Question from a newbie...

[Minnie368]

We've done more than 10 WDW vacations with our 15 and 17 yo. We've never done a cruise of any kind as it's just not anything I was sure we'd enjoy. Now we're thinking of trying a short 3 or 4 day cruise f/b a resort stay. So...I know nothing about cruises. Can you tell me how you spend a typical day on a cruise? I know it seems like a very general question but I guess I really don't even know how much time is spent on the ship and off when docked? What is there to do on the ship? And when you dock do you need to do the excursions to enjoy it or are there other things to do that you don't have to pay for?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We've done more than 10 WDW vacations with our 15 and 17 yo. We've never done a cruise of any kind as it's just not anything I was sure we'd enjoy. Now we're thinking of trying a short 3 or 4 day cruise f/b a resort stay. So...I know nothing about cruises. Can you tell me how you spend a typical day on a cruise? I know it seems like a very general question but I guess I really don't even know how much time is spent on the ship and off when docked? What is there to do on the ship? And when you dock do you need to do the excursions to enjoy it or are there other things to do that you don't have to pay for?

Well, for starters, I'd suggest you head over here: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ for a look at the various Navigators (daily activity paper) to see what sorts of activities are typically available.

You may spend as much or as little time off the ship in port as you wish. There are people who just remain on the ship the whole time, and others who spend every possible moment onshore when in port.

You don't have to purchase excursions in ports, if you want to do it yourself.

 

[mevelandry]

It really depends. Sometimes it's 0$ and sometimes between 20$ and 200$ (if I pick activities with a fee or an excursion or going at Remy restaurant). I'm not a shopper. I do not buy souvenirs.

 

[CamColt]

Welcome to the world of cruising!

For me a typical day at sea is a lazy day, however I have done many of the activities offered at 1 time or another. I usually have breakfast at the buffet before claiming my chair on deck, where I spend most of the morning early afternoon. We then usually visit the adult pool bar for some cocktails, maybe return to sitting in the sun (or the shade for DH), before getting ready for the evening. Night time consists of the nightly show if its one we are interested in, maybe trivia or variety act/lounge singer before dinner, then after dinner the adult entertainment or a visit to Meridian Lounge.

On the other hand there are people who do every possible activity they can fit in with visiting the spa and gym, seminars, alcohol tastings, trivia, game shows, movies, tours, mini golf, etc... That is the beauty of the cruise, you can do as much or as little as you like.

In the ports you can book excursions through DCL or explore on your own. Keep in mind if you are own your own, the ship will not wait if you are late. Booking through DCL ensures they wont leave without you.

As a side note, for a first cruise, I would recommend a 4 night over the 3 night. Having that day at sea really helps you get the cruise feeling. Good luck deciding!

 

[Racer X]

Do it! And in my humble opinion, don't fret about micro-managing your trip. (Hard, i know with all the WDW / Fastpass planning, etc). I mean, no wonder when you get back from a Disney vacation you feel like... you need a vacation! Let this be your vacation! Do as little or as much as you want. On a 4 day, you get 2 stops, usually Nassau, and Castaway Cay. The latter being a nice relaxing island day with everything done for you. Nassau is up to you. As for the ship, just check out the daily activity guide (the Navigator) and pick a few things to do, movies, kids clubs, etc. But resist the temptation to get caught up in the "Must do everything" mentality. The first time will be great fun and exploration and family time. And the best part, its still Disney, dining, entertainment, etc, so you know you'll have fun.

 

[tigerchic89]

The cruise is so much less work to plan. We check the navigator app on our phones at dinner the night before each day, "favorite" the things that we are interested in doing, and it's done in 5 minutes. Also, unlike the parks, it only takes 1 to 5 minutes to get anywhere, so there is so much less time needed to transition. Our 1st few days, we are always super early for stuff because we forget how close everything is!

 

[Minnie368]

Ok so thanks for all of your tips so far. I have to admit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the info out there. I'm so used to planning every detail and I've gotten a system down over the years that has become second nature to me. With wdw we always know our dates 9-12 months in advance. How early do I need to decide my dates for a cruise to be able to book the best rooms or anything else that needs done early? And we will be doing 5-7 days at the parks too so is there a better choice of what cruise we choose- Caribbean or Bahamas? Or do they both depart from the same place?

 

[DizneyNutz]

Ok so thanks for all of your tips so far. I have to admit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the info out there. I'm so used to planning every detail and I've gotten a system down over the years that has become second nature to me. With wdw we always know our dates 9-12 months in advance. How early do I need to decide my dates for a cruise to be able to book the best rooms or anything else that needs done early? And we will be doing 5-7 days at the parks too so is there a better choice of what cruise we choose- Caribbean or Bahamas? Or do they both depart from the same place?

I assume you will be sailing from Port Canaveral since that is the closest to WDW. The Dream sails 3 and 4 night cruises to the Bahamas. The Fantasy does 7 night Eastern and Western cruises to the Caribbean. Have you considered a Non Disney Cruise? We have done 8 Disney Cruises but recently tried RCL Oasis of the Seas that now sails out of Port Canaveral also. We did a 7 night Eastern. We enjoyed the cruise enough to cancel a 4 night Dream cruise (inside room) with grandson and daughter to take them on a 7 night Oasis cruise with Central Park Balcony for both rooms for only $140 more. Oasis has two Flo Riders, two-40 foot Rock Climbing walls and a zip line. Fantasy and Dream both have the Aqua Duct but it is the only thrill adventure on the ship so the lines can be extremely long. Just giving you some comparisons of choices that we have cruised for you to compare.

 

[Quellman]

Ok so thanks for all of your tips so far. I have to admit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the info out there. I'm so used to planning every detail and I've gotten a system down over the years that has become second nature to me. With wdw we always know our dates 9-12 months in advance. How early do I need to decide my dates for a cruise to be able to book the best rooms or anything else that needs done early? And we will be doing 5-7 days at the parks too so is there a better choice of what cruise we choose- Caribbean or Bahamas? Or do they both depart from the same place?

There are plenty of great rooms on board. The aft cabins (5e category on the Dream and Fantasy) seem to get snatched up relatively early, but there are only a small quantity of those. Concierge cabins of course can be snatched up as well. The only other 'good cabins' could be the sideways ocean view 'minisuites' and the 4e rooms on the Dream and Fantasy.
The majority of the remaining rooms are all the same, just the location changes. A verandah is a verandah. Repeat cruisers prefer one area over another based on what their personal likes and dislikes are.

Port Canaveral cruises are generally Bahamas on the Dream, and Eastern (2 of these ports: Tortola/St Maarten/St Thomas/Puerto Rico and Castaway Cay) Western (Mexico/Grand Cayman/Jamaica and Castaway Cay) Caribbean. The Fantasy is also sailing some south Caribbean cruises, but are around 10 days, which is a trial for Disney, and longer than you were looking at.

Disney will also sail from Miami on select itineraries too.


9-12 months is more than enough time when it comes to booking. Also, since you are a first time cruiser, you will be able to book excursions and check in for your cruise 75 days prior to sailing.

 

[Minnie368]

Is there a better time of year? I want to avoid hurricane season. Looking at November, January, early February. I know in Orlando it can be a little on the cold side. This may be a stupid question, but will it be cold on the cruises at that time of year or are they south enough that it'll be warm?

 

[Quellman]

Is there a better time of year? I want to avoid hurricane season. Looking at November, January, early February. I know in Orlando it can be a little on the cold side. This may be a stupid question, but will it be cold on the cruises at that time of year or are they south enough that it'll be warm?

Water temperature drops for sure, bahamas will be chilly at night, windy for sure. We sailed in Feb and had long sleeves in the adults space at the front of the ship during the day. Water at Castaway Cay was doable. You go further south on the 7 day cruises it gets warmer still and more beachy for sure. You can look at hurricane historical data to find the most active months. The ship will usually reroute during adverse conditions. Make sure you have trip insurance.

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

The cruise is so much less work to plan. We check the navigator app on our phones at dinner the night before each day, "favorite" the things that we are interested in doing, and it's done in 5 minutes.

I'd like to know more about this. Is it through the Disney Cruise App, or a separate app? Will it send a reminder to your phone?

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I'd like to know more about this. Is it through the Disney Cruise App, or a separate app? Will it send a reminder to your phone?

It is the Disney Navigator App. Until you get on the ship, it is just a countdown timer. Once you are on-board and connect to their free Guest WiFi, it will give you the itinerary for every day of the cruise. I think you can "favorite" activities you are interested in, but I don't think it can notify you that they are about to start. It is helpful so that if there are two things you want to do at the same time, you can easily see if one of them happens again later in your cruise.

You can also use the App to see the menu each day on the ship.

And finally, the App can be used to send text messages (for free) to other members of your group that have the app. But those messages don't beep or buzz, you have to check the app now and then to see if you have new messages.

Remember, it doesn't have to be a functioning cell phone to use the app; it just has to be able to get WiFi. And old smart phone with the SIM card removed, or an iPod touch will work fine. My niece used a hand-me-down iPod, no problem.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

We've done more than 10 WDW vacations with our 15 and 17 yo. We've never done a cruise of any kind as it's just not anything I was sure we'd enjoy. Now we're thinking of trying a short 3 or 4 day cruise f/b a resort stay. So...I know nothing about cruises. Can you tell me how you spend a typical day on a cruise? I know it seems like a very general question but I guess I really don't even know how much time is spent on the ship and off when docked? What is there to do on the ship? And when you dock do you need to do the excursions to enjoy it or are there other things to do that you don't have to pay for?

I understand the interest in a shorter cruise if you're not sure, but I'd just like to put in a vote for going for the 7 day cruises. I find them to be so much more relaxing and you get to see and do more. My husband and I usually cruise the Fantasy. He enjoys a much slower paced experience. He likes to go up on deck and read, take in a movie, and just lounge about. I tend to spend more time in the pool and going off and doing more activities. I love doing the ship tours, trivia, the cooking demos, the animation lessons, the music, etc. I am certainly never bored, but at the same time I feel like I can get some relaxing time in too.

 

[mamajab]

If you're not sure you'll like cruising, go shorter. Our first cruise was 4 nights on the Dream. We loved it so much, we booked another cruise while onboard, and DH doesn't even want to discuss fewer than 7 days anymore! However, if we hadn't loved it, the remaining days could have been torture.

 

[jrabbit]

I'd like to know more about this. Is it through the Disney Cruise App, or a separate app? Will it send a reminder to your phone?

it is the DCL app. download at home before hand.
if you favorite it / heart an activity - the app will remind you 15 minutes before the start of the activity by vibrating (no audio: beeps, chirps or dings to anoy the people around you). you can favorite several items for tbe same time and they all will remind you

 

[jrabbit]

additionally, if an activity is offered more than once, when you go to "Favorite" it, the app shows you all future days and times that the activity is currently scheduled for. You can (have to) choose which day and time you want to favorite. From this screen you can favorite as many of them as you want.

IE. if you were looking at Moana, the days / times might be
Monday at 12:00pm and 6:15pm,
Tuesday @ 2:30,
Thursday at 4:00pm
and saturday at 9:15am and 1:30pm.
These all are on the favorite screen and you are able to select any or all of them.

Then once you've done the activity and if you don't want to do it again and not be reminded, you have to return to the activity and select favorite and then "UnHeart" (uncheck) it for whichever dates / times you are no longer interested in.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

it is the DCL app. download at home before hand.
if you favorite it / heart an activity - the app will remind you 15 minutes before the start of the activity by vibrating. you can favorite several items for tbe same time and they all will remind you

This will be SUPER handy