Disappointed in "Disney" Cruise

[kittykitty576]

Having never cruised before, Disney Cruise (4-night, end of Jan '09) was my family's first. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT?!

 

We had a WONDERFUL time at WDW (May '08 7-days)!!! We had such a great time, in fact, that we were interested in doing the next "Disney event." The cruise was not Disney magic as demonstrated at the park. Comparing WDW with the cruise was SUCH a disappointment. WDW is all about entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. THe cruise was somewhere between "relaxing" and "boring." My 6 y.o. daughter had fun at the Oceaneer's Club, but we didn't go on a DISNEY vacation to have our daughter in child care!!!! There were frequently times where we (as a family OR as adults w/ DD @ Oceaneer's) chose the least-boring thing to do.

 

That said, there were DEFINTE highlights. The nightly shows were outstanding... again, except for the wait. Our 6 y.o. daughter got antsy waiting for the show to start. She was less than impressed with the Broadway-style shows, even though DH and I thought they were VERY well executed. Disney DREAMS was FABULOUS from storyline to execution to EVERYTHING!!!!

 

The food was pretty good, but not worth going on another cruise JUST for the food.

 

In short, if you're looking for Disney Magic afforded at Walt Disney World, GO THERE. The cruise should be called "Cruise Disney" to annotate that it's a CRUISE first, and Disney second... rather than the current name "Disney Cruise," which implies "Disney FIRST" and "Cruise second."

 

I'm sorry if this offends people on the board, I'm just writing an honest review of the time of DH, DD, and I on our particular (and yes, expensive) Disney Cruise vacation.

[ChampionCruiser]

I don't think you should offend anybody for telling your thoughts.

 

However, it seems that your issues may be with cruising in general and not specifically with DCL (besides maybe the price). I can certainly say that we thought Disney was as exciting as any of our other cruises, but if you thought it was boring then cruising might not be for you.

[DisneyCruiser83]

I agree with the previous poster, that cruising in general may not be for you (not all vacations are for everyone; my husband and I prefer the cruise over WDW, though we also love the parks). You should stick to what works for you and your family. Now that you have tried the cruise and know it is not for you, you don't have to "wonder" and thoroughly enjoy your time at WDW. I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy the cruise, but that is the magic of Disney, there is something out there for everyone.

[grand isle joe]

I don't think you should offend anybody for telling your thoughts.

 

However, it seems that your issues may be with cruising in general and not specifically with DCL (besides maybe the price). I can certainly say that we thought Disney was as exciting as any of our other cruises, but if you thought it was boring then cruising might not be for you.

I agree. It is a cruise first flavored in the Disney way.

[belle907]

Some people are 'cruise people' and some are not. We definately fit into the 'cruise people' category, although DH would rather not cruise as often as DD & I.

 

When we are on a Disney cruise we can't fit everything we want to do in a day since we are always going from 1 thing to another throughout the day. I think in 6 Disney cruises we've been to the pool once or twice, we are too busy doing other things. DD loves the club/lab and we don't mind her going since it's her vacation as well and we don't have to do everything as a family on the ship - it's definately not child care but a child's experience.

[gometros]

Just to pipe in, if you are expecting Disneyworld at sea, you will be sorely disappointed. DCL is a cruiseline themed to Disney, but it is a cruise none-the-less. There is a big difference between the theme park experience and a cruise experience.

[imanazd]

I agree with gometros...if you were expecting Disneyworld at sea, no wonder you were disappointed. There is only so much "Disney" you can put on a cruise ship and I think they do pretty well with it. Whether or not it has the Disney name in front of it, it is still a cruise, not an amusement park.

[cruisedawgg]

...one more for the "it's a Disney themed CRUISE" column.

 

By your logic, one would expect to eat cotton candy, see clowns & bearded ladies, and win overpriced stuff animals on "CARNIVAL" cruiselines.

[grand isle joe]

...one more for the "it's a Disney themed CRUISE" column.

 

By your logic, one would expect to eat cotton candy, see clowns & bearded ladies, and win overpriced stuff animals on "CARNIVAL" cruiselines.

 

And wooden shoes on Holland America..... Vikings on Norwegian.....A pea in every bed on Princess...Hollywood actors and actressess onCelebrity....help me out here I,m running out....:D

[Majesty Fan]

My husband and I are looking forward to our 3rd DCL in Oct 2nd time on the Wonder. We are cruise addicts over 27 cruises. We cruise both RCI and Carnival. But I love Disney so every now and then we cruise with DCL. In 06 we did the Magic. I had doubts about going since we have no kids. But thanks to MomX4 I just went ahead and with a realaxed attitude and 7 days on the Magic is better than 7 days working as a nurse! Some things I noticed as compared to other lines.

 

The shows- Golden Mickey, Disney Dreams were fabulous. Not a big Cinderella fan. So did not care for that show. Disney Dream is the best show out of all the cruise ships not just the 2 Disney ships.

 

The food- We liked the different options out by the pool, I love Pineapple pizza, plus the ability to get wraps was good. The buffeet was not as good not as many options but what I did eat I liked. I love Mickey waffles and the make your own omlete. Loved the dinning rotation. The character breakfast was good but we had a later sitting. By the time we finished you could not find a deck chair. The dinning rooms did not have as good of optons as compared to Carnival and RCI. The seafood Risotto was fantastic and the chance to have ice cream sundaes was great. I am a kid at heart.

 

entertainment- some of the shows like Mickey Mania is geared towards families but it would be nice to have an adult only version too. In Oct we plan to look at some of the offerings and do more. We miss the Reggae band but I do have an IPOD.

 

Castaway Cay- No private Island is better than that. We can't wait to go in Oct!

 

Pirates in the Carribbean- WOW!

 

My opinions are just my version. I do love Disney and love to cruise. For us the 4 day is just fine we don't get off in Nassau. We go for rest and relaxation. We are looking to do more things this next time. Disney can be expensive for us the Inside Gty is what we choose. Plus we are Fl residents too. We can't wait till Oct to see what is new!

Lexi

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Try a Royal Carrb cruise.

I'll show you boring.

Like visiting a wax museum.

 

I suggest anyone try the $299 cruises before dropping $10 grand on a major league cruise.

 

If you don't drink, or like shows, or dance, or hang out and take in the fun atmosphere and energy of the clubs and music and unique people, then par to a day at the mall is about what you'll encounter at sea.

 

If you don't love the tropical beaches, then that is like not loveing life itself.

 

Cruising isn't for everyone.

[Muushka]

An opinion such as yours is the exact reason why, when people ask "First cruise? Which should I take?" I always recommend the 4 day. Can you imagine if you had done a 7 day?

 

As was mentioned, it sounds like you are not a cruise person. We love to cruise because it is relaxing. Our last DCl 7 day cruise, we did not do any shows the entire week. It was so nice to have the ship nice and quiet when people were either eating or at the show.

 

We have done Celebrity and there is a distinct difference between the 2 cruise lines. Neither is better (to us), but both very different. Disney is more upbeat and fun. Celebrity is more subdued and calm.

 

And Mickey was nowhere to be found on the Celebrity ship!:p

[lms2004]

Not offended at all. I'm just sorry you were left feeling disappointed. We went on our first cruise last July with Disney (4 night) and I think we may be addicted! We loved it. My kids ranging in age from 16 - 5, all had a great time although my youngest daughter didn't care much for the "daycare." She went 1 time and stayed for about 30 minutes and didn't want to return. She wanted to spend all of her time in the Mickey pool! My biggest concern is the expense of the Disney cruise product. We cannot really afford it with 6 people. The kids wanted to take a 7 night cruise instead of a 4 night next time, but it probably won't be with Disney.

 

I'm also a little disgusted with Disney right now. Today I saw a "promotion" for Disney cruises. Kids sail for 50% off this spring through mid-May. WHAT? I don't know about other people's kids, but mine are still IN SCHOOL through May 29th! Disney - What are you thinking?! This isn't any sort of promotion that my family can take advantage of! I'm not willing to take my kids out of school for a vacation. Just not going to happen. Sorry. :mad:

[DrD]

Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but I'm trying to understand how one could be so bored. On a 4-day cruise, you would have been in port 2 days with only 1 sea day, plus embarkation day. were you bored in port? did you do any excursions? Were you bored at Castaway Cay? Or was it just the 1 sea day? It probably wasn't evenings since you said you enjoyed the shows.

 

There is definately a type that likes cruising best. If your idea of paradise is sitting in a comfy chair with a good book, and warm breeze, a cool drink, and a sun-speckled ocean as far as the eye can see, then you will like cruising. If you like ships and the ocean in general that is a plus. If you need alot of very active-type stuff then you should likely stick to land vacations.

 

looking at the navigators I'm not sure how will do half of what is on offer.

[jenmouse]

You probably don't need to hear it again, but I agree. I just don't think that cruising is for you. And that is fine - different strokes for different folks! My husband had never been on a cruise before when we booked an 11 night "Circle the Caribbean" on Royal Caribbean for our honeymoon. At the end of it, I practically had to drag him off the ship kicking and screaming. We agreed to wait until our kids were a bit older, and then start cruising on a regular basis. Well, the time is here! His only disappointment is that our cruise this year is only a 4 night, since we will be cruising with a group that has never sailed before, and they just want "a taste".

 

Don't feel guilty that it isn't for you - just go back to enjoying WDW!

[biddy belle]

Try a Royal Carrb cruise.

I'll show you boring.

Like visiting a wax museum.

 

I suggest anyone try the $299 cruises before dropping $10 grand on a major league cruise.

 

If you don't drink, or like shows, or dance, or hang out and take in the fun atmosphere and energy of the clubs and music and unique people, then par to a day at the mall is about what you'll encounter at sea.

 

If you don't love the tropical beaches, then that is like not loveing life itself.

 

Cruising isn't for everyone.

Since when are "guests " allowed to post on these boards? Who is this special poster?

[Host Mick]

 

...

 

I'm also a little disgusted with Disney right now. Today I saw a "promotion" for Disney cruises. Kids sail for 50% off this spring through mid-May. WHAT? I don't know about other people's kids, but mine are still IN SCHOOL through May 29th! Disney - What are you thinking?! This isn't any sort of promotion that my family can take advantage of! I'm not willing to take my kids out of school for a vacation. Just not going to happen. Sorry. :mad:

 

That is why those particular days are on sale, most kids are in school and bookings are down. The sale will still attract families of kids in year-round school and homeschooled kids. Mine are in a private school and they don't have a problem at all with us taking the kids out of school. In fact they offer a tuition credit for longer absenses. We did this a lot when they were little and their grades "didn't count".

[jaybeedee]

I really appreciate your post. My family has also LOVED the WDW experiences in 2006 & 2008. DH and I just tried cruising and also LOVED it. We would like to take our kiddos on a special vacation next spring. We were considering merging these 2 experiences with a DCL vacation. I think we were expecting WDW at sea. We may have been disappointed too. I am willing to pay more if I know the value. When I inquired on another board, another poster asked if I knew how much the character costumes cost! I wanted to hear that the food was outstanding, or the kids activities were fabulous. I understand that the shows were wonderful and the private island is the best -- but I could create a pretty awsome private island experience if I plunk down TWICE the money for the day. Anyway, thank you for summing this up for me: It's a CRUISE with a Disney theme. Got it. I think my kiddos would be just as happy for 1/2 the price or twice the time on another cruiseline, or return to our happy place WDW. I appreciate your sharing your true opinion.

[cruiserbryce]

you may be better off sticking to land based disney trips and cruises with other lines

[Muushka]

I really appreciate your post. My family has also LOVED the WDW experiences in 2006 & 2008. DH and I just tried cruising and also LOVED it. We would like to take our kiddos on a special vacation next spring. We were considering merging these 2 experiences with a DCL vacation. I think we were expecting WDW at sea. We may have been disappointed too. I am willing to pay more if I know the value. When I inquired on another board, another poster asked if I knew how much the character costumes cost! I wanted to hear that the food was outstanding, or the kids activities were fabulous. I understand that the shows were wonderful and the private island is the best -- but I could create a pretty awsome private island experience if I plunk down TWICE the money for the day. Anyway, thank you for summing this up for me: It's a CRUISE with a Disney theme. Got it. I think my kiddos would be just as happy for 1/2 the price or twice the time on another cruiseline, or return to our happy place WDW. I appreciate your sharing your true opinion.

 

While I agree for the most part about your decision, I have a comment. (in fact, I think I posted on your thread on another board!) My comment is that if you are a true Disney fan and a lover of cruises, a DCL cruise is something that you will appreciate.

 

The OP had never cruised before and did not know what to expect. You have cruised and you know what is going to happen. The experience on DCL is unique. I would not pay a lot more for DCL, it is not that good. But there are some great prices during hurricane season and lately they have had some good deals ($599 pp for 7 night).

 

If you are looking for an excuse to not cruise DCL, you found it. If you want to know why so many people feel it is worth the extra expense, you might want to give it a try. As frugal as I am, we cruise DCL and we don't even have kids.

 

Good luck with your decision!:)

[atinkerbellmom]

That is why those particular days are on sale, most kids are in school and bookings are down. The sale will still attract families of kids in year-round school and homeschooled kids. Mine are in a private school and they don't have a problem at all with us taking the kids out of school. In fact they offer a tuition credit for longer absenses. We did this a lot when they were little and their grades "didn't count".

Very well said...... DCL is a business/industry first. The reason they offer promotions like these is because the ships are not as full and they have a harder time filling the ship. So the thought process is, to offer an insentive and more would consider going. This is the same reason the cost of the cruise goes up for target dates that the children are out of school. They do not have any problem filling the ship when the kids are out of school. If you have done any research (to the OP Mick did a reply to), have you ever noticed that the cost of even air fare is higher durning targeted Spring Breaks and other vacation times. Actually the cheapest DCL cruise you can get on is the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th week of September. The thought process is that most people will not pull the kids out the first weeks of school right away; so since the numbers are down, let the $ be a persuassive factor in filling the ship.

Now I do NOT ever want to debate the pulling kids out of school decision. I actually see both sides. We have talked about friends soooo bad for doing this until last year when we did it for the first time. We planned a cruise around what we thought would be Spring Break. Well when the district released the dates finally we were 2 weeks earlier than the actual date. Our school principal told us to keep the vacation and not worry. Well when we looked into the "Spring Break time" it was $3,000 more. So during peek seasons, you do not see the deals and it cost waaay more. This is true of most travel. ;)

[cruzmaven]

The OP is certainly entitled to like or not like her cruise for whatever reason she sees fit.

 

What amazes me though is that people plan an expensive family vacation and not do any research prior to booking. DCL doesn't represent itself as a theme park, its a cruise line. DCL has an extensive website with numerous details about what to expect on the cruise, it sends out DVD's, the cruise has been featured on several travel channel shows, etc. The OP had every opportunity to be aware of what was available on the ship before booking. Did she expect there to be a Space Mountain or Dumbo ride on the ship?

 

Next time look at a brochure or something before you book.

[kittykitty576]

WOW! What a smug reply. I read through almost 2 years of posts like these BEFORE planning my FIRST cruise. Which happened to be a Disney Cruise. Disney does "Magic" in SO many ways that there isn't a gauge to quantify "how" to "do Disney." No, our family didn't expect rides, like at the park, but piecing together ALL of the information on what is available to do ON THE SHIP is somewhere between difficult and nearly impossible. Even ON the ship they "didn't have" the Navigtors for other days available. I saw some sample (read "old") versions on a site, but did not know if they would be similar or different to our cruising dates.

 

For people on here who cruise A LOT, the posts may seem very naive. For those looking for information after someone's FIRST cruise, this may give them information that I wish I would have had or could have found PRIOR to booking.

 

Now for the good:

Castaway Cay was AMAZING. Disney did the castaway island VERY well. The treasure hunt was entertaining, as well. The BBQ lunch at the beach REALLY hit the spot. Crab races were cute... Now, I would like to know WHERE on any website you could find out about the Castaway Cay crab races?! (to cruzmaven) Anyway...

 

The boarding and disembarking procedures were well handled, and the cabin service was very nice... and entertaining with the hanging towel monkey wearing my sunglasses :)

 

Best of luck to other families to find the information that they (you) need to make an informed decision on choosing a cruise over another type of (Disney?) vacation.

[Garn]

Our first cruise was on Disney a couple of years ago, and I also regret it- because I'm afraid nothing else will compare.

 

It certainly isn't a floating theme park, it's a "Disney cruise"- a cruise done in the Disney style, with the Disney level of service, Disney quality, Disney family-friendliness, and yes, Disney magic.

 

If you love Disney, and you can afford it, a Disney cruise is an amazing experience. I was shocked at how quickly our 4 days went by, we were always busy, and I found myself frustrated by how many things I didn't have time to do.

 

That said, since my son is now in middle school, and I don't choose to pull him out of class, Disney is now out of our price range. It's a fantastic product, but I don't think it's a good value at peak times.

 

jaybeedee- I did think the food was fantastic, and my kids are still talking about the kids club activities. Both are obviously very subjective, but I really think Disney offers a unique product.

[Muushka]

OP, I completly understand that the cruise was disappointing. And your review mixed with both good and bad was great.

 

But I am wondering, what did you expect it would be like? I wonder if maybe the character interaction was not as good as you thought it would be? I know the 4 night cruises do not have that many character encounters and it might be a let down. Was the dining experience not what you expected? I read a lot about how fantastic the waiters are with children, making dinner for them a show in itself. Was that disappointing to you?

 

I think people who love all things Disney tend to exagerate a little bit, or just a little too enthusiastic. I remember everyone raving about lobster burgers at CC. I could not wait to have a lobster burger. So I finally have a lobster burger. AAAKKKKKK! I got up the courage to post that the lobster burgers are not wonderful. In fact, they are nasty. After that, many people came out of the lobster burger closet and admitted they didn't like them either. Now you never hear anyone rave about them.

 

Lobster burger, DCL answer to the emperor's new clothes!

 

I always appreciate it when someone posts a somewhat negative review. It will lower expectations and people will be happier.