Disney Cruise Boring?

[WhatAWonderfulDay]

Lol, boring isn't necessarily the right word. I know being on a beautiful cruise ship could never be truly boring, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever found there to be a lack of things to do on a Disney cruise?

We've previously been to Disney World and thought it was fantastic, but I know there's a lot of differences between WDW and a Disney cruise.

Our WDW vacation was very active; we generally got up around 8 am and got to the parks at opening, and spent the rest of the day there until they closed. We stayed at the Yacht Club for 9 days and never used Stormalong Bay. We thought the lake was beautiful but really are not the type to sit around in lounge chairs. I guess we aren't the "relaxing" type of family.

The things that seem great about the Disney Cruise are:
*the food (we had the Dining Plan at WDW and loved trying new things)
*the whole idea of being surrounded by the beauty of the ocean
*experiencing a different type of Disney Vacation
*Castaway Cay

We just aren't sure we would find enough activities to keep us occupied. We really don't like swimming,rock climbing, or watching the shows too much.

I know most of you are on the cruise boards because you really enjoy them but were any of you disappointed. Did your first cruise disappoint you? Were any of you secretly wishing you were in Walt Disney World instead of out at sea? Did some members of your family really love the cruise but others didn't?

Thanks everyone in advance for your experiences!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Lol, boring isn't necessarily the right word. I know being on a beautiful cruise ship could never be truly boring, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever found there to be a lack of things to do on a Disney cruise?

We've previously been to Disney World and thought it was fantastic, but I know there's a lot of differences between WDW and a Disney cruise.

Our WDW vacation was very active; we generally got up around 8 am and got to the parks at opening, and spent the rest of the day there until they closed. We stayed at the Yacht Club for 9 days and never used Stormalong Bay. We thought the lake was beautiful but really are not the type to sit around in lounge chairs. I guess we aren't the "relaxing" type of family.

The things that seem great about the Disney Cruise are:
*the food (we had the Dining Plan at WDW and loved trying new things)
*the whole idea of being surrounded by the beauty of the ocean
*experiencing a different type of Disney Vacation
*Castaway Cay

We just aren't sure we would find enough activities to keep us occupied. We really don't like swimming,rock climbing, or watching the shows too much.

I know most of you are on the cruise boards because you really enjoy them but were any of you disappointed. Did your first cruise disappoint you? Were any of you secretly wishing you were in Walt Disney World instead of out at sea? Did some members of your family really love the cruise but others didn't?

Thanks everyone in advance for your experiences!

Six cruises with DCL, and also cruises on other lines, such as Princess,there has never been a single moment that my family or myself were bored. There is so much diverse things going on.

Of course on port days there is usually a large selection of trips to go on to appeal to everyone's taste, but I presume you refer to time on ship and sea days.

On sea days DCL ramps up activities, and you will see these listed in the daily navigator, I will not list these all here, but just refer you to the links above under panning for recent navigators and you will see many options.

From Art of entertaining and behind the scenes tours, to guest speakers, like Don Ducky Williams who is very engaging. Art auctions, character meets, Palo Brunch, films, in room TV, deck parties, as well as the pools, games and live music, quizzes, bingo. To times on my veranda watching the sea, the sea life, the views, and sky line, sunrise sun sets etc. The evenings have the top shows and entertainers in the bars.

I often find the opposite is true, rather than boring, things clash, you cant do everything so things have to be missed, and you stay up late to cram it all in.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Firstly I am going to say sorry, it would take an age to tell you ALL the reasons they are NOT boring, it would take too long and I cant be bothered.
But my Dad would NOT cruise, not even for four nights, we left him at home and the whole family went, next time, we were doing 7 nights(do you see the pattern developing here?) my dn nagged him to go and he did, he loved it, then we booked the transatlantic! (14 nights) then the panama c ( 15nights) and trust me when I say he cant wait to go.
Now I am thinking that I might and thats a might just about fit in all the things I would like to do but just never got around to it!

Have you looked at past navigators to see whats on offer, there are just so many things to do. As Andrew says not all of it is to everyones taste, but still I could hardly fit in a fraction of the stuff I was wanting to do.

 

[DMMarla07860]

I for one don't find the cruise boring after 8 cruises all on DCL.

I get to meet new friends, stay up till 2:00am at night and go to the night club, get food anytime I want. I just love it for so many reasons.

I love WDW as well, but I would give up a trip to WDW for a DCL cruise

 

[PearlySwan]

As someone who has done both things (WDW and DCL), I can tell you this: If your family is a "theme park-big roller coaster ride-tour the park commando style" type of family, the cruise may or may not be for you.

We did our one and only Disney cruise in 2006. It was a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean cruise. We cruised with my then 5 yr. old daughter and 3 mo. old son. There was soooooooooooooooo much to do both onboard the ship and on port days that it made our heads spin! We didn't go on the cruise with the intention of 'doing it all,' as that is a physical impossibility, even traveling w/out kids. The cruise can be as active, or as relaxing as you'd like it to be. We chose the middle ground since at the time we had my infant son with us.

There is a Personal Daily Navigator which arrives in your stateroom each evening. You'll have a hard time choosing from all the activities listed there. There is something for everyone and something for every age group. I would suggest you Google the following: 'disney cruise daily navigator' you'll be able to pull up a few samples of some daily navigators. It will give you an idea of what's offered.

As a PP already said, there is a lot more to do on the ship during days at sea. On port days you'll have a wide array of shore excursions to choose from, depending on your family's interests and the port of call. To find out more about these, I would suggest you go to disneycruise.com and check out the shore excursions listed under each port of call for the cruise your family might be taking. There is sooooo much to explore out there beside parasailing!

You mentioned dining in your original post. I would tell you you'll love the dining rotation offered by DCL. Unlike other cruise lines, DCL is very egalitarian. Regardless of what category stateroom you book, you'll get to experience the three main dining restaurants (think Table Service restaurants in the parks). On the Magic they are: Lumieres, Animators Palate, and Parrot Cay. On the Wonder they are: Tritons, Animators Palate, and Parrot Cay. In addition, each ship has other dining venus to choose from, including the buffet style Topsiders, and the adults only gourmet Palo . There are some quick service choices to choose from as well (think Counter Service places at the parks) like Pinocchios Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House, Goofy's Galley, Preludes, and of course Room Service delivered to your stateroom.

Castaway Cay is simply paradise. Again, there is as much and/or as little as you choose to do there as you'd like. Beaches, dining, shopping, tours, kids programs, etc. etc, etc. The adults only beach is something we'd like to try next time we visit. There are several 'shore excursions' to choose from there as well. Castaway Cay is put in one word, paradise!

Oh I almost forgot, there are kids clubs and teen areas aboard the ships. After my 5 yr. old tried the kids clubs on the Magic, she didn't want to leave them! She also participated in the kids program at Castaway Cay and absolutely loved it!

So if you want to do a commando style type of touring, rest assured you can accomplish it with DCL as well as you can at WDW. The activities will be different as you won't be racing from popular roller coaster ride to popular roller coaster ride, but instead from shore excursions to ship/shore activities and/or dining!

Oh did I mention all the characters onboard the ship and at Castaway Cay? Did I mention you don't have to stand in endless lines to get an autograph and/or your family's picture taken with them?

Boring? That would be an adjective I would never use to describe a Disney Cruise. Enjoy your Disney Cruise planning!

 

[mmouse37]

Yours is a valid question and many people wonder that before their first cruise. And, I will admit I have read reports of people feeling there was not enough to do for them...but, I will also say that those people do seem to be a very small percentage of DCL cruisers.

I was a die-hard WDW fan...nothing you could say to me would keep me from visiting a few times a year...I lived and breathed WDW with my family. Heck, hubby and I had our honeymoon at the Poly back in 1979 and had been back to the park about 40 times since.

That said we were so excited to hear that Disney was starting a cruise line and we were lucky enough to get on the Maiden Voyage of the Disney Magic. Well, we were hooked. I was blown away by the beauty of the ship and the majesty of the being out in the ocean. I agree it is a different type of vacation than the parks, but so much less stress. We will be going on our 18th DCL cruise in January. We have never once felt like we were bored. We even go to the shows each cruise, even though we have seen them dozens of times.

If you are worried, but do want to try it...then I suggest a 4 day cruise. Read some of the past navigators. Please don't discount the shows. At least try them...they are one of the highlights of the cruise experience. you are getting Broadway style shows and they are all Disney magic and wonder.

Try it..you'll like it!!!

MJ

 

[cseca]

As someone who has done both things (WDW and DCL), I can tell you this: If your family is a "theme park-big roller coaster ride-tour the park commando style" type of family, the cruise may or may not be for you.

...

I almost completely agree.
I definitely AM that type (see above) and luckily we were on the 7 day cruise the first time around so I had time to adjust to the more relaxed version of our vacation I never usually get to relax when we go to WDW (doesn't matter that I've been there more than 20 times in the past 13 years).

But once I adjusted it was a wonderful vacation.

Since you already know in advance, I'm sure you'll have a magical time on the boat!

 

[riggins]

We went on our first DCL cruise in March 2006 and we were bored. Frankly, it was really not a very good vacation for us. Like you, we had been huge WDW fans and thought we'd give DCL a try. At the time, our kids were 2 and 4 and we'd traveled with them a lot, so I never thought it would be an issue. But they were very early to bed, early to rise types. All week, we found ourselves wandering the boat at 7am looking for something to do. Then at night, our kids fell asleep in the show after dinner and we didn't get to enjoy any of the great nighttime activities. It was one of the worst vacations we've ever taken.

So while it wasn't a good trip, I realized that there were a lot of good things to do on the ship, but cruising for a week with kids like mine wasn't for us. But, I saw the potential on DCL. So, a year and half later, we spent 5 nights at WDW and then did 3-nights on the Wonder and had a great time. We liked the shorter cruise much better! We got to enjoy the sunshine and the ocean, but didn't feel like we were "trapped" all week. Since then, we've sailed the Wonder 4 times and they were all great vacations. In three weeks, we're going to try the Magic for a week again. My kids are now 6 and 8 and operate on a much different sleep schedule, so I think we're going to have a great time.

Hope that helps!
Leslie

 

[PearlySwan]

In three weeks, we're going to try the Magic for a week again. My kids are now 6 and 8 and operate on a much different sleep schedule, so I think we're going to have a great time.
Leslie

^^^ Leslie, you'll have a magical cruise! Your kiddos are at the perfect age now because they don't need to nap and/or crash super early at night. When we went I had a 3mo. old and a 5 yr. old. We did a 7-Night in 2006 too (February). DH and I didn't feel 'trapped' on the boat, on the contrary, we felt we needed more time (a longer cruise would have been ideal!). To fully enjoy all DCL had to offer us at then, we needed more time on the ship. Luckily my then 5 yr. old daughter would stay up later than most kids her age would. Only once did she crash right after dinner, but then we woke her up for the midnight Pirates in the Caribbean party and buffet. She had given us strict instructions to do this before she fell asleep. I almost didn't wake her up, but was glad we did as the party was awesome! She still talks about Mickey and Minnie in their pirate outfits and the chocolate fountain! Our DS who was then only 3mo. old was on an infant schedule of eating/sleeping every 3-4 hrs. so that wasn't an issue for him at all. Ultimately we decided that 7-Night cruise was more for us than for the kids. We are hoping to make a double dip next year. Our kids are now 4 and 9 and we feel they will each get a lot more from a Disney cruise now than they did back then. We put down the deposit, and are keeping our fingers crossed we don't have to postpone for a future date. It all depends on a number of factors. Now all we need is a DCL PIN we can apply to our cruise!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

There is a TON of down time on a cruise, which is really why I love them. I want to chill and relax and recharge. I'm introverted, so it's perfect for me. I don't need to be in the middle of things to have fun.

My husband and son like cruising but would much rather go to WDW because neither likes to sit still and both like to be active every second of every day. Other cruise lines (imo) offer more to do for very active people.

To each his own! You won't know what you think until you try it.

 

[WhatAWonderfulDay]

Thank you so much for writing such detailed replies! I really enjoyed reading all your different perspectives and experiences. I also checked out the navigators and was shocked to see all the different activities offered. Best wishes to all of you who have upcoming cruises.

 

[TravisSch]

I've been on 3 cruises with Disney Cruise Line (1 on the Magic, 2 on the Wonder). There is never a boring day. I was under 18 years old when I was on these cruises so I got to experience the Lab and Teen Clubs. Both are simply amazing and they provide a lot of your activities for your young kids or teens to enjoy! Shore excursions are a lot of fun as well. I have never gone on one, but I hear a lot of good reviews about them. The dining options are absolutely amazing. 3 restaurants to eat at, room service, buffet, and quick service options all over the ship (plus free soft drinks). Finally, the broadway-style shows are the best part about the cruise. I have not seen Toy Story yet so I can't wait to see that show if it is still running. I cruise on the Wonder in January 2010.

In summary, there is nothing boring about Disney Cruise Line!

 

[NancyIL]

If you're cruising without kids and are not interested in hanging out at the pool or bars - you might be bored, as I was. I went back to the ship after lunch on Castaway Cay day, and other than a movie that started at 2 p.m. (which I had already seen), there were no adult activities on the ship until the DVC presentation at 3:30.

I'm hoping for a better experience on my cruise next week, but I still don't hang out at the pools, and I haven't taken up drinking!

**I should add, I was cruising with my 82-year-old mother on my first Disney cruise...BIG mistake! I'm cruising with a friend next week, and we're part of the "Reunion" (formerly "MouseFest") cruise - so it ought to be fun!

 

[PearlySwan]

If you're cruising without kids and are not interested in hanging out at the pool or bars - you might be bored, as I was. I went back to the ship after lunch on Castaway Cay day, and other than a movie that started at 2 p.m. (which I had already seen), there were no adult activities on the ship until the DVC presentation at 3:30.

I'm hoping for a better experience on my cruise next week, but I still don't hang out at the pools, and I haven't taken up drinking!

^^^ I'm surprised to hear you didn't find anything worthy of doing on Castaway Cay. There is simply so much to explore on that little sliver of heaven on Earth. We traveled with a then 5 yr. old and 3mo. old infant. Even with kiddos we managed to: (1) do the bicycle tour (separately as DH and I had to take turns watching the infant); (2) go snorkeling; (3) take pictures with the characters (Donald, Goofy, though missed Captain Hook and hope to get him next time); (4) mail postcards from the post office; (5) the 5 yr. old participated in the children's program; (6) mom went shopping while dad stayed on the family beach with the baby; (7) have the Bahamian style lunch; (8) hang out on the beach as long as it was humanly possible before leaving Castaway Cay. If we had not taken the children with us, here are some of the things we would have done: (1) go parasailing; (2) watercraft skiing; (3) DH would do some fishing; (4) go snorkeling; (5) do the massage at the cabanas on Serenity Bay (Castaway Cay adults only beach); (6) go shopping for Castaway Cay exclusive merchandise.

Why wouldn't someone not traveling with kids not take advantage of all these great options? Beats me!

 

[NancyIL]

^^^ I'm surprised to hear you didn't find anything worthy of doing on Castaway Cay. There is simply so much to explore on that little sliver of heaven on Earth. We traveled with a then 5 yr. old and 3mo. old infant. Even with kiddos we managed to: (1) do the bicycle tour (separately as DH and I had to take turns watching the infant); (2) go snorkeling; (3) take pictures with the characters (Donald, Goofy, though missed Captain Hook and hope to get him next time); (4) mail postcards from the post office; (5) the 5 yr. old participated in the children's program; (6) mom went shopping while dad stayed on the family beach with the baby; (7) have the Bahamian style lunch; (8) hang out on the beach as long as it was humanly possible before leaving Castaway Cay. If we had not taken the children with us, here are some of the things we would have done: (1) go parasailing; (2) watercraft skiing; (3) DH would do some fishing; (4) go snorkeling; (5) do the massage at the cabanas on Serenity Bay (Castaway Cay adults only beach); (6) go shopping for Castaway Cay exclusive merchandise.

Why wouldn't someone not traveling with kids not take advantage of all these great options? Beats me!

I'm not a beach person any more than I'm a pool person. I can spend a few hours at a beach, and then it's time to do something else. I enjoyed Serenity Bay for an hour or so, and lunch was good. The family beach was wall-to-wall people, and I was glad to not spend time there. A double dip cruise is of no interest me!

I plan to do the 5K run/walk when I'm at CC next week. I also think I will head back to the ship after lunch, but this time I'll look forward to seeing some new movies.

**Parasailing, skiing, fishing, and snorkeling are of no interest to me.

 

[Joan1]

I will start by saying we are a cruising family - we love to cruise. That being said our last 3nt sailing we did end up being a little bored on the Wonder. We have been to Nassau many times and don't get off the ship anymore but on port days the Disney ships really don't have much going on and with the family pool being so small and the kids not liking the pool because of its size really didn't leave us many options.

Castaway Cay was great as always

I find the longer cruises to be better for us because you have more days at sea and there are many more activities going on. Since you haven't been on a cruise before you will enjoy whatever is offered and will enjoy exploring the ship.

With the kids now being teenagers we are looking at other cruise lines because they do have more to offer even on port days and their pools are much bigger and have more options to fill up the time.

 

[PearlySwan]

I plan to do the 5K run/walk when I'm at CC next week. I also think I will head back to the ship after lunch, but this time I'll look forward to seeing some new movies.

^^^ How cool! I wish we could do that too! How awesome! Enjoy your cruise and 5K at CC for both of us!

 

[NancyIL]

^^^ How cool! I wish we could do that too! How awesome! Enjoy your cruise and 5K at CC for both of us!

Thanks!

 

[LindaBabe]

There used to be a LOT more things to do on shipboard than there are now. On my two recent cruises (#9 and 10), I found there to be a real dearth of 'free' activities, like cooking demos and animation presentations. In the past, there would be several such events in one day.

Now, many of the activities seem to be designed to 'sell' - ie, the "scrapbooking" event was really an opportunity for the on-board sales person to pitch future Disney cruises - as far as "scrapbooking" goes - kids and non-scrapping spouses might find it fun, but if you're an experienced scrapbooker, precut foam shapes out of a tub are not going to cut it.

Then you have the DVC presentation, the art auction, the "port talk" (where 'guidebooks' of authorized stores are pitched), and of course, bingo.

I did go to two Origami demonstrations, but one of those was apparently a duplicate of one that I missed - people who had attended that one, weren't too pleased with the repeat. Also, I noticed several events that I would have enjoyed overlapped, so I was forced to pick one and then be idle when it finished.

Lots of charactor appearances involving long wait lines, and the usual cart of princess accessories for sale, also take up some time. Tons of photo ops with long wait times too, but there again, Shutters is in the business of pedding photos.

Don't get me wrong - I had a great time - sunning, pool, movies, my own scrapbooking, eating, napping. But compared to previous Disney cruises, yes, I found the activities rather sparse.

 

[phunchak]

I took the 7 day Eastern Cruise with my family and a two year old and I don't think I was ever bored. We are a 'Commando' style Disney family as well.

I remember being exhausted when after the cruise was over