Which ship?

[dwg]

Go with the Magic for the first time. Especially if anxiety is an issue. We just got off the Wish and while it was a beautiful ship, we were not impressed with some of the ship designs. You could search these boards for some of the things that others have liked or disliked. One thing is that it is much bigger ship with 4,000 passengers compared to 2400 on the magic. RCCL will also most likely have even more passenger capacity based on which ship of theirs you are looking at.

The tables on the Wish main dining rooms were very close together with little room for the wait staff to get through. One Head Waiter actually mentioned this to us as an issue they have. The main dining rooms on the older Disney ships seemed to have a much more open feel. This was probably my biggest issue with the Wish along with the noise level in the dining rooms, especially Arendelle. Definitely felt very close for us.

 

[Pickles282]

Throwing another question out there. Is the dream more comparable to the magic or wish? I think the husband might be willing to try a cruise, and I don’t want to blow it lol.

 

[holula]

Throwing another question out there. Is the dream more comparable to the magic or wish? I think the husband might be willing to try a cruise, and I don’t want to blow it lol.

Size wise, comparable to the Wish.

Decor and layout wise, more comparable to the Magic.

 

[Captainkate]

Anxiety. He gets in his head and worries he’ll feel like he’s stuck on a boat and not able to get off if he needs to. He also is convinced he’ll come home with stomach issues from the food. It’s been YEARS since he’s had a panic attack and I don’t want him to again… let alone on vacation. I don’t want to force him to go but I really think he’d love it. I went on a carnival cruise many, many years ago with friends so I have an idea of what being on a cruise is like… from what I remember of that one

You might consider a 3 night cruise then, to start with. That way he is NOT at sea for an entire day. (4 night and others have days at sea) There is always a port where he can get off and walk around on land. I think he will be ok if he knows he can walk off the ship every morning if he wants to.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

Anxiety. He gets in his head and worries he’ll feel like he’s stuck on a boat and not able to get off if he needs to. He also is convinced he’ll come home with stomach issues from the food. It’s been YEARS since he’s had a panic attack and I don’t want him to again… let alone on vacation. I don’t want to force him to go but I really think he’d love it. I went on a carnival cruise many, many years ago with friends so I have an idea of what being on a cruise is like… from what I remember of that one

My Spouse had this issue before his first cruise now and he's addicted. It really stemmed from the misunderstanding of what there was to do on the ship.

I actually sat down with him and went over everything on the magic on the website (or maybe a ship overview tour on youtube would be a good choice?) and he was more apt to give it a try knowing a bit more about the ship itself.

All of his fears about being "stuck" were put to rest before we had even left port.

 

[jimmymc]

With those prices, I would pick the Magic just to save the money. I think the Wish is a better ship, and it has better food, but I can put up with that for a few thousand dollars in my pocket.

Once your husband sees how big the ships are and how much there is to do, I think he'll be fine. In the Caribbean the water is usually calm and you aren't ever that far from land. I tend to get bored on sea days, so I'll bring a book or some movies on my laptop.

 

[auntlynne]

I also suggest the Magic. As a new cruiser, you don’t know what you are missing from the newer ships (a water slide, perhaps).

I would say the Dream would be okay, but I think it is sailing from Miami now (?) and I really prefer the Disney Terminal experience at Port Canaveral. Even the airport in Orlando is better than Miami (my opinion).

The Magic has never given me that WDW crowded sensation. I also don’t cruise during school-break times, so out might get a different experience when you go.

Disney or Royal? I prefer Disney; I grew up with Disney movies and TV and my preferences have not changed so much decades later. Royal (and many mass-market cruises) are more representative of the next decades of many people’s lives - parties, drinking, loud music. Your cruise cost is subsidized by the casino and the hard-to-totally eliminate smoke in that area. And cruisers with an all you want to drink package.

Disney modeled its original 4 ships on the look of a classic ocean liner, with touches of Disney throughout (often Hidden Mickeys, but also not hidden). The Wish has been referred to as a nice hotel or conference center. Many of the Royal ships have a central “Promenade,” which essentially a shopping mall.

If you want a surfing simulator, rock climbing wall, onboard zipline, ice skating, a carousel, a water theater, Royal offers those activities. They are popular. Royal’s private island offers a pool and a water park with slides (extra fee), where Disney’s island is more like a day at the beach.

Disney nighttime entertainment has Disney characters. Royal has Grease, Mama Mia, Cats.

It’s personal preference. Nice to have choices.