Sell me on a Disney Cruise

[IzzysMom]

My husband has decided we need to not be in Detroit the week before Super Bowl (job related and traffic concerns) - he brought up the Disney cruise which I found interesting because we went on a cruise (not a disney cruise) 7 yrs ago and agreed we would never do that again. We have been to Disney World several times in the past 13 yrs usually tied to business so part is paid for.

My DD -5, just said to me the other day that the only places we've been is Disney World and Chicago. Which for her is true - DH and I have been many places without her. I guess I feel that for her sake I should take her somewhere other than Disney.

I'm just trying to decide if we should do the Western Carribbean Cruise or go to an all-inclusive resort in the Carribbean somewhere.

Please tell my why I should go on the cruise. Help!!

 

[rotary2808]

For one your daughter will love it. She has a whole kids area she can go to and play and meet friends.

While she is busy having fun, you and your husband can focus on yourselves. There are spa treatments, an adults only pools, several activities for just adults.

And there is plenty for you to do as a family. It's the best of both worlds.

Go for it you won't regret it.

 

[pdarrah]

Was there anything particular about the cruise 7 years ago that made you decide not to cruise again? My DH & I had cruised twice back in the early 90's and had sort of given up on cruises - however, last year we did the Western DCL cruise because DS5 had been begging for a year and we finally gave in! (Friends had given him the promotional DVD which sold him on the idea - he even agreed to give up one of our regular WDW visits to do the cruise!) DH agreed very reluctantly to the trip ("I don't want to do another cruise") and by the 3rd day was asking me if I wanted to rebook on board for next year! The annoyances of the other cruises just weren't there on the DCL cruise. Back in the 90's we seemed to always be waiting in lines (to board, to get into the dining room, to disembark/re-embark at every port, and worst of all, to get off at the end of the cruise). Those cruises also felt fairly "crowded" on board. On DCL, we kept saying "we know there are 2000 people on this boat - where are they?" We also didn't have any encounters with totally rude drunks (not common on the other ships, but it happened a couple of times in 2 cruises.)

Basically, Disney is just as good at running a cruise as they are at running a theme park. In the same way that a disney park is a lot better than the typical local "great america" or whatever, a disney cruise is a lot better than a "typical" cruise.

pdarrah

 

[TiggerKing]

I'll jump in with my opinion here. DW and I did our very first cruise ever on 11/28/04 on a 4 day Disney Cruise. When I started asking her the past couple of weeks where she wants to go for our anniversary (11/28), the first words out of her mouth were on a cruise (specifically Disney). She would take either a 7 or 4 day, but she just wanted to do another cruise, and potentially plan another for 2006 already. We had an absolutely wonderful time last year. As I said, it was our first, so I have no other cruise lines to compare it to, but the service was wonderful, the cleanliness of the ship was outstanding.

We have no children, but what better vacation for a 5 year old than to be on the ship, turn a corner, and run into one of the Disney characters (this happened more than once on our cruise -- for us, we have no kids, except us)!

Oh yeah, one last thing. The couple we dined with (an older couple) who had been on many cruises, booked a cruise for the same time this year before leaving the ship. They said the ship and the service was far above anything they had experienced.

My 2 cents worth.

 

[lindakmonty]

Well, I have been on the Disney Cruise 4 times and absolutely love everything about it. You have the disney flavor there w/ all the characters and shows and such, but not the crowds and lines like at Disney World. It is nice you can do whatever you want too!! My mom is deathly afraid of water, doesn't know how to swim or anything. I took her with me and she hasn't stopped talking about it and that was 2 years ago. I have taken my son who is now 4 on 3 Disney Cruises. He loves it too. It is nice to get off every other day or so on a different island, go see the sea turtles in Grand Cayman, snorkling in Cozumel.... it is beautiful!! your daughter would have such a great time for sure!! at least you found this site... you're in the right place to ask questions. Castaway Cay is the BEST part of all!!

oh, and they seat you with another couple that would have a child close to same age so they can buddy up and meet someone and parents have things in common...that sort of thing

 

[Denise Escola]

I have only been on one cruise and it was of course Disney. We had alot of fun. My 5 year old could not wait for the clubhouse to open and did not want to leave it at night. We were able to talk her into going to the beach with us though.
Disney cruise will allow you a sample plate if you will of the Caribbean and you can enjoy excursions with or without your kids. The club takes care of everything. This is of course contingent on wether your child is very openly social or not. I did see alot of parents and children who were having trouble because the kids were not into going away from mom and dad.
I have looked into the all inclusive clubs as well and I see benefits to both. We have however made some nice friends from our cruise and my daughter cannot wait for our next one in '06. I guess hands down for us the cruise is the way to go.
Rotary2808 is right. The ammenities for the adults is awesome. The staff is wonderful. The ship is beautiful, and you can't beat hanging out on deck with "the Mouse".
Good luck on your decision.
Denise

 

[poohssmum]

I was open to a cruise, my parents always raved about theirs, but DH was totally against it. That is until he read an article in the Disney Magazine on 3 different types of families and all the fun they had on the cruise. Once my youngest DS was 3 we booked the cruise. It was honestly the best vacation EVER ... and I love WDW, I also love all-inclusives in the Carribean. The cruise offered activities for my kids (3 and 6 the first time), activities for DH and I, tons of stuff for us to do as a family AND there were at least 1 - 2 hours a day that I had to worry about no one but ME

When we got off the ship I realized that I hadn't once worried about what was waiting for me when I returned home. I felt rested and relaxed ... exactly the way you're supposed to feel when you've just come back from vacation. We've since taken a 2nd Disney Cruise, and have a 3rd booked for this coming November. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Jsme]

Izzysmom,
We went on our first cruise in 1992. I was pregnant and did not have a good time. Morning sickness was awful during this cruise on or off the ship. My Dh had a great time. I stayed in the room for 90% of the time because I was so sick. I was stir crazy as well. I hated the ship. I decided I would never do another one. Well 10 years later I changed my mind and decided on doing a cruise for the fall. Talked DH into it quickly. I called a TA and asked her to price a few for us. I meet with her about a week later to pick up the books and information. I point blank asked her for her opinion on which cruiseline she liked best. She really would not say out loud but it was obvious her decision was DCL. We chose a 3 day DCL for October 2003. I was really scared to do another 7 day one and was not sure how the kids would like the cruise. From the moment we walked on the ship it was love. Disney is AWESOME! Everything about it is wonderful. We truly had a blast. The service was exceptional. The food was out of this world. I have never been on any vacation where I was this pampered and spoiled! We instantly book a 7 day cruise for the following October. Twice Charmed is more than a show on the Magic. We are hooked! We love it so much DH and I are going by ourselves in September (3 day Wonder) and we have another family cruise planned for 2006. I am trying to talk DH into another 7 day cruise but without the kids for next summer. I can not tell you how much fun a DCL is. My children love this vacation. My DH loves this vacation. My IL's went last October with us and almost cancelled right before going. My (step)MIL said she has never been on a vacation that she was that relaxed. She wants to go again. My IL's cruised many years ago and I do not think my MIL enjoyed it that much. I do not know what else to say to you to sale you on DCL.

 

[Verandah Man]

This was, without a doubt, 2003 DCL Trip Report the best family vacation we have ever taken, the second and third DCL cruises were just as good, and we have another booked for August 2006.

 

[CM_Mom]

I'm slightly prejudiced since DD works on the ships but one thing I absolutely loved about the cruise was that the entertainment was family oriented. We had my 80 something mom and aunt with us and saw many others with young children in the Disney shows and nothing was said that was inappropriate for either age group. Since we don't gamble and really DON'T appreciate what passes for humor on late night TV shows, the "Disney" aspect with kids areas instead of a casino and "family" humor was a real plus for us.

Besides, I know Disney CARES about the guest experience. The attention to detail is fantastic. We were in a Cat 11 inside cabin and got the same wonderful service that the folks in much more expensive cabins had.

I also think the rotational dining where you have the same servers the entire cruise but eat in different dining rooms is a big plus. Our servers got to know what we liked and made recommendations for things for us to try.

I guess one of my favorite memories is coming to dinner to find a booster seat and a kids menu at the extra place they set for DD's friend Molly, a CM in the Oceaneer's club, who was eating with us that night. We all got a good laugh and enjoyed the puzzles on the kids menu enough to ask for one each night. And DD ordered Mickey Ravioli and Mickey Ice cream bars. She's still a kid at 26.

 

[challada]

Frankly, I found DCL to be as "Disney" as I wanted it to be (we avoided character meets since we do that at the park)...I also found the cruise experience to be as "pampering" or not as I wanted (I was not comfortable w/lots of attention and our staff accommodated me).

I would say...yes, yes, yes! Sounds like your DD is perfect age!