olenygiants
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2012
- Messages
- 51
Hello All. Since I used these boards so much before going on my trip I wanted to share some info back with you.
We sailed on a 7-day Western Carribean on the Disney Fantasy. It was myself, my wife, and our 2 year/4 month old daughter.
To start, one of the popular questions that I see on these boards is to whether take a toddler or not. Is it worth it? Now, different people have different opinions, but here is mine. 100%, absolutely, DO IT!!!! I could see possibly waiting a bit if this is a once in a lifetime trip, but that is it.
We had so much fun and our DD absolutely loved it. They really catered to the kids, and there were tons of activities for her, even though, she couldnt spend the day in the clubs all day.
I will review a few aspects of the ship as it relates to our toddler. (in no particular order)
THE SHIP: No need to beat a dead horse here. The ship is Amazing! Clean, beautiful, magical, etc. Easy to get around and easy to navigate.
THE CAST MEMBERS: These people really do make the Cruise special. They would constantly go out of their way to make us or our DD feel special. And within a day or so, many of them even remembered our names. And they always called our daughter princess. They would stop from there busy work and have a conversation or dance and act silly or play a game. Our DD loved it. These people really do make the cruise special.
NEMOS REEF: The kids water area is great for the little ones. Our DD LOVED it. I am pretty sure she went down the slide in there 1,202,255 times. It was also out of the sun, so you didnt have to worry about getting burned. When were there as well, there wasnt really any issue with BIG kids playing in there and never felt crowded, even on sea days. If your child like to get wet, they will love this.
THE CHARACTERS: I was amazed at the amount of characters they had for meet and greet. Seems there was always an opportunity to meet someone new. The Characters were great and tons of fun. We had some great Kodak moments from our DD getting to meet them. I was a little surprised how long the lines could get at times, and this was a challenge some. DD did not like sitting in lines, so many times, my wife or I, would wait in the line while the other played with her until our time. The CMs that were nearby would often join in.
OUR ROOM: The room was pretty much as advertised. We were in a CAT4B room, midship/deck 8. Spacious and relaxing. The Bed was very comfortable and the balcony was great. Our daughter slept on a sofa bed that the stateroom attendant would pull out each night and attach bed rails too. Worked Great. The Stateroom attendant was also great. He cleaned the room twice a day and left us surprises each night. We actually tipped him extra since he always seemed to be working. I had many conversations with him as well. Was a great guy.
DINING: The Breakfast\Lunch food is okay. Nothing special here, pretty much standard stuff. The dinners were definitely a lot more upscale. The Food at dinner was Good, but not sure I would label it great. It had its moments. I was not disappointed, but wasnt blown away either. The Servers on the other hand were AMAZING! Both very attentive, friendly, and great with our daughter. They would talk with her every night and help her draw pictures on the table cloth and go out of their way to make her smile. For those with toddlers, you know that sometimes dinner can be tough with them (they got bored and fussy), but I can honestly say that for the 7 nights we went to dinner on this cruise, we never had an issue with our daughter at all. She is a great child, but like all kids has her moments. On this cruise there were none. And we never rushed dinner. We ate 4 courses each night. Also, the servers were great at bringing out her food at the perfect time, so she always had something and was eating when we were. One more thing to add, is you that you can eat as much as you want at any meal so if you want to do it. Also, there is food everywhere so you will never go hungry. There is always a convenient way to get more.
THE SHOWS: We only did the Disney Themed Shows, as we did not feel we would make it through the others. These included Aladdin, Wishes, Believe, and Unforgettable Journey (last night). The shows were great and our DD loved. There was tons of song and dance from familiar characters that were great. Typical Disney Quality here.
THE PORTS: We stopped at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay
GRAND CAYMAN: We did the turtle farm here and just took a taxi ourselves. Very easy and not very much cost wise. Since were planning to just do the turtle farm, we elected to pay to do the whole park. And let me tell you, We wasted $90. Add in the $50 we paid for lunch there for a McDonalds type meal, we wasted quite a bit. The park was a dump beyond the turtles. The turtle farm area is nice and worth doing, but do NOT bother doing the rest, its not worth it. We basically walked through the back part and then left. Beyond the turtle farm, there was a pool, shark tank, bird sanctuary, and a place to snorkel with turtles. Nothing worth the extra money, or at least nothing that drew our attention.
COSTA MAYA: Not really a very pretty area. You can really see where the weather has taken its toll. We got off the boat, and just went around the shops. Just note, the people where very pushy and always hounding you to buy stuff. And they never let up. It was really annoying. There was also a pool area that looked okay that we saw people swimming in. We really didnt stay long before we just got back on the boat.
COZUMEL: Much nicer place then Costa Maya. Water was beautiful and nice port area. Here we did a snorkel tour on a glass boat. When we saw the glass boat we were disappointed. It was a little 2x2 hole to look down on. We werent even able to see down it, due to the other people sitting by it. However, the snorkeling was amazing. The reefs were amazing and filled with life. Very much enjoyed this. Our DD went with us and she was able to swim in the ocean with me for a while. She sat in a ring and held onto her. She really enjoyed that. I was a shorter trip so pretty easy on her.
CASTAWAY CAY: Pictures do not do this place justice. It was an amazing beach. And out of the many beaches I have been to, by far my favorite. The Sand is great and the water is crystal clear (at least in the earlier part of the day). Due to the design of the beach there isnt really any waves, so it is great for younger ones. Our DD loved playing in the water and building Sand Castles. The Sand was great for molding, so we spent a lot of time on this. There are also some water spout spots that our DD loved. Similar to the water things in Nemos Reef. We had beautiful weather there and just enjoyed. Truly a tropical paradise. Wish we could have spent more time here.
ACTIVITIES: There were tons of activities for the family to do. There was always something going on. Dance party with characters, meet and greets, games, open houses, movies, bingo, Midship detective, etc. I wont name everything, but just know you will not be bored. One activity that was great for the little ones is Wake up with Disney Junior. They get to sing and dance and have fun. And at the end they get to dance with Goofy and do the hot dog dance.
AQUA DUCK: I got to do this a few times and was a lot of fun. Not as much thrill as I was expecting, but was still fun and very popular
AQUA LAB: Myself and DD really liked this. It was mostly a place to get really wet. And we did. It was great place to run around in for 20 minutes or so. And never got that crowded.
PALO: We did do Palo brunch one day. And once again, while I liked it, I didnt love it. It was very upscale and the service was amazing, but the food was just good (for me at least). It was worth doing.
THE NURSERY: I have seen a lot of comments of people worried about this or complaining about it, so were a bit worried that DD would not enjoy it. But as soon as we went in there, she fell in love. She loved playing in there. As soon as we walked in, were an afterthought and she was ready to go. We only used it a few times and she loved it every time. There are tons of toys in there to play with, and the area for them was actually a lot bigger than I thought. Also, when we picked her up, there were never any issues, she was ready to go. The Nursery CMs always said she had a great time.
OPEN HOUSES: During the cruise there was windows in which the clubs/labs would have open houses and anyone could go in. We did these a couple of times. Our DD loved the stuff in the Oceaneers Club. Especially, Andys Room. Tons of things in here to keep the little one entertained.
PIRATE NIGHT: This seemed like fun for everyone. Most people where dressed as pirates. Some more than others. And everyone had a great time. The pirate shows were great and entertaining and the fireworks show a great ending. DD had a great time with this.
There was literally so much that we experienced and had such a great time. Our DD had a phenomenal time, which is what mattered most to us. I know some people love having the clubs for the kids, but I am kind of glad our DD was too young. At least this once. There are so many things that we did as a family that we may have otherwise not done if our DD was in the club all day. For this trip, we made many memories together. I dont know if she will remember all of it, but we will. And this is just the beginning
I hope you guys get something from my review. I kind of threw it together. But the biggest thing is, is that it is okay to travel with a little one. We did it and loved every minute it and glad we did. And I am sure you will as well.
We sailed on a 7-day Western Carribean on the Disney Fantasy. It was myself, my wife, and our 2 year/4 month old daughter.
To start, one of the popular questions that I see on these boards is to whether take a toddler or not. Is it worth it? Now, different people have different opinions, but here is mine. 100%, absolutely, DO IT!!!! I could see possibly waiting a bit if this is a once in a lifetime trip, but that is it.
We had so much fun and our DD absolutely loved it. They really catered to the kids, and there were tons of activities for her, even though, she couldnt spend the day in the clubs all day.
I will review a few aspects of the ship as it relates to our toddler. (in no particular order)
THE SHIP: No need to beat a dead horse here. The ship is Amazing! Clean, beautiful, magical, etc. Easy to get around and easy to navigate.
THE CAST MEMBERS: These people really do make the Cruise special. They would constantly go out of their way to make us or our DD feel special. And within a day or so, many of them even remembered our names. And they always called our daughter princess. They would stop from there busy work and have a conversation or dance and act silly or play a game. Our DD loved it. These people really do make the cruise special.
NEMOS REEF: The kids water area is great for the little ones. Our DD LOVED it. I am pretty sure she went down the slide in there 1,202,255 times. It was also out of the sun, so you didnt have to worry about getting burned. When were there as well, there wasnt really any issue with BIG kids playing in there and never felt crowded, even on sea days. If your child like to get wet, they will love this.
THE CHARACTERS: I was amazed at the amount of characters they had for meet and greet. Seems there was always an opportunity to meet someone new. The Characters were great and tons of fun. We had some great Kodak moments from our DD getting to meet them. I was a little surprised how long the lines could get at times, and this was a challenge some. DD did not like sitting in lines, so many times, my wife or I, would wait in the line while the other played with her until our time. The CMs that were nearby would often join in.
OUR ROOM: The room was pretty much as advertised. We were in a CAT4B room, midship/deck 8. Spacious and relaxing. The Bed was very comfortable and the balcony was great. Our daughter slept on a sofa bed that the stateroom attendant would pull out each night and attach bed rails too. Worked Great. The Stateroom attendant was also great. He cleaned the room twice a day and left us surprises each night. We actually tipped him extra since he always seemed to be working. I had many conversations with him as well. Was a great guy.
DINING: The Breakfast\Lunch food is okay. Nothing special here, pretty much standard stuff. The dinners were definitely a lot more upscale. The Food at dinner was Good, but not sure I would label it great. It had its moments. I was not disappointed, but wasnt blown away either. The Servers on the other hand were AMAZING! Both very attentive, friendly, and great with our daughter. They would talk with her every night and help her draw pictures on the table cloth and go out of their way to make her smile. For those with toddlers, you know that sometimes dinner can be tough with them (they got bored and fussy), but I can honestly say that for the 7 nights we went to dinner on this cruise, we never had an issue with our daughter at all. She is a great child, but like all kids has her moments. On this cruise there were none. And we never rushed dinner. We ate 4 courses each night. Also, the servers were great at bringing out her food at the perfect time, so she always had something and was eating when we were. One more thing to add, is you that you can eat as much as you want at any meal so if you want to do it. Also, there is food everywhere so you will never go hungry. There is always a convenient way to get more.
THE SHOWS: We only did the Disney Themed Shows, as we did not feel we would make it through the others. These included Aladdin, Wishes, Believe, and Unforgettable Journey (last night). The shows were great and our DD loved. There was tons of song and dance from familiar characters that were great. Typical Disney Quality here.
THE PORTS: We stopped at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay
GRAND CAYMAN: We did the turtle farm here and just took a taxi ourselves. Very easy and not very much cost wise. Since were planning to just do the turtle farm, we elected to pay to do the whole park. And let me tell you, We wasted $90. Add in the $50 we paid for lunch there for a McDonalds type meal, we wasted quite a bit. The park was a dump beyond the turtles. The turtle farm area is nice and worth doing, but do NOT bother doing the rest, its not worth it. We basically walked through the back part and then left. Beyond the turtle farm, there was a pool, shark tank, bird sanctuary, and a place to snorkel with turtles. Nothing worth the extra money, or at least nothing that drew our attention.
COSTA MAYA: Not really a very pretty area. You can really see where the weather has taken its toll. We got off the boat, and just went around the shops. Just note, the people where very pushy and always hounding you to buy stuff. And they never let up. It was really annoying. There was also a pool area that looked okay that we saw people swimming in. We really didnt stay long before we just got back on the boat.
COZUMEL: Much nicer place then Costa Maya. Water was beautiful and nice port area. Here we did a snorkel tour on a glass boat. When we saw the glass boat we were disappointed. It was a little 2x2 hole to look down on. We werent even able to see down it, due to the other people sitting by it. However, the snorkeling was amazing. The reefs were amazing and filled with life. Very much enjoyed this. Our DD went with us and she was able to swim in the ocean with me for a while. She sat in a ring and held onto her. She really enjoyed that. I was a shorter trip so pretty easy on her.
CASTAWAY CAY: Pictures do not do this place justice. It was an amazing beach. And out of the many beaches I have been to, by far my favorite. The Sand is great and the water is crystal clear (at least in the earlier part of the day). Due to the design of the beach there isnt really any waves, so it is great for younger ones. Our DD loved playing in the water and building Sand Castles. The Sand was great for molding, so we spent a lot of time on this. There are also some water spout spots that our DD loved. Similar to the water things in Nemos Reef. We had beautiful weather there and just enjoyed. Truly a tropical paradise. Wish we could have spent more time here.
ACTIVITIES: There were tons of activities for the family to do. There was always something going on. Dance party with characters, meet and greets, games, open houses, movies, bingo, Midship detective, etc. I wont name everything, but just know you will not be bored. One activity that was great for the little ones is Wake up with Disney Junior. They get to sing and dance and have fun. And at the end they get to dance with Goofy and do the hot dog dance.
AQUA DUCK: I got to do this a few times and was a lot of fun. Not as much thrill as I was expecting, but was still fun and very popular
AQUA LAB: Myself and DD really liked this. It was mostly a place to get really wet. And we did. It was great place to run around in for 20 minutes or so. And never got that crowded.
PALO: We did do Palo brunch one day. And once again, while I liked it, I didnt love it. It was very upscale and the service was amazing, but the food was just good (for me at least). It was worth doing.
THE NURSERY: I have seen a lot of comments of people worried about this or complaining about it, so were a bit worried that DD would not enjoy it. But as soon as we went in there, she fell in love. She loved playing in there. As soon as we walked in, were an afterthought and she was ready to go. We only used it a few times and she loved it every time. There are tons of toys in there to play with, and the area for them was actually a lot bigger than I thought. Also, when we picked her up, there were never any issues, she was ready to go. The Nursery CMs always said she had a great time.
OPEN HOUSES: During the cruise there was windows in which the clubs/labs would have open houses and anyone could go in. We did these a couple of times. Our DD loved the stuff in the Oceaneers Club. Especially, Andys Room. Tons of things in here to keep the little one entertained.
PIRATE NIGHT: This seemed like fun for everyone. Most people where dressed as pirates. Some more than others. And everyone had a great time. The pirate shows were great and entertaining and the fireworks show a great ending. DD had a great time with this.
There was literally so much that we experienced and had such a great time. Our DD had a phenomenal time, which is what mattered most to us. I know some people love having the clubs for the kids, but I am kind of glad our DD was too young. At least this once. There are so many things that we did as a family that we may have otherwise not done if our DD was in the club all day. For this trip, we made many memories together. I dont know if she will remember all of it, but we will. And this is just the beginning
I hope you guys get something from my review. I kind of threw it together. But the biggest thing is, is that it is okay to travel with a little one. We did it and loved every minute it and glad we did. And I am sure you will as well.
