Disney Dream January 22, 2018 - 4 Day Bahama Cruise

[bobbiwoz]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[pixiehallow]

Happy Monday and Happy New Year everyone!
We have 3 more Mondays!!!!

For this weeks Forget Me Not, I want to remind everyone to download the Navigator app onto your devices.
Here is a clip from Disney's FAQ's:

Q.
How can I add the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to my mobile device?

A.
You can download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to your smartphone or tablet from the Apple iTunes App Store℠ for iOS devices or Google Play™ for Android devices store at home or before boarding the ship.

The app will be operational once you connect to your ship's onboard Wi‑Fi (which is complimentary when used for this app only).
​

The app is very helpful for finding your way around the boat, finding out what is going on at any given time, knowing what is on the menu for that nights dinner, seeing when we will be in port, and checking out that nights main show. It has the same information you will find on the paper version of the daily Navigator, all accessible on your device.

Here is an example of the paper version:
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...4N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20170123.pdf
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...4N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20170123.pdf
There is no charge to download the app, and you are able to use it on board through the boats intranet (not internet). As long as your phone / device is in airplane mode, you will not use any of your data, and will not have to worry about charges from your cell provider. So, very important TURN AIRPLANE MODE ON BEFORE SAIL AWAY.

I am letting you know now, because I highly recommend downloading before you leave home. If you wait until you arrive at port, you will be fighting for available signal and wifi availability with at least 1000 other people. Our son did not listen to our warning last time, and it took him close to 2 hours to complete the download.

If you are traveling with other family members (especially children that are allowed to carry a smart device with them), make sure each of the devices being brought has the app. I am suggesting this because the app has a feature that you can use once on board to message with others on the boat that have the app on their device. This is a much better substitution for the wave phone (2 of which are provided per cabin to use for free while on board or Castaway), as you will not risk the $200 fee for a damaged or lost wave phones. When you log into the app, once on board, you will be given a personal ID number for your device, and anyone with your ID number can message you. If there are others on the cruise, outside of your traveling party, that you want to be able to message, you will need to exchange ID numbers before you can start messaging.

One added bonus to the app is the count down clock that starts counting down to your sail date after download and setting your sail date.

Enjoy your new year (safely) and happy packing,

~Tink~

 

[Beth Davis]

This will be our first cruise, let alone a Disney Cruise. It will be myself (29), my husband Jimmy (32), and our two girls, Adrianna (7) and Mackenzie (5). Jimmys birthday is the 23 so it will make for a fun time. We are from Colorado, so hoping for warm weather! My BIL and his two kids will also be cruising with us, who lives in Washington. We are so excited and can’t wait to experience the magic everyone raves about.

 

[pixiehallow]

This will be our first cruise, let alone a Disney Cruise. It will be myself (29), my husband Jimmy (32), and our two girls, Adrianna (7) and Mackenzie (5). Jimmys birthday is the 23 so it will make for a fun time. We are from Colorado, so hoping for warm weather! My BIL and his two kids will also be cruising with us, who lives in Washington. We are so excited and can’t wait to experience the magic everyone raves about.

Welcome to the group Beth Davis!

First Disney cruise, how exciting. A word of warning, they are addictive!
One of my cruising buddies is coming in from Colorado Springs.
If you have time, take a bit to read through all the posts in this thread. There is a lot of good information. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask. One of the past cruisers should be able to help you find what you need.

~Tink~

 

[Beth Davis]

Welcome to the group Beth Davis!

First Disney cruise, how exciting. A word of warning, they are addictive!
One of my cruising buddies is coming in from Colorado Springs.
If you have time, take a bit to read through all the posts in this thread. There is a lot of good information. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask. One of the past cruisers should be able to help you find what you need.

~Tink~

Think, we are so excited! I’m concerned that they will be addictive!

We are from Colorado Springs!! How neat!

I read through all of them last night before I posted, I’m excited to know this page exists! I was most thankful for your basic necessities, things you don’t necessarily think of.

Looking forward to connecting and hopefully making lots of new friends!!

* Beth

 

[pixiehallow]

Think, we are so excited! I’m concerned that they will be addictive!

We are from Colorado Springs!! How neat!

I read through all of them last night before I posted, I’m excited to know this page exists! I was most thankful for your basic necessities, things you don’t necessarily think of.

Looking forward to connecting and hopefully making lots of new friends!!

* Beth

Sailing buddy is named Tim? Any chance you know someone by that name.
Another coincidence is the previous owner of the company my husband manages is from Colorado Springs. His name is Randy. Any chance on that one either?
Small world!!!

~Tink~

 

[Beth Davis]

Sailing buddy is named Tim? Any chance you know someone by that name.
Another coincidence is the previous owner of the company my husband manages is from Colorado Springs. His name is Randy. Any chance on that one either?
Small world!!!

~Tink~

I do know some Tim’s and some Randy’s, if I knew last names I could tell you. It is a small world, but Colorado Springs is growing like crazy. I’m a native so I’ve watched it explode.

 

[pixiehallow]

I do know some Tim’s and some Randy’s, if I knew last names I could tell you. It is a small world, but Colorado Springs is growing like crazy. I’m a native so I’ve watched it explode.

I will send ....oops was going to say PM, but you don't have enough posts. Remind me when you reach 10, and I will ask again then.

Edited

 

[bobbiwoz]

This will be our first cruise, let alone a Disney Cruise. It will be myself (29), my husband Jimmy (32), and our two girls, Adrianna (7) and Mackenzie (5). Jimmys birthday is the 23 so it will make for a fun time. We are from Colorado, so hoping for warm weather! My BIL and his two kids will also be cruising with us, who lives in Washington. We are so excited and can’t wait to experience the magic everyone raves about.

Our son and family live in Colorado now, too!

 

[Beth Davis]

All of you seasonsed cruisers, what are the must haves for newbies?

 

[pixiehallow]

All of you seasonsed cruisers, what are the must haves for newbies?

Are you asking about for packing or on board planning?
~Tink~

 

[Beth Davis]

Are you asking about for packing or on board planning?
~Tink~

Let’s start with packing first.

 

[pixiehallow]

Let’s start with packing first.

My son took me out for my birthday tonight, so I will have to get started in the morning!
~Tink~

 

[pixiehallow]

Let’s start with packing first.

Okay, start by watching this to cool the packing anxiety:

And then take a look through this list (it is the one I use for every Disney trip - some of which my family has out grown, but I use those areas to remind me of the grown up versions of something like say baby wipes - would be anti-bacterial wipes):
See Copy of Disney Packing list below.

And finally, a list of for your carry on / day bag for boarding day:
Plan to carry on:
- Any Wine or beer (these are the only forms of alcohol allowed - limit 2 bottles of wine, or 6 cans of beer per person 21 and older)
- All valuables (limit this to only what is necessary)
- All medications (only prescription - that have actually been prescribed - or legal over the counter medications)
- All electronics (phones, tablets, laptops, etc...don't forget chargers)...now is a good time to remind you again to download the Disney Cruise App before leaving home. Also, familiarize yourself with steps to activating app while in airplane mode for when you board.
- Credit cards
- Sun Screen
- Swim wear if you are daring enough to try to get in the water
- Clothes and anything you will need to get ready for that nights dinner (this is just in case your luggage does not arrive before dinner)
- Anything you may want to have autographed (there is a chance you may see Mickey or Minnie during boarding)

~Tink~

 

[csgrkw]

Happy Monday and Happy New Year everyone!
We have 3 more Mondays!!!!

For this weeks Forget Me Not, I want to remind everyone to download the Navigator app onto your devices.
Here is a clip from Disney's FAQ's:

Q.
How can I add the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to my mobile device?

A.
You can download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to your smartphone or tablet from the Apple iTunes App Store℠ for iOS devices or Google Play™ for Android devices store at home or before boarding the ship.

The app will be operational once you connect to your ship's onboard Wi‑Fi (which is complimentary when used for this app only).
​

The app is very helpful for finding your way around the boat, finding out what is going on at any given time, knowing what is on the menu for that nights dinner, seeing when we will be in port, and checking out that nights main show. It has the same information you will find on the paper version of the daily Navigator, all accessible on your device.

Here is an example of the paper version:
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...4N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20170123.pdf
There is no charge to download the app, and you are able to use it on board through the boats intranet (not internet). As long as your phone / device is in airplane mode, you will not use any of your data, and will not have to worry about charges from your cell provider. So, very important TURN AIRPLANE MODE ON BEFORE SAIL AWAY.

I am letting you know now, because I highly recommend downloading before you leave home. If you wait until you arrive at port, you will be fighting for available signal and wifi availability with at least 1000 other people. Our son did not listen to our warning last time, and it took him close to 2 hours to complete the download.

If you are traveling with other family members (especially children that are allowed to carry a smart device with them), make sure each of the devices being brought has the app. I am suggesting this because the app has a feature that you can use once on board to message with others on the boat that have the app on their device. This is a much better substitution for the wave phone (2 of which are provided per cabin to use for free while on board or Castaway), as you will not risk the $200 fee for a damaged or lost wave phones. When you log into the app, once on board, you will be given a personal ID number for your device, and anyone with your ID number can message you. If there are others on the cruise, outside of your traveling party, that you want to be able to message, you will need to exchange ID numbers before you can start messaging.

One added bonus to the app is the count down clock that starts counting down to your sail date after download and setting your sail date.

Enjoy your new year (safely) and happy packing,

~Tink~

Good Morning and Hello from the Wallace family in Kentucky!

We will be enjoying our third Disney cruise and second aboard the Disney dream on this sailing and I to cross paths with many of you on board the ship.

I did have 2 questions, one of which is directly related to this post...

1) Has the onboard texting through the Navigator app improved over the past year or two? Our first cruise on the Disney Dream was prior to the release of the Navigator app and on our second cruise on the Fantasy back in Jan. 2016, we experienced a number of text messages with our friends that travelled with us that either didn't go through at all or were delayed sometimes upwards of an hour. Thought maybe some of you more seasoned cruisers might have some feedback or recommendations.

2) We have an 11 going on 21 son who will for the first time be able to jump between the Oceaneer Club and the tween club Edge. We were debating allowing him to check himself in and out and to move around onboard the ship (within reason and according to certain guidelines). We will be providing him with a phone and the Navigator app (hence the question above in terms of text reliability), but would love to have feedback, recommendations, tips/tricks, etc. that might help us with our nightmares that he'll end up in the ocean or the brig.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts...14 DAYS!!!

Thanks...Kevin

 

[pixiehallow]

Good Morning and Hello from the Wallace family in Kentucky!

We will be enjoying our third Disney cruise and second aboard the Disney dream on this sailing and I to cross paths with many of you on board the ship.

I did have 2 questions, one of which is directly related to this post...

1) Has the onboard texting through the Navigator app improved over the past year or two? Our first cruise on the Disney Dream was prior to the release of the Navigator app and on our second cruise on the Fantasy back in Jan. 2016, we experienced a number of text messages with our friends that travelled with us that either didn't go through at all or were delayed sometimes upwards of an hour. Thought maybe some of you more seasoned cruisers might have some feedback or recommendations.

2) We have an 11 going on 21 son who will for the first time be able to jump between the Oceaneer Club and the tween club Edge. We were debating allowing him to check himself in and out and to move around onboard the ship (within reason and according to certain guidelines). We will be providing him with a phone and the Navigator app (hence the question above in terms of text reliability), but would love to have feedback, recommendations, tips/tricks, etc. that might help us with our nightmares that he'll end up in the ocean or the brig.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts...14 DAYS!!!

Thanks...Kevin

I am away from the computer. I will get back to you this evening.

 

[pixiehallow]

Good Morning and Hello from the Wallace family in Kentucky!

We will be enjoying our third Disney cruise and second aboard the Disney dream on this sailing and I to cross paths with many of you on board the ship.

I did have 2 questions, one of which is directly related to this post...

1) Has the onboard texting through the Navigator app improved over the past year or two? Our first cruise on the Disney Dream was prior to the release of the Navigator app and on our second cruise on the Fantasy back in Jan. 2016, we experienced a number of text messages with our friends that travelled with us that either didn't go through at all or were delayed sometimes upwards of an hour. Thought maybe some of you more seasoned cruisers might have some feedback or recommendations.

2) We have an 11 going on 21 son who will for the first time be able to jump between the Oceaneer Club and the tween club Edge. We were debating allowing him to check himself in and out and to move around onboard the ship (within reason and according to certain guidelines). We will be providing him with a phone and the Navigator app (hence the question above in terms of text reliability), but would love to have feedback, recommendations, tips/tricks, etc. that might help us with our nightmares that he'll end up in the ocean or the brig.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts...14 DAYS!!!

Thanks...Kevin

Welcome to the group Kevin!

Let me start with letting you know I have been exactly where y'all are. Our boys have been very young, tweens, teens, and now, one, is an adult when we sailed with Disney. So, we have gone through the transition with both boys (from not signing themselves out to having that freedom). We also have sailed before on board texting and with it. Our experience has been much like you describe - Not very dependable. We will continue to give the app messaging the benefit of the doubt, and give it a try on the first day. If we see no improvement on day one (leading up to dinner), we will revert to the wave phone. Side not on the wave phone (and other safety guidelines)...On the way to the boat, we take the time to read the cruising contract, we are required to sign before boarding, with the boys. We make sure to emphasize that we will be responsible for any damage that is a result of something anyone in our traveling party did or does, and if anything happens to the wave phone, there will be a $250 charge to our account (I think, it may only be $200), and if one of the boys was responsible for the damage they will be responsible for that charge. At the time we are talking to the boys about the contract, we also give them the speech that goes as follows: If you, at any time, aside from being up on the pool deck area, you find yourself going from a carpeted area to a metal area beneath your feet, STOP, Turn around, and Return to the carpet. The only time you can go 'Back Stage' (meaning anything that is not a guest area) is if you are doing so under the direction of a cast member. ~This suggestion is of course based on the idea that you have previously gone over the safety with adults / strangers topic~ We also explained that if for any reason, we get a call about them from a cast member, punishment is sure to follow (imagine this being said with a serious mom face and with that 'LOOK'.
Okay, back on topic....
When it comes to testing the waters (pun not intended) of maturity and responsibility, I can't think of any better place to do it than on a Disney cruise. Yes, they can find trouble, but there is so much positively engaging fun for them to use their energy on, that if you feel that you can trust them, that they should be safe. I also would not worry about any deep water swimming or high diving.
A few suggestion that have helped us feel comfortable with the test of freedom are:
1) We require everyone dines together for breakfast and dinner. This helps everyone get a good start to the day, and a time to catch up in the evening...side note, this was difficult for me because we are a very tight nit family and enjoy spending time together, so only connecting twice a day took some getting used to.
2)When the boys were first transitioning in to this new freedom, they had to call us when ever they planned to leave one place to go to the next. Keep in mind one of the activities done in Edge is a scavenger hunt in which the counselors send the kiddos out into the far reaches of the boat to find different items, or accomplish different tasks. This is a time when I witnessed several kids running about, causing some kind of trouble. At younger tween ages, our boys were not allowed to participate in that.
3)A rule that we still hold the boys to (well our 21 year old is in his own room, so this no longer applies to him) is they can not go to the cabin with out first contacting us, and getting permission. They are not allowed in anyone elses cabin, period. Again, a place I have seen teens causing problems is when they are running up and down cabin hallways.
4)My last suggestion is one that we have our boys adhere to at home as well. If the phone rings, pick it up. If the boys would not pick up when we called, they would loose the freedom to sign themselves in and out.
And, of course, every rule has it's punishment if broken.
These are just a few suggestions that have worked for our family. They have helped us all to enjoy ourselves and given the boy an opportunity to have a little more freedom. I hope this helps.

~Tink~

 

[Beth Davis]

Thoughts on Pin Trading?

 

[pixiehallow]

Thoughts on Pin Trading?

We have always enjoyed pin trading on the boat. Cast members at guest services and in the shops have pins to trade. Also, when the officers are in the lobby and shopping area, they have lanyards on and are happy to trade. Plus the guest services and the shops have a book that you can ask to look through and trade with. A special tip is if you get to know some of the cast members in the shops, and you let them know which pins you are looking for, they will look for them for you.
As for us, we found that we need to limit ourselves to bring only the pins that we are wanting to trade mainly because you don't want to wear your lanyard with pins everywhere you go on the boat like you do when you are at the parks. This is because we tend to bump it around a bit more, and end up loosing pins. We currently have a few pins that are already packed, and then there are a few that are going to be given as 100 mile gifts (along with a special lanyard).

~Tink~

 

[pixiehallow]

Happy Monday everyone!!!!! After today, there will only be 1 more Forget me Nots . This week I just want to do a fun reminder, and the last Monday before we leave, I will give a check list of what you absolutely need to have out and ready at the port, and a generic packing list for you to do a quick check with.

Today's Forget Me Nots is your Disney Side.

For many, a cruise vacation gives the image of an older, more serious type of crowd (that is unless you are sailing on one of the competitors "party" ships, and that is not really a kid friendly environment). You may envision dinners with everyone all dressed up, or on board activities that do not require to much involvement such as auctions or reading rooms (possibly a room dedicated to board games). Well, that is not what you will find on Disney.
From the moment you board, you will find fun activities for kids of all ages. At the sail away party, you will be encouraged to dance with the characters . Through out the cruise, you will have opportunities to meet and celebrate with the characters . There will be a night that we will be taken over by pirates , and you are encouraged to dress in your full pirate garb, and join in. You will even get to see Beauty and the Beast come to life before your very eyes, not to mention some enchanted plates or tea pots!
Nightly activities encourage the kid in all of us to take part in game shows, and dancing. Which reminds me, there are a few dance parties for you to take part in as well. For those pin traders out there, the officers will invite you to take part in a pin trading event, along with the pin trading that you can do in all of the shops.
If you are not already planning to, I encourage you to dress like your favorite character in formal on our optional semi-formal night. You will be able to spot our family wearing Belle and Beast formals, Stitch decided to skip wearing his Elvis formal unfortunately, and will wear a plan tux instead. Another opportunity to dress up for, is pictures with the characters. If you have a favorite character, watch the Navigator for their appearance so that you can make sure to capture that photo opportunity.
Who out there is a princess lover . You don't have to be a kid to love the princess. And when you are cruising with Disney, no one will judge you (the big kids at heart) for wanting to meet, hug, and get the autograph of your favorite.
Basically (as you may hear Peter Pan say), from the minute you leave dry land until you return back to reality, commit to leaving all adult things behind, and to seeing this adventure through the eyes of the kid inside. There is fun and adventure around every turn when you sail with Disney , all you have to do is be open to the fun.
So, while you are packing, save room for your Disney Side.

Have a great week.

~Tink~