Thinking about trying to do cruise, but have many concerns....(long)

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I don't know if I should have put this on many threads or just one, but I have many concerns and would love your opinions.

I just watched the travel channel special on DCL and I got inspired to maybe put a cruise into our trip we are planning.


My biggest concern is the different specialty areas of the ship for kids. We will be traveling by ourselves, and DD(5 at that time) won't have anyone she "knows" in her area. How do kids adapt, she is pretty adventurous, but I would be nervous that the new surroundings and excitement might be too much and she wouldn't want to go by herself. DS (then 9) I think would be fine, but again slight concerns there with that. he would love the science part and computer parts, just worried that they would feel very "alone" without a friend to share this with. Does that make sense?

Would it be better to wait until they were a little older and go as young teens?

We would do the 3 night cruise, is it enough time to get a good experience, or would you feel short changed, ie, just as you get settled in, the cruise is over?

Is there alot of character interaction? Do you get a chance as a family to interact with characters, family dining with characters, etc? What about other places on the ship?

If we do this, then we would have to cut out Nasa and most likely Sea World. AND we would have to fly.... UGGHHH I just don't know what to do? I have been planning this since last year, and have been looking forward to SW and KSC, but I also would love to try a cruise, I just always thought it would be out of reach because of $.


And of course, I know the cruise is expensive, so I don't evern know if we could go in the first place, I am just toying with the idea.

We have this "big" trip planned now, and we will not be going back for at least about 5 years, probably more.

so I would love all of your help. For a 5 and 9 year old what would be better????

KSC, SW and many days in the parks (we are going specifically for the Christmas excitement)

Or DCL, and a few days in the parks?

Does DCL do anything special in December for Christmas, ie decorations, etc???

Sorry this is so long.

 

[rae519]

We cruised thefirst time when our son was 5 - did the 4 night land (Contemporary Tower) with a 3 night sea (Navigator's Verandah on the Wonder). Michael said he'd rather cruise than go to the park.

So we took two 7 night cruises with DCL, then this Christmas we did a 3 night park (Polynesian) with a 4 nightsea (verandah on the Wonder). Michael was 7 and complained all the time about wanting to be on the ship.

Decorations were up during the first week of December and it was just lovely!!!

3/4 night cruises are nice to get the "feel" if you have never cruised before, but if you can opt for a 7 night cruise - go for it!

Kids adapt easily and most would rather be playing with peers and characters in the Kid's Club than with Mom and Dad. It is harder to get them to leave the club than get them to stay - believe me! The only thing that my son wants to do more than be at the club is to sit in on the Family Session of Dueling Pianos!!!

Don't worry so much and just do it!!! You won't regret it!

Rae

 

[justmestace]

I think your kids are at a great age for the cruise. Last summer we did 6 days at the parks, then a 3 day Wonder. My kids (DD12, DS9) would much rather have cruised the whole time. One difference for us is that we can fly to Disneyland in 2 hrs, and went at Christmas this year. It is very nice at Christmastime. With kids your age, if I were you, I'd spend a little less time at Disney World (a half day at both Epcot & Animal Kingdom would work for 5 & 9 yr olds).....and definitely do the cruise. As for characters, you get to meet and greet and take pictures at designated times onboard, and at Castaway Cay. Sometimes you see them coming and going at Shutters....but there aren't any character meals. The dinners are entertaining enough w/o characters. Plus, we'd done every character meal in the World, so we didn't miss it. Our son had fun with us at the shows and parties, and finally went to the Club the last night...he had a great time, and wished he'd had more nights to go, but he had a good time not going, too. Our daughter never did go....she felt too old for the Clubs, not yet old enough for Common Grounds, so we did the parties and shopped, and even just enjoyed the upper decks together, and she loved it. My final say is, if you can afford it, do it now, while you're there and have the chance. Never put off till tomorrow.............

 

[lotsofboys]

We went first time with DS5 & DS9(twins) on 7 day and they LOVED it, just as everyone else has mentioned. We live an hour and twenty minutes away from Disneyland and 20 minutes from Sea World and they would choose a cruise again in a heartbeat. Also, we went to the Kennedy Space Center for four hours on our way back to the airport after the cruise and all three of them were bored out of their minds after 30 minutes. And the twins both want to be pilots and have been interested in flying and space travel since they were 2 years old!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi PRINCESS VIJA.

If we do this, then we would have to cut out Nasa and most likely Sea World. AND we would have to fly.... UGGHHH I just don't know what to do? I have been planning this since last year, and have been looking forward to SW and KSC, but I also would love to try a cruise

My recommendation would be to stick with your original plans. At Sea World you can sign up for their VIP tour. My family and I will be experiencing this in August. We have been there before, but never behind-the-scenes and/or in the company of a guide. NASA is also a worthwhile side trip and offers a welcome break from the sensory overload from too much theme park time.

I have only been on one 7-night Western Magic cruise. It was beyond wonderful. However, many Disers have posted regrets at the 3-day sail in terms of cost relative to experience. After your upcoming "big" vacation, you can begin planning a 7-night cruise. You can hold your anticipation at bay simply by accessing these boards regularly. And if that doesn't work, perhaps the powers that be will create a mouse-reduction posting program - sort of like a 12-step withdrawal program for long-term DCL addicts who have no intention or expectation for a successful recovery. Instead we will live with the "pain" and wait for another dose of Heaven on Earth...

 

[Michelemouse]

I agree with Buckaroo's Dad...stick with your original plans. IMHO the 3-day Cruise is not long enough. You board the ship at noon-ish on Day 1, wake-up in Nassau for Day 2, spend Day 3 at Castaway Cay and are home all-too-early the next morning. We have done the 3-day and 4-day cruises and are looking forward to our first 7-day this Fall. The 4-day is the shortest length cruise I would consider at this point...and only if it didn't offer the Freeport stop. For us the day-at-sea is all-important. It allows you time on the ship which is key. If I were in your situation I'd keep this year's vacation plans and work on saving for a cruise for the next big vacation.

As for your kids, I think they are at great ages to cruise now...but will not outgrow that in the next few years. As for friendships, we have had great luck hooking them up with other kids their ages through these boards. They can email each other and get to know each other before they even get to the ship. Another tip would be to make sure they go to the first night's activites as this is when most of the kids make new friends.

Hope this helps. Have a great vacation, whatever you decide to do.

 

[tecdavidt]

One comment on the children feeling alone with no friends along. I thought about bringing a friend along for our daughter once but my husband made a great comment, "what if they start to have a disagreement? and don't get along the rest of the cruise." Good point. She has always had a great time in the children's program and we have been on 5 DCL cruises. Last cruise she had a classmate on the ship and she had a great time but the two girls didn't interact as much as I thought they would. These two girls get along great.

My choice would be to stick to your original plans and book a 7 day for a future vacation. 3 days isn't long enough. Kathy

 

[christinou]

I would say go for it, this is what we are doing this summer, 4 days at Disney, 3 day cruise, and then 5 days at Disney.
We have never cruised, and just wanted to get a taste of it....
My girls will be 6 and 8, and I am pretty sure that they will love it. I am more concerned about DH, he has a problem sitting still, and was afraid that he would feel confined, which is why we are trying for 3 days.....
I know I will love it...

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Thanks for your help. I think I have it worked out that we can do the cruise as well. We would still get in SW and maybe KSC, but not sure on that one yet. We would only do 4 days in the parks, vs 5 and I loose a "free" day at WDW. But, I think I am going to try and work this out. Any more help? I appreciate all of your comments!

 

[rae519]

christinou - the ship is three football fields long and has 10 decks - there is no way he will feel confined!
Trust me!!

Rae

 

[Grumbo]

Princess Vija we did a three night Wonder cruise as we had never cruised the Caribbean before. We absolutely loved it. We didn't feel short changed and it whetted our appetite for the 7 day cruise. We went to WDW and did a "Sport's day" where we went to a spring training game at Tigertown and then continued on and caught an NHL game. It was a great vacation that we all thoroughly enjoyed.!!
I would definitely recommend the 3 or 4 day cruise to "See" if you like it. We all did and rebooked onboard. I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[ReadyForDisney2003]

My DS will be 8 and my DD will be 4 and I think this is the perfect time for them. We went 18 months ago and they were a *bit* on the young side. Personally, as they get older I'll probably move to another cruise line. My DS could care less about the characters of disney and soon my DD will be out of the princess stage. That being said, I'll try something different in 2 more years.

But, your kids are the PERFECT for Disney. I would not worry one bit of them being in the kids club. They will love it. We got the Navigator at night or early morning and highlighted the stuff that DS wanted to do for that day. Then, we would take him and hang out with DD (she was too young for the club then.)

Go, but I would not go on the 3 night -- *I* think it is too short.

 

[padams]

DH, DSs 5 and 7, and I did the 3 day Wonder in Feb. 2003. We weren't sure if we would like cruising (issues of confinement, boredom, motion sensitivity of DH and DS, dining with other people at our table,etc.).

We all had a great time- one of our best vacations. The 3 day was just right for a test cruise. Dh and I think DSs were the perfect age for the cruise. DSs now ask when we are going on the ship again- not when we are going back to WDW (we have been to WDW several times). DSs loved the kids' clubs. We went to pick up the 5yo one afternoon, and he looked at us and said "But I am not done yet...". We didn't even bother to go check on 7yo because we knew he didn't want to leave the club either. So, DH and I had to go find a bar on the ship, get drinks, sit on lounge chairs and have chat by ourselves - not too miserable.

As for characters, there are set meeting times for the characters. The characters would also appear at certain onboard activities including lunch on the day we boarded. We found there to be a lot of character interaction (more characters than we had time to see), and we didn't feel rushed with the characters as we have felt in the parks.

 

[SlyHubby]

Forget your worries - the cruise is a kid's delight.

We took our daughter when she was 3. When we were first taking her over to the kids club, she wasn't too sure if she wanted to go. When we picked her up a couple hours later, she didn't want to leave. She wanted to spend all of her time there and ended out going for some time every day.

As far as character time, they get more character time in the kids club. They have special visits from characters that folks outside the club do not. Our daughter especially liked that - because when the characters are out on the decks, most times it's like a mob scene whereas in the club, it's on a much more personal level because there are much fewer people around.

For the 5 & 9 year old there is no question when comparing Sea World and KSC to the cruise. They will enjoy the cruise much, much more. Not taking away from SW and KSC, they are both enjoyable day trips - but that's just it - they are day trips. The cruise is everything. You should also take that into account when planning - because all of your expenses are included - meals, entertainment, lodging. The activities for the kids just go on and on.

You might have a look at http://www.disneycruiser.info/westkn05.htm and http://www.disneycruiser.info/westkn08.htm to get an idea of what the activities are. You also have production-quality live shows every night.

Personally, I like KSC, but for young kids, I don't think they're old enough to really grasp it - I think adults get much more out of it.

Given the choice, the cruise wins hands down. If you hunt around, you can find good prices and there's always the early-booking discount.

 

[justmestace]

Christinou.....I had the exact same concerns as you do for your DH....I have anxiety attacks and cannot just sit and do nothing. I was really worried about how I'd do on the cruise. Even while we waited at the Polynesian for the cruise bus, I went in to the Cruise office there and asked them if anyone had ever "chickened out" at the last minute! Anyway, I did go, and I loved it!! When I felt that I needed to get out, I walked around the ship or went to the shops. And really, unless you do a 7 day, you're only on the ship at night. We went on excursions during the day. We had already agreed before we even got off the ship that we would go back for a 7 day, but our next cruise is only a 4 day, as my daughter decided to get married on Castaway Cay, and not everyone could go for a week. Next time, it will be a 7 Day!!
I was also worried about dining with "strangers" and for the first 10 or 15 minutes it was a little uncomfortable, but then we started to talk and laugh, and found out that we had alot in common. We have since met our dinner partners for a Christmas trip to Disneyland, and e-mail eachother all the time. Even if we hadn't gotten so close, it would have only been for a few nights, and that is easy to deal with. So relax, enjoy, you'll have a wonderful time!!!

 

[dclwdwlover]

A lot of good info. here. If you do decide to go, make your cruise AFTER the parks as you'll need the time to relax after all of the hustle & bustle & walking. Cruising is our favorite vacation but for your 1st trip with such youngs ones you'd probably not want to go more than 4 days. I think 3 days is too little, but that's my opinion.
Your 5yo will most likely have a fantastic time. I have always put my kids in the clubs & they had a better time than they would've being with adults all day. You can still take them out & do things & we always have (at least) dinner together.
You know your own kid, but my boys have always been fairly independent & willing to try different things. My in-laws went on the Wonder last fall & took their 8yo (who is very spoiled) who wouldn't go into the clubs & they complained that there were "too many kids around all of the time". My husband & I went on our honeymoon & spent 99% of our time at the 'adults only' areas & had a fantastic time! Even when we went with the kids last time we all had a 'Wonder'-ful time & the kids still can't stop talking about the fun they had with all of the kids.
I also think the KSC is a bit much for a 5yo & altho SW is fun, nothing compares to the cruise! Hope you get to go. It's a vacation of a lifetime.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I am so excited, we have decided to go, and am in the process of checking for the best quote! thanks for all of your advice!!!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hey Rae!

the ship is three football fields long and has 10 decks - there is no way he will feel confined!

But if her DH is the size of one football field and the height of 2 decks, the poor guy might rightly feel confined...