First Cruise About This Page:

[Tom from Virginia]

I am taking my family on the seven night western carribbean cruise leaving 26 Dec. I am interested in a few things as this is our first cruise.

1) If someone in my family gets sick and I have to use the medical facilities on board, I know they will want payment immediately, but does anyone have any idea what a simple consult might cost? And should I just expect that neither my personal insurance nor the trip insurance I bought thru Disney will cover the expense?

2) I believe that my 17 year daughter will be able to go to the teen's club, but not my 18 year old son. I understand they have lots of free video games in the club which my son would like, but since he can't go in there is there some where else on the ship he can play free video games?

3) As I understand it 18 years are not teenagers, but they also can not drink on ship, so can they go into the adult only clubs?

4) Should we bring our own snorkel gear? The rental prices seem high.

5) I have made spa, excursion, and palo reservations already, but when can we make reservations (if necessary and available) for on board classes, tours of the bridge/working areas, wine tasting, etc.? Should I rush to a reservation desk as soon as I am on the ship?

6) I have heard the movies go late into the evening and I have been told not to see any movies in the upcoming weeks because they will most likely be shown on the ship for free. True?

7) And finally, (for this string of questions) does one have to hurry to the adult pool in the a.m. to get a place to sit for the day or is it reasonably not too crowded during most of the trip?

any other tips for a first timer would be appreciated.

tom

[iamgrumpy]

Welcome to Passporter and Congrats on booking your first cruise!

I haven't traveled with anyone under the age of 21 but I'm sure others here have and can help with those questions.

I would try and book the tastings etc when you first get on board as they do and will fill up.

In 7 nights on board I never even saw the inside of the movie theater but they do show movies onboard and you can call the 800 number for DCL and they will tell you what the movies are for your cruise about 2 weeks before you sail.

I never had trouble getting a chair in the Adult area but I have heard other areas can get busy and have trouble finding a chair. Especially on Sea Days.

Have a great Cruise!

[cdnmickeyfan]

Originally Posted by Tom from Virginia

I am taking my family on the seven night western carribbean cruise leaving 26 Dec. I am interested in a few things as this is our first cruise.

1) If someone in my family gets sick and I have to use the medical facilities on board, I know they will want payment immediately, but does anyone have any idea what a simple consult might cost? And should I just expect that neither my personal insurance nor the trip insurance I bought thru Disney will cover the expense?

2) I believe that my 17 year daughter will be able to go to the teen's club, but not my 18 year old son. I understand they have lots of free video games in the club which my son would like, but since he can't go in there is there some where else on the ship he can play free video games?

3) As I understand it 18 years are not teenagers, but they also can not drink on ship, so can they go into the adult only clubs?

4) Should we bring our own snorkel gear? The rental prices seem high.

5) I have made spa, excursion, and palo reservations already, but when can we make reservations (if necessary and available) for on board classes, tours of the bridge/working areas, wine tasting, etc.? Should I rush to a reservation desk as soon as I am on the ship?

6) I have heard the movies go late into the evening and I have been told not to see any movies in the upcoming weeks because they will most likely be shown on the ship for free. True?

7) And finally, (for this string of questions) does one have to hurry to the adult pool in the a.m. to get a place to sit for the day or is it reasonably not too crowded during most of the trip?

any other tips for a first timer would be appreciated.

tom

We went on our first Disney Cruise in April 2009. We had a great time although I don't know if I would rush to go on another any time soon. I will try to answer some of your questions.

1. I was on Castaway Cay (The Disney Island) and had a fall that scraped my leg quite badly. I went to the first aid station on the island and was bandaged up and cleaned up free of charge. I had to give my room number but that was about it. As far as getting ill or seriously ill on the ship, I cannot comment as to payments etc.

2. I found them to be quite lenient with the Clubs. My son was not quite the age to go into the teen club but they let him in anyway.

3. Im not sure about 18 yr olds in the adult only clubs. But if you call a cast member will be able to answer questions for you.

4. Not sure about snorkel prices.

5. I had no trouble in making reservations to special tours of the ship, etc once on board.

6. That is true. We saw Confessions of a Shopaholic and Race to Witch Mountain which had not come out or had just been released.

7. Definitely you will have to wake up early. The adult only pool fills up quite fast and there will be no available seats by about 10:00 a.m.

Hope this helps a little and have a great time.

[chezp]

Just wanted to welcome you to the boards!

[Lumieregirl]

1. I bought some OTC meds for my mom from the Med facility, and they just charged that to the room.

5. It is no problem to book wine tastings, etc onboard, or in some cases, you just show up. Check your Navigator once you board.

6. True. They will show current releases, and some older stuff, too usually.

7. Yes, and No. I've experienced both uncrowded and very crowded pool areas. at different days/times.
Some folks show up early, put a book in a chair to "reserve" it, and then disappear. You can easily tell, esp at the adult pool, when there are 20 books in chairs, and 3 people in the pool. Ugh. They say feel free to move folks' stuff, but I'm always afraid I'd pick the one person who is in the pool.
I talked to a CM about this and was told to tell a CM if you cannot find a lounge chair, and they will make sure you get one. I found this worked WELL. They either moved people's stuff, or went and brought out more loungers.
So don't let a crowded or seemingly crowded pool area scare you away.

[JEB13]

Originally Posted by Tom from Virginia

I am taking my family on the seven night western carribbean cruise leaving 26 Dec. I am interested in a few things as this is our first cruise.

1) If someone in my family gets sick and I have to use the medical facilities on board, I know they will want payment immediately, but does anyone have any idea what a simple consult might cost? And should I just expect that neither my personal insurance nor the trip insurance I bought thru Disney will cover the expense?

2) I believe that my 17 year daughter will be able to go to the teen's club, but not my 18 year old son. I understand they have lots of free video games in the club which my son would like, but since he can't go in there is there some where else on the ship he can play free video games?

3) As I understand it 18 years are not teenagers, but they also can not drink on ship, so can they go into the adult only clubs?

4) Should we bring our own snorkel gear? The rental prices seem high.

5) I have made spa, excursion, and palo reservations already, but when can we make reservations (if necessary and available) for on board classes, tours of the bridge/working areas, wine tasting, etc.? Should I rush to a reservation desk as soon as I am on the ship?

6) I have heard the movies go late into the evening and I have been told not to see any movies in the upcoming weeks because they will most likely be shown on the ship for free. True?

7) And finally, (for this string of questions) does one have to hurry to the adult pool in the a.m. to get a place to sit for the day or is it reasonably not too crowded during most of the trip?

any other tips for a first timer would be appreciated.

tom

1. I was told if you bought the Disney medical insurance, trips to Medical were covered, no deductible. If you use your own, plan to pay first, and file to your own insurance yourself. I decided to buy Disney's policy.
2. I cruised with my 17 yr old daughter and 15 yr old daughter. My 15 yr old loved the teen club, 17 did not - "all those little kids". Disney is a bit strict about the teen club ages, and there is no sneaking as ages are all on-line. There is a pay arcade but be prepared to trip over lots of tweens.
3. 18 yr olds are adults on Magic and all adult areas are open to them including the gym, spa, and clubs. Drinking age is 21 and confirmed. You will have difficulty "slipping" your 17 yr old into any "adult" show - comedy, magician, etc. They do card and will turn you away.
4. If you want to pack your own gear it will save a few bucks.
5. If you really want some on board activity it is best to do it soonest after you board. Many spa reservations are open on embark-day. At Sea days fill first.
6. All the movies, including first run movies are free and run long hours. Beside catching some classics on the stateroom TV when getting ready for the next activity, I never saw a feature movie in the theater.
7. The audlt pool is great but has less chairs than the other pools. ASking a Castmember for help "liberating" a chair is a great tip.

[Colexis Mom]

Welcome to the boards! We crusied on the Western in August, and the loungers at the adult pool were gone before 11 AM on the days I tried to go up there!

[Dave Marx]

Folks have covered things nicely, but one thing to note regarding seating around the pools, at Castaway Cay, and even in the theaters. Officially, there is no saving of seats, so the idea of staking out a deck chair for the whole day means you have to plan to spend the whole day in that deck chair. If personal items (or simply towels) are left on a chair and nobody has used that chair for an extended period, someone's going to notice, you can pretty much count on finding someone else in that chair when you return later in the day, and nobody's going to be sympathetic to your situation unless you were only gone for a little while (the time it would take to get some food and bring it back to your chair, go to the bathroom, take a dip in the pool, etc.).

While it can be a challenge to get a chair by any of the pools when you want one, it's a lot easier to find a quiet deck chair up on Deck 10, and if you're looking for a shady deck chair, down on the Deck 4 promenade. There's also the quiet deck on Deck 7 aft. It's a great place for quiet sunning (although there's no food, drink, or other facilities close at hand).

[Dave Marx]

Folks have covered things nicely, but one thing to note regarding seating around the pools, at Castaway Cay, and even in the theaters. Officially, there is no saving of seats, so the idea of staking out a deck chair for the whole day means you have to plan to spend the whole day in that deck chair. If personal items (or simply towels) are left on a chair and nobody has used that chair for an extended period, someone's going to notice, you can pretty much count on finding someone else in that chair when you return later in the day, and nobody's going to be sympathetic to your situation unless you were only gone for a little while (the time it would take to get some food and bring it back to your chair, go to the bathroom, take a dip in the pool, etc.).

While it can be a challenge to get a chair by any of the pools when you want one, it's a lot easier to find a quiet deck chair up on Deck 10, and if you're looking for a shady deck chair, down on the Deck 4 promenade. There's also the quiet deck on Deck 7 aft. It's a great place for quiet sunning (although there's no food, drink, or other facilities close at hand).