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Disney Magic Nov. 15-20 ** 2nd Cruise ** Trip Report


davidmbfonz
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At home on a cold wet Saturday in the UK, full of cold and feeling sorry for myself. We are doing a Caribbean cruise on the Magic in early December and reading your trip report has bought some much needed sunshine into my world and I am getting really excited for December!!! Thank you

Edited by retrieverrose
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At home on a cold wet Saturday in the UK, full of cold and feeling sorry for myself. We are doing a Caribbean cruise on the Magic in early December and reading your trip report has bought some much needed sunshine into my world and I am getting really excited for December!!! Thank you

 

That made me so happy to hear! Thanks!

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  • 11 months later...

Hi david,

 

Loved reading both your reviews!! Very informative and your family is adorable!! I am indecisive on the Halloween or Christmas cruise, which did you prefer? And how warm was Castaway Cay in November as the Christmas cruise i am looking at cruises around the same time yours was. Thank you again for these reviews! :)

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Hi david,

 

Loved reading both your reviews!! Very informative and your family is adorable!! I am indecisive on the Halloween or Christmas cruise, which did you prefer? And how warm was Castaway Cay in November as the Christmas cruise i am looking at cruises around the same time yours was. Thank you again for these reviews! :)

 

Awww... thanks all around! It's really hard to say we liked one over the other - probably the Christmas theme was nicer and got us more into the spirit - the Halloween cruise though helped us remember it was Fall back home - both were great. The two cruises also were different lengths and different itineraries, so it's a real tossup! Christmas on DCL might edge out - I mean, Santa was in the atrium! And gingerbread house making! And even Castaway Cay was decked out for Christmas!

 

As for temps - the water was definitely warmer in early October vs. mid-November. We had really nice weather both times and the water was still swimmable (it was the November cruise where we snorkeled for over an hour!).

 

Thanks again for the kind words!

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I have been trying to convince my DW to bring our Grand Daughter on a Disney cruise. This review is just what I need to get her agreement. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

That's great! I'm so glad. It was reading trip reports with lots of narrative and pictures that finally pushed me over the edge back in 2012 - love giving back!

 

I can still remember reading them, page-by-page, just imagining how awesome the sequence of events would be - was not disappointed by the real thing!

 

:D

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We certainly don't get to eat like this at home. As any busy family with three kids - DS10, DS6, DD4, meals most nights are not the prettiest (although usually quite nutritious). How wonderful to be served better than average food multiple times per day in a kid-friendly environment?

 

 

Hi Davidmbfonz! Love the review and the pictures!! We've never cruised Disney but have cruised Carnival (3X's), Royal Caribbean (2X's), Holland & Peter Deilmann (European River cruiseline that closed). My kids (DS10 & DD7) have been on Carnival (LOVED IT!) and Royal Caribbean (liked it but not nearly as much as Carnival's kid program). Disney was never on my radar (until recently) as we've been to Disney World several times with them and I wrongfully assumed (it seems from your review) they were similar experiences. One of my coworkers went on a Disney cruise this past summer. Though this is her only cruise ever and her son is 4 she swears by it!!! It made me rethink it.

 

Now for my question, since my kids are 7 and 10 are they getting "too old" for a Disney cruise?! They turn 8 and 11 this year and there's no way we can squeeze in another trip in this year's travel calendar. DH and I are taking a trip next fall for our 15 year anniversary that'll max out all of his vacation BUT I'm toying with the idea of the January 2018 sailing from Galveston to San Juan now that I've read your review! The itinerary looks amazing! Eek! Dare I add one more thing and just take kids without DH so they can experience a Disney cruise while they're still awed by Disney (plus it's cheaper than other sailings given it ends in San Juan)?! OR am I worried for nothing and DCL is so amazing that I can wait a few more years (9 and 12 or 10 and 13 yrs old) and kids will be fine and still love it? Right now I feel like "Hurry hurry!" like I'm chasing their "biological kid clock" to get it in before they are "too big" to enjoy. Any feedback on appropriate DCL age of kids for greatest enjoyment for them would be so appreciated! Thanks [emoji16]

 

 

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Now for my question, since my kids are 7 and 10 are they getting "too old" for a Disney cruise?! They turn 8 and 11 this year and there's no way we can squeeze in another trip in this year's travel calendar. DH and I are taking a trip next fall for our 15 year anniversary that'll max out all of his vacation BUT I'm toying with the idea of the January 2018 sailing from Galveston to San Juan now that I've read your review! The itinerary looks amazing! Eek! Dare I add one more thing and just take kids without DH so they can experience a Disney cruise while they're still awed by Disney (plus it's cheaper than other sailings given it ends in San Juan)?! OR am I worried for nothing and DCL is so amazing that I can wait a few more years (9 and 12 or 10 and 13 yrs old) and kids will be fine and still love it? Right now I feel like "Hurry hurry!" like I'm chasing their "biological kid clock" to get it in before they are "too big" to enjoy. Any feedback on appropriate DCL age of kids for greatest enjoyment for them would be so appreciated! Thanks [emoji16]

 

That's a GREAT question, and I'm sure others will weigh-in too. First, I'll state the obvious - only you know what your kids like and will respond to. That said, I think folks who read my two trip reports might think my kids go bananas over the characters, and they actually have a medium-level of interest in them. Across our 14 days on the ships now, I can say that in general, we have never actually gone out of our way to stop and get photos with the characters - we have of course stood in line about a half-dozen times but those were when we had the time and/or were just resting in-between other events. Even the meet-and-greets that require tickets were simple to do (and easy to like because of that) because the tickets meant basically no lines.

 

My answer focuses on the character greeting part because I really think that's the only real part of the cruise that might be age-dependent (although, I should admit - I'll ALWAYS pose with Goofy if given the opportunity). The clubs have TONS of different things to do - and the biggest hit for the last couple of years, in our experience, has been the organized sports games - gaga ball in particular seems to be all the rage. And they have frequent group activities in the clubs like Super Sloppy Science that is just plain cool. So I don't think you'd have to worry about the kids at 8, 9, 10, or even 11 in this regard. My DS11 enjoyed the Edge club this last cruise in October and made some friends there - he had signout privileges so he had that freedom - went to the waterslides and pool deck with his friends, etc. (He's very responsible). They have a foosball table and video game systems, etc.

 

The rest of the ship and experience to me is "Disney-themed" if that makes sense, but Disney-themed in the most classy, high-style way - the shows of course feature Disney set pieces, characters and music, but they're live action and so easy to get into. The Sailaway Party has all the main characters, but also humans and they dance to a Top 40 soundtrack... the Pirate show doesn't feature much traditional Disney cartoony details - but briefly has Jack Sparrow. I'm trying to think what else. I think in general, my overall impression is this is high-end fun that is geared for a very broad audience and not even just a Disney audience.

 

Perhaps others will chime in. And hope this answer helps...

Edited by davidmbfonz
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Hi Davidmbfonz! Love the review and the pictures!! We've never cruised Disney but have cruised Carnival (3X's), Royal Caribbean (2X's), Holland & Peter Deilmann (European River cruiseline that closed). My kids (DS10 & DD7) have been on Carnival (LOVED IT!) and Royal Caribbean (liked it but not nearly as much as Carnival's kid program). Disney was never on my radar (until recently) as we've been to Disney World several times with them and I wrongfully assumed (it seems from your review) they were similar experiences. One of my coworkers went on a Disney cruise this past summer. Though this is her only cruise ever and her son is 4 she swears by it!!! It made me rethink it.

[emoji16]

 

As for this part, I'm glad you're considering doing it and I do think it's useful to compare to the WDW park experience - the DCL experience I think is really a more high-end experience (realizing that the price tag of a WDW vacation is already pretty high-end) that you get in the parks - in the same way that the Beach Club resort or the Wilderness Lodge are more high-end experiences than the Value Resorts. You have the Disney theming, but also Disney's non-character take on the environment/context - in the case of DCL, you get to see what Disney does with a nautical theme (just like how the Wilderness Lodge borrows the best elements of classic National Park resorts, etc.). Does that make sense? Basically, I've felt like the Disney is there, but only the best parts, and not as in your face as you might think.

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As for this part, I'm glad you're considering doing it and I do think it's useful to compare to the WDW park experience - the DCL experience I think is really a more high-end experience (realizing that the price tag of a WDW vacation is already pretty high-end) that you get in the parks - in the same way that the Beach Club resort or the Wilderness Lodge are more high-end experiences than the Value Resorts. You have the Disney theming, but also Disney's non-character take on the environment/context - in the case of DCL, you get to see what Disney does with a nautical theme (just like how the Wilderness Lodge borrows the best elements of classic National Park resorts, etc.). Does that make sense? Basically, I've felt like the Disney is there, but only the best parts, and not as in your face as you might think.

 

 

Thank you!! After I sent my inquiry to you this morning I called DCL myself to ask some basic questions and ended up booking a Disney cruise for early next year! Lol!! I was already excited after reading your review and seeing the utter glee and excitement on the faces of your children! When I spoke to the rep on the phone and he was equally as upbeat I booked it on the spot. I'm super excited and think DCL should give you a finder's fee!! Lol. Thanks for the feedback! I'm gonna finish reading your trip review then head over to the roll call for my pending Disney cruise!! [emoji38] I'm going to "TRY" to keep it a secret from my kids and give it to them as their Christmas gift! Fingers crossed that their grandparents (who may accompany us) won't let it slip! [emoji87]

 

 

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You're asking about two different things there.

 

 

 

Door decorations - typically people will make Disney-themed magnets to put on their doors.

 

 

 

The gift exchange is called Fish Extenders. The holder for messages outside most doors on the most of the ships is a fish. If a Roll Call is started for your cruise, someone may organize a Fish Extender Exchange group. You must sign up for it, it's not something that DCL does, only the people within your group.

 

 

 

You make a hanging pocket organizer type thing that hangs off the message holder (hence Fish "Extender") and others in your group (that have signed up to participate) will leave little surprises during the cruise. You, in turn, must also drop off surprises for them.

 

 

HOW ADORABLE[emoji2]

 

 

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Thank you!! After I sent my inquiry to you this morning I called DCL myself to ask some basic questions and ended up booking a Disney cruise for early next year! Lol!! I was already excited after reading your review and seeing the utter glee and excitement on the faces of your children! When I spoke to the rep on the phone and he was equally as upbeat I booked it on the spot. I'm super excited and think DCL should give you a finder's fee!! Lol. Thanks for the feedback! I'm gonna finish reading your trip review then head over to the roll call for my pending Disney cruise!! [emoji38] I'm going to "TRY" to keep it a secret from my kids and give it to them as their Christmas gift! Fingers crossed that their grandparents (who may accompany us) won't let it slip! [emoji87]

 

 

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This is all BEYOND AWESOME - how exciting for you and your family!!

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Thank you for your review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, especially as we were on the Wonder just before Christmas. The question, would older children still like Disney, well, let me tell you my girls have been DCL cruisers (as well as Princess and Celebrity) since they were 5 and are now 16 and 19. They still love DCL although in a different way. The 16 year old loves the teen clubs and the friendships she has made. My oldest daughter loves the shows and now that she's over 18, she loves being able to go to the adult pool and the spa. They both still like getting photos with the characters and the different activities.

 

But even more than that, my MIL, who is 76, enjoys DCL along with her husband, with or without children in tow! I think she took photos with every single character she ran across on this last trip.

 

I certainly feel DCL delivers a great product, but like Patricia, I was less than overwhelmed by our servers this trip, the first time in 4 DCL cruises I felt that way. I don't know if it was because we didn't have little kids with us (it was me, my daughters and my MIL) but our waiter, while attentive enough, didn't seem to go out of his way to reveal any kind of personality or make our dining experience any different than any land-based restaurant. His assistant waiter seemed preoccupied, in fact, I inquired on evening if she was not feeling well.

 

We did enjoy the entertainment staff. One staff member appeared to be running the entire cruise by himself, he was at everything. Very personable and very professional.

 

Disney really went above and beyond on our last day. We, along with everyone else, were ready to disembark, but heavy fog caused the ship to drop anchor out of Galveston Bay and delayed the process. The crew swung into action, starting up trivia games, opening up food venues and the kid's clubs. Some things could not be helped but they did what they could to keep the crowd of people with their suitcases occupied until we could sail into port.

 

JoAnn

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Thank you for your review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, especially as we were on the Wonder just before Christmas. The question, would older children still like Disney, well, let me tell you my girls have been DCL cruisers (as well as Princess and Celebrity) since they were 5 and are now 16 and 19. They still love DCL although in a different way. The 16 year old loves the teen clubs and the friendships she has made. My oldest daughter loves the shows and now that she's over 18, she loves being able to go to the adult pool and the spa. They both still like getting photos with the characters and the different activities.

 

But even more than that, my MIL, who is 76, enjoys DCL along with her husband, with or without children in tow! I think she took photos with every single character she ran across on this last trip.

 

I certainly feel DCL delivers a great product, but like Patricia, I was less than overwhelmed by our servers this trip, the first time in 4 DCL cruises I felt that way. I don't know if it was because we didn't have little kids with us (it was me, my daughters and my MIL) but our waiter, while attentive enough, didn't seem to go out of his way to reveal any kind of personality or make our dining experience any different than any land-based restaurant. His assistant waiter seemed preoccupied, in fact, I inquired on evening if she was not feeling well.

 

We did enjoy the entertainment staff. One staff member appeared to be running the entire cruise by himself, he was at everything. Very personable and very professional.

 

Disney really went above and beyond on our last day. We, along with everyone else, were ready to disembark, but heavy fog caused the ship to drop anchor out of Galveston Bay and delayed the process. The crew swung into action, starting up trivia games, opening up food venues and the kid's clubs. Some things could not be helped but they did what they could to keep the crowd of people with their suitcases occupied until we could sail into port.

 

JoAnn

 

 

That sounds wonderful that they went above and beyond for y'all. Great customer service makes such a difference in anything but even more so on vacation!

 

I understand what you mean about there being a difference in service when young children are present vs bigger kids or no kids. When we cruise other lines without kids (vs cruising alone) there's a substantial difference in the attention we received from the staff. They are way more energetic when the kids are present. Thanks for the feedback. You make me further appreciate my decision to book a Disney cruise. [emoji5] Can't wait!

 

 

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I know this is old, but saw it had popped up top and decided to read. Great report! I have been on the Magic several times too and I love that ship! I like how it feels less crowded on deck.

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this all up and let us all cruise a long with you!

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I know this is old, but saw it had popped up top and decided to read. Great report! I have been on the Magic several times too and I love that ship! I like how it feels less crowded on deck.

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this all up and let us all cruise a long with you!

 

Thank you Jenseib - have always enjoyed your trip reports/reviews as well! :hearteyes:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Oh boy! Thank you so much - glad you found it useful!

 

So, we've only been on the Dream (twice) and the Magic (once) - all three trips turned out to be so different (itinerary, theme, ports even) that I think it's hard to do a direct comparison, but I'll try.

 

I remember being on the Magic and thinking, this is VERY close to the exact same (awesome) experience we had on the Dream, and even in this review I was hunting for differences. The Dream is a VERY nice ship - I think I prefer its near-pristine condition, the AquaDuck, the Rainforest Room, etc. But really, they are so close. I think it comes down to itinerary - the Dream (sans Hurricane re-routing!) does the same thing over and over... we really appreciated the variety of the Magic's (and soon for us, the Wonder's) itinerary. Some folks have mentioned the smaller ships feeling less crowded but we didn't feel that way - fewer people onboard, but it's a smaller ship, so...

 

So, in short, I'd say - they're very close to the same awesome Disney experience - choose based on the itinerary.

 

Thanks for asking!

 

davidmbfonz

Great review! Very much appreciated. I am switching to the Magic after 2 cruises on the Dream. I figured its still a Disney cruise, but with a different look. Time will tell if it was a good move. Can i pin you down as to which ship you prefer?

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davidmbfonz

Im sure we will have a great time on the Magic, we had two awesome trips on the Dream. We love the Bahamas and CC, not sure about the Key West stop though.

Did i read correctly that the deck pizza shop closes at 7? If so, we will have to order room service for pizza and the late night movie under the stars. do you mind the questions?

thanks, bill

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I don't mind the questions - maybe others will answer too.

 

I don't recall the exact times when the quick-serve counters on the top deck closed, but it DID seem early - much earlier than on the Dream. In fact, that's probably one of the main suggestions I'd have about the Magic (and noted this on the comment card) - leave that top deck (pools, hot tubs, counter service, adult sections) OPEN as long as possible to give us some more opportunity. The Dream seemed to have everything open much later (sometimes 11 pm, if I recall correctly).

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