Talk Me Into A Disney Cruise

[magsnwonderland]

This is not helpful given your MK plans, but we’re doing the Jersey week cruise on the Dream from Miami to celebrate our twins 5th birthday that is right before the cruise.

In your situation, I would do the Wish and a regular day at Disney at that age. They’re going to age out of Disney and will get more out of a non Disney cruise in just a few short years. The kids clubs are magical and you’ll be immersed in Disney magic for 5 days instead of just one.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

It is a very personal question, but I will give you my perspective. Full disclosure: our travel party is myself, my husband and our 2 girls (ages 8 and 9).

In the last year we have done Disneyland, Disney World and 2 cruises and had a blast on all of the trips. However, in our opinion, there is more magic in the cruises than their is at the theme parks. We often have such big plans at the parks that we can sometimes miss the magic and the more relaxed pace of cruises certainly helps us enjoy it more. On our last cruise, because of the multi-day interactions, the characters knew my girls' names and carried on extensive and personalized conversations with them. The majority of the staff is next-level incredible.

We will be on the Wish this summer and the premium specifically for that is worth it to me because the kids are growing out of that stage so quickly. The kid's clubs (which we love) look amazing and my kiddos only have a few more years of that, so I want to give them those opportunities while I can. They are so excited about the new restaurants and the slide to kids club. To me, that is worth the extra money. When they are older and this is not such a concern, that will be the time we explore other cruise lines.

I really appreciate your perspective! You're right, they are approaching the tween stage faster than I could have ever imagined. If we don't go DCL now, I can't see choosing it later when they are firmly in the category of "big kids".

 

[Cheburashka]

Embarkation is the start of the cruise, disembarkation is the end. I agree, starting a cruise on your birthday would be magical. I just think the sad march off the ship would be less so. And, yes, the plan is to MK after the cruise. Cruise disembarks, transfer to WDW, MK on birthday.

Ah, I posted too early this morning lol. Mixed up the words.

Disembarkation can be exciting if you're headed to Disney World imo. It's only "sad" if you're heading straight home and don't want to go home. After week-long cruises in particular, we're usually satisfied enough to get off with no sadness no matter where we're going. But I understand not wanting to spend the birthday doing home-bound travel.

Arrive at a great Disney resort, spend the evening at Magic Kingdom with dinner at Cinderella's Castle. That's a special trip and a special day in my book.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Well, I broke down crying at the girls' dance recital today and it wasn't even over their performance.

The kindergarteners came on and I was suddenly overwhelmed by how much the pandemic has impacted my kids' lives. We joined this dance studio when they started kinder because they wanted to dance on a "real stage" with "fancy costumes". But, kinder was the year that they came home on a Friday and suddenly there wasn't school anymore. It took their third recital before they got the stage they've been wishing for.

I think my outburst has convinced me to spend the money and book the Disney cruise. We're lucky enough to be able to afford it, they only have so much childhood left, and we could all use a lot more magic after the last two and a half years.

Thank you all for your insights. I truly appreciate it!!

 

[viper17d]

Royal Caribbean is a lot of fun. I went on my first cruise on Royal Caribbean 25 years ago and when I was your children’s age. Once I met my wife, we went on 6 more Royal cruises.

Then we went to Disney World and that became our annual trip. Then we had a kid and we are still going to WDW.

Now, she’s 3 and we just booked our first cruise for next year. It’s on the Wish.
1) Our daughter is so young, there is no other cruise line that caters to her as well as DCL.
2) We love Disney. We loved it without children and now we love it with children. There’s no other cruise with Disney characters / shows / theming.
3) Everyone we know has said that if you like Disney, there’s really no comparison to a DCL cruise.

Money is subjective, but these factors are totally worth it for us to at least try DCL. In your situation, if you don’t try DCL now with your 8/9 year olds, you’ll feel even more hard pressed to try it in the future.

That may not be a bad thing, because Royal is a lot of fun and there are a ton of things for your kids to do on board (from about their age through the teenage years). It’s just not Disney.

If not being Disney doesn’t matter a ton to you, just go with Royal. You’ll have a great time and hey, at least you won’t know what you missed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I am going to just say this outright: DCL is just as much of a risk giving kids run of the boat as any other line. Don't let pixie dust delude you that Disney is somehow without risk or hazard or crime.

Lack of precautions is unwise anywhere filled with crowds of strangers.

 

[juxtapose]

We just did our first Disney cruise. Kids were 10 and almost 7. While we all liked it, I don’t think it was worth the upcharge for us. I’d rather do a few days at WDW and then a cheaper cruise. My kids loved the pools and kids clubs (they did art and video games only in them), all things other cruises have, so we might cruise again someday but probably not with Disney. I definitely don’t regret trying it though.

 

[Minniemoo15]

It is a very personal question, but I will give you my perspective. Full disclosure: our travel party is myself, my husband and our 2 girls (ages 8 and 9).

In the last year we have done Disneyland, Disney World and 2 cruises and had a blast on all of the trips. However, in our opinion, there is more magic in the cruises than their is at the theme parks. We often have such big plans at the parks that we can sometimes miss the magic and the more relaxed pace of cruises certainly helps us enjoy it more. On our last cruise, because of the multi-day interactions, the characters knew my girls' names and carried on extensive and personalized conversations with them. The majority of the staff is next-level incredible.

We will be on the Wish this summer and the premium specifically for that is worth it to me because the kids are growing out of that stage so quickly. The kid's clubs (which we love) look amazing and my kiddos only have a few more years of that, so I want to give them those opportunities while I can. They are so excited about the new restaurants and the slide to kids club. To me, that is worth the extra money. When they are older and this is not such a concern, that will be the time we explore other cruise lines.

That’s kind of how I looked at it when we booked our first Disney Cruise last month. My girls are ages (7 and 9)… they are at the absolute perfect ages for a Disney cruise … so if not now, then when?

 

[LambertLion]

I’ve taken 10 Disney and 3 Royal cruises. Honestly, you will probably have just as good a time going on the Royal cruise. If you have to question the money, dont do it IMO. Stay within a comfortable budget and if you can have a great vacation for less, you should most certainly do that. YOu’ll be more happy in the long run when your bank account is looking better when you get back home.
Disney cruises are a PHENOMENAL vacation and cruise, but I would never say to anyone questioning the expense that they should take it over another vacation, especially Royal. Their cruises are top notch fun for all ages. You will not be sorry. Now if the money wasnt that big a deal, heck yeah I’d say go with Disney, especially with the young ones. But they will have a great time on the Royal ship as well. Start with what best suits your family (and budget is super important there) and go from there. Adding some Disney park time is a great way to supplement a Royal cruise.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

As someone else stated there is more magic these days in the cruises then the parks. I would 100 % rather do a Disney cruise then go to the parks. We live 5 miles from magic kingdom and I haven’t been to magic kingdom or any of the parks in over 8 months but have done two cruises. I just can’t enjoy the parks anymore after doing disney cruises I see the level of service and stepping into that magic is so much better then the parks. I would say do the Disney cruise this time, and if you don’t like it do the other cruise lines in the future. I know it’s a lot of money and double the cost but I would honestly give it a chance. Or cut out going to magic kingdom all together and do the 5 night out of Miami I know it’s not the same and the whole thing started with going to magic kingdom for their birthday but something to think about.

 

[darnheather]

I'd honestly do a longer DCL cruise on something other than the Wish so that they can have their birthday onboard.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I'd honestly do a longer DCL cruise on something other than the Wish so that they can have their birthday onboard.

It's a timing thing with the school break. The only DCL cruises that overlap their birthday then go into the next school week.

 

[unrequited23]

I've got two boys (10 & almost 8) and I get the "if not now, when?" feelings. We went on a Marvel Day at Sea cruise (our first cruise) this winter for the exact same reasons. I'm probably going to try to talk my DH into Legoland this summer before the oldest ages out...he starts middle school in the fall.

I would probably splurge for the Wish to carry on the Disney theme of the birthday celebration. Then if you find your family likes cruising you could use the lower price point to justify trying RCL for comparison purposes. But my boys aren't thrill seeking, water slide riding, adventurous kids---they were the ones floating on a raft at Castaway Cay amazed that their parents let them get ice cream at lunch and a dessert at dinner.

 

[nancipants]

Well, I broke down crying at the girls' dance recital today and it wasn't even over their performance.

The kindergarteners came on and I was suddenly overwhelmed by how much the pandemic has impacted my kids' lives. We joined this dance studio when they started kinder because they wanted to dance on a "real stage" with "fancy costumes". But, kinder was the year that they came home on a Friday and suddenly there wasn't school anymore. It took their third recital before they got the stage they've been wishing for.

I think my outburst has convinced me to spend the money and book the Disney cruise. We're lucky enough to be able to afford it, they only have so much childhood left, and we could all use a lot more magic after the last two and a half years.

Thank you all for your insights. I truly appreciate it!!

Ooof, I feel this. My son was born in December 2019 after five years of infertility. I finally got the baby I'd always dreamed of and had all these travel plans and great ideas to take him everywhere we went to get him flexible. Fast forward to him turning 3 months.

As someone else stated there is more magic these days in the cruises then the parks. I would 100 % rather do a Disney cruise then go to the parks. We live 5 miles from magic kingdom and I haven’t been to magic kingdom or any of the parks in over 8 months but have done two cruises. I just can’t enjoy the parks anymore after doing disney cruises I see the level of service and stepping into that magic is so much better then the parks. I would say do the Disney cruise this time, and if you don’t like it do the other cruise lines in the future. I know it’s a lot of money and double the cost but I would honestly give it a chance. Or cut out going to magic kingdom all together and do the 5 night out of Miami I know it’s not the same and the whole thing started with going to magic kingdom for their birthday but something to think about.

We're local AP holders and pop into the parks all the time, but I agree, if we weren't locals we wouldn't go. Cruises are so much more relaxing.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Ooof, I feel this. My son was born in December 2019 after five years of infertility. I finally got the baby I'd always dreamed of and had all these travel plans and great ideas to take him everywhere we went to get him flexible. Fast forward to him turning 3 months.

Ooof right back! Lord knows things have been hard for everyone regardless of what phase in life they were in March 2020, but I especially feel for babies and their parents.

Infant parenting can be so overwhelming and isolating before you load pandemic isolation on top of it!

 

[Demke Family]

My girls will be nearly nine when we cruise. I'm not sure how much free reign I'd be comfortable giving them. They move in a pack, and there's certainly safety in numbers, but it's still young to be navigating a ship alone.

When you say DCL got tired, do you think that was a result of the kids getting older or the repeat cruising? Having never done a DCL or RC cruise, either one would have the "brand new" shine still for my girls.

As a brand new experience your 9 year olds will love every single moment. It was tired for us because the shows and food never change.

 

[brentm77]

Not to side track, but our of curiosity which one is your fav moderate? Thank you

Grand Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. It has an upscale vibe, big modern rooms, wonderful lobby and coffee bar, beautiful huge grounds with lovely views, and ok food options. Biggest downside is lack of Monorail. But we use our rental car to drive to each park. It feels like every park is very close. We have used the busses, but don't like the long waits they sometimes have.

It doesn't have a great theme like some deluxes, but we love it for our family with older kids for the price. We book a couple of meals at the deluxe resorts to enjoy the themes.

 

[mab2012]

My family took an RCCL cruise on Adventure last summer. We were unwilling to pay DCL prices under pandemic restrictions. My husband and I have sailed other lines a couple of times (including RCCL) but it was the first non-DCL cruise for our kids.

My kids are older (they were 12 and 15 last summer) so amenities like rock climbing and Flowrider appeal. We had a great time, and I would do it again. But we found ourselves frequently comparing to DCL, and DCL almost always won. In small ways, mostly, but we did miss it.

We had two cabins, including a Grand Suite (ship was empty so upgrades were cheap.) On DCL we would share a single stateroom: usually an oceanview on the classics or verandah on the bigger ships. The extra space was nice, but I would pay the same money for the single room on DCL without a second thought.

Twice as much? That would be a tougher sell. For a special occasion, maybe. The actual dollar amount also matters, IMO. Twice $10k is a heck of a lot of money. Twice $10, not so much. I definitely don't think DCL is always worth more, especially not 100% more, but sometimes? Yeah, I think it can be.

 

[TeamRiley]

Schedule the Disney Cruise.

When our boys were younger we started cruising on Disney and they loved it. Now it is just the youngest at home and as an older teen, he still prefers Disney Cruises. Quite a bit of the cost for us is actually getting to the Port. Flights, hotel room, meals en route, etc. All in all the financial impact of the difference in cruise price is a bit less with all that factored in. This is what we have found for our family.

1. The people on Disney Cruises tend to be much nicer in general. Perhaps it is because everyone there is with family, or just the Disney vibe, or maybe because there is less booze and no gambling. Some little girl runs past, slips, and takes a header on a different line and people just stare at her. On a Disney cruise the tattooed biker in the chair next to her gets up to see if she is ok while 5 other people run over. We were definitely are more comfortable letting the boys roam on their own (or with friends they met onboard) on a Disney cruise.

2. The entertainment can always be counted on to be great. The little extras that your daughters will love is something they will remember for a long time.

3. In grand generalizations, the food is better, and dining is much more fun. Many other lines have great restaurants you can pay more for. Some lines and ships are hit and miss depending on age, size, etc. Disney has great variety (some lines have the same food with different names every night) and you can count on the quality being high. We have had great food on some lines, really crappy food on some, and average on some. We have never had bad or average food on a Disney cruise. Some have not been the absolute best, but they are always above average. Free soda, ice cream, and room service are also fun. For some reason kids love room service even if it is just a huge pile of fries.

4. We love the kicked back uncrowded fun on Castaway Cay. Definitely rent the bikes and ride out to the lookout tower.

5. No casino and much less booze. No giant "Mall of the Sea" on an entire deck where people are constantly trying to sell you something. Generally no A-holes taking a cruise to get blasted and party.

6. Whether they actually are or not, Disney ships seem less crowded. You can always find a quiet spot to chill even if all 5 of you are together.

7. Verandas are nice, but we spend very little time on them. If money is an issue, get two inside rooms and take time to sit outside up on Deck 4. There is never anyone out there. It is very easy to spend very little time in your room. Basically just sleeping at night or napping in the day.

8. With very athletic teen boys I thought the lack of amenities (no zip line, no bumper cars, no flow rider, etc.) would end up being an issue at some point. It never was. If your kids want to go on water slides and zip lines for vacation, go to a park on land. Those are 10 times better. Compared to top end land based entertainment, the zip lines are tame, the water slides are tiny etc. The water slides on other lines that are twice as long as Disney are still tiny water slides - and they are all still fun.

9. If they are revived by the time you go, do the Fish Extenders. We have fun with that.

10. You will have fun with whatever you choose. We just find going on a Disney Cruise to be much much more relaxing for all of us.

I hope this helps. In our opinion, going at least once on a Disney Cruise it totally worth it. Some of the memories our boys talk about most are from stuff we did on Disney Cruises.

 

[Carohs]

We did both Disneyland and DCL last year for the kid's (6 and 8) first time. We discussed as a family returning to either DL or DCL again and both kids would rather go back on the ship as a first choice.