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Great review Vanilla. We’ve done the Disney cruise 4 times now but not the 7 night one yet just the 4 night Bahama break. Even after 4 times it’s still a great experience. Panic
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I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival or RCI, is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the average for 7 days how much Disney cruise cost? Thanks Hai Pham
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Great review Vanilla. We’ve done the Disney cruise 4 times now but not the 7 > night one yet just the 4 night Bahama break. Even after 4 times it’s still a > great experience. > Panic
Response:
> I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival > or RCI, is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the > average for 7 days how much Disney cruise cost?
Go to www.allseasontravel.com and look at the prices, then look at the prices for some of the others. Yes, I think it was a bit more expensive; but the rooms are on average 50% bigger than the competitor, and the other cruises do not allow you to meet Mickey and Tigger. Actually, everything about Disney is 100% class all the way.
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>Yes, I think it was a bit more expensive; >but the rooms are on average 50% bigger than the competitor,
Whoa – not sure who told you that, but it’s definitely not true. I’ve cruised Disney and Holland America Line (HAL) for years – several cruises on each. The cabins are almost identical in size – with HAL being slightly larger. The verandahs on HAL are bigger than on DCL, too – deep enough that they put chaise lounge chairs out there. Disney is more expensive generally. If you need the extensive kids’ programs it’s probably worth it. It’s a good cruise overall, but HAL is definitely more elegant (and preferred by my teen son also). Sue – DivaofDVC aka WDW1972 DVC ‘97 OKW, Beach Club, Vero Beach, & Hilton Head
Response:
> I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival or RCI, > is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the average for 7 > days how much Disney cruise cost?
A Disney cruise does tend to be more expensive then other cruise lines. When Kevin and I sailed, we were two adults alone, we also picked a week that was cheaper and the cruise was a few hundred more then other similar cruises we looked at. Your best bet to get an idea of price, is to take a look at travelocity.com and go thru the cabin selection process. Otherwise talk to your travel agent. sue
Response:
> It truly was a magical experience on the Disney Magic.
This I agree with! I don’t know that I > could ever sail on any other cruise line, once spoiled like that.
As much as I loved the Disney Magic, the itins are very limited. Also we like to try different cruise lines. I am sure you would have a very good time on other cruise lines also. sue
Response:
> Whoa – not sure who told you that, but it’s definitely not true.
OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney brochures and on the Disney website. > Disney is more expensive generally. If you need the extensive kids’ > programs it’s probably worth it. It’s a good cruise overall, but HAL > is definitely more elegant (and preferred by my teen son also).
What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do during the days at sea? If I do a non-Disney cruise, which I am sure I will soon enough, I think I want to try Radisson.
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Did they teach you the newest dance – the Eisner quickstep? Mark
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience > (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were > wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, > and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did > not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have > preferred 68).
Response:
>OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney >brochures and on the Disney website.
I’ve seen that, too – but they’re referring to the OLD industry standard. Although, someone recently cruised on RCCL’s new Mariner ship and his inside stateroom was a paltry 134 sq ft (or thereabouts). I cruise HAL or DCL, and their inside staterooms are 184-197 or so….in that case the "ad" would be right, I guess 
>What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. >Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do >during the days at sea?
My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so many kids on board. The Goofy pool was always packed, with younger (preteen) kids. Dinners weren’t as nice, and of course the characters weren’t any big deal to him since he’d grown up going to wdw often. HAL actually has as many or more activities throughout the day & night. They don’t have the adult-seminars Disney started on the sea days on the 7-day cruises, but they have just about everything else and more. HAL has a very nice theater (more comfortable than the one on DCL) and they serve free hot buttered popcorn as you enter. You can also pick up free cappuccino from the Java Cafe right outside the movie theater on most ships. They tend to show 2 different movies per day, each 2 different times. The movie shown at night is repeated during the afternoon the next day. > If I do a non-Disney cruise, which I am sure I will soon enough, I think >I want to try Radisson.
You’ve got good taste! Radisson is supposed to be top-notch! Sue – DivaofDVC aka WDW1972 DVC ‘97 OKW, Beach Club, Vero Beach, & Hilton Head
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<< My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so many kids on board. >> Ahhh, a real RTC cruising curmudgeon-in-the-making. LOL. :-) Or…what is that saying…something like "I don’t want to be part of any group that’ll have me."
Response:
>> OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney > brochures and on the Disney website. > I’ve seen that, too – but they’re referring to the OLD industry > standard. Although, someone recently cruised on RCCL’s new Mariner > ship and his inside stateroom was a paltry 134 sq ft (or > thereabouts). I cruise HAL or DCL, and their inside staterooms are > 184-197 or so….in that case the "ad" would be right, I guess
I think my room was 300 sq.ft. and that seemed the perfect size. Our older kids (3 of them) were in a separate room of the same size. > You’ve got good taste! Radisson is supposed to be top-notch!
That Raddisson Diamond dual hull just seems so, well, *COOL*
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>>What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. >Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do >during the days at sea? >My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so >many kids on board. The Goofy pool was always packed, with younger (preteen) >kids. Dinners weren’t as nice, and of course the characters weren’t any big >deal to him since he’d grown up going to wdw often. >HAL actually has as many or more activities throughout the day & night.
Correct me if I’m wrong though. Disney is the only line that offers an all day program for children without meal breaks and runs til midnight. I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in ports?? andrew Carnival Tropicale 1982 NCL Dawn 2004
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I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in > ports??
Not true…at Castaway Cays we left our three year old with the babysitter service so my wife and I could go on a snorkeling excursion and had to pay for the service. Disney Wonder 1/04
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> Correct me if I’m wrong though. Disney is the only line that offers an > all day program for children without meal breaks and runs til > midnight. I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in > ports??
They have a club called Oceaneers Lab. It’s for kids ages 8 through about 14. They do different things in 1 hour increments from about 7am until 1am. Stuff like making Flubber, or learning to draw animations. They assign a counselor to your kid and it’s completely free. They give you a pager so your kids can page you if they miss you and want you to come get them. They will feed your kids as well, by taking them to dinner for you. And it is completely free to use Oceaneers Lab as often as you want, and free for The Stack for the older kids (teenagers). — Uno cervesa por favor.
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Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68).
Response:
> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience > (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were > wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, > and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did > not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have > preferred 68).
Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and loved it. Are you going to write a review? sue
Response:
>> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to > experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), > ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah > easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only > one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I > would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68). > Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and > loved it. Are you going to write a review?
I could. Do you want me to?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to >>experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), >>ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah >>easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only >>one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I >>would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68). >Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and >loved it. Are you going to write a review? > I could. Do you want me to?
I wouldn’t of asked, if I weren’t interested!! sue
Response:
>> I could. Do you want me to? > I wouldn’t of asked, if I weren’t interested!!
OK, but I am no Hemmingway. We decided on a cruise as the next logical Disney step after spending a week at Disney for Thanksgiving. I poked around and found a highly rated travel agency with Internet rates (www.allseastravel.com). They buy whole blocks of rooms and sell them at good prices. At their recommendation, we (myself, wife, 5 kids ages 10 – 15) drove to the port the night before. We stayed at a Radisson, with 2 adjoining rooms. Now with regard to the room: With such a large crew, I was thinking about the Roy Disney room; which can sleep 7. The folks at All Season were kind enough to convince me that we would be better of with an outside room with verandah and an inside room across from that room. Their advice saved us a bunch of money. At any rate, I diverge. So, like I was saying, we got there the night before. The room was great, nicely done artistic pools with waterfalls, bridges, etc. The next day we drove to the boat and parked about 50 feet from the boat entrance. Perfect. From there we had a Disney contractor take all of our luggage, which was brought to our rooms and waiting for us. Before getting on, a Disney person checked all of our passports, tickets, some forms for the Bahamas, etc. Once on board, we went to a really nice restaurant called Parrot Cay. It was a buffet, and the food was decent. Finally, after eating we were allowed into our rooms. The rooms were the size of small hotel rooms, with a king size bed and a livingroom area that slept 2 more. We put the babies (10,11) in our room and the big kids (13, 14, 15) in the room across. On the day we took off, there was supposed to be a rocket blast off from the NASA base. I was in the bathroom when it launched, but ran out to the verandah and we saw it shoot through the clouds and into space. It was a Titan something or another. Satellite launch. We went to the top deck and walked all around. We were blown away by the size of the boat. We have a 35 foot cabin cruiser that sleeps 7, and this thing had emergency dinghies bigger than our boat! When we were above deck, we noticed that at the back of the boat there were small abovedeck patios for each deck. And nobody was sitting at that small ones. Everyone was on the big area up top. We went back to the room and got ready for dinner. Now, there are three big dining rooms on the boat. Well, and a 4th that was formal tux dining for adults only. We never went to that one. We rotate through the three dining rooms with the same servers. Our head server was Roberto from Peru. Our assistant was Edwin from St. Thomas. We had a great dinner. One thing I decided we would not be shy about. Any time I saw more than one thing I liked on the menu, I ordered it. We all did. The first nite the young kids hung out at a place just for little kids called the Oceaneers Lab. The older one went to the Stack. The smokestack on the boat is fake, it is a multi-floor party place for teens. My wife and I went to one of those little balconies at the back of the ship. 4th or 5th deck, IIRC. Hard to find, and it was just a little door with a sign that said "closed after 10 pm". We sat there until 1 am just talking, watching the lights of Florida, and the continuous trail the twin props churned into the water. We were right over them, about 20 feet above sea level. We were totally alone. That became our secret hideaway, and we used it at night a few times. I think nobody else on the ship knew about it. We finally collected all the kids and went to bed, but not before trying room service. The food was great. When we got up we had breakfast in our rooms and headed right out to Key West. We walked all over, and went into all the quaint stores. Our kids got fake tattoos, made out of some sort of plant. Not aloe, but something like that. They lasted for two weeks. We finally headed back to the boat, and went to dinner as the second of three restaurants, this one called Animators Palate. Again – awesome food. The next day was at sea, and we went to a few Disney plays and some Disney movies. The plays were great, and the movies were movies not yet released to the theatres. We also stopped in the stores, and bought a ton of collectible Disney pins and assorted clothing. After our day at sea, we arrived at Grand Cayman. We spent the day snorkeling, and we used a tip my mom gave us. We each brought a fanny pack stuffed full of large milk bone dog biscuits. As we snorkeled, we fed the fish the milk bones by breaking them up with our hands once they got soggy. We did this for hours and hours, and saw many beautiful fish. Colorful and friendly, to say the least. We didn’t do a shore excursion - all we had to do is get off the ship and ask a taxi to take us to 7 mile beach. We stayed at the beach that is owned by Marriott. When we got back it was our turn to go to the most formal of the restaurants – Lumierres. Amazing food. 5 star. The next day, we woke up in Cozumel. By this time, our teenagers made a ton of friends in The Stack, and our babies decided they would rather hang with us and not go to Oceaneers Lab. Cozumel was for shopping. Shopping and haggling, haggling and shopping. We bought a ton of turquoise and silver, yet again more t-shirts, skirts, and huge sombreros; and I treated myself to a new Rolex at a Disney recommended upscale jeweler. What would have cost me $6,800 (GMT Master 2, two tone) in USA, cost me $5,200 in Cozumel. Back on board for all of us, but my 13 year old daughter and I went back into Mexico at sundown to do more shopping. We barely made it back to late dinner (8:30 – the other choice is 6:30 and you have to tell them before you start the cruise); again at Parrot Cay. For a second, lets talk about this ship. The ship is 1,000 feet long. A quarter mile. And a bit over 100 feet wide. You just can’t imagine anything like it. The movie theatres on board are each bigger than a movie theatre at a mall, and there are 3 of them. The biggest one where the plays happen must take up 4 or 5 decks of the ship in height; and is as formal as Rockefeller Center; replete with balconies and chandelier’s. The restaurants are bigger than any restaurant you have been to. After Cozumel, my wife and I took the kiddies to our secret hideaway and to some movies. On our special balcony, we were able to watch Cuba all night. Cuba is a few hundred miles long, and we followed the coast of Cuba about 8 miles out. Very beautiful. Yet again another day at sea, with lots of movies and plays, and the older ones lost for the day at The Stack as usual. I tried my first Cuban cigar. Having never smoked, I could not get it lit for more than a few seconds. I can say I did it – but that’s about it. It went back in the canister and into the garbage. We got to Disney’s own island early, and spent the day on it. The beaches were filled with chairs, and a huge BBQ lunch with everything you can imagine, including exotic Caribbean fruits cut right at your table. Again a ton of snorkeling, and with that an interesting story. I went out with my 13 year old daughter, while the rest of the family went to spend more money on Disney stuff and enjoy Jimmy Buffett. We snorkeled for hours. The prettiest white fish with yellow stripes that went from nose to tail came and visited me. First 5, then 10, then 20, then 50. And the more I fed them, the more they wanted. Eventually, the water was boiling with these fish, like Piranhas eating a cow. We had to climb a lifeguard tower in the middle of the lagoon to get away from them. They were getting crazy, and they even nipped us a few times. Later on in our snorkel adventure we saw a barracuda and stingray, something I hear is rather rare. Back to the boat for yet another wonderful dinner, and one final romantic evening on our secret deck. The next morning we had a huge breakfast, and said our goodbyes to our new friends, Roberto, Edwin, and Jeffrey our stateroom butler. Some nice touches – Roberto and Edwin would make artistic animals our of our linen dinner napkins every night, and would play games with us (toothpick games) after dinner. Roberto also did some magic. Jeffrey would take an extra blanket out of the closet every night, and make a beautiful animal out of it, and would make a scene using the stuffed animals we bought (Nemo, Tigger, Eeyore, and some others). The animals he made out of the blanket reminded me of complex origami. Just beautiful. And the room was always sparkling, no matter how messy the kids made it. Jeffrey would clean our room 2x per day. Our trip is the most memorable one we have ever been on. We were all sad to come home, even though we have a wonderful life on shore.
Response:
Once on board, we went to a really nice > restaurant called Parrot Cay.
Parrot Cay was my favorite dining room on the ship. On the day we took off, there was supposed > to be a rocket blast off from the NASA base. I was in the bathroom when it > launched, but ran out to the verandah and we saw it shoot through the > clouds and into space. It was a Titan something or another. Satellite > launch.
WOW, you were lucky to see this. We came back from our cruise on the day the shuttle was lost. We were hoping to catch a glimse of it on the way to the airport. Then we got the sad news. Now, there are three big dining rooms on the boat. > Well, and a 4th that was formal tux dining for adults only. We never went > to that one. We rotate through the three dining rooms with the same > servers.
I enjoyed roataing dining rooms. Sorry you didn’t go to Palo. The food and the service were excellant. You do need to dress up, but no tux required. If you sail with Disney again, be sure to go to Palo for dinner and for brunch. Thanks for a very good review, we don’t see many Disney reviews here. sue
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WE LOVED THIS CRUISE ! 3 ADULT COUPLES WITH NO CHILDREN WITH US . ITS REALLY MAGIC
Response:
> Once on board, we went to a really nice > restaurant called Parrot Cay. > Parrot Cay was my favorite dining room on the ship.
Animators was my favorite. I loved when they would animate those pictures and play Disney clips from the 40’s (or whenever those black and whites were done). One thing I forgot to mention that was extremely exciting – we would all sit on my balcony and look into the water – now and then huge fish would come up the surface while we were cruising by at 20 knots. I don’t know how big they were, but I was on the 6th deck so they must have been pretty friggin huge! We saw big orange fish, and big gray fish. Not often, but we did see them. And the kids would all scream and point at them. It truly was a magical experience on the Disney Magic. I don’t know that I could ever sail on any other cruise line, once spoiled like that. — I am Saviour Bledsoe. The Vanilla Vick. Pay me $20M and make me your statue.
Response:
Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68).
Response:
> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience > (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were > wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, > and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did > not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have > preferred 68).
Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and loved it. Are you going to write a review? sue
Response:
>> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to > experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), > ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah > easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only > one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I > would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68). > Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and > loved it. Are you going to write a review?
I could. Do you want me to?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to >>experience (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), >>ports of call were wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah >>easily sat my wife, kids, and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only >>one beef – the air conditioning did not keep the room as cool as I >>would have liked (room about 74, would have preferred 68). >Glad to hear you have a great time!! We were on the Magic 1/03 and >loved it. Are you going to write a review? > I could. Do you want me to?
I wouldn’t of asked, if I weren’t interested!! sue
Response:
>> I could. Do you want me to? > I wouldn’t of asked, if I weren’t interested!!
OK, but I am no Hemmingway. We decided on a cruise as the next logical Disney step after spending a week at Disney for Thanksgiving. I poked around and found a highly rated travel agency with Internet rates (www.allseastravel.com). They buy whole blocks of rooms and sell them at good prices. At their recommendation, we (myself, wife, 5 kids ages 10 – 15) drove to the port the night before. We stayed at a Radisson, with 2 adjoining rooms. Now with regard to the room: With such a large crew, I was thinking about the Roy Disney room; which can sleep 7. The folks at All Season were kind enough to convince me that we would be better of with an outside room with verandah and an inside room across from that room. Their advice saved us a bunch of money. At any rate, I diverge. So, like I was saying, we got there the night before. The room was great, nicely done artistic pools with waterfalls, bridges, etc. The next day we drove to the boat and parked about 50 feet from the boat entrance. Perfect. From there we had a Disney contractor take all of our luggage, which was brought to our rooms and waiting for us. Before getting on, a Disney person checked all of our passports, tickets, some forms for the Bahamas, etc. Once on board, we went to a really nice restaurant called Parrot Cay. It was a buffet, and the food was decent. Finally, after eating we were allowed into our rooms. The rooms were the size of small hotel rooms, with a king size bed and a livingroom area that slept 2 more. We put the babies (10,11) in our room and the big kids (13, 14, 15) in the room across. On the day we took off, there was supposed to be a rocket blast off from the NASA base. I was in the bathroom when it launched, but ran out to the verandah and we saw it shoot through the clouds and into space. It was a Titan something or another. Satellite launch. We went to the top deck and walked all around. We were blown away by the size of the boat. We have a 35 foot cabin cruiser that sleeps 7, and this thing had emergency dinghies bigger than our boat! When we were above deck, we noticed that at the back of the boat there were small abovedeck patios for each deck. And nobody was sitting at that small ones. Everyone was on the big area up top. We went back to the room and got ready for dinner. Now, there are three big dining rooms on the boat. Well, and a 4th that was formal tux dining for adults only. We never went to that one. We rotate through the three dining rooms with the same servers. Our head server was Roberto from Peru. Our assistant was Edwin from St. Thomas. We had a great dinner. One thing I decided we would not be shy about. Any time I saw more than one thing I liked on the menu, I ordered it. We all did. The first nite the young kids hung out at a place just for little kids called the Oceaneers Lab. The older one went to the Stack. The smokestack on the boat is fake, it is a multi-floor party place for teens. My wife and I went to one of those little balconies at the back of the ship. 4th or 5th deck, IIRC. Hard to find, and it was just a little door with a sign that said "closed after 10 pm". We sat there until 1 am just talking, watching the lights of Florida, and the continuous trail the twin props churned into the water. We were right over them, about 20 feet above sea level. We were totally alone. That became our secret hideaway, and we used it at night a few times. I think nobody else on the ship knew about it. We finally collected all the kids and went to bed, but not before trying room service. The food was great. When we got up we had breakfast in our rooms and headed right out to Key West. We walked all over, and went into all the quaint stores. Our kids got fake tattoos, made out of some sort of plant. Not aloe, but something like that. They lasted for two weeks. We finally headed back to the boat, and went to dinner as the second of three restaurants, this one called Animators Palate. Again – awesome food. The next day was at sea, and we went to a few Disney plays and some Disney movies. The plays were great, and the movies were movies not yet released to the theatres. We also stopped in the stores, and bought a ton of collectible Disney pins and assorted clothing. After our day at sea, we arrived at Grand Cayman. We spent the day snorkeling, and we used a tip my mom gave us. We each brought a fanny pack stuffed full of large milk bone dog biscuits. As we snorkeled, we fed the fish the milk bones by breaking them up with our hands once they got soggy. We did this for hours and hours, and saw many beautiful fish. Colorful and friendly, to say the least. We didn’t do a shore excursion - all we had to do is get off the ship and ask a taxi to take us to 7 mile beach. We stayed at the beach that is owned by Marriott. When we got back it was our turn to go to the most formal of the restaurants – Lumierres. Amazing food. 5 star. The next day, we woke up in Cozumel. By this time, our teenagers made a ton of friends in The Stack, and our babies decided they would rather hang with us and not go to Oceaneers Lab. Cozumel was for shopping. Shopping and haggling, haggling and shopping. We bought a ton of turquoise and silver, yet again more t-shirts, skirts, and huge sombreros; and I treated myself to a new Rolex at a Disney recommended upscale jeweler. What would have cost me $6,800 (GMT Master 2, two tone) in USA, cost me $5,200 in Cozumel. Back on board for all of us, but my 13 year old daughter and I went back into Mexico at sundown to do more shopping. We barely made it back to late dinner (8:30 – the other choice is 6:30 and you have to tell them before you start the cruise); again at Parrot Cay. For a second, lets talk about this ship. The ship is 1,000 feet long. A quarter mile. And a bit over 100 feet wide. You just can’t imagine anything like it. The movie theatres on board are each bigger than a movie theatre at a mall, and there are 3 of them. The biggest one where the plays happen must take up 4 or 5 decks of the ship in height; and is as formal as Rockefeller Center; replete with balconies and chandelier’s. The restaurants are bigger than any restaurant you have been to. After Cozumel, my wife and I took the kiddies to our secret hideaway and to some movies. On our special balcony, we were able to watch Cuba all night. Cuba is a few hundred miles long, and we followed the coast of Cuba about 8 miles out. Very beautiful. Yet again another day at sea, with lots of movies and plays, and the older ones lost for the day at The Stack as usual. I tried my first Cuban cigar. Having never smoked, I could not get it lit for more than a few seconds. I can say I did it – but that’s about it. It went back in the canister and into the garbage. We got to Disney’s own island early, and spent the day on it. The beaches were filled with chairs, and a huge BBQ lunch with everything you can imagine, including exotic Caribbean fruits cut right at your table. Again a ton of snorkeling, and with that an interesting story. I went out with my 13 year old daughter, while the rest of the family went to spend more money on Disney stuff and enjoy Jimmy Buffett. We snorkeled for hours. The prettiest white fish with yellow stripes that went from nose to tail came and visited me. First 5, then 10, then 20, then 50. And the more I fed them, the more they wanted. Eventually, the water was boiling with these fish, like Piranhas eating a cow. We had to climb a lifeguard tower in the middle of the lagoon to get away from them. They were getting crazy, and they even nipped us a few times. Later on in our snorkel adventure we saw a barracuda and stingray, something I hear is rather rare. Back to the boat for yet another wonderful dinner, and one final romantic evening on our secret deck. The next morning we had a huge breakfast, and said our goodbyes to our new friends, Roberto, Edwin, and Jeffrey our stateroom butler. Some nice touches – Roberto and Edwin would make artistic animals our of our linen dinner napkins every night, and would play games with us (toothpick games) after dinner. Roberto also did some magic. Jeffrey would take an extra blanket out of the closet every night, and make a beautiful animal out of it, and would make a scene using the stuffed animals we bought (Nemo, Tigger, Eeyore, and some others). The animals he made out of the blanket reminded me of complex origami. Just beautiful. And the room was always sparkling, no matter how messy the kids made it. Jeffrey would clean our room 2x per day. Our trip is the most memorable one we have ever been on. We were all sad to come home, even though we have a wonderful life on shore.
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Once on board, we went to a really nice > restaurant called Parrot Cay.
Parrot Cay was my favorite dining room on the ship. On the day we took off, there was supposed > to be a rocket blast off from the NASA base. I was in the bathroom when it > launched, but ran out to the verandah and we saw it shoot through the > clouds and into space. It was a Titan something or another. Satellite > launch.
WOW, you were lucky to see this. We came back from our cruise on the day the shuttle was lost. We were hoping to catch a glimse of it on the way to the airport. Then we got the sad news. Now, there are three big dining rooms on the boat. > Well, and a 4th that was formal tux dining for adults only. We never went > to that one. We rotate through the three dining rooms with the same > servers.
I enjoyed roataing dining rooms. Sorry you didn’t go to Palo. The food and the service were excellant. You do need to dress up, but no tux required. If you sail with Disney again, be sure to go to Palo for dinner and for brunch. Thanks for a very good review, we don’t see many Disney reviews here. sue
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WE LOVED THIS CRUISE ! 3 ADULT COUPLES WITH NO CHILDREN WITH US . ITS REALLY MAGIC
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> Once on board, we went to a really nice > restaurant called Parrot Cay. > Parrot Cay was my favorite dining room on the ship.
Animators was my favorite. I loved when they would animate those pictures and play Disney clips from the 40’s (or whenever those black and whites were done). One thing I forgot to mention that was extremely exciting – we would all sit on my balcony and look into the water – now and then huge fish would come up the surface while we were cruising by at 20 knots. I don’t know how big they were, but I was on the 6th deck so they must have been pretty friggin huge! We saw big orange fish, and big gray fish. Not often, but we did see them. And the kids would all scream and point at them. It truly was a magical experience on the Disney Magic. I don’t know that I could ever sail on any other cruise line, once spoiled like that. — I am Saviour Bledsoe. The Vanilla Vick. Pay me $20M and make me your statue.
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Great review Vanilla. We’ve done the Disney cruise 4 times now but not the 7 night one yet just the 4 night Bahama break. Even after 4 times it’s still a great experience. Panic
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I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival or RCI, is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the average for 7 days how much Disney cruise cost? Thanks Hai Pham
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Great review Vanilla. We’ve done the Disney cruise 4 times now but not the 7 > night one yet just the 4 night Bahama break. Even after 4 times it’s still a > great experience. > Panic
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> I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival > or RCI, is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the > average for 7 days how much Disney cruise cost?
Go to www.allseasontravel.com and look at the prices, then look at the prices for some of the others. Yes, I think it was a bit more expensive; but the rooms are on average 50% bigger than the competitor, and the other cruises do not allow you to meet Mickey and Tigger. Actually, everything about Disney is 100% class all the way.
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>Yes, I think it was a bit more expensive; >but the rooms are on average 50% bigger than the competitor,
Whoa – not sure who told you that, but it’s definitely not true. I’ve cruised Disney and Holland America Line (HAL) for years – several cruises on each. The cabins are almost identical in size – with HAL being slightly larger. The verandahs on HAL are bigger than on DCL, too – deep enough that they put chaise lounge chairs out there. Disney is more expensive generally. If you need the extensive kids’ programs it’s probably worth it. It’s a good cruise overall, but HAL is definitely more elegant (and preferred by my teen son also). Sue – DivaofDVC aka WDW1972 DVC ‘97 OKW, Beach Club, Vero Beach, & Hilton Head
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> I was told in general Disney cruise is more expensive than Carnival or RCI, > is it true? Someone would give us the general ideas on the average for 7 > days how much Disney cruise cost?
A Disney cruise does tend to be more expensive then other cruise lines. When Kevin and I sailed, we were two adults alone, we also picked a week that was cheaper and the cruise was a few hundred more then other similar cruises we looked at. Your best bet to get an idea of price, is to take a look at travelocity.com and go thru the cabin selection process. Otherwise talk to your travel agent. sue
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> It truly was a magical experience on the Disney Magic.
This I agree with! I don’t know that I > could ever sail on any other cruise line, once spoiled like that.
As much as I loved the Disney Magic, the itins are very limited. Also we like to try different cruise lines. I am sure you would have a very good time on other cruise lines also. sue
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> Whoa – not sure who told you that, but it’s definitely not true.
OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney brochures and on the Disney website. > Disney is more expensive generally. If you need the extensive kids’ > programs it’s probably worth it. It’s a good cruise overall, but HAL > is definitely more elegant (and preferred by my teen son also).
What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do during the days at sea? If I do a non-Disney cruise, which I am sure I will soon enough, I think I want to try Radisson.
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Did they teach you the newest dance – the Eisner quickstep? Mark
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Awesome! No shortage of stuff to do, lots of Disney events to experience > (movies, plays), food was amazing (and lots of it), ports of call were > wonderful, rooms were comfy and big, verandah easily sat my wife, kids, > and I, and the ship was tip-top. Only one beef – the air conditioning did > not keep the room as cool as I would have liked (room about 74, would have > preferred 68).
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>OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney >brochures and on the Disney website.
I’ve seen that, too – but they’re referring to the OLD industry standard. Although, someone recently cruised on RCCL’s new Mariner ship and his inside stateroom was a paltry 134 sq ft (or thereabouts). I cruise HAL or DCL, and their inside staterooms are 184-197 or so….in that case the "ad" would be right, I guess >What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. >Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do >during the days at sea?
My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so many kids on board. The Goofy pool was always packed, with younger (preteen) kids. Dinners weren’t as nice, and of course the characters weren’t any big deal to him since he’d grown up going to wdw often. HAL actually has as many or more activities throughout the day & night. They don’t have the adult-seminars Disney started on the sea days on the 7-day cruises, but they have just about everything else and more. HAL has a very nice theater (more comfortable than the one on DCL) and they serve free hot buttered popcorn as you enter. You can also pick up free cappuccino from the Java Cafe right outside the movie theater on most ships. They tend to show 2 different movies per day, each 2 different times. The movie shown at night is repeated during the afternoon the next day. > If I do a non-Disney cruise, which I am sure I will soon enough, I think >I want to try Radisson.
You’ve got good taste! Radisson is supposed to be top-notch! Sue – DivaofDVC aka WDW1972 DVC ‘97 OKW, Beach Club, Vero Beach, & Hilton Head
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<< My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so many kids on board. >> Ahhh, a real RTC cruising curmudgeon-in-the-making. LOL. :-) Or…what is that saying…something like "I don’t want to be part of any group that’ll have me."
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>> OK, promise not to tease me about this, but I read it in the Disney > brochures and on the Disney website. > I’ve seen that, too – but they’re referring to the OLD industry > standard. Although, someone recently cruised on RCCL’s new Mariner > ship and his inside stateroom was a paltry 134 sq ft (or > thereabouts). I cruise HAL or DCL, and their inside staterooms are > 184-197 or so….in that case the "ad" would be right, I guess
I think my room was 300 sq.ft. and that seemed the perfect size. Our older kids (3 of them) were in a separate room of the same size. > You’ve got good taste! Radisson is supposed to be top-notch!
That Raddisson Diamond dual hull just seems so, well, *COOL*
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>>What did your kid prefer about HAL? My kids were wild about The Stack. >Which food did you prefer? Disney has plays and movies – what does HAL do >during the days at sea? >My son was 13 or 14 at the time (on DCL) and didn’t like that there were so >many kids on board. The Goofy pool was always packed, with younger (preteen) >kids. Dinners weren’t as nice, and of course the characters weren’t any big >deal to him since he’d grown up going to wdw often. >HAL actually has as many or more activities throughout the day & night.
Correct me if I’m wrong though. Disney is the only line that offers an all day program for children without meal breaks and runs til midnight. I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in ports?? andrew Carnival Tropicale 1982 NCL Dawn 2004
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I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in > ports??
Not true…at Castaway Cays we left our three year old with the babysitter service so my wife and I could go on a snorkeling excursion and had to pay for the service. Disney Wonder 1/04
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> Correct me if I’m wrong though. Disney is the only line that offers an > all day program for children without meal breaks and runs til > midnight. I also believe that there are no babysitting charges when in > ports??
They have a club called Oceaneers Lab. It’s for kids ages 8 through about 14. They do different things in 1 hour increments from about 7am until 1am. Stuff like making Flubber, or learning to draw animations. They assign a counselor to your kid and it’s completely free. They give you a pager so your kids can page you if they miss you and want you to come get them. They will feed your kids as well, by taking them to dinner for you. And it is completely free to use Oceaneers Lab as often as you want, and free for The Stack for the older kids (teenagers). — Uno cervesa por favor.
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