How “Not Sure I’m A Cruise Person” Became “When Do We Go On Disney Cruise Line Again?!”
We just returned from our first voyage aboard Disney Cruise Line, on the Disney Magic. It had been a long time coming. Sarah has been asking when we can go on a Disney cruise for a few years, but I’ve always managed to persuade her that we have more pressing priorities. We “needed” to go to the parks in Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and revisit Walt Disney World and Disneyland a number of times first, among other things.
My powers of persuasion finally failed me a few weeks ago when she spotted a sub-$400 per person rate on a 3-night Disney Magic cruise (my suggestion that we should first visit every US National Park wasn’t exactly well-received). Relative to other trips, it was inexpensive and it was short (my biggest requirement for our first cruise).
I don’t know if I’ll do a trip report for the cruise (I don’t have photos for some of the best aspects of the cruise, and I have a lot of redundant photos from parts that don’t bear discussing), but I wanted to do an overall ‘reaction’ post while the experience is still fresh in my mind as this was positively one of the best domestic Disney experiences we’ve had in years.
Before going, it’s not that I was necessarily opposed to the idea of a cruise, I just didn’t think it would be for me. I don’t take vacations–I travel. The distinction is in that I think the former connotes a certain level of relaxation, and I just don’t like doing that. I return from every trip we take exhausted, by choice. I like getting up early, being active all day, and staying up late. Because of this, I figured a cruise was a recipe for going stir crazy as I’d be confined to a small ship and basically ‘forced’ to lie around a pool.
For the days leading up to it, I was actually nervous about the cruise, and I’ve never been nervous or apprehensive about going anywhere. I was concerned about this loss of control, and that it would essentially amount to three days of lost time, anxiously sitting around a pool or beach. I know a lot of people enjoy lounging around a pool or beach for hours on end, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m not one of those people.
Besides reading a couple of blog posts, I had done almost nothing in the way of researching Disney cruises, so I really didn’t know what they entailed. My fears started to ease as we watched the on-bus video as we transferred from All Star Sports (we stayed at Walt Disney World the night before our cruise as travel out of the Midwest this winter has been challenging due to weather) and I saw some of the options available. I also saw glimpses of the ships, their details, and entertainment. My mind also started racing with photo ideas.
My initial concerns about cruising seemed downright silly within an hour of being aboard the ship. I was immediately impressed by the Art Deco-meets-Disney design of the ship and knew I’d have a blast simply exploring the new environment…even if it wasn’t as expansive as a theme park. Beyond that, the cruise ship was much larger than I envisioned, and had a number of places and things to do. I expected it to be a series of rooms with some common areas, restaurants, and a place for shows. It was much more than that–and this was on the smallest ship!
This variety of places to be and things to see was a big thing for me, as it eliminated that feeling of confinement. It might seem strange, but I don’t mind not doing a lot so long as I have the freedom to do it. Often times, I’ll slow down and enjoy things; I’m not (always) bouncing all around like a hyper-active child.
It’s completely a mental thing, but that freedom (even if I don’t take advantage of it) is the big thing. Just by virtue of having so many spaces and unique things to see, I felt like I had that freedom, even if it only existed within the bounds of the ship. This may make absolutely no sense or not be at all rational, but no one ever accused this blog of comprehensible thought, so oh well.
That succinct point of that rambling is probably best summarized by saying that Disney Cruise Line didn’t feel like a cruise so much as it did a floating breed of Disney entertainment and environment. Like a hybrid of a Disney hotel and a Disney theme park. Hopefully that makes a little more sense. I don’t think I’ll ever completely be able to put my finger on how or why it works for me, but it does.
In terms of the individual components that I loved about the cruise, the best aspect of the cruise ended up being the dining. This wasn’t much of a surprise–even at Walt Disney World this has become a bigger draw for us than attractions. Our dining rotation consisted of Palo, Animator’s Palate, and Lumiere’s.
We initially booked dinner at Palo despite hearing recommendations to do brunch (brunch wasn’t available for online booking at the last minute). Our waiter at Palo told us they might have brunch availability and we loved dinner so much that as soon as we found out brunch was available, we jumped at that, too. Our meals at Palo were nothing short of amazing, and the other two restaurants weren’t slouches, either.
I’ll cover each of these restaurants in their own reviews, but one thing worth mentioning now is the service. It was Disney guest service at its finest at every meal, at a consistent level we haven’t otherwise experienced outside of Tokyo. (There’s something to be said for great service that’s also primarily in English, too!)
The shows and entertainment were also very good. I wasn’t a fan of Villains Tonight, but the other two Disney stage shows were very good (again, more on these in separate posts) as were the other entertainment options during the course of the trip. The crew members hosting each of these activities was engaging and made them work. Even in the case of the sparsely-attended late night adult offerings, we had a lot of fun because the crew members hosting the entertainment did such a good job.
Likewise, service was one of the big things across the board that made our experience on the Disney Cruise Line so great. Every Cast Member was friendly and helpful at a minimum, and most went above and beyond. It wasn’t just a feigned, “have a magical day!” type of friendless, but more a seemingly genuine interest in what we had been doing, how we were enjoying the cruise, and whether there was anything they could do to make it better. The crew members truly seemed passionate about Disney Cruise Line, and that was evident.
We found Disney Cruise Line fires on all cylinders in a way we haven’t witnessed at Walt Disney World in years. To be sure, Walt Disney World will always hold a special place in my heart and even now we love visiting the Florida parks. With the amount of across the board cost-cutting and slipping standards that have plagued Walt Disney World in recent years, it was refreshing to discover a new-to-us Disney offering in (or out of) Florida that reminded me of the Walt Disney World of old.
Everything on the ship was immaculate and looked brand new, and I didn’t notice a single spot where things looked worn. (To the contrary, on my early morning walks of the ship, I saw many maintenance workers and a lot of “Careful – Freshly Applied Varnish” signs on places that didn’t seem like problems the night before–the type of preventative maintenance for which Disney parks were once known!) Between the tip-top look of the ships and the exemplary guest service, plus great entertainment and dining, it was clear that the “Disney Difference” is alive and well on the Disney Cruise Line.
The Disney Difference is why I’ve been a lifelong Disney fan, and it helped reaffirm some of my passion for Disney. Even if I had felt uncomfortable or confined on the cruise ship for whatever reason, I would have had a great time thanks to that Disney Difference. In actuality, it turned out that I was not left wanting for things to do nor did I feel confined.
The entertainment lineup on the ship was full fleshed out with multiple options every hour, and while we did a good number of these, I found myself enjoying the new style of cruise vacationing. It was like a compromise between my normal always on the go style and a more relaxed vacation, and it was still very satisfying. While I could have ramped it up and done even more, I also could have done much less, too. I came back from the trip feeling both a sense of accomplishment and also less tired than when we left!
I could go on about the various things we enjoyed about the cruise in painstaking detail (I haven’t even touched upon Castaway Cay, the fireworks, the merchandise, etc.) but that’s not really the point of the post. The point is that the Cruise Line is Disney at its best, and is worth checking out even for those who don’t view themselves as cruise people. “Magic” is a fluffy word recklessly thrown around when describing Disney’s various offerings, and I’m normally not particularly fond of its overuse, but I think in the case of Disney Cruise Line, it’s appropriate.
While I discovered that I am (or at least can be on the Disney ships) a cruise person, I still maintain that cruises aren’t for everyone. Setting aside the people who get severely seasick (as I know nothing about the varying degrees of seasick-ness, the medicines for it, etc.), I think there a decent number of people who going on cruises won’t suit. The biggest category is the large contingent of Disney fans who are objective-driven, making tight plans and strategies to accomplish as much as possible.
I suppose there are things to accomplish on the Disney Cruise Line, but there aren’t nearly as many and the same degree of strategizing just isn’t necessary. These people might seem to be in the same category as me–the always ‘on the go’ type–but I think the difference is that my sense of accomplishment can be fulfilled by doing virtually anything, so long as it’s not aimless. Maybe that’s a distinction without a difference, I’m not really sure. It’s at least something for the plan-driven Disney fans to consider.
Now, it’s just a matter of figuring out which cruise to do next. Since originally publishing this post several years ago, we’ve become bona-fide Disney Cruise Line addicts. Last year, we did a few cruises, including the Norwegian Fjords cruise (read our full Norway Disney Cruise Guide for more), which has been our favorite cruise to date. For 2018, we want to do another big one. I’d love to go to Alaska, but Disney cruises don’t afford good opportunities to see its National Parks (at least not Denali or Gates of the Arctic). Sarah is game for whatever–she’s just ready to get back on those beautiful boats again. We’ll keep you posted as to where we head next, so stay tuned!
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Your Thoughts
If you’ve been on the Disney Cruise Line, what did you think of it? Anyone else have a similar experience of not thinking it would be for them? If you haven’t cruised, is there anything you’d like us to cover regarding the Disney Cruise Line in our upcoming posts? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments!
I’ve been on 9 Disney cruises, and each on have been absolutely amazing. I’ve never had a bad experience. I’ve been on ones that range from 4 days to 14 days. I’ve only stayed on the magic, and it is phinominal. I will probably never go on any other cruise line just because I am so committed to Disney and their brand. But I’m so glad that you guys finally went on one and I can’t wait to hear your reviews of everything else!!
Wow just what I needed in a blog post. We almost pulled the trigger a couple years in a row now. I was so close to booking a trip this March as there were some downright ridiculously inexpensive rates and we had two roundtrip Southwest flights at our disposal. Alas we still haven’t pulled the trigger. I respect your opinion greatly and enjoyed your take on it. I look forward to a more extensive report on this matter. I think if I do make the plunge then I want to take it on the Disney Dream. I’m worried a little about the food options though as my wife is a steak and potatoes kind of gal who doesn’t venture to far off the unknown. Thanks again for this article.
You nailed it man. I have been trying to explain to my wife for years why a “beach vacation” doesn’t really excite me. I read her this and we laughed hysterically! You and I are cut from the same cloth my friend.
Thanks for making sense to our madness! After reading this, I think a Disney cruise is certainly something we will both enjoy!
Thanks
My husband an I went on our first Cruise ever last month as a part of our honeymoon (we did a combo with Disney World) and I felt exactly as you did (your difference between taking a vacation and travelling describes it to the point!). I didn’t think it would be for me because I am not the “relaxing” type.
We did a 7 day Caribbean Cruise and the first 2 days (which were sea days) I was so sick, I couldn’t think of anything else than getting of the ship as soon as possible. Then I got myself some sea bands, medicine and ginger ale (all available on board), got better and ended up having the vacation of a lifetime. And I didn’t lie around the pool once 🙂
Ah, man! We were on the Magic a week or two before you went, it would have been awesome to meet up!
It was also my first cruise of any kind, though I didn’t have any real reservations about going on one, we just hadn’t gotten around to it. We had a blast. I agree with much of what you’ve said, the only things I can’t agree or disagree with are things I didn’t try myself, Palo and the night clubs (having a 7&11 year old and a short cruise make it a little tougher).
I think the big difference, and it’s obvious, but might not be something you think about at first, is that you don’t “waste” a lot of energy walking around, there’s only so far you can go, unless your goal is exercise and don’t mind going around and around. At WDW, you can spend a significant amount of energy just getting out of the hotel and to a park.
I don’t know if my cruise was full or not, but even when something was crowded on the ship, it was never close to how crowded some places can be at WDW. There’s no pressure to wait in line for dinner, because everything is scheduled for you – plus you won’t really be missing anything while you’re at dinner. If you’re waiting for a table at WDW, you might be thinking that you could be riding/seeing X if you could have gotten in right away…etc. Perhaps it was the weather, but there was never more than a 10-15 minute wait for Aquadunk and I think we may have waited for 10 minutes at most for any character meet and greet. While kids were obviously present since we brought our own, I never felt like the place was overrun with them or that there was any level of annoyance at any kid’s behavior, or put another way – if I was there without kids and the only open lounge chairs on the upper decks were around the goofy pool, I don’t think my nerves would be rattled in the least by the other guests. You might be able to argue that the funnelvision sound might be too high to take a nap there, but evidence to the contrary was abundant from what I saw. I was always too busy to just hang out on a lounge chair, but I thought about it.
Lastly, this is also a small but stress-relieving thing, if you’re hungry, grab a snack, no charge, get another coke, pizza? Here ya go, now run along…not thinking about paying for it is niiiiiiiice, no empty wallet=empty stomach, no bottlenecks, it’s just another layer of stress lifted.
Oh, and for those asking about the kids areas, the Oceaneer’s Club and Lab – awesome. Kids would have stayed there most of the day if they could have. I wish I could have been a kid playing there.
So, here are some items folks might want to check out from my cruise:
A GoPro video I made of some of the outdoor activities (they wouldn’t let me take it on the Aquadunk), it’s not too long or filled with gimmicky special effects: http://youtu.be/VkY9axm51as
Here is my flickr site, all the recent photos are from the cruise. They’re not as good as Tom’s, but I have to work in a hurry with inferior equipment *cough*: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eighthave .
Thanks for keeping up the great work, Tom and Sarah!
Dave
I told you so.
This was my husband EXACTLY! Not only is he a cruise convert, but an addict!! Our favorite Disney Cruise to date was to Alaska. We can’t wait to go again!
Thanks so much for this article. It’s interesting that I’m exactly like you and keep thinking that I am not a cruise person because I would be bored to death. I don’t drink and don’t like just laying around waiting to be fed.
Maybe, just maybe doing nothing or at least doing some things at a more leisurely pace is what I need to accept and let unfold.
Definitely much more to it than waiting around to be fed. I’d recommend hitting all of the parks first (if feasible), but DCL is a great option, too.
All it takes is one cruise and you are hooked. That was my experience, too. So much better than I expected, and so much more to do than I had imagined.
I would imagine that they have a pretty good turnover rate for cast members, so I am always amazed at the high levels of guest service that we have had. As you said, so much better than what you find at Walt Disney World these days. I’m not sure how they attract so many top-notch people, but they do. People who don’t mind stopping what they are doing to have a real conversation with you.
I was thinking the same thing about turnover. Maybe it’s an in-demand position? I could see the 5 months on 2 off schedule, plus 0 expenses for those 5 months being appealing to a lot of people. That, or maybe they just have an AWESOME training program? Whatever the case, what they’re doing is working really, really well.
If you look at their jobs site, you appreciate their work and demeanor even more. They contract everyone and while you are on contract (minimum 3 months, maximum 8 months) it says there are no days off for the entire contract. If you work a “tipped” position, look forward to minimum 84 hour weeks while the other slackers work a measly 70 hours a week. Plus they get to share a walk-in closet sized room with your new roommate the entire time!
I think a cruise would be great in that my husband likes vacations where he doesn’t have to drive (hence so many Disney trips).
BUT, I think I would be afraid to be on so much water (I don’t enjoy being on a small boat on a large lake and the ocean kind of scares me); and, those stories of things going wrong while out at sea concern me. I don’t think Disney has had issues like that, but it could happen to anyone, and I don’t want to be stranded…
To each his own, but I don’t think about the worst case scenario in any situation if it’s statistically improbable. A hurricane (or terrorist attack!) could happen while I’m in the parks, or my plane could crash on my way there. However, I don’t even consider these things, because the chances of them happening are insignificant…just like a cruise ship being stranded. That’s just me, though.
Totally agree on your take with these issues. I did have quite a bit of sea sickness (did not throw up, just felt generally crummy at night) on the one cruise I went on (Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas). However, I did not use one of the patches for sea sickness, and I have bad sea sickness anyway so I only have myself to blame.
I would love to give DCL a chance as your review sounds like a blast, and great food and service are more important to me than the attractions/shows which it sounds like this had in spades. That and my wife loves cruises probably as much as WDW as well!
Thanks for the review!
I’m doing my first cruise on the Dream in September. I’ve been putting off trying a cruise for a very lomg time. I have a laundry list of reasons why I won’t like a cruise. I hope I am like you and become a convert.
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. We’ve done 3 cruises with DCL. We loved each of them by the Mediterranean on the Magic was the best trip ever! I’ve heard rumors that DCL is going back to the Baltic in 2015. If so we are definitely going back to Europe with DCL.
Sooo glad you went and enjoyed it! We’ve done a few 7-day cruises and they are just fantastic. I’m excited to read your reports, if for no other reason than to convince my husband we need to go. Plus, you can use DVC points!
The biggest thing that I didn’t like on the Disney cruise vs other cruise lines was the shows. They were just too kiddy for me — but that’s what they’re for! There are plenty of other types of entertainment on the ship other than the nightly shows in the big theatre.
Other than that, Disney cruises are far and away the best in the business. You’ll be shocked at the difference on other lines! Alaska is really, really excellent, as well as Hawaii. I haven’t done Disney cruises to either, but both were wonderful to experience by cruise. Hawaii especially, since the islands are all really different it’s a nice way to see a bunch quickly and decide which you’d like to visit more fully the next time.
I can’t wait to see more stuff from you on the cruise line! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
We enjoyed the shows, besides Villains Tonight. As a whole, though, better adult entertainment would’ve been great. Maybe it’s just not sustainable on such family cruises, though?
As for using DVC points, we’d highly recommend renting out your DVC points and paying out of pocket for the cruise.
If you can’t travel in the off season, the DCL is outrageously priced to the point where I will never even consider it – Disney difference or not. And I’m a huge Disney parks fan that always stays on site when I travel to the parks. I know WDW also jacks up their room rates during high season, but you can make up the difference by eating counter service, buying tickets through discounted sites, and utilizing any discounts given by Disney. Last summer my husband and I (who are usually travelers too!) wanted to take a relaxing vacation. Since he’d never cruised and wanted to try it, we looked into it and got some quotes. For literally the same itinerary, the DCL was TWICE the price of Royal Caribbean. We didn’t end up cruising at all, we ended up doing an adults only all inclusive resort in Jamaica – one of the only vacation spots that reduces rates in the summer rather than doubles them! Ha. Very teacher-schedule friendly…DCL…not so much. Unless anyone knows how to get good rates in the summer on the DCL, I’ll stick with RCL if I want to cruise.
I think a lot of non-Disney locations in the tropics offer lower prices in the summer, especially those that cater to older guests. I know that Hawaii, in particular, has a summer “off-season,” except for Aulani, which has summer as “peak” season. The difference is that Aulani caters to families on school schedules, and the other locations cater to empty-nesters or DINKs, who would much rather visit in the winter.
It stinks for families and teachers, but Disney’s pricing works very well for us. We prefer traveling in fall and winter, and that’s when Disney destinations have the best prices, weather, and crowds!
My husband and I frequently talk about all the places we’ll be able to go once we’re retired and not restricted to our teacher schedule. Of course this is about 35 years down the road. In the meantime, we’ll continue to hit the Nat’l Parks and the tropics in the summer. The Nat’l Parks are crowded, but a campsite is the same price no matter when you’re there. Thankfully the US Dept of the Interior hasn’t caught on to tiered/seasonal pricing yet! Trust me, if we could travel in the fall/winter, we definitely would. Glad you guys can and do take advantage of it! Keep enjoying 🙂
It’s good to hear that the cruise line is being maintained at the level Disney is, or in some respect was, known for. I know Matt Ouiment was famous for implementing that type of mentality on the cruise line when he was heading it up. In fact it’s one of the reasons he was brought to the Disneyland Resort for the 50th. He really got that place to shine after years of neglect. And I must say, Knott’s is looking good these days; he’s now the CEO of Ceder Fair Knott’s Berry Farm’s parent company. It’s really good to hear that those values and commitment to the “Disney Difference” remains present there. But I must ask where you noticed such an affordable cruise? Was it a last minute thing?
We follow cruise pricing, and it was booked 2 weeks in advance. Florida resident prices were even better than what we got!
Glad to hear you finally did it!!!! And if you think you’re sort of hooked now; just do 7 days on the Fantasy/Dream. It’ll be hard to not want to make it part of a regular Disney World visit.
I have to sort of disagree about it being something super planners might not enjoy. Did you see the Naviagtors??? Well, maybe if it’s just adults on the trip… But for families with kids, you can do quite a bit of scheduling.
And I’ll just say… Have fun on your next cruise!!!! 😉
That is true about the Navigators…although how much of that is just fluff that people don’t actually do? I mean, it *seemed* like a ton of stuff, but some of it didn’t seem like anything people would actually do (and based on what we saw in some cases, that was true to at least some extent).
So glad you finally did a Disney cruise. I completely agree its the ultimate disney experience in enthusiasm of the crew,they make the experience the best. Our family has cruised 4 times and I think you would love the Alaskan cruise. You would have endless photography moments,every moment is filled with extrodinary beauty. You go into places you cant by land,glaciers,fijords etc. You and Sarah could always add on a ground trip after your cruise. Hope you enjoyed the Disney trivia games, its always fun to play with Disney experts. Maybe you should organize a Disney Tourist cruise for all your fans!
Food, service and overall experience from beginning to end will never compare to “bargain” cruise line. 😉. The Disney difference is what makes everything special. And Castaway Cay is paradise! We’ve done both Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on the Fantasy. Actually preferred the Eastern ports – St. Maarten, St. Thomas and St. John are spectacular!
My husband was of the same thought process as you. He didn’t want to just lie around on a cruise. He loves to go go go! My daughter and I finally convinced him to go on a Disney cruise, and we went big and did the 10-day Mediterranean cruise. There was so much to do and see! We loved that we got to see many different countries and yet come back to our “home” at the end of our excursion. There were so many great sounding excursions, we could do the same cruise again and do all different things! We actually wished for more days at sea, so we could enjoy the ship some more! The cast members definitely make the experience so much more! We even had emails from our wait staff once we got back home. The reason why you don’t see hoards of children running all over the ship is because the Kid’s Clubs are so fantastic that the kids want to stay there all day! I honestly think my daughter would have stayed in the Kid’s Club all day and night if we had let her. She loved picking out what activities she wanted to do from the Navigator each day. I just thought of another way my husband reminded me of you, Tom. When we were on our excursions, my husband would wander away from the group to take tons of photographs. He was pretty good at finding his way back. Anyway, I am glad that you enjoyed your first cruise on DCL and I have a feeling that it won’t be your last! Thanks for sharing your trip post!
Would it be blasphemous to pair a Disney Cruise with a Universal Orlando vacation?
I’m looking forward to your reviews on Palo, and the dining experience in general. I’ve definitely become a foodie, and dining is an important part of the vacation experience for me as well!
I don’t think it would be blaspehmous, but you definitely might want to look into the one-way rental car situation (MCO->Port Canaveral) first. When pairing the cruise with a WDW trip, it’s easy to do a transfer via Disney’s transportation.