sweetgeo Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 With kids aged 7 and 10, is the extra cost for Disney justified? Has anyone ever cruised in February, and if so, was the water at Castaway Cove decently warm? I'm all ears for your opinion/experience.:bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susu Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I don't know, but we are taking our first cruise in October on Disney with our 9 and 11 year olds! Looking forward to the comments! Susu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We love, love, love the Disney Cruise! We've been doing it annually since 2005, always in February. This year, we're doing an "extra" 3-day in November that was free for "re-booking" while we were on the 7-day in February. My kids were 7 and 9 the first time we did it. The older 2 were 13 and 10 on the last cruise in Feb. 2009. We also have a just-turned-3 and an almost 2 year old. They ALL love this cruise so much. The entertainment is superb, the food is fantastic, and there's tons for everyone to do. The water at Castaway Cay is a bit chilly in February. The air temperature is usually great, in 2006 it was actually hot!, but the water isn't very warm. However, there is so much to do on the island that's it's still a lot of fun. We always rent bikes and tour along the paths. Let me know if you have other questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I should have added that most people still get in the water at Castaway Cay in February. It's just not as warm as it is in the islands farther south! Which cruise are you considering? If you do the Eastern Caribbean, you'll get to spend the day at St. Thomas, which is actually another of our favorite destinations. The beaches there are fabulous, and the water is warm. One day there really isn't enough---a week is better! There are pirate ruins to visit, too! Okay, I'm ready to go again NOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We've been on 2 of them. One was a park/cruise combo, the other was a week-long cruise. My kids love going to the kids clubs. We love having family time and some alone time. Our last cruise was the last week of January this past year. The water was chilly at Castaway, but we enjoyed playing on the sand. And we did venture out into the water some....but not as much as when we went in July. It was so windy that they cancelled excursions like parasailing. And I think that is a common occurrence that time of year. We went ashore some (Castaway for sure, Key West, and dh took one dd to Cayman)....but mostly we went out to the pools and swam while everyone else went ashore. We usually went through the list of the days activities and kind of let dd's pick what they wanted to do. They did stuff like Storytime with Belle, dancing with Snow White, etc.. We took them to the 2 big productions on the ship (Peter Pan themed and a synopsis of Disney over the years...Hollywood themed) and they are fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 We went on the Disney Cruise a couple of years ago. I was kind of disappointed with it. I had always heard how great the food was on these cruises, but I found it very mediocre. My children did not want any part of the kids club, so that really limited their activities. I think if you have children that would be interested in that, it would really make a difference. There was only one small pool for the kids and I remember there being some problem where we couldn't use it that much. The main things I remember about Castaway Cove were that there was a treasure hunt my kids participated in and enjoyed and that there were signs up all over to swim at your own risk because of sea lice and a few other lovely things. We didn't go in the water. :) I think my kids were also kind of disappointed that we didn't go to Disney, so I would definitely spring for that if it is an option. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 We LOVED our first Disney cruise!!! We were there in January and we had all kinds of weather. Most days were around 80 - 85, but once it went down to 65 and rainy for a day. Our Castaway Cay day was gorgeous!!!!! 75 to 80 all day. Absolutely perfect! Dh and I are not beach people, but CC was, surprisingly, our favorite day. It was just SO relaxing! (My 13 yo absolutely loved the men who came around trying to sell drinks. They'd say, "It's hot here in the islands - you need to stay hydrated! Drink lots of beer!!") We didn't find it much more expensive than a comparable Carnival cruise. We were debating between the two. The Carnival cruise was one day longer and $200 less expensive. We thought it was worth it because we knew we could trust the entertainment and activities on board. Which cruise are you considering? We did the Western - 7 day. If you have questions about the stops, let me know! I love talking about our cruise! My older boys loved the clubs and spent quite a lot of time there. My 8 yo picked and chose his activities in the club each day. Dd didn't want to be left in her club alone and they were absolutely fine with me or dh staying in there with her. There was plenty of other things to do when they didn't want to be in the clubs. We didn't mind the food. I've read that the food on Disney has a lot to be desired, but we didn't find that to be true for us. I was just so happy not to be cooking and cleaning, I'd have been happy with dog food, I think!! LOL We loved it so much we're going back next January! This time we're doing a back to back cruise - first the 4 day, then the 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I sooooo want to do a Disney cruise. I get dizzy/off balance/sick so easily though. I'm scared of spending days at sea being sick and desperate to get back to land. And I know there are things that I can take or wear....but my mind tells me I'll still feel sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 We took the Disney cruise for our Honeymoon which was in May. This was nine years ago, so things may have changed since then. We had a great time. However, for a honeymoon I wouldn't recommend it. The walls are pretty thin in the cabins and screaming kids on three sides of you is not something you want to be hearing at night, if you know what I mean :D The Castaway Cay was really fun. They let you off at the beach and you get to do what you want. We schlepped around on the beach for hours. Part of our honeymoon package was snorkeling which I really enjoyed, we saw a sea turtle!! We also got massages on the beach which was heavenly. There's an adults only beach that I enjoyed, but if you're taking kids it's not much of an option. I really liked the different dining areas on the ship. You got to eat at a different one each night. They also had a broadway type show which was pretty impressive, being on a boat and all. They also gave us a sneak peek at the Dinosaurs movie before it hit the theater. Overall, I think it would have been more fun with kids. But they really do spoil you rotten, so we had fun regardless! If you can afford it, I'd go for it. At your kids ages, they'll remember it and you'll have some pretty good memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetgeo Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Thanks everyone, who answered. We're still debating whether to keep the first cruise short (Bahamas) to see how the kids fare, or whether to do the longer one (Eastern Caribbean). Cost may figure into that decision as well. Did/Do you all book it yourself via Expedia or the like, or go straight through Disney? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Christi - I was really worried about anyone in my family getting sick. I have one who gets car sick if he's in the car any length of time. We debated doing a 4 day just to see how it worked out, but decided it wasn't worth it in the end. It was so much cheaper per day to do a 7 day. Anyway, I took all the medicine just in case and nobody needed it. My 8 yo felt funny the first night. The ship was really rocking that night. But, we ordered him a Mickey Bar for dessert that night and all was good! LOL I actually ended up loving that rocking feeling and missed it when we got off the ship. If you really want to try it - maybe do a dinner cruise or something else to see. Or, bite the bullet and go for a 3 day. Sweetgeo - We booked through Dreams Unlimited. They had the best on board ship credit for booking through them at the time. Their credit ended up paying the tips for us! Another money saving tip - don't get Disney's trip insurance. Buy it on your own. Buy it within two weeks of booking the trip and it will include any pre-existing conditions that may exist. My sister and I bought the same trip insurance and sis ended up having a claim. Her ds had a seizure the last day on the ship and needed to be taken to the ER. She had her reimbursement check within a week!! Have fun deciding!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I did get sick on the Disney Cruise. I am have always had major trouble with motion sickness. Thankfully, my FIL had brought some sort of motion sickness medication that totally resolved everything for me. The medication did effect my vision, so that I was not able to read. I was able to do everything else, though. I was very thankful to FIL. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.