Disney fanatic but no desire to go on Disney Cruise?

[monica9]

Love the parks, but give me a cruise everyday and twice on Sunday. So much more relaxing, entertainment, food, kids clubs, adult only areas, no waiting in line, did I mention the kids clubs?

Next one is booked in Oct 2019 and going to be a long wait!

That’s how I feel about cruises. Love them. But I can get that on other cruise lines too and don’t have to fly because we are an hour away from New York port. I just wish I would bite the bullet and try dcl.
I wish they still had the land and sea packages.

 

[lorimay]

Have you been on other cruise lines? I’m curious how they compare.

No, only Disney. I love the service and cleanliness of their ships, we know exactly what we're getting when we board.
We use the ships as our floating hotels and go to as many new ports as we can.

You won;t be disappointed, try a nighter and see for yourself!!!

 

[Lionsfan]

I am with the first person. We are cruisers and have no desire to go on DCL. We do love going to Disney parks. I think for us its the cost of the DCL compared to other ships and when we want to cruise we want it to be a different experience than what DCL would offer.

 

[ArielSparrow]

Do you already have a puck/icon to put into the keeper? The keeper won't come with one. So if you don't have a magicband 2 yet, you will need to order one if you want to use the keeper.

But there is BINGO

lol I've never understood the appeal of Bingo. There is zero skill involved. Beyond not zoning out (which is what happens if I stare out a window at the ocean, but I digress)

That’s how I feel about cruises. Love them. But I can get that on other cruise lines too and don’t have to fly because we are an hour away from New York port. I just wish I would bite the bullet and try dcl.
I wish they still had the land and sea packages.

You can't get all of that on other cruise lines. I mean, sure, there's entertainment and such but no Disney movies, Disney shows, Disney music, Disney characters, etc. Do other cruise lines have fireworks on every itinerary? (maybe they do, genuine question, not rhetorical) How about pirate parties? It's perfectly acceptable to not want those things, but if you are looking for those specific thing (ie the Disney flavor), you'll only find it on DCL.

 

[ArielSparrow]

FWIW, I've only been on one cruise (RC) and I thought I wouldn't like it. I said I would rather fly down to the same destinations than spend so much time trapped on a boat just doing nothing on water. BOY was I wrong! I even liked the dining and I don't normally like sit-down meals. I am one that thrives on action-packed 16 hour day and yet I got off wishing I could afford to cruise more often.

 

[ScooterScott44]

Have you been on other cruise lines? I’m curious how they compare.

The others are about half the price of Disney!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I’ve been on cruises, but not Disney cruises, and have no desire to do so. It’s just not Disney World, and I could take a nice long Disney vacay for the same price as a short Disney cruise. They do look awesome, but I’d rather spend the money on a trip to WDW.

 

[Jenlynn3]

I’m not a gambler so I don’t miss the casino. You do feel some of the Disney Magic without it being in your face. We do like action and adult comedy/activities..I wish they had adult pool games so not sure how my BF will like DCL. So far he is being open minded

 

[NoelleDisneyNerdRoberson]

Not sure where to pot this but wondering if others feel the same way as I do. I’m obsessed with WDW. I mean OBSESSED like I’m sure most of you are and get upset if I have to wait longer than a year to return. But I ha e no desire to cruise Disney although I love to cruise and have been on 6 cruises with my last being just a couple weeks ago.
People are always surprised that I wouldn’t so that’s why I’m curious if anyone else feels the same?
There’s something about the rides, the resorts, monorails and the busses that have the music blasting based on where you are going. Can’t get any of that on the cruise. And who wants to cruise without a casino!?

Has anyone cruised Disney and thought the same?

I was the same way until I started reading about it. Then I wanted to go on one, then my sister convinced my grandfather to take us on our first cruise. Now, I love them and honestly, I think that they are better than the parks. There is just not a lot of stress and planning involved once you step foot onboard.

 

[fredandkell]

Well I'm the opposite, I love Disney Cruises but I don't care if I ever set foot in Disney World ever again. There, I said it.

 

[Mich123]

I love the parks and I love DCL. DCL is a deluxe resort on the water. Preparing for our last cruise, my DD19 commented, "I can't wait for Disney level service." She's right--the level of service is excellent (and I haven't been programmed by DCL CMs to say that!). I love the Disney tunes as I walk around the boat, seeing the characters up close and not crowded, character breakfasts at no extra charge, great shows, the mixology classes, the bingo, the smiling kids, the theming of the restaurants (Animator's Palate with the drawings that move--that's so fun, Tiana's with live music and Louis). It's an overall feeling, similar to the parks, but obviously different. My kids are over 18, so we spend lots of time in the adult areas where there are no children, which is really nice! Sitting by the pool with drink service can't be beat. Also, the fact that it doesn't feel crowded on the Magic and the Wonder (I haven't been on the Dream and Fantasy yet, so I can't comment on that)--last week in Alaska, I sometimes felt like we were the only people on the ship as I walked around in the daytime in hallways alone. It was relaxing and fun.

 

[MomOTwins]

There’s something about the rides, the resorts, monorails and the busses that have the music blasting based on where you are going. Can’t get any of that on the cruise.

Which is why we do a WDW stay followed by a cruise, so we don't miss out on everything we love about the parks. Here's the stuff you that I think is a nice perk of the cruise that differs from the parks (and by doing it back-to-back, we get both, which I love):

• The SHOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why they haven't brought more broadway style shows to WDW is beyond me. The shows on the ships had the special effects of fantasmic, mixed with really talented singing. I was really blown away by BaTB and Believe on the Dream.
• The rainforest room at the spa; sitting in a Jacuzzi staring out at the beach or ocean; tropical-themed showers; sauna again with ocean/beach view... wow.
• Kids clubs; I love my kids, but after chasing them around Disney World, it's kind of nice to let them have fun to have a bit of a break.
• The pirate night. Pirates of the Caribbean is our FAVORITE ride at Disney world, but their jack sparrow meet and greet in adventure land is lame (he's up on a stage and doesn't really interact with you, unlike the Jack Sparrow on the ship who taught my kids sword moves), and there is really not much else pirate-y you can do at WDW. SO MUCH FUN on the ship.
• The dining. When we go to WDW, we eat exclusively at table service because we just hate quick service, and we end up spending a fortune (even with the DxDP, we are still spending a lot even though the plan saves us over $1,000 dollars for four days). At DCL, three very nice table service meals a day are included in the cost of the cruise, and the entire cost of the cruise is roughly twice what we are spending just on the DXDP for our Disney world stay.
• Castaway Cay. It is so beautiful. I have been on many a beach vacation, but that is the nicest beach I have ever seen. White sand. Turquoise waters. Bliss.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I’ve been on cruises, but not Disney cruises, and have no desire to do so. It’s just not Disney World, and I could take a nice long Disney vacay for the same price as a short Disney cruise. They do look awesome, but I’d rather spend the money on a trip to WDW.

For my 25th anniversary this September hubby and I are flying to Ireland, renting a car, staying in B&B’s, and exploring some amazing places....

.....for 15 days.

Budget? Under $8k. That’s about what we would spend on a week long Disney cruise or a week at WDW (We only stay deluxe). That would include air, transportation, etc. So basically we are getting 15 days of fun for as much or less than Disney. And I fully LOVE this knowledge!

 

[lilpiglet97]

My DH, DD, and I did a Western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy in January of this year. We've cruised other lines as well. My DD and I are true Disney fans (going back to our happy place in 29 days), but we did not get a true Disney feel at all. Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic cruise, but just not over the top Disney like you would get in the parks.

 

[Lilsia]

Unfortunately for my bank account, I’m addicted to both Disney parks and cruises.

...and I’m super glad there is no casino.

Me too! I am even going on the cruise solo before my WDW trip this fall. I LOVE the Disney Cruise Line.

 

[bcwife76]

Unfortunately for my bank account, I’m addicted to both Disney parks and cruises.

...and I’m super glad there is no casino.

Agree 100% with all of this

 

[dvcdisney]

I think one of the reasons why we like DCL so much is because it doesn't have a casino. We don't gamble or drink...we're just so much fun!

Seriously, we love the service and we find DCL much more our type of Disney. Don't get me wrong, as DVC members we went to WDW twice a year for 2 wks each since 2002. When my son was young, he thought we moved to BCV...

As my children get older, I think we're just outgrowing the park scene. We still go but we spend more time at the resorts and my children prefer DCL and wants to go back to Aulani. Perhaps we're all parked out. We still go back because we love the resorts, but on our last trip this past March, we went just long enough to use our 3 fastpass and have dinner. Not sure that was a good use of our AP, but what we did.

We have 3 cruises booked from now until next summer and planning a trip to Aulani. WDW isn't even in our plans for the next couple of years.

And for us, DCL seems more Disney-ish than the parks. Even with the different ports, I feel completely immersed in Disney.

 

[sharonabe]

Me too! I’d feel like I wasn’t actually on a Disney trip!

There's no way you can miss the "DISNEY" of a Disney cruise. It's everywhere. Even the ship horns blow Disney tunes!

Haha. First off, I knew I’d get someone that said they didn’t like casinos haha!
But do they have all the novelty Disney ice creams for free??

Mickey ice cream bars are FREE, but sadly, Dole Whips are not.

 

[mmouse37]

Ok...our family was always die-hard WDW fans...have been at least 40 times over the years (and we live in NY). I would obsess about when we could go back before we even left the parks. Back in 1996 or so we heard that Disney was starting a cruise line..we had never cruised but it intrigued me. We wound up being on the Maiden Voyage of the Magic in 1998 and were all hooked. 40 DCL cruises later and I would take a Disney cruise over the parks any day. I HATE all the pre planning that WDW now requires. I do not know where I want to eat six months out or what park I want to be in beforehand on a particular day. Drives me crazy and I hate waiting on lines. The whole family now enjoys the elegant whimsy of DCL cruises. So much fun, so much Disney all around (but not in your face), superb attention to detail and service, enchanted artwork, 24 hour room service, wonderful dining options, kids clubs, fireworks, kids dance parties, Broadway style stage shows, themed restaurants (the Magic now has a Tangled theme dining room) so many character meet and greets (scheduled and random). Our kids all have their own kids and our grandkids who are not yet 3 already love the cruise and talk about them all the time.

Of course I would go to WDW and was just in Disneyland last week but I enjoy the relaxing atmosphere so much on DCL.

We did love our DCL cruise out of NY that included a day at WDW...that was fun. They bussed us to the parks and gave us park hoppers with 3 anytime Fastpasses...just show up at whatever ride you want and get on the Fastpass line Awesome! We did not have to be back at the ship until about 1:00 am so had a full day at the parks.

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

Me too! I’d feel like I wasn’t actually on a Disney trip!

Try one of the cruises out of NY....as I mentioned in my other post the one that leaves from NYC and stops in Port Canaveral with a day at WDW is a great cruise. You also get Castaway Cay.

MJ