Disney Cruise Advice

[echo88 74]

Anyone here taken a Disney cruise? Considering taking my 3 boys on a Disney trip, but I think a Disney cruise might be a better segue before I commit to such an expensive ordeal.

 

The boys are 8, 7, and 5....

 

Looking for advice on which liner of theirs is best and any tips/tricks/facts about the Disney cruises that might be helpful.

 

Looking to go early summer 2019....

 

Thanks!

[coltssb 1,044]

Sorry I do t have anything to add but I would also like to here what others say. We are thinking about doing this next year sometime.

[jbrown_9999 1,020]

I have heard from friends that Disney cruises are well done - especially for families with kids around your sons' ages. That said, they charge a premium for the experience. which may or may not be a concern for you.

 

I know that we greatly benefited from an Unofficial Insider's Guide to Disney World that gave us a bunch of great tips and tricks for Disney World. There is probably something equivalent out there for cruises and would be money well spent.

Edited October 17, 2018 by jbrown_9999

[echo88 74]

I have heard from friends that Disney cruises are well done - especially for families with kids around your sons' ages. That said, they charge a premium for the experience. which may or may not be a concern for you.

 

I know that we greatly benefited from an Unofficial Insider's Guide to Disney World that gave us a bunch of great tips and tricks for Disney World. There is probably something equivalent out there for cruises and would be money well spent.

 

Yep ive heard the same, unfortunately lol. Hoping to use my gov discounts. Just trying to figure out which one would be the best and whether or not its worth the money.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[irishwavend 571]

We went exactly a year ago this weekend. Give me a little while and I'll circle back with all of my thoughts/tips. You going out of Port Canaveral?

[echo88 74]

We went exactly a year ago this weekend. Give me a little while and I'll circle back with all of my thoughts/tips. You going out of Port Canaveral?

 

Yeah i think so...

[Kelly Gruene 26]

I’ve never done it but have many friends and acquaintances who have. I don’t know a single person who has had anything but positive things to say about Disney cruises. They are a bit pricey but apparently very much worth it if you can swing it.

[The eND 0]

With children, there is absolutely no better cruise you can take. Sure, maybe they charge a bit more, but for me there is no better cruise experience with your family (unless like you hate Disney stuff).

 

I have been on the Disney Dream twice. Once went it first opened in 2011 and again this summer.

 

1. The Disney service is best in the biz. The crew is excellent, friendly and accommodating. Anything you need, they will be there for you.

 

2. You can check to see which room sizes fit you and also where you want to port out of. In addition, shorter cruises offer better pricing of course.

 

3. Go to the Disney Cruise Line sites and check out some of the ships and amenities offered to see what you like. I don't know all your family preferences, but know there is usually something for everyone on the ships.

 

4. Disney owns/leases its own island and most cruises have a day at this location where you can chill by blue water beaches, rent bungalows, go on excursions etc.

 

5. Dining is great. And something I love is your dining crew follows you throughout every night. They get to know what you like, what you love and they'll even bring you a meal from the night before at a different restaurant if you loved it.

 

6. The souffle. It is amazing. The best one is the amaretto souffle at Palo (separate reservations required) but the chocolate and vanilla souffle at the other dining experiences is fantastic (this is all Disney Dream).

 

7. BABYSITTING! Not that it appears you have any babies left in the family but they do have great kids areas full of amazingly fun and interactive experiences. With a nominal fee you and yours can enjoy a night in some of the adult bars or a dinner for two.

 

Anyway, give a look at some of the ships they have on their site. See what works for you.

[echo88 74]

With children, there is absolutely no better cruise you can take. Sure, maybe they charge a bit more, but for me there is no better cruise experience with your family (unless like you hate Disney stuff).

 

I have been on the Disney Dream twice. Once went it first opened in 2011 and again this summer.

 

1. The Disney service is best in the biz. The crew is excellent, friendly and accommodating. Anything you need, they will be there for you.

 

2. You can check to see which room sizes fit you and also where you want to port out of. In addition, shorter cruises offer better pricing of course.

 

3. Go to the Disney Cruise Line sites and check out some of the ships and amenities offered to see what you like. I don't know all your family preferences, but know there is usually something for everyone on the ships.

 

4. Disney owns/leases its own island and most cruises have a day at this location where you can chill by blue water beaches, rent bungalows, go on excursions etc.

 

5. Dining is great. And something I love is your dining crew follows you throughout every night. They get to know what you like, what you love and they'll even bring you a meal from the night before at a different restaurant if you loved it.

 

6. The souffle. It is amazing. The best one is the amaretto souffle at Palo (separate reservations required) but the chocolate and vanilla souffle at the other dining experiences is fantastic (this is all Disney Dream).

 

7. BABYSITTING! Not that it appears you have any babies left in the family but they do have great kids areas full of amazingly fun and interactive experiences. With a nominal fee you and yours can enjoy a night in some of the adult bars or a dinner for two.

 

Anyway, give a look at some of the ships they have on their site. See what works for you.

 

Thanks a ton for the info! It's just that I saw that there are different ships and so I wasnt sure how to rank them. Departure port isn't really an issue---we are good to leave out of pretty anywhere on the eastern seaboard. Would probably be doing a 3-5 overnight type trip. I personally don't care for cruises but I think this would be a better option than Disney World right now since my youngest probably wouldnt remember it.

 

DW trip is probably 2-3 years away. Of course by then the older ones won't care. Lol....

[The eND 0]

Thanks a ton for the info! It's just that I saw that there are different ships and so I wasnt sure how to rank them. Departure port isn't really an issue---we are good to leave out of pretty anywhere on the eastern seaboard. Would probably be doing a 3-5 overnight type trip. I personally don't care for cruises but I think this would be a better option than Disney World right now since my youngest probably wouldnt remember it.

 

DW trip is probably 2-3 years away. Of course by then the older ones won't care. Lol....

 

No problem dude.

 

I went to Disney for the first time when I was almost 5. I do have solid memories but also not sure which of all the memories are tied to snapshots in my mind or snapshots from old pictures.

 

Disney World though is borderline NOT FUN. It is fun to see your kids enjoy things, but it is a marathon and not always a relaxing vacation.

 

If you can get 6-7 days to do Disney and take a day between parks that is great. Also just doing a few things now and saving more for a trip later works too.

 

I would say to hold off on Disney World until Star Wars land is completed because then you will that AND the newly completed Toy Story land that opened last summer.

[NDhoosier 1,229]

The eND did a great job explaining the details, so I will not be able to add much, but I will simply back him in saying that Disney cruises are the best.

 

There are two different sizes of boats (soon to be 3 different sizes). I will say that I prefer the smaller boats because there are less people on the boat. Smaller boats are the Magic and Wonder, the bigger boats are the Dream and Fantasy. You will enjoy all of them, but, in my opinion, "there is so much more room for activities."

[echo88 74]

The eND did a great job explaining the details, so I will not be able to add much, but I will simply back him in saying that Disney cruises are the best.

 

There are two different sizes of boats (soon to be 3 different sizes). I will say that I prefer the smaller boats because there are less people on the boat. Smaller boats are the Magic and Wonder, the bigger boats are the Dream and Fantasy. You will enjoy all of them, but, in my opinion, "there is so much more room for activities."

 

Perfect that is what I was wondering. Thank you sir...

[irishwavend 571]

I know I have a summary email somewhere but I can't find it, because I wrote down my advice for others. Anyway, I'll try to give you a run down of what I remember:

 

1) Don't worry about meeting characters the first day. Meet who you can, but they will have time on the last day to meet folks you didn't get a chance to eat.

 

2) Go with the early dining, because it gives you more opportunity to do everything in the evening.

 

3) Don't eat the lobster pasta...they'll tell you its the most returned item. You won't believe them. Then, you'll think, "Damn. They were right," but you won't return it due to pride in ignoring the waiter.

 

4) At the shows, sit 2nd or 3rd row in the center section, but at the very end of the row. The characters will come say hey to your kids. It was awesome. Perfect location that we stumbled on.

 

5) Consider staying on the boat during a stop, even castaway cay. Or, go back early. It's nice to have a day on the boat without anybody else there.

 

6) If you have kids with swim diapers, they can't go in the pools. They have to stay in the splash pad. However, there is an unheated shallow pool up top towards the front of the boat that nobody goes to. If you think your kiddo needs some pool time, that's a great spot.

 

7) Tips - they will automatically charge you a predefined tip for your wait staff and room attendants at the end of the trip. You can reallocate these tips, though, at the end. Just be prepared.

 

EVERY Disney movie ever made is available in the room, plus all Disney/ABC channels. IF ND is playing at home, you wont get to watch the game because it's on NBC. USC v. ND was on last year...I had to basically just check the score on ESPN in the bar.

 

9) Make sure you have costumes for the kids to dress up on the appropriate days. They love it. The parties on the deck are awesome. Also, they have movies on the deck. It's a good time to just chill after a long day with the kiddo.

 

10) The comedy club has some games and character meets that are obscure, like Jack Sparrow. You won't be able to meet him on the last day, so if he's a must, you should get over there.

 

11) The kids activity center is pretty sweet. The millenium falcon is cool, plus tons of activities.

 

12) I thought beer was very reasonably priced, even with out a plan. I mean, I got a bucket of 6 blue moons for $10 or something like that.

 

13) If you're expecting some of the pampering or other typical amenities that you get on an ordinary "adult" cruise, you may find that the degree of service is a little below that level, but not much. The amount to do and the fun the kids had completely overshadows any service issues.

 

14) The front desk is amazing and has all sorts of activities or other items you may need. They go above and beyond. We forgot my daughter's bday decorations (the cruise was NOT for her bday...it just happened to be the only time we could go before having our third kid), so I went to the front desk to ask for crayons and glue to make some little decorations for her. Well, we came back to the room the next day and the guest services had all signed a card for my daughter and had a package of plush toys that they gave her for her birthday. A+! We loved that.

 

15) I would do it again in a heartbeat and it was totally worth it. Castaway Cay is cool but maybe not an entire days worth.

 

16) Oh! Food! You can purchase sweets, but otherwise, the continually open food is really good. They also provide a meal at Castaway Cay of food that you would grill out. Pretty good stuff.

 

17) Meal plan for dinner rotates you through each of the dining rooms with different themes, I think Nemo, Belle, and I can't remember the other.

 

Anyway, it's a great time! If you have specific questions, it may jog my memory. Let me know.

 

18) One more thing - if you're going out of Port Canaveral, driving from the airport is incredibly easy, because 528 (the main road that goes East & West from the airport takes you directly into the cruise port. You get on 528 and just go East until you see the boats. Lots of good places to eat at Port Canaveral, too. Heck, if you're paying attention, you may even see a rocket launch. They've been launching a lot lately. We watch from our house, but it's way cooler on the coast.

[echo88 74]

I know I have a summary email somewhere but I can't find it, because I wrote down my advice for others. Anyway, I'll try to give you a run down of what I remember:

 

1) Don't worry about meeting characters the first day. Meet who you can, but they will have time on the last day to meet folks you didn't get a chance to eat.

 

2) Go with the early dining, because it gives you more opportunity to do everything in the evening.

 

3) Don't eat the lobster pasta...they'll tell you its the most returned item. You won't believe them. Then, you'll think, "Damn. They were right," but you won't return it due to pride in ignoring the waiter.

 

4) At the shows, sit 2nd or 3rd row in the center section, but at the very end of the row. The characters will come say hey to your kids. It was awesome. Perfect location that we stumbled on.

 

5) Consider staying on the boat during a stop, even castaway cay. Or, go back early. It's nice to have a day on the boat without anybody else there.

 

6) If you have kids with swim diapers, they can't go in the pools. They have to stay in the splash pad. However, there is an unheated shallow pool up top towards the front of the boat that nobody goes to. If you think your kiddo needs some pool time, that's a great spot.

 

7) Tips - they will automatically charge you a predefined tip for your wait staff and room attendants at the end of the trip. You can reallocate these tips, though, at the end. Just be prepared.

 

EVERY Disney movie ever made is available in the room, plus all Disney/ABC channels. IF ND is playing at home, you wont get to watch the game because it's on NBC. USC v. ND was on last year...I had to basically just check the score on ESPN in the bar.

 

9) Make sure you have costumes for the kids to dress up on the appropriate days. They love it. The parties on the deck are awesome. Also, they have movies on the deck. It's a good time to just chill after a long day with the kiddo.

 

10) The comedy club has some games and character meets that are obscure, like Jack Sparrow. You won't be able to meet him on the last day, so if he's a must, you should get over there.

 

11) The kids activity center is pretty sweet. The millenium falcon is cool, plus tons of activities.

 

12) I thought beer was very reasonably priced, even with out a plan. I mean, I got a bucket of 6 blue moons for $10 or something like that.

 

13) If you're expecting some of the pampering or other typical amenities that you get on an ordinary "adult" cruise, you may find that the degree of service is a little below that level, but not much. The amount to do and the fun the kids had completely overshadows any service issues.

 

14) The front desk is amazing and has all sorts of activities or other items you may need. They go above and beyond. We forgot my daughter's bday decorations (the cruise was NOT for her bday...it just happened to be the only time we could go before having our third kid), so I went to the front desk to ask for crayons and glue to make some little decorations for her. Well, we came back to the room the next day and the guest services had all signed a card for my daughter and had a package of plush toys that they gave her for her birthday. A+! We loved that.

 

15) I would do it again in a heartbeat and it was totally worth it. Castaway Cay is cool but maybe not an entire days worth.

 

16) Oh! Food! You can purchase sweets, but otherwise, the continually open food is really good. They also provide a meal at Castaway Cay of food that you would grill out. Pretty good stuff.

 

17) Meal plan for dinner rotates you through each of the dining rooms with different themes, I think Nemo, Belle, and I can't remember the other.

 

Anyway, it's a great time! If you have specific questions, it may jog my memory. Let me know.

 

18) One more thing - if you're going out of Port Canaveral, driving from the airport is incredibly easy, because 528 (the main road that goes East & West from the airport takes you directly into the cruise port. You get on 528 and just go East until you see the boats. Lots of good places to eat at Port Canaveral, too. Heck, if you're paying attention, you may even see a rocket launch. They've been launching a lot lately. We watch from our house, but it's way cooler on the coast.

 

Above and beyond my friend. Amazing insight. Thanks a lot...

[irishwavend 571]

Above and beyond my friend. Amazing insight. Thanks a lot...

 

See... I’m not ALWAYS an internet a$$hole... hahaha.

[echo88 74]

See... I’m not ALWAYS an internet a$$hole... hahaha.

 

I never said that....lol

[Rocketsan 768]

See... I’m not ALWAYS an internet a$$hole... hahaha.

 

OMG. I love you...

[SpeedsterX 652]

I would chime in but irshwave just about covered it. I do know there's no casino's on Disney ships but I hear the shows are the absolute best in the industry. Have a great time!BTW, I wouldn't miss Castaway Cay. Great beach day!!

[NDhoosier 1,229]

I would chime in but irshwave just about covered it. I do know there's no casino's on Disney ships but I hear the shows are the absolute best in the industry. Have a great time!BTW, I wouldn't miss Castaway Cay. Great beach day!!

 

The shows are really good actually. I have been on 3 different Disney cruises and there was only one show that I did not like and went to every one I believe.

[Rocketsan 768]

Only complaint I have heard is that food (obviously) is kid friendly and a little sub par to what other cruisers were used to on Celebrity, Carnival and RC...