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

[mike888]

Hi!

A bit of madness has passed, and we've decided to improve our stay in Orlando. Currently, we're staying at the Coronado Springs from September 24 to October 3.
We're interested in two cruises (3 nights).
The first departs from Cape Canaveral (Orlando) and goes to Nassau, Bahamas, then Disney Castaway Cay. The ship is the "Wish."
The second departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes us to Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, then Nassau, Bahamas. The ship is the "Dream."
Since this is a first for us, we don't know anything about it...
So, we'll definitely find out, but I wanted to get your opinion on these two cruises? Do you have a preference and why? And regarding the islands, which do you prefer?
Is three days enough to fully enjoy them? Is it better to spend the night before near the boarding point?
As for meals, are they buffets or table service?
These are some initial questions; there will be more!
Thank you for your answers.

 

[Girl of the South]

Are the cruises about the same price? And if not, is that an issue?

You can have a sit down meal for all 3 meals. Or there is a buffet available for breakfast and lunch.

 

[mike888]

Are the cruises about the same price? And if not, is that an issue?

You can have a sit down meal for all 3 meals. Or there is a buffet available for breakfast and lunch.

Thanks for your reply!
There's a difference of €100, but it's not a problem for us.
Is there any way to see the menus (and their prices)?

 

[dwg]

I was just checking dates on Disney Cruise Website. there are no 3 day cruises from Ft Lauderdale in October so I am assuming at least a cruise on the Dream would be in September before Disney world. From a transportation standpoint going to Port Canaveral will be logistically easier. Orlando has the Hyatt Hotel at the airport with transportation from the airport to Port Canaveral directly. From Ft Lauderdale we had to take an Uber from the airport and the setup was a nightmare.

Also I see from your last response you are flying from Europe. It looks like this is your first cruise so I understand the 3 days length but maybe consider a 4 day cruise. For us this is the perfect length. We found the 3 day too short.

 

[mike888]

I was just checking dates on Disney Cruise Website. there are no 3 day cruises from Ft Lauderdale in October so I am assuming at least a cruise on the Dream would be in September before Disney world. From a transportation standpoint going to Port Canaveral will be logistically easier. Orlando has the Hyatt Hotel at the airport with transportation from the airport to Port Canaveral directly. From Ft Lauderdale we had to take an Uber from the airport and the setup was a nightmare.

Also I see from your last response you are flying from Europe. It looks like this is your first cruise so I understand the 3 days length but maybe consider a 4 day cruise. For us this is the perfect length. We found the 3 day too short.

The cruise would take place from September 19th to 22nd. Then, from the 22nd to the 24th, we would spend two days visiting the city where we disembarked the ship (whether Orlando or Miami).
And on the 24th, our stay at Coronado Springs begins !

 

[Flossbolna]

The cruise would take place from September 19th to 22nd. Then, from the 22nd to the 24th, we would spend two days visiting the city where we disembarked the ship (whether Orlando or Miami).
And on the 24th, our stay at Coronado Springs begins !

If you are flying in from Europe I would recommend to fly in two days early. If anything goes wrong with your flight you could easily be delayed by 24 hours and then would find it difficult to make it to the ship on time.

As to which ship: I would look at some pictures of the ships and go with the one you find prettier. Also: the Wish has two dinner restaurants with shows (Frozen and Marvel), the Dream only has one show: Crush.

All meals onboard (besides the two premium restaurants) are included. For breakfast and lunch you have a choice of either buffet or table service, dinner is at an assigned table and you will get a chance to eat at all different restaurants.

 

[mike888]

If you are flying in from Europe I would recommend to fly in two days early. If anything goes wrong with your flight you could easily be delayed by 24 hours and then would find it difficult to make it to the ship on time.

As to which ship: I would look at some pictures of the ships and go with the one you find prettier. Also: the Wish has two dinner restaurants with shows (Frozen and Marvel), the Dream only has one show: Crush.

All meals onboard (besides the two premium restaurants) are included. For breakfast and lunch you have a choice of either buffet or table service, dinner is at an assigned table and you will get a chance to eat at all different restaurants.

We will land the day before.
Regarding meals, does this mean that we have to book all meals in advance (regardless of which restaurant we go to)?

 

[Dug720]

Regarding meals, does this mean that we have to book all meals in advance (regardless of which restaurant we go to)?

No. For dinner you are assigned a table and a rotation of main dining rooms.

For breakfast and lunch you may go to the buffet, to whichever of the main dining rooms is open for sit-down dining, get food from one of the on-deck places, or order room service.

If you want to go to Palo or Remy/Enchante (depends on the ship) for brunch (sea day or Nassau day only) or dinner and pay, you'd need to make reservations for that.

 

[Dug720]

Is three days enough to fully enjoy them?

You'll never be able to do everything no matter how long you sail. For me, 4 is the absolute lowest number of days I'm willing to do.

 

[mike888]

No. For dinner you are assigned a table and a rotation of main dining rooms.

For breakfast and lunch you may go to the buffet, to whichever of the main dining rooms is open for sit-down dining, get food from one of the on-deck places, or order room service.

If you want to go to Palo or Remy/Enchante (depends on the ship) for brunch (sea day or Nassau day only) or dinner and pay, you'd need to make reservations for that.

What do you mean by rotation ? Are we automatically assigned a different restaurant and a different table every evening ? Can't we choose for ourselves ?

 

[Flossbolna]

What do you mean by rotation ? Are we automatically assigned a different restaurant and a different table every evening ? Can't we choose for ourselves ?

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/en-eu/faq/dining-food-beverages/rotational-dining/

 

[Girl of the South]

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. There are 3 restaurants and each night you are assigned a different one. Your servers move along with you. There are two times and you are assigned one. About 5:15 and one at 8:15 (or thereabouts).

There is also a Pay restaurant but you need to make reservations beforehand and they are not always easy to get.

On the pool deck there is 'fast food' - hamburgers, fries, salads, sandwiches, pizza (not great, sorry) and this is complimentary. They close around 6pm with pizza open later - until maybe 9. There is also a machine that dispenses soda and coffee and teas. Self service.

Soft serve ice cream is also available - you can make your own cone or put it in a cup. Very popular and flavors change daily.

There is also room service which is also complimentary although a tip is much appreciated for the staff who brings the food.

Also a coffee place with 'fancy' coffees. They cost extra but there are pastries in the morning that are free.

You won't go hungry, but maybe the set time dining is not something you would enjoy??

Here are some sample menus:

Disney Cruise Line menus

You can order as you wish. 3 appetizers instead of an entree. Two entrees. Two desserts, etc.

 

[Girl of the South]

PS. From Miami to DisneyWorld is 380 kilometers.

 

[Dug720]

What do you mean by rotation ? Are we automatically assigned a different restaurant and a different table every evening ? Can't we choose for ourselves ?

Disney has 3 main dining rooms and you rotate through them each night with your service team. There are 2 seating times - early and late. You will be assigned to one of those times and a rotation of dining rooms.

For example, on the Wish you may have Early Dining with a rotation of 1923, Worlds of Marvel, and Arendelle. (I don't know the specific rotations, but in this case Night 1 would be in 1923; Night 2 in Worlds of Marvel; Night 3 in Arendelle.)

You'll have the same table number, though its location will not be the same in each dining room.

Disney has no "any time dining" or choose your own table. It's all pre-assigned.

 

[mike888]

Thanks all for your replies !

The more I read your comments, the less I understand how it works, especially for a non-English speaker like me !
In French, we say: "why make it simple when you can make it complicated" (I'm not talking about you, but about Disney) !

So, to summarize, there are three restaurants. Every night, we try a new one and we keep the same team of waiters and the same table. There are two sittings; one at 5:45 PM and the other at 8:15 PM. You don't choose anything; everything is set (even if you're not yet hungry at 5:45 PM). However, for the menus, you have the right to choose what you want. Everything is included in the package (except for the high-end restaurants, which are paid and require reservations). Well, I think it's clear now...
For breakfast and lunch: there are buffets or table service depending on the restaurant you choose; Are high-end evening restaurants becoming accessible to everyone during the day for their brunches (do they charge a fee for the brunches)?

Are these tables where several families/couples are seated together, or is the privacy of the travelers preserved ?
And otherwise, are you all more of a "Wish" or a "Dream" person ?

 

[Mommb]

For breakfast and lunch: there are buffets or table service depending on the restaurant you choose; Are high-end evening restaurants becoming accessible to everyone during the day for their brunches (do they charge a fee for the brunches)?

Are these tables where several families/couples are seated together, or is the privacy of the travelers preserved ?
And otherwise, are you all more of a "Wish" or a "Dream" person ?

For breakfast and lunch, one of the three main dining rooms will be open. You can go any time during their open hours, without needed to make a reservation. You will probably have a different server and a different table than you have at dinner. Or, you can go to the buffet at any time during its open hours. You could even go to the buffet and then a sit-down restaurant if you don't see enough you like at the buffet.

On sea days, the specialty restaurants (Palo and Remy on the Dream, Palo Steakhouse and Enchante on the Wish) may be open for brunch at an additional charge, with reservations required in advance. If you are on a 3-night cruise, though, there may not a sea day.

Most tables seat 4, 6, or 8 people. You may be seated with one or more other groups. If you would prefer not to be at a shared table, you or your travel agent can make a request for a private table, which may or may not be granted. You are more likely to get a private table if you select the late dinner seating when you book your cruise.

I have sailed on the Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy, all of which I have enjoyed. I haven't yet sailed on the Wish, but I know it has a different set-up from the earlier ships, with more direct connections to Disney movies in its theming. For a first-time cruiser, both the Dream and the Wish should be fine.

 

[Girl of the South]

Each restaurant is unique and some of them have shows during meals. The decor is very different in each restaurant. Your table number stays the same but the layouts of each restaurant are different. On a 3 night cruise, you will just follow a cast member who will take you to your table each night. If you are on a longer cruise, you might remember where your table is.

Yes, your dining time is set. Even if you are not hungry. The menus are set but you do get choices. If you are not hungry until Midnight then you would order Room Service, which would be your only option.

I agree, it's "different" but Disney IS "different" . . . . where else do you see a (Mickey) Mouse as the captain of a ship???

 

[Geomom]

Thanks all for your replies !

The more I read your comments, the less I understand how it works, especially for a non-English speaker like me !
In French, we say: "why make it simple when you can make it complicated" (I'm not talking about you, but about Disney) !

So, to summarize, there are three restaurants. Every night, we try a new one and we keep the same team of waiters and the same table. There are two sittings; one at 5:45 PM and the other at 8:15 PM. You don't choose anything; everything is set (even if you're not yet hungry at 5:45 PM). However, for the menus, you have the right to choose what you want. Everything is included in the package (except for the high-end restaurants, which are paid and require reservations). Well, I think it's clear now...
For breakfast and lunch: there are buffets or table service depending on the restaurant you choose; Are high-end evening restaurants becoming accessible to everyone during the day for their brunches (do they charge a fee for the brunches)?

Are these tables where several families/couples are seated together, or is the privacy of the travelers preserved ?
And otherwise, are you all more of a "Wish" or a "Dream" person ?

Just wanted to add that alcoholic beverages, specialty drinks, and anything you order at a bar cost extra. There is a beverage station open 24/7 on the pool deck with sodas, coffee, tea, etc that is free. The main dining rooms have free soda/juice/tea/coffee (but specialty coffee like cappuccino, etc costs extra)

We enjoy the rotational dining at our assigned time. There's no waiting for a table. And you can order as much or as little as you'd like from that menu. If you ever do a Disney cruise longer than 3 nights, know that Disney does not repeat menus so even though you dine in a restaurant more than once, the menu will be different. The set dining times also mean you don't need tickets to see the shows. You go to the theater showtime that is opposite your dining time. Early dining (5:45pm) = late show, late dining (8:15pm) = early show.

As far as which cruise to take... Port Canaveral is about an hour from Orlando. Port Everglades is more like 3-4hrs. I have not sailed on the Wish, but I have sailed on the first 4 ships. I have been to Castaway Cay once. We enjoyed doing part of the snorkeling trail, the bike rental, and 2 of us did the stingray feeding.

You will have a pirate night with fireworks, but no pirate night menu on a 3 nt cruise.

Debarkation day is early...if you do sit down breakfast it's around 7am if you had main dining and 8am for late dining. They want you out of your room by 8am and off the ship by 9:30am. So a 3 nt cruise will go by fast!

 

[hardcorestitch]

Hi!

A bit of madness has passed, and we've decided to improve our stay in Orlando. Currently, we're staying at the Coronado Springs from September 24 to October 3.
We're interested in two cruises (3 nights).
The first departs from Cape Canaveral (Orlando) and goes to Nassau, Bahamas, then Disney Castaway Cay. The ship is the "Wish."
The second departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes us to Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, then Nassau, Bahamas. The ship is the "Dream."
Since this is a first for us, we don't know anything about it...
So, we'll definitely find out, but I wanted to get your opinion on these two cruises? Do you have a preference and why? And regarding the islands, which do you prefer?
Is three days enough to fully enjoy them? Is it better to spend the night before near the boarding point?
As for meals, are they buffets or table service?
These are some initial questions; there will be more!
Thank you for your answers.

If you haven’t checked out Lookout Cay, I would go for the cruise that has that island in the itinerary. I have heard some mostly positive reviews about the new island.

The meals on board for breakfast and lunch are either a table service or buffet, your choice. Dinner is table service, although in both cases you have a choice to use room service as they also have hot meals at no extra cost to you (some drinks and snacks are an upcharge).

On the islands, there are only buffets and small snack stands. If you’re 18+, you do have access to an adults only buffet and beach that does prove a little more peaceful.

I do think bumping it to at least 5 days is also good so that you don’t have to rush in enjoying Lookout Cay and your shop. Definitely can knock off two days at Coronado Springs in that matter!

 

[mike888]

Thank you so much for all your explanations!
Now, let's think...