Cruise questions

[momof2girls]

Hi everyone! I just booked our first cruise...a Land and Sea WDW cruise...for the first week in December. Now I need all the help I can get! :mickey:

We are booked for 4 days land and 3 days sea. So we will have one day in Nassau and one day in Castaway cay. None of us have ever done a cruise before or been to an island!

We want to do the dolphin experience in Nassau...will we have time? How will I know when to book it for? What other things should I not miss in Nassau?

What is there to do in Castaway Cay? Any things that I should not miss here?

What about the ship itself? Any pointers, tips, things to not be missed? It will be myself and my two DDs in one cabin and my mom and sister in another. Should I plan on putting the girls in one of the kids clubs and doing an adult dinner one night?

I am so excited but a little stressed out!! This is overwhelming!

[AbeeNormal]

Hi everyone! I just booked our first cruise...a Land and Sea WDW cruise...for the first week in December. Now I need all the help I can get! :mickey:

Well you've certainly come to the right place:mickey:

We are booked for 4 days land and 3 days sea. So we will have one day in Nassau and one day in Castaway cay. None of us have ever done a cruise before or been to an island!

You are in for such a treat:cloud9:

We want to do the dolphin experience in Nassau...will we have time? How will I know when to book it for? What other things should I not miss in Nassau?

You will recieve documents in the mail from Disney and they will let you know when you can start booking things. You definilty have time to do the Dolphin Experience - you may also have some time for shopping - There is a Bazaar with Knock-Off handbags they are really great looking - some of the designers are: Prada, Louie V. , Gucci, Coach, etc.

What is there to do in Castaway Cay? Any things that I should not miss here?

Everything: snorkling - glass bottom boats - banana boat rides - relaxing under the sun in a hammock - shopping - eating - drinking - getting a massage - walking on the beach - floating in a tube - taking a parasailing adventure - pedaling a 3 wheel trike on the ocean - you're dd's making sand castles - your girls in a floatie soaking in the sun - and tons more.....

What about the ship itself? Any pointers, tips, things to not be missed? It will be myself and my two DDs in one cabin and my mom and sister in another. Should I plan on putting the girls in one of the kids clubs and doing an adult dinner one night?

Yes - Don't miss Palo's you'll have the time of your life and your girls will love eating with the club - Check out my trip reports.

I am so excited but a little stressed out!! This is overwhelming!

I think we all are at first - you'll do fine, just keep asking questions you'll learn a ton, I did before I left and it really helped.

Bon Voyage - Abee

[TammiMcMan]

I'll just add on to a few of the things posted already by Abee.


We want to do the dolphin experience in Nassau...will we have time? How will I know when to book it for?As a first time cruiser, you can book 75 days prior to your cruise. Just keep in mind that the Dolphin experience is one of the first excursions to sell out. It will be available first to those guests who have booked a suite and then next to the repeat cruisers. If you want, you can book this excursion directly. You don't have to wait and by booking directly, you have some different Dolphin options. The only downside, is that you need to setup your own transportation back and forth.
What other things should I not miss in Nassau?Considering you really only have that 1 day to enjoy the ship, I'd limit the time spent in Nassau. I like everyone to form their own opinions, but it's a bit on the dirty side and locals make their money off of tourists, so you will be asked every 5 minutes about braiding hair or taking a tour.


What is there to do in Castaway Cay? Any things that I should not miss here?The stingray exhibit has become a big hit and if you like jet skis and learning about the ecology of the island, that's a good excursion. The kids club offers programs on the island. My daughter spent the morning with us, then met up with the club at lunch and stayed with them for the rest of the afternoon. That allowed my husband and I to go over to the adult side of the island for an hour or two.


What about the ship itself? Any pointers, tips, things to not be missed? It will be myself and my two DDs in one cabin and my mom and sister in another.My kids loved Studio Sea and being in a dance club with the family. If your daughters are autograph seekers, you want to keep an eye on the schedule in the atrium. You can also bring along a plain pillowcase and markers, leave it with guest services and they'll have the characters sign it for you. Makes a great souvenier. We always cruise with a highlighter and take time each morning to go through the daily Navigator. It gives you a breakdown of everything happening that day. We'd highlight the things that we didn't want to miss.


Should I plan on putting the girls in one of the kids clubs and doing an adult dinner one night?This is a tough one because you are only doing the 3 night cruise. Unless you double dip, you'll have to miss one of the rotational restaurants. We never pass up an opportunity to eat in Palo, but it is harder on the 3 night.

[camsmom]

I have just registered on Intercot (upon the advice of a Disney friend!) and this is my first post.

We are going on the 3 night cruise in August and I have been trying to research everything I can so myself, husband and two kids (daughter 19 and son 12) can have a great time. This is our first cruise ever.

I was concerned with the day in Nassau - and I was happy to read the advice to take the day and explore the ship. From the information I have read - I formed an opinion that I really didn't want to spend the whole day in Nassau.

Great tip about the highlighters AND the pillowcases! Have to put that in my Disney file!

Thanks - and I look forward to learn more between now and August!

[RobWreck]

There's a fun pirate museum only a few blocks away from the dock in Nassau... an easy walk through the touristy part of town. Search online for 'pirates of nassau' and take a look for yourself... I'd give the link but I believe that's against the Intercot TOS. My wife and I really enjoyed that during our day in Nassau...
Rob

[wendy*darling]

Hey Rob... did you happen to eat in the Pub at the museum? Would you recommend it?
And do you have any idea if the museum or Pub would be open on New Year's DAY?
We will be in Nassau on 1/1/09!

[WonderlandsMostWanted]

Hi everyone! I just booked our first cruise...a Land and Sea WDW cruise...for the first week in December. Now I need all the help I can get! :mickey:

We are booked for 4 days land and 3 days sea.

Hey, looks like we're going to be on the exact same cruise!!! :thumbsup: (We were going to do the 3 on land, 4 on sea the following week, but reality has stepped in, and the first week is just better for us.)

Somehow, knowing that someone else is going the same time we are makes our trip seem more real to me somehow... I'm kind of a dork! :blush:

[Lorraine444]

I won a Disney cruise for free I believe it was in 2003.
In castaway we rented bikes, they have a trail & it leads you to a cute little play area where they have ping pong, a basketball area, and a few other things can't remember. But it was a great little adventure! I hadn't been a bike in a long time.....
If you do the dolphin experience I would suggest the one where you actually get to do things with the dolphins. Feed them, dance w/them, kiss them YIKES! Then 1 by 1 they send you with the dolphin, you are on your belly.
The dolphin comes up behind you puts his nose on the heels of your feet - then they swim pushing you across the water with speed so you are flying like superman!!!!! Then they let go and you drop in the water. I have it on video and it was truely the greatest experience of our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The other one you are only in waist deep water and it's kinda boring if you ask me.
I would do it again in a heartbeat!
It was soooo worth the extraa $$$$.
Have a great time!