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Hello! As you can see by my signature, we are frequent visitors to WDW--me, husband, and son, who is five. We are considering our first cruise ever, and first Disney cruise, next summer (2016). I know that itineraries aren't even out that far (at least, I don't think they are), but I'd love input...first, as big fans of the parks, would we likely enjoy a cruise? And second, what recommendations would you make for a cruise? DH and I are both teachers, so summer is our only option.
Thanks!
I thought the 2016 cruise options were already listed so I'd check that out.
A cruise is a very different kind of vacation than going to Disney World. There are many activities onboard for kids (and lots of character visits available). Many of the character visits need to be pre-booked and it can be tough to get times for the more popular characters.
You'll find lots of time for visiting/hanging out at the pool. Depending on where you cruise, you will have option for shore excursions (extra costs) with a number of family friendly options.
I'd suggest ordering the Disney Cruise DVD which has lots of helpful information. Look at the cruise schedules and determine where you might like to go and how long a cruise you want to be on.
We loved DCL and will definitely be back when time allows! Of course we're biased because its the only cruises we've ever taken. However if you are a fan of the Disney experience then you will not be disappointed with your DCL experience. It's a nice alternative to a WDW vacation and makes for some tough future choices. From a personal standpoint we prefer the older, smaller ships that accommodate 3k people vs. 4k people but both are fantastic ships. Good luck with your planning. I bet you'll find your kids won't want to leave the ship when you return to Port Canaveral!
We took our first DCL trip in November, a 7-night caribbean on Fantasy and really loved it! We also are a frequent WDW family and thought we may not enjoy the cruise as much but my kids actually are dying to do another one and would prefer to take a cruise for our next trip vs. WDW. We had poor weather most of the trip, unfortunately, but there are things to keep you busy (movies, drawing classes, kids clubs, shopping, games/crafts) even during lousy weather. Do not be worried that you will lose the "Disney-feel"--it is everywhere from the cabin decor to the music playing overhead. The kids loved the shore excursions and the chance to be in other countries. The biggest thing holding us back is the cost--it is not as easy to get a "good deal" with DCL as with WDW. For example, I got a great deal for 7 nights with park tickets booked at BC this summer for about $3000 whereas our DCL cruise easily surpassed the $9000 mark after on-board charges, etc. Big difference. Overall, we definitely recommend going!
We are DVC members, AP holders and very frequent visitors to WDW. We were concerned that our first cruise would be a bust for us. We just completed our first DCL cruise over Christmas, we LOVED it. We had so much to do on board and even in port we stayed on board. You can do as much "Disney" stuff as you like or not at all. We enjoyed our first cruise so much that we booked our second while on board. In fact we have two cruises booked and no park visit planned. This summer we are staying at Vero Beach before the cruise and then heading home after the cruise.
If you can find them the Navigators are helpful to find out what is available during a cruise.
Each, little to no deal on cruises typically. Prices go down during hurricane season, but DCL is never read cheap.
We did a couple cheapies, one was a CM discount and another DVC discounted to find the New England cruises a few years back.
If you want a cheap cruise, stop looking at DCL. I do think the value is there, but it is a tough pull to swallow.
I you're looking to compare apples to apples (it's still red vs green though). You'd want to compare a club level room and the deluxe dining plan to a cruise. Might need to load up the ticket with Park hopping and water parks too, there's so much to do on the ship.
I did a price comparison analysis and per hour it is approximately $6.69 per hour on a cruise vs $8.90 per hour to stay at the beach club and get dining and park hoppers. Now...This is before passports and excursions. Once you add this in, WDW is cheaper if you don't have passports..With passport cost, the two are identical in price. But thats only the first time you cruise, since passports last awhile. But consider park hoppers to be unlimited excursions for the week and if you aren't a beach person, those days on the beach may be long days for you. We will probably just stay on the boat. The price is pretty comparable between the two. Deluxe dining would be pricier than a cruise, unless you choose a slightly cheaper deluxe room such as WL or Contemporary or AKL. The Deluxe rooms are larger though.. Just depends on what you want and in what area.
How late in summer can you go? The last week of August has a dramatic price drop.
I highly recommend a Disney Cruise. With only one child (a small one), consider booking an inside cabin or Oceanview cabin. The verandah cabins are nice but very expensive. That is one way to save money. Also, with a 5 year old, your excursions will be limited due to age restrictions so you may not spend any money at all in that area. Excursions on caribbean or Bahamas based cruises are not all that anyway. You can do most of those things on your own for much cheaper if you wish. The only cruises where excursions are a necessity are Alaska and Europe itineraries. There is plenty to keep you and a 5 year old busy without relying on excursions.
One thing to bear in mind with late summer cruises is that it's also prime hurricane season. Not that hurricanes don't occur outside of late August and September, but those six week are prime time for the biggies. Our first cruise was October, still hurricane season, so I'm not knocking the idea. Just be sure to get the insurance if you do. Enjoy!
Travel insurance is a good idea for ANY cruise. We always get it.
I've been on 4 Disney cruises, and they are amazing! For me, definitely worth the cost (and I can't wait to go again)
We are 18 days away from our fifth Disney Cruise. I had been on cruises before but DW had not, my concern was that she may get "seasick" and I didn't want to be stuck at sea for a week with her sick- so we did a Three day Disney cruise to "test the waters"- By day two, she was hooked. Here we are about to head out on number five, with plans for number 6 in 2016. We also got friends to travel with us for the next ones, they were more die hard park fans and were unsure of the cruise, but again, Disney magic took hold and they are also hooked and traveling with us.
There is more than enough to do for everyone, and it is still a total Disney experience. The ships are beautiful, the service is top notch ( even better than in the parks ), and it is a lot of fun. For me, the cruise is MY vacation, our park trips are like work- due to all the planning, and running around, plus all the waiting, by mid week I am exhausted, and even more so upon return home. With the cruise, its a total vacation.
Do it do it do it! Hands down our favorite vacation! We just took cruise # 6 and booked #7 while on board. No words adequately describe the joy of DCL to me!