5650 or Deck 1/2 Oceanview

[sunshiinedaydream]

Hi! We are trying to choose a room for the 5-day western Caribbean MDAS cruise on the Magic in January. We’ve never been on any cruise before so not really sure what to expect but trying to do my research. It will be me, DH, and 2 DS (aged 5 and 3 during trip).

We are definitely budget conscious but are splurging a bit by choosing DCL as a Masters graduate celebration for DH. We will most likely not disembark in Cozumel, but plan to spend a beach day at Castaway Cay with no extra excursions. We will not be dining at any adult only restaurants, but will want to have some drinks throughout the week. I mention these things because I want to hear your thoughts on the price difference in staterooms.

ATM I have rm 5650 on hold, but I am debating whether to change to a Deck 1 or 2 oceanview to save some $$$. It would be around $550 cheaper for the oceanview. It’s highly likely I will be motion sick at some point during the trip, but will prepare as much as possible. Not too concerned about engine noise, but definitely like the ideas of less foot traffic and being close to things like kids club for our young kids.

What would you choose for your first cruise???

 

[yowcruiser]

5650 was one of our favorite cabin due to location and how quiet the overall area is. The balcony is larger, but odd shaped and there is a camera at the back of the balcony that would somewhat impact the view if you were to look toward the back of the ship

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

5650 was one of our favorite cabin due to location and how quiet the overall area is. The balcony is larger, but odd shaped and there is a camera at the back of the balcony that would somewhat impact the view if you were to look toward the back of the ship

Would you prefer paying $550 more to stay in that room again over a lower deck with portholes?

And what were your opinions on the solid wall.

 

[lklgoodman]

We've done 6 cruises, all in oceanview cabins. We usually stay on deck 2, mid-ship. We stayed once on deck 5 on the Fantasy. We don't spend much time in our cabin, so an oceanview is fine for us. A lot of people like to sit on their verandah. If you think you would spend a lot of time on it, then get it. If not, then switch to the oceanview.

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

We've done 6 cruises, all in oceanview cabins. We usually stay on deck 2, mid-ship. We stayed once on deck 5 on the Fantasy. We don't spend much time in our cabin, so an oceanview is fine for us. A lot of people like to sit on their verandah. If you think you would spend a lot of time on it, then get it. If not, then switch to the oceanview.

We are thinking we’d just be out on it for breakfast. We plan to mostly eat breakfast in our room. Would 2 adults and 2 young children sit on the veranda?

 

[lklgoodman]

We are thinking we’d just be out on it for breakfast. We plan to mostly eat breakfast in our room. Would 2 adults and 2 young children sit on the veranda?

You wouldn't be able to all sit out there to eat at the same time. There's only 2 chairs and a small table(not big enough to put a lot of plates on). If you have a cabin in the aft with the really big verandah, then you may all be able to eat out there, but if it's the regular sized one, there won't be enough room. I don't know how many of the big verandahs are on the Magic or which cabins have them.

 

[mmouse37]

I would choose Deck 2 over Deck 1 only because on Deck 1 there are two smaller portholes up high but on Deck 2 there is one large porthole the kids could look out.

Just a question on why you would want to eat breakfast in your room? Cabanas has a wonderful assortment of breakfast items. If you order room service for breakfast there is no hot food available. Or you could eat in one of the designated dining rooms for a sit down served breakfast (as opposed to a buffet like at Cabanas.)

MJ

 

[yowcruiser]

Although this is an oversized verandah, it is still the two chair setup with a small table. As for the whitewall, well, when you sit, you can't see - you do have to stand. It is nice to have the fresh air and for some reason the one cruise that we were in that cabin, everybody would be out when the ship sailed out in the evening so you could easily strike a conversation with your neighbor as the curvature of the ship makes it easier to do so. I personally can't sit for very long periods so having to stand to watch is not an issue for me, and more private and enjoyable than being on Deck 4 or 9/10/11. On a 5-night cruise, yes I would personally pay a $550 premium understanding that on a 10-night cruise, the price difference is at least $2000 - so "relatively" good value - but this is because of what I value. Given what you intend to do, or would like the verandah for... it may not be worth that much to you.

 

[Alottasky]

I‘m not sure if this will be helpful, but on our last cruise we were in stateroom 5642 on the Wonder, the sister ship. I did not care for the solid wall verandah at all because when I sat down I could not see over the top—I could only see sky and wall!
If I wanted to enjoy the view I had to stand. We did not use the balcony as much as I thought we would because of this. Also, our cabin had a bad vibration problem whenever the ship was cruising at a higher speed. We would not book this category again. For our next cruise we have reserved one of the secret port hole rooms on deck 5. It will be the first time in one so I hope we like it!

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

I would choose Deck 2 over Deck 1 only because on Deck 1 there are two smaller portholes up high but on Deck 2 there is one large porthole the kids could look out.

Just a question on why you would want to eat breakfast in your room? Cabanas has a wonderful assortment of breakfast items. If you order room service for breakfast there is no hot food available. Or you could eat in one of the designated dining rooms for a sit down served breakfast (as opposed to a buffet like at Cabanas.)

MJ

I have a feeling that one sit down meal a day for my little kids is enough. It’s more stressful for their dad and I if we have to take turns getting food, going to the bathroom, getting drinks. I’d rather start the day off with less stress by eating in our room. If we want hot items could we just send one parent to cabanas for a plate or can you not take it out of the area?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have a feeling that one sit down dinner a day for my little kids is enough. It’s more stressful for their dad and I if we have to take turns getting food, going to the bathroom, getting drinks. I’d rather start the day off with less stress by eating in our room. If we want hot items could we just send one parent to cabanas for a plate or can you not take it out of the area?

Yes, you can bring food to your room from Cabanas. But it will negate the "hot" part, by the time you get through the line and back to your room.


FYI, here the room service menu for breakfast:

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

Yes, you can bring food to your room from Cabanas. But it will negate the "hot" part, by the time you get through the line and back to your room.


FYI, here the room service menu for breakfast:

View attachment 496167

Honestly that would probably be perfect for us lol. Cereal, fruit, bagels and coffee are all we need to be satisfied, especially with so many snacks to be had during the day! Thank you for posting that list. The cons of playing musical chairs to keep everyone happy at the buffet outweigh the hot food aspect (my food is cold by the time I ever get to eat). So if need be I’d send dad up to get some eggs or Mickey waffles for the kids if they wanted it. Definitely interested in maybe doing one sit down breakfast at Lumiere’s though.

 

[lklgoodman]

You can take food from Cabanas to your room. Last cruise I brought some snack size ziplock bags. I would get grapes or carrots at the buffet. I'd put them in the bags(at the table, not directly at the buffet). We'd keep them in the cabin refrigerator for a healthy snack. They also have individual size containers of yogurt, cereal, and milk. My dd would usually get some each day to have as a snack later in the day. The refrigerator in the cabin is dorm size, so doesn't hold a ton, but you can get something from Cabanas each day if you want.

 

[Geomom]

We've stayed in deck 2 Oceanview for our 2 cruises on the Wonder/Magic and loved it there. Rooms 2116 and 2108. Very quiet, easy access to aft stairs/elevator. In your case the only reason I might go with the balcony is if you know you'll be stuck in the room while kids are napping for hours. Personally, I'd save that $550 and put it towards souvenirs, etc... especially after reading all the comments about the white wall balcony.

Breakfast...in addition to the mdr, cabanas, and room service; there are other spots to pick up a light breakfast. Cove Cafe has free pastries, Daisy's Delites has fruit, pastries and yogurt/granola smoothies, and even Promenade Lounge...or Tiana's lounge? had pastries and the yogurt smoothies. Our kids were teens/tweens on our cruises...and slept late if we let them. .DH and I did breakfast without them, including in the MDR and brought them back breakfast... usually fruit and pastries and hot chocolate. We tended to just do breakfast room service when we had an early excursion.

 

[BarlowFamily]

We stayed in a stateroom by the midship stairs on deck 2 (I think 2052...) and we loved the location. We would pick it again in a heartbeat. We booked a "secret porthole room" on Deck 5 for our next cruise or we would have been Deck 2 midship again. I take the stairs everywhere (rest of the family does not). We all thought the location was really convenient. Quick to restaurants and kids club and the ship is a great size so even the pools and Cabanas didn't seem far.

The Magic and Wonder have more inside/porthole rooms compared to verandahs (not sure exactly how to phrase that). More inventory of inside/porthole rooms and high demand for Verandahs. Disney learned that families want Verandahs and the Dream and Fantasy were built with loads of them . So a Verandah room on the two bigger ships is usually a smaller price bump than on the two smaller ships. For example, $300 more on our 7 Day Fantasy Cruise, but almost $2000 more on our Magic cruise. So your $550 doesn't sound bad.

I constantly go back and forth on budget vs. splurge when planning vacations. We stayed in an inside stateroom for our first cruise. We enjoyed our trip, but desired some natural light. For your family's first cruise, an Oceanview room on Deck 2 would be my choice. However, if you'd like help justifying the $550 to have a Verandah, I think that's a reasonable upgrade.

You mentioned no excursions on Castaway, but if I'm planning for you the Castaway Cay 5k is a free fun event. We also found renting bikes well worth it, you can put the little ones in the child seat and go explore a little.

As for wanting a few drinks throughout the week, we've had a few drinks-of-the-day on cruises, but didn't like most of them. My mom ordered a wine package for dinner, 7 bottles I think. She liked doing that. DH and I really enjoy the beverage seminars on board. They are an hour long, some in the afternoon and some at 10pm, usually around $25. They are lots of fun and the drinks have always been great.

Breakfast in the room: We ordered coffee for us and fruit and toast for DS4. He doesn't eat much, but does eat immediately upon waking up. He could munch and play in the room while we had coffee and got ready and then we checked him in to Kids Club while we sat down in a restaurant for breakfast! Luxurious! I think those might be the only breakfast dates DH and I have had since becoming parents. I know the adults only restaurants have a lot of hype, but the Main Dining room that is open for breakfast and lunch will be much quieter at those meals than at dinner. 10/10 recommend checking the kiddos into kids club for at least one breakfast/lunch and enjoying a quiet meal together. No up-charge

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

[SamFaniam]

Hi! We are trying to choose a room for the 5-day western Caribbean MDAS cruise on the Magic in January. We’ve never been on any cruise before so not really sure what to expect but trying to do my research. It will be me, DH, and 2 DS (aged 5 and 3 during trip).

We are definitely budget conscious but are splurging a bit by choosing DCL as a Masters graduate celebration for DH. We will most likely not disembark in Cozumel, but plan to spend a beach day at Castaway Cay with no extra excursions. We will not be dining at any adult only restaurants, but will want to have some drinks throughout the week. I mention these things because I want to hear your thoughts on the price difference in staterooms.

ATM I have rm 5650 on hold, but I am debating whether to change to a Deck 1 or 2 oceanview to save some $$$. It would be around $550 cheaper for the oceanview. It’s highly likely I will be motion sick at some point during the trip, but will prepare as much as possible. Not too concerned about engine noise, but definitely like the ideas of less foot traffic and being close to things like kids club for our young kids.

What would you choose for your first cruise???

5650 Is in a nice quiet location and on the same deck as the kids clubs. That being said because you mentioned being concerned about motion sickness, I would recommend a midship cabin on deck one or two. The far aft cabins are likely to experience more emotion than those in the midship area. A midship cabin on deck two is just a couple of flights of stairs, or a short elevator ride, up to deck five where the clubs are.

I thought that 5650 only slept 3, but perhaps it’s been modified since last I knew.

 

[yowcruiser]

I have a feeling that one sit down meal a day for my little kids is enough. It’s more stressful for their dad and I if we have to take turns getting food, going to the bathroom, getting drinks. I’d rather start the day off with less stress by eating in our room. If we want hot items could we just send one parent to cabanas for a plate or can you not take it out of the area?

...and not to speculate but at least one cruise line has mentioned that they will do away with buffet for the foreseeable future... so there is a chance that Cabana itself becomes sit down so the ability to run up and down would be further limited. However, let's assume that Cabana operates as is, there is currently a straircase next to 5650 that brings you straight into Cabana - a bit of a secret staircase, used to get to your "emergency meeting spot" (usually Animator's Palate) - but I could see that secret entrance being put out of service.

Which reminds me about something else with 5650... everyone in that section was forced into 2nd (late) dining. Reason is that you are right above Animator's Palate and if you are to be in your room during dining time, you do hear the "entertainment" happening below

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

We stayed in a stateroom by the midship stairs on deck 2 (I think 2052...) and we loved the location. We would pick it again in a heartbeat. We booked a "secret porthole room" on Deck 5 for our next cruise or we would have been Deck 2 midship again. I take the stairs everywhere (rest of the family does not). We all thought the location was really convenient. Quick to restaurants and kids club and the ship is a great size so even the pools and Cabanas didn't seem far.

The Magic and Wonder have more inside/porthole rooms compared to verandahs (not sure exactly how to phrase that). More inventory of inside/porthole rooms and high demand for Verandahs. Disney learned that families want Verandahs and the Dream and Fantasy were built with loads of them . So a Verandah room on the two bigger ships is usually a smaller price bump than on the two smaller ships. For example, $300 more on our 7 Day Fantasy Cruise, but almost $2000 more on our Magic cruise. So your $550 doesn't sound bad.

I constantly go back and forth on budget vs. splurge when planning vacations. We stayed in an inside stateroom for our first cruise. We enjoyed our trip, but desired some natural light. For your family's first cruise, an Oceanview room on Deck 2 would be my choice. However, if you'd like help justifying the $550 to have a Verandah, I think that's a reasonable upgrade.

You mentioned no excursions on Castaway, but if I'm planning for you the Castaway Cay 5k is a free fun event. We also found renting bikes well worth it, you can put the little ones in the child seat and go explore a little.

As for wanting a few drinks throughout the week, we've had a few drinks-of-the-day on cruises, but didn't like most of them. My mom ordered a wine package for dinner, 7 bottles I think. She liked doing that. DH and I really enjoy the beverage seminars on board. They are an hour long, some in the afternoon and some at 10pm, usually around $25. They are lots of fun and the drinks have always been great.

Breakfast in the room: We ordered coffee for us and fruit and toast for DS4. He doesn't eat much, but does eat immediately upon waking up. He could munch and play in the room while we had coffee and got ready and then we checked him in to Kids Club while we sat down in a restaurant for breakfast! Luxurious! I think those might be the only breakfast dates DH and I have had since becoming parents. I know the adults only restaurants have a lot of hype, but the Main Dining room that is open for breakfast and lunch will be much quieter at those meals than at dinner. 10/10 recommend checking the kiddos into kids club for at least one breakfast/lunch and enjoying a quiet meal together. No up-charge

Enjoy your cruise!!

We definitely are going to do the bikes. We might just do it as a couples thing and send the kiddos to the onshore club.
We’re also interested in the mixology session and DH is a beer drinker so possibly the refillable mug? Do you know anything about that? I will bring wine on the ship and 4 bottles will be more than plenty for me.

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

...and not to speculate but at least one cruise line has mentioned that they will do away with buffet for the foreseeable future... so there is a chance that Cabana itself becomes sit down so the ability to run up and down would be further limited. However, let's assume that Cabana operates as is, there is currently a straircase next to 5650 that brings you straight into Cabana - a bit of a secret staircase, used to get to your "emergency meeting spot" (usually Animator's Palate) - but I could see that secret entrance being put out of service.

Which reminds me about something else with 5650... everyone in that section was forced into 2nd (late) dining. Reason is that you are right above Animator's Palate and if you are to be in your room during dining time, you do hear the "entertainment" happening below

it automatically put me in late dining but I already changed it to the early on whew

 

[vegs1]

I have a feeling that one sit down meal a day for my little kids is enough. It’s more stressful for their dad and I if we have to take turns getting food, going to the bathroom, getting drinks. I’d rather start the day off with less stress by eating in our room. If we want hot items could we just send one parent to cabanas for a plate or can you not take it out of the area?

We have done 14 DCL cruises and always go to cabanas for breakfast. On our last cruise, we took our grandkids and we only went to Cabanas once. We didn’t feel we missed out on anything. We ended up ordering from room service cereal, juice, etc and my husband went and got Mickey waffles and bacon and brought it back. It was never cold and we enjoyed our time.

With only two chairs on the deck, you won’t have room for four of you to sit outside and with the white wall verandah, you won’t see while sitting as has been stated. Our grandkids enjoyed sitting on the beach towels we had brought from home and having a “picnic”. That might work for you.

I have stayed on deck 1 and 2. We prefer deck 2.

Edited to add that the balcony is nice if the kids go to bed early. You can take your wine and beer and sit outside and not feel confined to your cabin.