First time DCL - Magic or Dream?

[Wosmama6]

We are cruising the week of 1/22 and are deciding between the Magic Marvel Day at Sea out of Miami leaving 1/22 and the Dream leaving 1/24. We are extroverted mom, introverted dad, extroverted kiddos DS 8 and DD 3. Because of DD3 we will need to take DCL sponsored excursions only.

Magic pros:
fewer people overall
Grand Cayman is currently on the itinerary, and we've never been there, but who knows if that will stay?
Marvel Day at Sea
5 nights

Magic cons:
smaller ship so fewer things to do
kids club lacks the video game type room my son would love
flights to Miami are super inconvenient and longer

I've heard good things about Tangled, but my daughter doesn't really know it that well (I can fix that).

Dream pros:
husband is less likely to get seasick on larger ship
more amenities, like golf and simulators and aquaduck
larger rainforest room
larger kids club
leaves out of PC, so we'd do 2 nights at WDW first
flights are easy
Beauty and the Beast show


Dream cons:
more people, potentially, esp at CC
4 nights
Nassau
no Marvel day at sea
potentially a navigator's verandah if unable to upgrade at port

WWYD? Cost is about the same and idc about the extra cost of the potential WDW time

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are cruising the week of 1/22 and are deciding between the Magic Marvel Day at Sea out of Miami leaving 1/22 and the Dream leaving 1/24. We are extroverted mom, introverted dad, extroverted kiddos DS 8 and DD 3. Because of DD3 we will need to take DCL sponsored excursions only.

Magic pros:
fewer people overall
Grand Cayman is currently on the itinerary, and we've never been there, but who knows if that will stay?
Marvel Day at Sea
5 nights

Magic cons:
smaller ship so fewer things to do
kids club lacks the video game type room my son would love
flights to Miami are super inconvenient and longer

I've heard good things about Tangled, but my daughter doesn't really know it that well (I can fix that).

Dream pros:
husband is less likely to get seasick on larger ship
more amenities, like golf and simulators and aquaduck
larger rainforest room
larger kids club
leaves out of PC, so we'd do 2 nights at WDW first
flights are easy
Beauty and the Beast show


Dream cons:
more people, potentially, esp at CC
4 nights
Nassau
no Marvel day at sea
potentially a navigator's verandah if unable to upgrade at port

WWYD? Cost is about the same and idc about the extra cost of the potential WDW time

For me - longer is better, so Magic (5 nights) wins over Dream (4 nights).

I also prefer the smaller ships.

 

[dreamer17555]

Your husband not being miserable and seasick and therefore wanting to cruise again would make me leaning towards the Dream if you have better cabin options on the Dream... Have you cruised before on another line? To me that would make a difference...

 

[Frozencleo]

We love the Magic and have never been bored on it, even though it’s a smaller ship. I have a 9 yo DS and a 4 yo DD, so about the same ages. They’re usually pretty happy to hang out by the pool if nothing else is going on though.
I like longer cruises, but will admit the inconvenient flight would give me pause. Is FLL a more convenient flight? We always flown into FLL. It’s a longer ride to the hotel/port, but very doable.
I’ve never been on the Dream though, so I can’t compare the two.

 

[sethschroeder]

5 nights

4 nights

Cost is about the same

Think you have the answer do the 5 nights.

husband is less likely to get seasick on larger ship

Is this a thing or just something you think is true? I say that because keeping a full tummy, getting the bands, and taking the dramamine (or patch) could help avoid that.

we'd do 2 nights at WDW first

If you never go to WDW maybe that changes things but for us as DVC members 2 nights at WDW wouldn't really be that great and I would rather just get in to the area sooner.

Example you could fly in to Tampa or MCO, rent a car, and drive to Miami. You could also fly in to FLL instead as well the day before and get transportation down to Miami.

 

[Wosmama6]

Your husband not being miserable and seasick and therefore wanting to cruise again would make me leaning towards the Dream if you have better cabin options on the Dream... Have you cruised before on another line? To me that would make a difference...

I am the only one who has, RCI and princess. The cabin options aren't necessarily better as they are both gty but I just heard the bigger ships you feel it less

 

[sethschroeder]

I am the only one who has, RCI and princess. The cabin options aren't necessarily better as they are both gty but I just heard the bigger ships you feel it less

I think it matters though where the ship will be sailing. If you are in open ocean you can for sure feel it even on the bigger ships. Was on the Encore recently coming back in the Pacific and it had a ton of movement.

 

[Wosmama6]

Both are in caribbean so I'm not sure

 

[Wosmama6]

Think you have the answer do the 5 nights.




Is this a thing or just something you think is true? I say that because keeping a full tummy, getting the bands, and taking the dramamine (or patch) could help avoid that.



If you never go to WDW maybe that changes things but for us as DVC members 2 nights at WDW wouldn't really be that great and I would rather just get in to the area sooner.

Example you could fly in to Tampa or MCO, rent a car, and drive to Miami. You could also fly in to FLL instead as well the day before and get transportation down to Miami.

Thanks. I've just heard that over and over re ship size. And we will def be doing patch, dramamine, etc.
We aren't dvc but I'm about to go on my 4th trip this year, 2were solo and this one will only be with my son.

 

[princessmommyx3]

I think the amount of movement you feel is much more dependent on the types of seas you encounter rather than ship size. At least that's my opinion after having sailed on all 4 ships.

 

[Wosmama6]

I wonder about Jan in the Caribbean re sea conditions.

I'm interested in whether the onboard activities and dining are significantly better on one than the other. Mostly kids club and pools

 

[Dug720]

The ship is not THAT much smaller in terms of feeling motion. If it were a tiny ship ( I was on fathom adonia and she held 704 TOTAL) you would feel a difference for sure. Magic vs. Dream in similar seas is negligible IMHO.

 

[Wosmama6]

The ship is not THAT much smaller in terms of feeling motion. If it were a tiny ship ( I was on fathom adonia and she held 704 TOTAL) you would feel a difference for sure. Magic vs. Dream in similar seas is negligible IMHO.

Oh good to know!!

 

[Dug720]

Oh good to know!!

To be fair, I don’t get seasick (and would not torture myself to cruise if I did), but I have felt no difference in similar seas.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

Having Sailed on both, I would say go for the Magic. If the price is almost the same, its a better deal for 5 nights vs 4 nights. That, and if you are Marvel Fans, the unique menu and character meet&greets are worthwhile for sure!

Traditionally, people like the Classic Ships (Magic) better. I took friends on a 5 night out of Miami in November and did so because it was their first cruise and the ship is easier to navigate in my opinion. 4 night sailings always feel like they are just a bit too short and that's why we like the 5 nights. Having "less" to do on board (lets face it, theres still PLENTY to do) actually results in a more relaxing vacation for us.

The pools are really the same in my opinion. Each has a good amount of pool space. In my mind, there is more on the Magic than the Dream simply because there are the same number of pools but less guests on the Magic.

As others said, Check flights out of Ft Lauderdale. It tends to be cheaper than Miami. Yes, its a bit further of a drive (30 min vs 20 min) but still not bad.

I have always felt that the food is just a tad better on the Magic than on the Dream/Fantasy. (We haven't sailed on the Wonder.) The servers we have had on our 3 cruises on the Magic are our 3 all time favorites too.

Most likely, If Grand Cayman doesn't work out, you'll end up with Cozumel/Costa Maya which are fun.

I personally get Sea Sick no matter what ship I'm on. It happens. I deal with it by taking Dramamine. Start the day BEFORE you leave with the all day less drowsy and give it time to build up in your system to help reduce the chance of nausea/sickness. I have used the patches in the past and love those too. Usually you have to get them prescribed though.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Ship size between the Magic and the Dream will be less of a factor than the particular weather conditions during the cruise And cabin location aboard ship. With either size ship, we have most noticed the ship motion as we navigate through the Gulf Stream into or out of the debarkation port. In either case, we notice ship movement more in the aft dining rooms, and not much in our usual midship staterooms. Otherwise, not much difference for us between ships.

 

[JTlikestheDuck]

One thing I noticed on sailing between the Wonder (Magic's sister ship) and the Dream was that the bars/common spaces seemed to be bigger on the Wonder even though it was a smaller ship. Dream had more different bars/common spaces but they were smaller. As for motion sickness, agree with previous posters that it is a negligible difference between the two. It all depends on the seas. Bottom line, do what is easiest for you, both ships are great.

 

[Cheburashka]

I have sailed all four ships and would choose the Dream. It has more to do, including the AquaDuck, Midship Detective Agency, and mini-golf. It's also just newer and has more amenities: upcharge sweets shop, rainfall shower in family staterooms & virtual porthole in inside staterooms. I wouldn't bother with the Magic's rainforest room, but I would on the Dream. Grand Cayman is likely to get cancelled, so I wouldn't focus on that. A more convenient flight makes a difference. Adding WDW days to the trip makes a difference. Go to WDW after the cruise, not before, so you don't get sick in the parks before cruising.

There isn't a noticeable difference in ship size in terms of seasickness- for DCL that's all based on itinerary and the weather, not which ship you're on, as they're all very stable. Likewise, Castaway Cay will be great regardless of which ship you're sailing on. The "less crowded Castaway" is something I've never observed in 6 cruises to CC on different ships. I'm not saying Castaway is crowded- it isn't- just that I've never seen it noticeably more or less crowded during one cruise compared to the other (with the exception of my October '21 cruise, but that was due to Covid, not ship size).

 

[TreeFalls]

I haven't been yet... but I was booked on the Magic in March 2020 (we all know how that went), and now am booked on the Dream in January 2022. I was looking forward to the smaller Castaway crowds and one night longer on the first cruise, and now I'm looking forward to Universal after the cruise and being able to drive to Port Canaveral instead of flying. It's a toss up, I think! I figure I'll have to try them both at some point.

 

[Wosmama6]

I know! I'm a little inclined to try the Dream while the numbers are so low (we would sail after the 5+ vax rule comes into effect, which is a bonus for us since we have an under 5 too)
a third option is the 7n star wars cruise on the fantasy. a little more, but dates are the same. but i worry that's too long for my hubby.