Disney Dream - 1st time cruiser - help with room category!!!

[dcheels]

We are going on a cruise for the first time, and the category we are selecting is the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. We have 2 adults, and 2 kids..... my question is, is there a preferable level within that category (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E)? I know the price goes up with each level of the ship, but I'm not sure what the pros and cons are here.... Is one level better than another for some reason - help!

 

[disneybeachprincess]

& how exciting ~ your first cruise~ DCL will spoil you The A's are more expensive than the B's, etc...the cabins location usually makes the difference & the higher decks or mid-ship are more costly. The deck plans are on the DCL website & I'd recommend mid-ship (personally) for less motion & convenience. Happy cruising!

If am a DCL gold & many others are veterans on here, so ask us any other questions you might have!

 

[dcheels]

Cool! What levels have what amenities? How do you book a particular (mid-ship location)? Is the 9th level worth the price difference compared to say, the 6th level? I'm not sure if it is worth the difference.....

 

[disneybeachprincess]

All levels have the Disney touch. The only levels that have concierge for example are very expensive in my opinion & DCL is higher priced as it is (but so worth it ) Lower decks have less motion & wind as well. For your question, there is no difference between decks 6 & 9 except you are on a higher deck & therefore the cost is higher. IMO, not worth the money that I can spend in port or for another cruise booking onboard! LOL!

I always choose deck 5~always~the kids clubs are on deck 5 as it the movie theater (yes a real theater!) There are less cabins on deck 5, so less foot traffic. Mid-ship tends to feel less motion since you are in the more balanced part of the ship, so for a first cruise, I'd recommend it highly. Good luck with your choices!

My new favorite on the Dream & the Fantasy are "secret" cabins in category 8A. They are over-sized w/2 huge portholes that have window seats ~ your kids would love them! I do too! They only have a handful on deck 5 & deck 6. Just a thought!

I have sailed on every Disney ship except the Fantasy~sailed on the Dream this past summer & loved it! Luckily, every Disney cruise has been magical!

 

[dcheels]

Good to know! What are the advantages of decks above the 5th, if it isn't concierge level, considering they seem to cost more? Can you pick your room, or just level of the ship?

 

[disneybeachprincess]

Good to know! What are the advantages of decks above the 5th, if it isn't concierge level, considering they seem to cost more? Can you pick your room, or just level of the ship?

Unless you choose "guaranty" status, you choose your cabin & deck. You can choose it all! No advantage in my opinion ~ just closer to the pools & food but you are only stairs or an elevator away on deck 5 or 6.

 

[Mariellen102]

I have only been on one Disney Cruise (Wonder) and had a verandah room on Deck 7 midship. I was very happy with the location, close to the elevator/ stairs. For us with little ones it made it a great location to get every where and even with a stroller when we were going out to the ports. I did not notice much noise/motion. We liked it so much we selected a Deluxe Family ocean stateroom with Verandah on Deck 8 on the dream for our next cruise. I personally selected Deck 8 bc i felt Deck 6 i would be looking directly down at the life boats?? and since i was happy with my room on the last ship and this new ship is bigger I thought deck 8 would be just the same. To pick your room go as if u are booking the room and then when u see Cat 04B or whichever click change right next to it and you will see the option there to select ur room number and view where it is on the map!

 

[Lisa Lisa]

Everyone has their own opinion regarding which is the "best" deck, but in the end it really comes down to what your priorities and personal preferences are. We stayed on deck 5 near the aft on the Dream and loved that location. We were close to the aft stairs and elevators, and it was very easy to get to the main dining rooms (via the stairs) and Cabanas (via the elevators or the stairs -- depending on how energetic we were feeling!). It was also very easy to get to the public areas of the ship for the character greetings.

It's a good idea to look at the deck plans and see what you would be above or below for any room you're considering. For our upcoming cruise on the Fantasty, we chose a 5C (deck 7) near the aft elevators. Personally, I don't see the point in paying more to be on deck 8 or 9. I did debate between 5D (deck 6) and 5C, though. In the end I felt that deck 7 would be quieter since there are no public spaces above or below.

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

Good to know! What are the advantages of decks above the 5th, if it isn't concierge level, considering they seem to cost more? Can you pick your room, or just level of the ship?

The key is to book where you want to be. I like to book on deck 8 or 9 on the newer ships or 6 or 7 on the classic. Midship. I don't like to be at the bottom or on the top because we take the stairs a lot from our room so I like to be closer to the top because we spend a lot of time there. It's easy to go down the stairs but going up is more work!

 

[dcheels]

What does "aft" stand for?

 

[dcheels]

Is there a good, reliable travel agent to go through, that offers a lot in on board credits, or anything else?

 

[disneybeachprincess]

What does "aft" stand for?

Aft is the back of the ship...

 

[disneybeachprincess]

Is there a good, reliable travel agent to go through, that offers a lot in on board credits, or anything else?

These boards allow us to say "Dreams Unlimited" & they sponsor the boards as well. I personally book thru Disney myself onboard a cruise to get the discount & OBC. First time out, I did as well. As PP said, choose the best for your family. I gave you my "personally" suggestions!

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

Is there a good, reliable travel agent to go through, that offers a lot in on board credits, or anything else?

Sent you a PM

 

[mmouse37]

Good to know! What are the advantages of decks above the 5th, if it isn't concierge level, considering they seem to cost more? Can you pick your room, or just level of the ship?

It is all stems back to Titanic days where the first class passengers were on the upper decks and the lower class "steerage" were on the lower decks. Within the cruise industry there is a perceived notion that higher is better. We have stayed on most decks on all the ships and found no real difference at all (except of course of the difference between the insides, oceanview and veranda categories.

There really is no real difference in the higher decks within the same category...we just pick the least expensive sub category in the category.

We prefer forward on the new ships and prefer not to be directly over the kids club or theatre so that may be something to consider.

And, as long as a cabin is showing as available you can pick it. When DCL sells a certain percentage of a category they will put for sale as a GTY meaning you are guaranteed at least the category you booked but possibly a higher one. You room will be assigned at a later date.

But, as I said if a cabin is showing as available then you can book it.

MJ

MJ

 

[kcashner]

Where you want to be may also depend on the makeup of your party. The kid areas are on deck 5 on all the ships (age 3-10/12) The tween and teen programs are elsewhere. SO, if you are going to be running little ones to the programming, 5 aft is amazing. We love 5 aft anyhow.

If you are an adult couple alone, you might opt for forward cabins as that is where the adult areas are located. Restaurants are aft.

However, we have been all over the classic ships--there isn't a "bad" place. We have had cabins that needed repairs, but when we reported them, they were done. The fact that it needs a little service doesn't make it a "bad" place.