New to Cruising....

[hmcater]

So we are usually Disney World vacationers, but for something new and different, I've been considering doing a Disney Cruise. There are 6 of us, kids ages right now are 16, 13, 9 and 7 and we're thinking of going maybe in 2019, possible 2020.

But....we've never done a cruise before, so I'm kind of lost on where to start. Which ship, which rooms, etc. Any advise or important things to know, would be appreciated! We would be interested in doing one of the Caribbean cruises.

 

[jdb in AZ]

So we are usually Disney World vacationers, but for something new and different, I've been considering doing a Disney Cruise. There are 6 of us, kids ages right now are 16, 13, 9 and 7 and we're thinking of going maybe in 2019, possible 2020.

But....we've never done a cruise before, so I'm kind of lost on where to start. Which ship, which rooms, etc. Any advise or important things to know, would be appreciated! We would be interested in doing one of the Caribbean cruises.

The Fantasy and Dream do most of the Caribbean cruises, especially in the summer. The Dream does 3 or 4 day cruises, and the Fantasy does 7-day cruises. With six people you'll probably need two connecting rooms, or two rooms in close proximity to each other. Some families book a verandah room and an inside stateroom across the hall. Others don't care about the verandah and go with an ocean view -- it's a matter of personal preference and whatever the budget will bear. Prices are higher when school is out, especially during the holidays and spring break.

To get you started, you might want to invest in a guide book. http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2017/11/book-review-unofficial-guide-disney-cruise-line-2018/

 

[dclpluto]

Disney fantasy but with all them kids maybe the dream will be better for you. Depends how much $$$$ or $$$$$ you want to spend. I see your from New York maybe the magic will be better for you when the magic is in nyc.

 

[TFC_UNTIL_I_DIE]

Hi hmcater

Just a little warning to you before you embark on this....nobody every stops with just one cruise

With Disney you can't really go wrong. All their ships are amazing. The only thing I find is that after we started doing Disney its hard to go any other cruise line because nobody else is as good as Disney. I would suggest you do a Caribbean that stops at Castaway Cay - its really what you want to make sure you don't miss. We have done 4 on Disney, but 8 overall and with kids we always take inside cabin with Disney because frankly we only really sleep in the room. We love Disney Cruise Line because its not all about boozing and gambling and we're pretty old fashioned in trying to keep our kid innocent to these things for a while (not that I'm judging anyone if these are your vices of choice )

 

[Shanti]

I recommend the Dream or Fantasy, as they have the most bells & whistles, and are the newest.

 

[lbus42]

Decide where you wish to cruise (Bahamas, Carribean, etc.). This will help to narrow down the ships.

Decide on the the length of the cruise (3, 4, 7, or more days)

Decide on an inside, ocean view, or veranda cabin.

Decide which excursions and shipboard activities you would like.

Book your cruise, pay it off, log in the morning of the 75th day before your cruise to book your desired activities.

Planning is now done. Go on your cruise and enjoy yourself.

 

[abbiep]

I would also recommend Dream or Fantasy. The have the Aquaduck. It's a blast. If you want to try another cruise line I would suggest going on it first. We cruised on the Dream then NCL and the bar was set high. As soon as we walked on the NCL Jewel my granddaughter and I looked at each other and said this isn't Disney. We are sailing on Fantasy at Easter. Disney is truly all about family.

 

[TFC_UNTIL_I_DIE]

Yes we also now compare everything to Disney. Or as we call it 'the mouse boat'

 

[Jess_S]

I think you need to start with your budget. To some extent, your ship choice may. Be dictated by what you can afford to spend. Go to the DCL website, enter your party size and then filter to see only the Caribbean itineraries. That will give you an idea of your choices and what they cost.

I would personally then choose based upon dates and itinerary. I think if you haven't been on a cruise, you will be wowed by any of the ships. I was wowed by the Wonder as someone who had done 5 previous cruises on other lines.

 

[xQuizx]

On our upcoming cruise we are bringing my sister's family along. Originally we were going to do a 4 night cruise, but after my last cruise (7 night) we convinced them to do a 7 with us.

I am on the side that thinks longer is better. Even on our last 7 night cruise we were not able to do everything on the boat, which was fine because we figure we can do that the next time we're on the boat.

Our first cruise was a 3 night, and that was too short. You really only have 2 days on the boat, because the first day is embarkation.
Our second cruise was a 4 night, and that was too short for us as well. By the 3rd night you are getting a hang of the ins and outs of the boat, only to have to pack up the next day.
This past cruise was a 7 night and we thought it was the perfect length.

We are a party of 5 and found that 2 inside connected staterooms were the same price as 1 room with a veranda. The loved the inside staterooms since we were only there to sleep and change. Inside staterooms on the Dream and Fantasy have magic portholes, which are TV's that show the outside of the boat. It's nice since it doesn't feel like the room is an inside stateroom, plus you can turn it off at night. Also you get special visitors on the porthole.

We normally cruise in the shoulder seasons where prices are more reasonable. We plan on doing another Merrytime cruise in November after Thanksgiving. I believe the Magic does trips out of New York around that time and the prices are pretty decent.


But again it all comes down to your budget. Either way you'll enjoy your cruise and will most likely comeback for another.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I think a lot of it comes down to your dates. Obviously, you can only go when you can go, and costs will vary A LOT by date. PP mentioned two insides costing the same as 1 veranda. On our cruise verandas only cost 5-10% more than insides. Likewise, we went at the end of the summer. Even one week earlier would have been 30% more. One week later would have been even cheaper, but that would have been the first week of school for our kids. Returning home 2 days before school started was not ideal, but it saved us so much money that for us, it was worth it.

Once you figure out which date works, all the other choices: Room (inside, outside veranda) Ship location (Fore, Aft, High Low) even trip length and itinerary, will be much easier and you can see exactly how much each trade-off costs and prioritize for your family.

Have fun!

 

[hmcater]

Wow, so much great information, thank you! I'm thinking either the end of June or in October for Halloween right now. We are going to Disney World this year in August, so I want to put a little time in-between trips to save up, so I'm leaning towards October. I sat down with the kids last night and they were really excited, so that makes me even more excited.

To those of you that mentioned Disney setting the bar high, that is why we decided to do our first cruise with them. I really have no interest in trying other lines at the moment anyways.....we are Disney junkies all the way LOL

 

[lanejudy]

kids ages right now are 16, 13, 9 and 7 and we're thinking of going maybe in 2019, possible 2020

One thing that might have some impact on your decision is when birthdays fall -- particularly for your oldest. He is currently 16, which means he'll be 17 or 18 in 2019 or 2020. Once he turns 18 he is considered an adult and will not be able to participate in the "teen" group (Vibe) even if he is still in high school. If that is important, you'll want to pick a date prior to his 18th birthday. But on the other hand, once he's 18 he can access any of the "adult only" venues onboard -- pool, spa, night clubs (no alcohol until 21), Palo/Remy dining, etc.

For reference, the kid's groups are:
Vibe = ages 14-17
Edge = ages 11-14
Club/Lab = ages 3-12 (with the Club geared toward the younger set and Lab toward the older)
There is overlap of 1-2 years, kids falling into the overlap ages may attend both locations for their age.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

October? Great! That makes everything else a lot easier to decide. You can get a kinda feel for things by looking at October 2018 prices and options, knowing that things will change somewhat. It will give you a chance to contemplate things like 2 inside rooms or 2 verandas, or across the hall, etc. Personally, I like the verandas, so long as they don't cost TOO much more. People who have insides may not spend much time in their cabin, but when we had a veranda we spent plenty of time there. Heck, with four kids, you might HAVE to spend a bunch of time there. I know just waiting for my wife and two kids to get ready in the morning or for dinner I was glad to be able to sit out on the veranda and watch the world go by. It was extra fun when we would pull into or out of port too. Plus, many connecting verandas can connect their verandas as well as their internal doors. This gives you more room and flexibility too.

As for fore Aft, high low, I personally found little difference but some people say that it effects motion sickness, etc. I am motion-sensitive but just took Bonine every day and i was fine.

I would do 7 days if you can afford it. If you love Disney, you will love your time on the ship, no matter which one it is. The characters, the staff, the shows. They are great. And there is definitely more than you can do in 7 days.

Keep us posted as you plan. We love to hear the choices you make!

 

[hmcater]

One thing that might have some impact on your decision is when birthdays fall -- particularly for your oldest. He is currently 16, which means he'll be 17 or 18 in 2019 or 2020. Once he turns 18 he is considered an adult and will not be able to participate in the "teen" group (Vibe) even if he is still in high school. If that is important, you'll want to pick a date prior to his 18th birthday. But on the other hand, once he's 18 he can access any of the "adult only" venues onboard -- pool, spa, night clubs (no alcohol until 21), Palo/Remy dining, etc.

For reference, the kid's groups are:
Vibe = ages 14-17
Edge = ages 11-14
Club/Lab = ages 3-12 (with the Club geared toward the younger set and Lab toward the older)
There is overlap of 1-2 years, kids falling into the overlap ages may attend both locations for their age.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for that! My oldest will be 18 by the time we go, but he has Asperger's Syndrome so he would probably won't miss that aspect of the trip. He very much prefers to keep to himself or be in the Star Wars area LOL

 

[hmcater]

October? Great! That makes everything else a lot easier to decide. You can get a kinda feel for things by looking at October 2018 prices and options, knowing that things will change somewhat. It will give you a chance to contemplate things like 2 inside rooms or 2 verandas, or across the hall, etc. Personally, I like the verandas, so long as they don't cost TOO much more. People who have insides may not spend much time in their cabin, but when we had a veranda we spent plenty of time there. Heck, with four kids, you might HAVE to spend a bunch of time there. I know just waiting for my wife and two kids to get ready in the morning or for dinner I was glad to be able to sit out on the veranda and watch the world go by. It was extra fun when we would pull into or out of port too. Plus, many connecting verandas can connect their verandas as well as their internal doors. This gives you more room and flexibility too.

As for fore Aft, high low, I personally found little difference but some people say that it effects motion sickness, etc. I am motion-sensitive but just took Bonine every day and i was fine.

I would do 7 days if you can afford it. If you love Disney, you will love your time on the ship, no matter which one it is. The characters, the staff, the shows. They are great. And there is definitely more than you can do in 7 days.

Keep us posted as you plan. We love to hear the choices you make!

Thank you for the info, much appreciated. Your post makes me so excited! I will definitely keep everyone in the loop on what we decide!

 

[lanejudy]

He very much prefers to keep to himself or be in the Star Wars area

OK, just wanted to make sure you were aware of the age limit as it's a firm line at 18 with no exceptions.

Just also know that the Star Wars area is within the Oceaneers Club on the Dream and Fantasy. If that is important, you'll want to book a cruise on one of those ships. Also, because it's within the younger kids' club, so your oldest will only be able to go there during "Open House" times, which are scheduled at least once a day.

There are Star Wars Day at Sea cruises on the Fantasy, but I think so far those have only occurred in the late winter/spring timeframe.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[TFC_UNTIL_I_DIE]

We went on the Marvel Day at Sea/Halloween on High Seas/Day at Disneyworld from NYC in October last year - found it was perfect time to go. So we booked onto the Fantasy this year for Oct 6 - it goes out of Port Canaveral this time instead of Manhattan and no Marvel or Disneyworld, but instead our favourite British Virgin Islands as well as Charlotte Amalie. Great Caribbean cruise

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you book an October cruise, I cannot stress enough: Trip insurance.

 

[loislane]

If you book an October cruise, I cannot stress enough: Trip insurance.

I'll second that.
We cruised in September and I was so glad we had the trip insurance because of Hurricane Irma. The cruise right before ours was canceled and while we were on pins and needles waiting to see if ours would be too, it brought us a lot of peace of mind knowing we had insurance. Luckily, we ended up not needing it and the cruise was fabulous. But it's worth the reassurance.