daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Did you love it? What would you do differently? Where did you go? Thanks... we might be able to go late spring. Thanks for any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Do not go on your honeymoon. Those walls are paper thin and having screaming kids on three sides of you doesn't really help with "the mood." :glare: We went in early May and the weather was lovely. It wasn't too hot and since the kids were still in school it wasn't completely jam packed. The only time I got a bit seasick was when we went to the big theater they have in the front of the boat. The room was really big and you could feel the motion of the ship. But other than that we had a terrific time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We have found that we like to cruise the last week of April into the first few weeks of May. The weather is always wonderful and most children are still in school. Definitely avoid holidays and traditional school vacation weeks! Some things that made our Disney cruises enjoyable: *Book the largest room your budget allows with a balcony. We love to sit outside and enjoy the sunrise. *We enjoy the concierge rooms and find the extra attention to detailed service is well worth it. *Book a private cabana on Castaway Cay. It's wonderful to have your own little section to retreat to. *Take advantage of Disney's liberal policy that allows alcohol to be taken aboard in your carry-on! Turn your room service orange juice into a mimosa in the morning, bring good wine to dinner (corkage fee still applies), etc. It's often the little things aboard that can make any voyage wonderful. I do like the Disney ships, but honestly prefer to cruise with Princess. We find the food and on-board activities to be of a nicer caliber on Princess, but Disney can't be beat for it's children's entertainment. Enjoy your vacation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We went in October...beautiful weather and lots if fun! I enjoyed eating in the restaurants. The food is mostly really good, but not amazing. Check out disboards for tips on what to order in the different restaurants. We stayed on the ship at the ports and rode the Aquaduck...so much fun! We also rode it in the morning when arriving at Castaway Cay. It was amazing to be in the tube and see the island views. Our favorite things were the Aquaduck, dining, and Castaway Cay. If you order a cruise planning dvd, sometimes they email you or mail you special offers to entice you to book a trip. We found that the best dessert was the Mickey bar! :D The main advice I can think of is to avoid hurricane season, as I have seen numerous reports of itinerary changes which included omitting the Castaway Cay stop in order to avoid a storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We went in October, right before the hurricane and had a wonderful cruise. The boat wasn't at capacity, so it was easier for my dc to do what they liked. I would definitely go in the off season. We didn't rent a cabana and didn't regret it. (We thought about it!) we didn't even get off the ship in Nassau. It was the best time to use the pool and the water slides. I've been on a couple of other cruises and Disney is very different. They were perfect for my dc. It gave us plenty of time to be together, but we were able to go our separate ways, too. We had a party of 10, spread out in four cabins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 Do not go on your honeymoon. Those walls are paper thin and having screaming kids on three sides of you doesn't really help with "the mood." :glare: We went in early May and the weather was lovely. It wasn't too hot and since the kids were still in school it wasn't completely jam packed. The only time I got a bit seasick was when we went to the big theater they have in the front of the boat. The room was really big and you could feel the motion of the ship. But other than that we had a terrific time! Funny thing is we had our honeymoon in Disneyland. We were young and had no money. lol. Definitely gonna take your advice and go early May. Where did you go? Dh would like to go to Bahamas or Carribean. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 We have found that we like to cruise the last week of April into the first few weeks of May. The weather is always wonderful and most children are still in school. Definitely avoid holidays and traditional school vacation weeks! Some things that made our Disney cruises enjoyable: *Book the largest room your budget allows with a balcony. We love to sit outside and enjoy the sunrise. *We enjoy the concierge rooms and find the extra attention to detailed service is well worth it. *Book a private cabana on Castaway Cay. It's wonderful to have your own little section to retreat to. *Take advantage of Disney's liberal policy that allows alcohol to be taken aboard in your carry-on! Turn your room service orange juice into a mimosa in the morning, bring good wine to dinner (corkage fee still applies), etc. It's often the little things aboard that can make any voyage wonderful. I do like the Disney ships, but honestly prefer to cruise with Princess. We find the food and on-board activities to be of a nicer caliber on Princess, but Disney can't be beat for it's children's entertainment. Enjoy your vacation! Thank you for all your tips. I'm going to print this out and show dh so we can start planning this week. It was actually his idea to ask here. He said, "can you ask all those ladies on the board for tips?". :) I agree that the little things help! Our kids are gonna go crazy when they find out we are going. I'm getting a little excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 We went in October...beautiful weather and lots if fun! I enjoyed eating in the restaurants. The food is mostly really good, but not amazing. Check out disboards for tips on what to order in the different restaurants. We stayed on the ship at the ports and rode the Aquaduck...so much fun! We also rode it in the morning when arriving at Castaway Cay. It was amazing to be in the tube and see the island views. Our favorite things were the Aquaduck, dining, and Castaway Cay. If you order a cruise planning dvd, sometimes they email you or mail you special offers to entice you to book a trip. We found that the best dessert was the Mickey bar! :D The main advice I can think of is to avoid hurricane season, as I have seen numerous reports of itinerary changes which included omitting the Castaway Cay stop in order to avoid a storm. Hmmm... October would be great too but I think we have to go in May because of grandparents! We'll look into the Aquaduck and Mickey bar, sounds fun! We definitely want to go to Castaway Cay. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 We went in October, right before the hurricane and had a wonderful cruise. The boat wasn't at capacity, so it was easier for my dc to do what they liked. I would definitely go in the off season. We didn't rent a cabana and didn't regret it. (We thought about it!) we didn't even get off the ship in Nassau. It was the best time to use the pool and the water slides. I've been on a couple of other cruises and Disney is very different. They were perfect for my dc. It gave us plenty of time to be together, but we were able to go our separate ways, too. We had a party of 10, spread out in four cabins. Yes, I think dc will love it!! We are going with dh parents and his brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 My favorite vacation!!! We've been on four Disney cruises. Three in January and one in October. We are booked on our fifth this August. January was perfect because we were escaping the winter weather here. It was nice and warm on the cruise, but not too hot. In October, it was still very hot. I'm sure we'll be hot in August. I'd prefer to go in January, but the August cruises were cheaper. We have stayed in inside cabins and balcony cabins. Definitely spring for the balcony if you can afford it! Sitting on our balcony watching the sun set or the water on the side of the ship is absolutely wonderful. I have a young daughter who goes to bed early. In the inside cabin, I was stuck there with her with NO view!!! With the balcony I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. We've never booked concierge. We'd rather vacation twice a year than have once a year with concierge. So, I can't speak to that. After the kids are out of the house, dh and I will try it! Definitely take advantage of Disney's alcohol policy!! It will save you a TON of money - even if you don't drink much. A couple drinks a day really adds up. Do a little searching and find out which travel agent is offering the best on board ship credit. We've used Dreams Unlimited for all our cruises and received anywhere from $200 - $300 per cabin. We used that to pay for our tips! Get the Disney Visa card. You'll earn Disney dollars and can use them to pay for the cruise or anything you buy on the cruise. The cost of the cruise is just the start of what you will spend! So, budget carefully. There's flight and transportation to the port (or a hotel and parking if you drive), tips (!!!), drinks, photos (there are SO many opportunities and the pictures are SOOOOO good!), etc, etc, etc. Also if you re-book on board, you'll get a 10% discount on your next cruise. You can book a "dummy" date and change it as many times as you need. You can also transfer that reservation to a travel agent at a later date to get their ship credit. Buy trip insurance. Ours paid out over $43,000 for my son's appendectomy when we were cruising in Mexico! Get to the port hotel a day early. Don't risk not getting there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 Thank you Jennifer in MI!! Didn't think about tips and parking and photos!! I'll ask dh to look into rooms with a balcony or a view. Oh! We'll also look into the trip insurance too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We're going this summer. Here's a tip I found useful: bring a cardboard drink carrier (like the kind they give you at McDonald's). That way if you want to bring a bunch of drinks back to your room for a crowd, no problem with one person carrying it. A lot of the people on the trip asked me "where I got that" nice carboard carrier. McDonad's. They looked so sad when I said it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We just got home last Saturday from our 10th Disney Cruise. Yes, we've been 10 times. We've been on all 4 ships, this time we sailed on the Fantasy. It was fantastic. We always go in February because that's when we all need a warm-weather break. :) We had absolutely perfect weather, as we usually do at this time of year. Have fun planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 My favorite vacation!!! We've been on four Disney cruises. Three in January and one in October. We are booked on our fifth this August. January was perfect because we were escaping the winter weather here. It was nice and warm on the cruise, but not too hot. In October, it was still very hot. I'm sure we'll be hot in August. I'd prefer to go in January, but the August cruises were cheaper. We have stayed in inside cabins and balcony cabins. Definitely spring for the balcony if you can afford it! Sitting on our balcony watching the sun set or the water on the side of the ship is absolutely wonderful. I have a young daughter who goes to bed early. In the inside cabin, I was stuck there with her with NO view!!! With the balcony I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. We've never booked concierge. We'd rather vacation twice a year than have once a year with concierge. So, I can't speak to that. After the kids are out of the house, dh and I will try it! Definitely take advantage of Disney's alcohol policy!! It will save you a TON of money - even if you don't drink much. A couple drinks a day really adds up. Do a little searching and find out which travel agent is offering the best on board ship credit. We've used Dreams Unlimited for all our cruises and received anywhere from $200 - $300 per cabin. We used that to pay for our tips! Get the Disney Visa card. You'll earn Disney dollars and can use them to pay for the cruise or anything you buy on the cruise. The cost of the cruise is just the start of what you will spend! So, budget carefully. There's flight and transportation to the port (or a hotel and parking if you drive), tips (!!!), drinks, photos (there are SO many opportunities and the pictures are SOOOOO good!), etc, etc, etc. Also if you re-book on board, you'll get a 10% discount on your next cruise. You can book a "dummy" date and change it as many times as you need. You can also transfer that reservation to a travel agent at a later date to get their ship credit. Buy trip insurance. Ours paid out over $43,000 for my son's appendectomy when we were cruising in Mexico! Get to the port hotel a day early. Don't risk not getting there! My oldest DS had some pain in his abdomen for a few days before we left, and all I could think about was your son in Mexico! I kept whispering to myself, "It better not be his appendix!" We NEVER leave the ship without re-booking, which is how we've ended up sailing 10 times, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 We just got home last Saturday from our 10th Disney Cruise. Yes, we've been 10 times. We've been on all 4 ships, this time we sailed on the Fantasy. It was fantastic. We always go in February because that's when we all need a warm-weather break. :) We had absolutely perfect weather, as we usually do at this time of year. Have fun planning! Wow! That's great! Which ship is your favorite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Wow! That's great! Which ship is your favorite? We like them all! The Wonder and the Magic are the originals and much smaller, but they hold a lot of sentiment for us. :) True to Disney form, all the ships are very similar. My DH loved the Fantasy, and it really is incredible. It's just amazing that they can build something so huge and then put it afloat on the open sea! Once in awhile, you're reminded just how many people there are onboard. It mostly happens when you get on and off, especially when disembarking on the final day. And the elevators get pretty crowded. I got quite a workout going up and down the stairs in this last cruise. Our rooms were on the ninth level! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 My oldest DS had some pain in his abdomen for a few days before we left, and all I could think about was your son in Mexico! I kept whispering to myself, "It better not be his appendix!" We NEVER leave the ship without re-booking, which is how we've ended up sailing 10 times, I'm sure. :) Sorry about that! Our next cruise is on the Fantasy, so I'm glad to read you liked it so much. We have been on both the Magic and the Wonder and loved them. Then we tried Independence of the Seas on Royal Caribbean. It was SOOOOOO big! But, we never felt like there were 5000 other people on the ship! We really like the smaller ships better and we're hoping that the Fantasy feels smaller than it is. I have to share with other Disney fanatics - our rooms on this next cruise are amazing!!! We got two connecting balconies and one of them is an extended balcony (there's a utility room or something next to it). AND, the balconies are 9' deep!!! We totally lucked out on this one! I an't wait!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 :) Sorry about that! Our next cruise is on the Fantasy, so I'm glad to read you liked it so much. We have been on both the Magic and the Wonder and loved them. Then we tried Independence of the Seas on Royal Caribbean. It was SOOOOOO big! But, we never felt like there were 5000 other people on the ship! We really like the smaller ships better and we're hoping that the Fantasy feels smaller than it is. I have to share with other Disney fanatics - our rooms on this next cruise are amazing!!! We got two connecting balconies and one of them is an extended balcony (there's a utility room or something next to it). AND, the balconies are 9' deep!!! We totally lucked out on this one! I an't wait!! I LOVE the connecting balconies! And WOW! 9' feet deep! You really did luck out!!! I hope they bring you some extra furniture to put out there. That's always our one little problem with 6 people, lol, not enough chairs on the balconies. We really love the smaller ships, too, but I'm excited for you to do the Fantasy! It really is HUGE! There are some things that are even better than the Wonder and Magic, I have to admit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 When is the cheapest? I forgot to ask about that, haha. Is $500/per adult pretty good price or can I find it lower than that? Thank you! I can't focus on school looking all this stuff up but you guys are helping me soooooo much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 When is the cheapest? I forgot to ask about that, haha. Is $500/per adult pretty good price or can I find it lower than that? Thank you! I can't focus on school looking all this stuff up but you guys are helping me soooooo much! How long a cruise is that? We've found the cheapest times of year to be January or September/October. Anytime you can find a cruise for $100/pp/day, you've got a really good deal. Disney tends to run a lot higher! But, we've found it worth the extra expense to stick with Disney (for SO many reasons!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 How long a cruise is that? We've found the cheapest times of year to be January or September/October. Anytime you can find a cruise for $100/pp/day, you've got a really good deal. Disney tends to run a lot higher! But, we've found it worth the extra expense to stick with Disney (for SO many reasons!!). [/background][/size][/font][/color] Ooops! $500-ish/adult on the 4 day cruise in May. Dh and I are using your $100/pp/day as a guide so thank you for that. We have never been on any kind of cruise and have been dreaming about the Disney cruise since we got married (15 a years ago). I know the kids would L.O.V.E it! I was told by a friend that we should we get airplane tickets through Disney. She said if our flights were changed/cancelled, we would be covered. Is this good advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Although you certainly don't have to book your flights through Disney, I highly recommend arriving a day earlier than your cruise leaves and purchasing trip insurance. We always book a one night (or more depending on our vacation schedule) hotel stay on both ends of the cruise so that we're not rushed on the day of travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Ooops! $500-ish/adult on the 4 day cruise in May. Dh and I are using your $100/pp/day as a guide so thank you for that. We have never been on any kind of cruise and have been dreaming about the Disney cruise since we got married (15 a years ago). I know the kids would L.O.V.E it! I was told by a friend that we should we get airplane tickets through Disney. She said if our flights were changed/cancelled, we would be covered. Is this good advice? Keep in mind that the $100/day is on the cheaper end and Disney is rarely on that end!!! $500 for the four day is pretty good! I don't know about actually booking through Disney as we drive. But, if you find a cheaper flight on your own and you have trip insurance, you should be covered. Go to insuremytrip.com and put in all your information. Ask about the flights to make sure. But, I believe they are covered. Although you certainly don't have to book your flights through Disney, I highly recommend arriving a day earlier than your cruise leaves and purchasing trip insurance. We always book a one night (or more depending on our vacation schedule) hotel stay on both ends of the cruise so that we're not rushed on the day of travel. I agree with this 100%!!!! You definitely do NOT want to be rushed on the day of your cruise. My sister and her dh nearly missed their honeymoon cruise because of a missed connection. They were the last ones on the ship. It was SOOOOO stressful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 Keep in mind that the $100/day is on the cheaper end and Disney is rarely on that end!!! $500 for the four day is pretty good! I don't know about actually booking through Disney as we drive. But, if you find a cheaper flight on your own and you have trip insurance, you should be covered. Go to insuremytrip.com and put in all your information. Ask about the flights to make sure. But, I believe they are covered. I agree with this 100%!!!! You definitely do NOT want to be rushed on the day of your cruise. My sister and her dh nearly missed their honeymoon cruise because of a missed connection. They were the last ones on the ship. It was SOOOOO stressful!!! Wow! You ladies are amazing!! Great tips! Now, off to look for a place to stay before and after cruise. haha. Also, looking into insuremytrip. com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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