Help! 6 Night Vs 7 Night Fantasy Western Caribbean Differences

[Tigger Trainer]

DCL Experts,

We would consider ourselves Disneyland and WDW experts, but this would be our first Disney Cruise. We plan on using Dreams Unlimited Travel, but we don’t want to bug them with too many questions.

Due to our family size we will need two staterooms so the difference between a 6 and 7 night cruise is about $1,800. We are leaning toward the 6 night and we then can use that money somewhere else. That said, we don’t want to miss out on anything big that we would have gotten had we booked a 7 night.

Aside from 1 less night, are there any shows that are not shown or experiments not offered on a 6 night vs 7 night cruise?

 

[Cruising Engineer]

The 6-night cruise is the Western Caribbean normal cruise and the 7-night cruises tend to be specialty cruises: Halloween, Christmas, Pixar, etc., two totally different experiences. Also, the ports of call are different with the added day.

 

[Tigger Trainer]

The 6-night cruise is the Western Caribbean normal cruise and the 7-night cruises tend to be specialty cruises: Halloween, Christmas, Pixar, etc., two totally different experiences. Also, the ports of call are different with the added day.

So @Cruising Engineer , generally the regular broadway shows, pirate night, and fireworks are all still offered?

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

Can you post the 6-night vs. 7-night itineraries you are considering?

 

[Mommb]

Disney ships have 3 "Broadway-style" shows and 1 Pirate or Frozen night, so a 6-night cruise in the Caribbean would have all of the shows plus Pirate night. Typically, there are 3 nights with "regular" dinners that are different in each dining room, and on the remaining nights, menus are basically the same in each dining room. So, you'd have one fewer special dinner on a 6-night than on a 7-night, but since you'd still have 2 nights in each dining room, you'd get all of the unique entertainments for each venue.

 

[Tigger Trainer]

Can you post the 6-night vs. 7-night itineraries you are considering?

The 6 night would be this one.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/...rom-Port-Canaveral/2023-09-17-Disney-Fantasy/

Any of the 7 nights would be in the same timeframe, but seem to add one for port with the extra night.

 

[lanejudy]

Any of the 7 nights would be in the same timeframe, but seem to add one for port with the extra night.

The 6-night is Cozumel, Georgetown, Castaway Cay.
The 7-night adds a stop at Falmouth.

That is your primary difference -- an extra port stop in Jamaica. Since it's a port day, there will be minimal difference onboard -- probably an extra entertainer (ventriloquist, comedian, etc.), and one more night for possible Palo/Remy. The daytime onboard activities will be similar to other port days, so maybe a couple extra tastings offered, spa offerings, etc. You'll get all 3 of the standard "broadway style" shows, get to experience the signature menu at each MDR, pirate night, etc. on both cruises. Also the timing -- the 7-night Westerns look to be in August while the 6-night Western is in the latter part of September. Some would say more potential for hurricanes but that hit or miss and can happen regardless of the length of cruise.

 

[MomOTwins]

I don't think one day is going to be meaningfully different in general--6 days will feel very similar to 7 in terms of length, onboard entertainment, food etc. That said, I wish the 6-day itinerary did not skip Falmouth, that's the one hesitation I have with recommending you go with the 6-day and save the cash. Falmouth was by far and away our favorite stop on the Fantasy Western (even better than Castaway Cay IMO)--the island views were stunning with the lush green mounts, the beach we went to was like a postcard, and the Jamaican food was delicious. But for a first cruise, maybe the disney cruise ship experience will be more important than the ports, so might not matter to you. I'd sit down and look at some DCL port adventures at each stop (you can see them on the DCL website and filter by port) to get an idea of what options are available at each, and then decide for yourself if Falmouth sounds worth it to you.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

So @Cruising Engineer , generally the regular broadway shows, pirate night, and fireworks are all still offered?

Yes, shows are the same, sometimes repeated, and MDRs are the same (and repeated). The 7-night just gives you one more opportunity to snag a Palo, Remy, or Spa. One Pirate night, one formal and/or semi-formal night.
It comes down to your budget, time, and just how many ports you want to visit.
And if you love it, don't forget to get a Place Holder BEFORE you disembark the ship (10% off the next cruise price).

 

[holula]

I don't think one day is going to be meaningfully different in general--6 days will feel very similar to 7 in terms of length, onboard entertainment, food etc. That said, I wish the 6-day itinerary did not skip Falmouth, that's the one hesitation I have with recommending you go with the 6-day and save the cash. Falmouth was by far and away our favorite stop on the Fantasy Western (even better than Castaway Cay IMO)--the island views were stunning with the lush green mounts, the beach we went to was like a postcard, and the Jamaican food was delicious. But for a first cruise, maybe the disney cruise ship experience will be more important than the ports, so might not matter to you. I'd sit down and look at some DCL port adventures at each stop (you can see them on the DCL website and filter by port) to get an idea of what options are available at each, and then decide for yourself if Falmouth sounds worth it to you.

It’s funny, I feel the exact opposite about Falmouth. GC and Cozumel I love, Falmouth I’d be happy to stay on the ship.

Normally I would say pick the longer cruise but $1800 is a decent chunk of change and I don’t really like Falmouth as a port. The 6 nights are rarer cruises as normally the Fantasy does 7 nights every week - it is only doing this 6 night due to the 8 night the previous week.

Is there no way you could do the normal 7 night the following week? It’s likely to be an Eastern but the Eastern is beautiful. Then you’d still get the extra night but also probably cheaper than august.