For the First Time Cruisers -Ask your questions here

[jeanigor]

Next question-are there safes in the staterooms? I have not seen anything about there possible existence in all the stateroom information.
thank you

Yes. There are safes in the closets of the staterooms. They activated by passing a card with a magnetic strip through the scanner to lock.unlock them. Any card with a magnetic strip will work. I wouldn't recommend the card the DCL gives you that has your info and stuff on it.
My roommate and I stayed at the Dolphin pre-cruise. We kept our room keys from there and uses them as safe keys on the ship. Nobody else had access to them, and if for some reason somebody else found the key, it would look like an old hotel room key (worthless). I've heard of some people using the library card or Sam's club card.
As far as size goes, I am not sure. I stuck my passport and cash in. My roommate had more important things that he accessed everyday. I think the safes may be getting a size upgrade during drydock? Someone who is better in the know than I am would be able to answer this for you.

 

[lindsey clare]

Depends on what you are drinking. I didn't find them to be that out of line. A martini is around $6, drink of the day in a regular glass $5. Souvenir glasses are more obviously. I don't drink beer so I can't answer that.

coming from Australia, that seems like VERY reasonable. we pay upwards of $15AUD for a cocktail here. so... cocktails here we come!

 

[winotracy]

Sorry, too busy to answer questions yesterday.

Thank you for answering my questions!

I have another-Do cellphones work on board? I will have a youngish teen with me who loves his independance(too much) & I like to be able to call his cell when I want to know where he is. I was reading that with the kids clubs the parents get a pager but with the teens they do not get a pager.
Thanks in advance

As I understand it, cell phones will work, but International Rates will apply...if I'm wrong, someone please correct me. What we are going to do, is arrange through our provider to have a month of an international calling plan so we can text or call when needed.

I concur. International rates would be in play. Maybe up to $1 per text? Don't know...have to ask someone who has texted before while on board and if they have a comparable plan to yours.

And don't forget, you get charged for the text (or phone call) if someone is trying to reach you. So if your son leaves his phone in the cabin and goes and has a blast on Castaway Cay, and some of his buddies back home text him. Ching. Ching. Ching. Ching. Ching.

Perhaps, a better solution to having contact with your son may be a set of two-way radios (kinda like walkie talkies) and turning off the cell phone as we left Port Canaveral. The upfront cost may seem large, but would be better than getting a cell phone bill with humongous charges after we returned home.

International rates do apply but a month of international plans can be expensive if you have the internet on your phone. It was cheaper to pay for a call on the phone with the international rate. I believe I was charged around $2.49 a minute. And yes, you are charged for all incoming calls as well. We just activated international calling and were all set. Two-way radios work great (get the longest range you can afford). Though when I gave me nephew one and he went to the arcade and couldn't figure out the tokens, his and mine almost got thrown overboard ("come in aunt tracy, over and out" "aunt tracy, are you there" "where are you aunt tracy" all in about 5 minutes from when I got the first message until I was there)

Next question-are there safes in the staterooms? I have not seen anything about there possible existence in all the stateroom information.
thank you

The safes on the Magic are different than the Wonder. We suspect that the Wonder's will be changed at drydock and they will be like the Magic ones. They will no longer need a card to open, you will punch in a pin code. They are also much larger than before. I can put a very small laptop in the one we had.

 

[lovethecastle]

double post-sorry

 

[lovethecastle]

just wanted to say thank you to tracy, cerniva & jeanigor for their answers
about cell phones & room safes.
I do hope they change out the room safes to pin number instead of the magnetic strip. I would be afraid of id theft using any card with important info on it.
Now that I think of it I think I remember kevin & john saying they threw their walkie talkies overboard on a cruise because they were kind of difficult. Cell
phones it is-( i probably couldn't operate a walkie talkie anyway).
thanks again & i'm done for now

 

[farmergirl]

Can anyone tell me what time we should be getting off the ship on the 16th. Neve cruised before so I was wondering if it would be morning of afternoon. Thanks!

 

[winotracy]

Can anyone tell me what time we should be getting off the ship on the 16th. Neve cruised before so I was wondering if it would be morning of afternoon. Thanks!

Morning. The ship clears customs between 7:30 and 8:00 am. Everyone must be off the ship between 9:00 am and 9:30 am.

 

[OKW Lover]

Morning. The ship clears customs between 7:30 and 8:00 am. Everyone must be off the ship between 9:00 am and 9:30 am.

Tracy knows.

I think we were back at WDW by 11:00

 

[WebmasterMike]

Does the ship move?

 

[winotracy]

Does the ship move?

Only between ports of call.

 

[kimisabella]

Morning. The ship clears customs between 7:30 and 8:00 am. Everyone must be off the ship between 9:00 am and 9:30 am.

We were one of the first off the ship, I want to say it was like 7:15 a.m. We were walking around DTD by 8:30 a.m. - and nothing was open yet, except for McDonalds!

 

[farmergirl]

Thank you. The cruise is way to far away to be as excited as I am!!! But I just can't help it!

 

[Cherinva]

Thank you. The cruise is way to far away to be as excited as I am!!! But I just can't help it!

I feel the same way...especially since our passports arrived yesterday..now it all seems real.

 

[disneyholic family]

cell phone question again (sorry if this was answered earlier in the thread)...
do cell phones work when the ship is "at sea", or just in port?

when we were last on the Wonder (a few years back), cell phones only worked in nassau...not when the ship was out....

has this changed?

DH was just asking me about this..
he's seriously considering coming along, but he has to be available by phone 24/7....so i said i'd check...

 

[winotracy]

cell phone question again (sorry if this was answered earlier in the thread)...
do cell phones work when the ship is "at sea", or just in port?

when we were last on the Wonder (a few years back), cell phones only worked in nassau...not when the ship was out....

has this changed?

DH was just asking me about this..
he's seriously considering coming along, but he has to be available by phone 24/7....so i said i'd check...

When you are in port, cell phones will work off of local towers. While at sea, you can get service on most cell phones on the ship. You do have to have international calling on your phone and you are charged a set per minute roaming rate (I think Verizon is $2.99 a minute).

 

[jcb]

At sea roaming rate for AT&T calls was 2.49 per minute in Dec. 2008.

 

[mainegal]

I feel the same way...especially since our passports arrived yesterday..now it all seems real.

Now put your passports in a safe place.
NO!!!
Not that safe place! You won't remember the location of that safe place.
Put them in the other safe place. The one you will remember!

 

[WebmasterMike]

Only between ports of call.

You are such a difuser!

 

[disneyholic family]

When you are in port, cell phones will work off of local towers. While at sea, you can get service on most cell phones on the ship. You do have to have international calling on your phone and you are charged a set per minute roaming rate (I think Verizon is $2.99 a minute).

that's great!!
Thanks Tracy!!

 

[Cherinva]

Now put your passports in a safe place.
NO!!!
Not that safe place! You won't remember the location of that safe place.
Put them in the other safe place. The one you will remember!

LOL...now that's funny. I always do that, put things in a safe place and never remember where that safe place is. I promise, I will remember where these are....my isssue will be remembering to bring them with us....guess it's time to start the "LIST"