To Cruise or Not to Cruise

[mwilliams311]

We live in the Houston area, and the idea of taking a 4 night Disney cruise out of Galveston is very appealing to me. However, we have never been on a cruise, and I'm so overwhelmed with the "what ifs" that I am paralyzed when it comes to moving forward with the booking. We priced a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 4B) on the Wonder for November and I am fine with the cost.

So what advice would you give a first time cruise family to assuage our doubts? Should we take the plunge, make the deposit, and give ourselves a few more months to solidify our decision?

Here are my concerns:
Sea Sickness - I get sick riding in a car for more than 30 minutes, so I'm really sensitive. I'm terrified I'll be miserable.
Activities - Are there activities for the three of us to do together outside of the pool? We aren't big on pools / beaches

Here are some things I'm excited about:
Overall Disney experiences
Food - sign me up for room service all day every day.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We live in the Houston area, and the idea of taking a 4 night Disney cruise out of Galveston is very appealing to me. However, we have never been on a cruise, and I'm so overwhelmed with the "what ifs" that I am paralyzed when it comes to moving forward with the booking. We priced a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 4B) on the Wonder for November and I am fine with the cost.

So what advice would you give a first time cruise family to assuage our doubts? Should we take the plunge, make the deposit, and give ourselves a few more months to solidify our decision?

Here are my concerns:
Sea Sickness - I get sick riding in a car for more than 30 minutes, so I'm really sensitive. I'm terrified I'll be miserable.
Activities - Are there activities for the three of us to do together outside of the pool? We aren't big on pools / beaches

Here are some things I'm excited about:
Overall Disney experiences
Food - sign me up for room service all day every day.

Thanks everyone!

Absolutely do it!

My wife gets car sick driving to her dads house 1 hour away. She takes Bonine everyday on the cruise and is fine.

We aren't really pool/beach people either and never have a dull moment on the ship. That is with our kids (teens) rarely in the clubs. We have a great time playing trivia, bingo, towel folding classes, crafts etc. there is always something to do. But it's also nice just doing nothing but take a nap in a deck chair sometimes. I would suggest going to disneycruiselineblog.com and checking out the navigators to get an idea of what the ship has to offer for activities.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

My wife gets sea sick on small boats really quickly and every time. On bigger boats, hardly ever. But she does use the patch for rough days.

For stuff to do, there's always too much to do. No such thing as boredom on a cruise ship. Disney ships have the indoor movie theater, outdoor theatre, various classes (drawing, cooking, etc), mixology classes, and much more.

 

[squirk]

My wife cannot drive long distances in the car as a passenger. If she's not the one driving, she gets sick. She has never gotten sick on five cruises, nor even had to resort to pills or patches.

There is plenty to do besides pools.

There really isn't much to dither about. The prices will be cheaper now than they will be later. Place your deposit, and you will have until sometime in July to change your mind and get a full refund.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Activities - Are there activities for the three of us to do together outside of the pool? We aren't big on pools / beaches

You can check here: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ to get an idea of what sorts of activities are available onboard. There may be some variations, but it'll give you an idea.

 

[pontikes67]

We hated our first cruise experience on another line, then took our first DIsney cruise in 2014...another 8 months later and are scheduled for another next spring and likely slating another for thanksgiving 2017. While we are not Motion sickness people I do know that Bonine helps a friend of ours who is very prone to motion sickness and they cruise a lot; so it must work in some form. There are fun shows and family activities in D lounge and plenty of fun non pool experiences for adults if your child takes to the kids activities.

 

[TestingH2O]

Sea sickness: DH is SOOO sensitive. He was fine and had a great time. He didn't even use the patch, just ginger and non drowsy Dramamine.

Activities: We didn't put a toe in a pool. We did ride the AquaDuck a few times, but honestly, we were plenty busy with other things. In fact, we didn't even do as much as we had hoped.

We were nervous after our only other experience on Carnival, but we had a fabulous time and are already booked on 2 more. I say go for it especially since you don't have to factor in long travel.

 

[DISGRL13]

You will love it!! You do feel the movement on the ship and I think the worst was during dinner the first night. But then you get used to it and Dramamine works great!

There is so much to do besides the pools. Enjoy all the ship has to offer including food, movies, tastings, shows, drawing classes, bingo, dance parties, the spa, and much more. I love just walking around and people watching!! It is very magical!! Go ahead and book a cruise you will not regret it!

 

[dsdeleon]

It's all the best of Disney right in front of you, scheduled for your enjoyment. If you join a Fish Extender gift exchange, it will keep you way too busy to worry about all that little stuff. Enjoy!!!

 

[TeaBee]

We live in the Houston area, and the idea of taking a 4 night Disney cruise out of Galveston is very appealing to me. However, we have never been on a cruise, and I'm so overwhelmed with the "what ifs" that I am paralyzed when it comes to moving forward with the booking. We priced a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 4B) on the Wonder for November and I am fine with the cost.

So what advice would you give a first time cruise family to assuage our doubts? Should we take the plunge, make the deposit, and give ourselves a few more months to solidify our decision?

Here are my concerns:
Sea Sickness - I get sick riding in a car for more than 30 minutes, so I'm really sensitive. I'm terrified I'll be miserable.
Activities - Are there activities for the three of us to do together outside of the pool? We aren't big on pools / beaches

Here are some things I'm excited about:
Overall Disney experiences
Food - sign me up for room service all day every day.

Thanks everyone!

Both of my kids and my husband all have serious motion sickness issues in cars and planes and haven't had any problems on cruises. They all take bonine or dramamine on the first day (mostly for the car ride to the port) and then typically don't need it for the rest of the cruise. My father in law experiences motion sickness on cruises, but is just fine with medication.

We didn't get in the pool once on our 4 night cruise and still found that we didn't have time to do everything.

 

[mwilliams311]

Thanks everyone! These are all definitely putting my mind at ease! Now to convince my husband that it would be amazing!!

 

[JBeaty0507]

My MIL always gets car sick as well as sea sickness. She has never made a dinner on the first night.....until this year!! She took Dramamine and also took some Ginger with it and did great!

As far as activities go, we have a group of 7 going in May. We have all been on a Disney cruise before and none of us have ever been in any of the pools! (And that's with 3 who were under 10 when they've been). There is just so much to do on the ship that we never seem to find much time for the pools. You will have a great time!

 

[TrySomethingNew]

I'm sea sick prone and this was a big concern for me. So, first DCL was 4days on Dream - smooth sailing except first night, but I did OK (not great) - no meds. Next 11-night crossing North Sea to/from Iceland, with known rough water possibility. I talked to my doctor, got two scripts (patch for motion sickness and Zofran -anti-nausea) and I didn't take either one, but was glad to have it. I used Bonine every night and this helped very much! On the rougher days I had to lie down a few times for short periods, and could tell when the 24hrs was getting close and needing another dose. I also had some ginger tablets and an all natural oil product (topical application), but did not use either of those. Overall, there are many solutions-talk to your doctor and pharmacist to discuss the scripts and side effects, or just go with over the counter. Good luck!

 

[turtle27]

You are so close to the port, go! Lol. Sea sickness, take bonine/ or get a patch if you have trouble. I have motion sickness and it totally depends on the seas, some days I am great, others, nope, so I take the bonine. As for things to do, yes, lots, they have movies, classes, bingo, and then just sitting on the deck and watching the ocean go by. For the classes, if you can get your child out of the club, many love it, they normally offer classes on sea days, such as towel folding/napkin folding, and there is normally a crafting class. If you are without your child due to the kids clubs, there are alcohol tasting classes, that range from wine to mixology and lots in between. And I am forgetting all the character meets, those will also eat up part of your day. I generally travel only with other adults, who love what Disney offers, we have yet to be bored on a cruise.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I would absolutely take the plunge and do the cruise, especially a four night cruise. Oooor, for the REST OF YOUR LIFE you will have this voice in your head, 'Why didn't you try a Disney Cruise'? I thought I would be bored silly on a cruise when my wife suggested it. We have DCL cruise number seven booked and a Celebrity cruise line Alaska booked this year. Four nights is a perfect number of nights to book to see if it is for you, and your family. I like four nights because it gives you a sea day to take full advantage of exploring the ship.
My wife is also gets seasick and on our first cruise she did the patch behind the ear and she was fine, despite the fact that everyone else was seasick once we got out on the open ocean. BEFORE your freak out, it was on the 'Big Red Boat' in 1987; at that time the official cruise line of Disney. When Disney was dipping their toes in the water to see if this would work. The ships were about one third the size of the Magic and Wonder and bobbed like a cork in rough seas. And the Dream and Fantasy are even BIGGER than the two classic Disney ships.
We now use the 24 hour Dramamine; taking one to two each night starting the night before we fly out to Orlando. And as I have already stated about my wife suffering from seasickness, she is just fine. And I am not a doctor so it may be a good idea to check with your family Dr. to see what she/he recommends.

 

[Tink1010]

We live in the Houston area, and the idea of taking a 4 night Disney cruise out of Galveston is very appealing to me. However, we have never been on a cruise, and I'm so overwhelmed with the "what ifs" that I am paralyzed when it comes to moving forward with the booking. We priced a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 4B) on the Wonder for November and I am fine with the cost.

So what advice would you give a first time cruise family to assuage our doubts? Should we take the plunge, make the deposit, and give ourselves a few more months to solidify our decision?

Here are my concerns:
Sea Sickness - I get sick riding in a car for more than 30 minutes, so I'm really sensitive. I'm terrified I'll be miserable.
Activities - Are there activities for the three of us to do together outside of the pool? We aren't big on pools / beaches

Here are some things I'm excited about:
Overall Disney experiences
Food - sign me up for room service all day every day.

Thanks everyone!

I would absolutely take the plunge and do the cruise, especially a four night cruise. Oooor, for the REST OF YOUR LIFE you will have this voice in your head, 'Why didn't you try a Disney Cruise'? I thought I would be bored silly on a cruise when my wife suggested it. We have DCL cruise number seven booked and a Celebrity cruise line Alaska booked this year. Four nights is a perfect number of nights to book to see if it is for you, and your family. I like four nights because it gives you a sea day to take full advantage of exploring the ship.
My wife is also gets seasick and on our first cruise she did the patch behind the ear and she was fine, despite the fact that everyone else was seasick once we got out on the open ocean. BEFORE your freak out, it was on the 'Big Red Boat' in 1987; at that time the official cruise line of Disney. When Disney was dipping their toes in the water to see if this would work. The ships were about one third the size of the Magic and Wonder and bobbed like a cork in rough seas. And the Dream and Fantasy are even BIGGER than the two classic Disney ships.
We now use the 24 hour Dramamine; taking one to two each night starting the night before we fly out to Orlando. And as I have already stated about my wife suffering from seasickness, she is just fine. And I am not a doctor so it may be a good idea to check with your family Dr. to see what she/he recommends.

 

[Tink1010]

I do as well! I bring Dramine or Bonine with me but I also buy Sea Bands. I start wearing them 24 hours prior to sailing. I did not need the Bonine when I was on the Dream 4 night in August. I kept the bands on the entire time but not sure I needed them! I loved every minute of the cruise so I forgot about sea sickness! Go for it! Enjoy!

 

[OKW Lover]

First - Place a deposit on the cruise. This is important because while you are deliberating the cost of the cruise might (probably) will go up. By booking and paying your deposit now you lock in the current price. Just be away of the cancelation deadline.

Then - once you've booked the cruise look into sea sickness remedies. You'll find lots of folks swear by one or the other, but frankly its an individual thing as to what works for you. Its highly likely that you won't need anything as the movement on these ships is usually just a gentle sway while underway. Many people don't even notice it.

As far as activities go, yes there is always something to do! In addition to port excursions while docked there are activities on board while at sea. That includes things like bingo, first run movies, stage shows, beer/wine/adult-beverage tastings, demonstrations and specialty restaurants.

 

[Bishoparc]

We put off cruising and put it off and put it off for some of the same reasons, fear of being sea sick, not enjoying the activities, etc.

We took our first Disney cruise last September, took another in January, and have 3 more scheduled before the end of this year. We went from never going on a cruise at all to going to be gold castaway club members by November lol

 

[xlxo]

I'm a convert to crusing.... especially when I found out it was so affordable compared to road trips with oceanview/inside cabins. For additional savings also compare boats without the pixie dust.