Contemplating a cruise and want your help!

[cub21rak]

So this year we had gone to wdw for the first time. Me, my wife, and two young daughters.
I've always wanted to do a cruise and now I feel with our families love for Disney that maybe our first cruise should be a Disney cruise
Planning a wdw trip there are so many choices that it was overwhelming at some points. And planning a cruise looks to be the same way. I'm hoping someone can chime in and give some general suggestions of where to start and the must dos along with making sure I'm getting the best deals.
Any help is appreciated!

 

[durangojim]

Congrats! We. Did our first Disney cruise in 2012 with our two kids and immediately fell in love. We've done 2 more since then and have 3 more on the way! First choose how long you want to be on the ship. We chose a 4 night cruise due to cost and the fact that we didn't know if we'd like cruising, plus we wanted to go back to WDW during the same trip. We chose the Dream because of its newness and amenities (aqua duck, Remy, etc.). We've cruised the new Magic but still prefer the Dream. Finally I'd recommend a travel agent, the ones on these boards are all fantastic and they don't cost anything. You will actually get an on board credit depending on who you use. Also search this board for many answers to your question. Have a great vacation!

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

I do suggest for your first cruise that you go with a 3 or 4 night Bahamian so that you can get a feel for cruising. It's a good way to get your feet wet. The forum sponsors (kingdom konsultant travel) are actually hosting a family cruise in June of next year for many of the forum members here. It's a 4 night Bahamian cruise and may work well for you. I have quite a few agents on these forums and any if them including myself would be happy to help. All of my agents that sell Disney Cruise line are extremely proficient so please feel free to contact one of us including Carissa, Ashley, Stacy and Betsy

If you have any questions. Please feel free to contact me


Pam

 

[belledream]

Disney Cruise Line is just another example of the unparalleled magic that only Disney can do! We also started on the Dream in 2012 for 4 nights to the Bahamas. It was so wonderful, I couldn't decide if it was harder to leave WDW or this!

As @durangojim said, getting your feet wet with a 3 or 4 night cruise is a good starting point. We were still in school and on a budget, but 4 nights was the best extra $200 we could have spent. It gave us an extra day to enjoy all the activities the ship had to offer, take some great pics, and just relax some more.

As for deals, look out for shipboard credits (if you have a Disney Visa and book with that, you get $50 in credits). Also, people say to book far in advance to get the best decks or rooms, but I've seen last minute deals (1-2 months out) that were dirt cheap. We grabbed a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with a Verandah for cheaper than an Interior.

Happy planning!

 

[Ralphlaw]

I must respectfully disagree with Pam, although her Kingdom Konsultant cruise does look great. I would jump in for a week. We found that for the shorter cruises, you barely unpack and you're getting ready to leave right away. I don't know of anyone who thought a Disney cruise was too long. In my opinion, much of it depends on how long you can take off from work and school to be there, how much you can afford, and how far away you are from the port. We've done 7 day Alaska on the Wonder, 7 day Western Caribbean on the Magic, 7 day Eastern Caribbean on the Fantasy, and 3 day Bahamas on the Dream. All were great, but the Dream was the least favorite because it was just so short.

Now, it you want to combine a cruise with a Disney World stay, a short cruise might be just the thing to quite literally get your feet, to see Castaway Cay, and to alleviate any apprehensions you might have. But personally, I would go longer. By the way, in 45 days we're doing a 12 night Mediterranean on the Magic, and next summer we're doing a 12 night Baltic also on the Magic. Yeah, we're in need of therapy.

 

[durangojim]

I must respectfully disagree with Pam, although her Kingdom Konsultant cruise does look great. I would jump in for a week. We found that for the shorter cruises, you barely unpack and you're getting ready to leave right away. I don't know of anyone who thought a Disney cruise was too long. In my opinion, much of it depends on how long you can take off from work and school to be there, how much you can afford, and how far away you are from the port. We've done 7 day Alaska on the Wonder, 7 day Western Caribbean on the Magic, 7 day Eastern Caribbean on the Fantasy, and 3 day Bahamas on the Dream. All were great, but the Dream was the least favorite because it was just so short.

Now, it you want to combine a cruise with a Disney World stay, a short cruise might be just the thing to quite literally get your feet, to see Castaway Cay, and to alleviate any apprehensions you might have. But personally, I would go longer. By the way, in 45 days we're doing a 12 night Mediterranean on the Magic, and next summer we're doing a 12 night Baltic also on the Magic. Yeah, we're in need of therapy.

I hear what you're saying about doing a longer cruise, and we're doing a 7 night next year, but I would still say that for a first time cruiser with kids that 3 or 4 is the way to go. If they don't like cruising (not likely) or if the weather is bad, or someone is susceptible to sea sickness, a week is a long time to be stuck in a place that you're not enjoying, not to mention a lot of extra money that could be wasted.
Also @cub21rak, if you do go on a cruise, make sure you book another cruise while on board! You'll get 10% off the rate plus $100-200 on board credit for that next cruise. Even if your not sure when you would go next, you can always change the reservation and keep the credit and discount.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I went on my first cruise in September of last year and I love it! It's such a different atmosphere and a different kind of vacation than the parks. Very leisure. The first cruise I did was a 4 night, just to get a feel for it and to see if I liked it. We did another 4 night in February and have a 3 night and 7 night booked for later this year!
The first cruise we booked very early. The prices did go up the closer to the date we got. The second cruise we planned last minute and were able to get a discount room. The only issue with the discounted rooms, you can't pick which room or which deck you are on. They assign it based on what they have left. We lucked out and got a family sized oceanview with verandah. We could have gotten a regular sized room with navigator's verandah though since all that was guaranteed was the verandah. I suggest picking your own room on the first cruise so you will know where you'll be. If you're interested, several of the trip reports in the trip reports forum are about Disney cruising. Give them a look and see how great crusing with Mickey can be!

 

[Bolna]

My suggestion would be the 5-night cruises from Miami on the Wonder! I think they offer a happy medium for a first time cruiser: Castaway Cay and a port that is more interesting than Nassau (Cozumel has amazing beaches!!), two sea-days to relax and you don't feel like you are leaving the ship immediately after the cruise started. They are usually rather less expensive (per person per night) than the ones on the Dream.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

We always suggest the shorter cruises for our clients that are new to cruising for the reasons that @durango jim noted, plus many of them do add a trip to WDW either before or after the cruise. Like I said, a short cruise of 3 or 4 nights is a great way to get your feet wet that is why we are doing the 4 night Bahamian with 2 stops at Castaway Cay for the Family cruise. It's a great introduction into cruising and an even better way to hang out with your friends from WDWMagic like @marni71, right Martin?

Pam

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

I agree with @derelicte19. I took my first Disney cruise last fall, and am planning another for this September. The 4-night was a great way to get your feet wet as I had never cruised before. Let me just say, I LOVE Disney cruising. I can see it taking place of spending time in the parks for me. And I also recommend using a travel agent. Kingdom Konsultants handled everything for our Girl's Cruise and did an outstanding job. Read some trip reports and look at the Picture of the Day thread. I'm betting you and your kids will have a great time.

 

[englanddg]

I've only done a 7 night, and I couldn't imagine doing anything shorter then a 4 night...

As has been noted, it would feel to me like I just got unpacked and had to leave already! Plus, those extra nights at sea are just relaxing in my opinion.

Advice? I'd bookend your trip with a day or two on each side at WDW!

Ask questions and read trip reports. I find a learn a lot of good ideas from other people talking about what they've done.

 

[BigTxEars]

Go for 7 nights, 4 nights would just make me sad to debark too soon

Other than that I say go go go, DCL is magical IMO.

When the Disney Magic said from the states to Spain for it's refit last year my family of four could have cruised for 14 nights to Spain for something like $4200. Man that is astral, but it was in May and school and all, two weeks is too long to pull the kids out. And of course we would have had to return from Spain somehow....but 14 nights on the Magic would have been AWESOME!

Anyways I have been on one cruise, and since that was a DCL I am to the point I would never book a non Disney cruise, it was that cool

 

[5thGenTexan]

My mother makes fun of me a great deal because I was one to say I had no interest in being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean, so on and so forth. Now, there is no other vacation I want to take other than a cruise. (aside from the fact that I have been researching Disneyland a lot the past few days). My wife and I have been on two NCL cruises in the Caribbean, one Princess cruise to Alaska, and two DCL cruises out of Galveston. By far, the DCL cruises were the best experience. I believe you should decide where you want to go and book. You will love it!!!

 

[BigTxEars]

My mother makes fun of me a great deal because I was one to say I had no interest in being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean, so on and so forth. Now, there is no other vacation I want to take other than a cruise. (aside from the fact that I have been researching Disneyland a lot the past few days). My wife and I have been on two NCL cruises in the Caribbean, one Princess cruise to Alaska, and two DCL cruises out of Galveston. By far, the DCL cruises were the best experience. I believe you should decide where you want to go and book. You will love it!!!

The day DCL left Galveston was just a bad day for me.....

 

[5thGenTexan]

The day DCL left Galveston was just a bad day for me.....

Yes, very bad. It is MY dream that DCL builds two more ships. Sized between the classic ships and the new ships.

One ship for Alaska, West Coast, Hawaii.
One ship for Europe.
Two ships out of PC.
One ship out of New York
One Gulf Coast ship. Out of Houston, Galveston, or New Orleans. (the Houston cruise terminal preferably)

 

[BigTxEars]

Yes, very bad. It is MY dream that DCL builds two more ships. Sized between the classic ships and the new ships.

One ship for Alaska, West Coast, Hawaii.
One ship for Europe.
Two ships out of PC.
One ship out of New York
One Gulf Coast ship. Out of Houston, Galveston, or New Orleans. (the Houston cruise terminal preferably)

Sounds great! We sailed the Magic out of Galveston for 7 days We were booked on the Wonder for the last cruise out of Galveston, a 4 day cruise but we cancelled and went to Universal for a week that year. Nothing as cool as the Magic sitting in Galveston waters

Only ship in Texas water that is cooler than a Disney cruise ship is this ole gal

BB35

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Only ship in Texas water that is cooler than a Disney cruise ship is this ole gal

BB35

What about the Lady Lex??? We've not been down to see her yet but I want to badly.