Cruise Ignorant

[gskywalker]

We just got amazing news that our daughter's Make a Wish trip for a Disney Cruise has been approved. It will be a 4 night cruise. They have asked us for dates that would work well and I have no idea whether one itinerary would be better than the other, whether one of the ships is better than another, etc. We were looking at Easter weekend, but couldn't find a 4 day cruise, so we thought maybe the end of June/July to minimize school days missed, etc. I honestly I am pretty much a newbie when it comes to Disney cruises, so any advice would likely be helpful. Thanks.

 

[JM_97]

It was a while ago, but I enjoyed the 4 night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral. Went to Nassau, Castaway Cay and then had one day at sea to really explore the ship. Nassau was good, but the highlight is really Castaway Cay. Almost everything was included and it was very laid back. I haven't been on the newer ships but everything about the Disney Wonder was top notch.

A cruise in June or July would be more crowded than one in the spring. But then again, if you go during Easter that might cancel it out. If crowds are a concern for you.

 

[lklgoodman]

If you go in the summer, you would go on the Dream. Fantast just does 7nights and Magic/Wonder will be in Europe/Alaska in the summer. Easter time is when a lot of schools have Spring break, so the ships will be just as full as summer cruises. The Dream has a ton of things to do. The Bahamas will be warmer in the summer also. We've been in the Bahamas 3 times in March. The air temps is nice and warm, but the water was still chilly. The Dream does 3 and 4 night cruises all year. You should have been able to find something for Easter. If you are looking at Easter 2020, it's possible all cruises are sold out. We booked our cruise for March 2021 last Oct. Happy to hear Make A Wish is able to do this for your family.

 

[Quellman]

4 night cruises on the Dream traditionally depart on Monday's from Port Canaveral. You might find 4 nighters on the Magic from Miami during select times of the year. Those will often include stops at Key West. And the Fantasy will be running a series of 4 night cruises from Port Canaveral in the fall of next year.

If you can, and they allow June 17 and July 21 of 2020 are trips with 2 stops at Disney's private island. While you can't swim with dolphins like you can if your ship goes to nassau, you get 2 days of beach fun on Castaway Cay.

 

[lklgoodman]

The Dream and Fantasy are sister ships, so they are very similar. We really like the Fantasy , but Fall is hurricane season, so I would advise not doing a cruise then. The Dream and Fantasy both have mini golf, the Aquaduck, and Mid-ship detective game, while the Magic and Wonder don't have these.

 

[lanejudy]

Congrats to your daughter on receiving her Wish!

The vast majority of DCL 4-night cruises are on the Dream out of Port Canaveral, FL to the Bahamas. These generally depart on a Monday and return on a Friday; with 3-night cruises on the off-setting weekends. Besides the Dream to the Bahamas, there are a few other options, depending on time of year. I found the following:

April 2020:
the Magic has a few 4-night sailings from Miami to the Bahamas, but none align with Easter
the Dream has a cruise that departs the day after Easter (4/13/2020) and one the week prior to Easter (4/6/2020 returning on Good Friday), as well as a couple of other 4-night cruises that month; all to the Bahamas

June 2020:
again the Dream has 4-night cruises to the Bahamas each week -- a couple of "regular" itineraries (including Nassau and Castaway Cay) and a couple of "double-dip" itineraries (with 2 stops at Castaway Cay which is DCL's private island)

July 2020:
the Dream again, with one double-dip and the rest are regular itineraries to the Bahamas

If you are interested in other times of year, or other departure ports, and/or different length cruise there are more options.

I would think about the following and decide which is most important:

• time of year
• departure port
• what you might like to do (beaches, sightseeing, active port adventures, etc.
• does your daughter have any limitations that might impact port adventures (is she in a wheelchair, can she go in the water, etc.)

The further out the cruise is booked, the less expensive it will be. If you have a larger family and are willing to wait, that may be beneficial for you as I know Make-A-Wish chapters work on a budget and the less expensive the base wish the more "extra" can be added.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Summer in the Bahamas is hot and humid, plus it's hurricane season. I would definitely opt for earlier in the year if you can.

 

[gskywalker]

Thanks so much for your input. We want the water to be warm enough to enjoy swimming in and I want to make sure we don't take a chance on it being too cold during a cold snap(ie not Dec-Mar). We didn't expect to receive this so we already have next years vacation time planned. Perhaps if it easier to say when we can't do it because of other vacation time.

Mid March
Mid May(although that is kid free so less of an obstacle to this trip being close in timing)
End of July
End of August/Sept

So I was thinking April, maybe June or December if it would still be warm enough but I am open to ideas?

 

[lanejudy]

So I was thinking April, maybe June or December if it would still be warm enough but I am open to ideas?

I suggest you check out the DCL website. You can filter by month, length of cruise, destination or departure point. Be aware that the closer you are to booking for a "popular" (school vacation) time availability may decrease, also depending on the size of your party and ages.



The Dream cruises are pretty standard 3-night and 4-nights to the Bahamas. The fall brings a couple of different options with the Wonder on the west coast, if that's an easier departure point for you, or Galveston in the fall - both offer a few 4-night cruises. Also Halloween themed cruises start in September through October. Most November and December cruises have a Christmas theme.

As to swimming -- be aware the pools on the ship are small and actual "swimming" is nearly impossible. Standing or holding the edge or maybe treading water is about the extent of it. The pools on DCL are often described as "people soup." Swimming in ports may depend on the destination but I can tell you that coming from New England, my family will swim in Florida in December so we'd have no problem with a beach excursion port stop on a winter cruise. In fact, my family is most likely to cruise in February.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DisMommyTX]

We love cruising and beaches, so have lots of experience with both. We have tried Dec and Mar in the Bahamas, and the water was always too cold for us to enjoy. While April would be a bit warmer, I would definitely choose June if possible.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

We have cruised the Bahamas/Caribbean in late December three times, and in March once, and loved it every time. December is our favorite cruising month: the ships are decorated beautifully for the holidays and it's nice to be warm when it's cold back home. The water at Castaway Cay is chilly in winter & early spring, but every time, we quickly adjusted by submerging ourselves completely, and then were able to swim, slide, and get in and out of the water at Pelican Plunge comfortably. But we liked December better than March for the milder air temps on Castaway. I can't imagine going in June as the air would likely be stifling hot. We like to ride bikes on the island, and too much heat would ruin that.