Please help us decide 4 night or 7 for newbies?

[scrappinginontario]

We jumped in to cruising with a 7 night interior room and loved every moment of it! Tried a 5 next which we enjoyed too. Back to a 7 night this time.

 

[o&smom]

Go with the seven night! Our first cruise was a 10 night cruise, and we have not done any less than seven nights. There is just SO much to do and explore. You will also be getting used to the ship and where everything is located. Even with having seven days, you will still not be able to do everything, but you will be able to experience more.

Have a great cruise whatever you decide!

 

[mktt]

We would not be interested in cruising to the Bahamas in the winter.
So given your sail date, if it were our decision, the 7 day would be our only option.

 

[mandylovesdisney]

Yes, our first (and second and third) DCL cruises were all 7-nt! I agree with previous posters that the ports are much more interesting on 7-nts and the weather and water will be warmer. I would save my money, not do WDW this time, and maybe even see how much a verandah room is (not sure of your party's ages or number), for the true cruising experience. Sooooo much more relaxing on the ship, characters galore, excellent food; really, Disney at its finest. I'll bet you won't regret it!

P.S. I would highly recommend the smaller ships (i.e., the Wonder in this case) over the Dream class ships for first -time cruisers, better experience, but that's just my opinion.

Agreed!!! The Wonder was my first...and is my favorite.

 

[wonderlandaddict]

Omg, I am glad I opened this before I called the travel agency to make our deposit. My family will have this discussion again tonight. It's just me, my husband, and the two girls that are still at home (23&24 yrs old ). We have to get 2 rooms because of my husband snores loud, Sure glad he doesn't get on here. Lol!
I had a lot of concerns 1.afraid we wouldn't have enough to do, 2. Only one daughter is prone to motion sickness, 3.no phone/internet for 7 days 4. Money, afraid we might spend a lot more than we meant to with more ports
5. (Know this is silly to most of you) food, do you get sick of the same food?
One thing I didn't realize is that it may not be warm enough to swim when we are planning to go at Bahamas, that would be a big negative. We do have to fly to Orlando (couple of hours trip).
We have a big family trip scheduled for WDW (we rent points at BWV so it is always reserved 11 months in advance) for this Oct. and wanted one trip in the spring before our daughter gets married ( date hasn't been set but planning on summer or fall) while she is still is at home- really need to keep it in the 5,000-6,000 range.
We could never stop going to WDW , love the planning, magic of Disney, and we all ride all of the rides we can.
But we also love our beach vacations (take on alternative years) where we do no planning and really relax. Most of our Disney trips make me feel like I need a vacation after our vacation instead of going back to work.
One more thing is this cruise is something my husband has been trying to get us to do when all 4 girls were still at home and were little girls and we always talked him out of it, so I really want for this to be a wonderful trip!
I might try to cut some money off Oct trip to add to cruise. We might not be able to vacation for a couple of years after all of this!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

7 nights on the Wonder hands down! On a 4-night, you will be scrambling to do everything you want to do. We had a 4-night booked for our next cruise and just cancelled it because we decided there's no way we'd enjoy that little time. With 7 nights, you can enjoy some ports, have days on the ship, time for the shows, and still have time to hang by the pool and see a movie. The kids (if you have them) can get lots of time in the clubs, but still have family time.

 

[CinderellaDreamer]

I just did my first cruise this past September. I was very nervous about it. I get motion sickness and sea sick easily. I was afraid I would feel claustrophobic or have a panic attack out on the water or freak out about being on the open sea. I didn't think I would ever do a cruise. We looked at the four night and five night cruise options, but really liked the 7 night ports better. So we bit the bullet, and booked a 7 night! I was a little bit terrified about it. I used the patch and didn't have any problems with sea sickness. I never felt panic or afraid. I was totally comfortable the entire trip. We had a lovely time and wouldn't have wanted a shorter trip at all. We have three kids (15, 15, & 12) who had a wonderful time also. I had a verandah room, but I would have been totally fine with an interior room. We weren't in the room that much other than to sleep. We were on the Fantasy and loved the ship. It was beautiful and made the trip even more special. I loved the movies and shows and characters and service and everything!! ha! It was a wonderful vacation. I would love to do another.

I am sure you will have a great time either way and wish you a very happy trip!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Omg, I am glad I opened this before I called the travel agency to make our deposit. My family will have this discussion again tonight. It's just me, my husband, and the two girls that are still at home (23&24 yrs old ). We have to get 2 rooms because of my husband snores loud, Sure glad he doesn't get on here. Lol!
I had a lot of concerns 1.afraid we wouldn't have enough to do, 2. Only one daughter is prone to motion sickness, 3.no phone/internet for 7 days 4. Money, afraid we might spend a lot more than we meant to with more ports
5. (Know this is silly to most of you) food, do you get sick of the same food?
One thing I didn't realize is that it may not be warm enough to swim when we are planning to go at Bahamas, that would be a big negative. We do have to fly to Orlando (couple of hours trip).
We have a big family trip scheduled for WDW (we rent points at BWV so it is always reserved 11 months in advance) for this Oct. and wanted one trip in the spring before our daughter gets married ( date hasn't been set but planning on summer or fall) while she is still is at home- really need to keep it in the 5,000-6,000 range.
We could never stop going to WDW , love the planning, magic of Disney, and we all ride all of the rides we can.
But we also love our beach vacations (take on alternative years) where we do no planning and really relax. Most of our Disney trips make me feel like I need a vacation after our vacation instead of going back to work.
One more thing is this cruise is something my husband has been trying to get us to do when all 4 girls were still at home and were little girls and we always talked him out of it, so I really want for this to be a wonderful trip!
I might try to cut some money off Oct trip to add to cruise. We might not be able to vacation for a couple of years after all of this!

Internet is available on the ship, for a fee. You can also use a WIFI café while in port. That's how the crew members contact their families -- just ask them where to go. A lot of people add an international calling plan to their cell phone to use while in port on a cruise.

Some people swim in the Bahamas, no matter what month it is. Basically depends on where you're from and what you're used to.

The main dining rooms have different menus each night with several options to choose on each menu, so no, you don't get tired of the same food.

Since you missed the opportunity to cruise when all your kids were little, make sure to go as an extended family when you have small grand kids.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

@wonderlandaddict Just to clarify, we've cruised three times in early and mid January and swam when we were in the Bahamas and/or Mexico, and Virgin Islands every time. Also, i can assure you, you will NOT get tired of the food in any way. I think that may be impossible. Lol.

 

[Shanti]

I had a lot of concerns
1.afraid we wouldn't have enough to do,
2. Only one daughter is prone to motion sickness,
3.no phone/internet for 7 days
4. Money, afraid we might spend a lot more than we meant to with more ports
5. (Know this is silly to most of you) food, do you get sick of the same food?

One thing I didn't realize is that it may not be warm enough to swim when we are planning to go at Bahamas, that would be a big negative.

1. There will be plenty to do on the ship and in port. You won't have time to do it all if you tried.
2. I get severe motion sickness on spinning rides, but have no problem at all with cruising. Some people will tell you to medicate in advance, but why give your child medicine she might never need? I recommend bringing the medicine and having it ready, but only giving it to her if she begins to show signs of motion sickness. That way you'll know if she even needs it or not. Otherwise you'll wind up medicating her constantly, maybe without needing to.
3. Heaven! Get to know your family again. Quit worrying about work and the news.
4. Stick to a budget. Actually isn't hard to do on a cruise as the food is pre-paid. Don't give your kids charging privileges.
5. They have different menus each day of the cruise.

Also, it is warm enough to swim in the Bahamas in winter- some people just choose not to. See below.

Some people swim in the Bahamas, no matter what month it is. Basically depends on where you're from and what you're used to.

@wonderlandaddict Just to clarify, we've cruised three times in early and mid January and swam when we were in the Bahamas and/or Mexico, and Virgin Islands every time.

Agreed. We've only cruised in December and January, and swam in every port. We're native Texans, not northerners, btw. The water at Castaway Cay is chilly (probably about 68 degrees), but is not freezing & is fine to swim in once you get used to it. The air is still warm or hot, which makes the cold water refreshing. The waters of the Caribbean proper (unlike the northern Bahamas where CC is located) are not chilly in winter.

So basically, if you're a Florida native who needs warm water to swim, you won't swim in the Bahamas in winter, but otherwise, you'll be fine. The Pelican Plunge ocean slide on CC was always full of kids during both of the winter cruises we went on.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Omg, I am glad I opened this before I called the travel agency to make our deposit. My family will have this discussion again tonight. It's just me, my husband, and the two girls that are still at home (23&24 yrs old ). We have to get 2 rooms because of my husband snores loud, Sure glad he doesn't get on here. Lol!
I had a lot of concerns 1.afraid we wouldn't have enough to do, 2. Only one daughter is prone to motion sickness, 3.no phone/internet for 7 days 4. Money, afraid we might spend a lot more than we meant to with more ports
5. (Know this is silly to most of you) food, do you get sick of the same food?
One thing I didn't realize is that it may not be warm enough to swim when we are planning to go at Bahamas, that would be a big negative. We do have to fly to Orlando (couple of hours trip).
We have a big family trip scheduled for WDW (we rent points at BWV so it is always reserved 11 months in advance) for this Oct. and wanted one trip in the spring before our daughter gets married ( date hasn't been set but planning on summer or fall) while she is still is at home- really need to keep it in the 5,000-6,000 range.
We could never stop going to WDW , love the planning, magic of Disney, and we all ride all of the rides we can.
But we also love our beach vacations (take on alternative years) where we do no planning and really relax. Most of our Disney trips make me feel like I need a vacation after our vacation instead of going back to work.
One more thing is this cruise is something my husband has been trying to get us to do when all 4 girls were still at home and were little girls and we always talked him out of it, so I really want for this to be a wonderful trip!
I might try to cut some money off Oct trip to add to cruise. We might not be able to vacation for a couple of years after all of this!

So you have adult children, and you all love Disney? Even Better! That means that all four of you can be in the adult-only areas when you wish to and still be together. Also, with 4 of you, it means that you can split into various combinations to do activities that interest some, but not all of you. Plus, you like relaxing and activity. The ship offers plenty of both.

As for budgeting, you can have perfectly fun vacation without spending much above the cruise fare and tips, or you can spend as much more as you choose to. The biggest optional expense is shore excursions. But if you want to you can just stay on the ship, or explore the ports on your own. It doesn't have to cost a lot. But on the other hand, if you see and excursion or two you really want to do, at least you will know ahead of time what it will cost and you can plan for that. On the ship, you can spend money on alcohol and spa treatments if you wish, or you can stick to the included beverages and the included activities, your choice.

As for motion sickness, my guess is that your one daughter already knows what works for her and what side-effects medicines give her. She will probably be fine. If she is really nervous, some do go for the patch, but I haven't tried it personally.

You can get internet access if you want to pay for it. 50 MB free per person if you sign up on the first day. 1 GB for $89. You may find you don't need it. They have a free App that you can text to each other on board and on Castaway Cay with without using any data.

Whatever you do, have a great time on your cruise. I suspect that you will be back for a second one before too long!

 

[Lisa F]

I have been having the same conversation with myself looking at the exact same cruise (it is my son's winter break, which is a week after everyone else's) and ultimately decided on the 4 day dream for the following reasons:

1) cost - this was a big one. I am a single working mom. I could put off the cruise another year but $4,000 for a cruise vs. more like $2000 was just a big bite for me to take. Also, I have cruised before ... I am actually castaway club gold, but have not cruised since 2005 and I know that on longer cruises the extras add up. More ports = more excursions and more $$. More days = more gratuities and more opportunities to spend money on extras like booze and spa treatments. I know I could skip all of that (except for gratuities) but I ultimately decided against the combination of feeling strapped for cash after paying for the cruise and having to deny myself on vacation. That may not be much of an issue for you, I don't know, but the 4 day just FEELS a lot more comfortable to me.

2) I only take one big vacation every 2 years (due to budget) and my son is going to be 9 for this one... it is just the prime Disney time in his life. It made me sad to think about not going to the parks for 4 years until he is 12, so I wanted to do the parks too. I did run the numbers and because we own DVC it is cheaper to do a few days at the parks before and one day after than a 7 day cruise, even with the high price of dining and park tickets. The difference is really enough to cover any extras I'd want to do on board and in ports with some to spare. in our December 2016 vacation we flew in early friday and it worked really well... we could get 2.5 days in the parks plus a character breakfast before heading to the ship

3) with the 3 day being M-F it makes my weekend travel a lot more flexible for me

As far as the water temp goes, I live on Martha's Vineyard and the minimum in the Bahamas/CC is where the water here tops out in August. 68 degree water is about as warm as it gets for us and it is what we are used to, and I think it will feel great with the warm air temps in the middle of a new england winter.

I also researched and found an excursion I want to do in Nassau - apparently there is great snorkeling there, which is a priority for me as I think my son would love it (he snorkels constantly here but there is not as much to see with the murky water).

Seasickness is not an issue for us - I do not get seasick and my son has been out on small fishing boats as well as the ferry in pretty snotty conditions and has never had an issue (his father gets VERY seasick and fed the fish on one of those fishing trips).

Also this won't apply to you at all but the millennium falcon bridge on the Dream kind of tipped me over the edge. It's like his dream come true to play in that thing and he will only be 9 once.

But mostly it was the budget issues that made me change. The additional cost of the cruise is not the only thing that adds up on longer cruises. That may or may not be an issue to you.

 

[aksearaven]

We were planning our 1st cruise on the Dream for Feb 26, 2018 for 4 nights in an ocean view room, stay 2 nights at WDW before and 1 night after. We go to WDW every 2 years so we were not planning on visiting the parks on this trip. After crunching the numbers if we downgrade to interior room and no stays at WDW there will only be a couple hundred difference. Since we have never cruised before I am not sure we will want to be on the boat for 7 days. Should we start out slow? Has anyone ever jumped in for the 7 days at the beginning? The 7 day we are looking at is the Wonder on March 4 stopping at St. Maarten and San Juan if that makes any difference.
Thanks in advance!

our first cruise was a 5 day and we wished we had done the 7 ....7 days feels like enough time to totally immerse in the cruise! even that went by fast when we did it in Dec. as for inside room.. we never spend alot of time in our room so inside or even ocean view is a great option!!! I would totally do the 7 day!!

 

[mevelandry]

We were planning our 1st cruise on the Dream for Feb 26, 2018 for 4 nights in an ocean view room, stay 2 nights at WDW before and 1 night after. We go to WDW every 2 years so we were not planning on visiting the parks on this trip. After crunching the numbers if we downgrade to interior room and no stays at WDW there will only be a couple hundred difference. Since we have never cruised before I am not sure we will want to be on the boat for 7 days. Should we start out slow? Has anyone ever jumped in for the 7 days at the beginning? The 7 day we are looking at is the Wonder on March 4 stopping at St. Maarten and San Juan if that makes any difference.
Thanks in advance!

The thing is... To someone like me (who has priced and cruised on another cruise line as well as DCL), while the 4 nights is a good value, the 7 nights is not a very good value because you might pay twice what other cruise lines would charge for a similar itinerary. To me, it's insane.(But I suggest you compare the numbers, you'll see if it's a good value or not).

I think you have more bang for your bucks with a Land and Sea (4 nights + WDW stay). Especially if it's your first cruise, I would recommend trying a 4 nights first to see if you enjoy it.

p.s.: We are absolutely crazy about cruising but we have been grateful and satisfied with 3 and 4 nights.

 

[Soontobegoodsell]

We've learned that 3-Night is too short. We're trying a 4-Night this fall, and hoping to do a 7 next year!

 

[wonderlandaddict]

I booked the 4 night Dream after a lot of discussion. Apparently my family was excited to stay at WDW a couple of nights without going to the parks. Now I am hoping to get a good price for Wilderness Lodge and save up enough for a deposit for a future trip if we love the cruise!

 

[justme0729]

We had the same concerns so we decided to do a 5 night double dip at Castaway Cay. That way, we only had one day at sea if we didn't like being on the ocean all the time and it was slightly longer than 4 nights

 

[aksearaven]

Omg, I am glad I opened this before I called the travel agency to make our deposit. My family will have this discussion again tonight. It's just me, my husband, and the two girls that are still at home (23&24 yrs old ). We have to get 2 rooms because of my husband snores loud, Sure glad he doesn't get on here. Lol!
I had a lot of concerns 1.afraid we wouldn't have enough to do, 2. Only one daughter is prone to motion sickness, 3.no phone/internet for 7 days 4. Money, afraid we might spend a lot more than we meant to with more ports
5. (Know this is silly to most of you) food, do you get sick of the same food?
One thing I didn't realize is that it may not be warm enough to swim when we are planning to go at Bahamas, that would be a big negative. We do have to fly to Orlando (couple of hours trip).
We have a big family trip scheduled for WDW (we rent points at BWV so it is always reserved 11 months in advance) for this Oct. and wanted one trip in the spring before our daughter gets married ( date hasn't been set but planning on summer or fall) while she is still is at home- really need to keep it in the 5,000-6,000 range.
We could never stop going to WDW , love the planning, magic of Disney, and we all ride all of the rides we can.
But we also love our beach vacations (take on alternative years) where we do no planning and really relax. Most of our Disney trips make me feel like I need a vacation after our vacation instead of going back to work.
One more thing is this cruise is something my husband has been trying to get us to do when all 4 girls were still at home and were little girls and we always talked him out of it, so I really want for this to be a wonderful trip!
I might try to cut some money off Oct trip to add to cruise. We might not be able to vacation for a couple of years after all of this!

Ok if your husband snores as bad as mine used to I would first recommend asap to get a zquiet mouth piece https://zquiet.com
1. 4 days you will walk off the ship feeling like you didn't get to do much, I would totally opt for the 7 day! There is so much to do you will still not get it all in on 7 days but 7 days will make you feel like its ok to actually unpack.
2 Seasickness - the best way to combat this on the ship without the patches is to get a room midship and as low a deck as you can. We tend to stay on deck 2 midship.
3. yes you can buy a wifi package but I wouldn't.. 7 days of disconnect is actually pretty awesome...
4. I would recommend only booking 1 or 2 excursions max.. the rest just take the time to explore on your own or read the boards and if its the beach then take a cab or walk. we usually only book excursions in Grand Caymans as the port time is short and the tendering in needs to be scheduled. Mexico and castaway.. just get off the boat and explore!!
5, Food, it changes every night! and if you dont like the dining room menu then there is cabanas and room service!!

we tend to do a cruise every two years or so. Next year will be our last "escape the winter cruise" for awhile as our kids are getting to the age that it to hard on them to pull out of school for 2 weeks, we usually do a 7 day cruise with a few days on both ends to relax before the long flight back to Alaska.

we are saving disneyland and world for a feature summer, kids out of school, trip.

Hope this info helps!! We did our first cruise as a 5 day in oct of 2014 and the weather going western was perfect!!!