November 10, 2018 - Disney Fantasy 7-Night Very MerryTime Western Caribbean

Looking at flights and they are ugly so I think we are going to be driving. I just mapped it and it's 19 hours, not 22....still ugly.

The drive down is much easier than the drive home. The drive home is tough.

Our drive is opposite. The drive home seems easier for us, and we drive straight through going home, haha! I think it feels like we are "home" about an hour before we actually get home though... so maybe that's why?
 
So I've been looking at excursions for Dolphins Encounters (family of 5) as my In-Laws will likely just do the Observation and GEEEEE-WIZZZ it is so expensive! We may only be able to do 1 excursion for the entire cruise :/

Have y'all been looking into anything yet?
 
We do an excursion once in a great while, choosing instead to stay on the ship and enjoy it when it's less crowded. The excursions are crazy expensive. We have been to all these ports before and did excursions on them many, many years ago.

Probably in Cozumel, we will get off to look around in the shopping area right off the ship and then back on the ship....we aren't big shoppers.

We may take the tender into Grand Cayman, grab a rum cake and head back to the ship.

Jamaica, we won't even bother getting off, unless I see something of interest when we dock. We have been to Jamaica before on a cruise but this is a different dock so we'll see.

We love Cast Away so we will be getting off the ship there. DH will head back after a couple of hours, while DD and I stay on the island for a few more hours.

Dolphin encounters look pretty cool.
 
One of our favorite excursions was the Tulum Ruins about 15 years, or more, ago in Mexico. It's a long excursion with a long bus and ferry ride away with really, really bad bathrooms that we still joke about to this day...all bad bathrooms get measured to these. The ruins and the views were spectacular. It is built on top of a cliff looking over the ocean and there is rock stairs down to a gorgeous beach.
 


One of our favorite excursions was the Tulum Ruins about 15 years, or more, ago in Mexico. It's a long excursion with a long bus and ferry ride away with really, really bad bathrooms that we still joke about to this day...all bad bathrooms get measured to these. The ruins and the views were spectacular. It is built on top of a cliff looking over the ocean and there is rock stairs down to a gorgeous beach.

My husband and FIL are big history buffs and really want to do some sort of Ruins. It's our first time to any of these ports. I'm not sure about the travel time though for these ruins (Chitchen Itza or Tulum). We'll have to see, talk it out. I really want to do the Dolphin Encounter and FIL wants to do Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica, so I'm sure we will be doing at least that there. Most likely staying on in Grand Caymen since you have to Tender and FIL has bad sea sickness on smaller boats (go figure). Castaway we will for SURE get off. Last time we didn't even venture past the first beach, had no idea what we were doing, haha. I've read a lot more now but we won't be doing any excursions there. Just enjoying the sun and sand!
 
I can't remember how this all works. It's been 3 years since our last Disney cruise. We started on Fantasy, so we'll never go back :-) This will be # 3 for us and we booked tonight!!!! We have definitely different age groups this go round. What is the club situation for an 11yr old and 8 yr old. 2 boys.
 
I can't remember how this all works. It's been 3 years since our last Disney cruise. We started on Fantasy, so we'll never go back :-) This will be # 3 for us and we booked tonight!!!! We have definitely different age groups this go round. What is the club situation for an 11yr old and 8 yr old. 2 boys.

Hi! So glad to have you here :)
I’m Michelle. I’m cruising with my husband 3 kids (my DD will be 12, and DS’s will be 10 & 4), and my in-laws.

Your boys age 8 & 10 will be able to be together in both the Oceaneer Club and Lab, or seperate if they prefer. Tween club isn’t available till age 11, I believe.

Do you have specific questions about the club itself? We were on the Dream in May ‘16 which I know is very similar, and my kids loved it. Rarely wanted to leave! Haha.
 


I meant to say 8 and 11. We have birthdays between now and then .what is the tween club like?
 
Looking at flights and they are ugly so I think we are going to be driving. I just mapped it and it's 19 hours, not 22....still ugly.

The drive down is much easier than the drive home. The drive home is tough.

I can’t believe the flight prices! We were hoping to book with our Delta reward points. When I priced out a sample trip last year, it looked like 20,000 points each for the six of us. Now just the flights back are more than that. I will keep checking and hoping they drop.
 
We booked flights yesterday. They were still a bit high but I just don’t think the flights are going to come down to what they once were a few years ago. They were a little less than a few weeks ago so we jumped on them. We are flying in two nights before so we can do Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

I know the date of the final payment but is there a reason why we should pay earlier than that date? This is only our third cruise. When can you book things on board and check in and sign up for kids club?
 
Last edited:
We booked flights yesterday. They were still a bit high but I just don’t think the flights are going to come down to what they once were a few years ago. They were a little less than a few weeks ago so we jumped on them. We are flying in two nights before so we can do Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

I know the date of the final payment but is there a reason why we should pay earlier than that date? This is only our third cruise. When can you book things on board and check in and sign up for kids club?


We aren’t able to book anything on-board or kids clubs till PIF date, August 12, 2018. I’m not really sure the advantage of paying before then though. My last cruise was booked within 90 days, so we had to pay the whole thing upon booking.

Anyone know? I may ask in the main thread...
 
Hello All!!

My daughter and I will be joining you on this cruise! It will be my 12th DCL cruise and her 6th DCL Cruise :) It will be my first cruise as a Single Mom so I'm nervous yet excited.

My daughter will turn 5 on the cruise 11/12/18 so she is super excited for this.

I haven't been able to read all the comments yet, but is there an FE for this yet? We'd love to join.
 
Hello All!!

My daughter and I will be joining you on this cruise! It will be my 12th DCL cruise and her 6th DCL Cruise :) It will be my first cruise as a Single Mom so I'm nervous yet excited.

My daughter will turn 5 on the cruise 11/12/18 so she is super excited for this.

I haven't been able to read all the comments yet, but is there an FE for this yet? We'd love to join.

Hello!!

We haven’t yet set-up a Fish Extender here, but I won’t be able to participate.

(*EDIT to add: FE Sign-Up form is in the First Post)

We still have 8 months till cruise, so I’m not sure on what etiquette is on sign up groups, anyone?

So fun your daughter will be celebrating a birthday on board!

My kids will be 12, 10 and 4. The youngerst will turn 4 in August and is struggling with becoming self reliably potty trained still.... so we will see by then if he will even be able to attend kids clubs. I don’t trust him to take himself to the bathroom, LOL.

This will be our 2nd cruise, first time in an ocean view room. I’m hoping it helps with the nausea I felt on the first cruise.

Now that I’ve given you way more info than you wanted, Welcome aboard! :rotfl2:
 
Last edited:
I’m ready, but not ready!!

This year is flying by it’s so crazy, I can’t believe it is almost May already. It will only be 6 months to go then :teeth:
 
Hello!!

We haven’t yet set-up a Fish Extender here, but I won’t be able to participate.

We still have 8 months till cruise, so I’m not sure on what etiquette is on sign up groups, anyone?

Hi!! IMO I would say if someone wanted to start a FE list now might be a good time as we're about 6 months out. The list usually has a close date about 1 month before sailing so people can get their items together etc...

The airefares seem high. We booked ours on Jetblue the day they extended their schedule and glad we did. When I checked the prices 2 days later it was so high! The price I paid for 3 tickets is what they were charging for 1 ticket! :scared: Now I know the prices will go up and down but wow!

Can't wait for our cruise!!
 
I’d be open to organizing an FE group if enough want to join?

(*EDIT to add: FE Sign-Up form is in the First Post)

Can’t believe we’re down to 6 months.
Looks like we ARE staying in Orlando Thanksgiving week after all. We won’t be staying on Disney property, or visiting their parks as of now but maybe a Character dining or something similar. We’re planing on visiting Universal since last time we went there my daughter got heat stroke and we ended up in the ER

Getting exciting!
 
Last edited:
I’d be open to organizing an FE group if enough want to join?

Can’t believe we’re down to 6 months.
Looks like we ARE staying in Orlando Thanksgiving week after all. We won’t be staying on Disney property, or visiting their parks as of now but maybe a Character dining or something similar. We’re planing on visiting Universal since last time we went there my daughter got heat stroke and we ended up in the ER

Getting exciting!

Great that you are able to extend the vacation into the following week after the cruise!

Years ago we did a week at Disney followed by a week cruise and it was wonderful. DD knew about Disney part of the trip but when we packed up to leave, she thought we were driving home. Unfortunately the surprise didn't turn out too well....lol. When I pointed out the ship in the distance and ask her if she wanted to sail with Mickey, she said no that she wanted to go back to Disney...lol. She did warm up to the cruise by the next day and had a great time.

Yikes about the heat stroke, that must have been scary.

Only 186 more days to go!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!







Top