Disney Cruise: Part 10... Tips & Tricks

Just a few things I've picked up, that you might benefit from: (no particular order)

1. Pack light. There are 3 guest laundry rooms on board. It costs $2.00 to wash & dry a load. I would much rather do an hour of laundry once in 7 days, than pack twice as much. 
2. Wear bright colours. You're on a fun ship! You'll look better, and feel better in your photos. 
3. Bring Disney pins for trading. Pin-trading is an official activity. Buy them on eBay (20 for $25 usually) rather than $8 each on the ship. See... even if you get ugly random Disney pins off eBay, you are TRADING them for things you like. 
4. Drop off an 8x10 photo mat at Guest Services with a couple bags of candies (for the staff) and they will ensure the characters (you pick Fab 5 or Princesses) autograph it and return it to your room. It's the perfect match to the on-board family photo you're going to buy anyway and you just by-passed the lines. 
5. Buy your family cute Disney t-shirts before the trip. Get them on-line at the Disney store during a sale, or even at Wal-Mart and I bet no one asks you to buy them a $30 t-shirt on board. 
6. You can bring a bottle of wine, or bottles of water,  onto the ship in your carry-on luggage. No liquids in your crew handled bags. 
7. There are complimentary post cards for you in the desk, in your stateroom.
8. You can pre-order your room service breakfast. There are door-hanger order forms in your desk drawer. 
9. Plan to bring about $25 in "singles". You will need them for the crew that handles your luggage in port. (They are pretty forward about tips.) Plus, you will need them for your room service orders. 
10. Bring your pirate costume (but no fake weapons). People really get "into" pirate night. But, even if you think you're a hot mama - don't wear your bedroom "pirate wench" costume. Seriously!! It's a family ship. LOL
11. Best view of the fireworks on pirate night.... Deck 10, aft, port site. That's ship speak for the back of the top deck, on the left side of the ship.
12. All the game show answers..... all Disney based. Brush up on your character and movie names.
13. Staterooms mid-ship tend to be less affected by motion. 
14. There is a really good selection of tea at the self-serve beverage station. Oh yeah.... there's a self-serve 24 hour beverage station on Deck 9 (Wonder & Magic Ships).  Coffee/tea/soda/milk
15. Charms are a great collector item. At $5 each, a bargain too. 
16. If you need adult time with your spouse... it's called Exotic Rasul at the spa. $85 for a private couple's shower.  Simply plan to drop your kids off at the Kids' Club for an activity.
17. If you need time away from other people's children and their screeching, there is an adult-only dining room, coffee shop, lounge and pool. 
18. Decks 10 & 4 have walking tracks. 
19. There is a duty free shop. You can purchase liquor any time, but will only receive it upon disembarkation. (When you get off the ship.)
20. Your stateroom host (generally a man) will tidy your stateroom twice a day. He will also magically set up the kids' bunk beds each night, transforming the sitting area in your cabin into a kids' bedroom. 
21. Don't be surprised to see the same 5 movies on your TV all the time. It's Disney programming 24/7 not live TV.

For the real authorities on everything Disney.... see the obsessed, but really knowledgable and helpful people on the Disboards. It's a chat forum for everything Disney. 

That's not me BTW!

Disney Cruise: Part 7... The Finances

My quick rule of thumb is that you need $5K to take a family 4 to Disney for a week. Roughly the same costs whether it's a cruise or a park adventure. For me, that includes air fare to the destination. If you can get it down to about $1000 per person, you've nabbed a bargain!

Your prices will vary based on a few things:

1) time of year
2) age of children
3) on board activities
4) port adventures
5) discounts being offered by Disney
6) your spending habits

While I am all about researching trips on-line, I generally choose to book the package with the operator. Meaning.... if I want to fly Westjet, I'll book through Westjet, regardless of where I spied the price. When it comes to booking a Disney package, I have always done it through the specialists at CAA Travel. They do more Disney than anyone!

Each agency, or booking method can and will offer you an incentive. (Think of it a perk in exchange for their commission.)  When I booked the Wonder cruise, which we took in November 2013, I booked it in June. There was an incredible bargain that I spied on-line, and my regular agent was able to secure that for me. I paid $689 per person for the 7 night cruise.

We chose the balcony room, knowing that I would want to be in the room at all times with my son, but wanted a little freedom to have coffee and fresh air on the balcony while he slept. If I was travelling with younger children, or a second adult, I would definitely choose a less expensive, port-hole outside room (no balcony). A second adult to supervise would enable you to leave the stateroom and enjoy fresh air and deck chairs in numerous other public areas on the ship. Though as safe as possible with a plexiglass base on your deck railing, I wouldn't want a toddler anywhere near a balcony on a ship.

Because there were only 2 of us, the "child" had to pay an "adult" fare. However, if we had travelled as a family of 4, there would have been 2 adult fares and 2 reduced child fares (Approx $450 per child) as we would have been staying in the same stateroom.

The CAA Travel service provided us with a $200 on board credit, PLUS a package of 7 professional ship-board portraits of our choosing. So, in practical terms, there was a $300 incentive which made my budget stretch even further.

The on board credit can be used for anything, but it is non-refundable. I used mine to cover the costs of our 2 port adventures, plus a couple treats at the gift shop.

The mandatory gratuities charged to your ship account are $12 per person, per day. Yes, even toddlers and babies pay the mandatory gratuity.

Typical prices on board are $20 for a photo, stuffed animal, or drink in a souvenir glass. $40 for a bottle of wine, a t-shirt or bingo hour. $60 for a port activity, princess dress or arcade pass.

There is a spa on the ship. The services start at $100 and a mandatory 18% gratuity is in addition.
Be advised that any specialty beverage you purchase, even a child's smoothie will have a 15% auto gratuity added. You will have to sign for the charge, and the slip will ask for an ADDITIONAL gratuity on top of the auto-grat.

You can see how things can add up quickly, if you aren't mindful of the expenses. It would be easy to run up a bill as the ships are CASHLESS. Everything is charged to your stateroom with the swipe of your Key to the World Card.  Without fail, the night before the cruise ends, there is a very long line at Guest Services with people questioning their room charges.

That being said, our week cost us each just $110 in room charges and $84 of that was the mandatory gratuity. CJ and I were not big drinkers. LOL And all of our "spa" time was spent up on deck 10 playing soccer.

Another ship sailing by our balcony. 

Disney Cruise: Part 5... The Entertainment

Variety is, as they say, the spice of life. And variety is certainly what you will find on a Disney cruise ship when it comes to entertainment.

Each night your stateroom will have a Navigator Bulletin which showcases the next day's offerings. There are club events for kids, restricted access events for adults and then general family activities.

Shuffleboard on deck 4 (Wonder)

Entertainment choices include:

• comedians
• magicians
• lounge singers/musicians
• gameshows "Disney-fied" like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune etc,  all with Disney theme
• karaoke
• family talent performances
• stage musicals
• whiskey/margarita/scotch tastings
• crafts
• bingo
• movies
• shuffleboard
• ... and more!

Activities run from 9AM to Midnight and are included in your cruise fee, with the exception of bingo which costs a minimum of $40 to play. 

There are also numerous activities you can sign up for during your port stops. They are called Port Adventures and are activities arranged on-shore that showcase the culture and landscape of your port. They range from beach days, to zip-line adventures, city tours and more. They will cost $25 - $200 and up, per person.

Good Hope Beach, Jamaica

Green Grotto Caves

We went on a cave tour in Jamaica. It was outstanding. Later, we had lunch on Good Hope Beach. 

In Grand Cayman we spent the day at the famous 7 Mile Beach area. 

Disney Cruise: Part 3... The Tastes

The food on a Disney Cruise is certainly above average. And, Disney knows just what your family likes!

There's a tried and true kids' menu with chicken fingers, mac 'n cheese, and mini burgers. And every night the kids' menu has a different Disney theme and colouring projects to keep them busy. Of course, meal service is so quick, they'll hardly have time to colour!

On board the Wonder, there are three sit-down dinner restaurants that you are assigned to. With your cabin assignment you are also given a dinner rotation and a seating time. You will have the same server and assistants every evening.

You will also dine with the same table mates. Our table of 8, was made up of a Texas Grandma and her two delightful grand daughters, plus a Polish couple and their sweet 7 year old girl. Add my son and me, that equals 8.

Our servers Lito and Marcel got to know us and our preferences pretty quickly and knew before the second dinner that Kamryn liked lots of ketchup with her chicken fingers and I liked a cappuccino after the meal, and with my 2 or 3 desserts!

The three restaurants on the Wonder are: Tritons - (most formal); Animator's Palate (most unique) and Parrot Cay (most Caribbean & casual). There are numerous theme menus, ranging from Pirate Night to Captain's Dinner. The Captain's Dinner serves lobster, and was my favourite.

Chilled salmon salad.

There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from every night. Your children may also order any item they wish off the adult menu, and my son often did. He LOVED the seafood pasta, and the traditional turkey dinner, and tried many of the fresh salads too.

Lemon tofu with couscous. 

I found some menu items very salty. Some, I found a little stingy, and others were simply perfect. With so many options, everyone will find something to suit their tastes. There are vegetarian options, and gluten free dishes on every menu. They take dietary needs seriously and were very accommodating of requests.

Meals are included with your cruise fare, as are non-alcoholic fountain beverages, milk and iced tea. Fancy kids' drinks (which they try to sell you every day and night) are extra, as is wine, and liquor.  Even specialty coffees, like cappuccino (non-alcoholic) are an additional charge.

There is one adult-only, fine dining restaurant on each ship. On the Wonder it is called Palo. It requires reservations and meal charges range from $35 & up. I didn't get a chance to experience Palo, as my "date" for the week was 8 years old!

There is one formal night, where guests are expected to wear their finest suits and dresses. There is also a semi-formal night in a 7 night cruise. On every Disney cruise there is a pirate night where you dress up as much or as little as you like in the theme.  Otherwise, "cruise casual" is the expected attire. Think.... golf course. Tank tops and shorts are not permitted at dinner.

There are also numerous casual places to grab a bite on the ships. Buffets, hot dogs and a late-night pizza station satisfy hunger quite capably. Of course, there is also room service 24 hours a day. That too is included in your fare, however, cash gratuities are expected for room service each time.

Self serve beverage station.

There is a 24 hour self-serve beverage station where you can get a soda, milk, coffee or tea any time you like.

Must try treats on the ship are Mickey Bars (ice cream bar on a stick shaped like a Mickey Mouse head), the banana bread in Parrot Cay, and the lobster.

Dining is one of the signatures of a cruise. I would encourage you to try new things and enjoy the variety.

Fresh tomato & cheese appetizer tart

What does a Disney Cruise look like?

Having cruised to both Alaska and the Caribbean with Disney Cruise Line, I can give you a pretty reasonable picture of what you will experience if you choose a Disney Cruise for your family.

I will plan to write a series on this topic, looking into each aspect of the cruise experience and offering as many relevant pictures as possible. I plan to write about:

• the sights
• the sounds 
• the tastes
• the characters
• the entertainment
• the ports
• the finances
• the current offers (pricing) 
• the value
• the tips & tricks 

Travelling with my kids is one of my greatest joys. Writing is how I maintain my sanity.

I hope you enjoy the series.

If you have any questions, please ask! 

These cruises were not sponsored by Disney or any other company, and I am not paid to blog. I simply hope to share the experience in order that I may offer insight to others who are considering similar vacations.  The opinions and photos are my own. 

Is Cruise Just a Song Title Now?

Have cruises fallen out of favour? Has the Carnival Cruise line done enough damage to the industry in 2013 that travellers are steering clear?

With prices sinking like the Costa Concordia, is there any hope for an industry plagued by bad press?

Look at these vacation prices and tell me.... would you go?  Would you consider cruising a gamble now?  Or is it a risk you are willing to take?

Prices current as of August 4, 2013 sourced at the itravel2000.com website.

Baby, Let's Cruise

If you're going to cruise with kids, who else would you choose, but Disney?

There's a bargain to be had out of the Galveston, Texas port later this fall. Now that Disney has 4 Ships (Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy... in chronological order) they can move them around the globe and offer many different cruises.

One example is the Alaska Cruise that the Wonder does in the Summer. Later, the Wonder is the ship that will be repositioned to Texas, and later still, over to Miami for service in early 2014.

If you're looking for a bargain, you can check Disney's own site under the "specials" section. Currently they are offering discounts from Galveston or Miami on fall time cruises. There is consistently a Military discount as well. Sometimes there are offers for Canadians specifically, like when the Wonder cruises to Alaska from the Vancouver port.

I have done the Disney cruise to Alaska. It was in 2011, the first summer it was ever offered. Breathtaking scenery, but something I only ever need to do once.

Cruising, on the other hand, I could probably be convinced to go to the Caribbean.

And with some of the Disney deals, I might actually be convinced.

Check out these comparables:

If you look at the two November 16th cruises, there is a significant price difference. New ship vs old ship. Coastal Port vs Texas port. 

Then the 23rd cruise is from Port Canaveral, on a new ship and travels to Grand Cayman, 2 Mexico Ports and Disney's own Castaway Cay (Bahamas). 

Where's the bargain? As I see it, Galveston. For several reasons.... 1) Ports (Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel) the older ship has the identical famous service and characters and fewer passengers to share it with. 

There's much more to talk about here, but that will be our next chapter.