For those of you who would do a Disney Cruise more than once or twice: WHY???

[Ned Land]

My wife and I are going on a our second Disney cruise this fall. We took a Disney cruise in January and are sailing for $99 this time. I often wonder why people seem to enjoy it so much to the point where they would pay to do it again and again. I am not saying that we did not have a good time. We did. However, it is so expensive and so much less magical that visiting WDW that I can't even imagine paying another $1,600 (low season) for a four day cruise. Wouldn't a trip to Hawaii be better than 3 Disney cruises in one year?

Where am I missing the boat?

 

[mickman1962]

Because if they went to Hawaii then they would have to eat with people who are wearing shorts and not the "appropriate attire" thus ruining their vacation.

 

[DisneyKids]

That's a great question.

Why do we continue to cruise DCL? For us, we are very big Disney fans. We have been to WDW more times than we can count and still enjoy going. DCL, being more expensive, is something we haven't done nearly as much but really do love. It's the perfect combination of exotic cruising and Disney "Magic" (sorry for that!!). I really love to cruise and feel that Disney is the only way to go. But, I'll never be one to say that DCL is for everyone, all of the time. "To each his own!"

We are doing a $99 cruise this fall, as well. We tacked on a 4 day to make a full week! See what I mean???

 

[Kelsie]

I can only speak for myself but I do go to other destinations. Last year it was a camping trip to South Dakota, next year Yellowstone and Hawaii but, I love the cruise and would go every year if I could. I did give my daughter the choice of WDW or the cruise this year and she picked the cruise so I guess "Magical" is in the eye of the beholder

Oh and mickman1962, feel better?

 

[randytenn]

We are getting ready for our 2nd Disney cruise. Why go back? We weren't sure if we would at first. Absolutely, we loved the first one. But, was there something else out there.

So, we talked to our TA. She talked to us about what we liked on the first Disney Cruise. We liked the personal attention, the meals, the fantastic service, the pampered feeling. She then ruled out several cruise lines immediately. We then boiled it down to DCL or Royal Caribbean. They were about the same price for what we wanted. We finally decided to go back with DCL because we knew exactly what we would be getting. No surprises, nothing unexpected. The "Magic" of Disney was truly wonderful.

So, we are just a couple of weeks away from our 2nd cruise, and are already talking about our 3rd. Why go again? It's one of the most relaxing vacations possible.

 

[CamColt]

We did our first Disney cruise with our kids and my whole family. That was fun, but we felt we missed out on so much with the kids there(one had no interest in the clubs, the other was too young and I wouldnt put him in day care). That was a family vacation and it was great for what it was. So as my 30th bday gift, DH "gave" me another 3 day cruise, although it wasnt much of an effort on his part, LOL! We had to wait until 6 months after my bday until we could get a babysitter over the 4th of July weekend, but it worked out wonderfully. Doing the same cruise with and without the kids was 2 totally different experiences. I would do it either way again. In fact we are hoping to do a whole family 7 day cruise in 7/05!!!

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I would definately do another Disney cruise after our Nov cruise - after all why else would we have bought into DVC?! We combine 2yrs worth of points and cruise for a week.

 

[alexandrew]

We love cruising, and since we have small children with no grandparents around to watch them, DCL offers the best choice vs. other cruiselines.DCL offers the best kid programs afloat In addition, the service, the ammenities for us and the kids, the food, and especially the attention to the little details, make DCL the best choice....WDW is great, but quite frankly, how many times can you go? After a while, Magic kingdom started feeling like that movie Groundhog Day.Same thing, again and again. Also, the crowds...I've never felt crowded on DCL. Cruising is hassle free, you never have to worry about where to stay, what to eat, what to do et al...In addition, you get 4 great destinations w/o having to worry about driving. Now, with the new Western itinerary,I have another reason to book with DCL

As for Hawaii, while I'm sure it is beautifu and serene, traveling from the east coast of FL 10 hrs one way is a hard sell.

Las Vegas on the other hand...

 

[WDWLVR]

We have our 4th cruise booked for May and if we are lucky enough to get in we'll book our 5th for the DVC member cruise this Saturday. Why do we like cruising DCL so much? Because the ship is so beautiful, the food is good, and the service is excellent. What is the added bonus of going again and again - we know what to expect and it is comfortable to us.

Are you missing the boat? Maybe not - vacations are a personal choice. Maybe you are just to type to always like brand new things and that is great. I like being comfortable on my vacations to the DCL works great for me. To each his own.

 

[taswira]

My occupation as a wildlife photographer <I>requires</I> that I travel. As much as I enjoy it, I was seeking an opportunity to travel without working so hard! I became a p/t TA. The opportunity arose to participate in "cruise college" on the Disney Wonder. I had never cruised and never had any desire to. As soon as I saw the ship, I was hooked. By Nov. I will have been on 4 Wonder cruises in 10 months. I am doing the 7-day western Oct. 03 and plan to take more Wonder cruises prior to that. For me, a Disney cruise is an escape to a fantasyland, a place to relax and enjoy the ship, the service, and the entire atmosphere. The crew is a big part of what brings me back, and the characters play a major part. When I step aboard, Mickey, Minnie, Chip & Dale <I>all</I> become real for me - not just people in costumes. Onboard I can have that attitude and not be tagged as "crazy," because THIS is <I>DISNEY</I>.

I have never had kids. I usually travel solo and am even doing the 7-day solo. Disney has always been a way of life for me. I was at DL (in a stroller) and at WDW the day they opened. I grew up in So. Ca. and spent LOTS of time at DL. I have an AP to WDW and, as someone else posted, <I>never</I> tire of the place and go there 3 or 4 times a week when in FL (my p/t residence), often just for lunch or dinner. But I think someone has to be REALLY into Disney and have a certain attitude to still feel the magic after repeat cruises and excessive WDW visits. Many of us on this board seem to have that "different" outlook and never tire of it. For others, who might view it (whether parks or cruise) as simply "a vacation," the magic can wear off. It isn't for <I>everyone</I>.

 

[disney6]

We are going on our 2nd Disney cruise in October. The first time two of our four children were not old enough for the clubs so were with us - we had a GREAT time! This year they are now all old enough for the clubs so we wanted to take along the other set of grandparents (took my DH's parents last time, mine this time) and give the youngest two kids a chance to be in the clubs like the big kids! I am the cruise nut in my family - I don't have to decide what restaurant to go to, none of the "I'd love to order this but it's $5.oo more so I'll just get this", where are we going today?, IMHO a cruise is the best "no brainer, be a vegetable" vacation! Cruise Disney because we are members of DVC and have also found the quality of Disney exceeds the other cruise lines we've been on.

P.S. I don't think I could EVER talk my DH into cruising Disney WITHOUT the kids - oh well......

P.S.S. mickman1962 -- if your comment was said in the spirit that I took it to be -- THAT WAS FUNNY!!!!!

 

[mickman1962]

disney6

yes it was. thanks

 

[FOJMO]

Looking forward to our "threepeat" on the Magic next May, I've been asked the same question about going on another cruise (and why always DCL)?

The answers are:

WHY A CRUISE? - For us, living in Florida, we don't have to fly anywhere! I don't mind flying, but after a drive to the port and after boarding the ship, we ARE THERE! No parking, transportation, hotels, etc. etc. Everything is right there! We know that everything is just a short walk from our stateroom. Also, on a cruise, there is a very small chance that you can be reached by someone at work. This tends to happen when we go on vacation -- DH's position sometimes has people calling him (the expert) and on a cruise ship, that chance drastically diminishes.

WHY DCL? - It was the first and only cruise ship we've been on. We were not sure about returning for a second one -- we realized that we should have taken along a friend for our daughter, and did so on our second cruise, and it made a world of difference for all of us. Anyway, we ARE Disney Vacation Club Members and we invested in this for the same reason we return to DCL each time -- there is no denying that DISNEY DOES IT RIGHT! They just go above and beyond and have a reputation that keeps us coming back. We also like the fact that there is no gambling on board. Nothing against gambling, but I think the family atmosphere is more appealing to us and draws a different type of crowd. We also feel more at "home" on the Magic since we know the layout and have gotten to know some of the CM's. In fact, when I commented after our 2nd cruise that I missed so-and-so from the ship (CM's), my husband said it's like coming home after summer camp and you miss the counselors you had everywhere you went. It's so true!

So, we'll be coming back again and again and never grow tired. Even if it doesn't even go to any ports -- we're happy just to be aboard!

 

[llachance]

Single mom with a 15yo daughter, great teen program, nuff said I think! Third time is December 2003. Actually have signed on to one of the Queen Mary 2 inaugural voyages in 2004....imho the only other cruise line that comes close to Disney is Cunard.

 

[Valerie3kids]

Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth also. We have our 4th cruise booked for next summer. Our first was a gift from my dad for my oldest DD's high school graduation. We did know what to expect but had heard that the Disney Cruises were top notch. We were not disappointed.

Why did we come back? My Dh works on Saturdays so long weekends are usually out of the question for us. So our time off is our vacation time period. I was very afraid that he would not like the cruise as he likes to be active. He loved it. He loved that you unpack once, you have so much to do and the food is awesome. We feel like the others that it is the most relaxing time for us-no phones, no TV, no decisions to make. We also believe the excellent service is a big kicker when you are thinking about rebooking. I love the Disney service and the way you are treated. We do go to WDW every other year or so but still prefer the cruises. It is a world of it's own.

Sorry to ramble on. It is just something that has worked for us.

Valerie

 

[Denine]

We will be taking our 3rd and 4th Disney cruises in October. We are DVC members and usually travel on points instead of cash. No huge chunk of money to shell out.
We love Disney World and we love cruising. On DCL we get the best of both worlds. We still go to Disney, we went in January and are going again in May with a short stopover in January after a different cruise, but no parks.
We go other places. We just went on a 10 day Panama Canal cruise in April. I'd love to see Hawaii someday, but the airfare from Cleveland is outrageous! Right now, we will go places we can drive too. We can cruise just about anywhere from Florida.
I January we are going on a cruise which takes us to Belize and Guatemala!

 

[disneyholic family]

why do we want to go on another disney cruise????...
because it was THE best 3 day vacation we've EVER had....that doesn't detract from WDW...we would never go to WDW for only 3 days... ...

other people go to their cottage up north (in michigan) every weekend....well gee...what do they do there every weekend...doesn't it get boring????...probably not....and neither does WDW which we go to every summer for 3 weeks....(which no doubt sounds ridiculous to someone who doesn't understand that there's a lot to do at WDW besides theme parks)...
and we're hoping to add DCL on as a yearly event as well...(and if we lived in the US, i'd probably go once a month...)

bottom line...
i loved the ship....the wonderful CMs....the total relaxation....

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

We are awaiting the passage of time until our 3rd cruise, this time a 7 day gets here. We have taken other vacations but DCL is something special.

For one thing I LOVE Disney - anything and just about everything that has to do with the company. I am a university professor of marketing and management and have done much graduate level study on the company. They probably hooked me on our first cruise when a couple of senior management members (they were still cruising because it was only the 7th cruise) took the time to sit down with me and chat about the contingency planning. I always come back to the classroom with more examples of outstanding customer service, attention to detail, etc.

But DH, DD, & DS have also fallen for the vacation as something special. In fact we had a couple of ideas on the table for summer 2003. The kids said DCL 7 day, no land just the ship and ports. It takes us far away from all of the other activities and considerations of life, the kids have their own activities and there is still family time, there is couple time for us, there is the sea - we're from Michigan and have Lake Michigan almost literally in our backyard so "big water" is something we enjoy.

One last thing - this is the ONLY trip we've ever taken where the normal sibling sniping stops for awhile! You bet that is a "magical" reason to cruise!

Deb

 

[shmoogrrrl]

This is a good question!

When my husband proposed to me, before I said yes, I made him agree that he wouldn?t argue with our Honeymoon being at Disney World. *Laugh* He knew about my obsession with Disney of course (He even proposed by pulling out a small Tiger with the engagement ring on his tail!) and expected that I?d like to do that. Obviously, he agreed.

When we were planning our honeymoon, he read up on the cruise and suggested we do the Land and Sea package. I was totally against it as I was terrified of cruising (All that Water!! I saw Titanic! We were also getting married on the day the Titanic sank! Meep!) but he talked me into it. I insisted on the 3-day cruise so we had more time at Disney World, and he was good with that.

Anyway, long story short, we had a blast in Disney World, and when we got to the boat, I was so nervous I couldn?t eat. I had two pieces of cheese and a cracker at the embarkation lunch?I didn?t have a clue what to expect. However, by the time the weekend was over, we were both in LOVE with cruising and the boat! We were both disappointed that we had only taken a 3-day cruise, and booked the seven-day as soon as we could, convincing my parents to book with us. Once back from that trip. We convinced my best friend and her husband to book with us again in September of that same year. Since the cruise last September, we?ve had a baby and my best friend and her hubby had a baby so now we are going back in March to take the kids. Each cruise has been a new and enjoyable experience for us. The first was our Honeymoon, and we were alone, the second was the family thing with my parents and my niece, then the third was a wild and fun trip with friends, and in March we?ll get to go as parents.

Sure, we could try another cruise line, and I am sure we will eventually, but we know we LOVE the Disney Cruise Line so we keep coming back to it. Besides, we do take other smaller vacations. Along with our two Cruises last year, we spent 5 days in Las Vegas, 4 days in New Orleans, and took numerous other weekend type trips camping and that sort of thing.

I?ve even turned my husband into a Disney fan. 8--)

Kathy

 

[Hygiene99]

we have been on 4 and have 5 &6 booked
first on 3 day magic
then magic started doing 7 day eastern so we did that
and then we did 3 day on wonder
then we did 7 day MAGIC Inaugural western
so each time it has been different for us.....
DISNEY DOES IT RIGHT.....

tthe disney Quality u see at theme parks has been carried over to the cruise bis.
we just love them
we have done others as well
but our favorite ship the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE witch was a 167 foot 3 masted schooner that sailed the BVI's SANK in a hurricane several ears back and so we thought we would try a large cruise ship... and now we do not want to go on other lines so we stick with dis. we r also dvc members but do not cruise on points unless we get A SPECIAL ......
peter