First Timer Question - Mornings?

[EvieBug]

Hi all! We have booked our first cruise for next December, I'm excited!

I have a ton of questions though. The biggest is just understanding mornings onboard.

I've looked over the Navigators for a few different cruises, and it looks like the mornings are family time as the kids club open late morning/early afternoon. Am I interpreting this right?

So my guess is pools and family areas are slammed in the mornings?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The kids clubs generally open at 9:00am. If you and your kids are early risers, then you'll want to grab breakfast and maybe hit the pools early as they get busier in the afternoons on sea days. The Aquaduck usually opens at 9:00am.

We use sea days to sleep in. It is vacation after all. Port days we are up, having breakfast, and getting off the ship by 9:00am, or possibly earlier depending on the all ashore time.

 

[lizabu]

I think most people are just getting up and dressing and having breakfast before 9. Breakfast starts at 7 and we were usually there at 7-7:30 but it's a ghost town that early. Most people are still getting up and getting ready.

 

[thumpie's mom]

The pools can be busy in the morning's and especially in the afternoons. The kids clubs typically open in the morning until pretty late at night, usually around 11 or Midnight. There are a lot of family style events in the mornings and afternoons and some in the evenings (Mickey Mania, Who want's to be a Mousketeer). That's the beauty of the Disney Cruises....you can spend the entire day and evening together as family, but if the kids want to take off for the kid's clubs, there is plenty of time for them to do so. There are numerous adult only activities available both during the day and in the evening. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

[lanejudy]

it looks like the mornings are family time as the kids club open late morning/early afternoon. Am I interpreting this right?

I'm not sure you are interpreting it correctly. As others have posted, the various kids spaces are typically open by 9:00am and sometimes earlier. There may be "Open House" scheduled first thing in the morning, which is a time parents can attend with their kids. However, the Club/Lab (both are ages 3-12) will always have 1 location in "secure" programming for drop-off without a parent. When both Club and Lab are in secure programming, the kids are allowed to move between them -- on the Dream/Fantasy I believe they can roam freely, on the Magic/Wonder a CM will escort them to the opposite space on request. I'm thinking it's open house that's confusing things for you.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[EvieBug]

Wow, thanks all for the replies! Love these forums!!

Screen grab from another thread where Navigators were posted -- I assumed these were the open hours of the club/lab? Delighted to be wrong - I suspect my kids will want to ditch us rather a lot. Hahaha. But see how it says 11:30 am to 3:30 pm? What does that mean then? Is that just when "scheduled activities" are happening or something?





I seem to have birthed the model of child that has never heard of 'sleeping in'. Something clearly faulty in my DNA, I am sure. So we'll be up early I suspect. (although there is time for the kids DNA to straighten out and learn to sleep in!) But ghost town breakfasts sound ok by me! LOL!

Thanks for the answers!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Wow, thanks all for the replies! Love these forums!!

Screen grab from another thread where Navigators were posted -- I assumed these were the open hours of the club/lab? Delighted to be wrong - I suspect my kids will want to ditch us rather a lot. Hahaha. But see how it says 11:30 am to 3:30 pm? What does that mean then? Is that just when "scheduled activities" are happening or something?

View attachment 107694



I seem to have birthed the model of child that has never heard of 'sleeping in'. Something clearly faulty in my DNA, I am sure. So we'll be up early I suspect. (although there is time for the kids DNA to straighten out and learn to sleep in!) But ghost town breakfasts sound ok by me! LOL!

Thanks for the answers!

You are looking at the Navigator from embarkation day. The 11:30 open time is because that's when people start getting onboard. It's open house that first afternoon. And then it's closed between 3:30 and 4:30 for the muster drill.

ETA: You may find that while your child's DNA may not change, his/her sleep schedule likely will once puberty approaches. My DD used to rise at the crack of dawn. Now I'm more likely to have to wake her up.

 

[EvieBug]

You are looking at the Navigator from embarkation day. The 11:30 open time is because that's when people start getting onboard. It's open house that first afternoon. And then it's closed between 3:30 and 4:30 for the muster drill.

ETA: You may find that while your child's DNA may not change, his/her sleep schedule likely will once puberty approaches. My DD used to rise at the crack of dawn. Now I'm more likely to have to wake her up.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel so stupid now. LOL! Thank you!!

My husband just commented the other day that our kids must be awakened on weekdays, but on the weekends - like magic - they wake themselves up. And generally 30-60 minutes earlier than weekdays. Why? We cannot be sure. To annoy us, I suspect.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel so stupid now. LOL! Thank you!!

My husband just commented the other day that our kids must be awakened on weekdays, but on the weekends - like magic - they wake themselves up. And generally 30-60 minutes earlier than weekdays. Why? We cannot be sure. To annoy us, I suspect.

No need to feel stupid. There's a ton of information and it's a lot to absorb when you haven't been on the ship yet.

And my DD is 11 and went through a period a couple years ago where I noticed the same thing. On weekends she was up by 7:30 with no problem, but on school days when I needed her out of bed by 8:00, I felt like I was trying to wake the dead. Now, I am able to sleep in until 9:00am routinely on weekends and still get about an hour of peace and quiet before she emerges from her bedroom. Downside is school mornings are a bear!

 

[SillyInventor]

on the Dream/Fantasy I believe they can roam freely, on the Magic/Wonder a CM will escort them to the opposite space on request.

This is now only true for the Wonder. With the re-imagineering of the Magic a secured corridor was created between the club and lab and kids can move freely between them. It's a very transparant (lots of glass for visibility) but closed off corridor. So only on the Wonder kids are escorted between club and lab.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

This is now only true for the Wonder. With the re-imagineering of the Magic a secured corridor was created between the club and lab and kids can move freely between them. It's a very transparant (lots of glass for visibility) but closed off corridor. So only on the Wonder kids are escorted between club and lab.

The Magic has always had that btw.

 

[SwimMom2]

If you have little ones, there is a Disney Junior dance party at 8:30 am on sea days.

I have crazy early risers too- my kiddos are always up by 6 every day- but on our cruise they slept later than they ever have before, even later than at WDW. Like 8:30 on sea days.

Character ticketed meet and greets will start at 9 on sea days, and the kids clubs will open at 9. You will likely never be bored or looking for something to do. It is more relaxing than WDW but still more to do than you can fit into one vacation.

 

[KBinCO]

yes, that navigator isn't for every day. But we often just did open houses in the morning and nothing secure til the afternoon.

My kids were little- 4 and 5- and woke up late. Some mornings they weren't up until 10. They did like wake up with Disney Jr and the Jake activity when we were up early enough for it- it's dancing and stretching and kicking off the day. But usually we slept late, took a late, long breakfast, and suddenly it was noon.

 

[MunFam]

This is now only true for the Wonder. With the re-imagineering of the Magic a secured corridor was created between the club and lab and kids can move freely between them. It's a very transparant (lots of glass for visibility) but closed off corridor. So only on the Wonder kids are escorted between club and lab.

The Wonder had a hallway with portholes that I could see through...because I saw my kid randomly run by once and I freaked out. Apparently, she was just switching from the Club to the Lab because there was a change in secured programming...they may still regulate who comes and who goes to each, but they have a nice corridor on the Wonder too.

 

[TMonty]

While you wait for them to wake up magically have coffee delivered to your room with some danishes until they wake up. I believe there is a curtain you can pull across the cabin as not to wake up the sleepy ones. That way, you can have "breakfast in bed". Also, let them order from room service Mickey Mouse ears ice cream. It's not on the room service menu but if you ask they will. Also, have a BLT with extra B. Remember on cruises you can order room service for free.

 

[EvieBug]

Thanks all! Great tips and things to note!!

 

[subwife81]

Honestly, I thought the best time to enjoy the pools without the kids was early in the morning.
If you're looking for a time to AVOID the pools and rec area it would most definitely be 1-4 time frame. Think about it- the kids have gone to the clubs in the morning but the parents probably met up with them for lunch and then have family time.
So I guess it just depends on what you want your experience to be. If all else fails, the adult-only areas are nice anytime!