Which cruise, help me decide?

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Planning a cruise for later this year.

2 adults, 10, 7 and 5 year old! Repeat cruisers.

Both on the Fantasy.

Both out of Port Canaveral.

Prices are comparable.

Option 1: 7 night Eastern (tortola and st thomas) last silver sailing for fantasy, but worried all the merchandise and castaway gifts will be gone by then.

Option 2: 8 night Bermuda (2 days in bermuda, nassua and castaway) right between silver and halloween so no special offerings. Never been to bermuda.

I can't decide which to do.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Planning a cruise for later this year.

2 adults, 10, 7 and 5 year old! Repeat cruisers.

Both on the Fantasy.

Both out of Port Canaveral.

Prices are comparable.

Option 1: 7 night Eastern (tortola and st thomas) last silver sailing for fantasy, but worried all the merchandise and castaway gifts will be gone by then.

Option 2: 8 night Bermuda (2 days in bermuda, nassua and castaway) right between silver and halloween so no special offerings. Never been to bermuda.

I can't decide which to do.

If it were me - I'm firmly in the "longer is better" camp, so 8 nights wins over 7. That and the fact that you've not been to Bermuda would tip it even further that direction.

 

[JM_97]

If you have never been to Bermuda, I highly recommend. It is similar to the Caribbean/Bahamas but very different at the same time. On my trip, we had three days to explore and there's so much to do. Nice port too.

Plus you'd get an extra day while still getting to visit Castaway. You can't go wrong with the other one though

 

[CamColt]

If you have never been to Bermuda, I highly recommend. It is similar to the Caribbean/Bahamas but very different at the same time. On my trip, we had three days to explore and there's so much to do. Nice port too.

Plus you'd get an extra day while still getting to visit Castaway. You can't go wrong with the other one though

I second this!

 

[JM_97]

I second this!

It wasn't on Disney but I had a great time. Good weather and the island is beautiful. None of my photos gave it any justice.

 

[Pixarfans]

Bermuda! It’s a unique itinerary that you can’t do often. Bermuda has yet to line up with my schedule (teacher).

 

[Dug720]

I can report on Bermuda after July 23! I'm sailing there on Celebrity out of NYC for my birthday!!

(It's definitely do-able for teachers...but you would have to expand cruise lines from DCL.)

 

[Cheburashka]

I'd go to Bermuda. DCL doesn't do many Bermuda sailings.

 

[Pixarfans]

I can report on Bermuda after July 23! I'm sailing there on Celebrity out of NYC for my birthday!!

(It's definitely do-able for teachers...but you would have to expand cruise lines from DCL.)

That sounds great! Enjoy!
I’m not ready to expand beyond DCL, yet. But maybe one day?

 

[auntlynne]

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

I definitely wouldn’t book a cruise based on getting special merchandise - since the Wish has apparently run out of Inaugural year items 7 months in.

I have been to Bermuda. It is beautiful. But you should check out things to do for your family. It is so different than the Caribbean. Yes, beautiful beaches out in the Atlantic.

Getting from the Royal Naval Dock, where you port, to anywhere takes some combination of ferry, bus, or expensive taxi/driver. Or public bus. But nothing is close by. You can go to any number of beaches (free), a zoo, a very old English settlement), still in use (St George, the original capital). I enjoyed it, but I was 54 yo. My SIL was hobbling around in a walking cast. We rode the bus (and were staying in a hotel).

I would say the same about the Eastern Caribbean (okay, any cruise not basically a trip to Castaway Cay) when traveling with little kids. Check out the destinations and port activities.

I think St Thomas makes an ideal beach day at Magen’s Bay. It’s typically calm and a very large area. Good bathrooms and plenty of available transportation. It does not require a shore excursion; easily done DIY.

Weather: Bermuda has less intense hurricane events than the Caribbean. You just don’t know what it will be from year to year. The cruise lines will change itineraries to keep you safe. An Eastern Caribbean can become a Western itinerary. But it doesn’t stop my family from picking these less-expensive September cruises. You typically miss the extreme heat of July and August while still have warm air and water.

Well its also the nice castaway club gift, the second firework show , I think the silver outfits for Mickey and Minnie are nice and all that. Plus some new menu items. Can just be fun to do.

We have cruised in sept before so yeah always a gamble, though our worst weather has been in feb (both times lol).

We aren't beach day people TBH so always looking for other stuff to do and seemed like quite a few choices in bermuda.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[AquaDame]

We don't know what the special gifts will be yet... right? You may not even like them. Even if you do, there are sites you can purchase them from. I've resorted to this for mugs from Trader Sams and for some other things as they just sell out so dark quickly if you aren't in the right spot at the right time. I don't see it as a big deal or weird, personally, if it is that or go on the itinerary I want.

We're on the Bermuda sailing in April and I can't wait! It will be our first sailing that is over 7 nights, and I'm hoping they don't drop the CC event they supposedly only have on sailings longer than 7 these days... we only got to attend one once before they altered which cruises have them. The overnight in Bermuda will be so nice also... I've only been on a couple cruises where we stay docked into the wee hours and we really appreciated having a whole evening on land. We were able to go further, and have dinner somewhere special, which I know not everyone does since the food onboard was already paid for, but we like. We usually don't go back for lunch onboard either on port days.

 

[holula]

Bermuda. I was originally booked on that cruise until PC was announced.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

We don't know what the special gifts will be yet... right? You may not even like them. Even if you do, there are sites you can purchase them from. I've resorted to this for mugs from Trader Sams and for some other things as they just sell out so dark quickly if you aren't in the right spot at the right time. I don't see it as a big deal or weird, personally, if it is that or go on the itinerary I want.

We're on the Bermuda sailing in April and I can't wait! It will be our first sailing that is over 7 nights, and I'm hoping they don't drop the CC event they supposedly only have on sailings longer than 7 these days... we only got to attend one once before they altered which cruises have them. The overnight in Bermuda will be so nice also... I've only been on a couple cruises where we stay docked into the wee hours and we really appreciated having a whole evening on land. We were able to go further, and have dinner somewhere special, which I know not everyone does since the food onboard was already paid for, but we like. We usually don't go back for lunch onboard either on port days.

There is a picture that is one per stateroom for all castaway club levels but it says while supplies last.

What was the CC event?

 

[MomOTwins]

If you haven’t done the standard eastern itinerary I vote for that. You can do the Baths ehich is as interesting as anything in Bermuda, and the extra fireworks are nice. But if you’ve done it before I’d vote Bermuda because I’m a fan of variety.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[auntlynne]

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

The Castaway Club party. Used to include short cruises, but it now only occurs on longer cruises >7 nights).

On the Panama Canal cruise in 2014, we took over the pool deck - I think it was only Platinum cruisers by then. The Captain talks. They serve champagne and Mickey Bars. Often a mention of things to come. In 2007, they asked what places we wanted to go - Bermuda being the big request. Then an explanation what it would take to do that (other Cruise lines had priority due to years traveling there). Now, you can sail to Bermuda on DCL.

Interesting. Sounds fun never heard of it. I wonder if they still do it now. Maybe April bermuda 8 night cruisers will be able to report on it.

 

[JWG]

Will be curious to see how Pearl impacts Castaway benefits and if Silver and Gold even matter anymore.