Hi, everyone! While I'm still on a high from my August WDW trip, I'm definitely ready to start planning another one! I recently saw a special on the travel channel about Disney Cruises, and it looked great. I searched for prices online, and they seem a bit pricier than what I would expect for a cruise or even for a regular Disney vacation, so I'm wondering if anybody has an opinion on whether or not the extra $ is worth it ... does it compare to a WDW vacation? Will I get my Disney "fix"? Am I better off booking a regular cruise vacation? Any help would be appreciated. :)

I have never taken a Disney cruise.

Some people really like them and believe that they are worth the extra cost.

It probably depends on what you are looking for.

I have also seen trip reports in which people describe various unpleasant behaviors they have witnessed on "low class" non-disney crusies.

I have never seen those behaviors and the people I have met have been lovely.
However, I don't lurk around the bars and generally eat in the dining room, so maybe you find what you're looking for?

Dh and I have noticed that at certain times of the year cruises out of Orlando are very reasonable. We have talked about visiting WDW and then taking a short crusie to rest up.

It depends on what you are cruising for (and with).
If your goal is all about the ports, there are much cheaper ways to cruise there.
If your goal is an awesome family vacation experience, then DCL is really the best for that.

It is pricier and you will seldom if ever find discounts...

HOWEVER -- I've taken two and loved them both.

You will absolutely get your Disney fix - the nice thing is, you can decide the dosage -- if you LOVE Disney you'll see the magic everywhere... in the decor, the menu, the cabins, the shows, the service, the names of rooms, the activities, the movies, EVERYTHING.
From the second you get on and a staff member announces your arrival to all in the centrum (my friend and I both started crying when they did that) it is an unforgettable journey. :)

Absolutely worth it! DCL was the first cruise either DH or I had ever taken. We did the 3 day and loved it! A couple of years later we took another cruise line out of L.A. down to Mexico for a long weekend. Didn't even come close to comparing. The food, the service, the decor, all of it was sub-par when compared to DCL.

We then took the 7 day when the Magic was on the West Coast last summer. We were once again happy cruisers. So much so that while we were still on board we booked our next one and got a 10% discount for doing so! It's coming up at the end of this month and we can't wait!

I think if you're a fan of Disney at all, you'll love DCL. The decor is understated, elegant and really gives the feeling of a luxury liner. And yet other places, the pool deck for instance, it's a little more obvious.

There are so many activities that you really can't possibly do them all, even though you might want to. And don't even get me started on Castaway Cay. I don't think any other line has their own island. It's really quite unique.

DCL yes, yes, yes!

does it compare to a WDW vacation? Will I get my Disney "fix"? Am I better off booking a regular cruise vacation? Any help would be appreciated. :)
Yes, DCL is very much a Disney vacation. There is so much to do and see you will want to book a future trip just to see and do what you didnt get to the first time. (And yes, you can book a future trip while on board...)

Personally, I like to take a shorter cruise and then go to the parks for a few days - my own version of a Land and Sea package. Maybe it is because I love the parks so much and how the cruise just adds to the experience. Some say that you should do the parks first then use the cruise to wind down and relax. Some say the opposite. I guess I will just have to go again to make my own comparison. :)

Regardless if you just cruise or do parks and the cruise, you will not be disappointed. It really is money well spent. The nice part is that the program on DCL that you saw (on the Travel Channel, I presume) gives a good representation as to what goes on. The funny part is that it needs to be updated since the ships have been renovated since that program was made and there are a few differences. The good part is that those changes did not change what was already great decor.

I went on the Disney Wonder for a four day cruise in Sept 2003, and I absolutely loved it. I have been on 2 other cruises on different lines, and the Disney cruise was definitely the best. Although I really loved the other two also, but they are all different experiences. If you really love Disney, then the DCL is great. If you just want a regular cruise experience, then there are lots of other options that are still good. TO make a comparison, my first cruise was a 7 day on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. This was in 1995 and at the time, that was one of the biggest ships. I was very impressed with it and it was very nice and elegant, and I found it to be a nice relaxing time. However, there wasn't a whole lot of "magic" about it. the second cruise I took was a 3 day on Carnival's Fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, but I think that was due to the people I was with. I found the ship itself disappointing after the elegance of the other one. This one was much more casual and not as nice or new looking. But there were lots of fun things to do and I had a great time. So then, I went on the Disney Wonder. It had the best of both the previous ships. It was elegant and very nice, but it was also fun. A good mix of fancy and casual. There was definite Disney magic all over and plenty of fun to do for any age. And I adored Castaway Cay. The theming there is great fun.

I hope I get to cruise more in the future. I loved all three, but I am definitely doing a Disney cruise next time!

I've never been on a pleasure cruise (many, many working "cruises"), but I've been reading and asking people about taking a cruise. Everything I learned thus far reflects the posts here. Here's what I've learned:

- Disney cruises are somewhat expensive, but you get what you pay for

- Many, many people say visiting Castaway Cay alone was worth going with Disney. Since Castaway Cay is owned by Disney, no other cruise line goes there

- Other high-end cruise lines can provide very nice cruises. The lower end, however, can be quite different. A friend and her husband did a West Coast cruise with Carnival a few months ago. Her description of the most of the poeple on board gave me impression it would be like cruising with most obnoxious drunks at a football game. She said the cruise was just one big beer blast; not what she was looking for

- My travel agent refuses to book anyone on Carnival (the commisions have nothing to do with it)

- Safety is becoming a very big issue on cruise ships. Consider recent headlines describing horror stories of widespread illness, tainted food, people falling overboard with little or no crew response, passengers assaulted by crewmembers, sudden ballast problems (leaning) and onboard fires. :eek: I would feel safer on a Disney ship than most others. Also, their ships are practically brand new and less likely to suffer engineering casualties, as well as plumbing casualties.

Go with Disney!

Worth it?

Oh heck YES!!!:D

If you are a Disney fan...this is the BEST cruise/Disney fix ev-ah (well...course Disneyland Paris was cool too!).:D

I wish the ship would have stayed several days at Castaway Cay. That island is reason enough to go.
Plus, the Disney productions on the ship are excellent.

If you really are a Disney fan...and can afford the cruise...GO!:D