First time potential cruise--advice please!

[mevelandry]

I'm a teacher too so I completely agree that with a HS kid; they can't miss school.

In my opinion, a Disney cruise is the best. We have never cruised with any other line because we are afraid of being disappointed. My children are 18, 15 and 8 years old. We started cruising when the youngest was 18 months. Everyone is happy; from the adults to the youngest when we are onboard. Even though my kids have been raised on WDW and DL vacations, they MUCH prefer a cruise. We just finished our fifth cruise with DCL.

To save money:
Book as far out as possible. I am told that the prices do not improve as you near the time of the cruise.
Once aboard, sign up for your next cruise.

I look at the whole experience as you "get what you pay for". NO other cruise line can show you new movies before they are released and no other cruise line can give you magical moments you don't expect. On our first cruise we played miniature golf with Pluto. He just appeared (without his handler visible) and we were the only guests on the deck. This past cruise, my daughter literally bumped into Belle as they both had their noses in their books. We had just finished our planned visit with the Frozen sisters and were waiting for the elevator when Belle just was "wandering" the stairs. Sure, as an adult I know Belle knew what she was doing but to my 8 year old daughter, she was amazed and thought it was funny that they were both reading (as a teacher; priceless!) and again we were the only guests around.
View attachment 339462
What's magical about the ship is even though you are sharing these experiences with so many other guests, so often you can feel like you are the only ones there. Besides the Belle and Pluto experiences, my husband and I have had opportunities to swim in the adult pool by ourselves gazing at the stars. It felt like we were on our own private yacht.

So, no its not cheap. But it is what I think, unfortunately, what the Disney parks are missing these days; these small magical experiences that make it worth every penny.

I can tell you are extremely happy with DCL and the magical moments you shared sound amazing (and I am truly happy for you).

However (and with all due respect)... I don't think it's fair to tell the OP that one cannot get "magical moments you don't expect" on other cruise lines when you have never sailed on other cruise lines (which you admitted in the beginning of your comment).

If we never give different experiences a chance, we'll never know of the potential magic that could happen elsewhere. I think it's good to keep an open mind and let life surprise us, no matter where we are.

 

[k3chantal]

I can tell you are extremely happy with DCL and the magical moments you shared sound amazing (and I am truly happy for you).

However (and with all due respect)... I don't think it's fair to tell the OP that one cannot get "magical moments with you don't expect" on other cruise lines when you have never sailed on other cruise lines (which you admitted in the beginning of your comment).

If we never give different experiences a chance, we'll never know of the potential magic that could happen elsewhere. I think it's good to keep an open mind and let life surprise us, no matter where we are.

You are absolutely correct. I have edited my statement to be more true.........

 

[mevelandry]

You are absolutely correct. I have edited my statement to be more true.........

(I'm truly hoping that it was clear that I am in no way trying to quarrel... Just trying to encourage people to have an open mind about different experiences. )

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We were in the same boat as you, a few years ago. We had been to Disney World each year, from 2007 through 2013. In 2014 We decided to try cruising, and our first impulse was DCL. Then we got the sticker shock, so looked into Carnival. DCL would have been a 4 night for about $8000 (I think), while Carnival was 5 nights for $2000. This is for a family of 5.

We chose Carnival, and had a fantastic time. This is mainly because we didn't know whether we would like cruising, and didn't want to spend so much no knowing if we would like it.

We have done 3 additional Carnival cruises (two of them adult only) and haven't regretted any. We are doing our first DCL cruise next June, for my daughter's HS graduation. She always dreamed of a DCL, so we figure this makes a great HS graduation present.

What we have learned is that, for us, a 4 day cruise is way too short. Even the 5 day is too short for us. We feel it takes 7 days to really take advantage of everything a Carnival cruise has to offer. As DCL seems to offer quite a bit more than Carnival in terms of activities, we planned a 7 day DCL cruise. Of course, when the itineraries came out, the week we picked for our Fantasy cruise turned out to the be 8 day, so we are on that (more money than we planned, but we will enjoy the extra day).

All that said: unless you are certain that it would take the Disney specific extras to make your vacation, I would go on a longer Carnival cruise. You won't feel as rushed or pressured to get everything in that you want, and save the DCL cruise for a special event (given the higher cost). Also, if DCL cruise will be once in a lifetime (because of the cost), save up for the 7 day, so you can get the most out of it. While the 3-4 day cruises are a lot less money, I feel they would not be worth the cost, as there wouldn't be enough time for all the activities.

 

[mevelandry]

(...)
What we have learned is that, for us, a 4 day cruise is way too short. Even the 5 day is too short for us. We feel it takes 7 days to really take advantage of everything a Carnival cruise has to offer. As DCL seems to offer quite a bit more than Carnival in terms of activities, we planned a 7 day DCL cruise. Of course, when the itineraries came out, the week we picked for our Fantasy cruise turned out to the be 8 day, so we are on that (more money than we planned, but we will enjoy the extra day).

Do they? (For kids maybe? I can't compare since I am childfree) ... Always thought Carnival offered more options.

 

[cadien]

Disney offers more for younger kids, so it really depends on the ages.

 

[k3chantal]

(I'm truly hoping that it was clear that I am in no way trying to quarrel... Just trying to encourage people to have an open mind about different experiences. )

I didn't take your response as trying to quarrel. I am all for being clear and representing situations in true light.

My enthusiasm for DCL tends to be over arching. I am a fan of what my family continuously purchases (good thing; right?). I do think my post brings up something for the original poster to consider. If they loved their WDW vacation and wanted to extend the Disney experience, DCL is obviously the way to go. And it is, in my opinion, worth the added expense because all age groups in my family are happy. (I am concerned if I were to travel a different cruise line my youngest would not be enchanted as she is aboard the DCL ships.).

If the OP just wants to try cruising, sure, go with any reputable cruise line. I would be the first one to agree that many of the amenities and itineraries are exactly the same or similar enough. With our recent Mediterranean cruise, the Disney Magic and another ship clearly had the same itinerary; we followed each other into port throughout the seven day itinerary.