DVC Cruise or cruise DVC?

[GrumpyBa*D]

I just booked my incentive cruise for 10/24/2010. I am going to piggy back a stay at DVC and the parks either before the cruise or after the cruise. It is a Sunday to thursday cruise. Can anyone give me any insight as to which way to do it and why?

I was thinking either Sun/Mon to sun then leave for the cruise or Sun cruise and then thursday to tuesday or Wednesday DVC Parks.....

Any suggestions how to get from hotel to port to airport.... or some combination of the same depending on the cruise stay order

 

[going/again]

I just booked my incentive cruise for 10/24/2010. I am going to piggy back a stay at DVC and the parks either before the cruise or after the cruise. It is a Sunday to thursday cruise. Can anyone give me any insight as to which way to do it and why?

I was thinking either Sun/Mon to sun then leave for the cruise or Sun cruise and then thursday to tuesday or Wednesday DVC Parks.....

Any suggestions how to get from hotel to port to airport.... or some combination of the same depending on the cruise stay order

do the cruise first then you can do all your washing for free at dvc so you have none when you get home

 

[Crystal_27]

I would say do the parks first. One of the points of a cruise is to relax, and, even if you take a relatively slow pace at the parks, you are still going to have to be battling crowds and walking many miles per day. So, you are really going to appreciate, after the hecticness at the parks, the lazy relaxed feel of the cruise. I think that I'd have a difficult time getting into park touring "mode" after a cruise, and prefer to end my vacation on a relaxed/rested note. Either way, enjoy!!

 

[ACDSNY]

We're doing the parks first, but we tacked on 2 nights after since our DS family couldn't join us for the first week.

 

[inmyis]

We did a very similar thing in Feb. We did four 4 night at Royal Pacific (hadn't done Universal in many years), and did the 4 night Wonder Cruise on points. Loved doing it this way. It was like 2 seperate vacations in one. We are doing the Magic in Sept and doing two nights at BLT before and two nights at VWL after. Only time in parks is for MNSSHP. Otherwise Golf and relax.

 

[CarolAnnC]

We will always fly down at least a day before the cruise, you don't want to travel on sail date if at all possible as it leaves open opportunity for delay issues, etc.

For a longer vacation combined with a cruise, I recommend doing the WDW portion after the cruise. When you come off the ship be it, 3, 4, 7 or 10 days I have found it is nice to keep the "magic" going and spend time at the parks. You are pampered so much on the cruise, it is quite a let down to fly right home. So if you have the choice, I would do the WDW portion after the cruise.

Be sure to visit our Cruise Boards here on the DIS for lots of DCL information!

 

[mama03]

Something else you might want to consider is that the F&W festival will be ongoing at that time. There might be something you would like to do at one of the events. It will also be around Halloween, so would your kids rather be at home for trick or treating or Disney?
Have a great time on the cruise!

 

[bobbiwoz]

This week is our third DCL cruise, and each time we've spent at least the day before and the day after at WDW. As Carol does, we never travel to the cruise the day of the cruise and well, afterwards, it does feel good to relax at WDW. I had asked my family if they wanted to leave Florida right after the cruise, or go to AKV Kidani for just the one night...everyone's going back to WDW for Sunday night.

We get a one way rental car. This week it's Avis from the Hilton at DTD. We have a total of 9 people, a car and a van, and the one way rentals are much cheaper than the DCL transfers. There will be a shuttle at the port area to take us from the car rental to the boat, and on the return it will be the same, a shuttle to the office and returning it to DTD is easy for us.

Bobbi