To Cruise Or Not To Cruise?

[grapefruitjellybean]

This post contains many questions and I appreciate the feedback.
About us: 2 30somethings, 5 year old, 7 year old.
I want to do something exciting for my child's birthday. I don't want to do a Disney trip because I find the planning overwhelming plus I want to avoid insane lines for March Break. So I thought about a cruise. I have never been on a cruise and they have never appealed to me, until now. After watching a few Wish videos on YouTube my impression is that Disney cruises are different. I'm also considering a non Disney cruise and I don't know where to start.
Should we do something more affordable for our first cruise that is non Disney? Which non Disney cruises are best for families?
How many nights should we do? Where should we go? The possibilities are endless here.
Thanks!

 

[Calantha]

Speaking for myself...

I had never gone on a cruise before 2019. We went with my husband's whole family on the Disney Fantasy (12 of us total). My son was 4 at the time. Everyone had such a great time, we just got back from a whole family cruise again on the Fantasy. We've gone 'all in' really. My son (now 7) loves everything about cruising - the food, the entertainment, the beach/excursions. I do too, it turns out and we've got 2 more booked for next year.

It can be crowded at times - and there are a few things to worry about (if you want to) - but sooo much more relaxing. We drove over to Disney Springs after we got off the Fantasy last week and it was so crazy.

If I were going to start over on a cruise, I'd do a 4-5 night in the Caribbean. We're testing things with my mom next January - 4 nights on the Wish - to see if she likes it.

 

[darnheather]

The first Disney cruise I took my kids on they were 15 and 10. It was amazing and they never wanted to go back to the parks again. I loved it because I knew they were having fun and well cared for which allowed me to relax. I don't think you will regret it at all.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

Speaking for myself...

I had never gone on a cruise before 2019. We went with my husband's whole family on the Disney Fantasy (12 of us total). My son was 4 at the time. Everyone had such a great time, we just got back from a whole family cruise again on the Fantasy. We've gone 'all in' really. My son (now 7) loves everything about cruising - the food, the entertainment, the beach/excursions. I do too, it turns out and we've got 2 more booked for next year.

It can be crowded at times - and there are a few things to worry about (if you want to) - but sooo much more relaxing. We drove over to Disney Springs after we got off the Fantasy last week and it was so crazy.

If I were going to start over on a cruise, I'd do a 4-5 night in the Caribbean. We're testing things with my mom next January - 4 nights on the Wish - to see if she likes it.

I think I replied with a blank message, oops.
I'm glad to hear you had a wonderful experience. Do you have any tips for first timers? How crowded is crowded? What are the crowded areas? Crowded restaurants I can deal with.... but crowded pools is panic inducing for me.
Can you get a designated lounger at the pool, or a cabana? I hate those all inclusive resorts where people wake up at the crack of dawn to hoard 15 pool loungers that they use for 20 minutes only.
Which ships are your favourite?
Thanks so much!

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

The first Disney cruise I took my kids on they were 15 and 10. It was amazing and they never wanted to go back to the parks again. I loved it because I knew they were having fun and well cared for which allowed me to relax. I don't think you will regret it at all.

Which ship do you recommend for a first timer? Do you have any tips?

 

[nikem3]

This post contains many questions and I appreciate the feedback.
About us: 2 30somethings, 5 year old, 7 year old.
I want to do something exciting for my child's birthday. I don't want to do a Disney trip because I find the planning overwhelming plus I want to avoid insane lines for March Break. So I thought about a cruise. I have never been on a cruise and they have never appealed to me, until now. After watching a few Wish videos on YouTube my impression is that Disney cruises are different. I'm also considering a non Disney cruise and I don't know where to start.
Should we do something more affordable for our first cruise that is non Disney? Which non Disney cruises are best for families?
How many nights should we do? Where should we go? The possibilities are endless here.
Thanks!

My wife use to be practically scared to cruise. Had some irrational fears about being on the next Titanic or something. Got her on one since I am a seasoned cruiser and she has never turned back. She loves it now.

In terms of your questions, its really going to be your own preference. Each cruise line will have pros and cons to it. For length, I'd suggest a 4 or 5 day. You could do a 3 day to get your feet wet, but I feel like most people once they get off the 3 day wish they picked a longer cruise. Whatever cruise line you choose, pick an itinerary that goes to their private island. Assuming you like the beach, I typically love these days the best. Personally, I could careless about Nassau, so I'd avoid it if you can.

For cruise line, really up to you. If you are huge Disney fans, Disney will be one of the most kid friendly lines. Built around Disney fans obviously with character interactions, great kids clubs, good service, etc. Disney is certainly one of the more expensive lines though, so be ready to pay a bit more premium. Other cruise lines have their pros and cons too. Carnival has great food, especially Guys burgers or Shaq's chicken and some of their specialty restaurants. They have a doctor Seuss area for kids too and sometimes a character breakfast. Royal Caribbean has a ton of activities on their bigger ships like laser tag or an escape room or bumper cars for kids. Norwegian's bigger ships are also packed with different activities. Some of these things cost extra money.

My suggestion would be to look at a time frame and find a few cruises with prices that make sense to you and then watch some video tours and see which one peaks your interest the most. I've been on all 4 of the major lines and have had good experiences.

 

[SnappySerape]

Oh if you want to avoid planning then cruising is the right thing for you! All of your choices for activities or food are served on a platter and you just pick it out! I have to plan out so much on a week to week basis for work that when I took my first cruise, it's the only way I WANT to see the world haha. You're not lying, there's plenty to consider!!

I've cruised several times on Disney, Royal Caribbean and Princess so I won't speak to Norwegian or Carnival. Disney and Royal are more similar than they are different. I give Disney the ultimate edge over Royal for younger kids and families because they have great service, plenty of family activities, great kids clubs (from what I hear, I don't have kids), and that Disney flair.
I've talked to people whose kids got tired of Disney when they got older and migrated over to RC and loved it. Some Royal ships will have things like laser tag, escape rooms, ice/roller skating, bumper cars, dry slides, and aqua shows. I feel like Royal does cater a bit more to the adults than the kids so keep that in mind (not to say that Disney doesn't have adults only activities from time to time, I just feel like there were more on RC). I've always had great service on Disney and there were a few times when service on RC was a little wanting but overall RC service was still really good! If you go towards Royal Caribbean, I would suggest starting with an Oasis or Quantum class ship. They have the most bells and whistles and things to do. I personally really like the Quantum class as the Oasis class is a bit too big for me (although the aqua shows are fantastic).

While the ship is a big part of the trip, Itineraries are also important so take a look at the ports and things to do at the various ports. RC will offer more variety of ports but that's because they have so many more ships! Hopefully Disney will vary the itineraries up as more Triton class ships come into service. Both lines have private islands and I prefer CoCo Cay to Castaway because it's a bit more developed and feels like it offers a bit more extras (the water park on CoCo will cost extra but not the pirate ship splash pad). Many folks prefer Castaway because it has a more natural island feel.

In my opinion, I would try for a 4 or 5 day cruise as a first cruise. If you like it, it'll still feel like you got a decent amount of time on the ship and will probably leave you wanting more. If you didn't like it, you're not stuck on the boat for a full 7 days. 3 day cruises hardly feel like a cruise to me. You don't quite get to settle in! Nowadays I don't want to do less than 7! I have a 14 day New Zealand cruise planned next year on Celebrity.

 

[dreamer17555]

Your kids are at a great age for it! I would look at either a 4 night or a 5 night. If you can I would look at The Dream in Miami vs The Wish but distance might be a factor.

My reasoning is- partly cost- the Dream is cheaper but still an amazingly lovely ship with all the bells and whistles. The adult areas are lovely and it is a good taste to see how you might like the other ships.

5 nights will still hit castaway as well as either Cozumel or Grand Cayman - 4 nights will go to Nassau and castaway.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

Your kids are at a great age for it! I would look at either a 4 night or a 5 night. If you can I would look at The Dream in Miami vs The Wish but distance might be a factor.

My reasoning is- partly cost- the Dream is cheaper but still an amazingly lovely ship with all the bells and whistles. The adult areas are lovely and it is a good taste to see how you might like the other ships.

5 nights will still hit castaway as well as either Cozumel or Grand Cayman - 4 nights will go to Nassau and castaway.

I don't want to start on the Wish! I feel like if I start off on the Wish I will be so disappointed with other cruises. I also don't care about ports, I'll probably change my mind after a few cruises but for now I don't know what I don't know.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

Oh if you want to avoid planning then cruising is the right thing for you! All of your choices for activities or food are served on a platter and you just pick it out! I have to plan out so much on a week to week basis for work that when I took my first cruise, it's the only way I WANT to see the world haha. You're not lying, there's plenty to consider!!

I've cruised several times on Disney, Royal Caribbean and Princess so I won't speak to Norwegian or Carnival. Disney and Royal are more similar than they are different. I give Disney the ultimate edge over Royal for younger kids and families because they have great service, plenty of family activities, great kids clubs (from what I hear, I don't have kids), and that Disney flair.
I've talked to people whose kids got tired of Disney when they got older and migrated over to RC and loved it. Some Royal ships will have things like laser tag, escape rooms, ice/roller skating, bumper cars, dry slides, and aqua shows. I feel like Royal does cater a bit more to the adults than the kids so keep that in mind (not to say that Disney doesn't have adults only activities from time to time, I just feel like there were more on RC). I've always had great service on Disney and there were a few times when service on RC was a little wanting but overall RC service was still really good! If you go towards Royal Caribbean, I would suggest starting with an Oasis or Quantum class ship. They have the most bells and whistles and things to do. I personally really like the Quantum class as the Oasis class is a bit too big for me (although the aqua shows are fantastic).

While the ship is a big part of the trip, Itineraries are also important so take a look at the ports and things to do at the various ports. RC will offer more variety of ports but that's because they have so many more ships! Hopefully Disney will vary the itineraries up as more Triton class ships come into service. Both lines have private islands and I prefer CoCo Cay to Castaway because it's a bit more developed and feels like it offers a bit more extras (the water park on CoCo will cost extra but not the pirate ship splash pad). Many folks prefer Castaway because it has a more natural island feel.

In my opinion, I would try for a 4 or 5 day cruise as a first cruise. If you like it, it'll still feel like you got a decent amount of time on the ship and will probably leave you wanting more. If you didn't like it, you're not stuck on the boat for a full 7 days. 3 day cruises hardly feel like a cruise to me. You don't quite get to settle in! Nowadays I don't want to do less than 7! I have a 14 day New Zealand cruise planned next year on Celebrity.

Thank you for taking the time to write up your reply, that's very helpful.

 

[darnheather]

Which ship do you recommend for a first timer? Do you have any tips?

I have only sailed on the Magic and Wonder and loved them both. The best part of these two smaller ships is that Castaway Cay is not crowded. All three times we stopped there we enjoyed it so much and had no issues getting lounge chairs.

One tip is not to over plan. We always did only one planned excursion per trip. In other ports we might have gotten off the ship and walked around a bit or just stayed onboard for a lazy day. The kids usually enjoyed those lazy days best.

On the first cruise I kept a little tighter reign on them. We all had breakfast and dinner together. For my younger one I picked her up from the club for lunch and then let her decide if she wanted to do something with me (movie theater, swim, whatever), or go back to the club until time to dress for dinner. My oldest had the run of the ship from after breakfast until meeting in the room before dinner. This gave all three of us time to play apart and together. I know that the servers will bring the little ones their dinner first and you can take them to the club to finish your dinner but I liked having dinner all together at a slow pace as at home that never happened for us. I was usually eating in the car while waiting at dance or soccer.

Participate in the fish extenders. My kids loved checking ours and getting the little gifts.

If photos are back then get the package deal. I had well over 200 pictures and all of them were so precious. (Many people will disagree with me here but I love that I have photos with all 3 of us in them!)

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

I have only sailed on the Magic and Wonder and loved them both. The best part of these two smaller ships is that Castaway Cay is not crowded. All three times we stopped there we enjoyed it so much and had no issues getting lounge chairs.

One tip is not to over plan. We always did only one planned excursion per trip. In other ports we might have gotten off the ship and walked around a bit or just stayed onboard for a lazy day. The kids usually enjoyed those lazy days best.

On the first cruise I kept a little tighter reign on them. We all had breakfast and dinner together. For my younger one I picked her up from the club for lunch and then let her decide if she wanted to do something with me (movie theater, swim, whatever), or go back to the club until time to dress for dinner. My oldest had the run of the ship from after breakfast until meeting in the room before dinner. This gave all three of us time to play apart and together. I know that the servers will bring the little ones their dinner first and you can take them to the club to finish your dinner but I liked having dinner all together at a slow pace as at home that never happened for us. I was usually eating in the car while waiting at dance or soccer.

Participate in the fish extenders. My kids loved checking ours and getting the little gifts.

If photos are back then get the package deal. I had well over 200 pictures and all of them were so precious. (Many people will disagree with me here but I love that I have photos with all 3 of us in them!)

Agree on the photos! I’m ALWAYS the one taking the photos and have very few of me and my kids or all of us together. I will always get the photo package.

What is fish extenders?

After planning a 3 weeks Disney/Universal trip this will be my chill getaway. The only things I want to preplan is spa time and an excursion.

We live going out to dinner as a family. Not having to wake up to book those precious dining reservations only to have everything be full sounds like a dream. You don’t need to think, just show up!

Right now the only cruise that works with dates is the 4 night Western Caribbean that stops in Cozumel on the Magic. We will have a few days in New Orleans as well.

Let’s talk pool loungers. Is it first come first serve? Can you reserve a cabana for the entire cruise?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[lilsonicfan]

We have been on the Magic, Wonder, and Fantasy, and we loved all of them. I think your kids are at an excellent age for a cruise with DCL. Fantasy had the AquaDuck, "coaster" you ride on a raft. *kids need to be 42" i believe*. Magic has something else, the AquaDunk, which only my oldest child was brave enough to do. And Wonder doesn't have either of those.

Pool loungers are absolutely first come first serve. DCL does not have cabanas for reservation on board the ship, only at Castaway Cay (and they are hard to get and $$$). On our longer cruises on Magic and Wonder it was not hard to get a lounger, but on Fantasy it was definitely more difficult at times. There are also tables to sit at around the pool area, so it's not bad really. Sometimes loungers are free b/c they aren't under a covered space and people need a break from the sun!

I would strongly suggest a 7 day cruise even if it is your first time. You get more time to settle into the ship, to explore without being rushed. You will also get to eat at each of the MDRs twice. More time to meet the characters, more chance at getting a reservation for Palo brunch (only on sea days), more everything!

Most rooms for 4 on DCL ships have a bed setup as follows: one queen bed (cannot separate into twins), one couch that folds into a bed (not a full pullout, it just folds down to a twin-size) and one pull-down twin-size bunk over the couch. If you don't want either kid to be on the bunk, consider booking a room that can sleep 5, it will have a murphy bed (twin-size) that pulls down from the wall. On Fantasy and Dream, there are verandah rooms and oceanview rooms that have this setup. Magic and Wonder don't have as many of these rooms and they are all verandah rooms.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

We have been on the Magic, Wonder, and Fantasy, and we loved all of them. I think your kids are at an excellent age for a cruise with DCL. Fantasy had the AquaDuck, "coaster" you ride on a raft. *kids need to be 42" i believe*. Magic has something else, the AquaDunk, which only my oldest child was brave enough to do. And Wonder doesn't have either of those.

Pool loungers are absolutely first come first serve. DCL does not have cabanas for reservation on board the ship, only at Castaway Cay (and they are hard to get and $$$). On our longer cruises on Magic and Wonder it was not hard to get a lounger, but on Fantasy it was definitely more difficult at times. There are also tables to sit at around the pool area, so it's not bad really. Sometimes loungers are free b/c they aren't under a covered space and people need a break from the sun!

I would strongly suggest a 7 day cruise even if it is your first time. You get more time to settle into the ship, to explore without being rushed. You will also get to eat at each of the MDRs twice. More time to meet the characters, more chance at getting a reservation for Palo brunch (only on sea days), more everything!

Most rooms for 4 on DCL ships have a bed setup as follows: one queen bed (cannot separate into twins), one couch that folds into a bed (not a full pullout, it just folds down to a twin-size) and one pull-down twin-size bunk over the couch. If you don't want either kid to be on the bunk, consider booking a room that can sleep 5, it will have a murphy bed (twin-size) that pulls down from the wall. On Fantasy and Dream, there are verandah rooms and oceanview rooms that have this setup. Magic and Wonder don't have as many of these rooms and they are all verandah rooms.

Thanks!
I don’t think our first cruise should be 7 nights. What if we hate it? The time I’m planning is also during March break with means $$$$ and I don’t know if I want to drop that much. On top of that, I need to consider the exchange

 

[catsrgr8]

We went on our first Disney cruise in april this year with my 5 yo daughter. My husband was very hesitant about being “stuck” on a ship, but he now says it was the best vacation ever because it was SO easy and we had more time alone than we’ve had in years, since my daughter loved the kids club. The convenience of everything being so close and easy, like meals, shows, your room, pool etc compared with a traditional vacation was a major bonus for him. We picked San Diego for 5 nights for our first cruise because we live in California and I wanted to keep it as easy as possible. 5 nights was a great start because it gave us enough time to do most of the activities we wanted but also have plenty of time to lounge by the pool and relax. We’re planning our next Disney cruise for January and our entire family is so excited!

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

We went on our first Disney cruise in april this year with my 5 yo daughter. My husband was very hesitant about being “stuck” on a ship, but he now says it was the best vacation ever because it was SO easy and we had more time alone than we’ve had in years, since my daughter loved the kids club. The convenience of everything being so close and easy, like meals, shows, your room, pool etc compared with a traditional vacation was a major bonus for him. We picked San Diego for 5 nights for our first cruise because we live in California and I wanted to keep it as easy as possible. 5 nights was a great start because it gave us enough time to do most of the activities we wanted but also have plenty of time to lounge by the pool and relax. We’re planning our next Disney cruise for January and our entire family is so excited!

What do you have in mind for your next cruise?

 

[lilsonicfan]

Thanks!
I don’t think our first cruise should be 7 nights. What if we hate it? The time I’m planning is also during March break with means $$$$ and I don’t know if I want to drop that much. On top of that, I need to consider the exchange

I hear you on exchange, we are Canadian. It can be pricey. That’s one reason we have done two longer cruises with DCL, the repositioning cruises are cheaper per person per night than most of the standard cruises are, but I love cruising and knew I always would! It’s a really nice “turn off your brain” kind of vacation.

For our first Disney cruise we did pull the kids out of school as it was cheaper, they were 4, 6 and 8 at the time. Not an option for everyone i know. Now that they are older we won’t be doing that.

 

[catsrgr8]

What do you have in mind for your next cruise?

We were hoping to do a 7 night Caribbean cruise from FL but when we were looking at the weeks that worked with my daughter’s school we just couldn’t turn down the 5 night Dream sailing from Miami Jan 2. The cost/day was SO much less money than the other school breaks we were considering. We were able to use our 10% placeholder discount and book through Costco (7% Costco gift card) to get the cost down even more! My husband says we can still plan the 7 night Caribbean in the future!

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

I hear you on exchange, we are Canadian. It can be pricey. That’s one reason we have done two longer cruises with DCL, the repositioning cruises are cheaper per person per night than most of the standard cruises are, but I love cruising and knew I always would! It’s a really nice “turn off your brain” kind of vacation.

For our first Disney cruise we did pull the kids out of school as it was cheaper, they were 4, 6 and 8 at the time. Not an option for everyone i know. Now that they are older we won’t be doing that.

Lol I’m pulling them out for 3 weeks in September. It’s been a rough 2.5 years so YOLO. I really want to go for my daughters birthday which falls on the worst week in March. Yes, I absolutely realize how ridiculous that sounds but her brother always gets trip birthdays in June. Poor baby hasn’t had a big blow out so I’m making up for it.
Im actually laughing at myself right now because when I typed it out and reread it I realize how silly the whole thing is. She probably won’t care if we go on a cruise the week after her birthday.

 

[Carohs]

It's not silly at all! Mine are 6 and 8, and when asked if they want a party or a trip they always choose trip. I think they just feel extra special when the whole day/vacation is all about them vs just a couple hours.
We did our first cruise on DCL last year and loved it!!