https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:14:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878377 Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:51:07 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 2878377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: We didn't do anything else there but in general I think Cayman is a great place for excursions with small kids because it's compact and you don't have to worry as much about rushing (we almost missed the ship in Mexico, true story).</p> <p>As far as toilets, my kids are older (5 and 7) so not as much of a concern but we also went a few years ago when they were smaller and it wasn't a big deal. They are lower to the floor and you could always bring a collapsable potty ring or something similar. Heck, you could even bring a full on little potty, put it in a bag and tag it like luggage, and it will appear in your room -- voila. </p> <p>@charm55: My boys were 5 and 7 and it was pretty ideal. Old enough to stay up for shows without totally melting down, old enough to enjoy the kids' club, old enough to do many of the excursions, old enough to be able to sit through longish dinners without melting down. And yeah, 7 days was perfect. It lets them adjust to the rhythm of life on the ship and allows enough time to feel like you get a chance to do most things that are a priority to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878333 Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:26:07 +0000 charm55 2878333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Great thread ! We are Disney World regulars but have never done a Disney Cruise. I’d like to wait until my girls are old enough to enjoy the kids club... my 3 year old is still too young I think. My 5yo would totally love it though. </p> <p>If you were only going to do a Disney Cruise once... what would the ideal ages be ? And what would your ideal Cruise length be? I’m thinking 7 days? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878315 Tue, 26 Mar 2019 18:27:37 +0000 Mrsbells 2878315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following for ideas... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878198 Tue, 26 Mar 2019 05:15:57 +0000 Adira 2878198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: My youngest was 4 when we went, but he had been using our regular sized toilet at home for a few months, so he was used to it. I want to say the toilets were lower to the floor though, so not as intimidating as some toilets? I can't remember though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878181 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:47:51 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2878181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: thank you! I finally settled on a cruise and one of the stops will be Grand Cayman. So glad your LOs loved the Atlantis submarine. My LO will still be too young to go on it, but the SeaWorld partial submarine seems like a good option for us. Did you do anything else there? I’m thinking the turtle museum may be fun. I recently took my LO to a small manatee museum and he managed to keep himself busy for almost 2 hours. Maybe turtles willl be the new manatees, lol.</p> <p>One last question (maybe), I just asked the Disney Cruise rep if the ship has small sized toilets for the kids and she said no. What did you all do? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878168 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 20:25:40 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 2878168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Our ports were Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Falmouth in Jamaica, and Castaway Key. </p> <p>In Cozumel we went to Xel-Ha which is a natural waterpark and spent the day floating around in tubes. It was beautiful but it's a bit of a haul to get there and back and just wasn't enough time. So even though it was wonderful I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I'd love to go back there with more time though!</p> <p>On Grand Cayman we did a short Atlantis submarine excursion, which I really liked because my kids are really into sea animals, and it was an easy walk from port.</p> <p>We didn't get off the boat in Jamaica by design -- wanted to spend at least one day on the pool deck when it was less crowded. A lot of the excursions were more adventurous and geared to older kids and adults so that helped cement our decision.</p> <p>Castaway Key was our favorite day -- just beach time, pure and simple. It wasn't overcrowded (we sat near the snorkeling area, maybe that helped) and the weather was perfect though choppy seas canceled a planned stingray encounter. </p> <p>Breakfast and lunch: There is always a sit-down option in one of the main dining rooms but we never used it for breakfast or lunch because we felt that one nightly longer sit-down affair was enough to ask of the kids. We always hit the buffet for breakfast and sometimes lunch, or the quick-service spots on the pool deck oftentimes for lunch. The buffet is quite good, very clean, and always well-stocked. And for real I hate buffets so that's high praise from me. The quick-service food is also good and there's a decent variety (burgers, chicken, wraps, salads, paninis, pizza, plenty of fresh fruit, etc).</p> <p>Kids' club: We used it some after dinner to go the bars/lounges but probably the latest we picked them up is 10ish. I don't think they stay open all night (close at midnight or so maybe?) but there are definitely nooks in there where they have movies on and comfy places to lie down if kids are tired. Of course the nursery for under-3s has cribs. One nice thing is they do give you the option for your kids to eat meals in there, which we did the day we got a couples' massage and then went to an adult-only restaurant (Palo, highly recommend). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878154 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 19:21:35 +0000 irene 2878154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Expectation vs disappointment -- very true. I had absolutely 0 (if not negative) expectation going on the cruise (as I hated cruises before), and that's why I was completely blown away. And in terms of not into characters, DS knew nothing about Disney prior to going but (luckily) still had a blast :grin: We even took pics with princesses to kill time before disembarking the ship at one port. DH and DS turned to me afterwards and asked who did they just take pics with ? :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878085 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:50:49 +0000 Adira 2878085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRoo: I think if it's your first cruise, you will absolutely have a blast! Just know it will be packed to the brim and the pools will always be full of kids, haha. Get the drink of the day - cheaper! And see Beauty &amp; the Beast - AMAZING! And have fun!!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878082 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:41:08 +0000 MrsRoo 2878082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: packable buckets- genius!! And we are on the Dream- sounds like for the same itinerary you had. My kids have never cruised before, but we are a big time Disney family, I have seriously high expectations of this, so thank you for giving a realistic perspective. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878059 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 11:32:30 +0000 Adira 2878059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I obviously didn't do the Marvel Day at Sea, but I really want to! My kids are big Avengers fan, so I think that one would be really fun to do. Plus the Magic is a smaller boat, so it might not feel AS crowded. And if you stop at Castaway Cay, there won't be as many people due to the boat being smaller. Either way, I think you'll enjoy it as long as you go into it with realistic expectations. We had cruised before and so I was just expecting DCL to be SO MUCH BETTER than other cruise lines, and it really wasn't. There were definitely aspects that were better (definitely more geared towards kids), but other aspects were kind of just the same, so disappointing since I had such high expectations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878041 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 10:19:42 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2878041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: thank you, I want the real deal! My LO isn’t a huge Disney fan save for being able to recognize Mickey because an old daycare friend was obsessed and all the superheroes. As much as I don’t want to take my LO solo although there’s some great reviews/ tips for going solo with your kid I might just do it so we can go to the cruise that has the Marvel Day at Sea. I figure if we go to the cruise with my friends or family I can set up the expectation that LO and I will be the early birds at the shows- no exceptions. For my friends it will be there fourth DCL Cruise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878034 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 09:57:45 +0000 Adira 2878034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I don't want to be a debbie downer, but I wanted to chime in and say we did LOVE DCL like everyone else. It was great, but it wasn't THE BEST EVER like I was expecting. We did a 4-day on the Dream, and it was VERY similar to the 4-day we did through Royal Caribbean (except Royal also stopped at Key West). My kids aren't super into the Disney characters though, so that might have been a big part of our disappointment. For the most part, all the characters have set meet &amp; greet times and you have to wait in line to meet them. We didn't see any wandering around. The shows are AWESOME, but my kids wouldn't stay up late enough to see them. If you are on the Dream, definitely see Beauty &amp; the Beast - it was AMAZING. We skipped our normal dinner so our kids could watch it, but we didn't get their earlier enough, got crappy seats, and my kids were bored because they couldn't see well, which was such a bummer.</p> <p>Nassau - we stayed on board, but so did EVERYONE ELSE, so it was super crowded on the boat. If you can find something to do off the boat, I'd suggest that. I think there's a nearby Hilton that you can get a day pass for and enjoy their beach - I'd suggest doing something like that instead of staying on the super crowded boat.</p> <p>Castaway Cay - we didn't book anything - just played in the sand all morning and the kids LOVED it. We packed packable buckets and shovels and my kids were in heaven. It was overcast and I got a major sunburn - so make sure you wear sun screen!!</p> <p>Kid's Club - FANTASTIC. It was huge and always had tons of stuff to do. It's very very secure, so we felt totally fine leaving our kids there. Unfortunately, my 4 year old refused to go, but my 6 year old loved it (he loved the video games).</p> <p>Cleanliness - the boat was VERY clean. And they have hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE. And they make you use hand wipes before going into the dining rooms, so I really liked that aspect.</p> <p>Rooms - I believe every room has a 2-half bathroom setup, where one half if toilet and sink and the other half is tub/shower and sink. Which was AWESOME.</p> <p>Midship Detective Agency - this might be unique to the Dream, but it was such a fun game to play. Definitely do this if you're on the Dream. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2878001 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 05:26:55 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2878001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: yes, I do. So my friend is looking into the Western Carribean in case my Eastern Carribean falls through- long story trying to coordinate with family. Can you tell me about the ports/ port excursions you went on and what you liked?</p> <p>Breakfast and lunch on the ship. Tell me about the buffet or table service experience/ options for those meals. </p> <p>Did you use the youth club at night to hang out later at night? If so, was your child up all night too or able to sleep somewhere at the youth club? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877995 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 04:23:24 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 2877995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just chiming in to say we just finished a week-long western Caribbean cruise, our second (also went a few years ago). If anyone has any more burning questions, feel free to ask. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877946 Sun, 24 Mar 2019 12:22:25 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2877946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JCCovi: the more I pour over everything about Castaway Cay I think between the Spring a Leak, Shutters Cove and beach toys LO will have a great time. Then when we go on our second cruise we can snorkel together. :happy:</p> <p>ETA: if I learn how to ride a bike by the time we sail that may be the one thing extra we do together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877941 Sun, 24 Mar 2019 10:28:07 +0000 JCCovi 2877941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven’t read all the comments but...</p> <p>You’re going to love DCL! We’ve done 3 and definitely wouldn’t take kids on any other cruise line!</p> <p>I loved Castaway Cay. We didn’t have any activities planned for the kids but we had booked hang gliding for some of the adults. It ended up being canceled because of wind, but we still had a great time! I really wanted to do the 5k but there were some issues that morning (my husband got off the ship with my daughter’s key to the world card and we had to wait for him to come back) and we missed it. I definitely don’t think you have to have an excursion planned for the island. The water slide is super fun! </p> <p>I’ve been to Nassau on another cruise line and if I went back with disney I would skip it and stay on board. We’ve stayed on at 1 port in Alaska and Mexico before and being on the ship more is never bad!</p> <p>We always do early seating but if you do late remember the kids can eat earlier at the buffet or in kid’s club if they can’t make it. If they eat earlier and are up for playing, put them in kids club and have a grownup dinner! Also, keep in mind whether or not there is a time difference! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877921 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 22:07:56 +0000 MrsRoo 2877921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: oh good. Hopefully those rails should keep her contained- thank you for the picture! </p> <p>@irene: I like your novels, too. 45 days out from cruising, I’m soaking up every detail I can! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877920 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 21:07:35 +0000 irene 2877920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Novel, hahaha! Hey, that's how much I loved my experience :)</p> <p>We had the photo package too, they took pics at the meal times, and when you line up to take pics with the characters...etc. I agree with @SHOOTINGSTAR: don't expect "photography". They even slap on default disney photo borders/mortise designs (you know, little mermaid or goofy or whatever designed as a border and printed on each and every photo). I don't think they give you ones that are without the borders.</p> <p>Kids Club: On the first day of boarding the ship, there is "open house" before the ship sets sail. Make sure you spend some time with your LO there so he hopefully gets comfortable enough for you to finish your spa treatment :happy: </p> <p>We didn't get much screen /video game time at home too, maybe that's why DS just sucked to them once he got in. I can't blame them for the screen time because of how many kids there are on the boat that needed the service (parent drop off) , but that definitely make me think twice before I drop DS off again. </p> <p>We didn't decorate the door. While we envied the people who did, I think we were just fine without. We did get an autograph book for the characters to sign. $5 from amazon. We'll bring the book for our next cruise! We also asked the captain of the ship to sign it too.</p> <p>There are also interactive detective games you can play when you are on board. Some of the artwork on the boat are actually screens. You get your assignment at a certain location and it tells you to find the artwork which will continue to give you clues to go to the next one, and the next one...etc. We played one of them on our final night. You see a lot of families running around the ship the very last night as everyone was trying to get that in lol. It was fun.</p> <p>Sorry for another Novel! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877918 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 20:46:27 +0000 ShootingStar 2877918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRoo: I think he had maybe once or twice, it definitely wasn’t something he was used to. But it seemed very safe with rails pretty much all around. Pic so you can see what I mean. </p> [attach=2504/19/poukxf.450x600.FC2BE157-914D-403E-86D4-C99F50C239D7.jpeg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877911 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 19:16:53 +0000 FaithFertility 2877911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Nassau has cramped streets and with a stroller etc....it was just not ideal<br /> @sckim: We had a room little bigger than a standard DD crashed in the bed with us and DS at night we put his pack and play up (there was zero room). But it was just at night</p> <p>There was a small couch that pulled out too </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877897 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 16:13:44 +0000 MrsRoo 2877897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: yes- I’ve been reading reviews like a crazy person and have even found a site that shows pics of our actual stateroom. I will for sure come back here and give you the lowdown on how it goes. My girls will be 6 and 3 on the cruise and they ask to see pictures of the boat and the characters nightly. </p> <p>@ShootingStar: love the door decorating tip. We are going with extended family and have multiple rooms, good idea to be able to tell ours apart. Had your oldest ever slept in a bunk bed before? I’m a little nervous about dd1 on the top bunk, she’s usually all over the bed and I don’t want her to fall off! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877873 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 13:03:06 +0000 ShootingStar 2877873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: We bribed DS to go with ice cream, lol. We told him as soon as we picked him up we’d get some soft serve. He wasn’t thrilled but it was fine. I’ve also heard that if you tell them at the kids club that you’ll be at one of the adult restaurants or the spa, they’ll do their best not to call you. </p> <p>The photogs are in a lot of places like the meet and greets and at dinner and roaming castaway cay. I don’t love their style though. Too posed and over exposed. </p> <p>We decorated our door but the homemade ones wouldn’t stick. I bought a pack of magnets at one of the shops and those worked. It was nice to be able to identify your door. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877872 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 12:52:05 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2877872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Indeed they are strict on the age restrictions. I just called with my burning questions like the BYOB- wine at dinner. There's a $25 corkage fee, so I'll just buy their bottles.</p> <p>@irene: thank you for the novel! :grin: Yes good point about the timing of the shows- I don't want to miss the shows. I bet LO will really enjoy them especially if we get the refillable popcorn bucket since that in of itself will be a treat. </p> <p>I'm hoping he will like the Youth Club since I'd like to get at least one spa treatment while I'm there. Recently I tried to leave him at the Ikea kids club, but just as soon as I left I was getting a beep to pick him up. He's not exposed to video games at all home so that may be a draw. At least I can get my disapproval of the activity out of my system now.</p> <p>Are there photographers everywhere you go like at DW? I ask because I suck at taking pictures and the real photogs do such a great job even at crazy prices. </p> <p>Did you all decorate your door? Did you bring something for all the characters to sign? </p> <p>@MrsRoo: have you checked out all the online real-life reviews? The cruise sounds like the best.time.ever! I want the low down when you get back from yours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877862 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 11:13:05 +0000 ShootingStar 2877862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sckim: The sleeping arrangements are great. We had an 18m old and 4 year old last time. The toddler slept on the couch bed with rails (it’s really low and she doesn’t move around much) and DS slept in the top bunk with rails all around. And then there’s a curtain in between the big bed and where the kids sleep. It’s amazing. We’re planning a trip to stay at the Grand Floridian or Bay Lake at WDW and I’d far rayer stay in a Disney Cruise stateroom than a regular hotel room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877861 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 11:08:07 +0000 ShootingStar 2877861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: They’re really hard core on the age limits for things, just FYI. Most people that go on the Nassau cruises cruise for the ship not the ports. You guys will have a lot of fun at Castaway though. Get a couple of inner tubes and some sand toys and it’ll be great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877858 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 11:01:23 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2877858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: aww man, that’s going to be so disappointing if he can’t snorkel too! Everything I’m reading online says Nassau isn’t all that exciting and I think maybe I’ve already done the exciting parts. Since LO can’t participate in some of the Atlantis stuff do to age/ height restrictions that may be a bust. Right now I’m leaning to just do a walking tour to see some of the historical picturesque places and call and see if we can make chocolate (Disney lists minimum age is 5 for that excursion). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877826 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 19:52:03 +0000 irene 2877826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sckim: Our room they transformed the couch into a bed, and then somehow pulled a bunk bed on top of it, so yes, you can sleep two little ones in a bunk bed situation! We only have 1 child - first night he didn't know and they set up the couch bed. The next night he asked to have his bed set up on the top bunk bed :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877825 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 19:47:35 +0000 sckim 2877825@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FaithFertility: How was the sleeping arrangements? I want to take my 3yo and 1yo but im scared about how we will all sleep together in a cramped room! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877824 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 19:44:42 +0000 irene 2877824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we did the same cruise as yours, BEST TIME EVER. I've been on a different (non disney) cruise 10 years ago and I loathed cruises. Disney cruise has changed my mind completely.</p> <p>We did the dolphin encounter (or whatever it was called) hosted at Atlantis, and that pretty much took the whole time. SUPER PRICEY though. And then you are not allowed to take pics on your own so basically you have to pay another chunk of money $200-300 for the photos. We didn't have plans or Atlantis afterwards, I remember we strolled around the port a bit and had lunch, went back to the ship to our scheduled makeover session...</p> <p>... which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for your little one! It was at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. When we booked the only theme/ time available was the pirate night at 3pm. I think it was $99, you get the whole outfit your LO pick, all the accessories, and an extensive face painting. It was awesome and we had our halloween costume figured out that year :grin: If you book early you'd get a much better time, I hope. </p> <p>We also did a sting ray encounter in the ocean, but I forgot which day. It was in the morning and the water was super cold and not particularly enjoyable. Other people enjoyed it but my family were wusses as they didn't want to get into the cold water. </p> <p>I think we booked to ride bicycles at Castaway but we ended up didn't go. DS (6 yo then) just wanted to lay on the beach and play and that was just fine. DH left super early in the morning to run a 5k organized by Disney while we ate breakfast on the ship. We met up afterwards at the beach. It was great.</p> <p>We did 5:45 seating but we always eat dinner early. 5:45 dinner and the show afterwards(forgot 7 or 8pm). </p> <p>Superb kids club, I am in love with their hand washing machines. My only complain is there were too much video games and what not. There were group (non-screen time) activities but even though you sign up, they wouldn't enforce you to the group activities. So for us we signed DS up for an activity, but he strayed right to the video games as soon as we dropped him off. When we picked him up an hour later he was basically a game zombie :bummed: </p> <p>Another note is their cocktails were super weak. Don't waste your money on those I'd say, just get a glass of wine or something :silly: </p> <p>You will have such a good time! To me Disney World/ land is a torture, Disney cruise everyone truly gets to enjoy :wink: OK I am only speaking for myself as we are not big on rides, crowds, lines, and sweat :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruise-veterans#post-2877822 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 19:24:04 +0000 ShootingStar 2877822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a four day last year and are doing a seven day next year. We didn’t go to Nassau though. Atlantis is pretty expensive and with a toddler it may or may not be worth it. A lot of people stay on the boat in Nassau. There are some hotels that do day passes if you like beaches. </p> <p>For dinner, I’d stick with the earlier time. By the time you eat it’ll be closer to 6:30. And you can always get a snack or some ice cream later if you’re hungry. </p> <p>For Castaway Cay you don’t need to book anything ahead. We tried to reach my 4 year old to snorkel and had mixed results. But Disney may not let you anyways. Minimum age for rental of snorkel gear is 5 and everyone that snorkels must wear a yellow vest. So even if you bring your own equipment you need a vest for him and they may not allow it. </p>