Never Cruised before- Advice needed!

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

Im so sorry if this is posted somewhere else- I am thinking of taking the family on a cruise in 2016/2017 and have no clue where to begin planning- any tips you can give is much appreciated!!!

Ive heard excellent things about Disney Cruise Line, and as a DVC member I heard we get a few perks (not using points to book)

I wanted to do Eastern or Western Caribbean- is there one you recommend?

5-7 nights is the plan- this ok?

There are a ton of room options- verandah recommended? Floor? then I need to pick front, mid or end of ship- no clue which is preferred and why?

I know its best to book when first released-do you pay for the trip all at once- or make payments?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Im so sorry if this is posted somewhere else- I am thinking of taking the family on a cruise in 2016/2017 and have no clue where to begin planning- any tips you can give is much appreciated!!!

Ive heard excellent things about Disney Cruise Line, and as a DVC member I heard we get a few perks (not using points to book)

I wanted to do Eastern or Western Caribbean- is there one you recommend?

5-7 nights is the plan- this ok?

There are a ton of room options- verandah recommended? Floor? then I need to pick front, mid or end of ship- no clue which is preferred and why?

I know its best to book when first released-do you pay for the trip all at once- or make payments?

OK, relax. You have plenty of time. One place to start would be the FAQ sticky on the top of the first page here. A bit of that information is dated, but it's mostly correct. Also, check out and read the first couple of pages here on the Main Cruise board. Also, the Passporter book is a good source. Again, not entirely correct, but basically good.

Then, when you have specific questions (and you will) post them here and we'll all try to answer them.

Eastern vs Western - it depends on whether you are interested in more sea days or more port days. Your choice.

We prefer cruises of no shorter than 7 nights. But, except for 3 night cruises (IMO), whatever you book is good.

Mid-ship, lower deck is preferred for those who experience sea sickness. But, really any room onboard is great. We prefer Oceanviews, but have had verandahs (and one interior).

When you book the cruise you put down a deposit (or you can pay the whole thing). With the deposit plan you can either pay the remainder all at once, or payments. As long as you pay the whole thing off by the final payment day, you're good.

 

[iambrink]

Im so sorry if this is posted somewhere else- I am thinking of taking the family on a cruise in 2016/2017 and have no clue where to begin planning- any tips you can give is much appreciated!!!

Ive heard excellent things about Disney Cruise Line, and as a DVC member I heard we get a few perks (not using points to book)I did not know DVC members get perks, but i would love to know the answer to this one...You may need to post this question as a stand alone question if you do not get any answers or check the DVC forum.

I wanted to do Eastern or Western Caribbean- is there one you recommend? We have done both Eastern and Western. It really is a matter of preference. You will hear many opinions on this one. I prefer Eastern because I prefer sea days and ports are not really a deciding factor for us (although DD said she does not ever want to go back to Mexico!)

5-7 nights is the plan- this ok? We have done 3, 4, and 7 night cruises and all have a different feel. We choose a 4 night cruise for our first because i was really afraid of getting seasick...I did not, thankfully...so next time we did a 7 night. You will also hear many reasons why a 7 night is better than a 5 night, but i would base it on timing/price that works for you. Having picked a 4 night cruise for our first, i would think a 5 night would also be an excellent choice.

There are a ton of room options- verandah recommended? Floor? then I need to pick front, mid or end of ship- no clue which is preferred and why? We have done outside porthole and verandah cabins all on deck 8 or deck 12. I prefer midship just because it is easy to get to everything. DD says she loves deck 8 on the Dream and Fantasy because it almost in the middle when going to the pool or Cabanas on deck 11 and almost same going to the kids clubs or other restaurants. I usually pick deck 8, but for an upcoming cruise i picked deck 10.

I know its best to book when first released-do you pay for the trip all at once- or make payments? I book when first released if i wnat a specific date, like my kids April vacation week or Thanksgiving, but I have also done a last minute booking and saved a ton.

See additional comments above...This forum has been a huge help in planning...just keep looking through other posts and you will learn a lot. As for a first cruise, you need to realize you can't do it all. if you know it will be your first and last cruise, then that's different. I found my first Disney cruise very overwhelming and we were going for about 14 hours or more a day. DH and both kids loved it. It took me a while to reflect on the trip after it was completed before i realized how much fun we had. That was four years ago and i still check the boards all the time for new discussions!

 

[jk123]

For stateroom locations we like to be up higher in 6-9. usually midship. We liked verandah because you could take pictures without leaving your room. Also it's nice to sit out there during the day or leave it open for fresh air to come in but there are some people who prefer the interiors so it's all up to you.
7 nights are definitely a good option but 3s are good too.
For DVC go to the little party thing on the first day. They will talk to you about upgrading your points and if you schedule to talk with them, when we went, you got a full day fastpass (some rides blocked out) we didn't have time to get one but serious perks for DVC!
Lastly, if you enjoy your cruise it is smart to book another one on the ship for a discount I think
HAVE FUN!

 

[squirk]

Also, the Passporter book is a good source. Again, not entirely correct, but basically good.

I second this, thought I'd describe it as better than "basically good". Any printed travel book will likely be outdated in some respect the instant it goes to press; nonetheless, Passporter was, hands-down, the best resource we found when preparing for our first cruise. As Schmoo said, browsing the first few pages of this board every once in a while will likely answer any questions that PP did not answer, and also give you a heads-up on any area where PP gets outdated.

Available Nov. 10th - http://amzn.com/1587711478