First time - advice?

[SleeplessInTO]

Hi everyone,

Family of 3 (ages 38/40/7 at time of sailing), and looking at cruising with DCL for the first time.

Considering a short Bahamas cruise on the Wish for Nov 3-6, out of Port Canaveral with stops in Nassau and Castaway Cay. Main purpose is to celebrate hubby’s 40th birthday.

Total aside: He doesn’t want a party, he just wants to relax and have a stress-free birthday. Unfortunately for him, I suffer from immense guilt from the thought of not doing something slightly extravagant to mark the occasion for this wonderful man, and between a weekend in NYC, Vegas, and a cruise, I settled on this as hopefully the most stress-free? Hawaii was briefly my top contender but tough to fly there and back for a long-ish weekend, especially with the time change. We are in Toronto (Canada).

Back to DCL: Looking specifically at Deck 11, starboard side family ocean view verandah. Secondary purpose is to see if DD likes cruising, or if she’s prone to seasickness or just doesn’t enjoy it.

Background, we have sailed 3 times before with Holland America. Twice as a couple, once as a family when DD was 1. We liked how quiet the ship was (especially for a trans Atlantic repositioning), service was great, itineraries were fun, the price was very reasonable, and food and entertainment were okay. Did not like the casino or the smoke indoors, or the aggressiveness of the spa people trying to upsell us. Also did not like being seated with strangers in the MDR but we usually requested and got a table for just our party, so it wasn’t a big deal. No seasickness on that cruise to the Caribbean for any of the 3 of us.

We have also been to Disney world Florida about 10 times as a family of 3. We like the rides, the resort pools, how good they are with food allergies, the generally friendly CMs, and the whole “bubble” aspect of the trips. Most of our trips are during Christmas and March break so we are used to the crush of humanity and sticky kids as far as the eye can see.

Questions:

1/ Would we like DCL? Should I look at other lines (Royal, Norwegian, MSC)? Stick with HAL which we already know? (Hubby does not want to sail with Carnival itself but open to any other line, even sister companies.)

2/ If DCL is the way to go, is this Nov cruise to the Bahamas a good sailing to go on as a first trip/bday present? Is Deck 11 forward a bad idea if testing for seasickness? Should we do a Christmas sailing instead? (We can take 2 weeks off at Christmas and that opens up longer sailings.) Or should I buy him a fancy watch and forget this whole thing? (Kidding, he expressly forbade the watch.)

3/ Any general tips on how to make the most of our cruise if we go ahead with this? We won’t have status with DCL and I can’t afford concierge level, but I’m happy to pick up excursions / spa packages / upgraded dining if seasoned travellers feel they’re must dos!

Thanks in advance. I’m so excited to get back to cruising!!

 

[kiford]

3/ Any general tips on how to make the most of our cruise if we go ahead with this? We won’t have status with DCL and I can’t afford concierge level, but I’m happy to pick up excursions / spa packages / upgraded dining if seasoned travellers feel they’re must dos!

IMO, if you're doing a short 3 or 4 day cruise, don't book a lot of other things as you'll want to spend your time investigating the ship, doing activities, port time, etc. And you'll want to experience all of the main restaurants rather than ditching one for speciality dining.

If you're doing a longer cruise, you might want to set aside some time to do the spa, or Palo or excursions on the islands. OTOH, if you're not sure if DD will like cruising, you might want to consider trying a shorter cruise first so you're not stuck with a seasick or otherwise unhappy kid.

 

[auntlynne]

I think you will love Disney cruising! And it will be more relaxing than the trips you have taken to WDW.

The things you like and dislike about HAL are very similar to the DCL experience. The atmosphere is not wild nor loud. Food is cruise food. Some of its great, some bad, and most in the middle.

If your daughter would be happy in the kids club, you could try for a reservation at Palo or Enchante. Menus are available online. I think Palo is harder to book (Loyalty members get priority booking - and a free meal after 10 cruises).

If your schedules could handle the 4-night instead of 3, that seems to give a less rushed, over- too- soon experience. My first cruise of any kind was a 3-night Bahamas cruise.

I could not recommend Christmas due to the price. I could do several cruises for that kind of money.

The first week of November should be Jersey Week, when that state’s schools are on vacation. Just increases the number of kids. (I had this date wrong before - you’ll figure it out if prices are higher or rooms not as available.)

 

[auntlynne]

This is a pretty easy to plan trip. You don’t need excursions or dinner reservations (Unless you try for add-on adult dining).

My take on seasickness (having suffered from it) is that if it is going to affect you, it doesn’t really matter where you are on the ship. I know the old rule of middle and low, but these big, heavy ships with stabilizers are pretty smooth. The first night crossing from FL to the Bahamas has given me some trouble in the past (smaller ship), but a little preventative medicine (whatever the doctor says is okay for a kid) before bed might help. Probably not needed again.

 

[princesscinderella]

I think 7 is a great age for a DCL cruise for your daughter and a great way to celebrate your husband’s 40th. I prefer a longer sailing to truly feel relaxed but any length cruise is better than no cruise at all. End of august to the end of October is the busiest part of hurricane season in the Atlantic so November would be a good time to cruise. Happy planning.

 

[Weedy]

3 Days is too short I suggest waiting till Christmas and do a longer cruise.
The problem with the 3 Day is it’s the same amount of people trying to do all the activities in a short amount of time it makes it so stressful.
If you can do the 7 day it’s much more relaxing and a better chance of seeing everything you want.
If you do the 3 day I suggest NOT getting off the ship in Nassau. Spend the day on a less crowded (many people stay onboard) ship and do the things that can be crowded.
Be sure to see the shows every night.