How does a Disney Cruise Compare?

[Ferris]

So I'm thinking of taking my extended family on a Disney Cruise.

Been reading some cruise reviews and it all seems quite good, but was wondering how it compares to the more traditional Disney resorts?

Is it more or less the same except at sea?

Any help would be appreciated!

:mickey:

[KH]

We've been to WDW many times, and two summers ago we took our first Disney Cruise on the Wonder. In terms of comparing it to the resorts, the thing that made it great for us is that the "magic" that is unique to Disney is abundantly present on a cruise. Of course, there are no rides, but the music (which is an essential part of the creation of the magic), the service and interaction with the cast members, the commitment to quality, and the overall vibe are absolutely on a par with WDW, and the things that are unique to cruising- Castaway Cay for example- are wonderful.

I heartily recommend that you give it a try. Have fun!

[GoldenDreams]

I thinking about what makes a Disney Resort special, the things that come to mind are attention to detail in the decorations and theming, great customer service, and a Disney feel of having Disney merchandise at the stores. I would say yes, the cruise line has all 3! The ship is very luxurious with plush carpets, gold elevators, marble floors, art deco accents. The staff are amazing and very helpful. And the stores and restaurants have plenty of Disney characters.

I hope that's helpful.

[joanna71985]

I've only been on DCL once (with 2 more planned), but it was great! I had a blast, and can't wait until my next cruise

[joonyer]

The service, attention to details and extras are all comparable to what you experience at the deluxe Disney Resorts. Of course, you don't have the theme parks. But there are plenty of things to do. I'd heartily recommend spending extra for a verandah room (absolutely worth it) and ordering room service for breakfast (room service food is included in your fare). I loved enjoying a relaxing breakfast on the verandah every morning. It was wonderful on the Wonder!

[janebanks]

For me, a Disney cruise was more relaxing than a Disney resort/park/land vacation, simply because there are fewer miles to cover. I tend to go all out crazy at a Disney park, trying to go everywhere, see everything, ride every ride. On a Disney cruise, you get less of the frantic pace, but all of the Disney magic. If you love Disney, then do try it!

[MarkC]

First of all-- great question. My wife and I (both early 50's) took a 7 day cruise on the Disney Magic to the Western Caribbean in February. I should explain that I like to go, go, go when we are at Disney and hit as many rides as I can. She would rather sleep in and read a book by the pool.

As for the cruise, we both rated it as good as any vacation we've ever had. We loved the ports, the food, the service, the shows, etc. No negatives. It took us about 15 minutes each to board and disembark. We booked another cruise on the same ship to Europe for next June.

The only negative (if you call this a negative) is there is no casino on board. We don't really gamble so it didn't affect us. But our fellow passengers, the crew and everyone were wonderful. We can't for our next one. My personal opinion is that Disney is worth the extra money. The only exception is that we have a college age son who we think may be bored when the ship is at sea, so if you have several people in your group from 15-25, you might be better off on another line.

[Ferris]

Cheers for the feedback guys.

Apologies it took so long for me to get back and thank you all, but have been swamped by various thing with work = )

[DisneyFr33k]

The Disney Cruise is great if you have kids. Not a lot for adults to do after 10pm, though. So if you are wanting a lot of night life, look elsewhere. We've been on 4 Disney cruises and I personally love them! DH doesn't think much of the activities for married folks who are alone (I go to bed early), and want something to do after 10pm. He was part of a focus group on one of the cruises and brought this up to those in "power", so maybe things have changed in the year since we last cruised.