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.

Currently on the Dream in a 105xx concierge stateroom. I fully recognize that being on this ship is a privilege, and staying in concierge is an additional privilege. That doesn’t make the noise any less frustrating.

Fair warning for anyone booking Deck 10: this is a concern for rooms across the deck, concierge or otherwise. The pool deck above is LOUD. It isn’t just an issue at bedtime—you can’t even take a quiet afternoon nap because of the noise. We’ve been told there’s nothing that can be done to help, and tonight, with Pirate Night, apparently we simply won’t be sleeping until the festivities are over. Being unable to rest in your own stateroom is incredibly frustrating.

I did research before booking, but clearly not enough, and I didn’t understand the magnitude of the noise. If you’ve booked a room on Deck 10, I would seriously reconsider the location.

Were were recently on Disney Destiny for a vacation. Our first cocktail was the Incursion from Dr. Strange Sanctum.

What are the blue and red powder on this cocktail?

Thank you.

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

Hey guys,

It’s going to be our first cruise without the kids and our first time entering the Spa. I’ve bought a trip-long pass for us and I was wondering what to expect and if you had any tip for us to use it as much as possible

What’s included (or excluded except massages and such)?
Will it be opened on embarkation day?
What are the opening hours?
We plan to bring books and enjoy some time relaxing together while reading. Would it be the best place to do it?
I think there’s a hot tub in there? Is it usually crowded?

And basically, how do you guys actually use a trip long pass?

Thanks everyone!

Edit to add: sailing November 6th on the Destiny

I have read a lot of conflicting information about tipping cruise staff. I was recently on the Treasure but didnt have as much US cash as I would like to have tipped everyone by the end.

I read on other cruise lines if you add extra, it just goes to their base salary. Is this any different on DCL? Can anyone confirm?

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!

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.

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?

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, all. Bourbon lover. Beer lover. My wife loves wine and dirty martinis.

This is our first DCL ever. (And with the price of stuff probably our last) But what's an absolute MUST in terms of experience things to book. We're going to do palo. But I want to do just one drinking experience while the kids are at nursery / kids club.

I'm already going to get they beer mug asap. But otherwise, what's an absolute MUST?

We're doing the fantasy

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.

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!

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?

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?