Totally Out of My League Here ...

[mandyc3383]

Hi everyone! I have been on one cruise with Carnival and am going on another this August. I fell in love with cruising instantly and am always up for a vacation. I have only been to Disney World once just this past January. I was contemplating a trip for Oct./Nov. 2010 and was wondering if anyone could answer some questions for me. Any information would be appreciated.

 

I am looking into doing a 4 day land and 3 day sea package. Does the land portion of the package include dining? I don't beleive it does, but wanted to check.

 

Are there 3 main resturaunts that rotate on each ship or are there more than 3? Is there also a buffet option is that one of the 3 rotated?

 

Does each cruise have the pirate party on deck or just certain length cruises have it?

 

Are there anything special about booking excursions through DCL rather than a private guide?

 

In your personal opinion, do you think that a 3 day cruise will offer enough time to be enjoyable?

 

Thank you so much!!! :)

[calmpets]

Hi everyone! I have been on one cruise with Carnival and am going on another this August. I fell in love with cruising instantly and am always up for a vacation. I have only been to Disney World once just this past January. I was contemplating a trip for Oct./Nov. 2010 and was wondering if anyone could answer some questions for me. Any information would be appreciated.

 

I am looking into doing a 4 day land and 3 day sea package. Does the land portion of the package include dining? I don't beleive it does, but wanted to check.

The land portion does not include dining. Dining packages are available, but IMO you can do better on your own.

 

Are there 3 main resturaunts that rotate on each ship or are there more than 3? Is there also a buffet option is that one of the 3 rotated?

The main dining rotates through Animator's Palette, Parrot Cay, & Triton's (on the Wonder, Lumiere's is on the Magic). There is also buffet restaurant, but that would not be part of your normal dining rotation. A specialty restaurant, Palo, is also available for adults only for a $15pp surcharge.

 

Does each cruise have the pirate party on deck or just certain length cruises have it?

All the cruises do the Pirate Party.

 

Are there anything special about booking excursions through DCL rather than a private guide?

The biggest benefit is that if a DCL booked excursion runs late getting back to the ship, the ship will wait. If you book independently and run late, the ship will leave you behind. In general it costs slightly more to book thru DCL than it does to go off on your own.

 

In your personal opinion, do you think that a 3 day cruise will offer enough time to be enjoyable?

My first sailings were three-day, which I found to be too short. I then did a four-day, which was a bit better but still not long enough. Seven-day seems like the right amount. Many, many people who do the three-night, book a future seven-night while onboard.

[Mozart527]

 

In your personal opinion, do you think that a 3 day cruise will offer enough time to be enjoyable?

 

Thank you so much!!! :)

 

7 days is too short... :)

[truck1]

 

 

Does each cruise have the pirate party on deck or just certain length cruises have it?

 

Are there anything special about booking excursions through DCL rather than a private guide?

 

In your personal opinion, do you think that a 3 day cruise will offer enough time to be enjoyable?

 

Thank you so much!!! :)

Just to clarify for a second here, on the 3 day, there is no pirate dinner, but you still have the pirate deck party. The dinner is on the 4 day and up trips.

 

I would not go for anything less that a 4.

First of all, you seem rushed on a 3.The 4 day has a day at sea, and on mon, youre the only ship in Nassau.You have the island to yourself.(At least we did in sept of last year)

Second, if something happens weather wise, then you have no opitions available to you. On a 4 day they can move ports around to work around the weather. Cant do that on a 3. Youll either suffer the weather or lose a port.

[belle626]

Three days is short, but we do it quite often in November because it fits nicely into a school vacation. We've been to Nassau many times, so sometimes we don't get off. We treat this as a sea day. The pools and spa are less crowded because many people are off the ship. While I prefer a longer cruise, the 3 day is still a nice get away.

[cnc123]

I'd rather do a 3 day than not cruise at all, but 3 days was just bitter sweet because it ended so quickly! So if time and budget are not an issue, stay longer! I was sooooo not ready to get off that ship!

[fshagan]

Good answers to your specific questions, but I wanted to add a note about the land/sea packages. We typically go in the off season in late Jan or sometime during February, the "park hours" consideration may not apply to you.

 

Our first one was a 4 day land, 3 day sea. We have reversed that now and only do the 3 day land and 4 day sea. In the off season, when the parks close early, we find that we can do everything we want to do at the Magic Kingdom during the day, and then hit Epcot in the late afternoon / evening (it is the only park open later). Then we'll do Disney Studios and head over to Epcot for the evening. Then repeat for Animal Kingdom and Epcot the last night. Its a nice way to break up the day.

 

The 4 night cruise is a little more restful, and we enjoy it a lot. We always plan it at the end of our trip because we want the more relaxed portion at the end.

 

The park hours may be completely different in Oct/Nov, so it may not apply. We just find the parks blissfully uncrowded in late Jan / Feb.