Did you survive your Disney Cruise?

[Wild Ol' Dan]

Howdy Pards,

Well now, my gosh, the Walt Disney Company sure seems to be buildin' their fair share of big ol' boats lately...taint no doubt about that. So...have you gone on one of these here Disney Cruises? Did ya survive the trip?

I've heard rumors that the folks at Disney have been really throwin' in some magical stuff on these here boats...some say, for instance, that the small rooms on the inside of the boat can be more fun than the ones with real portholes (that's winders for all us landlubbers). Yep, turns out those inside rooms got their own portholes too with pictures of the real, honest to gosh ocean bein' shown and magically every once in a while a Disney Character shows up in the "window" givin' the room a special sort of magic...

Then there's all these enchanted paintings scattered throughout the ship...paintings that "come to life"...

And I'm hearin' mixed reviews on the food...some very good, and some not so very good.

And I'm hearin' there's Disney characters all over the place...

So...let's hear, on this here thread, from those folks who actually survived the adventure. Was it worth it? Should Disney keep buildin' more boats...that's a big ocean out thar ya know...would you take another Disney Cruise or is "once in a lifetime" mor'n enough?

I've always sorta thought that only skinny people should be allowed to lounge by the pool all day...the rest of us gotta find other things to do...like find shows or somethin' or just eat and drink all day. Seems to me like that might just get a little old after a while...

I've heard that if ya go to the spa you can come away really hurtin' from what those folks do to ya...so, better stay away from there.

And, I've heard that sunscreen costs a small fortune on Castaway Kay...Disney's private Island...so ya better come prepared...sunburn can be a real memorable part of any Cruise...

Sea sickness though ain't nearly as bad, they say, as most folks would expect it to be...that's what they say...

So...tell us about your experiences on board and off. Was it good? Everything you expected it to be? Bad? Worse? Did you get sea sick? Any bad storms out there? Did you sleep well? How many hours did you just sit around doin' nuthin'? Did you worry a lot about not stayin' on schedule? How many miles did you have to walk in those corridors? Was your room big enough? Did your bags get lost?
Were there any absolutely horrible surprises? Or were there any pleasant surprises? Were the on board fireworks too loud? The music?
Were there too many crying kids on board? Too many teenagers jumpin' up an down and screachin' and hollarin' to loud Disney Channel noise? There must have been some highlights to your trip...what exactly were they? Did you ever think of the song "There's got to be a mornin' after..." or count the number of lifeboats while you were on board? When you were way out there in the middle of the Bermuda
Triangle...did you give any thought at all to the fact that you were way out there in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle?

If you answer on this thread, we'll at least know that you survived your trip...and that's a good thing...a thing worth celebratin', don't you think?

Let's hear your thoughts on that trip of yours way out in the big, blue sea?

I heard the Nautilus is sunk out there near Castaway Kay...is that true? Is it true that Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate, was waiting for you out there? Was the sand too hot? Did it rain? Did you have fun at any point at all in your trip? Was there anything to fear?

Do you think Disney should build more boats?

Adios for now. Talk to ya on down the trail.

Wild Ol' Dan

[alphabassetgrrl]

They have 4 ships now, don't know that they need to build more. Husband and I have taken two cruises on the little ones (Magic and Wonder). Our second cruise (on the Wonder) wasn't quite as amazing as our first (on the Magic). Not sure if this is because they had a zillion new crewmembers on the Wonder, or if it was their first trip through the Panama Canal, or quite what happened, but I'm happy to give them another chance (we're going to Alaska with the Wonder).

The two older ones don't have the special goodies that the new big ones do, but they're gorgeous. Art Deco and Art Nouveau are the decorating themes and they work very well, with little Disney touches here and there. The food was fantastic, the crew was amazing, and the spa was only ok. I did like the sauna room and their rainforest room, as well as Palo. I could eat myself stupid if I wasn't careful!

The gym was nice, and we visited just about every sea-day. They always have things going on on the ship during the sea days, and I loved them. Wine-tastings, movies, lectures, or just lounging on the deck with a coffee... awesome.

We did shore excursions, always booked through Disney, and had only an occasional problem. Even that was minor, and not Disney's fault.

They also have great shows in the theater every night. Enjoyed that a lot. Some of them were regular acts, but others were Disney special.

So yes, the cruises were worth it. Yes, I'd go again.

[knittingknerd]

Mine is coming up. I am going July 21st on the Fantasy. To say I'm excited is a total understatement.

[Wild Ol' Dan]

Howdy Pards,

Well...so far...we've had one survivor report in...

Adios for now. Talk to ya on down the trail.

Wild Ol' Dan

[Trekkie Dad]

We had a whole herd of Mice Chatters on the Disney Dream for four nights last October. Do some digging, and you should find some trip reports. I'll see if I can find mine.

OK, Here it is:
Pictures from the October 2011 MiceChat Cruise on the Disney Dream

[railking56]

It is easy to survive your Disney cruise. You get a couple of big Disney chocolate chip cookies a cup of tea and you sit back on your verandah with your wife and look out at the ocean. It is very relaxing after a trip to Walt Disney World.

[LittleImagineer]

I just completed my 4 Disney Cruise! Our first was a 4-day Bahama aboard the Wonder, our 2nd was the 6-night repositioning cruise to Canada aboard the Wonder, our 3rd was a 4-night Bahama aboard the Dream, and we jussst took a 7-night Mexican Riviera aboard the Wonder. We're addicted. Fantasy in December!

My poor mom and little sister get sea sick, my little sister especially! However, sea bands do help! Normally on the first night my little sister is out cold. My dad and I are always unaffected though. He was in the navy for 22 years though and I guess I'm just lucky! On every single cruise we've been on there's been a bad storm on the first night. Crazy!

I sleep very very well on all our cruises. I love the swaying motion at night if it's rocking hard enough and the noise of the ocean. However, I normally never go to bed :P I run around the ship at 2 0'clock in the morning exercising and enjoying the view and am up and at it with my family 7 o'clock in the morning! Sometimes we sit around doing nothing, other times we party. Karaoke, game shows, walking on the track, movies, eating! You name it.

There's definitely enough room in our stateroom. Sure, its a little crowded, but most of the time we're all in the room at different times. We always get the deluxe family stateroom with the verandah, it's the highest category you can go without booking a full on suite. We've never had any luggage issues either, thank goodness.

The fireworks on board are awwesome, definitely not too loud. The music is also good. I like the music they play in the hallways- classic Disney songs, Christmas music at Christmas time, Spanish music while in port in Mexico, etc. I don't remember there being a huge issue with loud music at all.

Definitely not too many kids! There is so much for them to do and most are well behaved. Teens? Different story, I should know. Most of the time they stay in the teen lounge. Sometimes they run around in groups wreaking havoc and recruiting other havoc-wreakers and ignoring the good teens like myself. The cruise we just got off of I befriended someone and he told me some horror stories of a few teens he saw getting high. Very sad. But adults never notice the teens anyways, I only notice them because I am one!

I could go on and on and on about all the highlights. There have been a bazillion. I love spending the time with my family and surprisingly, it is really relaxing to not have people call or text you 24/7. It's like your disconnected from reality. I love getting to know all the castmembers while on board- their stories are so interesting and learning about their homeland or love for Disney is very neat

[Joshnyah]

The Micechat Disney Dream cruise to the Bahamas last October was the best time. You explained it well, especially with the pirate twist. It's magical I suggest walking the deck or playing mini golf up top early in the morning it's magical having the whole ship to yourself. I am planning a few more. I hope the rest are as great as the Dream.

[Dinglehopper]

We just got home from a seven night western Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy, and it was amazing! The service was wonderful, every cast and crew member was friendly. The shows were spectacular!!! Also, there was bingo, Disney trivia, non-Disney trivia in the bars for adults, game shows, a giant screen that played Disney movies while you chilled in the pool, a movie theater that played first run movies, and the T.V. in your room had a lot of Disney movies and shows for free on-demand, a detective game with interactive paintings that was really neat... we were never bored.

My one complaint was the food. We loved our waiters, but the food wasn't as spectacular as it should be. We got a piece of steak once that was so tough we couldn't cut it, and many times the food was just kind of bland.

All in all, I would go on a Disney cruise every year if I could afford it, the experience was magical to say the least, every detail on the ship is perfect and every area is beautifully themed.

[railking56]

Thanks for the trip update, Dinglehopper. I am doing a seven night eastern Caribbean cruise in February on the Fantasy. I cant wait to see Puerto Rico and get out of Pittsburgh in the winter.