Should we try it?

[Dreams&wishes]

Those port intensive cruises can really change your experience. The ship becomes more of a hotel.

It's a Disney cruise one sea day only I believe

 

[loislane]

My family are huge Disney Parks fans. We go to WDW annually, we love having things to do. We did take our first ever cruise last summer on Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. While we loved Alaska my family was in agreement we didn't like the cruise itself. We did do 7 nights. Things we specifially didn't like was the lack of entertainment for our kids (10 and 8). We can only play trivia so many times. They did have the ping pong and basketball area but that gets crowded and bumper cars but that is limited time as well. We found ourselves bored on sea days. We also very much disliked the food. We felt the food was not good, especially the main dining food. We even skipped it when we could because it just wasn't good. We cruised with a family that has done Disney in the past and a family that has done Carnival, all first time to RCCL. I have been told to give cruising another shot due to the huge popularity of it. Many suggest we try DCL, however with the higher price for DCL we are hesitant to try given we did not enjoy the last one. Is it worth trying?
Thank you.

Are there specific things entertainment-wise you are looking for?

We've done 2 DCL cruises and just did our first non-DCL cruise in February on NCL. We already know that we like being on a ship, visiting ports, and seeing new places, so the difference for us was what was offered on board. Similar to your experience on RCCL, we were bored on board. We did trivia often, the 2 nighttime shows offered, and then it all got really repetitive. Deal or No Deal every night - I mean it's fun to watch and play along once. Same with BINGO - fun to play once, but I'm not doing that every night. Many of the offerings were geared around spending money - Deal or No Deal card, Bingo card, casino.

What we like on DCL is that if we're not in the mood for trivia, there's usually music somewhere on this ship, maybe a movie we want to see is in the theater, we can enjoy the adult pool and not be blasted by music and noise, or if we want a livelier environment, we can always watch whatever is showing on funnelvision and I don't have to pay extra for any of those things. Even if I just want to pass the time browsing the gift shop on DCL, at least there is stuff to look at there. (NCL was a few t-shirts, mugs, etc. and then the rest was cigarettes and booze.)

Many will tell you that a 3- or 4-night cruise is too short, but our first was a 3-night simply because we didn't know if we would like it. It wasn't so much about the dollars as it was about the time commitment. Dipping our toes in vs. just taking the plunge. Obviously worked out for us since we followed it with a 4-night, then 7 nights on NCL, we have another 4-night DCL booked this summer to Lookout Cay, and we have 7 nights booked on the Treasure next year.

 

[brentm77]

It's a Disney cruise one sea day only I believe

Those can be great cruises for when you want a more active vacation. You get to be busy an active most days, but being back on the ship in the evenings, as well as the sea day, builds in some forced relaxation with no FOMO. For me, it's a great combination.

Despite much pooh-poohing, I think it can be the best way for people with limited time to see certain areas of the world, like much of the Caribbean, and the Greek Isles and other parts of the Mediterranean, and I will die on that hill. We saw more in 9 days in the Med than we would have ever seen if we were trying to get from island to island, or Italy to Greece by different means, but the forced sea day and relaxing evenings were a gift and made us enjoy the rest of it more as we were well rested.

 

[Carohs]

We've chosen to do non-DCL cruises, and we haven't ever felt bored except for the one to Alaska. On that one there were less than a dozen kids onboard, so the entertainment was not at all catered to families. On non DCL cruises, we spend more time playing cards or reading a book and finding other things to keep us occupied. It's a good way to vacation and unwind, too. But I love DCL sea days. I'm the kind of person who enjoys meeting characters, which takes up a good portion of the day just standing in lines. I enjoy going to the theater or doing a drink tasting while kids are in club. There's so much to experience on DCL sea days. On port days, by the time you make it back to the ship it's dinner and a show, maybe an activity or two. But on Sea Days is when you can really engage and immerse in Disney going-ons. I don't think the food is going to be all that much better than on RCCL, tbh. But I also think that we tend to enjoy our meals a lot more when we're in high spirits. If you like Disney you're sure to be, and along with the restaurant theming, it will contribute to an overall better meal experience on your cruise.

 

[Flcruising]

My family are huge Disney Parks fans. We go to WDW annually, we love having things to do. We did take our first ever cruise last summer on Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. While we loved Alaska my family was in agreement we didn't like the cruise itself. We did do 7 nights. Things we specifially didn't like was the lack of entertainment for our kids (10 and 8). We can only play trivia so many times. They did have the ping pong and basketball area but that gets crowded and bumper cars but that is limited time as well. We found ourselves bored on sea days. We also very much disliked the food. We felt the food was not good, especially the main dining food. We even skipped it when we could because it just wasn't good. We cruised with a family that has done Disney in the past and a family that has done Carnival, all first time to RCCL. I have been told to give cruising another shot due to the huge popularity of it. Many suggest we try DCL, however with the higher price for DCL we are hesitant to try given we did not enjoy the last one. Is it worth trying?
Thank you.

Cruising is Cruising. Entertainment in the evening is better on DCL. Food will be relatively the same..plus or minus. You can stand in lines and get pictures with characters. Trivia is Disney trivia. Shore excursions are similar. But it's still a cruise. Time to spend with family away from technology stress and distractions.
Seems like you aren't a fit.
Maybe shorter cruise? But Changing brands or boats isn't going to fix the basic issue. Take a shorter cruise and see if Cruising is for you but it doesn't seem so.
Now if you are Disney people Yes! Being on a Disney ship changes everything. Cant really explain it to non Disney folks. But your answer lies in
.. : "Do you believe in Magic?".......!!!

 

[LAS2AMS]

We did our first Disney cruise as a 4 nighter when my kids were 9 and 7 and they loved it and we have been going back ever since.

We learned over the years to pack a card game or two or a puzzle book when we want some family relax time but want to have fun.

What we love about DCL cruising is the service,the food, kids entertainment when our kids were younger, and the fact that everything is cooked for us and we just show up and enjoy it.

I might try a 4 night in the Wish or.a 5 night on the Dream or Magic if available.

But the service, food and kids entertainment is good on RCL too, and the Quantum-class ships have far more activities than even the Wish and Treasure. If you're a Disneyfanatic and a Disney overlay makes all the difference, sure try DCL. But the core product is much of the same.

You really have to like intimate, leisure vacations to enjoy a cruise. We once invited some friends to travel with us and they said "but all we do on a cruise is sit by the pool, eat, drink and sleep." Umm... exactly.

 

[MonaMN]

I think the sea days are the critical difference. That is what is giving me pause. If I'm on the ship, I want to do something I can't do at home... so while playing cards or reading are great, I'd rather go to an animation class, or a wine tasting, or a game show, or a movie.

I've looked at Celebrity and Princess and there activity schedules for sea days leave a LOT to be desired. Maybe RCCL would be better, but my kid isn't really into the flashy stuff like rock climbing and go karts at this point (teenager).

 

[LAS2AMS]

I think the sea days are the critical difference. That is what is giving me pause. If I'm on the ship, I want to do something I can't do at home... so while playing cards or reading are great, I'd rather go to an animation class, or a wine tasting, or a game show, or a movie.

I've looked at Celebrity and Princess and there activity schedules for sea days leave a LOT to be desired. Maybe RCCL would be better, but my kid isn't really into the flashy stuff like rock climbing and go karts at this point (teenager).

The core product is largely the same on any cruise line. Princess and RCL feature movies (both by one of the pools as well as in the theater), lecture series (usually destination specific + a few random topics), trivia and other various games, wine & liquor tasting, culinary exploration, craft making, etc. DCL obviously has a Disney overlay and that's make or break for many people on these forums.

Disney is obviously "family" orientated. You're not going to see the classic "Love and Marriage" game, see any good comedy shows, view the infamous belly flop competition, etc. Nor does DCL feature much of the live music common elsewhere in the evenings. Again, if spending your time watching your kids get a picture with Cinderella is more important, this is a non-factor.

 

[loislane]

The core product is largely the same on any cruise line. Princess and RCL feature movies (both by one of the pools as well as in the theater), lecture series (usually destination specific + a few random topics), trivia and other various games, wine & liquor tasting, culinary exploration, craft making, etc. DCL obviously has a Disney overlay and that's make or break for many people on these forums.

Disney is obviously "family" orientated. You're not going to see the classic "Love and Marriage" game, see any good comedy shows, view the infamous belly flop competition, etc. Nor does DCL feature much of the live music common elsewhere in the evenings. Again, if spending your time watching your kids get a picture with Cinderella is more important, this is a non-factor.

We saw Match Your Mate on the Wish which is Disney's version of it. And it was hysterical! They picked great couples.

 

[Flcruising]

My family are huge Disney Parks fans. We go to WDW annually, we love having things to do. We did take our first ever cruise last summer on Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. While we loved Alaska my family was in agreement we didn't like the cruise itself. We did do 7 nights. Things we specifially didn't like was the lack of entertainment for our kids (10 and 8). We can only play trivia so many times. They did have the ping pong and basketball area but that gets crowded and bumper cars but that is limited time as well. We found ourselves bored on sea days. We also very much disliked the food. We felt the food was not good, especially the main dining food. We even skipped it when we could because it just wasn't good. We cruised with a family that has done Disney in the past and a family that has done Carnival, all first time to RCCL. I have been told to give cruising another shot due to the huge popularity of it. Many suggest we try DCL, however with the higher price for DCL we are hesitant to try given we did not enjoy the last one. Is it worth trying?
Thank you.

I responded already but after rereading your post and others i want to be a bit clearer...No. assuming you are being absolutely accurate in your post and not just venting a bit No cruising is not for you.
I suspect if you did go again you would be right back on here complaining about the same issues only then spending even more money and wasting time in long lines.
We like to have active vacations with every minute scheduked also. If cruising was our only vacation it wouldn't be fulfilling. But we do both. If this is your only vacation in a year
Take the money and do a park. Maybe a park you haven't done. There's Disney in Paris among others. Or try Disney Adventures land based tours with very unique activities.

 

[laurelew]

I think the sea days are the critical difference. That is what is giving me pause. If I'm on the ship, I want to do something I can't do at home... so while playing cards or reading are great, I'd rather go to an animation class, or a wine tasting, or a game show, or a movie.

I've looked at Celebrity and Princess and there activity schedules for sea days leave a LOT to be desired. Maybe RCCL would be better, but my kid isn't really into the flashy stuff like rock climbing and go karts at this point (teenager).

My family cruised a lot when I was in high school and college, mainly on RCCL, although our very first cruise was on the Disney Magic and I turned 14 on board the ship. I have a sister who is 18 months younger than me. The Disney cruise I absolutely hated. I was an awkward age and did not meet any friends on board the ship. The RCCL trips were much better. For dinner my family was seated with another family with two girls exactly the same age as my sister and I. Those girls were more outgoing and soon we had a whole group of friends on board we would spend our days hanging out with. We got along so well our parents planned a second trip altogether.

As a former teen cruiser I feel like the biggest thing is the ability to make friends on board or not. The rest of the amenities don't matter as much as that. Also a good plug for getting outside your comfort zone and being open to sitting with other people at dinner. It can make a huge difference in the experience!

(Ironically as the mom of an older toddler I am now only interested in DCL cruises for the time being and have no interest in RCCL. Maybe in the future when my son is older, assuming I can win my husband over on cruising. We have our first DCL cruise planned with extended family for next April!)

 

[sponica]

(Ironically as the mom of an older toddler I am now only interested in DCL cruises for the time being and have no interest in RCCL. Maybe in the future when my son is older, assuming I can win my husband over on cruising. We have our first DCL cruise planned with extended family for next April!)

DCL was our first cruise as adults, so we've just stuck with it. My husband and I are branching out to Norwegian this fall, but we've already decided it's not a line we'd take the kids on unless it's a port intensive itinerary and it's just a floating hotel. I like knowing that the kids club on DCL is always an option and open all day, which is an important part of the calculation for us. And my 7 year old would mutiny if it wasn't an option, she lived in it on the Wish.

 

[luisov]

Considering your family's love for Disney, giving Disney Cruise Line a shot might be worth it despite the higher cost. They're known for top-notch entertainment and dining.

 

[MonaMN]

I appreciate all of your perspectives. It's hard to take a risk on the unknown... there's definitely a comfort in knowing how everything works on a Disney cruise for us (especially with our food allergy kid). But hearing from others truly is helpful, so thank you all!

 

[jimmymc]

Disney isn't immune to having a lot of trivia and bingo on sea days, but they also offer things like character meet n greets, drawing classes, movies in the theater, and lots of live music. It's still nowhere near the activity of a park day. If shows and characters really interest you, the Marvel and Star Wars day at sea cruises have a lot of extra activities.

 

[gmang]

You should do it.

 

[auntlynne]

I appreciate all of your perspectives. It's hard to take a risk on the unknown... there's definitely a comfort in knowing how everything works on a Disney cruise for us (especially with our food allergy kid). But hearing from others truly is helpful, so thank you all!

You could have benefited from being in a different thread, as many of us were focused on the OP’s having tried Royal and was contemplating Disney.

Bottom line, cruising at its core has a lot of similarities among companies. Sort of like fast food hamburgers; you’re still ending up with a piece of meat and a bun. How you dress it up or excel at cooking the meat appeal to different consumers. If you are in the mood for pizza, you will still be left unsatisfied.

Our first AK cruise was on Disney. Nieces were 15, 18, and 20. And they interact with each other more than with strangers. We had interior sideways for price and then did lots of excursions. It was the standard Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan itinerary.

Some of our family must have fallen in love with AK (besides the beauty, the weather is so much better than the heat and humidity we have).

The middle kid went back with me, on Princess, the year following DCL. Her honeymoon was on DCL to AK. And she’s returning again, also DCL, this year.

I have done one DCL, 3 on Princess, and one NCL. I would pick AK over any beach destination cruise. I have backed off on the big-ticket item activities, but usually manage to do a whale watch and a trip to Mendenhall. Then mix it up to try new things. The ZipRider at Icy Strait Point was so much fun.

But it doesn’t matter the itinerary, my Disney cruises are pretty much the same pattern: eat, sleep, go into port (usually an excursion). Late night movie on FunnelVision, Adult Trivia, movies in Buena Vista Theater, the production shows, walk around on outside Promenade, watch the sunsets, look for stars and moon. My need to be entertained or routinely excited has slowed. Seeing the sea or the mountains from an outside deck is wonderful. I don’t do character meets - but enjoy seeing others delight in that. I don’t even sit and read a book.

…As for Glacier Bay: it is hours of looking at mountains with glaciers tucked in. Unless a teen boy finds nature interesting, I wouldn’t base a cruise around that.

My niece loves to take photos (and does it well). I think that is something that kept her busy on cruises. She also plays trivia, does the arts and crafts and other activities a cruise offers.

But my nieces and I grew up with family vacations where everyone did an activity, no matter their ages.

…Have you gone on a vacation with your son? Is most of your time spent doing separate activities? If so, what does he do?

I think you sound like a cruise could work for you (at least one), how about the kid? Does he have any thoughts?

 

[MonaMN]

You could have benefited from being in a different thread, as many of us were focused on the OP’s having tried Royal and was contemplating Disney.

Bottom line, cruising at its core has a lot of similarities among companies. Sort of like fast food hamburgers; you’re still ending up with a piece of meat and a bun. How you dress it up or excel at cooking the meat appeal to different consumers. If you are in the mood for pizza, you will still be left unsatisfied.

Our first AK cruise was on Disney. Nieces were 15, 18, and 20. And they interact with each other more than with strangers. We had interior sideways for price and then did lots of excursions. It was the standard Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan itinerary.

Some of our family must have fallen in love with AK (besides the beauty, the weather is so much better than the heat and humidity we have).

The middle kid went back with me, on Princess, the year following DCL. Her honeymoon was on DCL to AK. And she’s returning again, also DCL, this year.

I have done one DCL, 3 on Princess, and one NCL. I would pick AK over any beach destination cruise. I have backed off on the big-ticket item activities, but usually manage to do a whale watch and a trip to Mendenhall. Then mix it up to try new things. The ZipRider at Icy Strait Point was so much fun.

But it doesn’t matter the itinerary, my Disney cruises are pretty much the same pattern: eat, sleep, go into port (usually an excursion). Late night movie on FunnelVision, Adult Trivia, movies in Buena Vista Theater, the production shows, walk around on outside Promenade, watch the sunsets, look for stars and moon. My need to be entertained or routinely excited has slowed. Seeing the sea or the mountains from an outside deck is wonderful. I don’t do character meets - but enjoy seeing others delight in that. I don’t even sit and read a book.

…As for Glacier Bay: it is hours of looking at mountains with glaciers tucked in. Unless a teen boy finds nature interesting, I wouldn’t base a cruise around that.

My niece loves to take photos (and does it well). I think that is something that kept her busy on cruises. She also plays trivia, does the arts and crafts and other activities a cruise offers.

But my nieces and I grew up with family vacations where everyone did an activity, no matter their ages.

…Have you gone on a vacation with your son? Is most of your time spent doing separate activities? If so, what does he do?

I think you sound like a cruise could work for you (at least one), how about the kid? Does he have any thoughts?

Sorry if this is getting sideways from the OP's original question. We have taken two Disney cruises and enjoyed them - we did a Bahamas 4 nighter on the Dream and then a 7 night Western Caribbean on the Fantasy (with a Star Wars day at sea). The last one was prior to the pandemic but we are also going on a 5 night on the Magic this August.

We're not a family who relaxes well... we like to have a lot going on. My kid also hasn't really cared about meeting other kids previously - not sure if that will be different now as a teenager but we're pretty used to just doing things together when on vacation.

There are definitely pros and cons to both of our Alaska options (DCL and Princess). Right now I have them both booked for summer 2025 and I think we'll decide after we do our August 2024 DCL cruise. Either we'll be all in with DCL and excited to check another ship off the list (we'd only have the Triton class left if we also do the Wonder), or maybe we'll find that we're ready to try something new.

 

[LAS2AMS]

We saw Match Your Mate on the Wish which is Disney's version of it. And it was hysterical! They picked great couples.

I haven't come across this yet but would love to see it!

 

[auntlynne]

@MonaMN - don’t worry if this thread has gone off course. The OP is either not paying attention (she does have RN in her name, so she could be busy) or it was another “ask a question without realizing it would generate such a conversation.”

You seem to be actively making plans. Not just a what if.

I like dialogue; other people’s perspectives, experiences and ideas help in my world discovery. Perhaps the OP’s questions drew out some ideas for you without knowing it was happening.