First time Disney Cruiser and I have some questions.

[materialgirl8558]

I am planning a Disney Cruise and know very little about it. Here are some questions i have:

When are the best times to go?

Is the Eastern or Western Carribbean cruise better?

How are the rooms? Would a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom be good for 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids)?

If you could give me any additional information I'd appreciate it. THANKS!

 

[slstorey]

First of all, congratulations on your first Disney Cruise.

DH & I went on a 3 day Eastern cruise 4 years ago and didn't really enjoy Nassau but did enjoy Castaway Cay for the snorkeling and adult only beach. We are going to try the Western cruise next year as there seemed to be more enjoyable excursions (Key West, swimming with the sting rays, and visiting the Tulum ruins) for us.

Checked on the Disney site as we have never stayed in a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom. It said that some of them sleep 4.

Regarding the times, we picked mid-September when the rates were pretty low (and happened to fall on our 5th wedding anniversary). Of course we also picked a time during hurricane season. I believe they have different holiday cruises if you want something special.

Sign up your kids for the childrens' activities, try to eat at Palo's and visit the spa during your cruise. Also, don't miss the broadway shows or movie theater. And don't forget to try all of the wonderful variety of food - the kids (and adults) near and at our table seemed to really enjoy the Animator's Pallate where you are encouraged to play with your food.

I could go on and on but I will let others post more. Wait, one more thing, please visit the following web sites for incredible DCL info and pictures.

http://www.wdwig.com/cruise.htm

http://www.dcltribute.com/

http://www.castawayclub.com/

 

[my3kids]

The stateroom should be great for your family. All the rooms from a cat. 10 up to a 5 are the same size inside, the balcony rooms have that space included in the size as aditional living space. The cat. 9 rooms are all on deck 1 or 2. The deck 2 rooms have the one 1 big porthole while the ones on deck 1 have 2 smaller portholes. Cat. 8 rooms are on several of the middle and upper decks, all with the large porthole.

When you go is a matter of preference. When your children are out of school, most likely so are everyone elses, thus the price is higher in summer and over holidays. The January rates and September rates are generally the lowest, but all of spring and fall with the exception of holiday weeks are generally less expensive and the weather in the caribbean will be warm all year. Castaway Cay is more northern and the water might be a little cool in the winter months, but not enough to spoil your fun. Summers will be hot.

 

[MarkRG]

Good going on choosing DCL! Something for everyone!

Ok, now I'm going to clarify slstorey's post a bit more. Yes, the 3 day Eastern is ok, Nassau itself is ok, Atlantis at Nassau is a place not to miss on the short easterns! Now, the 7 day Eastern, however, is a diifferent thing altogether. They visit St. Thomas, St. Maarten with lots of wonderful excursions to go on at both ports! Havn't been on the Western yet, so I have no comparison for you to choose with. My best suggestion would be to read the posts in the Disney cruise line trip reports board.

Best times to go? We've gone in both October(1) and May(2) with no worries weather-wise at any time. Lot of it's going to depend on your schedule and how much you're willing to spend.

Would an oceanview stateroom be good for 4 people..you don't mention the kid's ages. if they're little(my guess), yes, you'll be fine, if they're big, it might just get a bit crowded, but still doable. The 4 person rooms have bunks that drop down, picutres are on Barb&Tony's(castawayclub) and Dave's(dcltribute) linked above.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

We've just booked our first 7 day cruise, having done both a 3 and a 4 day in the past.

On our past cruises we have had an ocean view on deck 6 - from our perspective the verandah is a great addition but not everyone agrees. Probably less necessary on a 3 day than a longer cruise. But our daughter was one of those folks who needed to get away from the crowds from time to time and this let us do this and still enjoy the ocean.

The room has a curtain that separates the two areas. There is a double bed in about the center of the stateroom. The portion nearest the verandah appears to be a regular sitting area during the day. During the evening your steward will turn the couch into a bed and another bunk will be lowered from the ceiling. Our son (now 14) has always slept on the couch turned bed without difficulty (he was a good 5 foot 6" plus on our last cruise) and daughter the bunk.

Enjoy your cruise. And definitely sign the kids up for their age appropriate group. Consider whether or not the kids are old enough (responsible enough) to sign themselves in and out of Oceaneer's Lab. Makes life WAY more enjoyable for the adults!