Disney Cruise for a "Non-Disney" Person??

[karyn0995]

Hi everyone! Let me preface this by saying I am NOT the "non-Disney" person! In fact, I am probably one of the biggest Disney fans you will ever meet. My husband, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. We have a soon-to-be 5 year old son, who definitely takes after his momma when it comes to Disney.

Neither of us has been on a cruise and we are feeling a bit lost in planning our first sailing. We are hesitant to go on Carnival because of experiences our friends have had, and Royal Caribbean's September itinerary isn't really matching up with what we're looking for but we may be able to make it work.

My son & I have dreamt about a Disney cruise for a few years but my husband is concerned about that the entire cruise will encompass hanging out with Mickey and friends, that the excursions won't live up to those that are offered on RCI and I'm sure a few other things.

I guess I'm wondering if there are other "non-Disney" people who have cruised with DCL and had opinions on their experience, and people who have sailed on all 3 lines and how Disney measured up to the other 2.

Thanks in advance for any stories you may be willing to share!

 

[Queen of Oakville]

I will let you know when we're back from DREAM in a few more weeks.

DH consented to the cruise ... but hanging out with Mickey and Friends is not his idea of FUN. He is a great dad though and knows his kids (and me too!) will have a blast!

We cruise a lot though, so DH loves cruising. We're just not sure he'll know what to do with himself on Dream. But guess what, he's already consented to me book Fantasy so you never know. Of course, I did have to promise him that if he HATES dream, we get our deposit money back for Fantasy.

He's reluctantly agreed to wear a bandana and eye patch for pirate night, though I'm sure he'll complain about it! We also bought him lots of disney t-shirts for xmas to help get him in the mood!

 

[megalyce]

I recommend Disney Cruises to both friends who are not huge Disney people, as well as ones with (gasp!) no children!

Whether or not you are a big Mouse fan, Disney's class of service cannot be matched. We have sailed on both the Magic and Wonder, with an upcoming Fantasy sailing in April. We have also sailed almost every other line out there and no one comes close (RCCL is the closest) to the Disney experience.

I have found that although Disney appears more expensive, in the long run, you end up spending the same or less as other lines. (I have found that excursions, drinks, extras, tend to be less expensive with DCL.)

And as far as kids go, although DCL likely has the most kids aboard, they are always off doing something fun and you rarely see them running about like you do on other lines.

I say do it. I bet by the end, you could even get your hubby to pose with Mickey for a photo!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hi everyone! Let me preface this by saying I am NOT the "non-Disney" person! In fact, I am probably one of the biggest Disney fans you will ever meet. My husband, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. We have a soon-to-be 5 year old son, who definitely takes after his momma when it comes to Disney.

Neither of us has been on a cruise and we are feeling a bit lost in planning our first sailing. We are hesitant to go on Carnival because of experiences our friends have had, and Royal Caribbean's September itinerary isn't really matching up with what we're looking for but we may be able to make it work.

My son & I have dreamt about a Disney cruise for a few years but my husband is concerned about that the entire cruise will encompass hanging out with Mickey and friends, that the excursions won't live up to those that are offered on RCI and I'm sure a few other things. The same shore excursion vendors sell to all the ships, so they're basically the same port adventures for everyone. Disney has top-notch port adventures -- they don't skimp on quality.

I guess I'm wondering if there are other "non-Disney" people who have cruised with DCL and had opinions on their experience, and people who have sailed on all 3 lines and how Disney measured up to the other 2.

Thanks in advance for any stories you may be willing to share!

We have sailed on nearly every cruise line except Carnival, and Disney ranks right up there with Royal Caribbean. Very family oriented, no casino. The mouse is subtle -- you'll definitely know you're on a Disney ship, but it isn't blatant, or in-your-face. Just as Disneyland is better(!) than the average amusement park, the quality shines through on their cruises.

 

[KsSteve]

Hi everyone! Let me preface this by saying I am NOT the "non-Disney" person! In fact, I am probably one of the biggest Disney fans you will ever meet. My husband, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. We have a soon-to-be 5 year old son, who definitely takes after his momma when it comes to Disney.

Neither of us has been on a cruise and we are feeling a bit lost in planning our first sailing. We are hesitant to go on Carnival because of experiences our friends have had, and Royal Caribbean's September itinerary isn't really matching up with what we're looking for but we may be able to make it work.

My son & I have dreamt about a Disney cruise for a few years but my husband is concerned about that the entire cruise will encompass hanging out with Mickey and friends, that the excursions won't live up to those that are offered on RCI and I'm sure a few other things.

I guess I'm wondering if there are other "non-Disney" people who have cruised with DCL and had opinions on their experience, and people who have sailed on all 3 lines and how Disney measured up to the other 2.

Thanks in advance for any stories you may be willing to share!

I can't speak to Carnival, but DW and I have cruised on RCL and here are my observations:

1. RCL "nicke and dimes" you to death for things like soda. You need to buy a soda card to get unlimited sodas. Disney has a soda station on one of the decks where you can get soda for free.

2. Service (imo) is much better on DCL than RCL. Servers, room hosts, etc. seemed much more friendly.

3. Shows were much better on DCL than RCL.

4. No gambling on DCL, so much more family friendly.

5. You can do as much or as little "Character" stuff as you like. There is a lot for a non-disney lover to do.

Hope this helps.

 

[jdb in AZ]

sorry, duplicate post. hate it when that happens.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I will let you know when we're back from DREAM in a few more weeks.

DH consented to the cruise ... but hanging out with Mickey and Friends is not his idea of FUN. He is a great dad though and knows his kids (and me too!) will have a blast!

We cruise a lot though, so DH loves cruising. We're just not sure he'll know what to do with himself on Dream. But guess what, he's already consented to me book Fantasy so you never know. Of course, I did have to promise him that if he HATES dream, we get our deposit money back for Fantasy.

He's reluctantly agreed to wear a bandana and eye patch for pirate night, though I'm sure he'll complain about it! We also bought him lots of disney t-shirts for xmas to help get him in the mood!

DH and I are certifiable Disney freaks -- even his silk neck-ties are "rodent-infested " -- but we both refuse to wear pirates bandanas on the cruises. I do like my pirate Mickey t-shirt. It's o.k. if your DH doesn't want to dress up -- an occasional arrgghhh works.

 

[karyn0995]

I will let you know when we're back from DREAM in a few more weeks.

DH consented to the cruise ... but hanging out with Mickey and Friends is not his idea of FUN. He is a great dad though and knows his kids (and me too!) will have a blast!

He's reluctantly agreed to wear a bandana and eye patch for pirate night, though I'm sure he'll complain about it! We also bought him lots of disney t-shirts for xmas to help get him in the mood!

This is exactly how I would describe my husband! He tolerates trips to Disney because he loves to see our son's excitement and reaction to everything, even though my own enthusiasm just embarrasses him!

He, too, is very reluctant to wear an eye patch, etc., to pirate night but will for our son. I will have a great time no matter what, it's just my personality, and I'm sure my husband will as well. I hope you don't mind writing back after your cruise in a few weeks to let us know how it goes!

Thanks!

 

[NancyIL]

I can't speak to Carnival, but DW and I have cruised on RCL and here are my observations:

1. RCL "nicke and dimes" you to death for things like soda. You need to buy a soda card to get unlimited sodas. Disney has a soda station on one of the decks where you can get soda for free.

2. Service (imo) is much better on DCL than RCL. Servers, room hosts, etc. seemed much more friendly.

3. Shows were much better on DCL than RCL.

4. No gambling on DCL, so much more family friendly.

5. You can do as much or as little "Character" stuff as you like. There is a lot for a non-disney lover to do.

Hope this helps.

You felt nickeled and dimed "to death" just because SODA wasn't included? Soda isn't "free" on DCL; it's included in the premium price you pay up front for the cruise.

 

[karyn0995]

I recommend Disney Cruises to both friends who are not huge Disney people, as well as ones with (gasp!) no children!

Whether or not you are a big Mouse fan, Disney's class of service cannot be matched. We have sailed on both the Magic and Wonder, with an upcoming Fantasy sailing in April. We have also sailed almost every other line out there and no one comes close (RCCL is the closest) to the Disney experience.

I have found that although Disney appears more expensive, in the long run, you end up spending the same or less as other lines. (I have found that excursions, drinks, extras, tend to be less expensive with DCL.)

And as far as kids go, although DCL likely has the most kids aboard, they are always off doing something fun and you rarely see them running about like you do on other lines.

I say do it. I bet by the end, you could even get your hubby to pose with Mickey for a photo!

Thanks for your reply! It's funny but my husband is much higher maintenance than I am, and service is the biggest thing he is worried about. It's nice to see you are impressed with DCL's class of service, as I know that will put his mind at ease as well.

Also, I started thinking about the price comparison between the different cruise lines. As you stated, when you add everything up it does seem that Disney is actually more competitive than one may originally think. Thanks for reconfirming that!

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks for your reply! It's funny but my husband is much higher maintenance than I am, and service is the biggest thing he is worried about. It's nice to see you are impressed with DCL's class of service, as I know that will put his mind at ease as well.

Also, I started thinking about the price comparison between the different cruise lines. As you stated, when you add everything up it does seem that Disney is actually more competitive than one may originally think. Thanks for reconfirming that!

DCL can be comparably priced to other cruise lines. More often than not, the price difference is still greater than a non-Disney cruise PLUS the soda card.

 

[mimmi]

My husband hates theme parks, only goes there as a favour to our daughter, he doesn't like crowds or all inclusive clubs, he likes hiking in Africa, crossing the Sahara dessert, going on a houseboat through France and things like that.
To him Disney is a mean corporation only there to take his money.
When my daughter and I tried to lure him onto our 01/29-02/02 Dream cruise we had to make him drunk (we served him two glasses of sparkling wine, thankfully that was enough).

For him it was going to be a once in a lifetime thing, a sacrifice for his family.
Before we went on our cruise I had already booked another one on the Fantasy for next year for just my parents, daughter and I.
Well when I reshopped the cruise on board a miracle happened: my husband decided to come with us . He liked the cruise, the food, how friendly the staff was, the bars, especially the champagne tasting, it was amazing to me.
We also booked another dummy date and now he's dreaming of doing a transatlantic as the on,y thing that he didn't like was how short the cruise was.
I still can't believe that it happened but I'm very happy about it

 

[GeneMachine]

Hello, Non-Disney Person right here!

I am here to tell you GO FOR IT. I don't like Disney World and find the whole "world of Disney" to be a little overwhelming and forced. Enough with the Princesses, already.

HOWEVER, we have two kids (12 and 7) and decided we wanted to take a cruise last summer. Based on the recommendations of friends, we chose a Disney Med cruise. I had many reservations about going, and was dreading Goofy crashing our table at dinner.

We had the greatest time; hands down it was the best vacation we have ever taken. There is plenty of time together, plenty of time for the kids to do their own thing, great activities for everyone, and Goofy never crashed the party. Disney does a good job of catering to the Fans, and also to those who are just not into the whole character thing. I found that if you wanted to meet a character, you could just look at the schedule on the Navigator and find them. The closest we came to Goofy was at the kiddie pool; I think he did a little dance or something, but nothing that made us want to head in the other direction. The sail-away party can be a little over the top, but here's the thing: you don't have to go!

Take it from us, the people who will never step foot in Orlando, but who are planning their next Disney cruise for 2013. Disney knows what it is doing and gives you a high-quality, memorable vacation you will never regret. GO!!!