Disney cruise

[hillview]

Tell me about a disney cruise. Is it super fun and exciting/active or more laid back relaxing? Did you use the kids club? Did the kids like it? Was it all about the food or is there a lot more?
TIA
/hillary

[AnnieW625]

I have two friends who have gone on Disney cruises in the last 2 yrs. with their children. One friend wrote this article about the Disney Western Carribean cruise for the Auto Club magazine.

Another set of friends went on a Disney cruise for their honeymoon in 2002 (we thought they were nuts!), but they had a great time and met some life long friends there.

We are thinking of going in one in a couple of years too.

[HallsofVA]

Tell me about a disney cruise. Is it super fun and exciting/active or more laid back relaxing? Did you use the kids club? Did the kids like it? Was it all about the food or is there a lot more?
TIA
/hillary

We did our 5th Disney cruise this September, and have another 5 booked! We obviously love them! Our kids each cruised when they were 2 or almost 2, and our son was 6 on our last cruise. We've taken our parents with us on 3 of the cruises along with my older brother, and they've all had fun as well.

You can make it as exciting or as relaxing as you like, as there are plenty of activities available for young and old, but no pressure to have to do any of them. We've used both the nursery and the two younger kids clubs (Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab) and neither kid wanted to leave their space on our last cruise. We've done the Playhouse Disney dance party for the toddlers, family arts and crafts, bingo, and alcohol tastings and food seminars for the adults, and a bunch of other things, including the spa, fitness center, and animation classes. The musicals and other shows are top notch, and there are lots of movies available as well if you need some quiet time or you get tired of roaming the ship. And you get incredible access to Disney characters and princesses without the super long lines of the parks. Plus there are the pools, slides, other activities, and a host of things to do. Our Sept cruise was a 14nt transatlantic cruise, and we didn't want to leave even after have 8 sea days on the ship.

There is a lot of food available, with three main restaurants, a buffet restaurant, 1-2 Adult restaurants, several fast food places, and 24 hour room service, plus late night buffet and maybe one or two dessert buffets. You pay extra for the adult restaurants and alcohol, and packaged food or beverages from room service, but there is a 24hr drink station available, and you can bring your own alcohol onboard to cut costs.

[sste]

HallsofVA, is there a particular boat or particular cruise you would rec. for a first-time cruising family with a toddler and preschooler (I am thinking of going in a year or two). I am just so confused between the different boats, the new boats, etc.

I - - like Annie- - and looking for that mix between cost-effective and fun. I don't need to see Europe or anything, have done that before on land.

You seem like our BB cruise expert so what is your vote for first Disney cruise trip?

[clc053103]

Thanks for posting this, Hillary! We just booked our first for April 2012!

[Mermanaid]

I want to do one of these cruises and in fact have been trying to price out a summer cruise since the end of Dec. But I feel like I have to take out a second mortgage to go on one! I priced out a summer cruise in a balcony room @ almost 5k, plus the cost to fly to FL so another 1k for four of us. Is there a cheaper place to look for these besides the Disney Cruise site?

[HallsofVA]

HallsofVA, is there a particular boat or particular cruise you would rec. for a first-time cruising family with a toddler and preschooler (I am thinking of going in a year or two). I am just so confused between the different boats, the new boats, etc.

I - - like Annie- - and looking for that mix between cost-effective and fun. I don't need to see Europe or anything, have done that before on land.

You seem like our BB cruise expert so what is your vote for first Disney cruise trip?

My favorites are the 7nt Caribbean cruises (Eastern or Western), since you get the full assortment of shows, activities, meals, and a mix of sea days and port days. They can actually be cheaper on a cost per night basis than the 3 or 4nt cruises are. The time also gives the kids time to bond more with the counsellors, which could increase the likelihood that the toddler will adjust to the nursery long enough for you to enjoy an adult brunch or activity if you need a break. Both have good beaches available, which are easy excursions to do with toddlers and preschoolers. The 4nt (or 5nt) Bahamas cruise is also a good choice, since you get at least 1 sea day. I think the 3nt is just too short, and there's a risk that you may not make it to Disney's private island if the weather is bad that day, which is a wonderful place for the kids, since there is no flexibility in that schedule.

With a preschooler and toddler, definitely take advantage of the off-peak times to go (assuming you can get out of work or other obligations) since it's much cheaper to go when everyone else is in school. We've sailed on a 7nt in early December for as low as $2600 for the 4 of us, and there are even cheaper times in sept/oct and jan/feb. We also did a 4nt kids sail free cruise in January, that was about 1500 for 4 of us, but you never know too far in advance if they're going to offer a deal like that. On the 4nt cruise, we had no interest in seeing Nassau, and the kids are too young to make Atlantis worth the cost, so we just stayed on the ship and enjoyed the pools that day, sort of like an additional sea day.

As far as the different ships, DCL has historically had 2 ships, Magic and Wonder, that were basically the same but one did Caribbean cruises and the other did Bahamas cruises. Their newest ship, the Dream, is arriving in Port Canaveral, FL tomorrow morning (around 6am) for the first time having just been built. It will take over the Bahamas cruises, and the Wonder will leave on Saturday for a relocation cruise through the Panama Canal to start doing Mexican Riviera cruises in the spring and fall, and will summer in Alaska. DCL is building another new ship, the Fantasy, which is identical to the Dream, and will do the Caribbean cruises starting in March 2012. But your choice of ship will still be based on where you want to go.

I want to do one of these cruises and in fact have been trying to price out a summer cruise since the end of Dec. But I feel like I have to take out a second mortgage to go on one! I priced out a summer cruise in a balcony room @ almost 5k, plus the cost to fly to FL so another 1k for four of us. Is there a cheaper place to look for these besides the Disney Cruise site?

Summer cruises are expensive, especially this coming summer when DCL will only have one ship sailing out of Florida, unless you book on opening day or when they are first released. We booked the cheapest 5nt cruise for this summer, the 8/16/11 cruise on the new Disney Dream, the morning they were released in November 2009, and the cost was about $2800 for an oceanview room for 4 of us. I tried to rebook it while onboard 2 weeks later (you get additional discounts and onboard credit when you book another cruise while onboard) and it had sold out in all the lower categories already. That cruise has been sold out up to the concierge category for a few months now, and would now cost well over $6000 for us to book it. However, as the date for making payments approaches, people will drop out, and there may be some availability, but who knows how much.

Do you really need a balcony? We sailed 3 times in suites (by getting cheap upgrades at the port the morning of the cruise) and found that even when the kids were 2, we never used the balcony enough to really justify the added cost. So we generally book oceanview rooms these days, unless we get an awesome deal on a verandah, and save the money for pictures or excursions. The new ships will have "virtual portholes" in their inside rooms, that broadcast video of the outside into a porthole shaped LCD panel in the room to give the appearance of having a real porthole. So even the inside rooms will have more light than normal.

Keep your eye out for booking codes that you may be eligible for, especially if you are flexible for when you go. Are you a Florida resident? They often release discounted florida resident rates on Bahamas and Caribbean cruises to fill them. Anyone in your family or travelling group active or retired military or have ties to various military or defense organizations? The military discount rates, when offered, are incredible, and the eligible person can book up to 3 rooms for themselves and others. They've also released discounts for Canada and UK residents on various cruises, and have offered kids sail free or kids 50% off specials. Sometimes they just offer up their lowest category rooms for really cheap prices to fill the ships.

Disney doesn't let anyone discount their cruises, so there is no cheaper way to book a cruise, other than by having someone book one for you while onboard to get the 10% discount and additional onboard credit that is offered. Otherwise, the main comparison you'll find is comparing what onboard credits or other incentives the travel agent or agency is offering, that are generally higher than what DCL offers (and may be combinable.) I book through a travel agent to get the additional onboard credit that they offer, and to also have someone help with the details when I get bogged down at work. (though I do a lot of my own legwork because that's the way I am.)

DCL hasn't yet released it's plans for the rest of 2012, and we hope to hear more in the next few months or so.

[clc053103]

There's a webcast this Thursday, looks to be put on by Am Ex travel. Could be very informative if you are interested!

https://event.meetingstream.com/even...epage=register

We are doing a 4 night bahamas on the new Dream. we chose a family stateroom for extra space, and didn't get a balcony because I would be terrified if DS went out there! LOL!

[Mermanaid]

My favorites are the 7nt Caribbean cruises (Eastern or Western), since you get the full assortment of shows, activities, meals, and a mix of sea days and port days. They can actually be cheaper on a cost per night basis than the 3 or 4nt cruises are. The time also gives the kids time to bond more with the counsellors, which could increase the likelihood that the toddler will adjust to the nursery long enough for you to enjoy an adult brunch or activity if you need a break. Both have good beaches available, which are easy excursions to do with toddlers and preschoolers. The 4nt (or 5nt) Bahamas cruise is also a good choice, since you get at least 1 sea day. I think the 3nt is just too short, and there's a risk that you may not make it to Disney's private island if the weather is bad that day, which is a wonderful place for the kids, since there is no flexibility in that schedule.

With a preschooler and toddler, definitely take advantage of the off-peak times to go (assuming you can get out of work or other obligations) since it's much cheaper to go when everyone else is in school. We've sailed on a 7nt in early December for as low as $2600 for the 4 of us, and there are even cheaper times in sept/oct and jan/feb. We also did a 4nt kids sail free cruise in January, that was about 1500 for 4 of us, but you never know too far in advance if they're going to offer a deal like that. On the 4nt cruise, we had no interest in seeing Nassau, and the kids are too young to make Atlantis worth the cost, so we just stayed on the ship and enjoyed the pools that day, sort of like an additional sea day.

As far as the different ships, DCL has historically had 2 ships, Magic and Wonder, that were basically the same but one did Caribbean cruises and the other did Bahamas cruises. Their newest ship, the Dream, is arriving in Port Canaveral, FL tomorrow morning (around 6am) for the first time having just been built. It will take over the Bahamas cruises, and the Wonder will leave on Saturday for a relocation cruise through the Panama Canal to start doing Mexican Riviera cruises in the spring and fall, and will summer in Alaska. DCL is building another new ship, the Fantasy, which is identical to the Dream, and will do the Caribbean cruises starting in March 2012. But your choice of ship will still be based on where you want to go.



Summer cruises are expensive, especially this coming summer when DCL will only have one ship sailing out of Florida, unless you book on opening day or when they are first released. We booked the cheapest 5nt cruise for this summer, the 8/16/11 cruise on the new Disney Dream, the morning they were released in November 2009, and the cost was about $2800 for an oceanview room for 4 of us. I tried to rebook it while onboard 2 weeks later (you get additional discounts and onboard credit when you book another cruise while onboard) and it had sold out in all the lower categories already. That cruise has been sold out up to the concierge category for a few months now, and would now cost well over $6000 for us to book it. However, as the date for making payments approaches, people will drop out, and there may be some availability, but who knows how much.

Do you really need a balcony? We sailed 3 times in suites (by getting cheap upgrades at the port the morning of the cruise) and found that even when the kids were 2, we never used the balcony enough to really justify the added cost. So we generally book oceanview rooms these days, unless we get an awesome deal on a verandah, and save the money for pictures or excursions. The new ships will have "virtual portholes" in their inside rooms, that broadcast video of the outside into a porthole shaped LCD panel in the room to give the appearance of having a real porthole. So even the inside rooms will have more light than normal.

Keep your eye out for booking codes that you may be eligible for, especially if you are flexible for when you go. Are you a Florida resident? They often release discounted florida resident rates on Bahamas and Caribbean cruises to fill them. Anyone in your family or travelling group active or retired military or have ties to various military or defense organizations? The military discount rates, when offered, are incredible, and the eligible person can book up to 3 rooms for themselves and others. They've also released discounts for Canada and UK residents on various cruises, and have offered kids sail free or kids 50% off specials. Sometimes they just offer up their lowest category rooms for really cheap prices to fill the ships.

Disney doesn't let anyone discount their cruises, so there is no cheaper way to book a cruise, other than by having someone book one for you while onboard to get the 10% discount and additional onboard credit that is offered. Otherwise, the main comparison you'll find is comparing what onboard credits or other incentives the travel agent or agency is offering, that are generally higher than what DCL offers (and may be combinable.) I book through a travel agent to get the additional onboard credit that they offer, and to also have someone help with the details when I get bogged down at work. (though I do a lot of my own legwork because that's the way I am.)

DCL hasn't yet released it's plans for the rest of 2012, and we hope to hear more in the next few months or so.

Thank you for the info! I don't necessarily need a balcony but DH does. We took a RCL cruise (our first and only) with an oceanview room when DD was 2.5. He REALLY wanted a balcony after being on the ship. So that's his one condition of another cruise ... must have a balcony. I'm going to ask our TA that specializes in Disney about the cruises. I think I had an email from them a few days ago about an onboard credit. Again, thanks for the info.

[TwinFoxes]

Wow, thanks for the info HofV!

BTW, do the Disney cruises have casinos onboard?