What should I know? (never been on a cruise)

[allybabba98]

Hi everyone,

I am just looking into perhaps doing a Disney Cruise in August of 2017. My DH's idea of a vacation is to sit and relax and probably take a mid afternoon nap. I prefer my go-go-go mentality and lots of rides

I have never been on a cruise before so forgive me for these basic questions. Is it true with cruising you want to book as soon as it becomes available as the price just goes up?

There are five of us, DH and myself and our three boys (10 and under). What type of stateroom should I be looking at and does it matter where you stay on the boat?

Do you have to get off at the ports or can you just relax on the boat?

Can you get food at anytime? Is it free? What would not be included in the price?

I have been watching Youtube videos to try and get a feel for a cruise. What Disney boat do people prefer? I would want to sail out of Port Canaveral if that makes a difference and probably do 4 days...???

Any advice you have would be much appreciated or any websites you think would be beneficial I would gladly take.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[ahain]

My advise to you is to look over the DCL website to see what's included & what's not. Order the free Disney Cruise DVD that they offer. Then, spend alot of time looking over the posts on this board, including older ones (not just the ones on the first page of active posts). You can also buy various books that specifically discuss Disney Cruises (for example, "The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line" available on Amazon.com

Yes, you can get food anytime from somewhere that is included in the fare. Again, read through posts on this board, especially the FAQ post at the top of the first page. Most of your questions will be answered there.

We have been on the Wonder, the Dream and the Fantasy and our favorite is the Disney Fantasy. Every ship is beautiful and we've had terrific experiences on every DCL cruise, but we prefer the larger ships and 7 night itineraries.

 

[2prettygirl]

Hi everyone,

I am just looking into perhaps doing a Disney Cruise in August of 2017. My DH's idea of a vacation is to sit and relax and probably take a mid afternoon nap. I prefer my go-go-go mentality and lots of rides

I have never been on a cruise before so forgive me for these basic questions. Is it true with cruising you want to book as soon as it becomes available as the price just goes up?

There are five of us, DH and myself and our three boys (10 and under). What type of stateroom should I be looking at and does it matter where you stay on the boat?

Do you have to get off at the ports or can you just relax on the boat?

Can you get food at anytime? Is it free? What would not be included in the price?

I have been watching Youtube videos to try and get a feel for a cruise. What Disney boat do people prefer? I would want to sail out of Port Canaveral if that makes a difference and probably do 4 days...???

Any advice you have would be much appreciated or any websites you think would be beneficial I would gladly take.

Thanks everyone!!

We LOVE cruising with Disney, it's definitely ideal for us as we can sit and relax but yet still have the Disney experience with dining and character meet and greets (less wait time).

I suggest booking on opening day if you can, the prices will tend to go up closer to cruise time.

I would suggest a Deluxe Family Oceanview room aft of the ship, we LOVED it! It's cheaper than the balcony rooms but has a huge window seat for the kids to sit and look out. The layout of the room worked very well for our family of 4, but a family of 5 can fit into it as well, you will just have an extra bed (murphy bed from wall). My next suggestion would be a balcony room, we have never splurged on this but the layout of the room is very similar to the Deluxe Family Oceanview. Oceanview rooms are either aft or forward, we prefer aft, I think there is less movement but to each their own. We have also stayed midship on other cruiselines, once again they say there is less movement to be felt midship.

You can get off at the ports if you wish or stay on the ship. I would suggest getting off, even if it's just for a quick look around the port and get back on, at least you can say you have been to that destination. Most ports will have a beach close by, if your family likes the beach time. This is the cheapest way to enjoy the port versus taking an excursion through the cruiseline. Staying on the ship during port days is almost a guarantee of nice quiet time. You will have a great time enjoying the amenities on board while the crowd is low. We love hanging out on the pool deck during port days and enjoying the place to ourselves (not really but it's not nearly as crowded).

Food is free and you can get it anytime. Cabanas (on the Fantasy) is open for breakfast and lunch and then closes down early afternoon, maybe around 2 and then will open back up for dinner, I am sure the other ships are the same way with their buffet area. If you feel the need for food in the time frame that Cabanas is closed, you can always get pizza, or hit the snack area or order room service, most items are free from room service but not all....you shouldn't go hungry while cruising. As for dining at night, I suggest eating in the MDR, the selection of food is phenomenal and the kids will always have a great selection to choose from. The MDR rotations are fun, you will have 3 different restaurants that you will rotate between with your wait staff being with you each night. The places that charge for food will Palo and Remy, that's a choice you have to make. I personally like the MDR, we have never tried the specialty restaurants.

We have only cruised on the Fantasy and we LOVE it! Cannot wait to sail on it again!

 

[DISGRL13]

You will love cruising with Disney.

You can be as busy or as unbusy as you want to be. There is something for everyone. You can just lounge by the pool or read a book in a lounger on Deck 4 or you can go to movies, swim, go to the spa, play games, go on port excursions, shop, exercise, play Bingo, go to shows and eat!

Yes the food is available almost all the time and is all included in the price (except for the adult only restaurants and alcohol)

I would book on opening day if possible for the best prices.

 

[taishartrueblood]

If you go hungry, ever, it is your fault. You have to almost fight off people offering you delicious foods