New Years Eve on DCL

[bats]

I've done a search of this forum and didn't really get much info ....

Has anyone done NYE onboard and could you tell me what you thought please?

We're thinking of booking 2013 Eastern Caribbean, but, although we know we love DCL, is it worth the extra money?

I've read about the deck/atrium party ... did you still have Christmas decoration onboard and at CC? Were there still shops open at Port on NY Day? Was there any special activities .. not sure what I'm expecting as there's not really a lot you can do at NY apart from having a party!!

Would be grateful for any help, report, or advice you can give.
Thanks

 

[auntiedot]

So glad you asked this question. I am also thinking about a cruise that will include New Year's and want to find out what everyone has experienced. Can't wait til someone answers us.

 

[bats]

So glad you asked this question. I am also thinking about a cruise that will include New Year's and want to find out what everyone has experienced. Can't wait til someone answers us.

Perhaps nobody wants to talk about their experience at NY!!!

Hope somebody can tell us something!

 

[SnowWhite2]

I've been on a few NYE cruises. Both were different.

The Christmas decorations are up on the ship but are removed at the end of your cruise. The decorations on CC are taken down prior to NYE. We once visited CC on NY Day and there were no decorations on CC.

There is a party on deck for NYE. One year we had fireworks on NYE and not on pirate night. Another year there were fireworks for the pirate night and not NYE. Due to regulations, they only can have fireworks one time.

There is free champagne on the top deck served by the waiters. (BTW - my 15 yo DD was served champagne, no questions asked ) It is served in commemorative plastic glasses that you can keep.

They have food at the party. One year it was a buffet on deck, another year it was hor'dourves served on trays via waiters and then a buffet at Cabanas.

All party activities were over by 12:30. Food gone, music gone, characters gone. Our first NYE I was watching the fireworks over southern FL as we were close to shore. At 12:20 I looked over at the buffet and they were starting to take it down. I had to hurry over to get something before it was gone.

There is also a NYE lithograph and candy in the stateroom.

Is it worth it? Only you can decide. We go at that time because it fits into our schedule with the kids in school.


Dinner is a formal night and you get NYE hats and noise makers either at the end of dinner or on deck before the party.

 

[Melissa S]

We are planning to book the same cruise as OP onboard in June. We are mostly planning to do the NYE cruise because we no longer party on NYE since having a baby. We thought of DCL because it's so family oriented that there would be fun things to do with our daughter who will be 3 1/2 during that cruise. Has anyone done the NYE cruise with a toddler or small child, and if so do you remember if there were any kid things to do earlier in the evening (dance parties, etc) to celebrate NYE. (I know they have kid activities all the time, but was interested in knowing if there are special holiday things). I doubt she will be able to stay up till midnight for the party on deck... but then again that is almost two years from now, she may surprise us

 

[KYDIZFAN]

This year will be our 4th NYE curise. (gotta get a count down timer for that) The deck party is fun, most of the time there are fireworks on that night instead of Pirate night. The "party continues in the clubs past midnight. The early baloon drop in the artrium. What I like best is watching bowl games on Ariel Vision during the week. (Didn't have many on the Mex Riv last year, must be a different sat feed) but in the Caribee you get to see them all!

 

[ravensilverlight]

We are planning to book the same cruise as OP onboard in June. We are mostly planning to do the NYE cruise because we no longer party on NYE since having a baby. We thought of DCL because it's so family oriented that there would be fun things to do with our daughter who will be 3 1/2 during that cruise. Has anyone done the NYE cruise with a toddler or small child, and if so do you remember if there were any kid things to do earlier in the evening (dance parties, etc) to celebrate NYE. (I know they have kid activities all the time, but was interested in knowing if there are special holiday things). I doubt she will be able to stay up till midnight for the party on deck... but then again that is almost two years from now, she may surprise us

Although I don't have any children, I do recall that they had an earlier party for those with little ones who wouldn't make it until midnight. I think they did a countdown at 9 or 10pm, if I remember correctly.

We just did this last NYE cruise on the Magic. Decorations were up on the ship, down on Castaway Cay. They were taking down the gingerbread house on Castaway Cay day (they started tearing it down after most of the passengers had gotten off the ship onto the island). The NYE party was a TON of fun, and we did have fireworks that night - but no fireworks on Pirate Night.

Is it worth the extra money? Probably not worth it for just the extra "stuff" - the premium isn't really for anything special you're getting (although we did get a NYE litho by Ducky and some fabulous truffles at turn-down one night), but more for the increased demand because it's over a holiday when the kids are off school! But if it fits your schedule (as it did for us this past year) and you think it would be a great way to start the New Year off right (which it was!), then go for it.

 

[tvguy]

I've been on a few NYE cruises. Both were different.

The Christmas decorations are up on the ship but are removed at the end of your cruise. The decorations on CC are taken down prior to NYE. We once visited CC on NY Day and there were no decorations on CC.

There is a party on deck for NYE. One year we had fireworks on NYE and not on pirate night. Another year there were fireworks for the pirate night and not NYE. Due to regulations, they only can have fireworks one time.

There is free champagne on the top deck served by the waiters. (BTW - my 15 yo DD was served champagne, no questions asked ) It is served in commemorative plastic glasses that you can keep.

They have food at the party. One year it was a buffet on deck, another year it was hor'dourves served on trays via waiters and then a buffet at Cabanas.

All party activities were over by 12:30. Food gone, music gone, characters gone. Our first NYE I was watching the fireworks over southern FL as we were close to shore. At 12:20 I looked over at the buffet and they were starting to take it down. I had to hurry over to get something before it was gone.

There is also a NYE lithograph and candy in the stateroom.

Is it worth it? Only you can decide. We go at that time because it fits into our schedule with the kids in school.


Dinner is a formal night and you get NYE hats and noise makers either at the end of dinner or on deck before the party.

We did our NYE cruise before they did fireworks, (03/04) but I agree with everything above. It was great. In those days they did the party inside in the attrium, and had cameras set up so you could watch from any of the bars or your stateroom if you wanted.
SNOWWHITE'S cruise was also different in that the party lasted until 12:20! I think everyone was gone by 12:05 on ours!! But that's Disney Cruise passengers for you. Early to bed, early to rise......although I still can't believe some parents would let their kids run and scream in the halls at 6 am on a sea day.

 

[Relaxin']

We have done 2 NYE cruises and loved it. We had this past NYE cruise booked, but I was not able to get the time off work, so I switched to the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy which was fantastic. We have NYE Dec. 2013 booked and looking forward to it. Nothing else to add to all the other posts.

 

[Cruisin Castaway]

I am wanting to do the 2013 NYE Cruise on the Fantasy. I just have to decide if the extra cost is worth it.

 

[bats]

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and memories.

Overnight, I've worked out the cost of the trip, bearing in mind we'd have Transatlantic air fares too, and I'm not sure we can stretch that far 'just' for a NYE party onboard. BUT ... I'm thinking we may be able to afford the 4 night Dream cruise instead as that's £1000 ($1500) less. We can hopefully do an Eastern at some other point, but not NYE.

Many thanks to you all

 

[Dream_2011]

only one world to AMEZING,
omg disney new year eve it was an expirience of a lifetime,its was our forth cruise but first on New Year eve,
on that year it was no xmas decoration the artrium christmas tree it was gone only deco like winter decoration but not christmas the party of new year eve it was in the atrium and all the people around of the balcony and it was crowed, the was giving out a special champaine glass with disney logo on it, they also give up hat and strime, and the last night the handle up a special grafic only for that cruise,
I have a video, i will posted tonight, need to lock for it

I was told that it was the first time that they did it in the atrium that year before it was always outside