booked our very FIRST disney cruise!!!!!

[northshoremama]

with all of your help/input/feedback, i finally BOOKED our first disney cruise!!!

WC on the fantasy...april 2018! interesting enough, i was SOOO NERVOUS booking it...and i'm still a bit anxious about it. i think now the 'stresses' of planning port adventures begin. i understand we can't do everything, but i do want to pick out excursions that my entire family will enjoy. looking for 5-6 hour excursions so that we have time to get back to the ship and enjoy activities on the ship (if that's even likely to possible...if we aren't too tired from the port excursion).

i'm sure i'll be researching the boards later or even starting a new thread asking for input on WC excursions (Cozumel, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman). it'll be me, DH, DD11, DD10, and DD6.

anywhoo...just wanted to share the great and exciting news!

 

[undertheradar]

 

[mevelandry]

Is it your first cruise?

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Congrats! Relax! You've done the hardest part BY FAR. The rest will be easy. (easier, at least). Don't know if you are coming from far away or driving distance. I actually found the "which of 100 options from the airport to the port" to be the hardest choice, once we had picked an actual cruise. Excursions are not too hard. There are a lot of good choices and you can't do them all. We did the same itinerary as you, but with teenagers, so our excursions choices probably won't help you.

I can give you some relevant advice from our experiences though. Try NOT to plan a day-long excursion for every one of the days in port. We fell in love with a big excursion on each port. The port days are back to back to back, and if it says four to six hours, chances are it will be 7! All of our excursions ran at LEAST an hour longer than advertised. It was great because the excursion was less rushed and we could do more, but if we planned to shop at the port afterwards or hang out on the ship before dinner, it wasn't happening. We got back about 1 hour before all aboard each day.

And doing three days in a row like that was tough. Now, even afterwards, I couldn't pick an excursion I would have preferred to skip, so I don't regret our choices, but it was taxing. When that second day at sea came, we were ready to veg out for a day. (Until we found short Aqua Duck lines that afternoon, then suddenly our strength returned!)

 

[thumpie's mom]

Have fun planning and a great cruise!!!

 

[pontikes67]

1. congrats, best trip ever!
2. don't over plan - cruising is not disney parks, much easier
3. depending on adventure level - i wouldn't go crazy on excursions.
4. 2nd seating at dinner is great.

you don't have to do anything on a cruise to have a blast...take it as it comes and if you don't get 'everything' you think you should (your planning wish list) i guarantee it will be the best trip ever!

 

[northshoremama]

Is it your first cruise?

DH and I did a 2-night repo cruise on another line about 13 years ago. That was our first and only 'cruise'. I got seasick pretty bad, so I will be better prepared this time. Gonna see if I can get the patch from my doctor.

 

[mevelandry]

DH and I did a 2-night repo cruise on another line about 13 years ago. That was our first and only 'cruise'. I got seasick pretty bad, so I will be better prepared this time. Gonna see if I can get the patch from my doctor.

I heard that some of the side effects of the patch can be pretty strong. You could try non-drowsy Dramamine or Bonine. DH and I alternate with ginger pills and they work very well.

 

[Lunarias]

DH and I did a 2-night repo cruise on another line about 13 years ago. That was our first and only 'cruise'. I got seasick pretty bad, so I will be better prepared this time. Gonna see if I can get the patch from my doctor.

Or what works great for my family is Sea-bands, they aren't drugs so no drowsy side effects but it's always better to be over prepared (I bring a backup medication just in case but have yet to use it)

 

[northshoremama]

Or what works great for my family is Sea-bands, they aren't drugs so no drowsy side effects but it's always better to be over prepared (I bring a backup medication just in case but have yet to use it)

I heard that some of the side effects of the patch can be pretty strong. You could try non-drowsy Dramamine or Bonine. DH and I alternate with ginger pills and they work very well.

what's a good remedy for kids? do they have kid-sized sea bands? my oldest DD mentions that she starts to feel sick when she reads in the car (i get the same way). i wanna be prepared for my kids too.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I don't know what they have available for kids under 12. I can only offer you anecdotal evidence with my own sons. One of mine is fairly sensitive to motion sickness. Definitely he can't read in a car, for instance. He isn't as bad as I am with motion, but still pretty bad. But when we were on the Fantasy for a week, he had no trouble. Perhaps your daughter won't either, but hopefully someone else can speak to what options you might have.

 

[mevelandry]

what's a good remedy for kids? do they have kid-sized sea bands? my oldest DD mentions that she starts to feel sick when she reads in the car (i get the same way). i wanna be prepared for my kids too.

Go to the drugstore and ask your pharmacist for recommendations. I'm sure you have plenty of options and you'll find one you are comfortable with.

You might be okay but I wouldn't take any chance.

I've been sea sick on the first night of my first cruise because I waited to see if I would be fine. I wasn't! I took the medication but I have been miserable all night before it started working out.

 

[SonyaShay]

do they have kid-sized sea bands?

Yes they have kids sized sea bands. We ordered them from Amazon before our last cruise.

 

[MSPeeler]

what's a good remedy for kids? do they have kid-sized sea bands? my oldest DD mentions that she starts to feel sick when she reads in the car (i get the same way). i wanna be prepared for my kids too.

My pediatrician prescribed a dissolvable tablet called Zofran for both me and my children (history of car sickness), and it tasted good. Lol

 

[disneycruiser1234]

Do people often get sea sick? This is our first cruise and I hadn't even thought about it.

 

[northshoremama]

Do people often get sea sick? This is our first cruise and I hadn't even thought about it.

i got sick on a repositioning cruise about 13 years ago...and i was NOT prepared. definitely will be prepared this time around...and my oldest daughter does get a bit of motion sickness in the car when she reads (just like me), so wanna be prepared for my kids just in case too.

have fun on your first cruise!

 

[Laundress]

Congratulations. enjoy your planning.

 

[MSPeeler]

Do people often get sea sick? This is our first cruise and I hadn't even thought about it.

I got nauseated twice on our 5 day cruise. Once during dinner, and another after the show. I was just happy to have something! My daughter (10 yr old) only had to take 1 during dinner on the 2nd night. My inlaws, husband, 8 yr old and toddler were fine.