Pick a Ship for my Family!

[Erica Ladd]

We are 3 adults, two teens who all like their space (prolly need 2 rooms or a suite??). We have NEVER been on a cruise, including a Disney one.
We like food, relaxing, pools, sun time and aren’t real big on shows, casinos etc. And we like Disney, not necessarily love Disney.

What ship would satisfy our needs? We prefer to depart from the east coast of that matters!

Also - if there’s a better cruise line for our family please point me in the right direction as to where to post that question!! Thanks!!

 

[Brett Wyman]

We are 3 adults, two teens who all like their space (prolly need 2 rooms or a suite??). We have NEVER been on a cruise, including a Disney one.
We like food, relaxing, pools, sun time and aren’t real big on shows, casinos etc. And we like Disney, not necessarily love Disney.

What ship would satisfy our needs? We prefer to depart from the east coast of that matters!

Also - if there’s a better cruise line for our family please point me in the right direction as to where to post that question!! Thanks!!

Royal Caribbean : )

 

[sethschroeder]

We really like the Fantasy, lots to do, big ship, and I think its teens area is fairly large as well with it own pool area if I remember correctl.

That was our first cruise (but we left the baby/toddler behind) and it was a great time.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Royal Caribbean : )

Just found that forum. Thanks!

 

[mickeymom22]

We have been on the Dream and the Magic. We loved the Magic. We have 3 kiddos that we wanted to take with us on our 25th anniversary trip. We got a verandah room and put the kids directly across the hall in an interior room. It worked out great! You can save money if you book one of the Navigator's Verandah. We actually liked them because with the higher walls it keeps the wind down. We all had plenty of space. We really loved the small ship. Both ships stopped at Castaway Cay and with the Magic having less people it didn't feel as crowded as it did when we were on the Dream. (I liked the Rapunzel evening.) We had fun doing the silent lounge. Everyone wears earphones and can set what music they are listening to and then dance to it! So much fun!

Happy Sailing!

 

[Erica Ladd]

Thanks! I just realized I’ll be celebrating my 50th birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary next year!!

 

[mevelandry]

We are 3 adults, two teens who all like their space (prolly need 2 rooms or a suite??). We have NEVER been on a cruise, including a Disney one.
We like food, relaxing, pools, sun time and aren’t real big on shows, casinos etc. And we like Disney, not necessarily love Disney.

What ship would satisfy our needs? We prefer to depart from the east coast of that matters!

Also - if there’s a better cruise line for our family please point me in the right direction as to where to post that question!! Thanks!!

If you don’t LOVE Disney, there is no point in paying the premium/twice the price of other cruise lines. Try Royal Caribbean. Their ships are awesome and there is more to do on them for teenagers.

 

[Travel60]

Pick the itinerary, not the ship.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Pick the itinerary, not the ship.

Since we have never been on a cruise and only one time to Jamaica decades ago I think I’d be happy with so many itineraries! As long as I had a decent length of cruise (at least 4 nights) I’d be happy with most ports or destinations. But if I’m going to be on a ship for the better part of a week I want it to be one I thoroughly enjoy!

 

[soniam]

Does Royal have a good movie theater yet? That's the one thing, and Remy of course, that could keep me on DCL as an adult only trip. For kids, we love it. However, I have read that if your kids are very active/athletic, then Royal Caribbean is great. We're nerds, so it doesn't matter.

 

[sethschroeder]

Pick the itinerary, not the ship.

Disagree I can travel pretty much anywhere in the world easier and better by just going there. Cruising is about the ship itself IMO and then the itinerary.

The exception to this would be excursion cruises to like the Antarctic or Galapagos.

 

[Travel60]

Disagree I can travel pretty much anywhere in the world easier and better by just going there. Cruising is about the ship itself IMO and then the itinerary.

The exception to this would be excursion cruises to like the Antarctic or Galapagos.

Agree to disagree. While I certainly expect a nice ship, I'm pretty done with Caribbean itineraries. We've sailed DCL enough to be platinum but never on the Fantasy or Dream and likely not on Wish because I don't want to go where they go. A first time cruiser might love those trips but should research where the ships go and what is at each stop.

I've sailed Ponant twice, once to Antarctica and once Med. I did another line because it was leaving from near where I live up to Canada and back. Ship was just so-so, passengers older, places visited delightful. I sailed the Great Barrier Reef on a wooden ship with 35 cabins, wonky plumbing, no entertainment but loved every minute, similar story but larger ship with a few more amenities in Galapagos.

Next year, doing DCL WBPC then our first European river cruise through Germany to Budapest and finally a 14 day around Finland next.

For us, it's all about the itinerary. But we are older and have seen a lot.

 

[Cheburashka]

Since we have never been on a cruise and only one time to Jamaica decades ago I think I’d be happy with so many itineraries! As long as I had a decent length of cruise (at least 4 nights) I’d be happy with most ports or destinations. But if I’m going to be on a ship for the better part of a week I want it to be one I thoroughly enjoy!

Sail on the Dream or the Fantasy. They have many features (Aqua Duck water coaster, Midship Detective Agency game, virtual sports & golf, sweets shop, a view of the ocean from the Rainforest Room, etc.) that the Magic and Wonder do not have. Cabins on Disney cruises run larger than cabins of the same type on other mass market cruise lines. Be sure to get a "Family" stateroom type, as those are larger than non-Family types. If you sail on the Fantasy, avoid an aft stateroom, as the Fantasy sometimes has unusually intense vibrations in the aft (a longstanding problem for her, but midship and forward are fine, and the Dream does not have that problem in the aft).

 

[BlueBayou]

We are a Disney loving family, when our girls were little we lived 7 hours away from DL - so our girls went once a year from birth. I started cruising as a child in the 70s - all NCL, including some of their first ships. We went on 9 cruises during my childhood. Love the relaxing experience.

Didn’t cruise again until the last couple of years with my hubby and family. We went on a week cruise to Cozumel, grand cayman and Jamaica with our HS aged daughters a couple years ago. It was on Royal Caribbean. It was great to me and my hubby. But the girls didn’t like the food (one is foodie, so an adventurous, not a picky eater). Honestly it was fine, but nothing to write home about. And they didn’t get involved in any of the teen type activities. They have always wanted DCL or strangely Viking River Cruises. The kids bleh reaction to cruising - we left them home for our quick 5 night Royal Caribbean 20th anniversary cruise - that ended up being one of the last cruises before the shutdown. The one thing I will say about Royal is they up charge for stuff like cup cake decorating. Stuff that really doesn’t cost that much.

We have our first DCL cruise (4 night Merrytime) booked. IMHO 4 nights is too short- but with college kids now - that was all that worked with their schedule. The girls who are both 18+ are really looking forward to it.

If your family isn’t really into Disney- I would suggest another line (if less expensive) like Royal or Norwegian- but pick for the ports of call and a newer ship.

 

[Erica Ladd]

We are a Disney loving family, when our girls were little we lived 7 hours away from DL - so our girls went once a year from birth. I started cruising as a child in the 70s - all NCL, including some of their first ships. We went on 9 cruises during my childhood. Love the relaxing experience.

Didn’t cruise again until the last couple of years with my hubby and family. We went on a week cruise to Cozumel, grand cayman and Jamaica with our HS aged daughters a couple years ago. It was on Royal Caribbean. It was great to me and my hubby. But the girls didn’t like the food (one is foodie, so an adventurous, not a picky eater). Honestly it was fine, but nothing to write home about. And they didn’t get involved in any of the teen type activities. They have always wanted DCL or strangely Viking River Cruises. The kids bleh reaction to cruising - we left them home for our quick 5 night Royal Caribbean 20th anniversary cruise - that ended up being one of the last cruises before the shutdown. The one thing I will say about Royal is they up charge for stuff like cup cake decorating. Stuff that really doesn’t cost that much.

We have our first DCL cruise (4 night Merrytime) booked. IMHO 4 nights is too short- but with college kids now - that was all that worked with their schedule. The girls who are both 18+ are really looking forward to it.

If your family isn’t really into Disney- I would suggest another line (if less expensive) like Royal or Norwegian- but pick for the ports of call and a newer ship.

do you have any opinion of a good ship on those lines? I feel we are flexible with ports and itineraries because we haven’t really explored any of the traditional ports

 

[Robbydj13]

Royal Caribbean : )

I cant like this enough, especially for a family with teens. RC, especially Oasis Class ships, except Allure have so much to do for them and the adults.
2 flowriders, 3 big slides, a lot of pools and hot tubs, and more. Plus lots of lounges, bars, and specialty dining for adults. Plus CocoCay is amazing since the remodel.
Disney service is amazing, but they are lacking the other areas and have not upped their game to match other lines. I wish they would be a little more forward thinking because they have beautiful boats.

 

[belle032]

I'd go with Royal Caribbean or even a newer Carnival ship! If you don't NEED the Disney experience, you can find what you're looking for in another line at a much lower price.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Which are the oasis class ships?

 

[belle032]

Which are the oasis class ships?

I believe the Oasis, Harmony, Symphony and Allure.

 

[Robbydj13]

Which are the oasis class ships?

Oasis, Harmony, Allure (I don't recommend), Symphony