Port Canaveral Toss-Up....

[Yellowlily]

Planning a short cruise (3 or 4 day) out of Port Canaveral for June 2013. Plan on tacking on 3 or 4 day stay in WDW post-cruise. A little vacation history - DH, DD and I love cruising. Some of our cruises have been amazing, some others (in more recent years) have been not so hot. We have also been making a habit of visiting the mouse for 3 years in a row now and plan on making it 4 this coming year. Our DD is at that age where it's really enjoyable. Never thought we'd be Disney people, but we are. What's not to love?

 

With all that being said.....looking at cruises at that time, our options are limited to:

 

1. RCCI Enchantment of the Seas

2. Carnival Ecstacy

3. Disney Dream

 

So, looking at the reviews on CC per ship and itinerary, weighing the options of the costs, etc., I'm stumped.

 

Here are some of my criteria:

1. Needs to be a good value, but not necessarily cheap...so it is really worth the extra $500 + to take Disney over the other cruise lines???

2. Food has got to be good. We've had really good food on Carnival - believe it or not!, good to fair food on RCCI and crappy to fabulous at Disney World (really, we don't care for most of it, with a few exceptions....for example, could eat at Downtown Disney the whole time - Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang, etc....love all places at Grand Floridian, thought other places that were supposed to be great were a flop, so that's a tough call).

3. Has a have a great Kids Program hands down - with proper supervision, security and good hours

4. Has to have some adult entertainment - am I going to be sick of Mickey before I get to WDW if we choose Dream?? am I going to be overrun with inconsiderate children on one of these cruises??

5. Really has to have an overall nice experience for entire family, not just the kid!!!

 

So, with all of this in mind, if anyone has any advice, any been there/done that on this subject, I would love to hear it.

 

Or course, saving a dime is very important, but overall a great experience is in order. I don't want to feel rushed, bombarded, herded like cattle, etc. I want to relax, have fun and make great memories with my family....and of course on a budget!

 

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom!!:)

[Keith1010]

My honest opinion is to take Disney.

 

It is more money.

 

But it will be memorable.

 

The other two cruises will party cruises if they are only three/four days in length.

 

Disney does a wonderful job for both children, parents, and grand parents.

 

If you like to gamble Disney doesn't offer it.

 

Otherwise, it will be much better than the other two cruises in my opinion.

 

Keith

[cb at sea]

I will say that the consensus is that RCI or Carnival will have the better kid's club..Disney's isn't as "structured", and most kids like the structure, believe it or not!

 

Disney's cabins are the largest, followed by Carnival, then RCI...so book your cabin accordingly! Check the deck plans for sq. footage!

 

I think, since you'll be getting your fill of the mouse either before or after the cruise, not spending that additional money ON the cruise will help during your WDW adventures!

 

Food is so subjective....both RCI and Carnival are similar, food-wise.

[Youalleverybody]

I have never sailed Carnival, and my only RCCL cruise was a decade ago, so I admit I am biased. I've been on two Disney cruises in the past year. Both were fantastic.

 

We took the whole family on a 7 nighter on the Disney Magic. Fabulous.

 

Dh and I took a 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream a few weeks ago. I think we had even more fun than the cruise with the kids. (shh, don't tell them.)

 

The food was allright. Some things were fantastic! (Remy, Palo, most seafood and chicken dishes) Some were not. (most beef dishes) Nothing was indedible. Honestly, our food on the Disney Magic was better.

 

The kids clubs are very secure. The kids are given a wristband that is scanned upon arriving and departing the club. You have to give a password to get your child. Other adults are not allowed in the club. My kids had a blast, and did not want to leave when we came to get them. (except the three year old, but she is used to being with me all day)

 

Dh and I had a lot of fun on the Dream. We ran a 5K on Disney's private island, we did a Mixology class, we spent a romantic evening in the Champagne bar, played bingo, did trivia and a cooking class. We enjoyed the nightlife in the clubs a night or two. Disney's mainstage theatre shows are top notch, too. We enjoyed them very much.

 

I think that unless one is a Disney hater, they can not help but have a great time on a Disney cruise.

 

We are going on Royal Caribbean next February, and I hope they can live up to our Disney experience.

[VillaHappy]

I think that unless one is a Disney hater, they can not help but have a great time on a Disney cruise.

 

We are going on Royal Caribbean next February, and I hope they can live up to our Disney experience.

 

My kids are ambivalent towards Disney. We gave the Disney Magic a try for 7 nights in March. Before this, the kids have been on 5 cruises on RCCL.

 

Now, my daughter never wants to cruise again...she said the boat was too "rocky." I asked my son if we should book another Disney cruise, and he said no.

 

We aren't the only ones on Cruise Critic who feel this way...

 

That being said, my opinion is that the Fantasy and Dream, being the new and bigger ships, are getting all of the attention and better staff... the Dream and the Wonder are the forgotten stepchildren. So you probably won't go wrong sailing on the Dream. I just know that after our experience, we are sticking with Royal. That is, if I can get my daughter back on a ship ever again.

[butterflyeffect]

We had the same dilemma last year and decided to splurge on the Disney Dream. We don't regret it one bit. The ship is beautiful, the shows are top notch and we had a great time. There was plenty to do for both kids and adults. We also did the cruise in conjunction with WDW and it wasn't too much Disney, especially if you describe yourself as Disney people.

 

Have fun!

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Mom2B&Z]

I don't have an answer for you yet, but we are doing 4 days at WDW followed by 3 nights on the Dream in March, 2013 so I'll let you know :)

We chose the DCL cruise purely because it was the only line that had dates that worked with our schedule, otherwise RCCL was at the top of our list.

[Gatrcruzer]

Planning a short cruise (3 or 4 day) out of Port Canaveral for June 2013. Plan on tacking on 3 or 4 day stay in WDW post-cruise. A little vacation history - DH, DD and I love cruising. Some of our cruises have been amazing, some others (in more recent years) have been not so hot. We have also been making a habit of visiting the mouse for 3 years in a row now and plan on making it 4 this coming year. Our DD is at that age where it's really enjoyable. Never thought we'd be Disney people, but we are. What's not to love?

 

With all that being said.....looking at cruises at that time, our options are limited to:

 

1. RCCI Enchantment of the Seas

2. Carnival Ecstacy

3. Disney Dream

 

So, looking at the reviews on CC per ship and itinerary, weighing the options of the costs, etc., I'm stumped.

 

Here are some of my criteria:

1. Needs to be a good value, but not necessarily cheap...so it is really worth the extra $500 + to take Disney over the other cruise lines???

2. Food has got to be good. We've had really good food on Carnival - believe it or not!, good to fair food on RCCI and crappy to fabulous at Disney World (really, we don't care for most of it, with a few exceptions....for example, could eat at Downtown Disney the whole time - Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang, etc....love all places at Grand Floridian, thought other places that were supposed to be great were a flop, so that's a tough call).

3. Has a have a great Kids Program hands down - with proper supervision, security and good hours

4. Has to have some adult entertainment - am I going to be sick of Mickey before I get to WDW if we choose Dream?? am I going to be overrun with inconsiderate children on one of these cruises??

5. Really has to have an overall nice experience for entire family, not just the kid!!!

 

So, with all of this in mind, if anyone has any advice, any been there/done that on this subject, I would love to hear it.

 

Or course, saving a dime is very important, but overall a great experience is in order. I don't want to feel rushed, bombarded, herded like cattle, etc. I want to relax, have fun and make great memories with my family....and of course on a budget!

 

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom!!:)

 

Wow, that is a lot to ask! If you find it, let me know ;-)

 

As Keith mentioned in an earlier post, typically the ships that are put on the 3/4 night runs are often the old, poorly maintained ones in the fleet. Because of the low cost, they are attractive to people who are looking for a fun weekend party getaway and don't care so much about the ship. Maybe a less family-oriented experience?

 

One exception to this is the Dream, which is one of the newest ships in the fleet. You might also want to expand your search to Tampa - I think that RCI does a 4/5 night run out of there on a decent ship. Liberty of the Seas also does a 4/5 night run out of Ft. Lauderdale, and is a great ship (although embarkation and debarkation can be problematic...).

 

Disney has been running a lot of last minute guaranteed rates - not sure the time of year you are thinking of traveling (obviously holidays and high season prices will be higher), or whether you could manage waiting to see if a guarantee rate comes up, but that would make the pricing more competitive for you.

 

Good luck!

[KirstyGee1978]

Hi Yellow

 

We have booked Enchantment of the seas for 3nts in July 2013. Firstly we arrive in Orlando for 3nts and will stay on I Drive so we can get some shopping! From there we then go on our cruise for 3nts! After the cruise we are staying at Disney's Beach Club for 8nts on the Disney dining plan! It's amazing, we love Disney having stayed there this year we need to return! We loved Narcosse's at GF! Would recommend the Yaughtsman was amazing!

We wanted a cruise as we havnt cruised with ds2 and always wanted to go back to the Bahamas :)

 

Any Disney questions let me know!

 

Kirsty

 

 

 

 

Planning a short cruise (3 or 4 day) out of Port Canaveral for June 2013. Plan on tacking on 3 or 4 day stay in WDW post-cruise. A little vacation history - DH, DD and I love cruising. Some of our cruises have been amazing, some others (in more recent years) have been not so hot. We have also been making a habit of visiting the mouse for 3 years in a row now and plan on making it 4 this coming year. Our DD is at that age where it's really enjoyable. Never thought we'd be Disney people, but we are. What's not to love?

 

With all that being said.....looking at cruises at that time, our options are limited to:

 

1. RCCI Enchantment of the Seas

2. Carnival Ecstacy

3. Disney Dream

 

So, looking at the reviews on CC per ship and itinerary, weighing the options of the costs, etc., I'm stumped.

 

Here are some of my criteria:

1. Needs to be a good value, but not necessarily cheap...so it is really worth the extra $500 + to take Disney over the other cruise lines???

2. Food has got to be good. We've had really good food on Carnival - believe it or not!, good to fair food on RCCI and crappy to fabulous at Disney World (really, we don't care for most of it, with a few exceptions....for example, could eat at Downtown Disney the whole time - Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang, etc....love all places at Grand Floridian, thought other places that were supposed to be great were a flop, so that's a tough call).

3. Has a have a great Kids Program hands down - with proper supervision, security and good hours

4. Has to have some adult entertainment - am I going to be sick of Mickey before I get to WDW if we choose Dream?? am I going to be overrun with inconsiderate children on one of these cruises??

5. Really has to have an overall nice experience for entire family, not just the kid!!!

 

So, with all of this in mind, if anyone has any advice, any been there/done that on this subject, I would love to hear it.

 

Or course, saving a dime is very important, but overall a great experience is in order. I don't want to feel rushed, bombarded, herded like cattle, etc. I want to relax, have fun and make great memories with my family....and of course on a budget!

 

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom!!:)

[newbiecruiser09]

Can't help with the cruise selection (have only sailed RCI and never Enchantment) but would suggest that you plan to do WDW before whichever cruise you choose. Do the WDW parks and fast paced vacation first then relax on your cruise.

[2CuteKiddies]

We've been on Carnival, RCI, and Disney, but regarding the ships you listed we've only been on the Dream.

We had fun on all of them. We liked the food on all of them. The kid's clubs were all good and our daughter had fun in all three. Disney's is a little less structured, but still very secure. They also have some activities involving characters, such as story times with princesses or pirate activities with Captain Hook.

As someone else mentioned, Carnival and RCI have smaller, older ships on the 3-4 night cruises. We did a 4-night out of Port Canaveral on Monarch of the Seas in 2011 and the dining room atmosphere was terrible for kids (not a party crowd, more of an older crowd wanting a silent dining room), but the other aspects of the cruise, especially the kid's club, were great. We just skipped the dining room after the first night and it all worked out.

We were on the Dream last week (before the infamous 3-day hurricane cruise) and it was great. I don't think you'll be sick of Mickey before WDW. It's present, but more subtle on the ship than in the parks. There are also plenty of adult areas and activities.

Since you're Disney fans, you won't be disappointed with the Dream. Not sure about the other two ships, but if the Dream is out of your budget we've had fun on the other two lines.