Whispers, Motivations, Questions of Our Potential First Disney Cruise?

[KJeff90]

Think of this post as a "choose your own adventure"-kinda post. You can read all of the following fluffy background for added context, or just jump straight to the heading about what "My Concerns & Questions" are, to get to the good stuff. I'll be upfront; this is going to read like a pre-pre-trip report if you go through all of it. I wrote this at around 2am PST, so I apologize in advance for incoherency.

Otherwise, let me paint a picture for you...

What Brings Me Here
So it's been a spell since I've been on the boards, and the potential to plan another trip with the help of the community has brought me back to a more active status. They say it takes a village to plan a Walt Disney World Vacation, and I think it will take at least a boatload of people to plan a Disney Cruise Line trip for my brother and I. As lighthearted as my thread title may have indicated, I'm very story-oriented (some I may say, whimsical) when it comes to posting on the boards. And based on how long this post already is; I've indicated that I can be very wordy thorough with my posts.

Our Background & Motivation
This trip is going to be for me (32), and my brother (31). We're both based in Southern California, born and raised. I'm a former Disneyland Resort Cast Member, who's moved on to other hospitality adventures beyond Disney. As far as Disney trips, DLR was accessible for semi-spontaneous day trips having worked with the big-cheese himself for nearly a decade. WDW happened a few times on solo and duo trips with friends. But the biggest Disney trip so far was back in the summer of 2018 when my brother tagged along with 7 other people that was a combination of adult cousins, and their significant others on a week-long trip to WDW. (The simple thought of that gives me ghost heat stroke, but it was a surprisingly successful trip). As far as cruising goes, we've only been on a 3-day Carnival cruise back in October of 2019 aboard the then-dated/since-retired/now-dismantled Carnival Inspiration(it was one of Carnival's oldest/smallest ships). We were in an inside cabin with our parents (it has prison cell vibes), as part of a bigger family trip with other relatives spread out in other cabins.

My attitude towards planning is not really one filled with panic or anxiety, but knowing what my options are. Perhaps what made that big WDW trip successful was not planning every minute, but knowing what moments would be most important for everyone, and knowing what contingencies we had available should we not meet our initial expectations. On the surface, and the uneducated eye, being on a ship in the middle of the ocean seems very limiting; but with the power of Disney and enlightenment by the community I feel like this ideology is going to be easily proven wrong.

While it doesn't define him, or is the sole reason I'm seeking out guidance and clarification, but it should be something taken into consideration; my brother is on the spectrum. He's high functioning, and you would only suspect that he was a shy guy if you didn't know. He can get a bit anxious when he's forced to take on new tasks and meet new people, so "space" to warm up to new ideas is something I always have in the back of my mind. Once he gets familiar and comfortable with people in a situation, he opens up and you'll be his best buddy for at least the next few hours...he's a sweetheart. He can understand adult humor, but finds comfort in family-friendly/Disney-centric content when it comes to entertainment. With that said, I feel like there will be very few moments where we'll be apart throughout a cruise. He's a big Disney fan, and since he's going to be graduating in June of 2023 with an associates degree; I figured a DCL trip would be a great way to celebrate this big milestone with something he loves in a new context.

The Initial Whispers/Plans I'm Considering
So I like using the concept of being in the "whisper-stage" of this planning because I'm not really even talking about this being a trip as nothing has been booked yet. I've been window-shopping on the Disney Cruise Line website and just seeing what's out there. I've looked at all domestic departure ports, and Vancouver BC, as they all seemed relatively accessible. For the sake of saving money, sailing out of San Diego made sense. Initially I wanted the semi-instant gratification of going on a short 3-day cruise for January 2023 to Mexico as a surprise announcement for my brother's birthday this past September, but felt the payment schedule/deadline was too close and kind of felt too do-or-die without an opportunity to do my favorite thing of considering all my options.

After perusing for a bit I think right now the frontrunner itinerary is the 5-Night Very Merrytime Baja Cruise from San Diego in November of 2023 aboard the Disney Magic. It allows for time to casually pay off the balance which seems pretty easy to do with at least being a year out. Also there's nothing leaving that port during the summer. San Diego is roughly only 2 hours away driving. We get that fun of being able to celebrate a holiday (and an excuse to wear our matching holiday onesies). Also it looks like it's the longest itinerary without actually going into an actual holiday or being a repositioning cruise that takes us on a one-way adventure.

My Concerns & Questions
Glad you made it through the bulk safely! Please feel encouraged to answer as many of the following questions as you want. Any responses are appreciated, and honest opinions are valued. I apologize for naive assumptions, but trust you can shed the right amount of light.
- So my first question is kind of like people's first encounters with Disneyland's Haunted Mansion; holiday overlay or not? Should our first encounter with a Disney ship be in it's pure non-holiday form, or all decked-out on the decks with holiday spirit?
- Category? There's quite a few options for the frontrunner itinerary aboard the Disney Magic. All of them are doable aside from the concierge level for obvious reasons, and we're trying to avoid an inside cabin. How much time do you actually spend in your stateroom as an adult? Is there a dramatic difference between seeing the outside world through just a porthole, vs a verandah stateroom? There's something charming about a Navigator's Verandah, it's a first choice in all honesty....convince me to go with some other way to look at the water?
- If I do go with a holiday time to cruise... which have you had more fun with; Halloween on the High Seas or Very Merrytime?
- The smaller ships (Magic/Wonder) for some reason seem like they're more dense with stuff to do for adults without being crowded with more guests. I feel like I'm overlooking something... what is it?
- That one cruise we did go on with Carnival shares a port of call with this frontrunner itinerary that was kind of "meh". Am I losing value by deciding to just stay on the ship? Are there offerings for port days?
- I've seen from inside, that Disney manages to keep people entertained. And the question probably gets asked a lot (probably cliché for any cruise line), and I'm almost ashamed to ask it; but will I get bored as an adult on a 5-day Disney cruise as an adult?
- How different are character experiences on the ships vs the parks (particularly Disneyland)?
- Finally I like to keep myself grounded in reality while living the dream. Am I asking too much out of a Disney Cruise? I don't think so and feel relatively optimistic. Are there greater options out there. Should I abandon ship?

Again, thanks for any answers. And even more thanks to those who read all of the above. Feel free to throw in any other relevant tips and suggestions too! I'm sure I'll have more questions come up.

 

[catsrgr8]

I have only cruised once so I can’t speak to all of your questions, especially regarding holiday overlay but I did sail for 5 nights on the Disney Wonder out of SD this April. We have a 5 year old daughter so I don’t have experience as adults only but hopefully some of my feedback will be helpful.

Cruising out of SD was great! We live in NorCal so we wanted to try out a local cruise before committing to traveling cross country. We did NOT get off the ship at either port and had an amazing time! When we docked in Cabo about 2/3 of the guests disembarked and my husband and I enjoyed the empty pool with some cocktails by the adult pool, DD must have been at the kids club. There were tons of activities available throughout the day, even on port days. I’d recommend looking at old Navigators (daily schedules) on

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/

to get an idea of what a typical day might look like. We LOVED the broadway style shows that were offered on 3 out of the 5 nights we sailed. My husband attended one of the other night’s variety acts and thought it was really enjoyable too.

We saw SO many characters on our cruise and the lines are nothing like the parks. The Navigator tells you when and where the characters appear and the lines were all relatively short. Before and after dinner there are a ton of characters in the atrium and my daughter would run up and down the stairs to meet them all. We probably saw 10+ characters each day. Hugs are back now, which we’re excited about for our next cruise.

One last thought regarding your brother. I wonder if it would be helpful for him to watch some videos online or study the deck plan so he has a sense of what to expect on the cruise. For me, watching videos regarding the cruise ship overview, decks etc helped me mentally prepare for what we would experience. I felt a lot more comfortable navigating the ship and knowing what the restaurants etc might be like before we arrived.

 

[Geomom]

I'm just going to answer some of the questions. We have been to WDW over 25x, never DLR (we live on the East Coast); sailed Wonder to Alaska, Magic to Baltic Sea, and Fantasy to Western Caribbean, no holiday cruises yet...

Character experiences on the ship: so much better than the parks! In addition to set meet and greet times, there are random encounters around the ship--its magical. We did the Western Caribbean on the Fantasy in June, my adult kids encountered Dr Strange near the shops. They saw Thor by the movie theater. On our Alaska Wonder cruise in 2016, Ariel was just walking around. We had an encounter with Hook near the art gallery on either the Wonder or Magic.

Rooms. We loved the deck 2 Oceanview rooms on Magic/Wonder--very large porthole and just 2 decks from promenade if you want to sit outside. We tend to book near the aft elevator. (Partly as we get a cat 9c as a party of 4..cat 9B mostly sleeps 3.). We loved our verandah on the Fantasy--its a good place to get away from people when you need it--so a verandah might be good for your brother if he just needs time away from others. I'm not sure how much ocean you can see from a navigator's verandah, I believe they're the white walls vs plexiglass so you might need to stand to see the ocean, but it is sheltered from the wind which is good in colder weather.

We loved both Magic and Wonder. What you do miss out on over Dream/Fantasy is the Midship detective agency game which was so much fun (similar to sorcerer's of the magic Kingdom game)--3 different mysteries to solve, taking you around the elevator lobby areas around the ship to see the magical art work. My adult kids did all 3 mysteries and had so much fun. Make sure you do the 18+ "art of the theme show" tour on whatever ship you go on--they take you around the ship and talk about the design elements --you'll love it!

I don't think you'll get bored. Recent Disney movies in the theaters, 3 Broadway style shows in the theater plus entertainers/or a movie (you go to the show opposite your dining time.). Character drawing classes, napkin folding, 3d paper crafts, trivia,, no casino but there is Bingo ($), disney adult entertainment in the clubs (more pg13 than R), piano music ,and a lot more.

We do cruise for itineraries, so we get off at each port. There are fewer activities during port times, but more kids club open houses when anyone can visit, so a good time to check those out (they're not all open at the same time, some are still just for that age group.). Port days are a good time to enjoy the pools (less people soup), and the Funnel vision by the family pool will play old Disney movies.

Enjoy whatever cruise you pick! Check out the trip report part of this board to see what other people have experienced. (Lots of reports with pics.)

Edited to add that the mandatory muster drill is soooo much better since Covid. Instead of standing with tons of people on the Promenade deck and hearing the loud alarms, now you just take a pic of your muster station after boarding (and check in with the cast member in the area), and you watch the safety video on your stateroom TV.

 

[Lillebelle]

I will answer your questions as best I can...

Holiday vs not: Our first cruise was a Halloween one; we are doing our first Merrytime later this year. I don't think it being Halloween meaningfully impacted our first experience so I'd go with whatever works best with your plans and not fuss too much over the holiday element, unless you're REALLY into one or the other. With Halloween at least, the theming was mostly constrained to the lobby and a few decals in the windows, plus there was one night where people dressed up in costume (and a lot of people dressed up!). The holiday haunted mansion overlay changes the ride way more dramatically than HOTS changed our experience on the ship.

Category: I've only ever sailed with a verandah but there are plenty of people who don't care about one. I love being able to go out and look at the ocean in peace and quiet but I'm sure you could find places on the ship to do that if you end up choosing no verandah. This, and how much time you spend in the room, really comes down to personal preference I think.

Magic/Wonder vs bigger ships: The big ships have a few things the smaller ships don't - sports simulators, mini golf, a paid ice cream shop (the ships all have included soft serve, the upcharge stuff is more elaborate), an extra adult restaurant (Remy), and the AquaDuct water slide. The bars on the Fantasy were also a bit more elaborate than the ones on the Magic/Wonder. Up to you if any of that matters to you.

Not getting off the ship: We have done three cruises post-COVID (a total of 16 nights) and haven't gotten off the ship or done a single excursion on any of them (with the exception of one day at Castaway Cay). I don't think it's a waste at all. You're paying all this money to go on the ship, why not enjoy the ship? There's less programming on port days than sea days but it's a great chance to do things like go to the spa/rainforest room, enjoy the pools with fewer crowds, eat a leisurely meal, etc.

Getting bored: Ahh the 'b' word. I am a person who never gets bored. I am content to wander, to people watch, to sit and enjoy a drink somewhere for awhile and watch the world go by. I don't need to have someone else provide me with entertainment constantly. But, we are not all the same. I do think Disney does a good job offering different stuff throughout the day, including plenty that has appeal for adults who enjoy Disney theming. I have friends who don't understand how I can take a 5 day trip to Disneyland and feel like it's not enough. Cruising is the same way for me - maybe it will be for you, but you know yourself best!

I think you and your brother could have an excellent time! Best of luck with whatever you choose!

Also +1 to the suggestion above about watching videos with your brother ahead of time. There is a ton of DCL content on youtube!

 

[Cheburashka]

Our first cruise was on the Magic over New Year's and she was decorated for Christmas. The decorations made it feel even more special and that cruise was a great introduction to the line.

 

[BruinEd03]

Think of this post as a "choose your own adventure"-kinda post. You can read all of the following fluffy background for added context, or just jump straight to the heading about what "My Concerns & Questions" are, to get to the good stuff. I'll be upfront; this is going to read like a pre-pre-trip report if you go through all of it. I wrote this at around 2am PST, so I apologize in advance for incoherency.

Otherwise, let me paint a picture for you...

My Concerns & Questions
Glad you made it through the bulk safely! Please feel encouraged to answer as many of the following questions as you want. Any responses are appreciated, and honest opinions are valued. I apologize for naive assumptions, but trust you can shed the right amount of light.
- So my first question is kind of like people's first encounters with Disneyland's Haunted Mansion; holiday overlay or not? Should our first encounter with a Disney ship be in it's pure non-holiday form, or all decked-out on the decks with holiday spirit?
- Category? There's quite a few options for the frontrunner itinerary aboard the Disney Magic. All of them are doable aside from the concierge level for obvious reasons, and we're trying to avoid an inside cabin. How much time do you actually spend in your stateroom as an adult? Is there a dramatic difference between seeing the outside world through just a porthole, vs a verandah stateroom? There's something charming about a Navigator's Verandah, it's a first choice in all honesty....convince me to go with some other way to look at the water?
- If I do go with a holiday time to cruise... which have you had more fun with; Halloween on the High Seas or Very Merrytime?
- The smaller ships (Magic/Wonder) for some reason seem like they're more dense with stuff to do for adults without being crowded with more guests. I feel like I'm overlooking something... what is it?
- That one cruise we did go on with Carnival shares a port of call with this frontrunner itinerary that was kind of "meh". Am I losing value by deciding to just stay on the ship? Are there offerings for port days?
- I've seen from inside, that Disney manages to keep people entertained. And the question probably gets asked a lot (probably cliché for any cruise line), and I'm almost ashamed to ask it; but will I get bored as an adult on a 5-day Disney cruise as an adult?
- How different are character experiences on the ships vs the parks (particularly Disneyland)?
- Finally I like to keep myself grounded in reality while living the dream. Am I asking too much out of a Disney Cruise? I don't think so and feel relatively optimistic. Are there greater options out there. Should I abandon ship?

Again, thanks for any answers. And even more thanks to those who read all of the above. Feel free to throw in any other relevant tips and suggestions too! I'm sure I'll have more questions come up.

- Holiday v. non-Holiday: I don't think there's a right or wrong answer for this. We like both as it's a different experience. We started out with holiday, but have since done non-holiday ones. We enjoy both. Pros for holiday: More festive atmosphere, with special decorations and events (including gingerbread houses). You're also in a better mood since it's the holidays. Cons: Colder weather, and if you're not into the holidays, you're not going to enjoy it (especially for Very Merrytime). There's also something elegant about the ship in its natural state.
-Category: Is this a one and done cruise or would you go multiple times? Also do you get seasick easily/need fresh air? If it's one and done or you get seasick easily/need fresh air - go with the Navigator's verrandah. Otherwise, I would suggest you consider an Oceanview room, especially if it's your first cruise, unless the price difference is tiny. One reason is that you do get spoiled by having the Verrandah. Some people find it difficult or would be afraid to "downgrade" to an oceanview. For longer cruises, verrandahs may be worth it. For shorter cruises, maybe not. You can sit and see everything on Deck 4 or Deck 10. Also, if you're into activities onboard or port adventures, you may not spend that much time in your room. So it's highly dependent on you, your wallet, and your vacation habits.
-Holiday cruise: Very Merrytime is much, much, much better themed than Halloween on the High Seas. Unless you hate the december holidays or have a special love for halloween, I would suggest the Merrytime one.
-Smaller Ships: They are much easier to navigate than the larger ships. However, the larger ships are newer and have a few more amenities. E.g., they have a longer ride. Aqua duck (Fantasy and Dream) uses a raft that goes around the ship, while the Aqua Dunk (only on the Magic) is a pretty much vertical drop and that's it. Duck better than Dunk. They also have a Mid-Ship Detective Game with cards and interactive screens, while the smaller ships sometimes have paper scavenger hunts. There's also a dedicated premium ice cream shop for the larger ships. On the flip side, the smaller ships feel less crowded. As for which one is better? Well, I think a lot of people tend to fall in love with whichever ship they go on first. Alternatively, I think people tend to love the itinerary attached to a ship more than the ship itself (e.g., people may prefer the Fantasy over the Dream since it's got longer cruises, or the Dream over the Fantasy if they're local and go on the Dream a lot). So I think there's something for everyone for each ship.
- Adults only: If you love Disney, you won't be bored. If you aren't a fan of Disney, or aren't open to new experiences, you probably won't enjoy it as much. We don't have kids and we enjoy cruising with Disney. E.g., there's trivia, bingo (paid), towel folding, sometimes cooking classes, new release movies (including Disney owned movies that premiere on the ship), character drawing, adult beverage tasting (paid), activities late at night (e.g., Match Your Mate game show, silent DJ dance party, etc.) That's not including the nightly shows adjacent to dinnertime. Honestly, you probably won't be able to experience everything, and if you tried, you'd probably enjoy the cruise less.
- Character experiences: You get to see more of them with a shorter wait time. You may also see them wandering around the hall spontaneously. You just have to get there at least 15 minutes beforehand as they will cut off the line.
- Asking too much? Only you can answer that. Do you both like Disney, are willing to try new things, and have some flexibiltiy with your experience (e.g., not everything goes as planned and you're OK with it)? If so, I think you'll enjoy it. I also think you would enjoy a cruise out of the East Coast that goes to their private island, Castaway Cay, however a 2 hour drive to San Diego makes it really easy for you.

 

[magsnwonderland]

We haven’t actually gone on our first one yet (27 days!) soI can only speak to our thinking on overlay or not. We are intentionally going in the small window between Halloween and merrytime. There was bad info out originally that it might be a merrytime and we were disappointed because we wanted to first experience it “regular” and we’re also Jewish so Christmas doesn’t have the same excitement for us.