Disney Magic, please welcome on board the Bankrupt family'. I really must come up with something funnier than that though! Once you enter the ship, other CMs will be on hand to direct you and explain where you can grab some lunch.:pop:

This is the time, if you're early and have children, that you should strip them down to their swimmers and let them take advantage of the empty pools or slides. One adult can grab lunch from the buffet restaurant while the other watches the children.

LIFEBOAT DRILL
Currently, you need to use the DCL app to complete your muster drill. You go to the designated area for your stateroom (this is on your KTTW card, on the back of your stateroom door and also on the app). At the location, there will be a sign on the wall that you have to scan with your phone. They then also do a voice announcement on all decks before sailaway. You must all complete it and be present.

Pre Covid, we did this:
Everyone has to do it, don't try to avoid it. Around 4pm on EVERY cruise (first day only), you will be expected to make your way to your designated muster station. Each muster station will be a letter, so, for example 'A' may be Walt Disney Theatre. The letter for you and the rest of your cabin will be on your KTTW cards.

You will hear numerous warnings about the drill, so once they start mustering, make your way to your designated station. You DO NOT need to grab your lifejacket (kept in the wardrobes in each cabin).

Once you get there, a crew member will tick your cabin number off of their list. Any missing will be called out once everyone is in place. If your cabin number is called, just yell that you're there .. they may have missed you turning up!
Bring a book or something for the children as you will all have to stand/sit for the whole time while you're waiting for everyone to turn up. If you have any special needs within your family, speak to your muster person once you get there - the sirens are loud and can sometimes upset children, especially ones that may be on the autistic spectrum. Headphones may be a good bet.

It only takes 30 mins but is vitally important. Please don't miss it.
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:24 PM  
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ENTERTAINMENT/WHAT'S ONBOARD

The shows onboard all of the ships are second to none so try not to miss them. They are mainly like Broadway shows, but DCL also has ‘live’ acts such as comedians, magicians and singers.
My personal favourites are Buckets & Boards (comedian/musicians), JUNNK (musical comedy) and the Disney show Believe.
Each ship has an exclusive show that is only seen on that ship -
Magic - Tangled
Wonder - Frozen
Dream - Beauty and the Beast
Fantasy - Aladdin (new and updated)

You will have a show on each night of your cruise, a mix of the Disney shows and live acts on the longer cruises and just Disney shows on the shorter ones.
Your dining time will coincide neatly with the shows, you won’t miss anything. While the early diners are eating, the others will be watching the show and vice versa.
All shows are in the Walt Disney Theatre but the 'cabaret' style entertainers may also do an adult only show which would be in the nightclub area. These are not adult in the terms of offensive or rude, but the humour can be a little more risqué.

Alongside the shows, you can also enjoy the cinema in the Buena Vista Theatre which shows old and new Disney films (inc Marvel of course!). On all of the ships, you can watch Disney films on your stateroom TV, you can even pause it then start watching it from the same place later or the next day ... a great innovation (will be on the Wonder later in 2019 after it's refit).

More films are shown on Funnel Vision throughout the day (big screen on the funnel). You will find children love this as they mooch around in the pool while watching the film! It's quite nice late in the evening to grab a lounger, a hot drink (free don't forget!) and sit watching a movie while the world goes by.

If films and shows are not your thing, you could try some sport ... basketball, ping pong, shuffleboard, and even crazy golf and simulation golf on the Dream and Fantasy. The CMs also hold regular competitions such as Wii Sports, golf chipping, trivia and a race involving vegetables, some toy car wheels and a few cocktail sticks (you have to see it to believe it!). For the really young ones, they have a Diaper Dash race ... Competitive parents screaming at their babies to crawl faster! lol

For those who like late nights, there are the ‘nightclubs’. I put it in inverted commas as in my eyes, they are not true nightclubs, rather bars with a dance floor and stage. You can still hear yourself think in most of them which is a bonus, but some are more bars and some are more nightclub.

On the Fantasy you have:
Bon Voyage: A small bar on Deck 3, open to all, all day.
Meridian: Quite a well to do bar which is between Palo and Remy, the adult only restaurants.
Europa District .. within this area, you have:
Skyline Lounge: Adults only, a chic cosmopolitan lounge with panoramic views of cities in Europe. Really dark, great if you forget your makeup!
La Piazza: Italian inspired adults only lounge. Has those really freaky Venetian masks on display!
O'Gills Pub: Certain Dibbers spent alot of time in here! This sports bar shows baseball and American football mainly. Quite dark inside but after a few of their drinks, who cares?!
Ooh La La: Quite a sweet little adult only bar which is supposed to look like a elegant Frech boudoir .. has some great chairs!
The Tube: Adults only nightclub. This is where they hold the adult entertainment shows too. If you arrive late for a show and it's busy, they normally send you into La Piazza to watch on the screens there. The Tube is designed to resemble the London Tube system and if you ignore the fact that it's clean and people talk to each other, it is really good! The lights on the ceiling over the dance floor make up a Union flag which is pretty cool, the seats have large tickets printed on them and there are handles to 'hold on to' .. you'll need those after some of their cocktails!

On the Dream you have:
Bon Voyage: A small bar for families to enjoy snacks and drinks all day.
District Area has the following bars:
Bar 687: A sports bar and named 687 as the Dream was the 687th ship to be built at that shipyard.
District Lounge: All seating, no dance floor. Quite nice for evening chats over cocktails. Open during the day to all ages.
Skyline Lounge: Adults only cocktail lounge. Shows the skylines of many European cities as the evening progresses.
Pink: A very posh bar selling pink champagne.
Evolution: The nightclub and the only place you can’t hear yourself think!

On the Classics:
The Magic has After Hours which encompasses:
Keys: A piano lounge
O'Gills : A sports bar
Fathoms: For dancing the night away!

The Wonder has After Hourswhich has:
Cadillac Lounge: a piano lounge
Crown and Fin pub :the sports bar
Azure: The nightclub

In addition to the bars and clubs above, the Magic and Wonder have The Promenade Lounge on Deck 3. It's open to all the family and is where you can find the fabulous t'interweb man (go to him before signing up to any wifi package) and a lot of the craft activities. It's also where most groups meet up as it's central. On the Wonder the Promenade Lounge will shortly be changing to a themed New Orleans (NOLA) area. It has it's first sailing out of NOLA in Feb 2020 and already has Tiana's palace restaurant so DCL are just upping the theming a little.
All ships have the D Lounge which is a family friendly lounge and 'nightclub' which hosts family karaoke, quizzes, craft workshops and other activities.

Pink Champagne Lounge on the Dream/Fantasy


Walt Disney Theatre (on Magic/Wonder it is smaller and does not have the balconies)


Crazy Golf on the Dream/Fantasy


Funnel Vision. You can also see the Aquaduck (Dream/Fantasy)around the ship


AquaDunk - Only on the Disney Magic and great fun (just check your swimmers before standing up at the end ladies!) The Dream/Fantasy have the AquaDuck which is more family friendly

The new re-imagined bars on the Wonder ..
Cadillac Lounge

Azure nightclub


Whatever you do, don't miss out on seeing and joining in with the adult entertainment host. Our favourites are Tisa (US) and Jo (Weston Super Mare). They are both a little risqué but not offensive, tremendous fun and are worth their weight in gold.
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:24 PM  
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SPA AND FITNESS

On all 4 ships, you will find a fully loaded gym with group classes, weights and cardiovascular machines. The classes range from Group Cycling to Detox and Wellbeing.
For those who prefer relaxation over workouts, there is the Vista Spa and Salon on the Wonder, and Senses Spa and Salon on the Dream, Fantasy and Magic.

All the spas offer a range of treatments including massages, seaweed wraps, couples retreats and of course the standard saunas, steam rooms and tropical showers. On the Dream and Fantasy, you have a much larger area for the different showers plus 2 hot tubs overlooking the sea.

The treatments are all payable as extras and spaces go very quickly. If you wish to just enjoy the sauna, steam and showers, you can buy a 1 day Rainforest Spa pass online, or once on board, you can buy 'length of cruise' passes.
Senses Spa is for over 18’s only, but on all ships, they also have the Chill Spa where 13-17 yr olds can have treatments (with an adult present at all times). The treatments in the Chill Spa can only be booked once onboard, not before.
In the salon, all the normal treatments are available for booking such as hair treatments, manicures, pedicures and make up sessions. If you want anything on a sea day or for formal night, please book it asap!

Here are some treatments as a guide to what you can get .. let's start with the teens (pls check prices as they may change):

Facials
Acne Attach Facial $94 - Kiss your pimple-popping days goodbye. If skin blemishes and spots are giving you a problem, we will help you blast them away with our revolutionary oxygen facial. (50 minutes)

Massages
Mother/Daughter Paradise Massage – Half Body $99 or Full Body $195 - Learn the art of indulgence from mom with this gorgeously relaxing treatment. Be pampered together as you enjoy a massage side by side. (25 or 50 minutes)
Father/Son Chill Out Massage – Half Body $99 or Full Body $195 - After shooting some hoops on deck, chill out together by enjoying an invigorating massage. With all that hard work you deserve it. (25 or 50 minutes)

Additional Services & Treatments
Tantastic Body Bronzer $92 - Get a rich, natural, colden tan without the worries of sun-induced skin damage. Start by exfoliating your skin until it is silky smooth and then a St. Tropez’s paraben-free, Aloe Vera based formula which soothes, hydrates and nourishes the skin while evoking a natural sun-kissed glow will be applied. (50 minutes)
Me! Bath Ice Cream Manicure $45 - We all scream for ice cream! The delicious Me! Bath manicure uses an ice cream shaped bath product and other yummy ingredients to give your hands a sweet treat while you sit back and relax. You get to choose which soaking ice cream scoop to use in your treatment. and your favorite color of nail polish. (25 minutes)

And for the over 18's:
Womens’ blow dry - Price from $32 – Add flair to your existing hairstyle or a completely new one with a professional blow dry.
Fire and Ice manicure $50 – Your nails are one of your most important accessories, so keep them beautiful with this invigorating manicure that will warm your spirit and chill your stress. Thanks to a combination of therapeutic cooling gels and massage using a heated stone, your skin will be smoother and your nails will be nourished and polished to perfection.
Swedish Massage for Couples $220 – This massage for couples seamlessly combines 10 exotic cultural touches—including Swedish and Deep Tissue techniques—to create a relaxing experience for both of you. Share the massage that becomes a heavenly journey into blissful relaxation for two. When booking this treatment, only one name from your party is needed to reserve. (50 minutes)

If spa treatments are not your thing, there is a running/walking track around Deck 4 which is a 1/3 mile long. It's a one way track and is strangely popular! Personally I like the shuffleboard on Deck 4 .. relaxing and a nice 'pass the time' activity.

Tropical showers in Senses Spa on the Dream


The private hot tubs for couples in the Spa Villa


Teen Spa menu (well, half of it!)
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:24 PM  
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SHOPPING AND PHOTOS

You can’t really shop till you drop onboard DCL, but you can give it a good go!
On all ships, you will find a couple of shops that sell DCL/Disney branded products from soft toys to pirate outfits and from magnets to luggage.
My favourite thing to buy are the Dooney and Bourke bags, I have a thing about them and no matter how much my bank balance tells me it's not a good idea, one normally comes off the ship with me (warning - they are not cheap bags but they are beautiful!)

On the Fantasy, it now has a Tiffany store so don't forget your flexible friend if you're into jewellery in a little turquoise box! The Fantasy and the other ships sell Pandora charms exclusive to DCL too.

All ships not only sell DCL branded goods, but also everyday items that you may need, such as suncream, headache and travel sickness tablets, nappies, nail files and holdalls in case you buy too much!

On most cruises, you will have to add on a tax of some kind for your purchases. On the US cruises, add on US tax (as you would in Florida), but in the Med, you have to add on 21% for Spanish IVA tax instead. For Transatlantic cruises, no tax is due so a great reason to get booking one of those!

Tiffany store on Disney Fantasy


Random pics of the shops



Please note that all shops close while the ship is docked in a port due to US Customs regulations.

There are numerous photographers on each of the Disney ships and although none of them are professional photographers, they are able to point and shoot their cameras to catch that magical moment with the characters! The CM who accompanies each character will also be happy to take a photo with your camera, but the official photographer will NOT use your camera.
On formal nights, you will find a photographer ready to capture you in your best frock and you can also get photos taken during your dinner on some nights.
Prices are a little steep, but if you want those moments captured, it may be worth it for your family.

To check how much a photo package will be on your cruise, please visit MY CRUISE PHOTOS. This is the company who run the photography on board DCL. If the link asks you for your ressie number, just put in any 8 digit number for now, but please ensure you put your correct one in when you come to order it. (Thanks to DeeSlack for the info above).

Pre-ordering gets you a discount and if you don't like any of the photos once you see them, you can cancel the package for a refund.
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:26 PM  
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Thanks to Bev for this piece.

Clubs for children (up to 21)

On all 4 of the Disney Cruise ships, there are fabulous facilities for children. My kids grabbed the Navigator, circled all the "must do" events at the Club and the Lab, and then disappeared and we never saw them again!

Flounder's Reef Nursery / It's a Small World Nursery
from 3 months to 3 years

This area is the only club for which a charge is made (Currently $9/hr), and reservations are required. It is suggested that you prebook before boarding the ship, however, you can also book on embarkation day.

You need to provide your own nappies, wipes and baby food.

There is a play room, and also a quiet room where babies can take naps.

It's a Small World Nursery

Oceaneer Club / Oceaneer Lab
from 3 years -10 years
There is no charge for these clubs and no reservations are required, however you must register your child when you arrive at Port and they will receive a wrist band.

The Oceaneer Club is for younger children, and the Lab for the older children, however there is no longer a strict age distinction and children in this age bracket can visit either club depending on which activities they are interested in. They can move between the clubs easily. On the Disney Dream/Fantasy the clubs are in one space, and on the Disney Wonder and Magic there is a private corridor the children can use to move between the two clubs.

Children in these clubs (if they are 8 or under) must be checked in and out by a parent who must provide a prearranged password.

If the child wishes to contact you, then the club will ring you on your wave phone (in each room for your free use) or via the DCL app to let you know. I dropped my daughter off each evening with the instruction to tell the counsellor when she wanted me. Some evenings it was quite early and others she stayed late, depending on which activities were happening.

If your child is in the Club or Lab at mealtimes, then they will be offered food. The mealtimes are listed on the Navigator so you can decide if you want to collect your child for dinner, or let them eat in the kids club whilst you have a quieter meal.
Quite often my youngest daughter would join us in the dining room, she would have her meal whilst we had a starter, and then we would take her up to the kids club whilst we enjoyed the rest of our meal more slowly. On the later seating there are members of the club who will collect your child right from the dining room. Be sure to let your servers know that you will be taking advantage of the pick up service so they can bring the children's dinner out first.

Baking Cookies in the Lab on the Disney Wonder


The slinky slide in the Oceaneers Club on the Magic


Andy's Room on the Dream


The wristbands each child must have


Edge
from 11-13
This is a more relaxed area for the 'tweens' to chill out. There are fewer structured activities here, and the kids can come and go as they please, they don't need to be checked in and out. These photos are from the Dream/Fantasy


Edge pre-teen club by insidethemagic on Flickr

Vibe
from 14-17
This is for the older teens, and is a coffee shop styled area for teens only. On the Dream/Fantasy, the teens even get their own sundeck and swimming pool!

Vibe teen club by insidethemagic, on Flickr
External Area for Vibe (14-17)


Here's a short trippie from the 13yr old daughter of Dibber 1972.
3 NIGHT DREAM CRUISE
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Old 27 Aug 11, 07:27 PM  
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TIPPING

For those who have never cruised before, the shock of reading about the recommended tips can cause a few heart palpitations!

On DCL, the recommended amount (as of Jul 19) is $13.50 per person per day.

This includes ALL of your children, but before you decide this is unfair, please know the following ..

Your children will receive the same exemplorary service that you exepct and receive. Their beds will be made up in the morning and turned down at night, they will have their food cut up by the waiters (if necessary), they have the best childrens clubs on the high seas and seasoned cruisers will all agree that the stateroom hosts and servers are worth every penny of their tips.
Your dining room servers don't just serve you evening meals, they work all over the ship during the day too. They serve breakfast and lunch in the buffet or sit down restaurants, they work in the fast food outlets on deck and also on Castaway Cay if you're lucky enough to be going there.

There are 4 tipped positions on DCL, these are:

Head Server $1 pdpg (per day per guest).
Server $4.50 pdpg
Asst Server $3.50 pdpg
Stateroom Host $4.50 pdpg


They automatically deduct the recommended amount from the credit card you have registered to your onboard account. On the second to last evening, you will come back to your room to find some receipts and envelopes. You put the receipts in the envelopes and hand to your servers/stateroom host on the last night. If you wanted to add or deduct from the recommended amount, you could still do this at GS before you hand the envelopes over. You could also just add cash which is what we tend to do.

If you dont have a credit card registered, you will need to go to GS to pay your tips.
It is a cruise industry norm to give tips as above, so please don't shy away from them. Just see how well you are treated and how hard these people work .. then see how you feel. They work every day with no days off for at least 4 months - no days off at all!
Right or wrong, most cruise staff have tips as their salary.

Non tipped positions include the club counsellors who also work very hard to entertain your children. I don't know the exact ruling on giving them money, but a little bird did tell me that the American counsellors really like getting chewing gum and the British ones, of course, want Cadbury's chocolate and Jelly Babies!

One last thing about tips is the compulsory ones added to your bar bill. Order anything from a bar and you should expect to see a 18% gratuity added on. The 18% is shared between all of the Food and Beverage team, but you can add more to the receipt if you wish and that extra goes direct to the person serving you.

Alongside the tips, at the end of your cruise, you will also be given a comments form. At your last nights dinner, you may be 'encouraged' to give ratings of excellent for the staff you have encountered. Don't feel pressured, they do this as it's the only marking that's acceptable to DCL. If you feel a particular member of staff has gone above and beyond their normal duties, then you should report this to GS on a comment card. Each time a member of crew gets a mention by a cruiser, it helps them get little perks such as one shift off. It means an awful lot to the crew, so please make it known to GS if someone has impressed you.
We always ask GS for extra paper as you only get 2 lines to mention how great the crew were - rubbish space!

Equally, if you are disappointed with something or someone, please give GS a chance to sort it out. Don't keep quiet then moan about it when you get back ... they will sort it out if they can, give them a chance!
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DINING

Your dining rotation on DCL will consist of 3 restaurants. Once you board, you will be told what your rotation is, but if you have a preference (as some do), you can request a specific rotation beforehand and keep your fingers crossed.

On the Classics, the rotation restaurants are:
Rapunzel's Royal Table on the Magic or Tiana's Place on the Wonder (Deck 3 aft)
Animators Palate (Deck 4 aft)
Lumiere’s on the Magic or Triton’s on the Wonder (Deck 3 midship)

On the Dream/Fantasy:
Enchanted Garden (Deck 2 midship)
Animators Palate (Deck 3 aft)
Royal Palace on the Dream or Royal Court on the Fantasy. (Deck 3 midship)

Your rotation will show on your KTTW card like this: EAREARE .. this would be Enchanted Garden, Animators Palate, Royal Palace and so on ... Some cruisers like to be in Royal Palace/Court/Tritons/Lumiere's for formal night, if there is one on your cruise. These places are the more 'dressy' restaurants.

Your servers will rotate with you, so you won’t have to keep repeating that you dislike black pepper for example .. they should remember after the first night and not bother to ask again! Of course, this may be more difficult for the servers on the 3 and 4 night cruises as they have such a high turnover of guests.

Regarding your servers, you will have a Head Server who will introduce him/herself at the start of your cruise. Any special requests, compliments or complaints that you want to make, should go to the Head Server. They are also responsible for checking with you about food allergies and will work with you each day to make sure nothing you eat will be a problem. You may not see them every night, but they are there, in the background ensuring that everything is running smoothly, not just on your table, but on about 15 others too! So don’t think they’re ignoring you, they work hard and also deserve your tips!

Working with the Head Server, will be your Server and Assistant Server. The Server will take your order and deliver your food, the Asst Server will be in charge of drinks and clearing the table. Both the Server and Asst Server may have some neat games or tricks to play on you and your family! Don’t be surprised when they start doodling with crayons on the table cloths and encouraging your children to do the same, it’s all perfectly ok and allowable!

Alongside the rotation restaurants, you can also enjoy some fine dining at the adult only restaurants if you prefer. These are bookable in advance, require additional payment and space goes quickly, so if you’re interested, don’t delay. They do keep some space back for the embarkation day, but these are also quickly snapped up by those who have missed out during the online booking process.
On the Classics, the adult only restaurant is called Palo and is $40 pp additional fee. On the Dream/Fantasy, you have a choice of Palo at $40 pp additional fee or Remy and it's $95 pp additional fee.

If you’re more into standard fayre than fine dining (like me!), you have plenty of choice too. All the ships have a buffet restaurant open for breakfast and lunch and is called Cabanas. For breakfast at Cabanas, you can get everything from cereals to pancakes and they also have an omelette station which will make you a lovely fresh one with a ton of ingredients to choose from. Please note that Cabanas is also open for dinner (apart from first and last nights), but it is not buffet. There will be a menu choice from a mix of the 3 main restaurants and the staff serving are training. You may find they are followed around by management because of this, don't be alarmed, it's all good!

This from BevS97 regarding a visit to Nassau (Dream): My favourite spot was right at the front on the deck outside. Obviously not air conditioned but I just loved sitting in the sun eating my lunch with a view of the Atlantis Hotel. Felt very decadent, it was also very quiet, I think most people prefer to be inside.

It is important to note that ALL food is included within your cruise price (apart from the service fee for Palo and Remy as previously mentioned and also packaged snacks or speciality cakes ordered in advance). Also, all soft drinks (soda etc) ordered during meal times, or taken from the drinks station are free of charge. You are only charged for a soft drink if you order it from a bar so try to avoid doing that!

The drinks station has, among other drinks ... fizzy pop (sugary and non), milk, water, ice, coffee and hot chocolate.

On the decks, you have more choices for food. Serving such items as pizzas, burgers, chicken strips, panini’s, fruit platters, sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs and even a self serve ice cream machine! Can I add here, that coconut ice cream and dark rum go together very well (thanks Manny)!

As an adult, you can also visit Cove Cafe .. a veritable delight for those who love coffee and cake. All speciality coffees are chargeable but the snacks available each day are not. You can get croissants, chocolate covered strawberries and cake here! It's a very peaceful place and you'll find lots of shade and comfy chairs available most of the day.
Please note that you can order coffee during and after your meal in the main restaurants also, but only the normal stuff is free!

Lastly, there’s room service which is available 24hrs. Strictly speaking, room service is free but you are recommended to tip the person delivering approx $1 per plate (we generally tip $3-5 as an average). Please note that if you give cash as a tip to your room service CM, they get to keep that tip, but if you sign the receipt, they share it with all of their Food and Beverage team.
You have a varied choice on the room service menu from fries to pizza and mac cheese to veggie sandwiches. Hidden items to ask for are: cake of the day, Mickey ice cream bar and warm milk and cookies - perfect for your littlie as a treat before bedtime.
You can also order breakfast for your room, just make sure that your request is hung outside your door by 3am. The cards for this will be in the desk drawer. You can have toast, cereal, fruit, muffins, pastries and the like, but nothing hot like bacon, eggs etc.
For
Rapunzel's Royal Table


Enchanted Garden


Drinks Station (on board and Castaway Cay - please note, Diet Sprite has now gone, replaced by a very saccharine heavy fruit squash )


Palo Brunch Selection



One thing you should never miss are the dinner shows. They really are the most innovative shows and will ensure your dinner time flies by! Animation Magic is my particular favourite (on sailings of 7 nights or more)
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Edited at 12:48 PM.
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MEDICAL/LAUNDRY & MISC

Medical
On all of the disney ships, you will find a well equipped medical centre. It can deal with severe sea sickness through to heart attacks and has both a doctor and nurses onboard at all times.
If you have cause to use the medical facilities, you will be charged so please ensure your holiday insurance covers cruises and not just land based holidays. You have to pay upfront for these services then claim back through your insurance - it is NOT CHEAP ok!
One top thing they have in the med centre is Dioralyte in frozen popsicles for children. My niece (3 at the time) was quite poorly on our first cruise .. too much excitement, too much ice cream, too much sun etc etc. The doctor gave my sister a few of these popsicles and Isabelle was right as rain within hours. Thinking it was a sugary ice pop was obviously a great thing for her as I doubt she would have drunk a cup of it!

Laundry
There are numerous laundry areas on each of the Disney ships and in all of them you will find washers, dryers and ironing equipment.
Detergent and dryer sheets are available (current cost is $1 per box) in the laundry room and to get these, you just show your KTTW card to a machine and it will be charged to your onboard account.
A wash will cost you $2 on all and same for drying. Various options are available for timing and heat etc. Be careful with the heat, it shrinks your clothes!
With the DCL app, it will also remind you that your washing is coming to an end - please set an alarm on your phone too and do not leave your clothes in the machine after the load has finished. it's infuriating to have the machines blocked by people who can't be bothered to come back - you may find your washing removed and dumped in a pile if you do this!

I always take my own washing pods and some dryer sheets in a small lunch box - every $1 saved and all that!

One of the laundry areas:


T'INTERNET
DCL do have t'interweb packages but the signal can be slow (dependant on satellite positions while at sea), and it is fairly expensive at $89 for 1000mb.

Very often, you can get free wifi for your mobile at the ports, but please ensure that you pick up the port signal and not the ships one or your bill will show you've been accessing the internet from the Bahamas even when you're in the Med (ship is registered in the Bahamas!). o2 made me aware of this after returning from the Med cruise one year and being shell shocked at my bill.

You get a free 50mb on the first day, but ensure you switch off all 'background apps refresh' before you sign up for it. Each email account can have the 50mb, so if you have 4 people in your room, you can all have 50mb, but you need different email addresses. Download the DCL app BEFORE you get on the ship too.

On every ship, there is a t'interweb man (normally a man anyway). Go see him and get him to sort your phone out or your Mb will disappear within minutes! On the Magic and Wonder, he will be at the aft end of the Promenade Lounge. For the Fantasy and Dream, he's on deck 4 midships.
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STATEROOM CHOICE

If you ask 10 people what their choice of room is, you will probably get 10 different answers.

1. COST
First consideration is normally to select a category (or Cat) of cabin according to your budget.

There is a significant difference in price between the lowest cat 11c inside cabins and the highest cat R suites and so the cost will, for most people, be the most important selection criteria.
Note however, that until you reach a cat T or above there is not a great deal of difference in cabin size between these lower Cats ... cost differences in the lower Cats largely reflect room features ie. whether there is a split bathroom (whether or not the toilet & the shower/bath are in 2 separate rooms within the cabin), a porthole window/a verandah (there are two different types) etc etc and how high up you are on the ship. Generally, the lower the Cat the higher you will be up the ship's decks.

For parties of 4 people or more, sometimes it is cheaper, or no significant difference in cost (and roomier!) to book two of the same cabin grades, or two of the cheaper cats that connect (via a connecting door). Certainly this is often cheaper than booking one higher Cat cabin, such as a Cat 4 and above, that will sleep the whole party. Remember that when booking 2 cabins, you must have one adult aged 21 or above registered in each cabin. Sleep where you want once onboard, but for booking, you must have 1 adult in each room.

Another alternative would to be to book an outside cabin, and also a cheaper inside cabin in the hallway directly opposite (the hallways are only 3ft or so wide, so they are in close proximity).
People with older kids often prefer to book two cabins in this way to gain more room and access to their own TV channels!
It is often debated as to whether it is more sensible (and its cheaper) to put older children in an inside cabin opposite your porthole/verandah cabin - people with verandah cabins may also argue they don't want an interconnecting verandah cabin as they would not be happy with their kids having their own balcony - though it should be pointed out that in over 13 years of sailing DCL has never lost a child over board!
Cost, peace of mind and the character of your children, will probably already dictate the right choice for you.

Apart from the relative costs between each cabin category, three other factors have a major bearing on cost;

a) The time of year you cruise (value seasons are: end Sept to beginning Dec and Jan to March. The major holiday periods excepted).

b) How early you book. The earlier you book, the cheaper it normally is. DCL usually release bookings about 18 months before sail date. From that date on, prices (according to demand) will normally rise steadily and some Cats may even become unavailable.
NB. DCL cruises are rarely discounted (and usually only to Florida residents) - most sail full! In the unlikely event of a price decrease, you can actually ask your TA (if you've used a US one) to apply the lower price to your booking, but you do have to ask, it would not happen unless you point it out to them! Some of the good US TAs will keep an eye on this for you too.

2) OUTSIDE v INSIDE
Having daylight and a view, or not having daylight and a view, may also be another big consideration in your choice of cabin.
You may want to consider how much time you think you will be spending in your room, how much daylight hours there will actually be to enjoy (ie there will be a lot less in winter than in the summer), how claustrophobic you might feel, how long is your trip (ie are you going to get enough time to appreciate the views/daylight on a short 3 or 4 night cruise?), would you actually benefit from no daylight, if you have young kids requiring afternoon naps?
On the Dream and Fantasy, the inside rooms are now approx the same price as an Oceanview cabin .. this is because they have virtual portholes. Every 30 mins or so, an animated Disney character will pop up on the 'window'. When the character is not dancing about on the window, it shows a real time view from the Bridge. You can switch it off too for complete darkness. (photos at bottom of thread)

3) LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
With a bit of prior thought, choosing a cabin location that suits your needs and interests will make your trip all the more enjoyable.

Some popular location considerations to be near when selecting a cabin:
Midship - allegedly better for the sea sickness prone / central to all activities
Kids clubs - if you have kids - less hassle collecting them, and getting them back to your cabin for bedtime!
Free drinks station /buffet restaurant - for ease of bringing consumables back to room if desired
Elevators - less walking down corridors
Laundry facilities - could be handy, but could be noisy
Pools or other leisure facility - depending on personal preference
End cabins - less corridor traffic/less prone to noisy and/or (in the case of verandahs) smoking neighbours
Larger verandah - Careful study of the DCL deck plans show that some of the verandah cabins near the back of the boat have slightly larger verandahs than normal.

4) CABIN REPORTS/REVIEWS
Check the unofficial individual cabin or stateroom reports that exist on many websites. Make sure you are not going to be in a noisy cabin or one that has had problems with fixtures & fittings. Find out how previous occupants have rated the stateroom you intend to book.
Remember that DCL do not recognise any cabins unofficially deemed 'bad' or noisy by its guests.

5) SECRET VERANDA/PORTHOLE ROOMS (CLASSICS)
Magic and Wonder only.

If you are looking for value for money, There are six cat 10a cabins that are actually a cat 9a with a porthole, but have been reclassified because they have a partial obstruction to the view. These are all located on deck : #5020, #5022, #5024,#5520,#5522 & 5524

There are also four cat 7a navigator's veranda's that are reclassified cat 5s with perspex verandahs, also due to partially obscured views ; #6134,#6634,#7120,#7620
We have stayed in 6634 a few times.

These are difficult to bag ... but represent excellent value for money if you can get them... remember people often book cruises, and then cancel or transfer them due to the generous refund terms, so they can become available at any time up to 75 days out. Always worth asking about them if you are interested!

Dream/Fantasy only
:
Categories 7A have the steel obstructing part of the balcony opening. Categories 6A & 6B have the steel railing so you can't look through the railing part. Category 5E also has the steel railings and some of these rooms do not have split bathrooms. There are some rooms that have single bathrooms. They are the wheelchair accessible rooms and most of the corner rooms on the back of the ship.

The category 4E is on deck 5 and has very large balconies. The rooms are the same size as the rest of the category 5 staterooms (except 5E). The only difference between 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D is the deck they are located on. Categories 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D are all the same size as each other and the only difference is the deck they are located on. The category 4 rooms are larger than the category 5 rooms as they have an extra bed in them (a Murphy bed at the end of the sofa). They can sleep up to five people.

An inside cabin on Magic/Wonder


Veranda on Magic/Wonder (Cat 6 .. clear veranda)


Oceanview Stateroom Cat 9a on the Dream


A Virtual Porthole Stateroom on Dream/Fantasy (inside rooms)


Video of the character popping up ... main appearance is at 30 seconds.
s244.beta.photobucket/use...e8c75.mp4.html

And then there's Concierge!
For the well off, or those celebrating something really special, you can choose to stay in the Walt Disney Suite (light coloured wood) or Roy Disney Suite (dark coloured wood). On the Magic and Wonder, the Royal Suites are both 2 bedrooms, with lounge and dining areas, 2 bathrooms, a wet bar and kitchen. On the Dream and Fantasy, they're only 1 bedroom but you do get a private hot tub on your massive balcony!

There are also 1 and 2 bedroom 'normal' concierge available on the Magic and Wonder along with just concierge veranda rooms, but on the Dream and Fantasy, you don't get the 2 bedroom ones.
Walt Disney Suite on Dream



Concierge Stateroom 12506 (larger balcony as on a bump out part of the ship (Fantasy/Dream). Other 1 beds on bump out are: 12006, 12012 and 12512. Family concierge rooms on bump out are: 12008, 12010, 12508 and 12510.

The 1 bedrooms all have a queen size bed, double sofa bed and single pull down from wall bed. The bedroom/lounge are separated with slide doors.

And the Concierge sundeck on the Fantasy/Dream/Wonder .. sorry Magic cruisers, you don't have one (yet!) You can get sunblock (spray), bottles of water, ice cold flannels and posh towels up here! All ships have a concierge lounge and it's lovely - I can't explain it but it's great! Massive posh coffee machine, free snackeroonies and free alcohol for 4 hours each day (look after your bar tender and they will look after you)!
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Edited at 02:37 PM.
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