Cruise Newbie - Help! About This Page:

[longislandmomof4]

Ok, so I am well read on WDW, but never thought about the cruise. A family friend mentioned they just returned from one and it was devine... so the well-known Disney itch has returned. We have 4 kids and DH found the pace of WDW less than enjoyable when we went this past April. But the kids and I so love Disney -- Im thinking the cruise wouldn't be a bad idea. I just ordered the Passporter cruise book on Amazon, started researching the site (which is IMPOSSIBLE to find pricing on...) but I have a few questions:

1. How far out do you need to book? We have a family of 6 so I guess we will need two adjoining rooms -- can I get something in Spring 2011 or probably not?

2. Any idea in the slightest the price ranges? I wouldnt do land& sea - just 7 day sea...

3. Im reading about categories -- and how its better to be higher up -- do only certain categories do the adjoining room thing?

4. Is there enough to do on the ship for 7 days? Do the kids get bored? (mIne are 10 thru 3) Would I be better doing a four day cruise? EVeryone I know that did the cruise did it for a few days then went to WDW. I dont know anyone who just did the cruise...

5. Is it definitely different than the non stop running at WDW? Think DH would be up for it? Selling points to try on him? Thoughts?

As always, I love you fellow Passporters for your friendly assistance! WOuld be lovely to have some pixie dust to look forward to....

[MelissaL]

Here are my answers to some of your questions:

1. I'm sure it's not too late for 2011 -- I don't think they even have schedules out that far yet.

2. You can look at 2010 cruises on Disney Cruise Line to get some idea of what 2011 prices will be. The Passporter cruise guide will also have a chart of approximate prices. Price depends on the time of year and how early you book (as well as stateroom category). My most recent book is from 2007, so I'm sure its numbers are out of date.

3. You can get adjoining rooms (rooms next to each other) in any category except the suites. According to the map in the Passporter guide, you can also get connecting rooms (rooms with a door between them) in categories 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. There are a limited number of these, though -- not all rooms are connecting in any category.

4. There is absolutely enough to do for 7 days. The kids' programming runs from morning till night every day, with activities usually lasting 30-60 minutes each. There are also family activities as well as adults-only activities. When the ship is in port, there are shore excursions that you can purchase but you can also explore on your own, and there are still activities onboard. We had trouble choosing among all of the options, and no trouble at all finding enough to do on our 7-night cruises.

5. The cruise is quite different from a WDW vacation. At the parks, I felt I needed to plan out every day to maximize what we saw. I had to figure out where to eat well in advance. On the cruise, except for shore excursions and a few things that need advance tickets (galley tour for adults, tea with Wendy or Alice for kids) it's difficult to plan more than a day ahead because Navigators don't come out for each day until the previous night. It's also unnecessary to plan far ahead, though, because it's so easy to change plans -- "I was going to go to the art auction, but I feel like playing Bingo instead."

There are options for where to eat, but not so many, and again, you don't have to decide in advance. Everyone can eat whatever he or she wants at no cost -- I know how hard it is for my family of 4 to find restaurants we all agree on, and negotiate kids' menu vs. adult menu with my son. Your older kids (and younger kids, if they want) can order off the adult menu if they see something appealing.

Because the kids can go to the clubs (at no additional cost) you and your husband could have time together far more easily than at the parks. How often do you get a dinner (or brunch, or tea) for just the two of you? Palo could be a selling point.

I'm sure there are other selling points -- if you tell us more about what might interest your husband, we Passporters can come up with other ways to persuade him that a family cruise would be a great family vacation.

Happy planning,
Melissa

[Paulaleigh]

This is HeatherD, using my MIL's account. Let's see if I can help...

1. How far out do you need to book? We have a family of 6 so I guess we will need two adjoining rooms -- can I get something in Spring 2011 or probably not?2011 itineraries were just released, however only for the Magic and Wonder. The Dream's itineraries will be released Oct 29. With all the shuffling going on Spring 2011, it's going to be interesting to see what's available, both because of demand and limited offerings! Your best bet will be to have 2 connecting staterooms (otherwise, you'd need Cat 2 or 1).

2. Any idea in the slightest the price ranges? I wouldnt do land& sea - just 7 day sea...
No idea - I haven't looked at the 2011 prices yet. I'm not sure if you'll be able to see them once the bookings open up on Sept 21 (or 28).

3. Im reading about categories -- and how its better to be higher up -- do only certain categories do the adjoining room thing?
All catergories offer some connecting rooms, but you'll need to look at where they are and if both are available at the time of booking. Your Passporter will really help you out, as it lists every stateroom, how many it sleeps, if it's a connecting and what deck it's on. There are different levels on most decks (but their forward/aft location may not be desireable).

4. Is there enough to do on the ship for 7 days? Do the kids get bored? (mIne are 10 thru 3) Would I be better doing a four day cruise? EVeryone I know that did the cruise did it for a few days then went to WDW. I dont know anyone who just did the cruise...
We've enjoyed the short ones we did and we are looking forward to our upcoming 7-night (in just over 2 weeks!!!). We have excursions booked and reservations for ship stuff and ideas of what to do. A good resource is Castawayclub.com - they list navigators for each of the basic itineraries which will give you a good idea of what the kids can do.

5. Is it definitely different than the non stop running at WDW? Think DH would be up for it? Selling points to try on him? Thoughts?
Yes! SO different! It can be "go go go!" but it doesn't have to be and rarely is. You'll be able to take your time and explore (as long as you don't overplan excursions or anything) and you'll have days at sea where you'll be on the ship and most likely not running back and forth (and even then, the ship's nowhere near as big as one of the parks!). A good suggestion is take a look at the trip report threads and see if there are some that highlight points you think would appeal to your hubby. Print them up and show him. I have a Pre-TR, but I'm a little crazy and it scare him instead! My PTR is called "We've done WONDERful, now let's go for MAGICal" (remember, I'm really HeatherD).

[Lumieregirl]

You can find current pricing here http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/reservations/booking to get a general idea of how prices run, so that you'll be prepared once the 2011 specifics are released.

1. Book as early as possible for the best price, & for the best chance at getting the stateroom in a location you desire.

3. As for it being better to be higher up: while the highest category suites are on the upper decks, if you have a regular adjoining room, the difference between decks 5, 6, or 7 will be minimal if at all. You'll have a slightly better view the higher up, but in terms of comfort, its pretty much the same.

4. After my 7-day cruise, DH and I have a long list of things we never got around to doing. Sometimes, it was hard to choose what to do b/c so many activities are offered - in addition to just relaxing

5. YES !!! Cannot stress enough how much more RELAXING a cruise vacation is than WDW. With few exceptions, you can decide spur-of-the-moment to do an activity, or to do nothing. Watch tv, a movie, a show, swim ... and unless you have a scheduled shore excursion, sleep in .

Points for your DH -
The big difference is the lack of planning you need. You wake up where your vacation is taking place - no shuttling to parks, and MUCH less walking!
You get VERY NICE table service restaurant up to 3x/day, and if you decide you're not in the mood to be social, 24 hour room service (no extra charge), or eat at the casual buffet.
Anywhere on the ship you're in walking distance of restaurants, fast food, pools, shows, shopping, bars, hot tubs .... all the fun is just right there! And you're always just a quick jaunt back to the room (rarely the case at WDW).
And every night a perfect sunset, and one night - fireworks!

My DH specifically enjoyed watching football on the giant screen poolside, snorkeling at Castaway Cay, kayaking at CC, beer tasting, a presentation about the engineering of the ship (or something like that - I was in the spa), & chatting up characters at breakfast.

ok maybe I got carried away - - but you asked - and I"m so excited about it.
Be sure to go ahead & order DCL's free planning DVD.