To cruise or not to cruise? Need help deciding/convincing.

[Maddie2]

Hello all. We are a family of 4: Mom, Dad and 2 boys. Boys' ages at boys potential cruise time: 19 & 21. One just about to go to college and one in college.

We have been to WDW 5 times and DL once as a family. I am thinking that perhaps it's time to change things up a bit and am pricing cruises for next May. I have one son who is on-board (pun intended) with a cruise and another who is not. DH is on the fence altogether. Not a Disney lover, but will do whatever I/we decide to do. If we cruise, we will cruise and then probably just spend a couple of days in FL soaking up the sun (no parks). If we don't cruise, we will have a week at WDW. This will likely be our last family vacation (other than visiting long distant-family and going to nearby lakes) for quite a while. With 2 kids in college, the budget speaks loud!

Looking at our options, the likely cruise would be aboard the Disney Dream - the 3 Night Bahamian cruise. Having never cruised, 3 days on a ship is enough. Not even sure if we will love it. Hoping so, but not guaranteed. We have one family member who gets motion sick in the back seat of a car. Fine in front seat, prefers to drive.

So, some questions:

Rooms: Looking at the options, I think a Deluxe Family Ocean View Stateroom with a Verandah is the best choice. With 4 people over 18, we need the space. And with motion and claustrophobia issues, we really need the verandah. So, what floor is best? Better to be up high or down low? Aft, midship or forward?? I like quiet and dark at night. Can the verandah door be left open for fresh air at nigh. Is there a window for fresh air? Or would it be too hot in May?

Ages of our boys: too old for teen activities, too young for adult activities - bars, etc. Technically, our 21 year old could go to the bars, but he will have his brother with him most of the time. Other than the pools and watching girls, what would there be to do for them? Any sports activities? I realize that it's only 3 days; so with swimming, theater, eating, movies and a couple of excursions, that may be plenty.

Are any excursions included? If not, what can I expect to spend to go to Castaway Cay, etc?

Dining: It says it is included. What does this mean? Sit down meals or buffets that you can go to whenever? And clothes? I don't see us getting the boys in pants and ties on vacation. The best I could hope for is a button-down short sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and nice sandals.

I'm ready for something new and think a cruise would be fun. However, the boys really like the parks and I know we would have fun there. I have thought that perhaps we wait a few years (post college) and then DH and I can cruise, just the two of us. But ... it would be fun to experience it with the boys too.

What to do, what to do?????

If any of you have experience cruising with boys in the same age range, I would love to hear about it! TIA!

 

[party-of-five]

Ahhh, decisions, decisions. Just my two cents as we've only done one cruise, a 4 night Bahamian, but I think I can address some of your questions /concerns.

- my daughter gets motion sickness in the back seat as well, prefers to be up front. She did fine with the exception of the first night. Our stateroom host came to the room to close the divider between the two verandas (we had adjoining rooms). She did this because the captain was expecting choppy waters and high winds. We barely felt a thing, but her words were enough to put the thought in my daughter's mind. Also, she kept fighting the idea that we were moving. And lastly she over did it on her first day - tired and overwhelmed with all there is to see and do. A good nights rest and she was fine the rest of the trip.

- I saw in the navigator many activities for he 18/21 crowd. Also, I believe if you sign a consent, your 18 year old can drink on the ship. If look for some of the old navigators (daily schedule of events) you'll get an idea of what to expect. There is plenty to do.

- My opinion is that a 3 day would be too short. It took us a good 24 hours to get use to the sensation of being on board, to get our bearings, etc. We are definitely hoping our next cruise is 7 or more nights! But like you, not knowing what to expect and if we would like it, we didn't want to commit to too many days.

- we had 2 rooms, both Deluxe Family Ocean View. When booking the room, make sure that the room sleeps 5. Not all of them do. With a 5 sleeper, you'll have a queen bed and then a couch that converts to a twin and a Murphy bed that's a twin. (And also a pull down bed, but I don't think that would be too comfortable for an adult). There is a split bathroom, sink and toilet in one, sink and shower in the other. There is a curtain that divides the area with the queen and the area with the other beds. The veranda is very close to the Murphy bed. I don't see why you couldn't leave the door open. But we found the rooms to be very comfortable and never stuffy, and a very nice size with ample storage. We were on the 7th floor mid ship. You'll have the least amount of motion being mid ship . We liked the location of 7th floor - midway to everything. If we had it to do over, we would select this area again.

- dining is included. there are some fast food type options (but you can also get wraps, and salads) open pretty much 24/7. There are beverage stations open 24/7. There are sit down and buffet options for breakfast and lunch and Dinner. There are two additional cost, adult only dinner options. And there is also 24 hour room service, also included. You won't go hungry! Dining is very casual - I wore sundresses because I wanted too. DH and the boys wore khakis and polo shirts. But we saw plenty of folks wearing shorts. Only the two specialty restaurants have a dress code.

- castaway cay is included. If you choose to do an activity there or rent bikes, or floats, etc there's an additional cost. We spent the day on the island and loved it! The kids swam, DH and I sat and enjoyed the sun. Lunch is served on the island and is included.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello all. We are a family of 4: Mom, Dad and 2 boys. Boys' ages at boys potential cruise time: 19 & 21. One just about to go to college and one in college.

We have been to WDW 5 times and DL once as a family. I am thinking that perhaps it's time to change things up a bit and am pricing cruises for next May. I have one son who is on-board (pun intended) with a cruise and another who is not. DH is on the fence altogether. Not a Disney lover, but will do whatever I/we decide to do. If we cruise, we will cruise and then probably just spend a couple of days in FL soaking up the sun (no parks). If we don't cruise, we will have a week at WDW. This will likely be our last family vacation (other than visiting long distant-family and going to nearby lakes) for quite a while. With 2 kids in college, the budget speaks loud!

Looking at our options, the likely cruise would be aboard the Disney Dream - the 3 Night Bahamian cruise. Having never cruised, 3 days on a ship is enough. Not even sure if we will love it. Hoping so, but not guaranteed. We have one family member who gets motion sick in the back seat of a car. Fine in front seat, prefers to drive.

So, some questions:

Rooms: Looking at the options, I think a Deluxe Family Ocean View Stateroom with a Verandah is the best choice. With 4 people over 18, we need the space. And with motion and claustrophobia issues, we really need the verandah. So, what floor is best? Better to be up high or down low? Aft, midship or forward?? I like quiet and dark at night. Can the verandah door be left open for fresh air at nigh. Is there a window for fresh air? Or would it be too hot in May?

Ages of our boys: too old for teen activities, too young for adult activities - bars, etc. Technically, our 21 year old could go to the bars, but he will have his brother with him most of the time. Other than the pools and watching girls, what would there be to do for them? Any sports activities? I realize that it's only 3 days; so with swimming, theater, eating, movies and a couple of excursions, that may be plenty.

Are any excursions included? If not, what can I expect to spend to go to Castaway Cay, etc?

Dining: It says it is included. What does this mean? Sit down meals or buffets that you can go to whenever? And clothes? I don't see us getting the boys in pants and ties on vacation. The best I could hope for is a button-down short sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and nice sandals.

I'm ready for something new and think a cruise would be fun. However, the boys really like the parks and I know we would have fun there. I have thought that perhaps we wait a few years (post college) and then DH and I can cruise, just the two of us. But ... it would be fun to experience it with the boys too.

What to do, what to do?????

If any of you have experience cruising with boys in the same age range, I would love to hear about it! TIA!

A Deluxe Family Oceanview with Verandah is a fairly large room. However, it may be fairly close with 4 adults in it. It's your call as it whether you will get on each other's nerves. A four person room will have a queen bed, a sofa bed, and a pull down bunk above the sofa:

DCL does request that you keep the verandah doors closed (except, of course, for going in and out)

The only "window" is the door, if you asking about being able to open one.

Both of your sons will able to go into the adult areas (bars), the only difference being the under 21 one will not be able to order alcoholic drinks. The 19 year old can participate in the 1820 society (that's ages 18-20).
There is a sports area (baskets, etc).

Excursions (in any port, including Castaway Cay) have a cost. The last 3 times we were at CC, only once did we rent snorkel equipment. We enjoyed just walking around and relaxing at Serenity Bay (adult-only beach).

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included in your cruisefare. You will be assigned to a dinner seating time and table, but for breakfast & lunch you can go anytime during the service hours for that meal. The 3 Main Dining Rooms are Animator's Palate; Enchanted Garden, and Royal Court. The buffet is called Cabanas, and serves breakfast & lunch daily and dinner on the second night of the cruise only. There are 2 extra-pay resteraunts onboard - Palo ($30 per person for brunch and dinner), and Remy ($75 per person for dinner).

There are quick serve locations (burgers, pizza, wraps, salads, etc) on the pool deck that are included in the cruisefare. And room service is 24/7, also included.

A 3 night cruise does have a "Dress Up Optional" night, but that's entirely up to you, general dress for dinner is "Cruise Casual" That is, "no swimwear or tank tops for dinner".

Also, I believe if you sign a consent, your 18 year old can drink on the ship.

That's only on the Med cruises. From the DCL website:
The drinking age on board is 21, and a valid photo I.D. is required.

However, during roundtrip cruises departing from any European country that has a lower drinking age, parents or guardians may sign a Beverage Consent Form that allows their 18- to 20-year-old children to consume alcoholic beverages while in the adult’s presence.

fast food type options (but you can also get wraps, and salads) open pretty much 24/7.

Quick serve locations are not 24/7. Check the Navigator for hours.

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

Yes to everything she said!! Believe me you will be hooked after your first Disney cruise!! IF you are surprised by the price of a cruise please remember that this is your resort hotel all your dining and snacks 24/7 and wonderful free Disney movies and Broadway STYLE SHOWS!! PLEASE GIVE IT A TRY, I know you will be glad you did!! ALOHA, from 2 Golden Cruisers!!

 

[texas disney mom]

I would definitely do two rooms

 

[Jennifer777]

We did the same thing you're considering, 3 nights, not knowing if we would like it (after I had a horrible experience on Carnival 10 years earlier). We loved it and to be honest, three days was not enough. We were on Magic, which is one of the smaller ships and we didn't even get much time to explore it because with a 3 night cruise, you only have 2 full DAYS and both of those days you're docked in port somewhere. We left feeling like we missed out on so much. So first I would urge you to consider a 4 or 5 night option. You won't regret having an extra day or two.

The room may be a little snug, but if you don't plan on spending much time there, which we usually don't, it should be fine for sleeping. Our kids are 12 and 7, so younger than yours but they despise one another and the room was big enough for us. ;-) The balcony was definitely something I needed as I get motion sickness. My doctor prescribed a patch that took care of that with no drowsiness so I would look into that for your family member who is prone to motion sickness. I did leave the balcony door open on a couple nights even though this is not technically allowed but this was February and March, May can get hot so you may not even want to. We always chose the 7th floor. It has staterooms above and below so no noise from the common areas. We chose middle of the ship on our last cruise because of the motion sickness but we had a room in the way back of the ship for our first and I didn't notice any more motion, just LOTS of vibration the last night as we headed back.

All your meals are included except for the specialty, adult only dining, but that's really not necessary. All your coffee, juice, soda and water from the machines on the top deck are included as well so you only pay for specialty and alcoholic drinks. There are some entertainment things on the ship that cost more like bingo and the arcade but you could easily find plenty to do without spending extra. We don't usually do excursions at castaway cay. It's such a beautiful beach that we stay right there and soak up the sun. The excursions, with the exception of snorkeling and the stingray adventure on CC are all pretty expensive. I believe we paid around $200 for our family of four to visit the beach in Nassau. Next time we'll just take a cab.

On a 3 day cruise, you won't have a formal night so you needn't worry about forcing your teens into ties, the dinner dress code is cruise casual. Our son wears khakis and a polo shirt usually. If you do choose a longer cruise and the boys want to skip formal night, they can. It's not mandatory and not everyone does it. There are other less formal dining options than the main dining rooms as well.

Since your boys love the parks, have you considered doing a land/sea package? We've done that with both of our cruises now and it's nice having a taste of both. Then no one feels like they're missing out on anything.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

I get motion sickness easily as well, and the first night of my first cruise I thought I had made a huge mistake: four days and nights of nausea and no way to escape it!! The curtains in the theater were swinging from side to side. The ice cubes in my water glass at dinner were sloshing around...yikes!!

But then I remembered: they're supposed to do that. We were on a moving ship! - the ice is supposed to slosh around! Once I convinced my brain that I was not in a hotel on dry land, I was much better.

And - take a Bonine the night before you sail, and every night on your cruise.

 

[party-of-five]

I get motion sickness easily as well, and the first night of my first cruise I thought I had made a huge mistake: four days and nights of nausea and no way to escape it!! The curtains in the theater were swinging from side to side. The ice cubes in my water glass at dinner were sloshing around...yikes!!

But then I remembered: they're supposed to do that. We were on a moving ship! - the ice is supposed to slosh around! Once I convinced my brain that I was not in a hotel on dry land, I was much better.

And - take a Bonine the night before you sail, and every night on your cruise.

THIS! I'm so happy to finally see/hear someone else explain it like this. My DH thought I was crazy - I kept telling this to my oldest two (myDD was feeling queasy, but my DS was just off, a moody kind of off). I benefited from the reassurance as well. You're moving! It's ok - were supposed to be moving - even going as far as to show them the water, and point out forward and aft. That and so much kindness from our wait staff and stateroom host, a good nights sleep, and the rest of the voyage was fine!

 

[KristiMc]

Ages of our boys: too old for teen activities, too young for adult activities - bars, etc. Technically, our 21 year old could go to the bars, but he will have his brother with him most of the time. Other than the pools and watching girls, what would there be to do for them? Any sports activities? I realize that it's only 3 days; so with swimming, theater, eating, movies and a couple of excursions, that may be plenty.
!

Anyone 18+ will be able to go into the nightclubs for the adult activities - the 19 year old will just not be able to drink.

 

[aggiedog]

My 2 cents, with the caveat that I have 2 16 yo's (and dd13, ds10), and have done exactly one DCL. We love Disney (honeymooned at WDW, have been many times.) I would look at other cruise lines that will give you more vacation for your money. I loved our DCL cruise, and we're going again over Christmas at a stupid expensive cost. But I am also staring at the "last vacation with the kids" feeling from very close. DCL prices keep going up. For that reason, we will most likely not cruise DCL again for a while. For the same cost, or cheaper, you most likely could go on a different cruise line that has more activities (rock climbing walls, larger pool, etc.) for a significantly longer trip. Cruisecritic has some great info on the different lines. There are lots of people, including fellow disboarders, who have cruised non-DCL cruises and had a great time, without sacrificing overall quality or satisfaction.

Aside from cost, I think a 3 night cruise would be barely dipping your toe in the water, so to speak. There really isn't time to settle in before you're leaving again. For your possible last all-together vacation, do you really want something that short?

For rooms, regardless of what I just said above, I saw many families that had older kids in inside staterooms nearby their parents verandah/porthole rooms. That might be a bit cheaper, but would give you much more room. We are a family of 8, and pricing out every combination I could come up with, it always seems to cost about the same in the end, short of concierge and the suites.

 

[Maddie2]

Thank you all SO much for your insight! So much to consider, but with all of your information, I feel more prepared to have a family discussion. I greatly appreciate each of you taking the time to give your two cents!

 

[sambycat]

Consider a 4 night cruise, not a 3, and two cabins if you can swing it. If it's a family big last hurrah, I would be trying to find a 5-7 night cruise with interesting ports ( think nice beach activities) or going to the parks/resort and not cruising at all. 3 nights for 4 grow ups in a cabin is a challenge. And may not inspire them to want to cruise again. That being said, I think the parents pick the vacation and the kiddos are lucky to be invited!

 

[ldo]

Although I am a huge DCL fan, for your ages, I also recommend another Cruise line. My son at that age wanted more active and sports oriented. RCCL fits the bill. Thus, I would go with a RCCL on a larger boat, not necessarily one of the new big ones, but at least Freedom class or Navigator of the Seas, etc. One that has the flow rider--plus all RCCL have a climbing wall. I would pick a ship that has at leat 1 good broadway style show and I would get speciality dining for a few nights. You could do an outside or balcony with an inside across from you. Independence of the Seas is such a ship and does some 4-5 day cruises.
I do not recommend a 3 night cruise at all. It's too short and too rushed and too much travel time/$ for that. A 4 day is OK. I also recommend a cruise that has some good, high activitiy port stops. If you do a 5 day cruise, you can get 2 port stops, such as Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Or, some of the RCCL 4 days will do Key West and GC. We stopped in Ocho Rios and DH and DS climbed Dunn Falls and did the bobsled, and Grand Cayman, where you can snorkel right near the boat--or go to Royal Palms, a hopping, awesome beach. A ship with flow/climbing + 2 great port stops with good activities makes for a very fun tirp for older teens/20+.
--just looked for May--no 4-5 days on bigger ships--all are 7 days. I would do a 7 day Western, even on the newer ship with a central park balcony, its $3700 for 4 persons for the week on a mega ship with tons to do. On the Freedom, 2 outside cabins for 2 persons each are $1700 per cabin. I would also consider larger NCL ships for good shows and good activities for your ages.

 

[bethy]

We are going on our first cruise in a few days. So I don't have cruise experience to offer but I most definitely would want our "last" family vacay to be longer than 4-5 days. No matter where it was. For me the priority would definitely be time and "tried and true" fun over novelty. Of the options you listed I'd do the week at WDW instead since you know you'll love it.

 

[holula]

At 19 and 21, if you DO choose to cruise, I think there are better cruise lines to fit your sons' needs. NCL and RCCL (newer ships) have all sorts of fun activities for those ages. NCL has the alcohol waiver on all of their cruises for 18+ also. A three night is way too short, especially if your other option is a week at the parks. Three night cruises are also rushed and by the time you get comfortable on the ship you are getting off again.

I love cruising. I get badly motion sick in cars if I am sitting in the back. I also prefer to drive. I do not get motion sick at all on cruises.

 

[Quellman]

At 19 and 21, if you DO choose to cruise, I think there are better cruise lines to fit your sons' needs. NCL and RCCL (newer ships) have all sorts of fun activities for those ages. NCL has the alcohol waiver on all of their cruises for 18+ also. A three night is way too short, especially if your other option is a week at the parks. Three night cruises are also rushed and by the time you get comfortable on the ship you are getting off again.

I love cruising. I get badly motion sick in cars if I am sitting in the back. I also prefer to drive. I do not get motion sick at all on cruises.

Also, with a take it or leave it attitude by the husband, I would skip the Disney premium costs. Plenty of other cruises out there that feature additional amenities that could be a better fit for @Maddie2 's family .