Wee bit discouraged

[ChisJo]

I know I will be in the minority here, but I have to say that I'm discouraged with the cruise planning so far. We haven't even left (our cruise is in April), but we couldn't get into ANY of the activities we wanted (we were at our computer at midnight the day we could start signing up) and the thought of having to stand in a line at guest services as soon as we arrive to try to get into one of them is not appealing to me, my one child is too young for a majority of the port activities, the kids won't be in the same pool together because of their ages. And many other things. This is our first cruise and we've been looking forward to one for a long time, but I thought cruises were supposed to be relaxing but I feel like we are planning more for this than our land excursion following the cruise. I feel like its going to be line after line after line, and crazy busy every where we go. Please help me get excited for this cruise.

 

[AirForceAngler]

The only advice I'd have to offer is to try to relax, have fun and enjoy each other on a great boat! Check back with guest services after the lines have shortened or later in the cruise for last minute openings. On our last cruise (also our first) many of our port adventures were canceled due to weather. We still had a great time together just relaxing and doing what we could on shore and on the boat. Remember, it's a vacation! Over planning and scheduling can sometimes ruin that!

 

[keaster]

First, take a breath and relax! You are going on vacation, and everything will be fine First how many night cruise are you on? Which ship?

I'm going to assume that one of your children is still in diapers so that's way they won't be allowed in the pool? That is a bummer, but on the Dream/Fantasy they do have Nemo's reef which is next to the Mickey pool. There is also a splash type area similar on the Magic/Wonder.

Also what activities were you looking to get? Do you have your kids signed up for the clubs?

 

[ChisJo]

Thanks for the replies! We are on a 4 night Dream Cruise. And yes, my youngest unfortunately is still in diapers. My hubby and myself wanted to do any of the beer or wine tasting or the mixology courses, just to have a little time to ourselves, but they were sold out before I even had a chance to try to register for them. I was ok with not doing them....we could always just go to the pub on our own and put the kids in the Nursery and kids club, it was just something that sounded fun and different for us.

As for the kids club, is there anything I have to complete PRIOR to getting on the ship other than the initial registration information on the check in? I didn't see anything else, but I'm so new to this that maybe I missed it? I have some slots booked for the Its a small world nursery for my youngest one, but would I need to do anything for the Oceaneers club for my older one?

 

[TinkBell10]

Let me start by saying that I am usually an obsessive planner....however, for our first DCL cruise, I did ZERO planning. Zilch. Nada. My kids were 2 and 5 at the time. We literally showed up at the ship, and took it a step at a time. We made our plans by looking at the Navigator and winging it. And, we had a fabulous time. There are plenty of activities to take part in, even if you can't sign up for ticketed events ahead of time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Have you found the Facebook group for your cruise? Many FB cruise groups set up private Mixology and alcohol sessions.

 

[That Crazy Mom]

Keep checking online as some people change their minds about things they have booked.
Also join a group for your sailing on here or Facebook - most groups organize private mixology classes.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

It can be frustrating for a first timer, for sure! That being said, it will be ok. There are usually more beverage tastings available the on the ship than you can register for online. When we sailed the Dream, we stayed on the ship in Nassau and spent the day enjoying the ship, so if you can't book an excursion you like, staying on board isn't a bad way to spend the day. You can have a great day at Castaway Cay without booking anything. Don't feel like you have to have your day planned and activities reserved. There's much magic to be found if you let it happen. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Pens Fan]

Let me start by saying that I am usually an obsessive planner....however, for our first DCL cruise, I did ZERO planning. Zilch. Nada. My kids were 2 and 5 at the time. We literally showed up at the ship, and took it a step at a time. We made our plans by looking at the Navigator and winging it. And, we had a fabulous time. There are plenty of activities to take part in, even if you can't sign up for ticketed events ahead of time.

^^^^ This!!! ^^^^
While this and other cruise forums are fabulous tools and a lot of fun, I sometimes think they can cause unnecessary stress for first time cruisers. You get the idea that you must.do.it.all!!! Like @TinkBell10, on our first cruise we basically showed up, got on the ship with no prior planning and had the most amazing time. So much so that we have taken four more DCL cruises. I didn't even know about these boards until prior to our 3rd cruise. And yet the first two were just as much fun.

Relax, some of the things you want to do will be available once you get on board. Some might not be, but there will plenty of other things to do. I've never once been bored on a cruise (Disney or any other line for that matter). You will have a great time. Anything you aren't able to do this time is just an excuse to come back and try again on another one (when you'll have Castaway Club status and can book things earlier).

 

[bumbershoot]

And going to Guest Services isn’t a punishment. One adult gets in line while the family plays. Switch out if the line is longer. It’s pretty there, it’s pleasant, and you can study the navigator or a map of the ship while waiting.

 

[rhinodadz]

For the adult beverage tastings & mixology DCL holds back slots for booking onboard. We've never had a problem signing up for one of these once we're on the ship. Also, you can sign up for these in one of the lounges when you board which will most likely have a shorter line than guest services (though we've never found the wait at guest services to be unbearable).

 

[beachdrmn]

If you preregistered for the Oceaneer's club then you don't need to do anything else until you get to the port. You can either get their band at the port or wait and go to the club on the ship to get it. I would base that one the line at the port. We have always gotten through pretty easily at port but others say there were really long lines and it was quicker to do it once on board.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

And... you can still drop the kids at the clubs and hit the pub to have some alone time, w/o the tastings. Our first cruise- I don't think they didn't even have any of these tastings/classes. We just went to the pub, enjoyed an adult beverage and some quality vacation time together. Relax! Plan nothing! I think you will be surprised! Enjoy your cruise, April is a nice time to go.

 

[mkh531]

You can also drink your adult beverages while in line at Guest services.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I want to repeat the part that people do cancel things online. Remember, they aren't charged for anything until sailing, so they can cancel until 3 days before and often do. For the things you want, keep checking back; especially the excursions will often have openings later. Another tip: Try reserving things that are "full" one person at a time. If you ask for 4 slots, and the system only has three open, it won't tell you that, it will just say, "not available." Don't worry if initially you can only get 2 or three slots for something. More are likely to open up, and if they don't you can always cancel the ones you have.

Also, lots of things will have cancellations last minute, so even on the day of you can show up at a Meet and Greet or a Tasting and see if they have any cancellations. I saw people have success this way.

One other thing, I know the idea of lines when you first get on board is no fun. Divide and conquer is one way to handle it, where one of you plays with the kids or gets them lunch while the other signs up for some stuff and then you switch off.

Another way is to wait a little bit, especially if you are flexible with the times you want to do things. Certain things, like Dining times at the Main Dining Room etc. have to be handled ASAP, but other things like tastings or even Meet and Greets can be handled later on. We found that the Guest Services line was swamped that first afternoon, but fairly light the rest of the time (except towards the end).

Plus GS is manned all night long. One thing we did was swing by GS that first night (maybe 10 or 11 PM). They have all the schedules and the Mixology book, etc. and there was no line, so we could ask as many questions as we want, pick up extra schedules and maps, etc. It felt much more relaxed. If you don't see anyone behind the desk, don't be afraid to ring the bell. We found them very happy to help at any time.

Have fun! All the best!

 

[Racer X]

Ditto above! You should be able to get into some classes after your cruise starts I booked a champagne tasting the day before on our last cruise and there were still slots. Worse case is you guys get drinks in the adult area and enjoy the ocean and sunsets... Still a win-win!

 

[Trera]

Thanks for the replies! We are on a 4 night Dream Cruise. And yes, my youngest unfortunately is still in diapers. My hubby and myself wanted to do any of the beer or wine tasting or the mixology courses, just to have a little time to ourselves, but they were sold out before I even had a chance to try to register for them. I was ok with not doing them....we could always just go to the pub on our own and put the kids in the Nursery and kids club, it was just something that sounded fun and different for us.

As for the kids club, is there anything I have to complete PRIOR to getting on the ship other than the initial registration information on the check in? I didn't see anything else, but I'm so new to this that maybe I missed it? I have some slots booked for the Its a small world nursery for my youngest one, but would I need to do anything for the Oceaneers club for my older one?

we have been on 16 cruises and have never tried any of the tastings. We find for alone time, we love hanging by the adult pool which also serves wonderful adult drinks. We also enjoy satellite falls which also serves drinks. Our DD spends time in the kids klub and we get a little break while she explores all there is to do at the klub. We never get off in Nassau but spend all day at Castaway Cay. On sea day, we sometimes catch a new release movie........can do the onboard detective agency.........or just hang in the pool and watch the funnel vision.

You will have a great time.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Have you found the Facebook group for your cruise? Many FB cruise groups set up private Mixology and alcohol sessions.

I second this. If you have not done so, check the disboards "Cruise meets" for others sailing on your cruise. It is a lot of fun to see familiar faces at a private Mixology and takes the stress away from trying to snag a slot once you are on board. Plus, groups can request other tastings in addition to or in lieu of a Mixology.

 

[gotomu212]

A few other possibilities

1 if the guest services line is long, try booking things at port adventures. In December my husband was in an ungodly gs line, I ran up to port adventures which had a line of 1 and was able to book 2 onboard activities there. They may not be able to book your specific activity but it’s worth a try.

2 little one too young for port excursion- not everyone is comfortable with this but we left our infant onboard and took our older son on an excursion with us. We had a cell phone just in case, and we took a Disney excursion for some added protection, but everyone including baby had a great time. She couldn’t have been out in the sun that long anyway. So if you’re comfortable it’s an option, and they really are fantastic at the nursery.

3 Nemo’s reef and the kids pool are right next to each other with clear glass separating the areas. Not sure how old the older one is but I could stand in Nemo’s and see the older one in the pool at all times. I also enjoyed sitting on a chair with the baby watching funnel vision while older one bobbed in the pool.

4 after the initial boarding day rush to get to gs and get the club band things are much calmer and it’s more go with the flow

5 nursery time during dinner makes it feel like date night!

 

[fantasmicfantastic]

My wife and I were very nervous about our first cruise; afraid we may miss out on something. All that stress melted away once on board. We spent a lot of time just relaxing on deck chairs, playing Bingo (extra $$$ but so much fun), eating, swimming in the pool, hitting the clubs/pubs, eating, playing games, doing crafts, oh and did I mention eating. This is just a sample of some of the fun things to do on the ship. Honestly, we felt like needed more time after disembarking because there so much more we wanted to do or redo.