Debating Cancelling.. Need input from Multi Line Cruisers Please!

[ChuckElias]

We are currently booked on the Escape and Getaway.. and then the DCL Fantasy in 2018.
I'm debating either trying the Royal Caribbean's Oasis or the upcoming NCL Bliss instead.

Is DCL a must do once? Even with a kid who's a thrill seeker?

@21stamps

My kid is not, and has never been, a thrill-seeker. So I can't give you an apples-to-apples comparison. But I honestly think that an 8-year-old who loves the parks will enjoy a Disney cruise, especially if he also loves Star Wars. I know you say that he would never spend time in the club, but after seeing all the different activities and character interactions available there, maybe he'll take to it.

DCL is not, imho, a "thrill-seeking" experience. There's a LOT to do, but not a lot of rock wall climbing, go-cart driving, ropes course dangling, surf simulating available. If you think your son NEEDS that type of experience then I agree that you should look elsewhere.

If you do look elsewhere and have to decide between Oasis or Bliss, my personal choice would be Oasis. Not because of the thrill activities available, but because after my Breakaway cruise last year, I've soured a bit on NCL. Our service was average or below average everywhere, except in the specialty restaurants. Our stateroom attendant was terrible. I probably have to sail Bliss once to give it a fair shake. But right now, if you're asking for my opinion, I would go with Oasis. Oasis does have a lot of the thrill activities that you're looking for. Ice skating, rock wall, surf simulator, even a zip-line. So I think it fits what you're looking for and I would expect the service to be better than a comparable NCL ship.

So here's my bottom line. If your kid LOVES the parks and Star Wars, then I would try to convince you to keep the DCL reservation. If you think your son just NEEDS the thrill-seeking experience, then I would recommend changing your 7-night DCL cruise to a 3 or 4-night on the Dream and booking the Oasis. The Oasis will give you the experience that you know your son will enjoy and then the shorter DCL cruise will give you the chance to see if it really fits your cruise personna without breaking the bank.

 

[pilka214]

Wow thank you!! We are doing an Escape Eastern (Nassau, Tortola, St Thomas) and a Getaway Western- (Harvest Caye ,Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel). These are both in 2017.

I currently have a DCL Fantasy Eastern booked for February 2018 (Castaway Cay Tortola St Thomas).

I'm debating switching from the Fantasy to the NCL Bliss which comes out in summer 2018, Sailing Alaska first.. I'm not sure which itinerary I would do, Alaska or wait for Caribbean. This year I switched from the NCL Pearl Alaska Glacier Bay itinerary to the Escape because of my son's age (just turned 7, and an adrenaline junkie) I think he will enjoy the bigger ships more, and I'd like to wait til he can do more excursions in Alaska, so saving that one for maybe 2-3 years from now..I think.lol

There is not too much info on the Bliss. It can be booked now, but the amenities aren't announced yet. Do you have any inside info on it?
I'm just wondering if he will enjoy the amenities on these ships more than DCL, he will be almost 8 by the time of travel.

I know this all sounds confusing..lol..hopefully it makes sense.

I wish I knew what was going on with the Bliss, the company is really good at keeping things hidden till the last minute. It'll be borderline identical to the Escape/Joy... Not sure if it's getting the gokart track or the Ropes course... All i can guarantee is it's amenities will be incredibly overwhelming and extravagant.

The ropes course and water slides are pretty great, I spent a lot of time on them during my time off. Disney's aquaduck, while neat and iconic, has nothing on NCL's collection of onboard slides... some real fun ones.

Personal thoughts, Disney is way better for the pre-teen entertainment. Once you reach the Teen category I think you get two vastly different products which would depend on your kids personal tastes. The teen programs on NCL are insane, they end up all over the ship at events and parties as a group and also have their club.... Disney's seems good as well, but because Norwegian is more a party cruise, that philosophy trickles all the way down.

 

[21stamps]

I wish I knew what was going on with the Bliss, the company is really good at keeping things hidden till the last minute. It'll be borderline identical to the Escape/Joy... Not sure if it's getting the gokart track or the Ropes course... All i can guarantee is it's amenities will be incredibly overwhelming and extravagant.

The ropes course and water slides are pretty great, I spent a lot of time on them during my time off. Disney's aquaduck, while neat and iconic, has nothing on NCL's collection of onboard slides... some real fun ones.

Personal thoughts, Disney is way better for the pre-teen entertainment. Once you reach the Teen category I think you get two vastly different products which would depend on your kids personal tastes. The teen programs on NCL are insane, they end up all over the ship at events and parties as a group and also have their club.... Disney's seems good as well, but because Norwegian is more a party cruise, that philosophy trickles all the way down.

The Joy looks incredible. Hopefully the Bliss will be very similar to that ship!

The Aquaduck looks fun, and he definitely has talked about it continuously. I hope I didn't wait too long now. The Fantasy will be within a year of us doing the Escape and Getaway..would have been more ideal if first in the lineup. Maybe the Star Wars day will be enough for him.
I wish I read more DCL reviews of things the kids love BESIDES the kids clubs.
NCL reviews I read about how much kids love the ropes course, slides, rock climbing, etc..the family staying together instead of splitting up.

I think I'll hold on to the reservation a little longer. I feel like we should do a DCL experience once...but I may end up letting him make the decision after our Getaway sailing.

 

[21stamps]

@21stamps

My kid is not, and has never been, a thrill-seeker. So I can't give you an apples-to-apples comparison. But I honestly think that an 8-year-old who loves the parks will enjoy a Disney cruise, especially if he also loves Star Wars. I know you say that he would never spend time in the club, but after seeing all the different activities and character interactions available there, maybe he'll take to it.

DCL is not, imho, a "thrill-seeking" experience. There's a LOT to do, but not a lot of rock wall climbing, go-cart driving, ropes course dangling, surf simulating available. If you think your son NEEDS that type of experience then I agree that you should look elsewhere.

If you do look elsewhere and have to decide between Oasis or Bliss, my personal choice would be Oasis. Not because of the thrill activities available, but because after my Breakaway cruise last year, I've soured a bit on NCL. Our service was average or below average everywhere, except in the specialty restaurants. Our stateroom attendant was terrible. I probably have to sail Bliss once to give it a fair shake. But right now, if you're asking for my opinion, I would go with Oasis. Oasis does have a lot of the thrill activities that you're looking for. Ice skating, rock wall, surf simulator, even a zip-line. So I think it fits what you're looking for and I would expect the service to be better than a comparable NCL ship.

So here's my bottom line. If your kid LOVES the parks and Star Wars, then I would try to convince you to keep the DCL reservation. If you think your son just NEEDS the thrill-seeking experience, then I would recommend changing your 7-night DCL cruise to a 3 or 4-night on the Dream and booking the Oasis. The Oasis will give you the experience that you know your son will enjoy and then the shorter DCL cruise will give you the chance to see if it really fits your cruise personna without breaking the bank.

Just read this... Thank you!!!!

Even though he's a thrill seeker, we have most of that stuff available in our city.. so while I won't say the activities themselves are a "must" on a cruise..it's the fact that we can do them together. One of the main reasons I switched from the Pearl is that there wasn't too many activities we could do as a family while onboard.

If my upcoming NCL cruises weren't thru CAS, then I would have chosen the Oasis first.
I do love our Getaway itinerary though. I'm hoping our experiences with service are good!

Have you done a 3-4 night cruise? It seems like it would go so fast! I could be underestimating what there is to do onboard the Fantasy.. but as family activities I see- Aquaduck, Mini Golf, Shows, and Movie Theatre. The pools themselves have frightening photos of a million kids inside.lol
I really want the cruise to be about us spending time together. But I will let him choose a couple of activies at the kids club.

I was so pumped for the Fantasy last year, and completely shocked when he chose the parks instead.. I probably shouldn't have offered the choice. He didn't have a comparison point. And, he was a 6 yr old.

That said, I was in a FB cruise group.. most of the people planned mainly adult activities while kids were in the club. That's great, but again, it's just the 2 of us, so not what I want for our trip. There will come a day soon enough when he won't want to spend a lot of time with me, our home life is super busy.. and I want to enjoy the time together while I can!

With that info- and having done multiple lines yourself, do you still vote for the Fantasy? He is a SW nut, that's definitely an advantage.





Came back to add this- Do you have any experience/ client experience with NCL's bidding system? I wasn't willing to pay for a Haven suite, even with a "complementary balcony" my upgrade fee was over $4300 per person. I've read threads on CC where people have had luck with bidding, but the amounts vary so greatly. And I wouldn't want to end up with a Haven courtyard..only Aft.

I'm also going back to read your Breakaway trip report now, again. Lol

 

[pilka214]

The Joy looks incredible. Hopefully the Bliss will be very similar to that ship!

The Aquaduck looks fun, and he definitely has talked about it continuously. I hope I didn't wait too long now. The Fantasy will be within a year of us doing the Escape and Getaway..would have been more ideal if first in the lineup. Maybe the Star Wars day will be enough for him.
I wish I read more DCL reviews of things the kids love BESIDES the kids clubs.
NCL reviews I read about how much kids love the ropes course, slides, rock climbing, etc..the family staying together instead of splitting up.

I think I'll hold on to the reservation a little longer. I feel like we should do a DCL experience once...but I may end up letting him make the decision after our Getaway sailing.

If you've never done a DCL cruise before, absolutely DO IT! DO NOT CANCEL! The Products are so vastly different and great for such different reasons. I love both cruise lines.... Disney's Line of ships is unbelievable to behold and just spectacular to experience. Totally a different trip then NCL. Also feel free to try Royal sometime, they seem great too. But Disney's Entertainment is unparalleled, there's a reason they're consistently reviewed top of their class on cruise critic. It's literally Magical

Unless your son hates Disney he's going to have a great time either way.
(I missed the part earlier where you said you hadn't been on a disney cruise yet)

 

[ChuckElias]

Have you done a 3-4 night cruise? It seems like it would go so fast!

Yes, I've done a few. My family's first Disney cruise was a 4-night on the Wonder. We've also done a 3-night on the Wonder and a couple 4-nights on the Dream. It does go quickly, especially the 3-night, but if you're on the fence about DCL (or any line, really), a 3-night is a great way to experience the product and decide if you want to come back to it. It's obviously less expensive than a 7-night, so if you're son hates it or is bored, you haven't thrown away a lot of money. But if you love it, you're that much more excited to get back onboard. The nice thing about DCL is that even the shorter cruises out of Port Canaveral go to Castaway Cay. So you get to experience that, even if you don't want a full 7 nights.

I could be underestimating what there is to do onboard the Fantasy.. but as family activities I see- Aquaduck, Mini Golf, Shows, and Movie Theatre.

There are tons of planned activities, however. There's family karaoke, there are family game shows, there are deck parties, there's even open house time in the kids club so you can go with your son to see if he'll like it. Family trivia, baby races, Muppet Detective Agency. One of our recent cruises had an artist onboard. He gave a brief demonstration of his style and then brought out two huge unfinished canvasses (that he had already started painting) and let the kids finish painting them for him. You're 100% correct in thinking that there aren't the giant water slides and ropes-course types of activities. There just aren't. But your Daily Navigator will have a list of family-oriented activities to do all throughout the day. There are definitely things for families to do; but they may not be the types of things that your son will like.

The pools themselves have frightening photos of a million kids inside.lol

To be fair, this is going to be true on any ship that has 2,000 kids on it.

There will come a day soon enough when he won't want to spend a lot of time with me, our home life is super busy.. and I want to enjoy the time together while I can!

You are wise beyond your years. My daughter just graduated from college this weekend. Enjoy him while you have him.

With that info- and having done multiple lines yourself, do you still vote for the Fantasy? He is a SW nut, that's definitely an advantage.

For me, I vote Fantasy. And the Star Wars experience will be great for your son. But you have so much doubt about it, honestly, if you were my client, I think I would suggest that you take your son on the Oasis or something similar and then, if possible, take a short cruise on the Dream to get the Disney experience. You won't enjoy yourself (even on DCL) if you're constantly worried that your son is bored. So take the sure thing now, and get a taste of Disney later if you can.

Came back to add this- Do you have any experience/ client experience with NCL's bidding system? I wasn't willing to pay for a Haven suite, even with a "complementary balcony" my upgrade fee was over $4300 per person. I've read threads on CC where people have had luck with bidding, but the amounts vary so greatly.

Yes, I have had clients who have tried to bid on upgrades. Exactly as you have already heard, the winning amounts vary greatly. If you can win with a lower reasonable bid, you might as well try. But like you, I'm not willing to overbid to get the experience.

 

[21stamps]

Yes, I've done a few. My family's first Disney cruise was a 4-night on the Wonder. We've also done a 3-night on the Wonder and a couple 4-nights on the Dream. It does go quickly, especially the 3-night, but if you're on the fence about DCL (or any line, really), a 3-night is a great way to experience the product and decide if you want to come back to it. It's obviously less expensive than a 7-night, so if you're son hates it or is bored, you haven't thrown away a lot of money. But if you love it, you're that much more excited to get back onboard. The nice thing about DCL is that even the shorter cruises out of Port Canaveral go to Castaway Cay. So you get to experience that, even if you don't want a full 7 nights.

There are tons of planned activities, however. There's family karaoke, there are family game shows, there are deck parties, there's even open house time in the kids club so you can go with your son to see if he'll like it. Family trivia, baby races, Muppet Detective Agency. One of our recent cruises had an artist onboard. He gave a brief demonstration of his style and then brought out two huge unfinished canvasses (that he had already started painting) and let the kids finish painting them for him. You're 100% correct in thinking that there aren't the giant water slides and ropes-course types of activities. There just aren't. But your Daily Navigator will have a list of family-oriented activities to do all throughout the day. There are definitely things for families to do; but they may not be the types of things that your son will like.

To be fair, this is going to be true on any ship that has 2,000 kids on it.

You are wise beyond your years. My daughter just graduated from college this weekend. Enjoy him while you have him.

For me, I vote Fantasy. And the Star Wars experience will be great for your son. But you have so much doubt about it, honestly, if you were my client, I think I would suggest that you take your son on the Oasis or something similar and then, if possible, take a short cruise on the Dream to get the Disney experience. You won't enjoy yourself (even on DCL) if you're constantly worried that your son is bored. So take the sure thing now, and get a taste of Disney later if you can.

Yes, I have had clients who have tried to bid on upgrades. Exactly as you have already heard, the winning amounts vary greatly. If you can win with a lower reasonable bid, you might as well try. But like you, I'm not willing to overbid to get the experience.

Thank you for all of this. I'm holding on to the reservation for now. I may end up pushing it back until after he is 8, next spring. We'll see.

 

[ChuckElias]

Thank you for all of this. I'm holding on to the reservation for now. I may end up pushing it back until after he is 8, next spring. We'll see.

Oh, you're welcome. It's nothing. Obviously, I'm hugely ("bigly"?) biased toward DCL, but the most important thing is that you get the experience that is best for your family. So, the more info, the better!