Best time/type of Disney caribbean cruise - January or May 2017?

[mrswillson]

Hi all -

My husband and I are planning our honeymoon and the two sailings we have for options are the end of January or the end of May 2017. He is a first time cruiser and this will be my first time back onboard a Disney cruise since I was 12 (it's been a loooong time!) and we are aiming for what is best budget-wise as spring itineraries are cheaper.

My two questions are:
1) Between the 7-day eastern and western caribbean cruises, which do you prefer and why?

2) How are the water temperatures and weather in the January - May time-frame?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

 

[Marc D]

1) We prefer the WC because we are not beach people and the excursions are more interesting for us on the WC. We find the beaches are nicer in the EC.
2) Except in Castaway Cay, you will not notice a big difference in weather between January and May.

Are both cruises on the same class of ships ? For a honeymoon, I would prefer the Fantasy/Dream to take advantage of the extra adult-only dining room.

 

[mmouse37]

We prefer the EC because it gives you an extra sea day. I love sea days. I love exploring the ship or just hanging by the pool or just enjoying everything a sea day has to offer. To be honest, we have cruised DCL so often that the ship is the destination for me. I could stay onboard all the time. But, since this is your husband's first cruise you have to decide if you want more ports (WC) or less ports (EC).

As mentioned above, CC will be the biggest difference in weather from the May cruise. CC could be 50 degrees or 80 degrees. We have had both in January. Water temps at CC could be cool to warm in January.

We are from the Northeast so leaving the cold for a Caribbean cruise in January is very tempting but I would also go in May as well!!

MJ

 

[scootch]

Agree with both of the above. The Caribbean stays warm year round. Port Canaveral and Castaway Cay will both be warmer in May. We like ot get out of winter though, so January is a great time to cruise and it is definitely cheaper than May.

 

[bfamily5]

We are Canadians and NEED to escape winter! We are currently booked on an NCL eastern for this March Break (price was indeed a factor!) But to get guaranteed great weather you must go Southern. We have to fly no matter what so we prefer to gamble with the odds in our favour. Also cruising a Southern in January keeps the price do-able (helloooooo 2018!!)

 

[mrswillson]

Thank you everyone!

Basically what I had found when I researched was that WC had more excursions and touristy things to do and had more time in port while EC was more laid-back and had more days at sea. My family is DVC and all of the itineraries we went on when I was younger were EC; the only difference now is instead of St. Maarten we'd be docking in Tortola. I'm 99% sure we will go with EC because my husband is homebody and a more relaxing first cruise experience would suit him better, plus I have nothing but good memories from past cruises!

The reason we were looking at Jan was due to pricing - $3955 verandah room price on the 28th compared to $4822 on the 20th of May. I am concerned about Castaway Cay's water temps though in Jan as it sounds like it can get chilly if we're not lucky. Is it worth the extra grand to ensure warmer temps in your opinion?

Also, husband is active duty military and will be medically retiring (still receiving benefits). Does anyone have experience with military discounts when booking? They seem to be popping up for cruises just a couple months out, but I'm concerned prices will spike the longer I wait to book while trying to snag a deal.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

Personally I think May in the Caribbean is a little hotter than I'd like. We usually cruise in February, which I find to be a nice compromise. The water is a touch chilly still, but I'm not dying from the heat either.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

Also, husband is active duty military and will be medically retiring (still receiving benefits). Does anyone have experience with military discounts when booking? They seem to be popping up for cruises just a couple months out, but I'm concerned prices will spike the longer I wait to book while trying to snag a deal.

Military discounts are usually for quickly approaching cruises where they are trying to fill the ship and are not guaranteed.

 

[mrswillson]

Military discounts are usually for quickly approaching cruises where they are trying to fill the ship and are not guaranteed.

That was my biggest concern. All the current discounts are from sailings between now and December 30th. Do you know if they include a range of rooms (we are specifically wanting verandah, any deck)?

I am also a Florida resident however I have not seen many opportunities for that discount either atm.

 

[jrabbit]

Whoops - my bad, I didn't see that you were looking for cruises in the next few months
---------------------------------------------------
In January 2018 DCL does have some Southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan Puerto Rico. We had a great time for a few days in Old San Juan before our cruise a few years ago, and the cruise was great. We booked a Southern Caribbean cruise for Jan 2018. Not inexpensive, but not as bad as i though it would be.

The January 2018 have more port days then "normal" eastern/western cruises but its a nice mixture of land and sea.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

That was my biggest concern. All the current discounts are from sailings between now and December 30th. Do you know if they include a range of rooms (we are specifically wanting verandah, any deck)?

I am also a Florida resident however I have not seen many opportunities for that discount either atm.

Florida resident discounts are also limited and depend on how full the ships are. They only really offer that rate when ships aren't full.

 

[mrswillson]

Thank you so much. I'm planning on making a thread specifically regarding discounts to try and get more information also. I appreciate it.