A few questions about our next cruise (which one to choose?)

[Geomom]

Thanks for this informative comment!
It's true that we haven't really thought about Disney cruises in Europe (so we'd have to go from Belgium to England, Italy, or even Spain). Are these European cruises exactly the same, on board the ship, as the cruises we've been talking about in this thread since the beginning?

We did the Magic from Copenhagen in 2018 (Baltic Sea) and the Dream from Southampton in 2023 (Norway). Both were 'Northern' cruises with no pirate night/no fireworks. (Environmental reasons? Similar to Alaska). On board entertainment is the same with 3 Broadway style shows, entertainers, etc. Menus may have 'regional inspiration' foods available. Some drinks were unavailable (like vitamin water and some diet soda) in the beverage station as they get food supplies from ports. And the Southampton one kept running out of tea bags and hot cups on the pool deck. Characters will have regional costumes some days which is really nice! The Southampton one was in August and was 1/2 UK citizens on Holiday (many treating it as a staycation), 1/4 US citizens, and 1/4 Europeans/other nations.

 

[mike888]

Well, I think we've finally made our choice; it'll be 5 nights on the "Magic" from September 28th to October 3rd (Port Canaveral). The cabin will be a Deluxe Ocean View.
But how do we choose the right one ? Would you recommend the front, middle, or rear of the boat (deck 2)?

 

[Erica1016]

Well, I think we've finally made our choice; it'll be 5 nights on the "Magic" from September 28th to October 3rd (Port Canaveral). The cabin will be a Deluxe Ocean View.
But how do we choose the right one ? Would you recommend the front, middle, or rear of the boat (deck 2)?

I am a "any room is fine with me as long as I'm on the ship" kind of person. That being said, I've liked it best when we have a room fairly close to the stairs/elevator.

 

[Flossbolna]

Well, I think we've finally made our choice; it'll be 5 nights on the "Magic" from September 28th to October 3rd (Port Canaveral). The cabin will be a Deluxe Ocean View.
But how do we choose the right one ? Would you recommend the front, middle, or rear of the boat (deck 2)?

On the Magic I would like to be between the forward and midship elevators as those are the ones I would use the most. Forward is great for adult pool area, adult bars and theater, midship for stuff in atrium.

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

Well, I think we've finally made our choice; it'll be 5 nights on the "Magic" from September 28th to October 3rd (Port Canaveral). The cabin will be a Deluxe Ocean View.
But how do we choose the right one ? Would you recommend the front, middle, or rear of the boat (deck 2)?

The Magic is a great cruise ship. For a first time I think you are going to love it especially since you have nothing to compare it to. Your time frame and length of cruise most likely means there won’t be many kids on board.
Make sure you go to the shows as I think they are some of the best across all the ships.
Pirate deck part is also awesome. I’m guessing you are going to both private islands which is a real bonus

 

[holula]

On the magic I prefer forward to mid. You’ll have a blast on a 5 night!

 

[mike888]

On the magic I prefer forward to mid. You’ll have a blast on a 5 night!

Could you explain your sentence ?

 

[Girl of the South]

The front (pointy end) half of the ship.

 

[Amunet]

The Magic is my favorite ship! Though I do inside cabins.

The ship is divided into 3 sections: Forward (the front of the ship), Mid (the middle of the ship), and Aft (the rear of the ship). These sections have different costs associated with location, as well as which deck your cabin is on.

Most people prefer Mid ship because you feel the rocking of the boat less. On the Magic, my favorite inside cabins are Forward so I dont really care about the motion of the ship, I just take motion sickness medication.

 

[holula]

Could you explain your sentence ?

Front = forward
Middle = mid/midship
Rear = aft

So for me on the Magic I prefer the front half of the ship, forward of the mid ship elevators.

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

We did midship level 2 this past May. We felt very little movement

 

[mike888]

Well, I'll keep you posted on how things are going...

So we booked our cruise : 5 nights on the Magic, departing from Port Canaveral. We chose room 2506 Ocean View Deluxe with a large porthole (deck 2 at the front); to be honest, there weren't many options left.
We were given an 8:15 PM seat for dinner, and it's very good.
On the app, our reservation appears fine. But under "Upcoming Cruises," there's "Add reservation." I guess I don't need to do anything there, everything's already set?...
I'll take the time to look at everything we can do from the app (meals, activities, etc.).
I'm mainly going to book transportation to/from Orlando.

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll probably have more questions.

 

[aka Charles]

Congratulations on booking your first Disney cruise!
(I love the Magic, btw)

A 5-night cruise is perfect for a first cruise or being on a ship for the first time.
It takes a couple days to get used to a new ship and finding your way around.
A 3-night cruise will end right after you start getting comfortable, lol.

Disney Cruise Lines has transportation you can book.
They can pick up and drop off at the Orlando airport (MCO) and/or at Walt Disney World resorts.
There are also a number of good transportation companies in the Orlando area that may offer more flexible options.

Have a great time!
.

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

Well, I'll keep you posted on how things are going...

So we booked our cruise : 5 nights on the Magic, departing from Port Canaveral. We chose room 2506 Ocean View Deluxe with a large porthole (deck 2 at the front); to be honest, there weren't many options left.
We were given an 8:15 PM seat for dinner, and it's very good.
On the app, our reservation appears fine. But under "Upcoming Cruises," there's "Add reservation." I guess I don't need to do anything there, everything's already set?...
I'll take the time to look at everything we can do from the app (meals, activities, etc.).
I'm mainly going to book transportation to/from Orlando.

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll probably have more questions.

View attachment 984150

The add reservation is in case you have another DCL reservation that is not showing up in your list.
Congrats on booking. Can’t remember if I mentioned it earlier. We went on the Magic for the first time in May ( 4 night) and I think it may be my favorite ship. It’s so easy to get around. The shows are amazing.
Dining locations are also amazing
Have fun. Let us all know how it went

 

[Girl of the South]

The “Add Reservation” would be if you had friends or family in a different stateroom, and you wanted to share a table with them at dinner (for example). Nothing to worry about for you!

 

[serrem2]

We love the oceanview staterooms on Deck 2 of the Magic and it's sister ship the Wonder. Lower down, there's less motion. You'll be near the forward elevators, so it's easy to get to the adult pool and surrounding areas on Deck 9, which are also forward, and most of the adult recreation establishments (also known as bars and pubs) will be one flight up from where you are, also in the forward section.

Most important: be sure to drop a review on this site after you finish your cruise. I'd love to know how you liked it and hope you become as hooked on DCL as we are (23rd cruise coming up).

 

[mike888]

Quick practical question :

I see on the website that you can use the "Pre-Paid Gratuities" option; do you think this is a good idea ?

 

[serrem2]

Whether you pre-pay them before the cruise or have them charged to your onboard account, they'll be the same amount, which I think is now $16 per person per day. It's your individual preference whether you want to do it before or after you sail. Remember, you can always add to the set daily gratuities if a particular dining room attendant or stateroom host has provided exceptional service, as they often do.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Otherwise, there's another cruise that departs from Port Canaval on September 19th and lasts 5 days; the ship is the Magic (quite old, though).... It could work for us, but we'd have to make significant changes to the rest of our stay in Orlando.

I'm on that one!

 

[mike888]

Regarding transportation from the resort to Port Canaveral (and back to MCO), is it better to call to book ?
I'm asking this because on the app, once I've checked the participants' names, I have to proceed directly to payment ; but how do I set the pick-up and drop-off locations ?
Thanks!