Planning
For us, we hadn't planned on doing a Disney cruise. We had our Fall vacation planned and that was going to be our last one of the year. Then Disney announced some AMAZING deals for cruise out of Galveston and we couldn't pass it up. We love cruising and it gave me a great opportunity for you all to learn more about why cruising is so great!! In March we sailed on the maiden voyage of the Fantasy (you can read about it here). That was only a 3 night cruise but this time we are cruising out of Galveston for 6 nights to the Western Caribbean.
There are 5 of us traveling for this trip:
Of course there is me and my hubby. He's so excited to be cruising again...unfortunately he is afraid of flying. We always fly direct to Florida but this time we'll have layovers. I'm nervous about getting him to fly 4 times but I know he'll be ok.
Then there is our crazy adorable daughter, Kennedy. I wanted to wait until she was a bit older to cruise. She can't use the pools as she's not potty trained yet and this is so disappointing because SHE loves the water! The deal we got was too good to pass up but I know she'll have a great time. For those keeping track she'll turn 16 months just before we leave...time is FLYING!
The three of us will be in a Category 5b Verandah Stateroom on Deck 7. We booked a GTY and are really happy with our location.
Also joining us again is my parents. This will be their VERY first cruise and I'm so excited for them!
They booked after we did. We booked them an IGT room. If you aren't familiar this is a deeply discounted rate that is usually available last minute. It means that they were guaranteed an Inside room. We just got their room assignment and they indeed got an inside room on Deck 2. They will try and upgrade once we get to the port.
When selecting a stateroom type you have several options:
-Inside Room (no windows except on the Dream Class Ships where you have a real time Porthole)
-Outside Room (Large Porthole Window (sometimes 2)
-Verandah Room
-Suites
You can pay full price for these in advance and select your stateroom if you wish. As you get closer to the cruise you may have the option of a GTY room which means you are GUARANTEED that category or higher and you won't be assigned a room until about 30 days prior. Then of course are the last minute deals I already mentioned. If your ship isn't full you may have the opportunity to upgrade once you check-in at the port.
We will be flying down the day prior to ensure we arrive in plenty of time. When sailing out of Galveston you have two options for airports:
-Houston Hobby HOU (closest)
-George Bush (IAH) (further)
Disney does service both of these airports if you choose to use them, but remember that is only the day OF the cruise. Since we are flying in the night before we've opted for a rental car. We also have selected a hotel in Galveston (Comfort Suites) which offers a shuttle to the port.
We have an arrival time to the port at 11:30 a.m. (selected during online check-in). We've also pre-selected a few things prior to our arrival:
-A Pedicure appointment for my Mom
-Palo Brunch for the 4 of us
-Palo Dinner for the hubs and I
-Nursery time for Kennedy
-Mayan Ruins Tour for my Dad, hubby and I
Be sure to take advantage of online check-in before you sail!
Day 1
Our arrival day will be pretty simple. After we check-in and board, we'll have lunch and explore the ship. Hubby and I are meeting up with some other people sailing the ship in the afternoon prior to the Muster Drill. Then it's time for the Sail Away party and dinner!
Day 2
I'm really excited about our first day at Sea! We'll be dropping the baby off at the nursery for our Palo Brunch. I'm most excited (and nervous) about being unplugged! It will be odd to be disconnected for so long!
I hope that you find walking through the process step by step with me is helpful! Don't hesitate to ask questions or contact me if you are interested in booking a cruise!
This is great information Amanda, thank you. I hope to someday need it :-) I am curious though. You said that Kennedy can not swim in the pools because she is not potty trained. I thought children could use the pools if they had a swim diaper on, at least in the kiddie pool? Does this mean there is no place on board she can paddle around? Seems a bit unfair to me..
ReplyDeleteSuz
Great question Suz!! Official policy from Disney is that children that are not potty trained and still using swim diapers may not enter any of the pools on the ship (Not true for Walt Disney World). They do have a splash area for them, but it's not a pool. In fact the new splash area onboard the Fantasy is AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog header. I tried to leave a comment on mousechick but couldn't figure out how to do so. I'm a Disneyland annual passholder. I live only 20 minutes away so I'm there a lot. Love it!
ReplyDeleteSeems a bit harsh to me though Amanda. What about kids with disabilities or just ones who need a bit of protection, ya know? You shell out that kind of money and no pool? That would be disappointing. Oh well, a cruise is not in the foreseeable future for us anyway :-( Thanks for clarifying that Amanda..
ReplyDeleteSuz
Heather thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteSuz, I know it seems harsh but it is a safety precaution. Illness is harder to control on the ships and if someone gets sick it can easily be spread very quickly. The easy answer is to keep any child that has a diaper (waterproof or not) out of the pool.