Dream/Fantasy VS Wonder/Magic

[justin1]

if you have sailed both could you tell us how big a difference they are. are the new ships a lot bigger...is it hard to find things etc.

 

[rantnnravin]

the only time i noticed the difference in size was when i walked ALLLLLLL the way aft to do laundry from our room by the forward elevator on the Dream

 

[bmer1rick]

IMHO, we noticed the difference in size in a few areas:

1) the pools are way more crowded.. while they increased the capacity of the new ships, they failed to increase the size of the main pools. On sea days, the pool is way overcrowded even on the fantasy where they added additional water areas

2) walking distances: as the PP mentioned, it takes a noticeably longer time to walk from one end of the ship to the other. We notice most when doing the midship detective agency where you pretty much have to traverse the ship.

Other than that, they have done a good job in not overcrowding the newer ships. However, we kind of miss the feel of the classic ships.

 

[NAB]

We were used to the Magic and were on the Dream in Janurary. Everything is different and we had to get used to where things were since Enchanted Garden is on the second deck and there are no state rooms on the first deck. That is where we loved getting a room.

It will take you a few days to figure out where everything is but you get used to it. The Movie theater was the hardest for us to find since the kids clubs are where it is on the Magic. Cabana's so so much bigger then Topsiders. Really like it Cabana's better. The family pool and mickey pool are in the same place so it really gets crowded with the two together. But we managed.

We are going on the Fantasy and can't wait to see what is different from the Dream. Different theming in the adult section, I saw pictures. And the BBB/pirates thing is on this ship too. My dd is excited about that.

We would probably cruise on any ship. My son would hate to miss out on the Vibe on the Dream/Fantasy , it is massive and looks like so much fun in there.

 

[kcashner]

There are a few differences in location of things, but much is the same and you'll have no problem with the differences. A pool deck is a pool deck, no matter how many floors up it is. The nightclubs are aft rather than forward. You'll feel "at home" on the new ships.

However...they are a lot bigger and A LOT more crowded. Frankly, while I liked the high tech fancy stuff, I really prefer the Magic.

 

[klcason]

However...they are a lot bigger and A LOT more crowded. Frankly, while I liked the high tech fancy stuff, I really prefer the Magic.

My sentiments exactly. The Fantasy was lovely! Due to the DVC deal we were able to have a verandah for the first time which was so nice. But the sheer volume of people was enough to give us a push back to the classic ships. Not that we didn't have a good time, the number of people just caused a lot of additional issues for my family.

However my kids said if they were still in the Lab and Club they would much prefer the Fantasy. The Lab was a very cool space But as they have moved on past that age it isn't a consideration for my family.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We had sailed the Classic Ships 5 times and just got off the Fantasy a week ago today.

As far as Navigation, it did take a day to get used to the layout, but it was fairly easy after that. If you ever have an issue, there are lots of signs letting you know where things are.

I was nervous about the size and crowd factor before sailing, but we actually found the ship to be no more crowded than the Classic ships. Even on Sea Days, there were plenty of chairs. We never had an issue finding a chair even at the kids pool area. I like how they use the space on Deck 12. I always felt that the space on Deck 10 on the Classic ships was "wasted". The line for the Aquaduck was always very manageable. There was never a wait for the minigolf. The Aqualab was empty most of the time. Satellite Falls was uncrowded and even the adult pool didn't seem too bad. I looked into Nemo's Reef as we walked by and it too never seemed crowded.

We never had an issue finding a seat in the theater even showing up a five minutes before Aladdin.

The shops weren't crowded except when the theater let out and that is no different from the older ships. Palo was easy to get a reservation for brunch. Remy lunch was very peaceful and uncrowded.

Deck 4 was never crowded although I do wish they would have walkers go the opposite direction as runners Walkers tend to walk together and block the path.

I was purposely looking for crowds on the ship to try to affirm that I liked the Classic ships better and I never found them. It was a bit hectic getting off the ship at Castaway Cay. There were more people at Cabanas when it opened in the morning, but again the ship easly accomodated them.

My conclusion after last week's cruise is that the new ships are different, but not better or worse than the Classic ships. Yes, there are some things I like better about each of them, but I would happily sail on the Fantasy or one of the classic ships again. We actually booked the Fantasy again for next summer and can't wait! We won't sail on the Dream until it does longer cruises.

ETA: Our room was near mid-ship so we never seemed to have that long of a walk anywhere.

 

[randytenn]

We just got off the Fantasy a couple of hours ago. We loved the ship, it was fantastic, but . . . we enjoyed the classic ships much more. The real area we felt the size of the ship was in the dining rooms. I just don't remember them being that frantic, crowded and loud. Dinner was not relaxing at all. Just too much noise, to the point we could barely talk to our table mates.

The Fantasy was easy to navigate. We never got lost (except trying to find the entrance to Palo).

More cruise report to come, but saw this question and wanted to answer. It's a lot of people.

 

[justin1]

We just got off the Fantasy a couple of hours ago. We loved the ship, it was fantastic, but . . . we enjoyed the classic ships much more. The real area we felt the size of the ship was in the dining rooms. I just don't remember them being that frantic, crowded and loud. Dinner was not relaxing at all. Just too much noise, to the point we could barely talk to our table mates.

The Fantasy was easy to navigate. We never got lost (except trying to find the entrance to Palo).

More cruise report to come, but saw this question and wanted to answer. It's a lot of people.

how was the cruise over all...we will be going the 23rd and its a western Caribbean. how were the ports of call and what was your favorite part of the entire cruise?