What exactly does the price include?

[DisneyBUff]

I'm trying to talk DH into a cruise either with or without kids in 2004(our 5th Ann.) So I was wondering when you see a price for The cruises what exactly does that price inc. and how much extra cash will be needed?

Ty for the help.

[DisneyPam]

Basically the price includes your stateroom, your meals (unless you dine at Palo), snacks and non-carbonated beverages during the day (soda is included with meals if desired), entertainment and port charges.

Not included would be any alcoholic and specialty beverages, souvenirs from the gift shops, bingo, certain special events like wine tasting, spa treatments, excursions and rentals at Castaway Cay. You'll also need money for tipping your room steward/stewardess and your dining team. Your cruise docs will include information about the normal amounts for these tips. If you plan to order room service, it is free (except for some beverages) but you will need to tip the crew member who brings you your order.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things...but this should be a decent start.

[WillCAD]

You will hardly need any cash at all. Anything you buy aboard ship will be with your Key to the World Card, which acts as a credit card and room key, just like at a Disney resort. The difference is, you are required to leave a credit card imprint and must use the key card for ANYTHING you buy on the ship or Castaway Cay. Shore excursion in the Bahamas are a different matter; you will need some cash if you go shopping ashore, but all the places I saw in Nassau accept US dollars, so you won't have to exchange any money. I don't know about any the western Caribbean destinations, but you can easily find out about those from DCL.

The entertainment covered in the price consists of movies in the ship's movie theater, which runs a mix of current first-run movies and some older stuff from about 10am to about midnight daily, and the various stage shows in the Walt Disney Theater, which are Broadway-class entertainment, put on twice daily so that both dining rotations can see them. There are also tons of kids programs in the various kid clubs, and a couple of on-deck events such as Goofy's Pool Party.

The biggest issue for some folks is the fact that, although food is free all day, soda is only free with your scheduled meals. DCL has a refillable mug program like the resorts, however, so if you are a big soda drinker like me, you should grab one of these mugs as soon as you board. They will be set up on tables in the ship's lobbies.

The refillable mug is $20, as opposed to the $10 bargain at the Disney resorts, and is not self-service, but it's better than racking up the charges for sodas through the course of the cruise.

Since there is a small fridge in each cabin, lots of people bring some soda aboard with them. I saw several people bring 12-packs of Coke or Pepsi aboard, although lugging that stuff around can be a real pain.

[DisneyPam]

Just to clarify what Will said...

The soda program is now a sticker that goes on your KttW card. The cost is $5/night ($15 for 3 night, $20 for 4 night & $35 for 7 night) plus an additional $5 if you want to purchase a mug.

Also, the cooler in the stateroom is good for keeping cool things cool but doesn't really do well to make warm things cold. If you are going to bring your own beverages to keep cold, I recommend having your stateroom attendant bring you some ice and keeping a glass of ice in the cooler. This makes a huge difference in keeping items cool in the cooler. Finally, don't bring the large, sports type bottles of water as they don't fit very well inside the cooler.