jhorstma
03-30-2005, 04:37 PM
Our Disney cruise was the best vacation we’ve ever had. The weather, islands, activities, and ship experience were all fantastic. We came away with some very special memories that will last a lifetime; memories that will outlive DW and me as our kids take them through their lifetimes (good Lord willing). When getting off the ship on Sat. morning I got some dust in my eyes as they played farewell music – I wasn’t the only one having problems with those pesky tear ducts. The kids have not stopped pestering me to book a 7 day Western – after all the issues we had w/DD not wanting to stay in OL she can’t wait to see her counselors again.
If you’re a first-time DCL cruiser who’s already booked on the Eastern and you and your family are bursting with anticipation then read no further, book your excursions if you haven’t done so already (or at least plan for activities beyond Phillipsburg and Charlotte Amalie), pray for nice warm weather and calm currents around CC, and get ready for a magical vacation. Maybe read part 1 of this review (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=778367) as well as other Eastern reviews to get a sense of what to expect. Believe me, you’re going to have an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience with your family.
Back to cold harsh reality - we paid top dollar for the experience, especially given that it was spring break week for many school districts and right before Easter. And the kids (DS11 and DD9) were getting bored and restless come the long haul back from St. Thomas (CC cured this thankfully). Regardless of the week we chose, as is well documented elsewhere we could have cruised the same itinerary on another line with a bigger stateroom and more activities for a lot less money. RCCL Mariner of the Seas was docked at Havensight when we were in St. Thomas (way out in Crown Bay) – that is an amazing vessel. DCL sets themselves apart (slightly, I would argue) from the rest of the cruise industry with CC, the Disney service experience (and they really do come through with consistently excellent service), and an overall focus on wholesome, top-quality family programming and entertainment with an optional tie-in to the WDW resort. So is the DCL premium worth it?
The short answer, IMHO, is “yes” if you fall within the following categories:
1. Your family has sailed DCL before and you can’t imagine sailing with any other cruise line (fair enough – it’s a wonderful/magical way to go, plus you’ve developed expectations that you can realistically expect to have met);
2. You have children between the ages of 4 and 8 that are comfortable in play group settings (OC is a great experience, as is Scuttles Cove);
3. Grandma and Grandpa are hosting a voyage with your family (including some form of subsidies), possibly as part of a family reunion. This category effectively cancels out the DCL premium, making a Disney cruise much more attractive.
If you don’t fall into these categories then you probably would do better on another cruise line. Disney obviously markets to a much broader niche; here are my thoughts on various scenarios:
1. Your family loves Disney: Vacation at WDW and maybe do a 3 day weekend cruise to Nassau and CC – you’ll be able to cruise cheap by having maximum scheduling flexibility (minimal school/work impact) and not be as tempted to have a pricey verandah stateroom.
2. You have infants or toddlers: Again, vacation at WDW and hold off on cruising until they a) can swim and b) are old enough for OC.
3. You are a first-time cruiser with preteens or teens: Go w/RCCL due to the much wider range of available activities. Look, I hate to say it but on the 7 day cruises most kids in these age groups run out of things to do on Disney, especially with 3 sea days on the Eastern (not all kids – OL and the Stack do appeal to a good number of young people who have a great time – but in most cases these are from families who have sailed DCL before and know what to expect).
4. You’re adults: If you love Disney then by all means sail DCL – you’ll love the shows as well as Quiet Cove and Palo. But again I’d probably recommend the Land/Sea w/WDW instead of 7 days on the Magic.
The bottom line as I see it for people in these categories is by all means sail on Disney for that “wonder”ful DCL experience, but leave the “magic” to WDW.
Here’s a modest proposal if you’re eyeing 7 days on the Magic – plan 2 cruises! First sail on a 3 day Wonder cruise on a weekend that’s right for you (and your wallet), booking the cheapest cabin available. Go easy on the booze and Nassau excursions and you can comfortably do this for under $2,500 for a family of 4. You’ll get CC, the Disney shows, AP, Palo, and everything else Mickey, but you’ll minimize the DCL premium and the potential for older kids not enjoying OL or the Stack and being bored. Before going on the Wonder research Caribbean cruises on other lines out of PC, Miami, or San Juan (which opens up more exotic Southern Caribbean islands with fewer sea days). On the last night of the cruise sit everyone down and find out what your family would like to do next (this will ease the pain of having to leave the boat the next morning). If your family loved Disney then by all means book a 7 day Magic voyage, taking advantage of the onboard booking discount. Otherwise (assuming you still like cruising – and you will) when you get home you can book a 7 day cruise that best meets your family’s wishes. If you decide on a 7 day cruise on a line other than Disney, the premium you save will go a long way towards paying for the 3 day cruise on the Wonder, plus you’ll have a much more enjoyable Caribbean cruise.
For our family we will definitely cruise again, but after shelling out well over $12K for this trip it will be quite some time before our next voyage. DS and DD will be a few years older and RCCL will likely be a more attractive choice for us. But we will always have our Magical memories from an absolutely incredible cruise with the Mouse. Gosh I’m tearing up just typing this. You can’t go wrong cruising Disney.
If you’re a first-time DCL cruiser who’s already booked on the Eastern and you and your family are bursting with anticipation then read no further, book your excursions if you haven’t done so already (or at least plan for activities beyond Phillipsburg and Charlotte Amalie), pray for nice warm weather and calm currents around CC, and get ready for a magical vacation. Maybe read part 1 of this review (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=778367) as well as other Eastern reviews to get a sense of what to expect. Believe me, you’re going to have an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience with your family.
Back to cold harsh reality - we paid top dollar for the experience, especially given that it was spring break week for many school districts and right before Easter. And the kids (DS11 and DD9) were getting bored and restless come the long haul back from St. Thomas (CC cured this thankfully). Regardless of the week we chose, as is well documented elsewhere we could have cruised the same itinerary on another line with a bigger stateroom and more activities for a lot less money. RCCL Mariner of the Seas was docked at Havensight when we were in St. Thomas (way out in Crown Bay) – that is an amazing vessel. DCL sets themselves apart (slightly, I would argue) from the rest of the cruise industry with CC, the Disney service experience (and they really do come through with consistently excellent service), and an overall focus on wholesome, top-quality family programming and entertainment with an optional tie-in to the WDW resort. So is the DCL premium worth it?
The short answer, IMHO, is “yes” if you fall within the following categories:
1. Your family has sailed DCL before and you can’t imagine sailing with any other cruise line (fair enough – it’s a wonderful/magical way to go, plus you’ve developed expectations that you can realistically expect to have met);
2. You have children between the ages of 4 and 8 that are comfortable in play group settings (OC is a great experience, as is Scuttles Cove);
3. Grandma and Grandpa are hosting a voyage with your family (including some form of subsidies), possibly as part of a family reunion. This category effectively cancels out the DCL premium, making a Disney cruise much more attractive.
If you don’t fall into these categories then you probably would do better on another cruise line. Disney obviously markets to a much broader niche; here are my thoughts on various scenarios:
1. Your family loves Disney: Vacation at WDW and maybe do a 3 day weekend cruise to Nassau and CC – you’ll be able to cruise cheap by having maximum scheduling flexibility (minimal school/work impact) and not be as tempted to have a pricey verandah stateroom.
2. You have infants or toddlers: Again, vacation at WDW and hold off on cruising until they a) can swim and b) are old enough for OC.
3. You are a first-time cruiser with preteens or teens: Go w/RCCL due to the much wider range of available activities. Look, I hate to say it but on the 7 day cruises most kids in these age groups run out of things to do on Disney, especially with 3 sea days on the Eastern (not all kids – OL and the Stack do appeal to a good number of young people who have a great time – but in most cases these are from families who have sailed DCL before and know what to expect).
4. You’re adults: If you love Disney then by all means sail DCL – you’ll love the shows as well as Quiet Cove and Palo. But again I’d probably recommend the Land/Sea w/WDW instead of 7 days on the Magic.
The bottom line as I see it for people in these categories is by all means sail on Disney for that “wonder”ful DCL experience, but leave the “magic” to WDW.
Here’s a modest proposal if you’re eyeing 7 days on the Magic – plan 2 cruises! First sail on a 3 day Wonder cruise on a weekend that’s right for you (and your wallet), booking the cheapest cabin available. Go easy on the booze and Nassau excursions and you can comfortably do this for under $2,500 for a family of 4. You’ll get CC, the Disney shows, AP, Palo, and everything else Mickey, but you’ll minimize the DCL premium and the potential for older kids not enjoying OL or the Stack and being bored. Before going on the Wonder research Caribbean cruises on other lines out of PC, Miami, or San Juan (which opens up more exotic Southern Caribbean islands with fewer sea days). On the last night of the cruise sit everyone down and find out what your family would like to do next (this will ease the pain of having to leave the boat the next morning). If your family loved Disney then by all means book a 7 day Magic voyage, taking advantage of the onboard booking discount. Otherwise (assuming you still like cruising – and you will) when you get home you can book a 7 day cruise that best meets your family’s wishes. If you decide on a 7 day cruise on a line other than Disney, the premium you save will go a long way towards paying for the 3 day cruise on the Wonder, plus you’ll have a much more enjoyable Caribbean cruise.
For our family we will definitely cruise again, but after shelling out well over $12K for this trip it will be quite some time before our next voyage. DS and DD will be a few years older and RCCL will likely be a more attractive choice for us. But we will always have our Magical memories from an absolutely incredible cruise with the Mouse. Gosh I’m tearing up just typing this. You can’t go wrong cruising Disney.