Disney Cruise

[buckeyegirl]

We just returned from a 3 night Halloween on the High Seas cruise on the Dream.  We had a fun time and great weather.  DS10 and DS6 would have been happy on any cruise.  It didn't have to be Disney.  I think I enjoyed the Disney aspects more than they did.  If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer them. 

[krystee]

Fun! How were the crowd levels, and how were the lines for the water coaster? I forget the name)? We are going in February on the Fantasy.

Did you happen to do the late seating for dinner? If so, what time did it end? The early seating was full, so we will be having dinner with our 4YO and 7YO at 8:30 pm. I think they’ll be okay, but eek. Lots of late nights!

What ports did you visit, and do you have any excursion recs?

And finally, is it easy to spend a zillion dollars on board, or did it feel like enough was included?

[buckeyegirl]

Crowd levels for the most seemed ok. I've been on other cruises that seemed much busier. Lines for meet and greets moved quickly. We mostly took stairs to just avoid elevators and we had no issues finding seats for shows or activities. The only time it was busy was during the major shows on the top floor by the pools but the kids were able to squeeze up and see things.

We did the early seating so we ate at 5:45. I like how they change the restaurant for you each night so you get to see the three different dining rooms and your waiters rotate with you.

We visited Castaway Cay and Nassau. At Castaway Cay we got off the ship around 9 and went to the beach. It was empty and beautiful. We did a snorkel and feed the stingray excursion which was pretty good. My kids liked it. I've never fed a stingray before. At Nassau we didn't get off the ship and I don't think a lot of other people did either. It felt like an at sea day based on the crowds.

We boarded at 1:00 and had changed and were in line for the Aqua Duck water slide by 1:30. There was no line and we walked right on. The lines for things were great that first day. The day we were in Nassau my DH and DS6 waited 30 minutes to ride the water slide.

We are drinkers so we brought wine on board and then bought beer/drinks as well. The only other money we really spent was on Crocs. My DS6 forgot to pack shoes other than sneakers. We did book the pirate dress up but the kids didn't want to do it and it was too late to cancel so we were charged $20 for that but that was probably cheaper than what we would've spent for it.

There wasn't really a lot to spend money on. They get you at dinner with special glasses that the kids have to drink from. There were little things but not a lot. I felt like there was plenty included.

[estrellita]

I just want to echo that most things are included in the price, which was awesome. We only spent money on drinks (other than the wine we brought on and the ones included in a tasting we did), tips for room service, and souvenirs. There was nothing we *had* to pay on board though. Food and non alcoholic drinks are included, and you can order as much as you want if needed. Plenty to do on board. If you want wifi, you'd have to pay for that, but we went without (my parents bought some though, we didn't use it). Our phones actually sorta worked on Castaway Cay!

Anyway, glad you had a good time! I can't wait to go on another one sometime!

[kittycatlove]

Sept 20, 2022 18:18:35 GMT -5 krystee said:

Fun! How were the crowd levels, and how were the lines for the water coaster? I forget the name)? We are going in February on the Fantasy.

Did you happen to do the late seating for dinner? If so, what time did it end? The early seating was full, so we will be having dinner with our 4YO and 7YO at 8:30 pm. I think they’ll be okay, but eek. Lots of late nights!

What ports did you visit, and do you have any excursion recs?

And finally, is it easy to spend a zillion dollars on board, or did it feel like enough was included?

Not OP.  

But the Fantasy is my favorite of all the ships we've been on.  Are you doing a 7day Eastern?  That was our itinerary when we went.  Ports were St. Thomas, VI, Tortola, BVI and Castaway.

Disney's island Castaway is beautiful!  

We went to Megans Bay beach in St. Thomas.  Easy to grab transportation at the port.  It's a gorgeous beach.

For Tortola we did the Caves tour through Disney.  It was super cool, but very crowded.  It was difficult to get through the caves with so many people, but still super fun  to do.  The other thing is you have to take another boat across the water to get to the caves.  Many people got sick on it, so that was not great.

You can totally not spend any money really.  Most things are included on the cruise.  We did spend extra money going to Palo for brunch (totally recommend).  We also did alcohol tastings, wine tastings etc.  Of course bought souvenirs, but not of that is necessary.

I love late dinner.  There is no rush to get back from excursions.  There's time to take a nap, there's always food at the quick services to tide you over.  That's what we did for both adults and kids.  Plus at the time between early and late dinner, the pool deck is empty so it's nice to swim and watch movies in a more calm atmosphere.

Feel free to reach out with any other questions.  If you can't tell I love Disney Cruises

[dcrunnergirl52]

Sept 20, 2022 18:18:35 GMT -5 krystee said:

Fun! How were the crowd levels, and how were the lines for the water coaster? I forget the name)? We are going in February on the Fantasy.

Did you happen to do the late seating for dinner? If so, what time did it end? The early seating was full, so we will be having dinner with our 4YO and 7YO at 8:30 pm. I think they’ll be okay, but eek. Lots of late nights!

What ports did you visit, and do you have any excursion recs?

And finally, is it easy to spend a zillion dollars on board, or did it feel like enough was included?

We did the early dinner for our first one or two cruises, and liked it. But, on our last few, we had to do the late dinner, and I actually preferred it. It lets the afternoon be more relaxed and you don't have to rush around. We did bring a tablet to dinner for my at-the-time 3 year old b/c the dinners went a bit long sometimes and he was exhausted.

We usually have the kids go to the kids' club at dinner one night so DH and I can have a night to ourselves (and we get them dinner earlier from quick service).

On the other nights, we'd get back from our excursion/activity around 5pm, get the kids changed and they'd go to the kids club from about 5:30-8pm, and then DH and I would get ready, hang out on the adult deck, and just get some downtime. We'd pick them up on the way to dinner. After dinner, sometimes, they would beg to go back to the kids' club, especially my older kids, and beg to stay until 11pm or so. But, we aren't into the evening shows, so we've never had to factor that into the schedule.

I've found the lines for the aquaduck to be lowest if you get there right when it opens in the AM on days at sea. I am always surprised by how few people get to the pools around 8:30am or so after breakfast. My kids are early risers though so we are up and out early. We'd just wear our swimsuits (with coverups) to breakfast at Cabanas and then go right to the pool.

We spent money on board on souvenirs, wi-fi, and fancy iced coffee from the Cove Cafe, but obviously you don't have to do any of that. And, at the end, you'll be charged the daily tip unless you pre-pay gratuities.

You'll have the best time! We go on our next cruise the week before Christmas, and I can't wait.

[quesyrah]

We are going on a 4 night on the Wonder in May.

Do the kids clubs cost extra? Do you have to reserve ahead of time?

Was there a pirate night? What about formal night?

[kittycatlove]

Sept 22, 2022 11:34:49 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

We are going on a 4 night on the Wonder in May.

Do the kids clubs cost extra? Do you have to reserve ahead of time?

Was there a pirate night? What about formal night?

The Wonder was our first cruise

Kids club is free, and you don't have to reserve ahead of time.  Only the nursery needs a reservation.

Yes, there is a Pirate night with fireworks!  It's so fun, a lot of people really go all out on dressing up.  

I can't remember if there is "formal" night, if they do it's not the same as on a 7nighter.  Plus the formal nights are not mandatory.  

[quesyrah]

Sept 22, 2022 12:54:09 GMT -5 kittycatlove said:

Sept 22, 2022 11:34:49 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

We are going on a 4 night on the Wonder in May.

Do the kids clubs cost extra? Do you have to reserve ahead of time?

Was there a pirate night? What about formal night?

The Wonder was our first cruise

Kids club is free, and you don't have to reserve ahead of time.  Only the nursery needs a reservation.

Yes, there is a Pirate night with fireworks!  It's so fun, a lot of people really go all out on dressing up.  

I can't remember if there is "formal" night, if they do it's not the same as on a 7nighter.  Plus the formal nights are not mandatory.  

How did you like the Wonder? I joined a DCL Facebook group and a lot of people say it’s the worst ship. I’m guessing it’s just older and smaller?

Does animators palate cost extra?

[kittycatlove]

Sept 22, 2022 18:52:45 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Sept 22, 2022 12:54:09 GMT -5 kittycatlove said:

The Wonder was our first cruise

Kids club is free, and you don't have to reserve ahead of time.  Only the nursery needs a reservation.

Yes, there is a Pirate night with fireworks!  It's so fun, a lot of people really go all out on dressing up.  

I can't remember if there is "formal" night, if they do it's not the same as on a 7nighter.  Plus the formal nights are not mandatory.  

How did you like the Wonder? I joined a DCL Facebook group and a lot of people say it’s the worst ship. I’m guessing it’s just older and smaller?

Does animators palate cost extra?

The Wonder was great.  It is one of the older smaller ships, but being on it, you would never know.  I like a lot of the layout of the smaller ships better than the big ones.  

Animator's Palate is one of the regular dining room rotations.  I actually think the show on the Wonder is way better than the show on the bigger ships!!!!  I won't say what the differences are so I don't spoil it for you.

The only pay restaurant is Palo (adult only).  And on a 4night, I wouldn't book it.  But that's just my opinion.

Any other questions let me know!

And I'll want a trip review when you get back

[krystee]

kittycatlove we will be on the Fantasy with the same itinerary you had! We were planning to do the caves too (is that The Baths?), but my mom gets seasick and we’ll have a newly 5YO, so maybe we need to reconsider!

[dcrunnergirl52]

Sept 22, 2022 18:52:45 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Sept 22, 2022 12:54:09 GMT -5 kittycatlove said:

The Wonder was our first cruise

Kids club is free, and you don't have to reserve ahead of time.  Only the nursery needs a reservation.

Yes, there is a Pirate night with fireworks!  It's so fun, a lot of people really go all out on dressing up.  

I can't remember if there is "formal" night, if they do it's not the same as on a 7nighter.  Plus the formal nights are not mandatory.  

How did you like the Wonder? I joined a DCL Facebook group and a lot of people say it’s the worst ship. I’m guessing it’s just older and smaller?

Does animators palate cost extra?

My kids prefer the Wonder to the Fantasy too. In terms of service, amenities, etc., it doesn't seem any older or even really smaller (just more accessible) than the Fantasy. I haven't been on the Dream or Magic to compare it to.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Sept 22, 2022 21:48:18 GMT -5 krystee said:

kittycatlove we will be on the Fantasy with the same itinerary you had! We were planning to do the caves too (is that The Baths?), but my mom gets seasick and we’ll have a newly 5YO, so maybe we need to reconsider!

In Tortola, we did one of the beach break excursions, which was fun but the ride was long b/c they take you on the scenic route to some overlooks and a distillery or something. The ride was very mountainous and hilly. And, the beach wasn't that pretty but the kids had a ton of fun b/c it was shallow and calm. But, we were also there in 2019 and the island was still recovering from a hurricane. If I could do it again, I'd get a private taxi just to take me directly to the beach.

At St. Thomas, we went to Magen's Bay, which was beautiful. We did the Disney excursion, and again, they take the scenic route to get there, but did stop at some gorgeous overlooks that actually were nice. We all snorkeled in Magen's Bay (well, DS3 was 3 at the time and he just kind of bobbed around in his life vest), and saw turtles and lots of fish.

[wesleycrusher]

We are going on the Fantasy in November- it's the Very Merrytime Cruise.

We didn't pre-book anything for Castaway Cay- I'm imagining there is enough to do there without it. or are you able to book things there?

[dcrunnergirl52]

Sept 23, 2022 11:21:13 GMT -5 wesleycrusher said:

We are going on the Fantasy in November- it's the Very Merrytime Cruise.

We didn't pre-book anything for Castaway Cay- I'm imagining there is enough to do there without it. or are you able to book things there?

We've never pre-booked anything for Castaway...there is plenty to do there without spending extra.

[zarapipe]

Sept 23, 2022 11:21:13 GMT -5 wesleycrusher said:

We are going on the Fantasy in November- it's the Very Merrytime Cruise.

We didn't pre-book anything for Castaway Cay- I'm imagining there is enough to do there without it. or are you able to book things there?

We didn’t book anything. There is lots to do.

[quesyrah]

Sept 22, 2022 21:01:26 GMT -5 kittycatlove said:

Sept 22, 2022 18:52:45 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

How did you like the Wonder? I joined a DCL Facebook group and a lot of people say it’s the worst ship. I’m guessing it’s just older and smaller?

Does animators palate cost extra?

The Wonder was great.  It is one of the older smaller ships, but being on it, you would never know.  I like a lot of the layout of the smaller ships better than the big ones.  

Animator's Palate is one of the regular dining room rotations.  I actually think the show on the Wonder is way better than the show on the bigger ships!!!!  I won't say what the differences are so I don't spoil it for you.

The only pay restaurant is Palo (adult only).  And on a 4night, I wouldn't book it.  But that's just my opinion.

Any other questions let me know!

And I'll want a trip review when you get back

I have read that people recommend against Palo on a shorter cruise so our plan is to skip it. I appreciate those kinds of tips!

[quesyrah]

Sept 23, 2022 7:35:54 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

Sept 22, 2022 18:52:45 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

How did you like the Wonder? I joined a DCL Facebook group and a lot of people say it’s the worst ship. I’m guessing it’s just older and smaller?

Does animators palate cost extra?

My kids prefer the Wonder to the Fantasy too. In terms of service, amenities, etc., it doesn't seem any older or even really smaller (just more accessible) than the Fantasy. I haven't been on the Dream or Magic to compare it to.

Good to know!

It will be my kids first cruise and DH and my first DCL. We haven’t cruised since our honeymoon 16 years ago. So I’m sure we’ll enjoy it all!

[wesleycrusher]

Just got back from our cruise on the Fantasy. We had an amazing time, but had to skip Castaway Cay due to the hurricane that had passed through.

I told DH now we have to book another cruise, since we didn't get there this time.

[wesleycrusher]

Sept 20, 2022 18:18:35 GMT -5 krystee said:

Fun! How were the crowd levels, and how were the lines for the water coaster? I forget the name)? We are going in February on the Fantasy.

Did you happen to do the late seating for dinner? If so, what time did it end? The early seating was full, so we will be having dinner with our 4YO and 7YO at 8:30 pm. I think they’ll be okay, but eek. Lots of late nights!

What ports did you visit, and do you have any excursion recs?

And finally, is it easy to spend a zillion dollars on board, or did it feel like enough was included?

We had the later dinner which was 8:15. They were really efficent with bringing the food out quickly, especially for the kids. We ate around 9-10 for breakfast, 2 for lunch and then we usually showed up for dinner between 8-8:15. Dinner done about 9:15-9:30 most nights.

People do go all out for pirate and formal nights- it seemed like a lot of people would get family photos done on formal night.

We found the best time for the Aquaduck was in the evening when families went in for the first dinner service (so after 5). We are not early risers, so never made it in the AM.

[sent]

How are the cruises in June? I wouldn’t be able to do Florida heat with little cover in June but maybe I could handle a cruise if there’s a lot of shaded areas. Thoughts?

[dcrunnergirl52]

Nov 13, 2022 14:58:57 GMT -5 sent said:

How are the cruises in June? I wouldn’t be able to do Florida heat with little cover in June but maybe I could handle a cruise if there’s a lot of shaded areas. Thoughts?

The boats have a lot of shaded areas. I think the biggest issue would be at the pools. There are shaded areas but if you are watching your kids in the pools, there is very little shade and it can get really warm and the sun is strong. You can get chairs that are in the shade for part of the day but you need to catch them at the right time, and as the sun/boat moves, the shade does too.

[quesyrah]

We are going on a 4 night in May.

Was there a long wait for the water slide? What is pirate night like?