How to Decide on Which Cruise

[2prettygirl]

When looking at cruises, do you pick a cruise based on destination or ship? We have only sailed DCL 1 time and loved the experience upon the Fantasy. We sailed East Caribbean, which was our 2nd time visiting the ports but we enjoyed them so much the first time on a Carnival cruise that we sailed them a 2nd time when doing Disney. We are sailing West Caribbean this fall on Carnival cruise and I am excited to try new ports but I guess you can say I am a Disney snob and just wish I were sailing Disney. So with that said, we are wanting to sail Disney again next fall and trying to decide on where to sail. As much as I would love to do the California Coast or Mexico destinations, they are not offered on the Fantasy, which is the ship we would love to sail again but just returning from a West Caribbean cruise this fall and want to change it up a bit, will we be crazy for sailing East Caribbean for a 3rd time on the same ship we have sailed before? I feel like we should change it up a bit but I am not sure how well we will like the other ships when we sailed Fantasy first and enjoyed her so much!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

When looking at cruises, do you pick a cruise based on destination or ship? We have only sailed DCL 1 time and loved the experience upon the Fantasy. We sailed East Caribbean, which was our 2nd time visiting the ports but we enjoyed them so much the first time on a Carnival cruise that we sailed them a 2nd time when doing Disney. We are sailing West Caribbean this fall on Carnival cruise and I am excited to try new ports but I guess you can say I am a Disney snob and just wish I were sailing Disney. So with that said, we are wanting to sail Disney again next fall and trying to decide on where to sail. As much as I would love to do the California Coast or Mexico destinations, they are not offered on the Fantasy, which is the ship we would love to sail again but just returning from a West Caribbean cruise this fall and want to change it up a bit, will we be crazy for sailing East Caribbean for a 3rd time on the same ship we have sailed before? I feel like we should change it up a bit but I am not sure how well we will like the other ships when we sailed Fantasy first and enjoyed her so much!

I don't like to do the same ports over and over and I love the Fantasy! She used to be my favorite ship until I stepped on the Carnival Vista a couple weeks ago. That being said, our next cruise is on the Vista again but doing an 8 night Southern Caribbean, after that we have a B2B booked on the Disney Wonder doing a Mexico itinerary. We've been on the Wonder once before and I don't like her as much as the Fantasy but I like to check out new ports and since we live in AZ I can drive to San Diego instead of flying to FL. I don't think anyone is crazy for doing what they are comfortable with, when you know a ship inside out and the ports pretty well, it makes for a very relaxing vacation because you can turn your brain off and just live in the moment. For what it's worth, you may want to look into the Vista for their Southern Caribbean itinerary, great ship and great ports. I can't say I like Carnival better than Disney, but I can say I really enjoy both but for different reasons and experiences. Just my $.02

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When looking at cruises, do you pick a cruise based on destination or ship? We have only sailed DCL 1 time and loved the experience upon the Fantasy. We sailed East Caribbean, which was our 2nd time visiting the ports but we enjoyed them so much the first time on a Carnival cruise that we sailed them a 2nd time when doing Disney. We are sailing West Caribbean this fall on Carnival cruise and I am excited to try new ports but I guess you can say I am a Disney snob and just wish I were sailing Disney. So with that said, we are wanting to sail Disney again next fall and trying to decide on where to sail. As much as I would love to do the California Coast or Mexico destinations, they are not offered on the Fantasy, which is the ship we would love to sail again but just returning from a West Caribbean cruise this fall and want to change it up a bit, will we be crazy for sailing East Caribbean for a 3rd time on the same ship we have sailed before? I feel like we should change it up a bit but I am not sure how well we will like the other ships when we sailed Fantasy first and enjoyed her so much!

Generally, we look at itinerary first, then cost, then ship.

A lot depends on whether you are making the ports or the ship the "destination" for your vacation.

 

[hanscarlet]

we look at itinerary first too, but the Fantasy is the only ship we haven't been on yet so I think that will heavily weigh into our decision for 2018

 

[tink1970]

Another for itinerary (both destinations and time of year), then cost, then ship. (Interestingly, Thanksgiving 2017 on the Fantasy was cheaper than on the Wonder for our cabin.) I do admit to booking a Med next summer so I can sail all 4 ships prior to the arrival of the 2 new ones.

 

[Quellman]

You wouldn't be crazy for sailing it again! We have a third trip for Eastern coming up. Once on the Magic and it will be the second on the Fantasy. This time it will include Tortola where we previously stopped at Sint Maarten. There are some itineraries that also include Puerto Rico, so if you are flexible with your dates, you can sometimes find a new island to visit if you are set on cruising the Fantasy.

 

[ludari]

I always select my cruises based on the destination/itinerary and not the ship. Luckily for me I've been on all the ships (until the new ships are released) so that's not a concern.

 

[jrabbit]

Like others have said: Destination / Itinerary and time of year and Cost . All Disney ships are great. Yep if you've only sailed on the Fantasy, the prospect of going on the older, smaller ships seems scary. But the Magic and Wonder are Great Ships as well as the Fantasy.

With DCL's current itinerary of the Dream doing 3 & 4 nights, with way to many first time cruisers (that are on the once in a lifetime cruise and have to do it ALL NOW), I avoid the Dream. I like to relax. Too many stressed out people on the Dream for me.

The Magic & Wonder don't have all of the bells and whistles of the Dream / Fantasy. To me those are just distractions. I really like the Mid Ship Detective Agency on the Fantasy, but again there's a lot of people doing that so the hallways and stairways are busier and more crowded there. I enjoy interacting with the crew, other ship mates and relaxing. I can do all of those things easier on the Magic / Wonder.

Oh yea on all ships I do NOT have to: Cook, Clean, Shop, Menu Plan, House Maintenance - so its ALL Good!!

 

[KristiMc]

I've been on all 4 ships and they are all great. We base our trip on itinerary.

 

[TestingH2O]

We typically pick dates first. After that we look at price. We've cruised so little at this point that almost all of the itineraries or on board special events are new and different.

 

[scgustafson]

I start with the date window in which I have to work, either wife/daughter's summer (7 weeks), fall (2 weeks), or spring (2 weeks) break. Then I look at itinerary, which most often dictate a specific ship except for late fall to early spring when the classic ships double up the itineraries of the newer ships. Itinerary, especially when over 7-nights, will always win out over ship as we want the longest cruise with a non-repeating itinerary. So far in seven cruises with four more booked, we have only repeated the 4-night Bahamas cruise on Disney Dream. Otherwise, it has been or will be:

• 7-night Alaska on Disney Wonder
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean on Disney Fantasy
• 12-night Mediterranean on Disney Magic
• 7-night Northern Europe (Baltic) on Disney Magic
• 12-night British Isles on Disney Magic
• 7-night Western Caribbean on Disney Fantasy (future)
• 11-night Southern Caribbean on Disney Fantasy (future)
• 4-night Baja (Cabo San Lucas) on Disney Wonder (future back-to-back)
• 3-night Baja (Ensenada) on Disney Wonder (future back-to-back)

The last two are back-to-back to get 7-nights with no repeated ports. The only way we would go on Disney Dream again would be for a Christmas cruise due to the limited break I get off of work for the Holidays, and it would have to be 4-nights. Right now, we are looking for the Greek Isles to open back up in the Med, followed by the 12-night Norway/Iceland cruise. The only itinerary we would readily repeat is Alaska.

 

[xlxo]

7-night Alaska on Disney Wonder

Just a thought.... the OP mentioned "fall" as a travel time. Alaska can get wet and miserable in September. July is the preferred month for dry Alaska weather and the prices are higher. A reposition down the coast is OK for September.

 

[lbus42]

What did you enjoy most; the ports or the ship? The ship is the most important to me. I spend only a few hours in ports except for CC. Since almost all of my time is spent on the boat, it makes it the primary consideration in which cruises I take.

 

[scgustafson]

What did you enjoy most; the ports or the ship? The ship is the most important to me. I spend only a few hours in ports except for CC. Since almost all of my time is spent on the boat, it makes it the primary consideration in which cruises I take.

We also try to maximize sea days, and if we are doing a ship intensive cruise, I definitely prefer the classic ships to the newer ones. Fewer people vying for the same things. Plus, you get more direct interaction with the Cruise Staff Team since there are fewer people on board. That is why I truly want to do both a Transatlantic and a Panama Canal crossing, but school schedules do not cooperate.

 

[seacruise]

When doing Disney we base our decision on date, price, ship, then itinerary last. For us Disney is all about the onboard experience. We cruises on other lines when we are concerned about itinerary.

 

[Jess_S]

I choose based on itinerary. So far, that has meant sailing the two classic ships.

 

[Sir William]

We've made most of our decisions with either itinerary or date as the priority, depending on the situation. When we decided to do a Med cruise, we looked at the itinerary and then at the dates. We like to do a pre or post cruise when DW attends an annual conference in Orlando and then dates are the priority.

The ship becomes important only if it becomes a choice. We prefer the Classic ships and will take one of them before a newer ship if it's an option.

 

[clten]

We pick our cruise based on itinerary. But we have sailed on all 4 ships and know the plusses and minuses of each ship. What is it about the Fantasy that you enjoyed so much that is drawing you back to it again? Is it the bells and whistle type things that you can only get on the larger ships (AquaDuck, Mid-Ship Detective, Sports Deck, etc.) or is it things that are common on all the Disney ships (the service, rotational dining, character interaction, deck parties, etc.) If it is more the bells and whistles, then you should stick with the Fantasy. If it is more the Disney touch, then venture out and try a different itinerary. Keep in mind it will be different that way you won't be disappointed by the things that aren't there and can enjoy the things that are. Many, many people fell in love with cruising DCL on the Magic and Wonder so it's not like they are bad choices!

 

[Starwind]

We start with a date window, narrow it down by price (e.g. if we are looking at late November/into December, certain weeks are much cheaper than others), then start looking at itineraries which by necessity also means looking at ships and ports they are sailing out of. A special itinerary could override all of that.

So, for example, for our December 2017 trip, we decided the date window (first couple weeks of December, and we want to be on board for the Star Wars movie premier). When DCL announced the Fall 2017 dates we checked to make sure there was no Hawaii cruise because that would take priority no matter when it was. Since there wasn't, back to December 2017. Looking at pricing, there is a clear couple weeks that are markedly cheaper than the others, so we focussed on those. Disney Dream was out since we wanted a longer cruise, don't like Nassau, and have done the Dream three times (twof in a B2B to make a 7 night cruise!). We ended up choosing between sailing out of Port Canaveral or Galveston and chose the Fantasy out of Port Canaveral. We also decided to do a B2B, so are doing an eastern and western Caribbean with two weeks on board. We have done the eastern on the Fantasy before, but with San Juan and St Thomas. This time it will be Tortola and St Thomas. We WISH it was San Juan and Tortola, but that is ok.

SW

 

[2prettygirl]

I don't like to do the same ports over and over and I love the Fantasy! She used to be my favorite ship until I stepped on the Carnival Vista a couple weeks ago. That being said, our next cruise is on the Vista again but doing an 8 night Southern Caribbean, after that we have a B2B booked on the Disney Wonder doing a Mexico itinerary. We've been on the Wonder once before and I don't like her as much as the Fantasy but I like to check out new ports and since we live in AZ I can drive to San Diego instead of flying to FL. I don't think anyone is crazy for doing what they are comfortable with, when you know a ship inside out and the ports pretty well, it makes for a very relaxing vacation because you can turn your brain off and just live in the moment. For what it's worth, you may want to look into the Vista for their Southern Caribbean itinerary, great ship and great ports. I can't say I like Carnival better than Disney, but I can say I really enjoy both but for different reasons and experiences. Just my $.02

We have a cruise booked in 2018 (still pretty far out) on the Vista! I am excited to try her but once again, I know that Carnival doesn't quite live up to the expectations of Disney but still excited!