movies--are they that big a deal?

[asunutgirl]

It is your cruise so you should do what you want to do. We have taken 7 cruises and sometimes we see multiple movies, sometimes we don't go to a movie at all. It depends on what is playing and what else we want to do.

We were on the Fantasy when Incredibles 2 premiered and it was super fun to see it before the actual release date. We also saw Solo on that cruise because we had not had a chance to see it before we left. And with four of us at the current rates in our area, it was worth it to see the movies on the ship.

 

[Agent 86]

Or if it rains on CC day and drives us back on the ship.

That's when we saw a movie on our three night cruise. We found it really pleasant (the theatre was almost empty) and it helped to offset the disappointment about the rainy weather. It was fine for us - there were no other activities that we were interested in and the weather wasn't great for using the pool (although from memory, we quickly did the ... Aquaduck because there was no line due to the weather).

 

[bobbiwoz]

I like going to movies in the theater on the ship! We do it often. We also watch some in our room. What we do not do is watch them by the pool on DCL.

On Princess I think they have a better night time system to watch movies outside. They give you deck chairs, cushions with pillows, blankets if needed, and popcorn!

 

[Shanti]

The FB book for my cruise has a couple of threads talking about what movies will be playing. Is it weird that for a short cruise, I have no intention of spending 2 hours in a theatre? If I want to see a movie I can go while I'm home--even if Im cheap I can go on a Tuesday for $5.
Now for a longer cruise, one with a sea day, maybe that would be a good idea. Or if it rains on CC day and drives us back on the ship. Or if we had kids with us. But we are spending our Nassau day onboard and have spa day passes and a mixology class scheduled. Time is so precious on short cruises I don't get the time spent watching a movie. Am I missing something?

Everyone's different. Watching a movie in the Walt Disney Theater is a way to chill out, just like reading a book on the beach is a way to chill out. Neither of those are a waste of vacation time just because you can read or watch a film at home. You can also eat nice meals at home, sleep on a comfortable bed at home, etc. But it's not a waste of time to do it on the cruise.

It's the carefree cruise experience as a whole that is special. Don't get bogged down in the details of how people choose to spend their days. No one can do "only available on DCL" activities 24/7, nor would a normal person even want to.

 

[DCSWO]

I watched one movie on Dream and I will not subject my back to those seats again. I’ve read the classics are even worse. I’m happy to have food served to me in my leather reclining chair at my favorite local theater - but to each their own.

 

[Shanti]

I watched one movie on Dream and I will not subject my back to those seats again. I’ve read the classics are even worse. I’m happy to have food served to me in my leather reclining chair at my favorite local theater - but to each their own.

I like watching the on-demand movies in the stateroom while reclining on the bed.

 

[lorimay]

When a new Marvel or Star Wars movie comes out, I tell my husband he can see it if he takes me on a Disney cruise or he can't see it,
No, it doesn't really work.

But we will go see movies onboard.

 

[Lilsia]

My girls went to see the newly released Pirates movie on our last cruise. They watched it in 3D and they said with the motion of the ship it was a really fun experience. They went to the late night show and nothing else was going on so they were not really missing anything. And the point of a vacation is to do what makes you happy. If watching a movie in the evening(or whenever) is what interests you at the time, then go for it. I personally enjoy spending as much time as I can just sitting in the adult area and reading. I feel the nice ocean breezes, relax, and do not have to worry about anyone or anything.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

Personally, I probably wouldn’t choose to spend my time watching a movie on a 3 day cruise. I hope to on our next when though when our kids are older and the cruise is much longer.

When I read the trip reports here i often think how weird it is the ways other people spend their vacations, lol. Everyone really does have different ways they like to spend their time.

 

[mmouse37]

40 DCL cruises and I try to see multiple movies each cruise....I probably would not do a movie on a 3 day but anything longer and I would go. I like to go late at night or during the day if I have had enough sun. I see movies almost every week at home as I LOVE going to the movies. My husband hates going to movies so I usually go by myself. And we still go to every stage show each cruise....I just find it part of the whole experience that I enjoy. I also like bringing new cruisers to the shows and what their reactions!!! They are usually blown away.

PSA: Do not sit in the last row of seats in the Buena Vista Theatre on the Magic and Wonder. That row definitely has less leg room than the other rows.

MJ

 

[TestingH2O]

We sometimes go to the movies, but it's always after looking at what things we would be missing. We were all interested in seeing Solo, but a two and a half hour investment on a port intensive cruise was just something that didn't work out for us. Oh well. DD had started asking "Is this something I can do at home or just on the ship?" Typically that's how she chooses her activities.

 

[mevelandry]

You've already paid for the cruise; it's a sunk cost. So it doesn't really cost you $20 to go to the movie any more than it costs you $80 to sleep 8 hours at night. You've paid the same price whether you go to a movie, swim in a pool, or play trivia.

Just do what will be enjoyable for you and your family.

I know I already paid.

(EDITED)

You are missing my point:

When you decide to buy something, don't you calculate the number of hours you had to work in order to pay for it to decide if the thing you wanna buy it's a good buy or not? This is what we do at home.

What I understood from OP's question is that we feel that some activities gives us more bang for our bucks than others and I agreed that some choices seem more like a "logical expense" than others.

 

[NCConch]

I found the seats in the theater on the Dream to be set at a weird angle - tilted too far back. Movies are good rainy day entertainment though.

 

[ludari]

I agree that if you are on a short three or four day cruise spending a few hours in a theatre might not be the best way to maximize your cruise experience, however when I am on those longer cruises 7 or 14 days I really enjoy catching up on movies especially those I have not seen or even better is when they premier a movie on the ship and it's a major release like Star Wars or something similar.

 

[hardis5]

We always see what is playing when and figure we'll take in a movie (or often just part of) and more often than not see nothing as we are busy being entertained elsewhere on the ship.
To the PP on the seats rocking too far back, I agreed fully on the Dream class ships. They can give me neck strain trying to keep my head-up to see the screen. If I give up and lay back, the dark theatre takes over and I catch-up on my sleep (hopefully not snoring or being elbowed if I do by the DW).

 

[Doofenshmirtz513]

I know I already paid.(Duh)

You are completely missing my point:

When you decide to buy something, don't you calculate the number of hours you had to work in order to pay for it to decide if the thing you wanna buy it's a good investment or not?

What I understood from OP's question is that some activities gives you more bang for your bucks than others and I agreed that some choices seem more like a logical investment than others.

Yes, when I have to pay for something, I think about its value to me compared to the cost. But going to a movie, once you're on the cruise, is free. They don't make you pay any more to do it, the same way they don't make you pay more to swim, play mini-golf, go to a show, or take a nap in your room. Or, applying your prior comment, every one of those things costs $10 an hour. So you can't really cost compare most of the activities on the ship because they all cost the same.

It's about getting the most enjoyment out of your vacation. If that's going to a movie, then go to a movie. If that's doing something else, do something else. I'm not here to tell anyone how to spend their vacation, just that pro rating the total cruise cost against the time spent doing an activity doesn't work once you've already paid for the cruise. Now, when deciding whether to go on a cruise, it does make sense to think about cost versus the activities that will be available to you. Once you're on board, though, that money is gone no matter what you do with your time.

 

[hubbard53]

When you decide to buy something, don't you calculate the number of hours you had to work in order to pay for it to decide if the thing you wanna buy it's a good investment or not?

no, no I do not. I can't imagine associating everything I do or buy with WORK. Ugh.

"investment" can be anything whether it's money, effort, time, etc. What YOU want from a cruise is different than what I want from a cruise. I want unfettered time with my family regardless of what we do - whether it's in the threatre, the cinema, or on the pool deck. As long as we're together and having fun I don't calculate its value in monetary terms b/c I already KNOW it is priceless.

 

[mevelandry]

Yes, when I have to pay for something, I think about its value to me compared to the cost. But going to a movie, once you're on the cruise, is free. They don't make you pay any more to do it, the same way they don't make you pay more to swim, play mini-golf, go to a show, or take a nap in your room. Or, applying your prior comment, every one of those things costs $10 an hour. So you can't really cost compare most of the activities on the ship because they all cost the same.

It's about getting the most enjoyment out of your vacation. If that's going to a movie, then go to a movie. If that's doing something else, do something else. I'm not here to tell anyone how to spend their vacation, just that pro rating the total cruise cost against the time spent doing an activity doesn't work once you've already paid for the cruise. Now, when deciding whether to go on a cruise, it does make sense to think about cost versus the activities that will be available to you. Once you're on board, though, that money is gone no matter what you do with your time.

***EDITED***

I don't agree with you on the "pro rating the total cruise cost against the time spent doing an activity doesn't work once you've already paid for the cruise" part... So we'll agree to disagree.

I, for myself, see "doing (on a cruise) something I can easily do at home (in that case, the movie theater)" as a waste of MY time/money.

For someone else having a nice pool at home, spending time in the pool during a cruise could be seen as a waste of time/money. I could totally understand that.

 

[mevelandry]

no, no I do not. I can't imagine associating everything I do or buy with WORK. Ugh.

"investment" can be anything whether it's money, effort, time, etc. What YOU want from a cruise is different than what I want from a cruise. I want unfettered time with my family regardless of what we do - whether it's in the threatre, the cinema, or on the pool deck. As long as we're together and having fun I don't calculate its value in monetary terms b/c I already KNOW it is priceless.

I do most of the time, but my husband and I are quite passionate about economics/home economics/stocks.

I don't necessarily disagree with you on that part but in this case, I'm talking about the non-emotional side of the vacation... which, IMO (and especially in my case), is a bit essential... Otherwise, given the fact that both my parents died very young, I'd spend all my paychecks in cruises and land trips because YOLO.

 

[xQuizx]

I have little kids so we've never gone to an actual shore side movie theater. On our last cruise in November we watched Coco on a 7 night, and the kids still talk about their first movie experience being on a cruise ship. We have another 7 night in November and plan on watching Wreck it Ralph 2 on the boat as well. I personally wouldn't watch a movie on shorter cruises, but again it's your personal preference.