CC Double Dip - HOTHS or Very Merrytime?

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Our sailing party includes my parents, my son (who will be 9) and me. We're currently booked on both the September 2020 Fantasy Double Dip and the November 2020 Fantasy Double Dip. We will do only one. The November sailing is a little more expensive, but not by a significant amount. We've always wanted to do a Double Dip. My mother and I have wanted to do a Very Merrytime sailing. The November sailing takes care of that. The September sailing is a Halloween on the High Seas sailing. We've done one - it's fine, but I don't really care one way or another about Halloween so it's not a draw and I can ignore it well enough that it's not a bother. So, which one do we pick?

The September sailing is over the weekend and includes a school holiday, so less missed school (he'll be in 4th grade). Airfare will be a little less expensive, too. We'll likely be in the middle of fall baseball season, so DS will miss some time there. It's also prime hurricane season.

The November sailing is Mon-Sat, so DS will miss a full week of school and I'll miss a full week of work. We'll have more flexibility on travel dates/times and may be able to do a couple pre-cruise days at Universal (more fun...more $$$). Baseball season will be over, hurricane season will be mostly over and the sailing will be a great kickoff to the holiday season.

How great are the Merrytime sailings? How is the weather at Castaway in November? What would you do?

 

[FSU Girl]

I'd go with the Merry Time sailing. I've done two, the ship is decorated beautifully. I love the holiday season. Another plus to that sailing is less likely for a hurricane (although technically it doesn't end until the end of the month) September can be a little more active for hurricanes. The weather is also brutally hot in September. In November it is hard to say what it will be like in Castaway Cay. I did one cruise on Christmas and one at the beginning of January and another at the beginning of December a few years apart. On Christmas it was really nice weather, actually kind of hot and no issue with swimming for this Florida girl who gets cold easily. In January it was freezing and no way I could go in the water as well as the early December one. It will really depend on if a cold front comes through and its hard to know because November weather can be all over the place from hot to freezing.

 

[KashasMom]

Very Merrytime are our favorites! Going on our 3rd in November. They are SO much fun...lots of activities from making ornaments to decorating gingerbread cookies. Tree lighting ceremony in the atrium with the characters and Christmas carols, Winter Wonderland Ball with Santa, Mrs Claus and snow in the atrium. The ship is beautifully decorated with a huge tree and gingerbread house. Characters are decked out in their holiday finest. Families getting their photos taken in ugly Christmas sweaters and/or Christmas pajamas. It's a week long celebration!

 

[Karin1984]

I don't really understand why it would be an dilemma you want to experience a Christmas cruise more than Halloween and there are more benefits to going in November. The only pros of September are lower airfare and son not missing school.

If you can arrange it with your son's school and don't mind the little extra on the airfare, then it's a no-brainer.

 

[AquaDame]

We've done both and I greatly preferred the Very Merrytime cruise. Unless you're a diehard Halloween person I really believe they do a better job with the Christmas season at sea (in the parks I love Halloween more FWIW). We visited CC in early November one year and it was very nice though we did not stay in the water long snorkeling - it was too cold for me.

 

[Spotthecat]

Merrytime over Halloween every time. We are booked on that November double dip already, come join us!

 

[xoxoallieann]

We did a CC Very Merrytime Double Dip last November and it was fantastic! If you've already done HOTHS, I'd definitely pick the VM instead.