Help me prioritize a 3 day Bahama Cruise.

[KirbKirb]

Please.

We will be on the dream and I could only do a 3 day.

It myself and my daughter for her 8th birthday.

My delima is it's such a short cruise and the main attraction for her is the ship. I was planning on not getting off in Nassau and having a ship day but I also really want her to swim with the dolphins. It would be the blue lagoon one and I have a 9:15am time.
Any guesses on what time we would be back on the ship? Should I just skip that to have a full ship day so she gets to do everything on the ship?

I need some experienced opinions! Please? I feel lost

 

[Dug720]

If the cruise is to celebrate her birthday, I'd ask HER what she would rather do - stay on the ship or swim with dolphins.

(And just as a note, there is no way to do EVERYTHING on the ship. Even on a longer cruise. )

 

[mevelandry]

I'm with Dug720 on this one. Why not showing her what all the excursions you can afford are and then mention the incentives of staying on the ship and then ask her what she wants to do?

And yes, even without getting off the ship you won't be able to do it all.

 

[Dug720]

I'm with Dug720 on this one. Why not showing her what all the excursions you can afford are and then mention the incentives of staying on the ship and then ask her what she wants to do?

And yes, even without getting off the ship you won't be able to do it all.

Yes!

Just to further explain my reasoning for asking... OP, in your post you made it sound like your daughter just wants the ship but YOU want her to swim with dolphins (just as a note, depending on the program I have no issues with them and from what I have read Blue Lagoon is one of the better ones). So if it is HER birthday trip, I would recommend asking HER.

 

[CamColt]

I agree with the above posters. Leave it up to her to decide.

 

[KirbKirb]

See that's a problem too. It's a complete surprise. She won't know until we pull up at port on her birthday.

I'm just going off she wants the ship because she's seen all the commercials about the ship and keeps asking if we can go on the Disney boat and I've got her convinced we can't any time soon.

 

[Dug720]

See that's a problem too. It's a complete surprise. She won't know until we pull up at port on her birthday.

I'm just going off she wants the ship because she's seen all the commercials about the ship and keeps asking if we can go on the Disney boat and I've got her convinced we can't any time soon.

If that is the case - that she is asking to go on the ship and NOT asking for a swim with dolphins - I would not plan an excursion then. Just explore the ship.

 

[Alicatt]

I would stay on the ship and maybe do something extra like Vanellopes or Mid ship detective or Bibbity Boppity Boutique. Save the dolphins for another trip. A lot if places do it even without a cruise. It could be it's own special thing. It's going to be a totally amazing trip no matter what!

 

[cmph]

I would stay on the boat if I were you. My kids have no interest in getting off. They only lasted about 30min on the beach in Castaway Cay and never want to get off the ship there again! They'd be happiest if the ship sailed in a circle over and over, nothing but sea days. For some kids, it really is all about the ship, so for your daughter's first cruise (esp since it's a short one) - I wouldn't spend the money on a pricey excursion. And that is a pretty pricey one to gamble on.

 

[mevelandry]

Sometimes you can book excursions at the last minute when you embark. You can ask her what she wants to do (if she wants to go on an excursion among the excursions still available).

 

[quickcat]

We did the Blue Lagoon dolphin swim in the morning and we were back to the ship by 1:00.
In my opinion, you have plenty of time to do the swim in the morning and still have the whole afternoon on the ship.

 

[Debbie Torres]

Just my two cents ..... someone else mentioned earlier .... I would not mention the dolphin excursion . You could always do that somewhere else . She watches the commercials and she dreams of the ship . My first cruise on the dream was a three day and way too short . We got off in Nassau for about 3 hours and it is something I could have done without . We did enjoy Castaway Cay but we were back on the ship around 2:00. My second cruise was on the Magic and it was four night . Loved the days at Sea . So much more time to explore. We did get off in Nassau and took a taxi cab to Atlantis but that was another time waster. My next cruise is a Halloween on The High Seas another 3 night on the Dream and I will not get off in Nassau . The last time I was on the Dream I did not see everything . Sorry for the rant . But I have learned from my little bit of experience definitely enjoy the Disney Ship that is what you pay for . You daughter will have plenty to do on the ship and the line will be less crowded on the Aqua Duck

 

[Jadeey]

Is your daughter dolphin crazy? I ask because I was when I was a kid and the idea of doing a dolphin excursion would have been the most amazing thing I could think of.

If she isn't dolphin crazy then I would just stay on the ship and do the dolphin excursion another time when you have more days.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Is your daughter dolphin crazy? I ask because I was when I was a kid and the idea of doing a dolphin excursion would have been the most amazing thing I could think of.

If she isn't dolphin crazy then I would just stay on the ship and do the dolphin excursion another time when you have more days.

Swimming with the dolphins is amazing -- better than anything on the ship. Jus sayin

 

[disneyholic family]

we LOVED swimming with the dolphins at blue lagoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it's definitely one of the better dolphin swim places...
does she swim? you have to be able to swim to do the dolphin swim...
if she can't swim, you can do the dolphin encounter instead (also very good)..

since you'll be at blue lagoon early in the morning, you can head right back to the ship and be back pretty early (so there won't be a long line getting back on the ship either)..

we're also doing a 3 day on the Dream in august.
we haven't done a 3 day cruise in 16 years and it wouldn't have been my choice but that was the only cruise that fit our schedule...
DD and DSIL wanted to try out the Dream, so 3 day cruise it is... (they've only been on the wonder and the magic, so they wanted to see what the disney dream size ships are like).

i'm also stressing about being able to do things on the ship...
the things we want to do: the theater shows (obviously), aqua duck, midship detective agency, the kids club open houses (adults can also go into the kids clubs during the open house), every trivia game (we're insane over trivia), any other silly games (yeah we're insane over all that stuff)...
that's what i can think of off hand...

we're planning on staying on the ship in nassau this time..
last time we were in nassau (on the allure of the seas), we did the blue lagoon dolphin swim and LOVED it... but this time we're staying on the ship because of the short 3 day cruise...the ship is our destination this time...

we're also planning on just getting off the ship at castaway cay for about an hour and a half..
just to bicycle around for a half hour and then for lunch...and then back on the ship...
maybe we won't even do that if we're feeling stressed about shipboard activities...

so i totally get what you're saying!!!!

.