Disney Cruise - Western Caribbean
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DISNEY CRUISE VACATION - WESTERN CARIBBEAN - Swim
with the stingrays... walk among ancient Mayan ruins...
visit the Southernmost Point in the US... Dance under
the stars... watch top-notch entertainment... and enjoy
excellent meals and wines. No wonder a Disney cruise
vacation appeals to so many families and Disney-loving
couples of all ages. |
itinerary & accommodations:
Accommodations: Stateroom - Upgraded at check-in to a
Deluxe Family Stateroom, Cat 4, on Deck 8 - the "Suite Floor"!
(Disney's Cruise categories run opposite of many other lines -
Cat. 1 is the largest suite, Cat. 12 is an inside cabin.)
Itinerary: Port Canaveral, Key West, Grand Cayman,
Cozumel Mexico, and Castaway Cay.
Highlight of our Trip: Stingray City!
If you love Disney - then you will LOVE Disney Cruise Lines.
To date, this is the BEST vacation we have ever been on.
Our 12 year old had a great time overall. However, when it
comes to programming, "tweeners" like him are in a tough spot on
a Disney Cruise. Children's programming runs 10 - 12, and then
13 - 18. As an 'almost 13' he was uncomfortable in either group,
so he did not meet as many kids as he had hoped he would.
However, there was so much to do and see as a family, it was a
short-lived disappointment.
The only area we could possibly suggest Disney improve on is
developing a 12 - 14 programming group similar to some of the
other cruise lines.
Introduction
 I
have been to Disney World 8 times...and I could return this year
and be just as excited to be there as I was the first time. So,
admittedly - I have a fondness for Disney vacations. However, we
were all first-time cruisers, so throughout this report, I will
share some Disney Cruise tips in the hopes they will help you as
you plan your Disney Cruise vacation.
Having read that Disney provides generous discounts
for early bookings, we booked our cruise about 15 months
in advance. Then life - as it often does - surprised us,
and health concerns put our future Cruise in question.
Disney Cruise planning boards abound, and being the anal
vacation-planning type I am, once I was pretty sure we
would be able to go as planned, I read voraciously -
trying to plan a trip that would be memorable for all of
us.
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TIP: Travel Boards can be a blessing... and a curse. Remember - no two people are going to experience life or vacations the same way, so never get discouraged by something you discover on a message board. Read, glean information, learn not to take anything to heart and Keep an Open Mind! My favorite boards are Cruise Critic, the
Passporter Boards, and the Disboards. |
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In addition to the boards, I purchased a
Passporter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line . I've used Passporter's for planning
Disney World vacations and found their Disney Cruise Line book
was a wealth of information.
Based on my research, we flew in the night before, rented a car
one-way to Port Canaveral, and stayed at a budget hotel near the
airport as we were trying to save some money on this aspect of
the cruise. We strongly recommend flying in the night before
a cruise. We've flown into Orlando several times, and rarely
experienced a delay. Not so this time. We were originally slated
to arrive at about 9 PM and made it into our hotel room about
1:00 AM in the morning!! Had this happened to us the morning OF
the cruise - I'm not sure panic would have adequately described
the state I would have been in. You can stay the night before
WITH the cruise line, or you can "do-it-yourself" as we did.
There are pros and cons to both. Cost savings can be achieved
going it alone - but you'll miss out on letting other people
worry about the details, as well as taking the bus trip in the
Cruise Line coaches with the introductory video playing.
TIP: When they quote you a Disney
Cruise, they automatically quote you WITH the transport fees -
and this can easily add a couple hundred dollars. If budget
is a consideration, ask them to break out the transportation
fees so you can decide if it is better for your family to price
one of the many town car companies offering transport, or to
rent a car and drive yourself.
Continued - Embarkation!
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