What is there to do on these cruises?

[karebear1]

I am just beginning to look into the DCL for our 25th anniversary trip. MY DH and I have never been on a cruise and would like to do Disney's 'cos we are Disney fans- but we don't know what to expect from a cruise. Can you please give us a idea of what there is do to on a cruise , including excursions etc. or give me a website that would have specific details on different packages etc. that there are? I really have no idea where to even start here! It's like learning about WDW all over again- very overwhelming to me! Please! Can you guys help out a DCL amateur? THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

 

[feenie]

check out Castaway club .com. They have copies of the daily activitys schedules, spa info, all sorts of good stuff!
there is SO much to do that you will have a great time! We have no kids, but we didn't feel out of place or bored!.

 

[karebear1]

I'm noticing through reading other posts on this board that you can reserve a specific room. Is that right? Is there a "concierge" floor?

Thanks for the castaway club site- I'll check it out.

 

[KathyTX]

If you haven't taken a look yet, check out the Disney Cruise Line's official website:

www.disneycruise.com

You'll find lots of information and photos there. Click on the "Order Free Vacation Planning Information" button on the home page, and order a free planning video and a brochure. The video will take you around the ship and show some of the available excursions. I think being able to actually SEE some of these things will help give you a tangible idea of what being on the ship is like.

There's not a concierge floor. There are a limited number of suites (Categories 1, 2, and 3) that offer some level of concierge service. On the DCL website, you can take a look at the different deck plans and see where these rooms are located.

 

[DoomBuggieDriver]

As far as rates etc. I started at the official Disney site to see the high end, then checked on-line for travel companies that specialize in cruises and found they all have discounted cabins with extra options such as tranfers and insurance you can add on. If you are a member of AAA, you should check with them too, as they often have good rates. When you settle on a company, be sure to check them out-many people on this board have dealt with a variety of cruise companies, so you should be able to get some imput.

Categories 1, 2 and 3 are concierge level, which gives some perks you may or may not need. Basically people have said the extra space is what you are paying for, and some found the extras weren't justified for the additional $$$, while others thought the extra room was worth it. I do know you have to book pretty far in advance (a year or so) to get one of these rooms, although once in while one becomes available when someone cancels or postpones their trip.

Here are some other sites you can check on regarding DCL and cruises in general

www.cruisecritic.com
www.passporter.com (Jennifer and Dave's sit for their Passporter guides and lots of info; I love their book)
www.dcltribue.com (Dave's site-he's here as Dave from Marietta and has lots great tips)
www.cruise.com
www.dreamscruise.com
www.mouseearsvacations
www.yourmagicaljourneys.com
www.costco.com
www.magickingdomtravel.com


There's another discount cruise company sea something? Maybe someone can steer you to it.

Hope this helps! Have fun planning.

 

[mcgrawfan]

What isn't there to do!! There are so many activitites and shows. There is great food. There is a basketball court, a spa, night clubs, shopping, movie theater and 3 pools!! We only did the 3 day, which was great if there is not enough time for a 7 day, but there were many things we didn't have time to check out.

 

[DoomBuggieDriver]

Hi KareBear
The other travel discount company is allseastravel.com

Sorry I couldn't think of it earlier.
Have fun checking out the sites.
Kathy

 

[makaylee]

What isn't there to do!

I agree whole heartedly with mcgrawfan. Seven days wasn't long enough to do evrything we wanted to. We did spend an awful lot of time at the pool though.

 

[KennyK]

Hi karebear,

Don't forget DreamsUnlimited.com for another great travel company online and they sponsor this site.

WE're off for our 4th cruise, 3rd disney in 60 days and love every minute of it. WE've done the 4 and 3 day disney and this one will be the 7 day western. Our first cruise was on the Grand Princess eastern ( 7day) and even though it was great Disney cruises are alot better, I love the dining rotation where your whole table along with your servers move to a different dining room during the cruise. Your servers will really get to know you and take extra good care of you.

Good luck in your choice. Also nobody mentioned, there really isn't any bad time in going even during Hurricane season as the ships will detour any possible storms.

Kennyk

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

Castawayclub.com first of all is great. I also wanted to say I have been to WDW 25+ times with my family. I am a total disney nut and plan to work for WDI someday. We loved the cruise. Went on first one in 2001 and went again in 2003 and are booked for the 10 day cruise next christmas. There is so much to do and see. IF have any specefic questions or need help, just ask me and everyone else. We all have learned so much from the boards.
Have a Disney Day,
Matt

 

[karebear1]

You are all so wonderful! I started looking at castaway club- that site sure has loads of info on it! Thanks for that referral and all the others. I'll send for the DVD of the cruiseline too. There is so much I need to learn and still have a million questions. I could use some suggestions on how long you think a new cruiser should take for their first cruise. I know you can do 3,4 or 7 day cruises, and since we haven't been on a cruise I wondring if we should take a shorter cruise just in case we get sea sick or something. Now normally, I would say that wouldn't be a problem. We seem to be able to ride all rides at WDW including Mission Space with no problem at all- but I suppose knowing that wouldn't suggest if we would get seasick or not. Is there anyway to tell? I also need to know what you think the least expensive, largest room with an outside varanda for 2 adults only is? I've looked on the sites- but the rooms all look the same to me- and we like roomier rooms- but certainly don't need a family sized suite- there's just the 2 of us! Are you in your room all that much?

 

[WDWLVR]

All rooms in the Cat. 5-10 group are really the same room. While DCL rooms are roomier than other cruise ships they are by no means roomy when compared to a resort room. How much time you spend in the room is really up to you. We like to relax in and around our room and my favorite place to do it is on the veranda. We prefer the Navigators veranda due to location and how the veranda is different.

As for a first cruise - if you are really unsure then go for the 4 day. I really think the 3 day is way too short. I prefer the 7 day cruises as you really get the cruise experience with them. Sea days are my favorite!

You've already gotten lots of goo advise and links to check out.

 

[karebear1]

Navigator's Veranda's? Are those the ones that are enclosed with a solid half wall and just a large window opening?

 

[jrabbit]

For those that really need something to touch and feel while reading, there is the Magical Disney Cruise Guide (click on the Word Document to download, then save it on your PC). It's about 80 pages of useful info on all of the DCL cruises, excursion descriptions, dinning descriptions, etc. It can be a little out of date, so be sure to ask us any questions about specific things (like what days are the formal and semi formal nights on the 7 night cruise- because they change).

Another great "resource" to help you get the feel of a cruise is the Travel Channels hour long show on the Disney Cruise Line. Whoever watches it really wants to go on a Disney Cruise.

We were unsure if we would enjoy a cruise vacation (even after Disney came out with their's). In '99 we were going to be at WDW for a little more than a week, so we decided "what the heck" and booked a 4 night cruise to complete our 2 week vacation. We were hooked. We've been back several times since that first cruise and are looking forward to our next cruise in October to Antigua.

Welcome to the cruise boards. You got questions, we got answers!

 

[jrabbit]

OK, so now lets answer the original question: "What is there to do on a cruise?"
The basics are: Eat, sleep, eat, relax, eat, watch the ocean slip by, eat, enjoy some great shows in the theater and the various clubs around the ship, eat, enjoy new friends and finally there is a lot of great food to eat.

Secondly, there are way too many fun things to do on the ship. They have a lot of activities planned -- you'll have to make some hard choices (and rebook another cruise so you can "do it all"). The kids have their clubs and activities that are of interest to most children. For adults (on the 7 night cruises) there are the 3 different "series" that you can participate in. One is the "Art of Entertaining" which has sessions on cooking, wine, table decorating, napkin folding, etc. The second is the "Art of Entertainment" where you will get to meet some of the actors, crew and directors. The third is the "Navigator" Series where you will learn about the making of the Magic and meet with bridge officers in question and answer sessions. There are many different "classes" in each series and you can pick and choose what you want to participate in.

There are classes on animation (how to draw the Disney characters), there is a wine tasting class (extra charge for this), there is a time when you can meet the captain of the ship, there is a movie theater where you can watch movies all day if you wish (you also can watch movies in your room). There are the 3 pools on the ship: kids, families and adults only. Ping Pong and shuffleboard. There is the sports court where you can shoot baskets, shoot puck or play volleyball. There are the loungers on deck 4 where you can sit and relax and just watch the ocean.

In the evenings, the main event is dinner. The food is great, the servers are exellent (usually) and the restaurants are beautiful! Then there are the "cabarette" shows. They are about 30-45 minutes in length and the family show is between the dinner seatings (the adult show is after the late seating). These are the magicians, musicians, jugglers that preform in the variety shows that are on the first and last nights of the 7 night cruises. Then there are the main stage shows. Most are very good. There are the variety type shows and very Disney shows. Later in the evenings the adult nightclubs are hopping with adult games shows, the theme parties and dancing and music.

And the list goes on and on!!