And just like that, we have become "cruisers"

[DSLRuser]

Been Disney nerds since 1993.

Took our 1st cruise in 2008 on Disney Wonder with kids age 6 months and 7. Decided cruising was not our thing.

Tried RC Oasis in 2019 when kids were 13 and 19. Kept comparing RC boat to Disney and thought Disney was better.

Wife and I did adults on trip in 2022 on Disney Dream and loved it.

Daughter 21 and I did Disney Wish jan 2023 and loved it.

We now have Jun 2023 for adults, and dec 2023 for family booked. 3 cruises in 2023 seems crazy but it just fits where we are in our life now.

 

[brentm77]

Been Disney nerds since 1993.

Took our 1st cruise in 2008 on Disney Wonder with kids age 6 months and 7. Decided cruising was not our thing.

Tried RC Oasis in 2019 when kids were 13 and 19. Kept comparing RC boat to Disney and thought Disney was better.

Wife and I did adults on trip in 2022 on Disney Dream and loved it.

Daughter 21 and I did Disney Wish jan 2023 and loved it.

We now have Jun 2023 for adults, and dec 2023 for family booked. 3 cruises in 2023 seems crazy but it just fits where we are in our life now.

We never thought we would be cruisers, but we caught the bug about a decade ago. I have a high-stress job and cruising is the most relaxing vacation possible. I love stepping on the ship and knowing everything is taken care of for me for the next week. I love the high level of service, the cleanliness of the ships, and just being on the open sea. I love unpacking for the week and being done, but still being able to see new things. I love sea days, which let me slow down without FOMO. It really is the perfect vacation for me.

I just laugh when people who haven't tried cruising put it down, because I figure when you know you know, and they simply don't know.

It's why, at times, I spend more time on these boards than other social media - it brings up so many happy memories for me and is one of my favorite subjects.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We have been DVC owners since 2007. Once my youngest graduated college we we up to trying something new. 5 DCL cruises later we are hooked!

 

[CamColt]

I love it! What a great story!

I'm also happy to hear as adults you enjoyed the Wish. You are giving me hope.

 

[Calantha]

3 cruises in 2023 seems crazy

We did 3 in 2022 and we're doing 3 this year....but I think in 2024, we'll have to cut back to 2.

 

[SeanSD]

We never thought we would be cruisers, but we caught the bug about a decade ago. I have a high-stress job and cruising is the most relaxing vacation possible. I love stepping on the ship and knowing everything is taken care of for me for the next week. I love the high level of service, the cleanliness of the ships, and just being on the open sea. I love unpacking for the week and being done, but still being able to see new things. I love sea days, which let me slow down without FOMO. It really is the perfect vacation for me.

I just laugh when people who haven't tried cruising put it down, because I figure when you know you know, and they simply don't know.

It's why, at times, I spend more time on these boards than other social media - it brings up so many happy memories for me and is one of my favorite subjects.

 

[SeanSD]

Exactly!! I enjoyed cruises years ago but wasn’t addicted, but September on Fantasy was so great we did Wonder December, have another Wonder in April and back on Fantasy in May (with WDW). Nothing like unpacking and knowing every meal is paid for, you have so many activity or non-activity options on the ship and at ports. Oh and Broadway quality plays 5 minutes from your bed. I will still do other vacations (just booked Japan with TDR for Fall) but I could see doing a Disney cruise (or two) every year.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Been Disney nerds since 1993.

Took our 1st cruise in 2008 on Disney Wonder with kids age 6 months and 7. Decided cruising was not our thing.

Tried RC Oasis in 2019 when kids were 13 and 19. Kept comparing RC boat to Disney and thought Disney was better.

Wife and I did adults on trip in 2022 on Disney Dream and loved it.

Daughter 21 and I did Disney Wish jan 2023 and loved it.

We now have Jun 2023 for adults, and dec 2023 for family booked. 3 cruises in 2023 seems crazy but it just fits where we are in our life now.

I was hooked walking up the gangway on our first DCL cruise, that was our first cruise ever. Did 20+ cruises in the next 10 years.

 

[tvguy]

It is interesting how cruising has changed. I took my first cruise in 1980. My wife and I took our first cruise in 1983 and we were known as cruise addicts since we went so often, every 3 or 4 years. Now people cruise 3 or 4 times in one year! But back then cruises were often a "once in a lifetime" trip.

 

[RysMomma]

It's funny, my parents took me on several cruises growing up. I used to get violently sea sick. To the point that I would need to get a shot in my butt, lose a day to sleep, and then would be fine the next day. I was always a good sport about it because I loved seeing new places. My parents had such guilt over it that the years we didn't go cruising, they promised me my favorite vacation, which was Disney! When I was in my 20s, however, I told my dad I was never cruising again. I was tired of being sick on my vacation and when the time came and I had kids, if he wanted to cruise with them, he'd have to go without me!

Fast forward to 2016, we took our next Disney Cruise on the Dream as an extended family (we already had taken two Disney cruises in my 20s), and we loved it so much, my husband and I booked the same Dream one for 2018 with our kids, then we booked another extended family 7 day one for 2020 on the Fantasy (which got pushed back to 2022). Now my husband and I have an RC one scheduled for Christmas week for just us and our kids (would have loved to do Disney but we didn't want to have to fly anywhere), and we're planning one for 2024 to Bermuda and an Alaskan for 2025! We're hooked! I totally get it! Sadly my dad passed in 2020 or he would have laughed at me with the amount of cruises were planning!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Agree with the sentiment- once you step on the ship that everything is taken care of-your food, your housekeeping etc. No one can really reach you, unless you make those arrangements. You just unplug from your life. The sea just calms our souls. Kids have been cruising since they were little. Now young adults, they still want to join us. Best part-food. Those young adults can find something they like to eat with all the offerings on board.

 

[Carohs]

Took our first cruise August 2021, Covid restrictions and all, and fell in love. Have done another 3 since. Just this morning DD asked when we were going on our next cruise.

 

[dreamer17555]

First cruise on the Dream in Feb of 2020. We fell in love with cruising but then of course everything shutdown. I personally was nervous when cruising started up again in fall of 2021 so we held out till January of 22 ( Fantasy, SDAS), then sailed March (Magic, MDAS), missed our May sailing due to catching covid, sailed on the Wish in Nov for my birthday, and then a Merry time cruise in December on the Dream. Clearly we caught the bug.

Next cruise is a MDAS on the Dream in late Feb 23. Trying to not cruise again this year after our MDAS cruise but if a good enough VGT rate comes up might do another 7 night on the Fantasy in the fall

 

[FastPasser.]

But how do you deal with the elephant in the room, Disney cruises cost more than some of the other major cruise lines.

Full disclosure, I'm a platinum member.

 

[Calantha]

But how do you deal with the elephant in the room

Get an OBB
Have a TA
Use Disney gift cards from Target
Book VGT/etc. if no OBB
Stay on Deck 2
Use Disney credit card to have interest free payments and build points

 

[dreamer17555]

But how do you deal with the elephant in the room, Disney cruises cost more than some of the other major cruise lines.

Full disclosure, I'm a platinum member.

I honestly struggle to find a Royal Cruise that costs that much less than a DCL to make me want to switch. I got our 5 night MDAS VGT for 2 people for Feb 27th - March 4th for $2,100. We tend to sail in the off season, always VGT and it seems to work.

 

[Carohs]

But how do you deal with the elephant in the room, Disney cruises cost more than some of the other major cruise lines.

Full disclosure, I'm a platinum member.

Because I don't compare to other cruise lines but to the cost of hotel plus food of other Disney vacations.
This last one was $2400 for 4 of us in an inside room on the Wonder 4-day (much less than booking just 4 nights in a DLR hotel) and I plan to keep an eye out for special offers for any future bookings.
Also, other than MDR complaints from a few here, which opinions generally aren't shared, DCL isn't suffering from the issues many other cruise lines are. I'm hearing a lot of grief over raised service costs with decreased service, and more nickel and diming for the same or worse product overall on those other lines. When we sailed 3 months ago our experience didn't seem cut back at all.

 

[goofy4prez]

My wife and I did our first cruise back in 1986 with Carnival on the old TSS Carnivale for 4 nights to the Bahamas. We were young, only married a couple of years, and really didn't have a whole lot of money back then. When it was all said and done, other than the food (which back then was incredible, or at least my memory says it was, LOL), we really didn't care for it.

Fast forward to the present. We are a family of three with my daughter now an adult (25). She wanted to do a Disney cruise a few years back. We reluctantly booked a cruise on the Fantasy in 2019 and 5 nights at WDW prior. Ended up we loved the cruise so much more than we did the parks. As a result, we booked a couple more cruises all of which were canceled because of this whole covid thing.

This past December (2022) my wife and I booked a 5-night cruise on the Dream. We loved it. Being in concierge we were able to book Palo and Remy multiple times and used our Disney Rewards from our Disney Visa Card. I booked this cruise about a month after I booked an upcoming trip we have with Regent Seven Seas for March 2023, less than a month from now.

When the new booking window opened for DCL, we booked another cruise with DCL on the Fantasy for the three of us once again. We are really looking forward to a 1 bedroom concierge suite and the Eastern Caribbean in April 2024. I'm not so sure we will ever have the same enthusiasm and excitement for the parks anymore after having become addicted to cruising.

 

[DSLRuser]

But how do you deal with the elephant in the room, Disney cruises cost more than some of the other major cruise lines.

Full disclosure, I'm a platinum member.

At this stage in my life, I have no problem paying more for quality. I have worked my back side off and earned the right to pay more. Disney Delivers.

 

[FastPasser.]

For me it was a no brainer and a natural progression, who takes their vacation where they work? So I took advantage of one of my perks and began cruising on DCL early on. In addition to being the most economical option, I also feel the most comfortable on Disney cruises. I have a cruise on the RCCL Wonder next week as an experiment to see what I think of the super ships. I suspect I'll be overwhelmed and stick with DCL.