First timers Honeymoon Cruise September 18

[Mrdudecool]

Hi!

So my fiancee and I are ex CM at WDW and are looking at doing a stay and cruise vacation for our honeymoon next year.

SO first week in WDW and then down to do a 7 night West Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy.

As we have never done a Disney Cruise before, Im just wondering about dining.
I would love to do Palo/Remy. We would only have 75 days prior to book so is it possible to get a reservation being the last lot to get a chance to book?

Also any tips on cruises, staterooms, excursions to look at etc?

I know its a while off, but need to look at funds etc to know what we want to do.

Thanks!

Jack

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi!

So my fiancee and I are ex CM at WDW and are looking at doing a stay and cruise vacation for our honeymoon next year.

SO first week in WDW and then down to do a 7 night West Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy.

As we have never done a Disney Cruise before, Im just wondering about dining.
I would love to do Palo/Remy. We would only have 75 days prior to book so is it possible to get a reservation being the last lot to get a chance to book?

Also any tips on cruises, staterooms, excursions to look at etc?

I know its a while off, but need to look at funds etc to know what we want to do.

Thanks!

Jack

Chances of a Palo/Remy reservation at 75 days are fair. If not available when you do your bookings, keep checking back, people often make reservations and then cancel them. If that doesn't come through, head for the Palo/Remy dining changes desk when you board (where/when will be listed in the Navigator you get in the terminal) and ask. DCL does hold back some reservations for booking onboard. They usually also have a wait list there for cancellations, if all onboard reservations are taken.

 

[Mackie Mouse]

Hi!

So my fiancee and I are ex CM at WDW and are looking at doing a stay and cruise vacation for our honeymoon next year.

SO first week in WDW and then down to do a 7 night West Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy.

As we have never done a Disney Cruise before, Im just wondering about dining.
I would love to do Palo/Remy. We would only have 75 days prior to book so is it possible to get a reservation being the last lot to get a chance to book?

Also any tips on cruises, staterooms, excursions to look at etc?

I know its a while off, but need to look at funds etc to know what we want to do.

Thanks!

Jack

My husband and I did a Western Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon back in 2009! Fond memories, and we got bitten by the cruise bug so hard that we're about to take our fifth cruise in a couple of months with our first baby

There is a good chance you'll get Palo/Remy - I'd say basically a sure thing. Even if reservations are not available online before your cruise, you can check on board when you get to the port (they'll tell you at check-in where to go if you ask) and you can make reservations in-person then. We've never had trouble getting a reservation, and we did have to ask in person for two cruises - once during the inaugural summer for the Dream, and once when we booked a New Year's Eve cruise only a couple of months out.

Staterooms will be a personal choice - I'd decide if you want inside, verandah, or oceanview and go from there. On the Dream we had a very cool oceanview room that was all the way forward and had some funky angled windows but afforded us a ton of space. But really, it's all about decided what category of room you and and going from there.

As for excursions, a favorite on a Western Caribbean itinerary is to go to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. VERY cool, and I'd highly recommend. We paired it with an afternoon at Rum Point Beach and had an awesome time. If you're going to Key West, it's easy to can it or take a trolley around on your own and visit a few famous spots like the southernmost point, the Hemingway House, etc. The Conch tram tours are cheesy but an easy and cheap way to see highlights with limited time. We also had a stop in Cozumel and visited the ruins at Tulum there. The excursion itself had some issues (the included lunch was from Subway, we wasted a lot of time making forced shopping stops at a tourist trap and a jewelry store), and we forgot to bring bathing suits not knowing there would be beach access at the ruins, but it was still pretty neat. I'd be willing to bet there's a better excursion there with a nicer company all these years later

Feel free to ask other questions as they pop up! Congrats and enjoy your honeymoon.

 

[jrabbit]

RE: Funds - if you can plan your trip so that you are cruising in September - you WILL save some $$$!! And if saving money is important - booking sooner rather than later can save you some money (Cruises get more expensive the more rooms they sell).

RE: Excursions: Really depends upon what you want to do. Snorkeling - Grand Cayman's the place! ZipLining - XPLOR park in Cozumel (Playa del Carmen) is a Big WIN! If you are stopping at Jamaica - Climbing the falls at Dunn's River - way too much fun!

RE: Palo and Remy: You probably will NOT be able to book a brunch online. However, the earlier you are can board the ship (assigned Port Arrival Time (PAT)) the more likely you can go to the location where you can make Palo Ressies once onboard. Currently Palo brunch or dinner is "only $30" per person. You can upgrade and add $50-60 for the "tasting menu". And drinks are on top of those charges. Remy is at least $70 per person (but I really don't know what the pricing there is off of the top of my head). Again - you can go up significantly from there. BUDGET!!!

#BudgetForTips: Remember, DCL recommended gratuities are $12 per guest per day that is NOT included in your cruise fare. So plan an additional $12 x 2guests x 7nights or $168. With the service you usually receive, you will probably want to give more (just a heads up).

Staterooms: Inside rooms are typically less expensive than the other rooms. But the Magic Porthole rooms can be more than a real "Oceanview" room (with real portholes to the outside world). For us the stateroom is for sleeping, cleaning up and changing for dinner. But we have found that we like the natural light so we opt for the oceanview room (our experience in inside staterooms was rather disorienting). On deck 2 - regardless of which of the current 4 ships Disney is sailing. On the Fantasy, deck 2 midship is nice. Breakfast is just a short stumble away - in the Enchanted Garden. I really can't help with any of the other stateroom types or locations since 3 cruises were inside, 16 oceanview and 2 in verandas (our experience with the verandas was that it was too hot to sit out there very much).

 

[GPaLarry]

Save the verandah staterooms for Alaska (book a placeholder while on this first cruise) where you can see something almost non-stop while the sun (maybe with a little rain) is up. Oceanview or inside staterooms will work on the Fantasy. Remember to not overplan the cruise, let the magic come to you, unless, as previous CMs you carry your own pixie dust with you (ie know some CMs on the ship). The Navigators are your key to the next day's activities on the ship. The DCL web site is pretty comprehensive in detailing excursions and port activities...chose the ones you like and can afford. Best of luck!