Is a 4 night cruise worth it?

[taniahappy]

Well, is it? I *may* have to change our dates but the prices are CRAZY for a 7 night cruise (I am recently booked for Sep 2016, looking into March) and I could do a 4 night one in March '16 but NOT on the Fantasy it would be on the Magic...also, is a Verandah even worht the extra cost for a 4 nighter?

FYI: This would be my first DCL trip and we would be flying in from San Diego and staying a week prior at WDW

 

[jdb in AZ]

March prices are high because of spring breaks -- supply and demand.

You could "get by" without a verandah in the Caribbean -- it's not as scenic as Alaska, where you have land on both sides of the ship most of the way.

Four days is better than none, but if you want to cruise for a week, there are less expensive cruise lines out there. You could also cut back a day or two in the parks. (We have more fun on the cruises.)

 

[Four Swampers]

Any DCL cruise is better than no cruise!

A four night on the Magic might be the perfect way to decide if you like cruising or not. A great way to learn about the ship and the activities.

The value of a verandah is very subjective. Many people would not dream of sailing without a verandah, while others don't see the need to pay the extra. I usually fall in the latter camp. We have been on 11 and 12 night cruises with an inside room. We spend most of our time doing things on the ship, so we rarely see the room. On the few times we have paid up for a verandah, we have spent very little time on it.

You might want to ask yourself what you plan to do on the ship. If you will be exploring, taking part in activities, going to the movie theatre, watching the shows, spending time in the adult district, lounging by the pool, then you might not need to pay the extra for a verandah. If you think you would enjoy sitting in a quiet private spot and watching the ocean, then a verandah might be a good purchase.

 

[taniahappy]

I think that I am willing to pay for the Verandah if it was a week long cruise, for 4 nights I dont think it would be worth it, for me... I would have too much stuff to squeeze into 4 days!!!
I have been looking for other cruises ($) but in all honesty I dont think I want any of those to be my first cruise, I am in love with Disney and want Disney to pop my cruise cherry ...
I dont think I will be disappointed with the Magic, will I? (remember I have been obsessing with Fantasy)

 

[kiford]

Any DCL cruise is better than no cruise!

A four night on the Magic might be the perfect way to decide if you like cruising or not. A great way to learn about the ship and the activities.

The value of a verandah is very subjective. Many people would not dream of sailing without a verandah, while others don't see the need to pay the extra. I usually fall in the latter camp. We have been on 11 and 12 night cruises with an inside room. We spend most of our time doing things on the ship, so we rarely see the room. On the few times we have paid up for a verandah, we have spent very little time on it.

You might want to ask yourself what you plan to do on the ship. If you will be exploring, taking part in activities, going to the movie theatre, watching the shows, spending time in the adult district, lounging by the pool, then you might not need to pay the extra for a verandah. If you think you would enjoy sitting in a quiet private spot and watching the ocean, then a verandah might be a good purchase.

Very well stated. Our first cruise was a four night Bahamian combined with time at WDW. We had no idea if we'd like cruising, if we'd get seasick, if we'd get bored, or if we'd find the rooms cramped. We're heading out on our 9th DCL cruise to Northern Europe this July so, as you can tell, we loved it. We now like to go on 10 and 12 day cruises and prefer not to do anything less than 7 but I'd still do a 4 day cruise now if my alternative was no days. And the Magic is my favourite ship. Maybe it's just because we've cruised her most often, but I still love the ship.

And while we prefer the longer cruises, we've also considered doing 3 or 4 day cruises in conjunction with time at WDW again. They go to places we've been to before and we're not that interested in the ports, but then we'd just spend more time on the ship. We were thinking about doing precisely that this December but got the offer for 30% off deluxe resorts at WDW so simply couldn't pass that up. So we're spending 8 days at WDW instead of a cruise or WDW and a cruise (the dates wouldn't really have worked out anyway so that tipped the scales to all WDW instead of a combo).

We did go with a verandah on our first four day and we always book a verandah but as Four Swampers points out, whether it's worth it is very much a personal judgement. If you don't book a verandah on a four day cruise and you find out that you really would have preferred one, well - it's only four days, not 10 days where you're stuck without one for a long time.

We do spend a lot of time in our room and on the verandah, and we like the more open feeling and the increased light. If you're wanting to see if you like cruising or you would like the verandah but cost is an issue, try it without for the first cruise and use your time to explore the ship. There are places to watch the ocean outside of your cabin too. We sometimes like to sit in the Promenade Lounge by the giant portholes. The tables are actually outside the lounge - they'll come over to offer a drink if you want but won't bug you if you just want to sit there. They're attentive, but not pushy.

 

[ellemenohpee]

We did our first DCL cruise as a 3night. It was wonderful and I feel like we got our money's worth. I was nervous because I am claustrophobic and get seasick and if either of those was going to hit, shorter was better. After coming back, I think 4 nights would be the perfect length of time for me. That being said, we didn't get off the ship in Nassau (we have already been there) and so we had a whole day on the ship.

I think whatever you choose will be fine. We will always need to pay for a verandah because I need to be able to have instant access to fresh air in case I start feeling closed in. It was great in the mornings to watch the sunrise and at night to enjoy some wine and peace and quiet.

Whatever you choose, have fun!

 

[kiford]

I dont think I will be disappointed with the Magic, will I? (remember I have been obsessing with Fantasy)

I've been on the Dream (which is very close to the Fantasy) and there are thing I preferred on that to the Magic and things on the Magic that I preferred over the Dream. On balance, I prefer the Magic, but all of the ships are lovely. Even though you've obsessed over the Fantasy, since you've not been on any of them, it will all be new to you. Take the time to explore the ship and all that it has to offer. Being smaller, you'll be able to see more of it in four days.

 

[BrytEydBelle]

I had a great time on my recent four day Dream cruise and would not hesitate to book another! I typically prefer a seven day cruise (have done several with Carnival and RCCL) but with DCL I found that you can pack a lot of fun into four days.

 

[jerseygal]

4 night for us on the DREAM was perfect combined with 4 night WDW! Would do the same again, no more. No one in our family wants any longer than 4 nights. A good way for 1st cruise to "test the waters" ENJOY!

 

[bethy]

We have our first cruise booked and it is a four nighter on the Magic. This thread is very encouraging! We too are concerned about seasickness, claustrophobia and just generally wondering whether cruising is for us. Plus we are going to WDW and then the beach first. So the overall vacation won't be too short, nor will we be putting all our eggs in one basket.

 

[SarahKate]

We were in a somewhat similar situation last fall. We picked a 3-night cruise and then stayed at WDW for a week after. It was our first ever cruise, but we had gone to WDW several times. We weren't sure if cruising was for us. I booked a verandah room and am really glad we did. There were 4 of us (2 adults, 2 12 year olds) and the verandah gave us a nice space to spread out. We used it a lot more than I thought we would, but I also know that wouldn't be the same for every family.

I feel like if it were me, I would be ok with the shorter cruise since you already have the week at WDW happening. If it were JUST the cruise, definitely a longer one.

The 3 night cruise was a little too short. Since it was our first, we felt so obligated to do ALL of the shows, the pirate party, cast off party, etc. When we cruise again, I would be more selective and really try to get some relaxation in.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I agree with a PP who said any DCL cruise is better than none! Because of the expense, I have mostly cruised for 4 nights. I prefer 7 nights and would love to one day have the time and money to do an even longer one, but every trip has been great. A 4 nt cruise combined with a park trip seems like a perfect combo, especially for a first cruise.

I'm one who prefers to spend less and get inside rooms because I don't utilize the verandah. On first cruise and 4 nights, you may be too busy to use it and might prefer to spend that money to do port adventures, tastings, etc.

I prefer the Fantasy to the other ships but they're all fantastic. You can't go wrong no matter what you decide!