1st time booking DCL - help!

[soniam]

We're now considering a different ship (maybe the Fantasy). I know it's hard to form an opinion before seeing the Wish, but for first time cruisers, do you feel it would be a major step down to book on that ship?

I feel like DCL takes very good care of their ships. On some other cruise lines, the older ships can seem older and have less amenities. Fantasy is a fabulous ship. It feels as modern as anything I have seen, except for maybe the Viking ocean ships or the newest Celebrity class. It's very classy and has a ton of stuff to do. The rooms are the best laid out in the industry, in my opinion, especially for families. We are absolutely choosing Fantasy over Wish for next summer, mostly due to the better itineraries on the Fantasy. We really prefer 7 nights or more. I think getting on as many DCL ships as you can is great. They are all different and have their unique characteristics. I don't think you would be disappointed. Have you cruised before?

 

[Duke07]

I feel like DCL takes very good care of their ships. On some other cruise lines, the older ships can seem older and have less amenities. Fantasy is a fabulous ship. It feels as modern as anything I have seen, except for maybe the Viking ocean ships or the newest Celebrity class. It's very classy and has a ton of stuff to do. The rooms are the best laid out in the industry, in my opinion, especially for families. We are absolutely choosing Fantasy over Wish for next summer, mostly due to the better itineraries on the Fantasy. We really prefer 7 nights or more. I think getting on as many DCL ships as you can is great. They are all different and have their unique characteristics. I don't think you would be disappointed. Have you cruised before?

Thanks! I've never cruised before, but a few people in my party are experienced cruisers (but they've never been on DCL). I just noticed that the Fantasy isn't able to be booked though, if I'm seeing it correctly?

 

[soniam]

Thanks! I've never cruised before, but a few people in my party are experienced cruisers (but they've never been on DCL). I just noticed that the Fantasy isn't able to be booked though, if I'm seeing it correctly?

It should be bookable. They released summer 2022 itineraries already. They are in the Caribbean mostly though and leaving from Port Canaveral. Are you specifically looking for certain ports, leaving from a certain port, and a certain number of days?

 

[Duke07]

It should be bookable. They released summer 2022 itineraries already. They are in the Caribbean mostly though and leaving from Port Canaveral. Are you specifically looking for certain ports, leaving from a certain port, and a certain number of days?

Any of the Florida ports are more ideal and 4-5 nights. Maybe the number of nights was removing that ship from the results.

 

[lanejudy]

We're now considering a different ship. Am I correct that the only other ship you can book on is the Dream as of now?

Any of the ships should be able to be booked, pending availability (which might be sparse due to all the FCC out there). The Dream and Fantasy cruise out of Florida all year, but depending on time of year you can usually find a few cruises for the Magic and Wonder from Florida as well. Though admittedly I haven't followed the latest releases very closely so I'm not sure about early 2022.

 

[Duke07]

We're now considering a different ship. Am I correct that the only other ship you can book on is the Dream as of now?

Never mind...I was filtering out the other ships due to the number of nights. I'm really showing how much of a newbie I am to this.

 

[soniam]

Any of the Florida ports are more ideal and 4-5 nights. Maybe the number of nights was removing that ship from the results.

Fantasy typically only does 7 night. Occasionally, you will find a 4-6 night. Maybe look at the Dream, but I think it’s leaving out of Miami next summer. All of the ships are great. Just book one and go. You won’t regret it,

 

[Cheburashka]

So, based on the replies here, it seems like it's going to be tough for those booking on the public on-sale date this week to get a desirable room (not just concierge) for the Wish. Am I interpreting this correctly?

I wouldn't count on all concierge categories of all WIsh sailings being sold out permanently. I'm gold and looked in the evening (not really interested in booking this time), and there were several cruises with concierge rooms of different types available. They might look booked at first, but then people change their minds and don't follow through with the booking. So it's always best to check back every day (especially early in the morning) for a while after initial booking opens, to check for new room availability. Forget about the Maiden Voyage, but this strategy can definitely be effective for other cruises.

From what I can gather, the rooms at the Concierge level seem generally nicer and more spacious.

I'm not sure about cabin sizes on the WIsh, but on the other ships, the Concierge Family Oceanview Verandah cabin is exactly the same size and almost exactly the same layout (fold-out bed is a bit different) as the non-Concierge Family Oceanview Verandah cabin. They have a different decor, but whether that decor is better or not is a matter of taste. Unless you get a 1-bedroom or higher level of stateroom, sailing concierge is mostly about the perks, not the cabin.