have you ever considered disney + non-disney cruise???

[emmamc252]

I know its very naughty but I am looking at the offers for disney next year, we haven't even been this year yet but I can't help it!
The free dining is a good offer, I'm a teacher so we are stuck to the summer hols which makes flights incredibly expensive!!!

Somehow it has popped into my head that since we are paying for the extortionate flights it might be worth looking at doing something else int he florida area rather than just disney. We aren't beach holiday ppl, have looked at Hawkes Kay resort which looks amazing but VERY expensive and not sure how great it woul dbe with a 1 year old, so then went onto cruises.
Would LOVE to do a disney one but they are just too expensive, but royal carribean do a 4 night bahamas cruise going from Miami, its on one of their lesser ships but we have never done a cruise or been to the carribean so this would be super cool.

We would normally have a 2 week disney hol in the summer and then a "city break" in europe in one of my other holidays or half terms just for a few nights.
Again, with a baby this might not be the best idea btu would you do 1 giant florida holiday instead of doing a 2 week disney in summer and an extra little holiday some other time in the year???

 

[wilma-bride]

There are quite a few people here who have cruised to the Bahamas and Caribbean (both with Disney and non-Disney).

Personally, we have done two 3-night DCL cruises to the Bahamas and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. In fact, we are 'sacrificing' one week of our Florida holiday this year to go on a 7-night cruise

It is a great way of taking a bit of a break from the parks and seeing a bit more than just Disney. Not sure about cruising with a baby as I've never done it. I know that Disney Cruise Line has great childcare facilities and Im pretty sure the other cruise lines must do too.

 

[wayneg]

We have done all our cruising from Port Canaveral, 5 Disney(August will be 6th) and 2 Royal Caribbean.
I just priced up a 4 night cruise for next August to compare both cruiselines (2 adults & 1 infant) both from Port Canaveral

20th August RCCL $975 (Inside cabin)
15th August DCL $2,301(Inside cabin)

For me the price difference is just too great there. This August we have paid $1,600 for 3 adults for 4 nights DCL but we booked as soon as the prices were released in 2009.

If you have the money to spare Disney is by far the best family cruise you can take but for me it has to be the right price, same as other travel companies they charge crazy prices in school hols.
If I had the choice of above I would pay $975 and go RCCL, they have a buffet onboard far superior to DCL, so good we never ate in the table service restaurants either cruise plus their island is great to visit(Cococay) http://www.caribbeanportreviews.com/CocoCay.htm

RCCL are not DCL but still worth doing IMO.

 

[Celestine]

We have not yet ventured off DCL for cruising - but looking at it next yea because locations & price do not suit our budgets. However, with children we have been unable to fault DCL. Our youngest was 14 months when she went on her first cruise & fell in love for the first time - Pinocchio visited Flounders & she wouldn't let him go! Unfortuantely she also got an inner ear infection & was very poorly, but the onboard docs were excellent & cancelling her place at Flounders no problem. You do have to book (& pay) for Flounders whereas when they reach 3 its kids club from breakfast & half the time they wouldn't come out for dinner (but we made them). As I say, I've never cruised elsewhere so have no idea how it compares

Celestine

 

[penlanspice]

We've never sailed with DCL so can't compare but we've sailed Princess and Royal Caribbean a few times on each.

For us we don't have kids and DCL has never really appealed, plus the difference in price has always been quite a lot.

We love both RCCL and Princess and taking our 3rd Princess cruise in October and can't wait, we would of liked to of sailed on one of the new RCCL ships but wanted a new itinerary.

I say do the cruise you won't regret it.

 

[ford family]

The idea of "two holidays for the price of one" is something we are actively pursuing.
For example, we are doing a one way cruise in October arriving in Miami on the 5th November. The price of the cruise includes the return flight to London but we have delayed this for a month, returning on the 5th December.
We consider this gives us a month in Florida with no flight costs!!

ford family

 

[heatherbelle]

We couldn't afford the flights this year, so we're going to the Med on our first ever cruise with Disney.

Next year they are pulling out of the med, but when I was looking into cruises, I also considered Carnival I think it was. I could have taken a 12 night cruise for the same price as Disney for 7 in August.

There are some fantastic bargins around for cruises both in the Med and in the Carribean, with other companies other than Disney. My sis has cruised the Carnival and RCL and prefers Carnival.

For those lucky soles who are not tied to school hols, the transatlantic cruise with Disney is a bargin for 14 nights.

 

[notaprincess]

I'm planning exactly this for next year. I'm looking into the big ships Allure/Oasis, but don't find the routes appealing. Now I found a Celebrity route that I like.

And there's always the Atlantic crossing with the new Carnival Breeze for a really good price

Decisions

 

[UKDEB]

we are doing a one way cruise in October arriving in Miami on the 5th November. The price of the cruise includes the return flight to London but we have delayed this for a month, returning on the 5th December.
We consider this gives us a month in Florida with no flight costs!!

This really appeals to me, particularly as I loathe flying. Who's it with and how long does the crossing take?

To the OP: we've done the combination of Caribbean cruise/Orlando several times (with DCL, NCL and Celebrity). They've all got their plus points, but I wouldn't pay premium prices for DCL and a one year old isn't going to know any different.

 

[ford family]

This really appeals to me, particularly as I loathe flying. Who's it with and how long does the crossing take?

There are a number of these "one way" cruises. The one we are doing is on the Norwegian Epic from Barcelona, thirteen nights, two stops (The Azores and St Thomas) finishing in Miami.
We are leaving on the 21st October, spending a couple of nights in Barcelona and arriving in Miami on November 5th. We return to London with Virgin from Miami on December 5th. There was no extra cost for delaying the flight and all the cruise lines we have spoken to allow this deferral.

ford family