1st Cruise questions

[lynnfitz]

Hi all, total newbie here, never cruised before, 3 adults. (2 60 year olds and a 30 year old) We go to Disney world about once a year (rent DVC points). Was thinking for next summer maybe trying a 3 or 4 night cruise that includes a day at the Bahamas, and a day at Castaway Cay, leaving from Port Canaveral. I looked very quick and it looks like Royal Caribbean has an itinerary similar with their island., as well as Disney. I just need some sort of starting point-Since it would be a short cruise, and would like to spend the day at an Island and Bahamas, on board activities wouldn't interest us, especially with the shorter cruise. I know you don't spend much time in the room, but boy are those tiny, lol! We would definitely get one with a balcony. Looking at summer of 2023. I just would appreciate some sort of starting point, I enjoy doing the research, but between all the choices, just feeling overwhelmed, thank you all so much!!

 

[daedelus]

Good questions. A couple of things I would give you as a starting point for you to do further research on. Caveat, I've done 10 DCLs and 1 Carnival, so I can't really speak for RC. But I've done enough of my own research that we've done 10 on DCL (and have 2 more scheduled).

• Are you a huge Disney fan or does that content / branding matter to you? Obviously, everything aboard a DCL ship is Disney branded while RC has no real branding theme.
• Is "all inclusive" important to you or are you someone who only pays for what you use? DCL is more "all inclusive" with the exception of alcohol, although there are wine packages available. But while there is 1 premium dining experience on each DCL ship (2 for Dream and Fantasy), RC and others have many premium features / experiences and dining options that aren't included.
• Disney offers a decent list of excursions, and while you can "freestyle" it and book your own via Viator or similar, I've heard that RC and others have many more choices, depending on your interests.
• Again, I've never sailed with RC, but DCL is top drawer when it comes to service. Every issue I've ever had onboard was resolved completely almost immediately. I've heard less encouraging things about RC, but I have no direct experience there.

Hope that's helpful!

 

[Mommb]

A 3- or 4-night cruise out of Port Canaveral would be a good "starter cruise" if you're not sure whether you'll enjoy cruising. Just making that choice will limit your options considerably. The Disney Wish will have that route in summer 2023, but the other Disney ships will be in other ports and/or on longer cruises.

I have cruised only once with Royal Caribbean (in Alaska), and many times with Disney. In addition to the points daedelus listed above, here are a few more differences to think about:

• For a short cruise, you may not care about daytime activities if you intend to be on the islands. On a 4-night Disney cruise, though, you will have 1 day at sea, so you'll want to have some idea of what will be available on board that you would enjoy.
• You will also be onboard in the evenings. Disney has full-staged shows scheduled for 3 nights. On a 4-night cruise, there may also be a movie or a featured guest performer (magician, juggler, comic, singer, etc.). In the evenings, there will be shows from the guest performers, music, and games, but there may not be as much late-night activity as on RC.
• The room sizes are probably comparable, but Disney does have the split bathroom in rooms with balconies that I don't think RC has. There is one small room with a sink and toilet, and another small room with a sink and shower. If you'll have 3 people in a room, that might be helpful.
• Summer is a particularly expensive time for Disney cruises. If you are able to travel when most kids are in school (before the end of May or after the middle of August) you will have a lower fare.

 

[lynnfitz]

thanks everyone, good points! sounds like if we do summer, Disney Wish would be the only option as far as a Disney ship from Port Canaveral?

 

[jcarwash]

thanks everyone, good points! sounds like if we do summer, Disney Wish would be the only option as far as a Disney ship from Port Canaveral?

For the foreseeable future (including summer 2023), the new Disney Wish will be doing the 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral. The Disney Fantasy continues to do the longer 7-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral.

 

[loislane]

thanks everyone, good points! sounds like if we do summer, Disney Wish would be the only option as far as a Disney ship from Port Canaveral?

It looks like the Wish is going to be the main option for the short cruises. The Fantasy is sailing out of Port Canaveral as well but on 7-nighters.

We've only done one cruise so far - 2nd is coming up in less than 2 weeks- and I just wanted to add in why we chose Disney instead of another line.
1. We do love Disney and wanted those Disney touches.
2. Even though we are traveling as 2 adults, we wanted family friendly. Casinos at sea, etc. are not important to us and do not appeal to us.
3. The rotational dining and having the same serving team throughout the cruise appealed to us - and we truly loved it during the cruise.
4. The more all-inclusive nature. Yes, there are specialty restaurants that are an upcharge, alcoholic drinks are an upcharge, some other things are an upcharge but first, you don't have to do any of those things to still have a great time. Second, we enjoy an adult beverage or two but aren't huge drinkers so pay-as-you-go works out a lot cheaper for us.
5. We liked the look of Castaway Cay more than some of the islands other lines have. We prefer the natural beauty and being able to enjoy that for a relaxing day. There are many that disagree and prefer places like Perfect Day at Cocoa Cay with its water park, etc., but I'm in my 50s, out of shape, and cranky and don't want to go-go-go all day, every day of a cruise. I want to relax! LOL

 

[lynnfitz]

You made me laugh when I read your reply about being cranky and 50! We're cranky and 60, lol! A lot of the reasons you listed I definitively agree with. We don't want casinos, and we do love Disney themes! I'm sure if we decide to give cruises a try it will be Disney. We just got back from a split stay with Boardwalk and Bay Lake. The places were so clean, and great cm's. My son left a few shirts in the closet, the Contemporary emailed me a list of what he left, then shipped it to our home free of charge, thought that was really nice. I thought 1 day of being at sea, 1 day at Castaway Cay, and 1 day in the Bahamas was a nice mix. We're not the type to do a lot of activities either, would love just to explore the ship and buy some more Disney souvenirs, lol!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

If you need or want a TA (Travel Agent/Travel Assistant), Dreams Unlimited sponsors this website. I have used them in the past and looking for another cruise to book. They are extremely helpful in all things DCL.
If you want to avoid the crowds, DCL is like WDW: go when the kids are in school.

 

[Girl of the South]

Keep in mind that unless you are teachers or in a profession that only allows you to take the summers off, you might be better off booking a cruise in the Fall when it's not school vacation. Ship would be less crowded and the cruise would be cheaper. The last cruise I did was in November and the weather was lovely. Try a couple of different dates on the website, just to see the difference. Also, lower decks are less tipsy, if that is an issue for you.

And really, the cabins are decent sized. There is one double bed, and then the couch 'folds over' for a single bed. There is a heavy curtain you can close between the two areas that gives some privacy. The balcony adds light and space. The split bathrooms - one has a toilet and a sink and one has a shower and a sink. Think of it as a "tiny house" at sea!

 

[juliann1977]

Hi, OP! So we are platinum on DCL (I've been on 14 and my husband and two teenagers have been on 12) and have been on all the Disney ships, with the exception of the Wish, which we sail next week. We've also been on five RC cruises. We like Royal a lot--food is great, crew is super professional, lots to do, the private islands are fun, and on and on. We LOVE DCL though, and I wouldn't even consider us huge Disney people. We go to WDW maybe every three years, have done Disneyland twice, and went to Disneyland Paris last Spring, but the parks aren't a huge focus.

Since you visit the parks yearly, I'd suggest trying Disney first. You really can't go wrong. If you want to do summer, look at mid-late August dates, if you can. The rates drop dramatically as kids in most states head back to school. We live in NJ and kids don't go back until after Labor Day, so we have taken advantage of the lower August rates several times. When we did Alaska, shifting by two weeks allowed us to add on an extra 4-night cruise at the end for the same cost in concierge.

 

[Cheburashka]

If you're a Disney family but are on the fence about trying RCCL or DCL, then I recommend trying one of DCL's more affordable cruises. Disney cruises can easily cost double in the summer or over major holidays what they cost when school is in session. I do think sailing DCL is special and worthwhile for those who like Disney, but I don't think it's necessarily worth the massive price premium that a family of four would pay sailing at the most expensive time of year. For some people, it's worth it, of course, but if you're on the fence, I don't recommend you pay that much until you've sampled the product yourself.

To sail DCL for less money, avoid cruising in the summer or over major school holidays. Avoid the newest ship, the Wish, which has a price premium due to being new but is not better than the other ships. You can book a VGT rate (a restricted rate in which you will get a discounted verandah stateroom without being able to choose the specific room or make any cancellations) if one appears for a given cruise. They often start appearing 4 - 6 months before the cruise, but are not guaranteed to be available for every cruise (and probably won't be available for the Wish anytime soon).

Sailing a 4 or 5 night on the Dream out of south Florida during the school year would be a great and relatively affordable short cruise if you can work that into your schedule. The Wish currently has a monopoly on short cruises out of Port Canaveral, which is why I recommend sailing from south Florida, instead. The Dream is a great ship, but because she isn't new (although she's beautiful and looks as good as new) she's significantly less expensive than the Wish.