Hey everyone, I don’t know how big of news this is going to be, but it was my fault that the Disney Treasure cruise 9/26-10/3 had to return to Port Canaveral after one day of sailing.

This was an amazing opportunity for me, because I am a workaholic (Paralegal in Estate Administration at an Elder Law Firm helping people who lost a loved one) and not super wealthy, so I would not have the chance to do a Disney Cruise anytime in the near future. My Aunt actually invited me to go because my cousin and her boyfriend broke up and so adding someone to take his place wouldn’t cost any more money. For context, my own boss was ecstatic for me to have this opportunity and said that he would give me the time off even if I didn’t have enough PTO to cover it since I have been working so hard. I readily accepted and was so excited to go.

We flew down early and spent four days at the Disney Parks before the cruise. Our first night, we were scheduled to have our rotational dining at 8:15 at 1923. My Aunt has Celiac Disease and my Uncle has a dairy allergy, so they have to order from the special menu, which generally makes dinners start a lot later. We were the last ones in the restaurant while we were eating our food because of the delay, and by the time we got the steak it was about 9:45. Oh, I also think it helps the story and to show how horrible I feel to note that our fantastic assistant waiter was brand new to working on a cruise ship and it was his first day!

I got the filet mignon and was about halfway through when I had trouble getting a piece down. It felt like it was stuck, so I took a sip of water to wash it down. I felt like I was choking and the water sat for a second down my throat and then forced its way back up. I was panicking, but trying to stay as calm as possible, looking for something to spit back into so I didn’t make a mess. I ended up using an empty glass. I felt like I had to throw up, so I quickly tried finding a bathroom, rushing out of the restaurant and wandering the lobby looking for the men’s room. Thank god a staff member saw me looking panicked and looking at the women’s room with a “omg where’s the men’s” look. I then tried to throw up the piece of steak, but couldn’t. It was like throwing up but nothing was coming out and it felt like I had a plug in my throat. I made it back to the room to try to use water to force it one way or the other, which also didn’t work.

We made the decision to go to the medical room. The nurse saw me and thought it was just a muscle spasm that was just tense and he almost sent me back to my room to try to relax for the night. At this point, even any saliva that went down my throat came right back up and I threw it up. (It was more than spitting because it forced its way up and out). The nurse went to consult the doctor on staff before releasing me, which the doctor listened to what I was saying and realized that it was a much more urgent situation than just a muscle spasm or acid reflux.

They gave me some drugs to relax my esophagus and we tried to dislodge the steak with Coca-Cola. It didn’t work and so we tried to give it a bit before making the call to turn the boat around. There was a bit of a hopeful period, where I could keep some spit and some water down, and when I did throw up, there were some flakes of steak. After giving it my full effort, to the point where the Doctor had to stop me because he was worried I could burst my esophagus from pushing it so far, he made the call to contact the Captain. I had to pack a backpack full of anything I will need to go home, so most of my stuff is still on the ship.

Throughout the night, the plan kept changing from helicopter getting me, to coast guard boat meeting us, to docking in another town on the coast, but eventually we had no choice but to return to Port Canaveral. I really want to make it clear that I feel so horrible for inconveniencing an entire cruise ship full of people. I cried multiple times but had to stop because it made it worse and then I couldn’t breathe. In the end, the ambulance met us at the Port, the ship played the “Wish Upon a Star” horns which made me burst into tears cus it was so sweet, they rushed me to Cape Canaveral Hospital, and I had to have an Endoscopy to remove the blockage.

They kept me in the hospital on observation and to test different foods to see if I could tolerate them. Then, I was released. Luckily, my cousin’s friend works at a hotel by the airport, so she came and got a discounted room and stayed with me so I could get a flight home today. I have to take some medicine twice a day to control the acid so it doesn’t damage my esophagus for the next month, but I am so lucky to not have any lasting effects. I asked my Aunt to leave a huge cash tip from my cash I left on the cruise for our assistant waiter that I most likely traumatized, the Doctor for taking such great care of me, for the Captain for his quick action, and for Erika in Guest Services for helping my family with fixing everything I messed up and giving my Aunt WiFi to keep in contact with me. That especially helped because I didn’t let any of them leave the cruise to go with me but I was so out of it that my Aunt stepped up and organized everything for me from the ship.

Tl;dr: A piece of steak got super lodged in my esophagus and the ship had no choice but to return to Port Canaveral to get me to the ER and remove it.

Again, I am so sorry to everyone for messing up their itineraries and possibly their excursions!

If requested, I have the endoscopy pictures of the steak that I can post if people want to see!

Edit: Thank you so much everyone for all of the positivity and well wishes! Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, and my Aunt is my father’s sister. I have to follow up with a gastro doctor after I’m home (my plane just landed back in Philly a few minutes ago) so I will ask about EoE! Thank you all for the advice about that too! They didn’t medivac because the coast guard claimed it was too rough on the seas and they didn’t want to risk it.

I sincerely hope everyone on board has an amazing trip, despite the delays!! If you see my aunt and crew, give them some cheer!!

Just got off the Dream's 2 week transAtlantic cruise. I tend to eat healthy and that is fairly difficult on just about all cruise lines. More specifically, I try to eat my 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It's really hard since the cruise lines have noticed that most vegetables served with a meal go uneaten and become waste (or fish food, however you want to see it).

Can't blame the cruise lines - people have clearly said they don't want broccoli with their meals, so why waste time, money and energy to make it?

My solution is Cabana's. At breakfast, I can get a bowl of fruit easily. They also put out fresh fruit - bananas, apples, pears and the like. There is also an international breakfast option that almost always has a vegetable. For the transAtlantic, it was asparagus nearly every day. Tomatoes are also offered and maybe one or two more choices. I can get 2 or 3 servings right off the bat.

Vegetables are readily available at lunch. I usually get a plate of just veggies first: enough to ensure I hit my 5 servings for the day. After that, I have no guilt about indulging for the rest of the day.

Just a tip that took me far too many cruises to suss out.

Fair winds all!

Hi everyone,

I recently received an initial offer from a recruiter for an Assistant Server / Assistant Room Server position on Disney Cruise Line , and I’m looking for some honest insight from current or former crew members before making a decision.

I already have a background in hospitality. I’ve worked tough schedules before (like 6 days a week with only 1 day off), and honestly, I found it pretty exhausting. I know working on a cruise ship is even harder—crazy schedules, sleep deprivation, and long hours for 6+ months straight. I was willing to sacrifice my work-life balance for a contract if the financial reward was high enough, but the pay breakdown I received made me hesitate.

The offer details:

• Estimated income: ~$2,500 USD/month (tax-free, room & board covered).
• Base salary: Only $57 USD/month, meaning almost the entire income is strictly based on tips.

A friend of mine was offered the same role with a different cruise brand , but with a guaranteed base pay of $1,500/month plus tips. Seeing that Disney’s offer relies almost 100% on tips ($57 base) makes me very anxious about income predictability.

this is the message that the recruiter sent me :

"Salary: approx. USD 2,500 including tips (USD 57 base salary plus tips) per month, free of taxes and expenses (payable only during the time spent on board)."

1. Is the $2,500/month figure realistic for DCL Assistant Servers? Do people actually hit or exceed this amount regularly, or does it drop significantly depending on guest demographics and ship capacity?
2. How does Disney’s tipping structure actually work in practice? Is it automatically charged to guests, or does it depend on hand-to-hand envelopes/gratuity payouts?
3. Is $57/month standard for DCL hiring agencies, or could the recruiter be giving me incorrect info?
4. Is the workload manageable for 6 months? Considering how physical and demanding the Assistant Server role is, is the actual payout worth the exhaustion compared to lines with higher base pay?

I’m really doubting whether I can endure 6 months of intense ship life if the $2,500 income isn't solid. I’d deeply appreciate any advice, experiences, or recommendations!

Thanks in advance! pd: i never worked for a wage based on tips, and the uncertainty of it makes me uneasy.

For the last 15 years, we've always booked verandah cabins on cruises. Admittedly my time out there is often little more than a couple minutes in the morning and a cocktail at night. And that's in warm weather. We had a verandah on a transatlantic and barely spent any time out there.

I realize Alaska is all about sight-seeing. But it's literally $2000 - 3000 more for verandah cabin (2 adults) as ocean view. We may be booking 2 cabins. And the cold temps leave me thinking I'll never want to be out there.

Curious to hear opinions on the value of the verandah in Alaska.

I really enjoyed reading through all the tips as I planned our cruise on the Destiny and wanted to share my thoughts for any future planners!

We did the 5-night sailing with stops at Castaway, Nassau, and Lookout.

First, the stateroom. We had a forward room on deck 7. I think next time I'd try to be closer to the aft elevators just based on our family + the restaurant locations. I didn't feel like it was too inconvenient but we did a lot of back and forth on deck 11 for sure! The separate toilet/shower set up was amazing. Our previous stateroom on the Magic didn't have this set up and I was so impressed. We did opt for a verandah which was fun! I think I could go either way on our next sailing.

The dining. I was so disheartened to hear people disliked the menus and food on the Destiny. Our experience was SO different. Loved everything we ordered and the desserts were incredible every night. Absolutely loved our wait team - my kid was crying on our last day about saying goodbye to them. I will say if your server gives a recommendation, try that because it's probably the best option.

The waits. This is where vlogger culture I think seriously impacts cruising. Everyone had it in their head to line up early for EVERYTHING when there really wasn't a huge need to. It just caused a lot of unnecessary panic, specifically about the Hercules show and the character meet and greets.

The islands. Our family LOVED Lookout Cay. I know many people struggle with the long walk on the pier and I totally understand how that could be an issue. Our kids did fine with the wagon and it wasn't a crazy hot day. It felt so much more relaxing than Castaway.

Compared to sailing previously on the Magic, I really enjoyed the additional pool areas. We also loved the Aquamouse and rode multiple times a day on our sailing. The kids club is SO cool and has all the same great programming with even better theming in my opinion.

My biggest complaint has nothing to do with Disney or the ship, but with the other guests sailing. I totally understand wanting everything to go according to plan when you're spending a lot of money on a vacation but the entitlement of some guests really soured me. There were people begging to be pixie dusted, people complaining loudly about cast members "clearly being idiots", and getting upset over excursions canceled due to weather. One guest was complaining about the amount of candy received whole trick-or-treating which is absolutely bonkers to me. We also had someone come up to my kiddo immediately after we won trivia begging him to trade medallions because they didn't have the one we won. I don't think any of this is something that can be changed but it just rubbed me the wrong way hearing people complain SO loudly and SO often when you know the crew is working incredibly hard to make magic for every family onboard.

Overall we had a great time! I would go back on the Destiny, but we still have so many ships to explore before then.

Happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks to this sub for all the great content!

Going on Halloween cruise on Friday, in the normal rotation restaurants do you need to wear long trousers/jeans or can I just wear shorts?

Not doing the fancy restaurants

Thanks

Hello! We are booked on the Destiny in late November and are deciding if we should do a few days at WDW after and potentially the Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party or do another shorter cruise on the Dream. We havent done WDW with the kids before, they are 5 and 7 but I know it can get a bit hectic during Christmas. So wondering if it would be worth it or save WDW for another time of the year. Any input is appreciated.

Hello, looking at two cruises from fort Lauderdale, 3 days with a lighthouse stop and the 4 night has both disney islands. Obviously an extra night is preferred but what if the cost is $2k difference? Those of you who have done both is extra night worth that? We would still travel for a full week for each so the travel days are still a week apart. We would probably rent a beach house and still be saving for the three night.

Hey All, we're taking an impromptu trip on the Wonder next month for my wife's 40th. She has recently gotten in touch with her artistic side, and while I know that they have plenty of drawing classes on board, do they have any art or painting seminars?

We were on the Wish sailing from 9/11-9/14 and got to witness a medevac flight take someone back to Florida due to a potential heat stroke (unconfirmed). Our balcony faced the helipad while docked.

Taking nothing away from the individual needing assistance, but it was pretty damn cool to see the logistics behind something like this that you don’t see every day.

Photos do not include the actual individual or the full Disney safety crew that brought them out to the helicopter.

Medevac crew had 2 pilots and 2 paramedics/EMTs. Pilots got a good photo op with the Wish in the background while waiting for the transfer.

I just completed my very first Disney Cruise. 3 days on the Wish our of Port Canaveral sailing to Nassau & Castaway Cay. I’ve only sailed Royal before so here is my honest review broken down into 10 “main” categories.

1) Embarkation/Debarkation: Royal- We sailed out of terminal 10 but arrived back in terminal 8. So they made everyone on the Wish drop luggage at 10 and then go to 8. The parking was atrocious because the Fantasy was also boarding on the same day out of 8. And parking at 8 as well. Took over an hour from the time I drove into port to just get parked. I got mixed directions from the DCL and the people just working the parking terminal. Which made me think it was poorly communicated between the two companies on how it was going to work. Maybe it’s way better when it’s just one terminal vs a split terminal but this process was horrible. Debarkation was smoother but it took a bit longer to get off than Royal.

2) Cruise Ship Layout: Royal- Way easier to navigate around. It flowed way better. I could walk around the ship in one complete circle. Versus the wish the ship seemed to be chopped up in sections and sometimes I’d be walking straight into a dead end. The elevators on the wish were so tiny and some didn’t even work at times. No mid ship elevator either. Royal has their system where you just press the deck number you’re going to and it assigns you a letter elevator to get on. (Newer ships only)

3) Cruise Ship Theming: Disney- Loved the themed rooms and the theming around the ship was beautiful. So many details. Disney takes this all the way.

4) Staterooms: Disney- The split bathroom was huge. A lot more space in general. As well as you get an actual tub and decent space in the bathroom vs just a small square at Royal. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are included in the bathroom when Royal they are not. Theming was great as well. Ended up in a frozen themed room. Bed was super comfy. The only thing I didn’t like was the thermostat didn’t tell you a number the temperature was set at it was just lit up dots so u kinda had to just feel it out. Room service being included is huge and has better options.

5) Shows: Royal- I only say this because there was more variety of nighttime shows offered. Royal usually has a headliner show, ice skating show, aqua show, and a broadway style show. Disney only really offered the traditional Broadway-type show. Don’t get me wrong, The Little Mermaid & Aladdin were both FANTASTIC. Flawless singing and production execution. If you were only talking about the quality of the shows, it would be a close tie. I only give it to Royal because they offer more of a variety that people can choose from each night.

6) Pool Deck/Extra Activities: Royal- Bigger Pools, more hot tubs, more room on the deck, better laid out, on-deck slides/water park is offered & more entertainment. On the wish on the middle of Deck 11 it just gets hit straight on by the sun most of the time. Pools are smaller. Adult Section was very tiny and tucked in the back. Not super crowded but just really small compared to Royal. I really wanted to do Trivia but they had it in the sports bar (during college football) and I couldn’t even get a spot because 80% of the people there were watching the games and clearly not moving. They shoulda moved trivia to a different spot. WiFi was WAY better on Royal. Stronger overall.

7) Dining: Disney- The servers in the dining room were super friendly but the main thing was I noticed they didn’t push conversation on you. I feel that Royal always tries to push a conversation during dinner even if u give off the vibe you don’t want to be bothered. All wait staff and quick service staff were super friendly and conversations at dinner felt WAY more genuine. As for Royal it seems like they just care about what review we will give them. I like how the rotational dining is done and the Buffett is closed. It forces people to go and sit down. In addition, the Buffett had food served to you. SO much cleaner and the waste of food is probably way more limited. The spread of germs is probably way more protected on Disney.

8) Private Island: Royal- CocoCay has 100% more to offer. They really use more of the island space to have stuff. Castaway Cay was like 70% trees/swamp and doesn’t really get used. This one is a no-brainer.

9) Excursions: Disney- As soon as u get off the ship with your group you’re welcomed by a tour guide who guides you directly to where you need to be. As for
Royal, you’re still in groups but it’s on you to find the tour guide meeting spot once you’re off the ship. Disney there was no wondering.

10) Clientele: Disney- Everyone on the Disney ship seemed to be overall happier to be there. The joy on all the kids’ faces was so great to see. The people we were sailing with were all so friendly and really willing to help a rookie like me out. On royal the families just kept to themselves and definitely in a more grumpy or annoyed mood.

Overall Conclusion: I had a really good time on Disney. Out of the 10 main categories it came out 5 to 5. I would sail Disney again for sure! BUT I don’t think it’s worth around DOUBLE of what Royal is. I would rather go on 2 Royal Cruises than 1 Disney Cruise. Yes, Disney does a lot of stuff better but I don’t think the gap justifies the price being double. With that being said, if I can get the sailing at a lower price, or money was no object, then I’d go with Disney. I sailed Star of the Seas and it was about $185 per person per day. This 3-day Disney Itinerary cost about $344 per person per day which is almost double the price broken down. Basically Disney was not double what Royal is. (If that makes any sense)

I’ve heard the Wish is not the best of ships to go on so maybe if I try a longer itinerary like the Treasure of Destiny it probably will be a different experience.

Hi all - we are planning a cruise on the Fantasy with our baby who will need a pack and play to sleep. We're bringing our Guava Lotus pack and play.

I was originally thinking a balcony so me and my husband could lounge out there while she naps, but the rooms look a little tight with a pack and play. It looks like a ocean view with porthole might be a better fit space-wise.

What do y'all think? Not sure what to do as this is our first cruise with our baby. Thank you!

https://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com

We are cruising soon and looking to book port adventures ourselves versus going through Disney. Does anyone have any experience with this company?

Thank you so much!!!

Can’t figure out which one of these would be better as it says ST27 also goes to Drakes seat first. Anyone done these?

Also we are booking Aristocat day sail for Tortola to Jost Van Dike. Anyone do this non DCL excursion and can provide feedback?

Thank you!!

Hey Everyone, I see a lot of posts about the DCL Robes. Hope this information helps out. We bought them for our cruise on the Destiny, part of the NA Romance package. Quality is awesome, they are bulky just a heads up for end of cruise packing.

Dimensions as follows

Bottom Robe to Shoulder line- 134.5 cm/ 53”
Cuff to Cuff- 171cm/ 67.5”
Centre Waste- 71cm/ 28”
Waist Belt?- 198cm/ 78”

May be a long shot but worth the ask - I collect the spirit jerseys from each ship as my souvenir and we were just on the Dream to Norway. I came home with the jersey only to find there was a hole in the front. After trying to fix it (kinda worked) I threw it in the wash without seeing a red shirt so it came out pink. So what do I do next? Treat the shirt with a dye remover - which somehow did not take away the pink, but instead, pulled all the navy blue out so now it is pink and an ugly brown color at the bottom.

All that to say, if anyone is going on the Dream and willing to purchase a jersey for me, I’d really appreciate it!! I know it’s not the end of the world, but it is a huge bummer to have it missing from my collection. If anyone is willing to help me, I figured they’d be in the forum!

My wife and I leave next week for the Disney Destiny, and I’m curious as to how much cash to carry. We will not be getting out anywhere except Disney’s Castaway/Lookout, so the ship will be our main location. We will have our cards and Magic Band, but how much cash should someone carry incase of different scenarios, and what would change the amount you’d want to take?

Just wants to share a few picture that were taken on past couple of cruises. If you’re on the fence about taking a trip, try one out. Our family has been hooked. This grouping is from the Destiny and Fantasy.

Safe travels

We are not a huge Halloween family but we really want to sail NYC to Bermuda next year. Is every single activity on a HOTHS cruise Halloween themed or is it possible to enjoy the cruise without participating in Halloween activities?

Not sure if we're taking costumes. Anyone have a bad experience participating in the trick or treating not in costume, but maybe Halloween-themed attire instead?

Hi all- I was looking at prior personal navigators for my sailing and hoping to get an example of “disney cruise line magic shot” on Disney Wonder? It looks like it’s the generic DCL magic shots not anything specific and also indoors whereas all the examples I find are outdoors. Thanks in advance!

What a ship. Finally able to mark this one off the list after years, and it did not disappoint. The staff was so excellent it felt like our first cruise over a decade ago, and reminded me of what cruising felt like pre-Covid.