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First Time Disney Cruisers Advice

Alh1978

By Alh1978,
in Disney Cruise Line

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Alh1978

Alh1978

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Hubby and I are going to book with our two children 6 and 9.

This will be kids first cruise. Hubby and I have only done Carnival. My first question is- looking at 3 and 4 nights.. would 3 nights be too short? Or is 3 a good start for the first kids cruise?

Next question- is the Dream going to be too crowded for our first experience? We wanted a newer nicer ship, but would Wonder be less crowded and better for first timers? If so, is that ship any good??

Next question- Is April or May better? As far as weather/rain in the Bahamas?

 

Appreciate any input!! Thanks

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Tkerniroc1986

Tkerniroc1986

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I'll tell you, the Dream will not feel crowded at all! The Wonder was the first DCL ship we were on and again, never felt crowded! We have been on the Fantasy (sister ship to the Dream) and we loooooved it! There is a lot to do, that also being said, don't expect to do everything there is to do on a 3-4 night cruise. We couldn't even do everything on a 7 night cruise! DCL does it right, you will see, the customer service, cleanliness and overall experience are phenomenal!!! Plus the Dream has the Aqua Duck and that slide is awesome! We will gladly answer any and all questions you have regarding DCL! I hope this helps!

 

 

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moki'smommy

moki'smommy

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IMHO, a 3 night cruise is way too short. I have done two, one as part of a 4/3 B2B. The only way I'd do a 3 night again would be if there were no way I could afford or manage in the schedule a longer cruise. Otherwise, it is neither cost nor time effective and is way too short to enjoy properly. By cost effectiveness, I mean that the transportation costs to MCO and to the cruise terminal are the same whether the cruise is 3 nights or 7 nights.

 

Weather--varies. May was hot; April more pleasant. But April often involves spring break which can increase costs of cruises and means more teens/tweens on board.

 

I'm one of those people who prefers the Magic/Wonder to the newer ships. I find them to be much more intimate and friendly. Your kids will have plenty to do regardless of which ship you choose. I haven't been on the Wonder since the recent dry dock, but most of what they did mirrors the changes on the Magic. There are some cruise reports here from recent Wonder cruisers. The Magic added "Marvel Academy" to the kid area...and dads like it too!

 

If the only question asked was "Which ship do you like least?" the response would have been "The Dream." It suffers from three things I don't like--short cruises, crowds, and a "pay extra" ice cream and dessert area right outside Cabanas (the buffet area). I had always liked the fact that DCL didn't tempt kids with "pay extra" food outlets the way some other lines do, but then they decided to add this profit center. Right now, I'd love to work a Wonder cruise into my schedule because I want to see the changes.

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Tkerniroc1986

Tkerniroc1986

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IMHO' date=' a 3 night cruise is way too short. I have done two, one as part of a 4/3 B2B. The only way I'd do a 3 night again would be if there were no way I could afford or manage in the schedule a longer cruise. Otherwise, it is neither cost nor time effective and is way too short to enjoy properly. By cost effectiveness, I mean that the transportation costs to MCO and to the cruise terminal are the same whether the cruise is 3 nights or 7 nights.

 

 

 

Weather--varies. May was hot; April more pleasant. But April often involves spring break which can increase costs of cruises and means more teens/tweens on board.

 

 

 

I'm one of those people who prefers the Magic/Wonder to the newer ships. I find them to be much more intimate and friendly. Your kids will have plenty to do regardless of which ship you choose. I haven't been on the Wonder since the recent dry dock, but most of what they did mirrors the changes on the Magic. There are some cruise reports here from recent Wonder cruisers. The Magic added "Marvel Academy" to the kid area...and dads like it too!

 

 

 

If the only question asked was "Which ship do you like least?" the response would have been "The Dream." It suffers from three things I don't like--short cruises, crowds, and a "pay extra" ice cream and dessert area right outside Cabanas (the buffet area). I had always liked the fact that DCL didn't tempt kids with "pay extra" food outlets the way some other lines do, but then they decided to add this profit center. Right now, I'd love to work a Wonder cruise into my schedule because I want to see the changes.[/quote']

 

 

Well said, I too would probably chose the Wonder at this point based on seeing all the new changes! Any way you go, you won't be disappointed in DCL... (hopefully) lol There's a lot to take in and a 3-4 night is quite short.

 

 

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Edited by Tkerniroc1986
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Alh1978

Alh1978

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Thanks :)

We definitely can't do a 7 night since we are also driving down and back taking additional travel time. So I think we will do 4. I was thinking 3 might be too short. I think we will do April it would be last week of, so hopefully not any spring break issues. Still not sure on Dream or an older one!

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moki'smommy

moki'smommy

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THe DCL ships "age" well as they have excellent, constant maintenance in addition to the long dry dock periods that the Wonder just did--major changes and updates in addition to the required engine inspections and maintenance. Older isn't the same as "out of date." Yes, the new ships do have more electronic bells and whistles, but the classics have things that the newer ones don't have.

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ArthurUSCG

ArthurUSCG

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Pick the cruise the fits your schedule and destination. Don't worry about the ship, they are are great in thier own way. The Disney pixy dust allows the ships to avoid the old designations and really fit the classic description.

 

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1soccer1baseball1princess

1soccer1baseball1princess

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Three nights is too short. I have done it twice now with girlfriends just because a three night cruise was better than nothing and we had to work it into our schedules. But it is just over way too fast, especially since the first day is eaten up with boarding, lifeboat drill, unpacking, exploring the ship. I would at least do four.

 

 

 

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alaska_planner

alaska_planner

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Posted (edited)

try to do at least 4 nights

also try to manage your expectations..

know going in that you may miss out on some things and it's not the end of the world if you do...

otherwise you're setting yourself up for major disappointment (like another thread on this board)..

Edited by alaska_planner
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moki'smommy

moki'smommy

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know going in that you may miss out on some things and it's not the end of the world if you do...

otherwise you're setting yourself up for major disappointment (like another thread on this board)..

 

That's another point where a smaller ship is better--the number of available free tickets to things is roughly the same but the number of families wanting those tickets is far less. You are more likely to get the character tickets or the excursion you want.

 

NOTE--most character meet and greets do not require tickets. A few require a ticket in order to assign a time and control crowds. These tickets are free and can be reserved on line in advance of your cruise (in your case 75 days ahead).

 

Excursions come with a fee, but again, most can take a specific number of guests per day--again, fewer people wanting to purchase is better.

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moki'smommy

moki'smommy

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For OP, who may not speak the lingo, "Re-Imagining" is Disney code for a 6 week dry dock that includes LOTS of interior work, new decor, etc. This is in addition to the required twice every 5 years required dry dock for engine/hull inspection, work, etc. DCL also uses the normal dry docks to spiff up the ships, but the "re-imagination" dry dock is a HUGE undertaking. As noted, Magic was 2013, Wonder was fall 2016.

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moki'smommy

moki'smommy

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Ok so magic is out they don't sail from port canav when we go so either dream or wonder. I didn't know wonder was re-imagined anyone been on wonder since that??

 

There are several reports on these boards from people who cruised the first few cruises after the reimagination.

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EJanss

EJanss

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Or you can search on YouTube for the videos of the updated wonder. There's some good ones on there now!

 

I've looked, but most of the post-drydock Wonder reports I've found are just the company sponsored (and fakie-viral) videos that just repeat Disney's travel copy.

So far, no personal Vlog testimonials from any civilians on the November cruises.

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Ex techie

Ex techie

Posted
Posted (edited)
I've looked, but most of the post-drydock Wonder reports I've found are just the company sponsored (and fakie-viral) videos that just repeat Disney's travel copy.

So far, no personal Vlog testimonials from any civilians on the November cruises.

 

You should try harder Eric!

 

[YOUTUBE]OUC8yBiBlkk[/YOUTUBE]

 

[YOUTUBE]gCAg1IoSXok[/YOUTUBE]

 

ex techie

Edited by Ex techie
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