Why no character sailings out of Port Canaveral?

[MissDaisyofTexas]

When my oldest starts middle school, we won't be able to pull him out of school anymore for cheaper DCL prices. In researching Royal Caribbean, it seems that the ships that sail out of Port Canaveral don't have the Dreamworks character experiences. Am I looking at that right?

So if we want a character experience on RCCL, we have to sail out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, which would be harder to combine with a Disney World vacation? Does anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks.

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

Rccl does have character experiences out of Port Canaveral on Freedom of the Seas. It's a longer cruise not a 3 or 4 day cruises. No 3 or 4 day cruise with RCCL have character experiences.

We've sailed on the Liberty of the Seas which is in the same class as the Freedom. It sailed from Fort Lauderdale. We loved the ship and all the amenities it offered.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Rccl does have character experiences out of Port Canaveral on Freedom of the Seas. It's a longer cruise not a 3 or 4 day cruises. No 3 or 4 day cruise with RCCL have character experiences.

We've sailed on the Liberty of the Seas which is in the same class as the Freedom. It sailed from Fort Lauderdale. We loved the ship and all the amenities it offered.

Thanks! When I click on the 7-day from Port Canaveral, it does not mention the Dreamworks character experiences at all. Nice to know they're on there.

I still think it's a bummer they don't have them on the 3 or 4 day cruises.

 

[woody73]

. . . In researching Royal Caribbean, it seems that the ships that sail out of Port Canaveral don't have the Dreamworks character experiences. Am I looking at that right?

Rccl does have character experiences out of Port Canaveral on Freedom of the Seas. . .

We've sailed on the Liberty of the Seas which is in the same class as the Freedom. It sailed from Fort Lauderdale. We loved the ship and all the amenities it offered.

We have sailed multiple times on the Liberty of the Seas, and were very pleased.

MAD4EEYORE is correct -- the Freedom of the Seas also has the Dreamworks Experience. Link: RCI Dreamworks Experience

Woody

 

[bumbershoot]

I will be enjoying 2 dreamworks character meals on Freedom next month, leaving out of canaveral. Might have been three but even my bar after crazy husband and son though two was enough.

 

[ldo]

we are doing WDW and Liberty $ day out of Ft Lauderdale. Pretty easy--if you fly, just rent a car one way and drop at FLL airport and take transfer or taxi or you can even drop at some rental agencies and they will drop you at FT L pier. We are always paranoid about missing a cruise, so we are driving the day prior and staying at Ft L hotel, so we don't have to worry about traffic.

 

[dpswift]

The Freedom class is great we took a family cruise on the Independence of the Seas four years ago. It was our best family vacation.

I understand that a week long cruise could be hard to combine with a trip to WDW. However I would be hesitant to do a family cruise on the Enchantment(the ship doing the 3 and 4 nighters out of Port Canaveral) It is a beautiful ship and DH and I had a great time when we sailed her. However there are not as many options for children on that ship.

I have read that other DISers have done family cruises on the Enchantment and have been impressed. They said the kids clubs were great. The kids club area is small however.

 

[KristieBennett]

I just sailed on the Freedom of the Seas in November. There were plenty of characters on the ship. You see them quite often in the promenade. They are also at the sail away party! Royal Caribbean will list in the cruise compass ( like a personal navigator) when and where they will be out!

 

[dunnhorn]

I don't want to burst a bubble - but we went on the Oasis last Spring, and I wasn't wild about the character experiences. It is just totally different from Disney. Basically, you can sign up for a character breakfast (but it sells out.) At the character breakfast, about 3 or 4 Madagascar characters come out in a little parade and then stand in the corner for kids to greet them - they didn't go table to table for us.

There are other times where the characters parade around the promenade and then stand around giving autographs. There were never more than like 2 or 3 people in line - unlike what you see at DCL.

I would think an older boy in middle school wouldn't be THAT into characters to make a big difference. Our son is in 6th grade - just started middle school - and I'm just not sure he would care that much, as opposed to one year ago.

But - that said, the Oasis would be cool for a middle school boy, and if you could swing the Ft. Lauderdale thing - it would be worth it. We drove, parked at the port, and then drove to Orlando for a few Disney days after our cruise.