Anyone else not very big on the "parties"?

[ToyStory3]

We are planning our 2nd DCL trip this fall. We went on one previous DCL trip last October and loved it. We had a great time! But, I didn't enjoy the parties nearly as much as I expected. The sail away party and pirate night didn't really do anything at all for me. Although I LOVED the entire cruise overall. Anyone else not get excited about them? This time I think I would enjoy sitting on a veranda for the sail away. Do others stay on their verandas or go elsewhere during the party?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are planning our 2nd DCL trip this fall. We went on one previous DCL trip last October and loved it. We had a great time! But, I didn't enjoy the parties nearly as much as I expected. The sail away party and pirate night didn't really do anything at all for me. Although I LOVED the entire cruise overall. Anyone else not get excited about them? This time I think I would enjoy sitting on a veranda for the sail away. Do others stay on their verandas or go elsewhere during the party?

We don't "do" the sailaway party anymore. Well, unless we happen to be in the neighborhood anyway. Pirate night, I still like to watch the fireworks, but don't stay for the after party.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We are planning our 2nd DCL trip this fall. We went on one previous DCL trip last October and loved it. We had a great time! But, I didn't enjoy the parties nearly as much as I expected. The sail away party and pirate night didn't really do anything at all for me. Although I LOVED the entire cruise overall. Anyone else not get excited about them? This time I think I would enjoy sitting on a veranda for the sail away. Do others stay on their verandas or go elsewhere during the party?

Do what you want. We've been on six DCL cruises and haven't been to a sail away party yet. On our first DCL cruise I went up on deck for the Pirate Party, saw the crowds, turned around, and went right back to my veranda. Haven't been to a pirate party since.

 

[elvispursley]

Same. We like to be up on deck to watch us leave port but not for the Sail-a-way party. We are over at the railings taking pictures of everything but! Then we head down to our verandah for some peace and quiet! We've lucked out that we had a room that didn't say we couldn't be out on our verandah for the fireworks and have been able to watch from our room, thus avoiding the mad house (the first year we tried to go up on deck to check it out but it was raining and we said screw it, and took shelter in our room). I could see if our kids were young, but they were pre-teens and now they are teens and they definitely don't want any part of that stuff, LOL!

 

[Amandine]

Same. We like to be up on deck to watch us leave port but not for the Sail-a-way party. We are over at the railings taking pictures of everything but! Then we head down to our verandah for some peace and quiet! We've lucked out that we had a room that didn't say we couldn't be out on our verandah for the fireworks and have been able to watch from our room, thus avoiding the mad house (the first year we tried to go up on deck to check it out but it was raining and we said screw it, and took shelter in our room). I could see if our kids were young, but they were pre-teens and now they are teens and they definitely don't want any part of that stuff, LOL!

I didn't know that some rooms say you can't be on the verandah for the fireworks! Do you have any idea which areas of rooms are allowed to be outside on the verandahs?

 

[mandylovesdisney]

I don't necessarily like the "party" but I do like the countdown LOL

 

[Cackyschmackers]

We love the sail away parties but honestly we don't love the pirate party. We liked the first one we went to and like the fireworks. But it's really crowded and drawn out for us. We'll probably skip it next time or just try to catch the fireworks. Would love to catch them from a different spot.

 

[elvispursley]

I guess some have posted on here that they received notes in their staterooms saying they should not be outside on their verandahs for "safety reasons" when the fireworks are being shot off. I have no idea which rooms though (I've only sailed the Fantasy thus far) but don't recall which rooms they said. Maybe it's a "hit-or-miss" thing?? Don't know how in the world they'd enforce that though. One reason why we always request a starboard room! For our WBTA, we're stuck with a port room, but don't know if fireworks are even happening

 

[quickcat]

Love the sail away parties!! Look forward to that every cruise. We would not miss it
Pirate...could take it or leave it, but DH usually always goes with our kids.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We aren't big 'joiners', either. I do like that they mark these things, though. And we loved all the fireworks.

 

[SDJEL]

I have never understood the appeal of the parties. On our first cruise we tried both and found that they were just mobs of people and really loud music. I do like to watch the fireworks. Other than that, we don't even bother with the parties at all.

 

[darnheather]

I didn't like pirate night at all. Too crowded and too many adults being pushy. Sail away was fun and got me into the mood.

 

[AussieNSW]

During our recent cruise to Alaska June 26th I decided to miss the sail away party. Instead I ordered a cheese platter from room service got a drink put my feet up and sat on the balcony. It was bliss.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I guess some have posted on here that they received notes in their staterooms saying they should not be outside on their verandahs for "safety reasons" when the fireworks are being shot off. I have no idea which rooms though (I've only sailed the Fantasy thus far) but don't recall which rooms they said. Maybe it's a "hit-or-miss" thing?? Don't know how in the world they'd enforce that though. One reason why we always request a starboard room! For our WBTA, we're stuck with a port room, but don't know if fireworks are even happening

It's basically the midship to aft verandahs on the starboard side.

If your room receives the letter, and you opt to disregard it, at least Disney has covered themselves from any injuries/damage that could happen.

I don't know that they check rooms to make sure if you're out there or not.

 

[bcwife76]

Eh, not very big on the sail away parties. How do people get up there so quickly after the muster drill ? lol Do we just lollygag afterwards or what? We always seem to get a crummy view of the parties, get there too late and then it's just not that fun I go to them to for my kids but I don't think they're really bothered so unless we seem to find a good spot for the next sail away I think we might skip them from now on.

 

[KashasMom]

We can take or leave the pirate party. Don't particularly care for the "show", fireworks are okay, and have never been to the party after - just too crowded. Sail away is not much of a party like it is on other lines - I get that the characters are the stars. Sailing out of NYC is one thing but out of Port Canaveral...meh. Our upcoming DVC cruise is sold out so may do this cruise a little differently to avoid the crowds.

 

[gary in florida]

It's a shame, we love both. The sail away gets us in the mood for the cruise and the pirate has a "nice" and typical Disney story plus the fireworks on the sea are nice. For us, it's like saying we don't like the food, stay in the cabin, don't like the ports, stay in the cabin, don't like the shows, stay in the cabin, don't like the bars stay in the cabin, don't like the activities, stay in the cabin. For us, all this is Disney and part of the cruise!
Of course we are in our 80's and remember Disney from back in the 40's.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We spend the sail away party on out verandah or up on deck to take pictures away from the party. We do the fireworks on pirate night, but not the party after. Used to love the old pirate party-kinda early, for the kids, sort of fun. The new version is fun, contemporary, but not for me. Movie in the cabin!

 

[mevelandry]

We are planning our 2nd DCL trip this fall. We went on one previous DCL trip last October and loved it. We had a great time! But, I didn't enjoy the parties nearly as much as I expected. The sail away party and pirate night didn't really do anything at all for me. Although I LOVED the entire cruise overall. Anyone else not get excited about them? This time I think I would enjoy sitting on a veranda for the sail away. Do others stay on their verandas or go elsewhere during the party?

Where are you departing from? If you depart from Port Canaveral, I recommend you stay on your verandah (if it's starboard) and try to spot dolphins in the wild when you leave the port (they are at the "point" of the beach right off PC). We see them every time. Last time we also spotted a sea turtle.

 

[Dug720]

I don't bother with the mosh pit on Deck 11, but I like being up on the Deck 12 walk around to soak in the atmosphere.

I do leave after the fireworks on Pirate Night and avoid both the mosh pit and the feeding frenzy.