Looking for advice on which DCL is best for our family

I recently booked our very first Disney cruise and I'm so excited. This is for me, DH, DS9, and DS5. We are booking as this our only Disney Cruise ($$$) but are well aware that many people say that but find themselves unable to resist another. But I also have spent so much time reading and researching that I'm now doubting the cruise we booked. We are booked on the repositioning cruise on the Wonder from San Juan to Port Canaveral, and I can't deny we picked it mostly because it was the cheapest option. But now I'm reading more about the Wonder and also noticing that airfare to and hotel in San Juan gets very close to negating that lower price. So now I have doubts and I'm hoping you wonderful, helpful people on Cruise Critic can help me figure this out. We know we want to take a 4 night cruise in January or February of 2019 and here are the options I have. I also included the pros and cons as I see them, but feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

Disney Wonder, 4 night San Juan to Port Canaveral, with stops at St. Thomas and Castaway Cay (the one we're booked on currently)

PROS

Smaller ship, less people

Opportunity to visit Puerto Rico

Unique itinerary

CONS

Small ship, less bells and whistles (I keep reading about all the amazing things on Disney Cruises and then find that almost all of them are only on the newer ships...like Aquaduck, Midship Detective Agency, mini golf, the Millennium Falcon area in the kids club, etc)

Flights to San Juan and hotel in San Juan quite expensive

Kids would have to go back to the school the day after we get off the ship, no day to recoop

Disney Magic, 4 nights roundtrip from Miami with stops at Castaway Cay and Key West

PROS

Smaller ship, less people

Rapunzel everything! (I'm a huge Tangled fan so this is a big plus for me)

Kids only miss 3 days of school (other options here would involve 4 missed days), plus have a day to recoop before going back

CONS

All of the above regarding things missing from the small ship

Disney Dream, 4 nights roundtrip from Port Canaveral, with stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay

PROS

Larger ship, all the above mentioned "bells and whistles"

Sails Monday through Friday so gives us weekends at each end (which also might give us time to visit family in Florida)

CONS

Most expensive option

Beauty and the Beast Show (I have nothing against Beauty and the Beast, I just feel like we've already seen it at Disney World)

Larger ship, more people

Thanks for any advice or opinions you can share! I really appreciate it!

The shows in the park are nothing like the shows on the ship. You are talking "theme park" versus Broadway. Otherwise, this sounds like a personal decision with a lot of factors. At 9 and 5, who cares if your kids miss an extra day of school. On a 4 day cruise you aren't going to get to do everything but the bigger ships do offer you more options.

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We prefer the smaller ships. I don't have time to answer this in all the detail I'd like to right now, but promise I'll come back later today. My background, 30 DCL cruises ranging from 3 night to 26 night (B2B).

The Magic is our favorite ship. For "bells and whistles," it has Marvel Academy in the Oceaneer's Club, which is a huge hit with boys and their fathers (who can participate during Open House hours.) We see the smaller size as a huge plus--fewer kids in the programming, so less noise and confusion. Fewer tweens running amok all over the ship, trashing the beverage stations, etc. Space between tables in the dining rooms (tables are very crowded in the bigger ships). Rapunzel show and themed restaurant--a relatively new addition.

I'll finish this later--sorry.

From your choices I would probably do the Magic 4 day from Miami. I prefer the small ships, especially so if I was going to do a shorter cruise. I also like the idea of Key West and CC as the ports. Both are fun stops and easy to do with kids. Sailing out of Miami gives you two airport choices for flights, plus you won't have to deal with MCO which is always a bonus! Magic is probably my favorite DCL ship. I enjoy the AquaDunk which isn't on any of the other ships.

Flying to San Juan seems like too much a hassle to me for a 4 day cruise. One benefit though of going to San Juan in Jan/Feb is getting further souther and possibly having warmer weather than on your other two cruise options. San Juan is definitely worth a day or two pre-cruise, but then you are adding to your cost and potentially more missed school days. Tiana's Place is fun and the Frozen show is well done (although not as good as the version at DCA).

I would consider the Dream, especially if your kids are into Star Wars. I'm not a big fan of Nassau and I enjoy CC more with less people on the smaller ships. But, if it worked best for my schedule (I like the weekends on both ends) I wouldn't hesitate to go with this option.

There's plenty to do on any of the ships, especially for a short 4 night sailing. I wouldn't worry at all about the perception that there are more bells and whistles on the larger ships.

Moki's Mommy is a wealth of information from her personal experiences with DCL. She helped reassure me with a room choice we made for an upcoming cruise.

We have done the Wonder and Magic (Sister Ships) I prefer the smaller ships and with a 5 and 9 year old there is a LOT of stuff to do. Your kids won't miss what they haven't had. Be cautioned that many children don't care for the larger slides, you know what your kids are like...daredevils or timid. I would opt for the Miami Cruise on the Magic. I don't like Nassau unless you pay to go on an excursion or to Atlantis. Your next cruise might be the larger cruise ship with the Bells and Whistles when the kids are a tad older and more likely to use all the extra's. Just my thoughts.

We also prefer the Magic and Wonder to the large ships. They are not small ships per se, just smaller than the Fantasy and Dream. They have the better itineraries by far, although for a 4 day cruise that is less relevant, as you have a port of embarkation, a port to visit and Castaway Cay. Your choice basically becomes Nassau (Dream), St. Thomas (Wonder) or Key West (Magic). All three of your choices go to Castaway Cay.

I would suggest your research which one of of those places you would enjoy visiting most. Personally, Nassau would not be on my list. We have always enjoyed St. Thomas - it was damaged in last year’s hurricanes but is recovering. We were there earlier this year on the same repositioning cruise you just booked on the Wonder. (We had also done the prior 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise which is a limited and unique itinerary for Disney, so the repositioning was just relaxation time for us). We also enjoy Key West - we all had the best key lime pie. Then the difference between Magic and Wonder becomes where you would like to start your cruise. Puerto Rico was hit hard in the hurricane, is recovering (note: based on January 2018 visit), albeit slowly, and the Marriott we stayed in prior to the hotel was just ok. Logistics to the ship were poorly handled and our luggage arrived very late. But, your children might enjoy the visiting old fort that is a mainstay of going to San Juan. We have only done Miami post-cruise and we had a great time at South Beach. South Beach is quite eclectic. I don’t know how well suited South Beach would be for children.

There are many activities on the Magic and Wonder for children. We started on cruising on the Disney Magic when our children were roughly the age of yours. We didn’t do the Wonder until she starting doing more interesting itineraries and we now love both ships. We know a lot of crew on the Wonder and they are just great. Tiana’s Place on the Wonder and Repunzel’s our the Magic both offer a unique dining and Disney entertaining experience. You won’t go wrong with either.

We rarely do the bigger ships. Our children (now adults) do like the Fantasy, and we did the Christmas cruise last year. We had a great time going to Ports we have been to one too many times! The ship itself was the main draw. We may do the Dream once, just to have the experience of having sailed the entire fleet. We prefer longer cruises with the more unique itineraries. Key West and St. Thomas are not on every itinerary, so you would get a bit of unique experience with the Magic or Wonder.

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OK, back....

I do not like Puerto Rico. In fact, we had such a bad experience with the port there that we will opt out of any cruise to or from that port. The line for Customs took over 3 hours; they did not staff with the personnel that DCL had requested and we watched while the agents took their breaks. Embarkation for the cruise to follow ours did not start till after 1:30 because disembarkation wasn't finished. We had a 3pm flight and I was starting to worry about whether we'd make it. I had another bad experience there at a hotel when I was there for a business meeting. They don't get three chances. The old city and old fort are neat.

The Dream is my least favorite ship. Yes, it has midship detective agency. But it is crowded and it does only short cruises. That means it is full of people trying to pack "everything" into 2 1/2 -3 1/2 days. Many are newbies who did a short cruise "to try it out." There are lots of families who don't understand that "parent" is also a verb and their responsibility doesn't end when they step onto a ship, and lots of families who want to drop the kids in the programming and have "me" time. It is a whole different attitude than longer cruises. Minor detail--MCO to Port Canaveral is $35 pp each way--that's $280 for a family of 4 on DCL transportation. There are cheaper ways to do it, but transportation cost is a factor out of PC.

Looking at your options, I'd do the Magic. Key West is a far better port than Nassau. There is a lot to do either on your own or thru DCL. If you want to do the island tour, do it on the trolley on your own; that is a "hop on, hop off" and is the same price as the DCL version, which is just a ride around. SO, if there is something you want to see, you can hop off and catch the next trolley back. There are some really cute shops. And of course there are all the "normal" island things--swimming, snorkeling, boat activities, and such. Besides, you are in the US, so all your cell phone services work! (added bonus) And you'll also get Castaway. So basically you miss Goofy putt-putt golf and midship detective but you get Marvel academy, Rapunzel, etc. Magic has the AquaDunk, Dream has the AquaDuck. Different experiences, but still a water experience.

4 nights is WAY better than 3 nights--good choice there. And if I'm reading correctly, the Magic fits into your schedule nicely. You'll also have very little distance from the airport to the cruise terminal and if you come in a day early, many hotels offer free shuttles. Uber will get you to a hotel or port if your hotel doesn't have complimentary transportation. If FLL is a better airport for you (Southwest goes there), it is still only about 30 miles to the terminal and very "do-able."

Obviously, all of this is personal opinion. ANY cruise is better than no cruise (at least almost), and a DCL cruise is great.

OMG, thank you all so much! You have helped me greatly and I so appreciate it! You have alleviated all my fears about sailing on a classic ship. I mean, every single one of you said the classics are better so who am I to question? We also are 99% sure we're going to switch to the Magic cruise from Miami, based on all your input regarding San Juan. I'm so glad I wrote this post!

On the Wonder, we had cabin 2504 reserved as we read it's on the curve and therefore slightly bigger. That cabin isn't available on the Magic but 2502 is. Anyone (especially Moki'smommy, who I think I want to be my best friend while I plan this trip) have any input about these far forward cabins?

Again, THANK YOU!!!!

People have all sorts of ideas as to what constitutes a "good" or "bad" cabin. On the classic ships, as long as you don't get a cabin with a maintenance issue, there is no such thing as a bad cabin. Most cabins are the same size, some are a tad bigger, The cabins that used to be cat 12 and are now 11C are a bit smaller, but it is mostly not "living" space; it is the smaller entry way and single bath. And if you do get a cabin with maintenance issues, let Guest Services know immediately. Then make sure you meet the hotel manager at the officer's reception and let him know if it hasn't been fixed promptly.

Thing one--how much time are you really going to spend on your cabin other than sleeping and dressing? On a 4 night cruise...not much. Yes, a balcony is a lovely thing, especially when you need to be in the room with a napping child. With older kids, first cruise, 4 nights...re-read the first sentence of this paragraph. 90% of your waking hours will be spent out of your cabin if you are a typical cruiser. We do like the natural light, so like oceanview cabins over insides, but I have booked insides. Honestly, I look at price and decide what I want to spend.

OK, 2502. I've never been in this specific cabin; I have stayed on deck 2. I have nothing negative to say about it. If the cabin is a tiny bit bigger than the norm, that's nice. But it will be just a tiny bit. It is a perfectly OK location.

Far too many people worry over details that ultimately don't matter. For example, dining rotations--by the end of your cruise, everyone will have had the same menus and same seating except that everyone will sit in one or another dining room an extra time. BUT that extra time will be pirate night with the pirate menu. It is just a seat; you are not missing anything by having one or another the extra time. I would skip Palo on my first DCL cruise. Palo is nice, but nothing I can't get an a medium sized city, and the first time around you should enjoy each of the MDRs. Second time, do Palo if you want to, but you'll know what you are willing to miss. Go to all the shows. On the embarkation afternoon, spend some time in the Oceaneer's Club and Lab with your kids to get them acclimated and comfortable They will have open house hours then. If your kids want to swim, fine. If you never get into a pool on a ship, it isn't a huge loss. Pools are small and rather like human soup. Remember that you can't possibly do "it all" in a single cruise; don't make yourself crazy trying. If you possibly can, disconnect from the internet/cell phones, etc. at home. It's only 4 days. The people at home can live without you and you can certainly do without electronics. But if you need internet, sign up before midnight on embarkation day for a FREE 50mb package. It has never been totally clear whether this is per cabin or per person, but I know cruises where every person in a cabin signed up. 50mb is plenty to check e-mails for 4 days, and free is a good price. You can add more if you need it. Be sure all your apps are off or they will burn your mb.

Remember that this is about relaxing and having fun. You can do a cruise where you spend almost nothing beyond your cruise ticket and tips, or you can have a cruise where you spend thousands on "extras." We've done it both ways (well, maybe not thousands), and there is very little difference.

Ask any questions. I spend far too much time on the computer.

I have done 1 magic cruise and 2 dream cruises. We like both ships for different reasons. You can’t really go wrong. It’s more about he itinerary you are looking for. The 4 night Canaveral Bahama cruise is the typical Disney cruise that everyone does. CC is a must see and you get that on all your options. Nassau is (to me) a dump unless you want to see Atlantis. I think your wonder itinerary is great. You get to see St. Thomas which is gorgeous, CC, and Puerto Rico. Plus, you have a day at sea to enjoy the ship.

I concur with moki'smommy. Flying to San Juan and adding in the cost of a hotel negates the savings you're looking at for a 4-night cruise. The Magic is also our personal favorite. Don't get hung up by the small versus big. In this case, small is good. The Magic has a much more intimate feel and is easier to navigate. We sailed out of San Juan once and while i didn't have the negative experience moki'smommy did, we had the advantage of doing it for a 7-day Southern Caribbean followed by a B2B when it repositioned to Port Canaveral on a 3-day.

We did the Dream. Our six year old twins did not care about the ports. The girl enjoyed the private Island (twice) but the boy only went once and then for just over an hour. Both kids loved the AquaDuck and the lines were shorter on days the ship was docked. Port Canaveral is less than an hours ride from the Orlando Airports. There are lots of hotels at the port and we went there the night before. This was our second time on the Dream. We liked the big ship. BTW, there is plenty for the adults onboard.

We did Dream and Magic and agreed both great but preferred magic a bit more. Better splash area for kids, smaller feel, just as fun. Midship detective agency is fun but your kids won’t know it’s missing!

My vote of your choices hands down is Magic. For timing and ports.

For rooms we like to make sure we have rooms above and below us to minimize risk of noisy areas. We like a room with a window. We don’t use balcony enough to justify cost. You really aren’t in room much.

Make sure to slow down and enjoy some of the activities. Hands down my son’s favorite things were the things like trivia. And making a potato race car. He made friends with a family from Chicago and they joined forces. At night did games before evening show. We would go to that while DH got us seats for show.

Enjoy!

Potato race car is called "Mickey 200." It is a great family activity. At least one adult must be on each team.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. We have officially changed to the cruise on the Magic and I am so excited!!! Besides knowing I now have the Tangled show and restaurant, I'm just happier with sailing out of Miami. We ended up keeping the same cabin, 2504. It has a window but no balcony but does have the double bathroom. We're not telling our kids until Christmas morning. How am I going to keep it secret until then???

THANK YOU!!!!!

That is a problem I can't help you with.:)

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. We have officially changed to the cruise on the Magic and I am so excited!!! Besides knowing I now have the Tangled show and restaurant, I'm just happier with sailing out of Miami. We ended up keeping the same cabin, 2504. It has a window but no balcony but does have the double bathroom. We're not telling our kids until Christmas morning. How am I going to keep it secret until then???

 

THANK YOU!!!!!

Congratulations! The Magic is our favorite ship and tangled is great. I love deck 2, especially for a short cruise, you don't need a balcony.