Hi, Tiggers.....
The one suggestion about gathering info from other cruise lines is a good one. You can compare prices, activities, etc.
However, as a DisneyCruiser about ready to take her third cruise in August and her 4th cruise in August 2005, let me tell you why my family (my husband especially) won't sail on another cruise line.
1. Staterooms: They are bigger than most ships and the layout is very nice. The one thing Disney has right now that no other line has is the split bathrooms. One has shower and sink; the other has sink and toilet. It is an excellent set up for a family of 3 or 4 or 5 .
2. Dining: You rotate your dining between three different themed dining rooms. On your repeat rotation, the menus change and/or you have a themed night (Mexican night, It's a Small World night -- foods from around Epcot, etc.) On almost all other cruise lines, you have one dining room every night. The menus might change, but the scenery is the same. The wait staff follows you from dining room to dining room every night and really learn your likes and dislikes. I love their dining rotation.
3. Activities: There isn't enough room here to list the activities. First of all, there are clubs for EVERY age group -- from a nursery for infants to a club for 2-5, 6-9, 9-12 and teens 13-17. My daughter LOVES the teen club. On the last cruise (she was 15 then), we never saw her. She made many friends and they have GREAT activities planned for the whole week for teens. They even get their own Navigator schedule. That's the first thing she goes to get when we get onboard.
4. They have three pools (adult, family and children), and an absolutely amazing spa area with all kinds of wonderful treatments you can get. They also have a very nice gym/fitness room.
5. The stage shows are fantastic with a lot of talented people. Also, they have a whole section for adults only with bars, dance clubs and an after hours adults only comedy club. They also have a very nice movie theater that shows several selections during the week (new movies, not old ones).
6. You NEVER have to worry about the staff. No one in my family has ever been pinched, sneered at or given the once over, unlike other cruises that some of my friends have been on.
7. The ship itself is amazingly beautiful. The outside is remeniscent of the Titanic with the red, black and white design. Inside, the foyers, stairway rails, elevators and floors are all hard wood and brass. And they are ALWAYS cleaning and polishing at all hours of the night.
8. But our favorite thing about the
Disney Cruise Ships? NO ONE looks down on you for not having a tux for formal night or a sequined gown or diamond earrings. I have never felt out of place on their cruises.
9. And last but not least, their island on the last day is truly beautiful. They pull right up to the dock on
Castaway Cay and you just step off the ship. They have an adult beach, a family beach and a teen beach. And then between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. they have the barbeque (included) with everything you can imagine from fresh fruit to chicken, ribs and corn, to salads to desert.
Anyway, last time we took the Eastern Caribbean I asked my husband if he wanted to try a different cruise line for a change -- and his answer was a resounding NO. The reason -- he said you know what you're getting with Disney and you don't have to worry about it.
I guess I sound like I own shares or something -- but we just really like the
DCL way of life!
Hope that helps. Your teens will not be bored.
