Tell me EVERYTHING you know about DCL!

[andrew&ryansmommy]

So my husband and I are throwing around the idea of a Disney cruise...we have 2 boys, 4.5 and 2.5..weve been to the parks, and love it, but I really want something a little more relaxing. What port do you leave out of? What exactly do you do on board? Sorry if that sounds silly, guess Im just looking for an idea of what your days looked like. When is the best time to go, preferably from NY? How are crowds? Never been on a cruise before so I have NO IDEA what to expect..all I imagine is tons and tons of families, making it super crowded and not enjoyable. What do you pay for once on board? I think food and drinks are included? Thanks for all advice!!

[CajunDisneyDad]

Dem's some big boats our der

I will follow this thread because I am interested in it too

[ElenitaB]

I'll make a first pass at your questions. I'm sure that others will be along. I'll start by saying that while we love the parks and have been many, many times over the years, the most relaxing vacations we have ever had were on board the Wonder.

What port do you leave out of?
Well, that depends. The main port is Port Canaveral (more or less an hour away from WDW). Since you mentioned NY, it's worth mentioning that this summer the Magic is sailing out of NYC.

What exactly do you do on board?
What did our days look like? My DS would get up, have breakfast with me and then head off for the day at the kids' club. While he was much older than yours, the fact that I barely saw him on our second cruise I see as a testament to just how great the clubs are. What did I do? A few times I went to the gym, I went to the spa. I went to the DVC meets. I sat on our verandah and chilled. I went to the Cove Cafe and sat with a good book and a good cup of coffee. It's just me and my son, so I got some quality "me time" while he was off having some quality "kid time." We spent evenings together and enjoyed the shows and each other's company. I'm sure that you'll be able to find something to do with your DH.

When is the best time to go, preferably from NY?Any time works! We've gone around Thanksgiving and also President's Week. I found the second time to be more iffy, as we got hit with a blizzard the day we were to leave and couldn't leave until the next day. Thank goodness we had planned a few extra days at Disney before the cruise. Like I mentioned earlier, the Magic is sailing out of NYC this summer. There are some short itineraries which would allow you to wet your toes, so to speak.

How are crowds?
That really depends on when you cruise. There are certain times that will just be more crowded, like when schools are on vacation, "Jersey Week" (the first week of November), President's Week, Thanksgiving, Christmas break. But even when the ship is full, there is still plenty of room for all. I never felt like the ship was unbearably crowded when we went for President's Week.

What do you pay for once on board? I think food and drinks are included?
You will pay for room service, specialty drinks (specialty coffees, smoothies), alcoholic drinks. Food is included except for candy in the theatres. You'll also want to factor in gratuities for your cabin steward, servers, luggage handlers.

Hope that's a start.

[GoldenDreams]

We too love Disney, but were looking for a vacation where we could relax. We just returned from a 4-night trip on the Disney Dream. I'll do my best to answer your questions.

First of all, it was VERY relaxing! Other than the lifeboat drill (which is easy --- you just show up and sit there while they explain the process), and getting to dinner on time if you want to eat in the main restaurants, there is nothing you particularly have to do.

We left from Port Canaveral. Easy to get to, easy to park at. We went in April and it was nice, although a little cool and breezy on deck at night when were were moving. Defintely bring a sweatshirt. It was very nice during the day and good for swimming. I would NOT recommend the Carribean in the fall due to hurricanes. It's nice you don't have to think about school vacations yet, although we went during a school vacation and did not find it too crowded. The walkways are plenty wide enough and there are plenty of chairs and elevators, so it never seems crowded. On the first day, the pool was crowded with kids --- I think everyone wanted to jump in as soon as they got there, but other than that, nothing ever seemed crowded. We were able to get the hot tub to ourselves more than once. We were always able to find a seat at Cabanas - the food court/buffet restaurant.

Our day was like this... We would sleep in in the morning and then go to Cabanas for a late breakfast just before it closed. We'd swim or do the aqua duck, and then my son would go to the kids club. He loved it there and made friends there. We'd stop by and ask if he wanted to leave and he usually didn't. They give you a pass to go in and talk with your kid whenever you want. The kids can also call you. My husband and I would go to lunch, then explore the ship, or hang out on deck or in our room and read or take nap. We had been really busy right before the cruise, so we were looking to just do nothing. I kept trying to get to the movie theater, but there was always something else to do, so I would watch parts of movies just because I loved the theater. We'd go to dinner at 5:45 and then usually go to a show or one of the game shows. Sometimes my son went back to the kids club and sometimes stayed with us in the evening, depending on the show. One night we rode the aquaduck and checked out the hot tub.

The all-you-can-eat, serve-yourself, soft-serve was a big hit with my family.

Our ship went to Nassau and we went in to town for just an hour. I would skip that in the future and just stay on board or book an excursion. In my opinion, there isn't much to see in Nassau just wandering around near the port. On the Castaway Cay day, we stayed on the ship in the morning and then went to the beach around 10:30 or 11 and stayed until around 4. A lot of people went early and then returned to the ship around 2 or 3. You can get lunch and ice cream and soda on the island (free, all-you-can-eat). We also played ping pong on the island.

Other than tips at the end of the cruise, 2 bar drinks, and a couple of souvieners, we did not pay for a thing on board. The food, soda, and juice are all included.

The staff are wonderful. If you even look confused, somone will stop and ask if they can help you, even if they are clearly on their way to their post elsewhere in the ship (you can tell their job by the clothing).

The ship is beyond beautiful and very, very clean.

I hope that is helpful We really loved it and plan to go back.