Thinking about a cruise...help!

[kelscross]

I'm hoping this posts this time as the server was busy. I apologize in advance if it posts twice.

Anyhow...I am seriously considering our annual Disney Trip to be on the cruise this time. I have some questions. How do the young children like it? Mine are 3 and 4. Is the kid's club free of charge? What is the price for the children..all the sites just list the price for adults. When is a good time to go. I'm in nursing school so I have to go when I'm on break. End of March, middle of June thru Labor Day and then December.

And finally....will they like it???

Thanks

 

[faireygod mother]

It posted already.

 

[kshabare]

In 57 days we set sail on our 5th cruise aboard DCL. We love it. We spent XMAS in WDW last year and I will stick to chocolates on my pillow, dinner just a number of flights away, warm breeze in my hair in a dark sky surrounded by lulling sounds of water. I love being served. I love walking around in my flip flops and sitting in the sun with a cold cup of ice water or soda pop. DS likes the clubs but usually hangs with us now. Cast members are great in the clubs, and out. They were warm and friendly. When you sign up your child (for free!) you get a beeper and they get a waterproof bracelet. Drop them and they'll beep you when they're bored or need mom/dad. It's a wonderful experience and I can't say enough good things about DCL. If you need a break (nursing school!??) this is the trip for you. Just remember - let it all happen and take it all in. Don't plan too much - just sit back and enjoy your family. You could step onto the Magic and just hang around the ship and you should have a good time.

Kim

 

[virginiamama]

Hi kelscross. We just went on our first cruise just a few weeks ago. Our 4-year-old DS says next time we are going to go for 10 days!!! He absolutely loved it. He spent an hour or two in the club each day and did the "graduation" - too cute. The clubs are free. The nursery for children who aren't potty trained yet was $6 per hour. Our older DS enjoyed the familiarity of having the same servers every night and being entertained by them. He looks at the pictures we took almost every day. We rebooked for 2006 we loved it so much.
For our 4-night cruise, including trip insurance, it was around $200 for the 8-month old and around $400 for the 4-year-old. I'm sure the price varies depending on the length of the cruise and the room category. It was money well spent. LOTS of our friends are planning to cruise with DCL after hearing our rave reviews. You might want to check out the DCL Passporter book for info on planning your trip, such as iteneraries, room categories, etc.

Just got back and can't wait to go again!

Off site - June 1994
Caribbean Beach - Dec 2003
Wonder - Dec 2004
Magic - Dec 2006 (Can't wait!!!)

 

[CM_Mom]

You can get a good idea of prices on DCL's website. You put in the party size and the ages of the kids and then it will price the cruise. Put in just you and spouse to get the cost without kids (and do the math) if it doesn't list them separately.

If you're in Nursing school, then you DEFINITELY need to be pampered and waited on for vacation. December is usually cheaper than Spring Break or summer is you can avoid Christmas. After you figure the food and the hassle of the parks, I don't think the cruise is any more expensive.

 

[*Fantasia*]

My kids 8 & 5 love the Disney cruise! I asked them if they would like to do land or sea...WDW/Universal or Disney cruise on our next trip, and they responded "Disney sea!" They enjoyed themselves at the kid's club. There's some time when they don't even want to go back to our stateroom!

 

[hsteacher]

Just to re-affirm everything posted above -- my family loved Disney World and when I proposed a Disney Cruise over 6 years ago, everyone was very skeptical including my then 7 yo DS and 14 yo DD. Well, now all they want is Disney Cruise. My DS is now 13 and DD now almost 20 and they STILL want Disney Cruise. I've proposed RCCL and both say they'd rather cruise once a year on Disney then twice a year on RCCL -- crazy I know! It's just that all of our needs, from when they were younger to now that they're older, are met. On days when my kids didn't find the activities in the clubs what they wanted to participate in, they hung with us and we had fun. Needless to say, my DS was always in the clubs, made wonderful friends and connections with the counselors (loved Jim and Jane) and often, HE was the last one in the stateroom at night Good luck with your decision!

 

[American Scrapper]

The kids club is free of charge. Your kids just need to be potty trained. At their ages, they should also be in the same club, which might be comforting to them if they are a little shy with other kids/adults. My DD(5) and DS(8) love the clubs so much that we cannot get them to leave them. We have sailed when they were 3/6 & 4.5/8.

Kathy

 

[diz_cruise_rocks]

I bet the young children love it!