Wonder vs Fantasy in February

[CD300]

Hello!
This is my first time posting, but I have been a long time lurker!
We are planning our second Disney cruise in February- sailing out of New Orleans on the Wonder for the 6 day Bahamian- 2 adults, 2 kids in a verandah stateroom. Looking at the Disney website, for a $2k upgrade, I can bump up to the 7 day Eastern Caribbean on the Fantasy. I am having such a hard time deciding!
Wonder pros- smaller ship at CC (we have previously sailed concierge on the Dream and could grab a cabana, but not this time), more cost efficient, able to explore New Orleans post cruise , and of course, Tiana's.
Fantasy pros- 1 day longer, warmer waters of the Caribbean (as opposed to CC in Feb), and Remys.

My kids are 11 and 13, so the Oceaneers club is no longer a factor.

Which would you choose? I've seriously called Disney and changed my mind twice already, I'm so torn! I know I can't go wrong, but would love anyone's thoughts!

 

[CD300]

PS- of course I forgot to include the obvious question. Is it worth the $2k to move to the Fantasy?

 

[flipflop]

Longer (always) and warmer waters in Feb. It pains me to say that because I prefer the classic ships and love the idea of going out of NOLA.

ETA: Have you checked on airfare?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

PS- of course I forgot to include the obvious question. Is it worth the $2k to move to the Fantasy?

Only you can answer if it's worth $2K for one more day.

Personally, I will always opt for a longer cruise. And I would prefer Caribbean over Bahamas.

 

[CD300]

@flipflop
airfare is a bit cheaper to Orlando. so plus in that column. Thank you for your reply!

 

[bethy]

The Wonder is our favorite ship and I do love New Orleans. But in February I'd much prefer the Caribbean waters. Plus the extra day is a bonus. I'd be even more inclined to choose the Eastern itinerary if I hadn't done it before. It is marvelous.

 

[kathi]

The extra day and warmer water would be very compelling for us. We also love the Fantasy. If you are platinum, you could still get a cabana on Serenity Bay - I've seen them still open. Are you going to Key West and Nassau on the Wonder? I really prefer the Caribbean ports, but Key West is a nice stop. I've never been to New Orleans, so that would be a big factor for me, but if you have been before, that probably doesn't matter!

 

[CD300]

@bethy- great to hear!
@kathi- for the Wonder trip, the ship stops at Key West and CC. I've been to New Orleans, so not a big deal there, although I would have loved to experience it with my family. Not Platinum, but silver, so I don't think a Cabana is in the cards for us.

 

[auntlynne]

Would you rather do - the ports for the Eastern Caribbean or for the Bahamian? Especially if you had to do only DCL excursions?

The cruise fare may be cheaper, but what about $125 pp for Remy, transportation from MCO (airline savings may offset that), cost / choice of lodging before the cruise. Travel time / flight schedules (which could Possibly change between now and Feb).

As a newbie, I would want to try the various ships; our next cruise is on the Magic to get my nephew his Grand Slam (sailing on each of the four DCL ships).

There is no right answer here. Got to go with your gut.

 

[auntlynne]

My gang also was happier when we found an itinerary that stopped in Key West instead of Cozumel. There is a water plane that goes to Ft Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park they want to visit (I did it on a PC cruise - beautiful views of the water from the plane.)

 

[Cheburashka]

PS- of course I forgot to include the obvious question. Is it worth the $2k to move to the Fantasy?

For the Fantasy and an extra day, it would be worth it to me. There is more for kids to do on the Fantasy: Aqua Duck, Midship Detective Agency, mini golf on the sports deck, virtual sports & golf (reservation required), splash pad for kids, better kids' pools, etc. The Fantasy's rainforest room has a hot tub and view out to sea, Remy, an upcharge sweets shop (& you can have dessert delivered from there to your MDR if you wish), etc. Most of the family staterooms have round bathtubs with a rainfall shower. A Caribbean itinerary will be better & warmer than a mostly Gulf of Mexico itinerary in winter. Key West is currently banning large cruise ships (including DCL) from the island, and while the matter is being contested, I wouldn't count on getting to stop there. Galveston not infrequently gets fogged in, too, and that's typically no issue at Port Canaveral.

In my experience, the "less crowded Castaway Cay" thing is overblown. I have noticed shorter Pelican Plunge waterslide lines on the Magic class, but even on Dream class, the line just doesn't take that long. Other than that I haven't noticed any difference on the island, and a non-concierge cruiser won't be able to get a family beach cabana on either one without tremendous luck.

 

[CD300]

Wow! Thank you so much for your help. I decided to switch to the 7 night on the Fantasy. Between the better port options, the additional night and the dinner at Remys, I’m sold!

 

[NoodlesMom]

I made the mistake of booking a Bahamas cruise in February. It was super chilly. I would go for the Caribbean for that reason alone.

 

[Ronneeaght]

I've been contemplating that itinerary on the Wonder - I'm waiting for the fall cruises to see if any of the ones from NYC stop at Castaway. Either way it would be our second DCL cruise and first stop at Castaway. Have other people had the same experience as @NoodlesMom? How chilly is chilly? We are from the Northeast and swim in pretty cold weather.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

for the Wonder trip, the ship stops at Key West and CC.

Maybe stops at Key West. Depends on the outcome of the recent election results court case. Currently big ships (over 1300 passengers) would not be allowed in Key West.

 

[mlayton14]

I would pick the fantasy - extra night, warmer temperatures, and IMO much nicer / more impressive ship

 

[FWRR3]

Too late I guess, but if you haven't sailed out of NOLA, I would do that. We did it last year and loved it. I just wish they sailed the river during daylight hours, although it was still light as we left NOLA. Coming back I got up in the wee hours as we started up the river and sat in the up front smoking area just behind the bridge. One of the friendly river pilots would come up from the bridge for a smoke every few hours and we some interesting chats. It was certainly worth the sleep I lost.