Cruise secrets that DCL doesn't tell you

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Wow! Read through this thread today -- so helpful for a first-timer!! One thing I'd love some guidance on... looks like we should opt for cash tips for room service. Any guidance on how much to tip for this?

 

[Disneymom56]

Wow! Read through this thread today -- so helpful for a first-timer!! One thing I'd love some guidance on... looks like we should opt for cash tips for room service. Any guidance on how much to tip for this?

I kept some ones handy. I gave 2 dollars for each time we had something delivered. Hope this helps

 

[phinz]

I wished I would have read this before my cruise. Just got my first passport and I don't have any stamps for all the money, work, and cost. Oh well, now I have a reason to go again!!

I don't believe they do this anymore.

 

[st0nehedge]

I kept some ones handy. I gave 2 dollars for each time we had something delivered. Hope this helps

That's good to know. I was also curious about how much should be tipped.

 

[joannjoe]

You can mail a post card from Castaway cay from the post office. But its not open all the time. if it is don't wait till later. Its 65 cents and its a fun memory about 4-6 week later when it shows up.

We never received ours or did the Grand parents

 

[Disneymom56]

We never received ours or did the Grand parents

I just got off the Dream yesterday. It was a double dip to Castaway Cay. I stopped several times to mail postcards. It was always closed. I did buy stamps on the ship and put the postcards in the mail slot. Hope they get delivered!

 

[joannjoe]

I was o
I just got off the Dream yesterday. It was a double dip to Castaway Cay. I stopped several times to mail postcards. It was always closed. I did buy stamps on the ship and put the postcards in the mail slot. Hope they get delivered!

Ya me too!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I kept some ones handy. I gave 2 dollars for each time we had something delivered. Hope this helps

Definitely helps -- thanks!!

 

[ErinLovesGary]

I love all the tips, so cool it is going back so many years. Thanks for sharing everyone

 

[mom4fun]

I have new one. The pictures on DCL's website of the Wonder and Magic ' s staterooms are about 10 years old. I don't know what year they changed the comforters but it's been many years.

 

[diznymom]

I love this thread.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Wow! Read through this thread today -- so helpful for a first-timer!! One thing I'd love some guidance on... looks like we should opt for cash tips for room service. Any guidance on how much to tip for this?

It as recommended to us that we tip $1/item ordered so we followed this.

 

[Tara D]

Love this thread and reading through all the tips

 

[rescuetink]

Here is a document I did back in 2012 with all of the secrets up to page 49 of this thread. I know some things may have changed, and I don't have time to update this. So if anyone wants to add/delete or change anything in it please do and share again!! We plan to sail again in 2017 so I'll be refreshing myself on these things as the time gets closer!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pg2mG-lswenU_d5chdnQ5VA9R34owEeevcTnQeDYrkA/edit

Happy Sailings!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Here is a document I did back in 2012 with all of the secrets up to page 49 of this thread. I know some things may have changed, and I don't have time to update this. So if anyone wants to add/delete or change anything in it please do and share again!! We plan to sail again in 2017 so I'll be refreshing myself on these things as the time gets closer!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pg2mG-lswenU_d5chdnQ5VA9R34owEeevcTnQeDYrkA/edit

Happy Sailings!!

THESE ARE NO LONGER DONE:

Bring a pillowcase from home and give that and some markers to guest services when you board. They will have the characters sign it and return it to your room before the end of the cruise.

You can also take a matte for a frame to guest services. We did on the first night and they returned it to our stateroom on the last night signed by all the characters on the ship. I bought an 11"x14" matte with an 8"x10" opening.

Someone bought the Vinylmation Mickey’s (Create your own) and had them signed at Guest Services.

And for all of us running to Guest Services to have our pillowcases, mattes, aprons, etc... signed, maybe we should include a little "thank you", such as a bag of candy, for the cast members that do these special things for us!


IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GUEST SERVICES WILL NOT ACCEPT PASSPORTS FOR STAMPS:

For those of you that have U.S. passports. You can leave them with Guest Services (you get a receipt that you must have to get it back), and they will have it stamped at each country you visit. On the last night, you go and pick it back up.

NEW ALCOHOL POLICY: ONLY WINE OR BEER.
I love that we can take our own beverages aboard... beer, wine, spirits...

Even though the official word on the cruise docs and at the terminal is NO alcohol or personal coolers allowed aboard (except coolers for medication).

ALL ROOMS NOW HAVE REAL FRIDGES.
We always bring a cooler (collapsible style) because their "ice box" refrigerators are worthless. And---

 

[ncurley]

1. Pillow cases with signatures

I brought 2 pillowcases to have them signed for my boys during our cruise, but I was told they no longer do this. You can of course bring the pillows to all of the chararacters and have them signed yourself. I was told this was discontinued a while ago. I sailed Concierge on a 4 day Dream cruise (Feb 15, 2016 sailing).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I brought 2 pillowcases to have them signed for my boys during our cruise, but I was told they no longer do this. You can of course bring the pillows to all of the chararacters and have them signed yourself. I was told this was discontinued a while ago. I sailed Concierge on a 4 day Dream cruise (Feb 15, 2016 sailing).

Yes, it ended, if I recall correctly, around last August.

 

[rescuetink]

THESE ARE NO LONGER DONE:

Bring a pillowcase from home and give that and some markers to guest services when you board. They will have the characters sign it and return it to your room before the end of the cruise.

You can also take a matte for a frame to guest services. We did on the first night and they returned it to our stateroom on the last night signed by all the characters on the ship. I bought an 11"x14" matte with an 8"x10" opening.

Someone bought the Vinylmation Mickey’s (Create your own) and had them signed at Guest Services.

And for all of us running to Guest Services to have our pillowcases, mattes, aprons, etc... signed, maybe we should include a little "thank you", such as a bag of candy, for the cast members that do these special things for us!


IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GUEST SERVICES WILL NOT ACCEPT PASSPORTS FOR STAMPS:

For those of you that have U.S. passports. You can leave them with Guest Services (you get a receipt that you must have to get it back), and they will have it stamped at each country you visit. On the last night, you go and pick it back up.

NEW ALCOHOL POLICY: ONLY WINE OR BEER.
I love that we can take our own beverages aboard... beer, wine, spirits...

Even though the official word on the cruise docs and at the terminal is NO alcohol or personal coolers allowed aboard (except coolers for medication).

ALL ROOMS NOW HAVE REAL FRIDGES.
We always bring a cooler (collapsible style) because their "ice box" refrigerators are worthless. And---

Did you make the changes in the document?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did you make the changes in the document?

I couldn't make any changes.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Did you make the changes in the document?

I did notice that was what you requested was someone to "update" in your original post.....
I don't have time this week but I hope to go through that and have changes made sometime next week. That was very kind of you to offer that information. It's very detailed. You rock!