First Timers

[chttyangel]

Hi all. My son has been begging to go on a Disney Cruise and my husband finally agreed. So it is time to get planning. This will be my second time cruising (last was Carnival) and the first time cruising for DH & DS (11). We are beyond excited but obviously have lots of questions. I tried looking for a "sticky" with basic questions or where to start and did not see anything so I apologize if allot of this is already covered.

We are looking at a 4 night cruise out of either Port Canaveral (Dream) or Miami (Magic) in January 2018 in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Verandah. We are planning on visiting Epcot and Magic Kingdom prior and possibly Universal after.

So questions......Dream or Magic? Miami or Port Canaveral? Either is easy for us to fly into and we are not shy about driving around the State so besides logistics any big positive/negatives about either ship or port to take into consideration? The biggest I saw was a day at sea vs the Keys.

We know about the Pirate Party and decorating our doors. My son is excited to get announced; the rest is new to us. Any must knows for newbies or getting started threads we should read?

What shore excursions should we look into in Bahamas? What are your favorite can't miss on the ship?

Last but not least; husband has mentioned budget for way more then planned on the ship. What extras caught you by suprise?

Thank you Thank you

 

[CamColt]

Welcome to the world of DCL! I am sure you will find lot of helpful information here.

To start you may want to look over this thread. http://www.disboards.com/threads/dis-dcl-faq-new-alphabetical-listing-of-dcl-information.2068966/

As for which ship, I have not been on the Magic since before it was reimagined, however I would lean toward the Dream specifically for Satellite Falls, my favorite part of the new ships. However you may want to choose based on price and/or if you want the sea day or not.

We usually stay on board in Nassau.

 

[Sytrace]

I have not sailed on the classic ships since the very beginning so I cannot speak to that aspect. (and I live in Orlando about 45 minutes from Port Canaveral)

I have sailed frequently on the Dream (5 times)and her sister ship the Fantasy (7 times) and like the layout of them. My kids love the Aquaduck as well. We have done the 4 night cruise on the Dream a few times and like the Sea Day a lot.
In Nassau we have done the Atlantis beach break and DIG tour, The Greycliffe Chocolatier tour (AMAZING!!!) and the Glass Bottom Boat. We don't actually do excursions in the Bahamas anymore though except to get off and wander for awhile. The first time we went to Nassau my son was 11 and my daughter was 12 and they enjoyed Atlantis, but really loved the Greycliffe chocolatier tour. For us, the beach is not a huge deal as we have one very close by.

Enjoy the planning process and then just sit back and relax. Once you are onboard you are pretty much stress free and relaxed. No ADRs, no Fast passes...just fun!

 

[chttyangel]

The Greycliffe Chocolatier tour (AMAZING!!!) and the Glass Bottom Boat. We don't actually do excursions in the Bahamas anymore though except to get off and wander for awhile. The first time we went to Nassau my son was 11 and my daughter was 12 and they enjoyed Atlantis, but really loved the Greycliffe chocolatier tour. For us, the beach is not a huge deal as we have one very close by.

The Chocolatier Tour looks amazing! Thank you; I never had heard of it.

 

[puzzledprincess]

Hi! I hope you end up loving Disney cruises as much as I do! I suggest Port Canaveral just because you will be close to WDW and Universal since you are planning to go to those parks too. Additionally I find Port Canaveral to be a more enjoyable port than Miami.
As for extras to budget for (if you're interested in that): dining at Palo, paying for professional photos, excursions in the port, spa, souvenirs, paying to park at the port, gratuities, alcoholic beverages.
Happy to help if you have any more questions!

 

[SameNameAsYou]

I'm curious about this as well. I wasn't impresswed with Nassau my first visit. I'm hoping this changes with another visit.

 

[Pkltm]

We are going on out first cruise in September on the Dream, I did not know about Satellite Falls. Great tip!

While we have not cruised before, it was recommended to us to try Port Canaveral first as we are also doing WDW.

 

[Ms.Mouseketeer]

My family is doing the 5 day sailing on the Magic next May from Miami. My fiancé and I also want to spend time in WDW so we will also be renting a car to drive up. I hear great things about key west.