What are some things you didnt know your 1st cruise

[Doingitagain]

Why the bottled water? Everyone else says the tap water is fine, or the water from the soda machines. Is that not true? We drink a ton of water. I need to know for sure...

http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/

For the convenience of carrying it out on excursions, primarily. The water on the ship is fine.

 

[carissa1970]

For the convenience of carrying it out on excursions, primarily. The water on the ship is fine.

Oh, okay. Thanks!!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

That they give birthday buttons I figured it out the day we went to cast away cay lost everything when returned they handed me a birthday button

 

[AdaraRae]

Great to hear all this. I'm notorious for forgetting my headphones every single time I travel!!

As for soy milk that's great to hear!! My son has to drink soy milk also and I was wondering how often they'd bring it!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Why the bottled water? Everyone else says the tap water is fine, or the water from the soda machines. Is that not true? We drink a ton of water. I need to know for sure...

The water onboard (all water whether for making meals, ice, at the drink station, from the tap in your room) is processed the same as bottled water (reverse osmosis and filtered).

We just bring our own personal re-usable waterbottle onboard to fill up in our room for use.

 

[Lauriejl2]

Be diligent about taking sea sickness meds. Rent bikes on CC. Spend an afternoon on board just lounging on deck watching the ocean go by and chatting with your family.

Do you reccomend getting sea sick pills for your kids as well? Or those bracelets? I'd hate for one of my kids to get sea sick cause I'd end up stuck in the stateroom taking care of them the whole time

 

[carissa1970]

Do you reccomend getting sea sick pills for your kids as well? Or those bracelets? I'd hate for one of my kids to get sea sick cause I'd end up stuck in the stateroom taking care of them the whole time

I bought enough for all of us. The Bonine is adults only, but I will cut them in half for my 7yo.

 

[linetbo]

I sleep late and get up early, and I like to watch TV, it was not until the last night I discovered they had very many options of movies that were not regular channels.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you reccomend getting sea sick pills for your kids as well? Or those bracelets? I'd hate for one of my kids to get sea sick cause I'd end up stuck in the stateroom taking care of them the whole time

DH used to use the patch on our first couple of cruises, but seems to be ok with either the seabands or bonine when necessary now.

The first cruise we invited our (grown) kids on I packed ginger pills, bonine, brought ginger ale and extra sea bands. Happily the kids are like me - didn't need any of it.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I sleep late and get up early, and I like to watch TV, it was not until the last night I discovered they had very many options of movies that were not regular channels.

Disney movies (animated and non) can be located on demand, paused and played whenever you want. My honey enjoyed Flight of the Navigator again and we watched parts of Princess n Frog and Tangled. Mom watched the on demand of the Golden Mickeys (thought I was partial to our cast , not the stock film one but still good since she missed the show.) He also put some classic mickey and Donald cartoons on that were quite funny, old skool.

We watched it winding down for the night and getting ready in the morning. It was a neat feature! Way better than channel surfing the same movies playing all week on the other cruise line...

 

[2BoysMom]

Here's my .02
12) We didn't realize how much we would like wearing a lanyard. It made it so much easier than carrying around a bag, esp because of wearing your bathingsuits. Buy one before hand and save yourself some $$.

Could you share what you liked about lanyards and why? Was it to carry your room key around? I have never quite understood lanyards and would love people to tell me what they used them for. Thanks!

 

[carissa1970]

Could you share what you liked about lanyards and why? Was it to carry your room key around? I have never quite understood lanyards and would love people to tell me what they used them for. Thanks!

I'm curious, too. I'd much rather carry my purse around. Can't stand things around my neck.

 

[southlake]

Great to hear all this. I'm notorious for forgetting my headphones every single time I travel!!

As for soy milk that's great to hear!! My son has to drink soy milk also and I was wondering how often they'd bring it!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

AdaraRae, they offered to set up a "standing delivery" of the soy milk on a daily basis, at a set time. It was great!

And I'm so, so glad I didn't end up using Babies Travel Lite, it would have been a huge waste, esp since I found out DD won't drink the shelf-stable soy milk (the kind in the small carton, and the kind BTL would have delivered). Silk says it's the same as the refrigerated soy milk, but something must be different about it because DD refused to drink it before our cruise!

 

[southlake]

Why the bottled water? Everyone else says the tap water is fine, or the water from the soda machines. Is that not true? We drink a ton of water. I need to know for sure...

I hadn't heard that the ship water is processed the same as bottled water, so we didn't know that. Even if we had known, it's kind of a turn-off to us to fill out water bottle out of the bathroom sink, even if you don't use the sink next to the toilet. Ugh.

The moment we boarded (like literally), we went up to the Pool Deck and were practically accosted by a server offering to sell us bottled water and beer for our stateroom, at astronomical prices. He kept saying there was no bottled water in the room and if we wanted bottled water, we had to buy it from him like right then. I walked away and left DH to deal with him. When DH finally caught up with me at the pool, he had purchased 4 cases of bottled water and 2 cases of beer, and it was $95 (!!!!!) I couldn't believe we had just stepped on the ship literally minutes before and DH had already dropped $95 on water and beer. He said the guy was so pushy he couldn't get away without buying anything, plus we needed bottled water anyway for DD's breakfast and dinner (food issues). We used almost all the water but wow, we will for sure bring our own after that experience!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I'm curious, too. I'd much rather carry my purse around. Can't stand things around my neck.

Let's see how you like to carry your purse around when you take a snooze on the deck...will someone be watching it for you? What if you want to ride aquaduck or take a dip in hottub or pool? Will you LOVE your big bag then? It's not impossible, but it is MUCh more secure around your neck. You have to pop it out constantly to do anything. I also never bring my purse on the excursions, even WORSE than having it on the deck. But I could bring my ship card, credit card and a few bills of cash with me and stick it in my lanyard around my neck.

Also, ours were STYLISH! I show you. (Small in the photo though, but they are fancy gold or silver metal chains with various colored beads:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/935034_116193968582862_1435368860_n.jpg)

There were very few instances where we brought bags with us (for valuables anyway, not towels etc) and when we did (around the ship), they were back pack purses so we could keep track of them.

If you have pockets, that's ok too (but my coverups and dresses never/rarely do). The only time I didn't have to wear it was the Pirate wear! I had a big hip belt with tankard and pouches, so they carried my card and incidentals.

It also is REALLY easy to set your card down in the room and not put it BACK in her your purse and than realize you are locked out of your room. (That is assuming that Husband or someone else stuck their key card in the light switch and then took it with THEM. You may not have put YOURS in the light holder, assume you put it back in your purse, and than wala, you don't have it. That is a bummer. Now you have to track people down in your room so you can get back in...) Whereas if you look down and see a BLANK lanyard holder, well then you know you aren't leaving with it...

I bought different chains for all 4 of us in our group, and we wore them almost all the time and loved them. Handy dandy!

 

[matt&jakesmom]

1st cruise is not until August 2014 and I have written a lot of notes to fall back on.

 

[Dug720]

I've only been on one other cruise 30 years ago (not Disney), but one thing we definitely did there (and actually do on EVERY trip we take) that has been reinforced reading other threads:

PACK UP ALL BUT LAST MINUTE STUFF THE NIGHT BEFORE!! And keep all your last-minute and carry-on stuff right together.

It avoids the "OMG WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!!!" frenetic searching for something that would easily be found if looked for in a calm, controlled manner.

 

[scrapycruiser]

I'm curious, too. I'd much rather carry my purse around. Can't stand things around my neck.

I don't like things around my neck either. I have a Vera Bradley wristlet that I use on the ship. Now if I'm going to the pool, I carry my tote bag to put my book, sunscreen,etc.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So many great tips! Thank you everyone. I have quite a list prepared after reading this thread.

 

[jjgarv]

DH and I didn't know anything on our very first cruise on the Magic in 2000 for part of our honeymoon...nothing about Palo or excursions or Castaway Cay...NOTHING! And we had the most wonderful, relaxing, fun, totally awesome time! We've been hooked on cruising ever since.