Several Good Questions, Various Subjects....

[catjammies]

How do you handle bringing on Garment Bags? Should we "check" them or carry on?

Can you RENT a SUIT rather than a TUX???

When does Checkin Begin???
When does Boarding Begin???
What do you do after you check in, but before you board?

What are your experiences w/your kids getting seasick?
Is it common among children?
What sort of meds are best for them?
Is medication readily available? or should I bring something?

We're staying on Deck 6. Where exactly is the 6th Deck Laundry located? I don't see it noted on the Deck Plan???
Is it the ONLY laundry room on the ship or are there others???

I saw mention of Parrot Cay being open "as you're boarding" for lunch. Is the Topsiders also open? Is it simply a choice of formal/less formal eating that first day? At that time is it still important to wear pants for lunch?--or is it lenient in the diningroom just this particular day? !!!! (Certainly would not want to dress up the first day, if it wasn't necessary!)

What hours ARE there for Lunch "during boarding"/???

 

[WDWLVR]

Wow - lots of good questions. let's see which I can help with:

When does Boarding Begin??? Usually around noon - maybe a little earlier or later

When does Checkin Begin???
I think the port opens at 10:30 and check in starts the same time

How do you handle bringing on Garment Bags? Should we "check" them or carry on? We've always checked ours with the airline and it goes right to our room with the rest of the luggage

What do you do after you check in, but before you board? Most people opt to stand in line and wait to board so they get on early. There are seats near TV's playing Disney cartoons if you don't want to wait in line. You can also go out on a deck and see the ship.

I saw mention of Parrot Cay being open "as you're boarding" for lunch. Is the Topsiders also open? Is it simply a choice of formal/less formal eating that first day? At that time is it still important to wear pants for lunch?--or is it lenient in the diningroom just this particular day? !!!! (Certainly would not want to dress up the first day, if it wasn't necessary!) The same menu is done in both - buffet style. They will try and fill up Parrot Cay first and then Topsiders, but you can go right up - they have never stopped us. I believe they serve lunch until at least 2pm. After that hot dogs, etc. from Plutos is available.


Not sure about the other answers for you, but I'm sure others will post to help as well.

 

[ToDisney]

Originally posted by catjammies
How do you handle bringing on Garment Bags? Should we "check" them or carry on?

Can you RENT a SUIT rather than a TUX???

When does Checkin Begin???
When does Boarding Begin???
What do you do after you check in, but before you board?

What are your experiences w/your kids getting seasick?
Is it common among children?
What sort of meds are best for them?
Is medication readily available? or should I bring something?

We're staying on Deck 6. Where exactly is the 6th Deck Laundry located? I don't see it noted on the Deck Plan???
Is it the ONLY laundry room on the ship or are there others???

I saw mention of Parrot Cay being open "as you're boarding" for lunch. Is the Topsiders also open? Is it simply a choice of formal/less formal eating that first day? At that time is it still important to wear pants for lunch?--or is it lenient in the diningroom just this particular day? !!!! (Certainly would not want to dress up the first day, if it wasn't necessary!)

What hours ARE there for Lunch "during boarding"/???

*We checked our garment bag.
*DH brought a suit...don't know if you can rent them.
*Check in begins around 10:45
*Boarding begins between noon and 1.
*We stood in line after checking in waiting to board.
*Our kids (12, 9 and 3) did not get seasick.
*I don't know what meds are available... I brought my own pharmacy.
*Laundry on deck 6 is across from 6588.
*Other laundry rooms are across from 2096 and 7590.
*Topsiders is open for lunch after boarding.
*We always ate lunch at Topsiders, so I don't know about the dress code for Parrot Cay during lunch.
*I don't remember the hours for lunch "during boarding". It "seemed" like food was served all day.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by catjammies
How do you handle bringing on Garment Bags? Should we "check" them or carry on?

I always pack a suitcase and a garment bag and check both. My advice would be to keep your carry-on as small as possible, as you may be toting it around the ship for an hour or so after boarding before your room is ready.

Can you RENT a SUIT rather than a TUX???

I would assume you can, although it's not likely to be any cheaper.

When does Checkin Begin???
When does Boarding Begin???
What do you do after you check in, but before you board?

The port terminal usually opens at around 10:30am. Boarding usually begins at 12:15-12:30pm. There isn't much to do in the terminal. There's a big model of the ship which is pretty cool to look at for a few minutes. There's also an area with a TV which runs cartoons that the kids can watch. There are also a few characters loose in the terminal to entertain. I usually just stake out a place in the boarding line and read.

What are your experiences w/your kids getting seasick?
Is it common among children?
What sort of meds are best for them?
Is medication readily available? or should I bring something?

The ships have stabilizers, and are pretty stable, but you do feel the movement. I personally don't have much problem with motion sickness, but I bring over-the-counter Bonine just in case. I would suggest speaking with a physician about this, especially in the case of children.

We're staying on Deck 6. Where exactly is the 6th Deck Laundry located? I don't see it noted on the Deck Plan???
Is it the ONLY laundry room on the ship or are there others???

While I'm not sure where the deck 6 laundry room is located, I know that it is not the only one on the ship. There is one on deck 7 that I've seen. I'm reasonable sure that there are others, too.

I saw mention of Parrot Cay being open "as you're boarding" for lunch. Is the Topsiders also open? Is it simply a choice of formal/less formal eating that first day? At that time is it still important to wear pants for lunch?--or is it lenient in the diningroom just this particular day? !!!! (Certainly would not want to dress up the first day, if it wasn't necessary!)

Both Parrot Cay and the Buffet are open for lunch as you board. I always eat at Topsider's so I can eat out on deck, but I believe that the menu is the same.

I would recommend wearing pants whenever you're out of your stateroom....

Seriously, though, the "no shorts" rule in the dining rooms is only for dinners. At breakfast and lunch (throughout the week) you can wear shorts to either the buffet or the restaurants. They just ask that you don't wear swimsuits.

What hours ARE there for Lunch "during boarding"???

I believe that lunch is served from the time boarding begins until 3:30pm, when all the ship's services are suspended in anticipation of the lifeboat muster drill.

 

[CoolMom02]

Seasickness: my kids 8 and 15 never felt the boat moving. I brought along Bonine just in case, but the Magic is so smooth your hardly ever felt it moving. Also I think the kids are all so excited and busy that unless they are prone to motion sickness it shouldn't be a problem. I also bring along all the meds I might need so I don't have to go searching for them if needed.

We ate at Parrot Cay the first day and everyone had on what they boarded in. Mostly shorts. Shorts were always allowed at breakfast and lunch in the dining rooms.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi Lloyd Dobler.

I would recommend wearing pants whenever you're out of your stateroom....

Darn, you missed an opportunity to give one lunch seating quite a thrill...


Hi catjammies.

What sort of meds are best for them?

Definitely speak to your pediatrician before giving the children any medication for motion/seasickness.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by Buckaroo's Dad
Darn, you missed an opportunity to give one lunch seating quite a thrill...

Sorry if I stepped on your toes with that one, BD, but it was a nice fat pitch and I had to swing at it....

 

[CruzNMom]

For our first cruise I bought the wrist bands from CVS for seasickness. I sometimes get sick if in the back seat of a car so I was afraid I'd get seasick. I wore them the first couple of days and never had a problem, never felt any movement so I took them off. On the 3rd day my daughter thought she might be feeling seasick so she put them on. She felt better but I'm not sure if the bands had anything to do with it.

On our second cruise the ship had to stop just northwest of Cuba to pick up some refugees whose boat was sinking. We had to maintain position for an hour or so waiting on the Coast Guard. I did feel ship movement then (harder to maintain position than sail). I had a fleeting feeling of seasickness but took a few deep breaths and felt better. Neither of my kids felt anything.

 

[4myguys]

In response to motion sickness, I had to take Dramamine one night and it made me very sleepy. I was out for the night. My kids and DH had no problems with motion sickness. In fact, it might have been the whirlwind made by my DS' that made me sick.

Anyway, I have just read about ginger in Better Homes and Gardens used to treat motion sickness. Check out a website, www.preggiepops.com and go to webmd.com and search "ginger". It seems to be safe. I might even try some next year.

 

[holly dolly]

Wait a minute CruzNMom -
You had to stop to pick up refugees?!!!That sure makes a memorable vacation.

 

[catjammies]

Coming from a life of HELL, thinking you're gonna SINK, you're in the middle of nowhere in the ocean, and the Disney Magic picks you up!!! WOW. Bet they didn't know what to think.
Disney probably fed them great food & put them up for a day....I wonder where?

 

[Tigfanjeff]

Originally posted by catjammies
Coming from a life of HELL, thinking you're gonna SINK, you're in the middle of nowhere in the ocean, and the Disney Magic picks you up!!! WOW. Bet they didn't know what to think.
Disney probably fed them great food & put them up for a day....I wonder where?

Actually I'm guessing that the Coast Guard took them from the Disney Ship and repatriated them to Cuba. Its pretty much the standard.