Torn between two cruises

[cszuber]

We’re torn between a 7 night on fantasy stopping at Tortuga, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay or a 5 night on magic going to key west, Nassau and castaway cay. $2700 more to do 7 night. We have two boys, 8 and 5. Can’t decide if we’ll regret not doing the 7 night if we do the five or if the 7 night would be too long. Anyone made a similar decision and have thoughts?

 

[Rob1872]

Most people will tell you that more days is better. Can say that a 7 night is not "too long".

Big difference here to me is that Key West is 'going to Florida' and Nassau wasn't that exciting to us; Tortuga and St. Thomas are much more of an adventure.

Plus on a 7 night you get things like the placemat drawing in AP; you don't on a 5 night.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

I am always a fan of 7-night or longer cruises, as there's so much to do on the ship. 7 nights will give you more sea days to explore the ship, more than one night in each rotational dining restaurant, and more time to relax into your vacation.

 

[MomOTwins]

Almost everyone on here is going to say the 7-day is better, because they are huge DCL fans and love more time on the ship. I personally would go for the 5-day. We did the 3-day and the 7-day on the Fantasy and I felt like 7-day was more time than we needed and toward the end we felt like we were repeating a lot because we ran out of new things to do (e.g., same food at cabanas breakfast, same small pools, same dining rooms on repeat, more trivia, more movies, more bingo). I still had a nice time, but I plan to book a shorter cruise next time or one with more port stops.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I’m on the five night Magic Cruise now & that’s the one I would pick if you think seven nights MIGHT be too long. You have a day at sea, and three ports and I think that’s a nice mix.

I like Key West as a stop.

Best wishes as you decide!

 

[VTNuke]

There are other factors to consider here. The vacation will be different not only by the number of days and where you go, but also by which ship you're on and by your departure ports. While the price of the cruise is $2,700 different, you also have to factor in differences in flight costs, transportation to and from the port, hotel options the night before, and/or driving cost, all depending on how you're getting there.

I'd lean towards a longer cruise, but, if you've done the Fantasy before, you might want to consider the trip on the smaller Magic. We've done the Dream (3 times), Fantasy, and Wonder with an upcoming trip on the Magic. I'm excited to get that 4th ship in just to experience all 4. I liked the size of the Wonder when we hit Castaway Cay, but I like the Dream a little better for the extra offerings that aren't on the smaller ships.

In the end, you aren't going to make a wrong decision. Both trips will be great and you'll have a good time. Just remember to book your placeholder for your next cruise so you can do the other trip the following year!

 

[insureman]

If the Magic were out of Port Canaveral I would say do that however it leaves out of Miami which we have done and is more of a hassle for us since Southwest only flies to Fort Lauderdale. Also wasn't a fan of of the cruise terminal when we went there last year. We also like the classic ships, seems less crowded.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

I just had a similar decision to make, 7 day WC on Fantasy vs. 5 day on Wonder from New Orleans with the same stops as your Magic cruise. It was a really hard decision!
We decided on the 7 day because we haven’t been able to go on a 7 day since our first cruise in 2017, and the Fantasy is the only ship we haven’t sailed on. I think what tipped me is that our cruise should end up being SWDAS. If it doesn’t end up Star Wars I may actually change to the Wonder since I’ve always wanted to visit Key West and I love that ship. In your case I would probably have to do a pro/con list or flip a coin, since both options are great.

 

[Quellman]

The kids might enjoy the Fantasy ship as a whole, more than the magic, just in terms of things to do. The 5 year old MIGHT just be tall enough to ride the aqua duck with you. Mid ship detective agency is great etc. Ports can also allow for more advenurous or not (beaches) if that is your thing. I think you can still find some amazing fun things to do on the Magic, Key West is easy to get around on your own and has some fun things to see.

$2700 is a lot of money for just 2 days. I'd probably do the Magic, but I'm cheap like that.

 

[mevelandry]

We’re torn between a 7 night on fantasy stopping at Tortuga, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay or a 5 night on magic going to key west, Nassau and castaway cay. $2700 more to do 7 night. We have two boys, 8 and 5. Can’t decide if we’ll regret not doing the 7 night if we do the five or if the 7 night would be too long. Anyone made a similar decision and have thoughts?

I’m torn between: « 7 nights itinerary is the obvious choice » and « Yikes! What a huge price difference for two more nights!» ...

 

[cruisehopeful]

I'd really choose based on itinerary. Where do you want to go? What will you do when you are there?

I'm one of the odd people out in that I enjoy one sea day and after that, I am bored of sea days. I'd also be factoring in how many sea days there are.

 

[DisBNewB]

Much like others, the 7 night feels like a no-brainer, until you factor in that cost difference.

When I look at the costs, I tend to break it down to the per-night cost. What's the difference in the two costs per night? Is that difference worth it, based on where you might have to travel to board the cruise, any costs or extra costs for airfare or tolls and gas or an overnight hotel stay?

 

[o&smom]

7 nights is a minimum for us!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We’re torn between a 7 night on fantasy stopping at Tortuga, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay or a 5 night on magic going to key west, Nassau and castaway cay. $2700 more to do 7 night. We have two boys, 8 and 5. Can’t decide if we’ll regret not doing the 7 night if we do the five or if the 7 night would be too long. Anyone made a similar decision and have thoughts?

If $2700 doesn't break the bank, I would go with the 7 night cruise. I much prefer the eastern Caribbean itinerary over the Bahamas and the 7 night gives you the opportunity to enjoy the ship more.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We have never done either of these, but have done both 7-night and 5-night cruises and have been to most of the ports involved (with Tortola on the bucket list). We would personally much prefer the 7-night itinerary! That said, seems like $2,700 is a lot. That said said...I have always felt we get what we pay for when the brand is Disney. You can't go wrong with either decision!

 

[disneylandlocal]

I don’t think you will regret the 7 night, but it’s a big price bump for only 2 more days. On the flip side, if it’s a lot of travel to get to port you may want the longer cruise. You should also price out travel to Miami vs PC. Conventional wisdom is the smaller ships (magic/ wonder) are better for younger kids. You could also wait for the next release date because cruises will be cheaper if you book on opening day. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.