Tag Archives: DCL

Disney Cruising – At Sea Day Tips

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Before the first Disney cruise we took that had an at sea day on the itinerary, we wondered what the heck that would be like.  At SEA.  You’re stuck on a ship, floating around in the ocean with typically no land in sight.  What does one DO under such conditions?  Sleep in?  Lay by the pool?  Honestly, we are simply not the kind of family that would be excited by either one of those options!  This caused us no small measure of concern initially.  Seven Disney cruises later, we think we’ve got a pretty good handle on exactly how to make use of an at sea day to the best advantage.

Disney Cruising – At Sea Day Tips

Plan ahead – At sea days provide the perfect opportunity to splurge!  Book in advance both spa treatments and adults-only dining.  Both of these are wonderfully relaxing experiences.  We’ve enjoyed massages and both brunch and dinner this way many times.  We strongly recommend making this part of every at sea day opportunity!Disney Cruise Sunrise

Get UP!  You are on a Disney cruise – this is most definitely not the time to sleep in.  Get your patootie out of bed and embrace the day!  There is food to eat and activities to try.  Sleeping late is for wimps and ne’er do wells (I’ve always wanted to say that!) – you’ve paid good money for the amenities Disney Cruise Line offers and there’s no better opportunity to make the most of that investment like an at sea day.Disney Dream Children's Play Area

Walk around a bit, breathe in the sea air, grab some grub and make some decisions.  Your personal navigator (offered in both print and through the DCL app) will detail the day’s schedule.  Plenty of fun for all ages will be on the agenda. We find there’s usually not enough time in the day for us to do everything that appeals to us.Disney Dream Gym

Consider activity – Explore the ship, work out in the exercise room, play games like ping-pong, basketball or shuffleboard.  The astoundingly plentiful cruise food makes burning some excess calories very appealing.  We thought the Midship Detective Agency was awesome on the Disney Dream!  It was a lot like a scavenger hunt that took us all over the ship.  Word of caution – if you feel strongly about hanging out by the pool, get there early for a lounge chair!  If you want to try the AquaDuck or AquaDunk slides (depends on the ship), be prepared to wait in long queues.Disney Dream Pool

Learn something new or see a movie – Both options are available.  Attend a cooking demonstration.  Learn to draw a Disney character or create towel animals.  Mixology and other adult beverage seminars are loads of fun!  First run movies will be shown in the very comfortable and spacious on-board theater.  I haven’t even mentioned the Disney character meet-and-greets or the trivia games!  So much to do in one day!Disney-Dream-Cooking-DemoMovie-on-the-Disney-Magic

Are you a Disney Cruise fan?  What’s your favorite at sea day activity?

 

 

Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club Review

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Disney Cruise Line ShipThe more you cruise, the better the perks!  Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club is a pretty sweet deal for people like us – we love Disney cruises and plan on taking many, many more.  If you’ve not yet taken that first Disney cruise and you’re wondering how to become a member of this particular club, it’s easy!  Simply take one Disney cruise and you’re in!  No application necessary.  The more you cruise, the better the perks of membership.  Membership levels determine the benefits.

After the first cruise, Silver level membership benefits apply.  After five cruises, Gold level is earned and after the tenth Disney sailing, cruisers reach the highly coveted Platinum level.  A helpful chart for all Castaway Club benefits can be found here.

Here’s what we’ve enjoyed most about our Castaway Club membership IMG_1853

Our first cruise (December 2006) was only three days long and boom!  We were in the club.  As we arrived for our second cruise (New Year’s week 2008), we were ushered into the special check-in line for members and were given our Castaway Club lanyards and, once we reached our stateroom, our Castaway Club gift.  Over the years, the gifts have varied, but are usually tote bags or backpacks of some sort, which come in handy right away for shore excursions.  Silver level’s good, but Gold is much better!Magic-Smoke-Stack

When sailing on popular itineraries, the ability to book activities earlier than the general public is very helpful!  Gold level membership allows booking 105 days before sailing (Silver can book at 90 days, Platinum at 120).  I’ll use our Norway cruise on the Disney Magic (June 2015) as an example – we did extensive research and knew exactly what excursions and specialty dining options we wanted.  At precisely 105 days pre-cruise, we booked exactly what we wanted excursion-wise without issue.  When it came to the Palo brunch and dinner we wanted, we did get reservations, but not at the exact times we’d hoped for.  As it turns out, we were told at the Gold and Platinum member reception (another awesome perk!) on the cruise that there were hundreds of Platinum members on board (it was the inaugural sailing in Norway).  Platinum is where we want to be!Magic-on-Deck

On the way to Platinum, every cruise counts regardless of length.  3 and 4-day voyages count just as much as the longer, more exotic cruises.  Our dream is to someday enjoy Platinum membership, but it’s going to take a while to get there since we’ve got to get our Walt Disney World regular fixes and are planning to visit Disney’s Hawaiian resort, Aulani, late next year (if possible).  Magic-on-Deck2

Disney Cruises are a great way to see the world while remaining in the Disney Bubble!  With two more ships to be added to the fleet in 2021 and 2023, we’re looking forward to letting Disney take us to many, many more places!

Where we’ve been:

  • 2006 – Bahamas (3-night)
  • 2008 – Western Caribbean  (7-night)
  • 2010 – Bahamas (5-night Castaway Cay Double Dip)
  • 2011 – Alaska (7-night)
  • 2013 – Mediterranean (7-night)
  • 2015 – Fjords of Norway (7-night)
  • 2016 – Bahamas (4-night)

While on our last cruise, we booked a place-holder for the next one.  We have 24 months sail away on a new adventure.  I have no idea where we’ll go!  Any suggestions?

 

 

5 Reasons to take a Disney Cruise Vacation

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Mickey and Minnie Mouse, DCLRecently a couple of friends mentioned that they’d been thinking about taking a Disney cruise.  Those TV ads make the experience look amazing, but having never cruised before, the idea seemed a little scary.  We’ve all heard horror stories of extreme seasickness, severe weather, and people falling overboard while on a cruise ship.  We’ve also listened to other people who, like our family, have had some of the best vacation experiences on a Disney cruise.

5 Reasons to take a Disney Cruise Vacation

  1. You already love Disney vacations – While Disney parks offer much different experiences than Disney cruise ships, the food, the excellent Cast Members, the lovable Disney Characters, and the entertainment are all exactly as a Disney park fan would expect (and maybe even better).The View from Deck, Disney Cruise Line in Alaska
  2. You want to visit new places – There’s a world to explore out there beyond the parks, but once addicted to the Disney Bubble, it’s hard to break free and visit a new location.  Disney cruise ships still allow you into the Bubble while moving you around to see and experience new places.  If you book Disney excursions, you can be assured you’ll be as well taken care of off the ship as you are on board.RM-Disney-Magic-Norway-Fjords
  3. You’re on a fixed budget – Sure, there are plenty of expenses on a Disney cruise, just as there are at Disney parks and resorts.  What’s great about cruising is that you can pre-calculate nearly every single expense – unless of course you want to consume copious amounts of adult beverages on your cruise.  The cruise price includes food, so all you have to calculate is excursion costs, any upcharge for specialty dining (if you elect to experience one of the adults-only restaurants) and Cast Member tips before you go – this gives you a great idea how much you’ll really be spending.  Again, adult beverages are extra and can be expensive.Disney's Castaway Cay
  4. You’d like vacation activities suitable for a variety of ages – So much less walking required on a cruise ship than in a theme park!  From toddlers to grandparents, Disney Cruise Line excels at making sure there are interesting and entertaining activities for everyone.  We love the onboard movie theater, the evening shows, the cooking demonstrations, the fitness center, and when our children were young, they loved the kids club areas.Family Beach on Castaway Cay
  5. You need a relaxing vacation – A Disney cruise, depending on the itinerary, can be just as exhausting as Walt Disney World after a week of non-stop touring.  The right itinerary, though, can serve up an incredibly tranquil and relaxing getaway.  Short cruises in the Bahamas spent enjoying the sun, sea and gorgeous weather are perfect for recharging your battery while escaping winter weather at home.  Castaway Cay, Disney’s very own island paradise, is a port of call on most Bahamian itineraries.  It’s the perfect place to kick back amid palm trees, sand and sea and let go of stress.

“When life gets rough I like to hold on to my dream

of relaxing in the summer sun just lettin’ off steam!” – Olaf

Have you taken a Disney cruise?  What did you think?  Would you recommend it to fellow Disney fans?

Disney Dream – Midship Detective Agency

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Midship DetectivesIf you’re sailing on the Disney Dream (or Fantasy) and you want to explore the ship and have fun at the same time, you cannot beat the Midship Detective Agency for providing you with an amazingly cool way to see the beauty of the newest Disney Cruise Line ships while sharpening your sleuthing skills.  This activity is fun for the whole family…or two grownups even or one grownup and her semi-reluctant co-detective husband.  I loved this activity!  Raymond….well, he was supportive if a bit unenthusiastic.  There is quite a bit of detecting involved.  (Recommended for guests ages 9 and above.)

Disney Dream – Midship Detective Agency

The adventure begins at Headquarters where you start your self-guided adventure by picking up your badge and selecting the case you’d like to solve.  Midship Detective BadgeWe chose a crime involving the Muppets and some missing show props.  Clues are located all over the ship and, by using your badge to unlock them, you’ll gather the information needed to solve the crime.  Midship Detective Agency Muppet CrimeThis is not an activity for wimps!  Use your clue map to gather details related to the crime, take notes and carefully eliminate suspects from the list provided – Logic, cunning, and analytical thinking will all be involved in exposing the true culprit. Midship Detective Agency Clue MapMidship Detective DirectionsMidship Detective Agency - Walt PictureMidship Detective Agency Missing Items

We took the stairs in the beginning, but after a while, if the number of decks between us and the next clue was more than four, we’d take an elevator.  If we’d been on a cruise longer than four nights, we  probably would have attempted solving more than one mystery (I’m using “we” liberally here – I’d have been solo on any subsequent sleuthing to be honest, but that’s not important now, is it).  Midship Detective Agency Door Clues Midship Detective Agency Muppet Mystery Midship Detective Agency Crime NotesAll of our efforts (and believe me when I say this took a lot of effort) paid off and we were successful in solving the crime and nabbing our bad guy!  I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  Raymond felt like a beer.  We celebrated our victory over the forces of evil by toasting our brilliance at the Bon Voyage bar.Midship Detective Agency Gonzo Midship Detective Agency Clues

The Midship Detective Agency is a very cool interactive activity with some pretty amazing technology – I highly recommend it for great exercise, ship exploration, and good family fun!

Have you solved a crime on the Disney Dream or Fantasy?  What did you think of the experience?  Yea or Nay?