Second thoughts (I've read too many reviews)

[MAmama78]

Ok, Disneyphiles. Can you offer reassurance that DCL is worth the cost. My father-in-law is a veteran cruiser and he is treating our family of 4 (me, DH and DDs 11 and 8) to the 5-day Western Caribbean with MDAS on the Magic in Feb 2020. This is our first cruise and our first Disney experience. My kids are excited about the shows, movies, fancy dinners and princesses. DH and I are looking forward to all that, plus some quiet time if we can convince the girls to go to kids club.

I was so excited and really dove into the planning, but I see a bunch of so-so reviews on cruise critic and feel nervous. Ugh. Should I stick to this board and just ignore the Negative Nellies? Can anyone offer a pep talk?! We are not particularly picky people, but I know that emotions can be heightened when so much money and expectations are at play.

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok, Disneyphiles. Can you offer reassurance that DCL is worth the cost. My father-in-law is a veteran cruiser and he is treating our family of 4 (me, DH and DDs 11 and 8) to the 5-day Western Caribbean with MDAS on the Magic in Feb 2020. This is our first cruise and our first Disney experience. My kids are excited about the shows, movies, fancy dinners and princesses. DH and I are looking forward to all that, plus some quiet time if we can convince the girls to go to kids club.

I was so excited and really dove into the planning, but I see a bunch of so-so reviews on cruise critic and feel nervous. Ugh. Should I stick to this board and just ignore the Negative Nellies? Can anyone offer a pep talk?! We are not particularly picky people, but I know that emotions can be heightened when so much money and expectations are at play.

Thanks!

I'd probably just ignore the bad reviews on other sites. I'd read them, but take them with a grain of salt. Just as I'd take the overly gushing ones.

If you're an adaptable family, as in, when something goes wrong, the attitude is "we planned it that way" and move on, you'll have a good trip.

If you're all "it must be this way or no way" types, you might not enjoy it as much.

Just be aware, when onboard, especially on a short cruise, you're not going to be able to do 'EVERYTHING' Just pick the stuff that you want/can fit into schedule and enjoy it.

 

[flowsoul]

There would always be negative reviews since you cannot please everyone. I think it's better to ignore these and look forward to an exciting cruise with DCL. The positive comments and reviews definitely outnumber the few negative ones. There are way more people who loved their cruise experience with DCL compared to those who didn't. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We are gold CC on DCL, but we've also sailed on NCL, Celebrity and Paul Gauguin (we have an 11-year old). If your children are excited about fancy dinners, princesses and shows, DCL is the place to be! IMHO, DCL is the gold standard for cruising with children. The entertainment and kids clubs are top-notch. The food is very good and the customer service is unparalleled (at least in my experience). Yes, DCL tends to price out higher than some other cruise lines, but it's worth it, IMHO. My DS is a little older, so we've tried some more "sophisticated" lines (Celebrity and Paul Gauguin. NCL is not more sophisticated at all!) and he is fine on those, but, especially if you have younger children and you are Disney fans in general, DCL is awesome. The Magic is our favorite ship and I think it's a great choice for a first cruise. It's smaller and not as overwhelming (at least IMHO) as the bigger ships. We spent 20 nights on the Magic back in 2015 on a European cruise B2B and it was a trip of a lifetime. If you are looking forward to everything it has to offer, I think you will like it!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

It's an opportunity to start fresh and make your own decision. Grab the journey and enjoy. My dad always said, "who cares what others say, find out for yourself ". Enjoy the gift you and your family have received.

 

[Rob1872]

My father-in-law is a veteran cruiser and he is treating our family of 4 (me, DH and DDs 11 and 8) to the 5-day Western Caribbean with MDAS on the Magic in Feb 2020.

Why do you need a pep-talk? You say that your FIL is a veteran cruiser. He is treating you. Great. What do you care about any online opinions, including ones on this board (which will most likely be biased in favor of DCL)? The member of your family who already knows about cruising is telling you this is a good idea for your family, and is paying for it. Trust your father-in-law's judgement and plan to have a wonderful time.

 

[MichelleCanada]

People will always find things to complain about. We almost changed our stateroom because so many people had written about the vibration at the back of the Fantasy. We kept our room that was a balcony straight out the back. It was great and I will thrilled that we didn’t change because of what other’s said. If there is anything specific you are concerned about then I would ask about that concern.

 

[orangecuse]

You will never cruise if you listen to the people of Cruise Critic. Seriously- a very wound up site with many people who seem to hate cruising but do it a lot haha. Its good to do research but ultimately most cruises (across all lines) are great cruises! You will have a wonderful time!

 

[fredandkell]

Why do you need a pep-talk? You say that your FIL is a veteran cruiser. He is treating you. Great. What do you care about any online opinions, including ones on this board (which will most likely be biased in favor of DCL)? The member of your family who already knows about cruising is telling you this is a good idea for your family, and is paying for it. Trust your father-in-law's judgement and plan to have a wonderful time.

So much this. What are you afraid that you won't like? As you can see from my signature, I've cruised NCL, RCL, and Carnival and I prefer DCL far, far above any of those lines. But especially if someone else is paying for the cruise...what do you have to lose?

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Ok, Disneyphiles. Can you offer reassurance that DCL is worth the cost. My father-in-law is a veteran cruiser and he is treating our family of 4 (me, DH and DDs 11 and 8) to the 5-day Western Caribbean with MDAS on the Magic in Feb 2020. This is our first cruise and our first Disney experience. My kids are excited about the shows, movies, fancy dinners and princesses. DH and I are looking forward to all that, plus some quiet time if we can convince the girls to go to kids club.

I was so excited and really dove into the planning, but I see a bunch of so-so reviews on cruise critic and feel nervous. Ugh. Should I stick to this board and just ignore the Negative Nellies? Can anyone offer a pep talk?! We are not particularly picky people, but I know that emotions can be heightened when so much money and expectations are at play.

Thanks!

Every cruise is different, and everyone’s experience is different on each sailing. There is no guarantee, that just because it’s a Disney Cruise it’s going to be great. I’ve had awesome Disney cruises (just happened to be a Marvel Cruise), and I’ve had mediocre cruises (Wonder reposition from Vancouver to San Diego). I’d put money on it that you’ll have a great time.

As far is it worth the extra money, that’s hard to say. We’ve done cheap Carnival cruises and had a great time and we just booked the 9 night EC on the Fantasy for 2020 which is more than I ever thought about spending on a cruise. Is it going to be 5 times better than our cheap Carnival Cruise? Probably not. Is it going to be 9 days that I get to spend with my family before both of my kids go off to college? Absolutely! So for that, it’s priceless.

I’m sure you’ll have a great time. I would definitely stay off Cruise Critic for Disney reviews though. Actually, I pretty much hate Cruise Critic for anything, too many negative Nancy’s.

Continue planning and looking forward to your trip. The one and only thing that can ruin your cruise is your attitude, everything else is temporary and can be overcome. BTW, I’m not saying I think you have a bad attitude, I’m just speaking in general.

Have a great time, we thought our first cruise was going to be a trip of a lifetime and we’d never get to do it again, we have cruises 10 and 11 already booked for the next 2 summers. One on Carnival and one on Disney. The only vacations we want now are cruises.

 

[tlprice]

I think whether or not a DCL cruise is "worth it" is very subjective. For me and my daughter, it's a resounding yes. For others maybe not. You won't know until you try it. We love DCL, but don't spend a fortune on it. 5 of our 6 cruises have been in inside staterooms (there's so much to do on the ship that we don't spend much time in the room--and even the inside staterooms are really nice). We don't travel during peak season and either book opening day or a more last minute sale cruise. There are also only two of us, which makes the price point much less expensive. At this point in time, neither of us can imagine doing another cruise line, but who knows what we'll decide in the future.

 

[lilsonicfan]

my biggest tip about any sort of cruise line is to manage your own expectations. Typically, the most disappointed DCL cruisers are those who thought everything would be sunshine and rainbows and over the top service and out of this world food and the best kids' clubs ever - then they are disappointed when they didn't love everything. Any day on a cruise has got to be better than a normal day at work or school - for that reason alone, it's worth it to cruise. Is it worth the upcharge of DCL vs another cruise line - well, as you aren't paying, I would suggest not delving too deeply into that question. Go with an open mind and recognize that your children will most likely have a blast. The food will be anywhere from fine to great and hey, you don't have to cook it or wash the dishes after.

 

[mmouse37]

As long as you realize no vacation is going to be perfect and can roll with whatever may happen you will be fine. Personally, I love DCL and find it worth it but everyone is different. I can honestly say that over the last 20 years I have brought along (as in they traveled with us, not that I paid for them) many first time cruisers on DCL and have not had any say they didn't like it. Quite the opposite. Most now go every other year and are hooked.

Next month we are traveling with first time cruisers and who love Disney so I am hoping they love DCL. I am pretty sure they will!! Go and have fun and make up your own mind. I love seeing people experience DCL for the first time.

MJ

 

[MAmama78]

I think my fear is that my expectations are unrealistically high. My DH lives by the philosophy "keep your expectations low and you wont be disappointed," but that is not easy for me! Also, I know that I will feel some level of responsibility for everyone's enjoyment and stress level. While I am not footing the bill, I am the chief vacation planner.

I realize that I am coming off like a crazy lady!

Edited to add: Thank you all for the dose of reality! Grandpa wanted to give the kids some Disney fun and me and DH some adult relaxation time. If we accomplish that, it's a successful vacation!

 

[tankin]

My general rule when it comes to online reviews. I probably won’t experience either the best or the worse. I’ve had bad experiences with Disney and really good ones too. I’ve cruised other lines but always some back to Disney. I think the key difference for you will be the kids programs and the family oriented entertainment.

 

[lklgoodman]

My dd went on her first Disney cruise when she was 6 yrs old. She's almost 11 yrs old and has loved each one we have gone on, 5 so far. She still loves going to the kid's club, in fact we usually have to drag her out of it each night. I hope you have a great time.

 

[lklgoodman]

I think my fear is that my expectations are unrealistically high. My DH lives by the philosophy "keep your expectations low and you wont be disappointed," but that is not easy for me! Also, I know that I will feel some level of responsibility for everyone's enjoyment and stress level. While I am not footing the bill, I am the chief vacation planner.

I realize that I am coming off like a crazy lady!

Edited to add: Thank you all for the dose of reality! Grandpa wanted to give the kids some Disney fun and me and DH some adult relaxation time. If we accomplish that, it's a successful vacation!

Not crazy at all. I do all of the planning for pretty much EVERYTHING our family does. Great thing about a cruise is just how relaxing they can be. As others have said, you can't do everything the ship has to offer, so don't try. Like many people, I'm always on the go and feel like I should always be doing something. On our first family cruise I spent too much time rushing around trying to do it all. I regreted it. Now I make sure I spend some time doing nothing but looking out at the ocean waves, so peaceful, especially with a good drink in hand.

 

[scgustafson]

Ok, Disneyphiles. Can you offer reassurance that DCL is worth the cost. My father-in-law is a veteran cruiser and he is treating our family of 4 (me, DH and DDs 11 and 8) to the 5-day Western Caribbean with MDAS on the Magic in Feb 2020. This is our first cruise and our first Disney experience. My kids are excited about the shows, movies, fancy dinners and princesses. DH and I are looking forward to all that, plus some quiet time if we can convince the girls to go to kids club.

I was so excited and really dove into the planning, but I see a bunch of so-so reviews on cruise critic and feel nervous. Ugh. Should I stick to this board and just ignore the Negative Nellies? Can anyone offer a pep talk?! We are not particularly picky people, but I know that emotions can be heightened when so much money and expectations are at play.

Thanks!

In my opinion, the worst thing to happen to first-time DCL cruisers is the creation of things like this group and the ones on other social media platforms. Our first DCL cruise in 2012, we went in with minimal knowledge only from the DCL website and the cruise booklet, and we had an amazing time. Our expectations were minimal because we had not seen what others had experienced, but rather explored on our own and discovered it all without expectations. It is so much better to ignore the reviews, blogs, and videos of others and do it with fresh eyes, realizing it is impossible to do everything, so choose what interests you.

 

[soniam]

DCL is amazing for kids, especially kids that like indoor activities more, like the clubs, shows, and group events. I gather RCCL is very good for active/athletic kids. Our son loves DCL. We have to tear him away from the clubs. Is it more expensive? Yes, mostly. However, the attention to kids is still worth it for us. If we were two adults, we probably wouldn't do DCL. Although, the movie theater and Remy are amazing.

We are gold CC on DCL, but we've also sailed on NCL, Celebrity and Paul Gauguin (we have an 11-year old). If your children are excited about fancy dinners, princesses and shows, DCL is the place to be! IMHO, DCL is the gold standard for cruising with children. The entertainment and kids clubs are top-notch. The food is very good and the customer service is unparalleled (at least in my experience). Yes, DCL tends to price out higher than some other cruise lines, but it's worth it, IMHO. My DS is a little older, so we've tried some more "sophisticated" lines (Celebrity and Paul Gauguin. NCL is not more sophisticated at all!) and he is fine on those, but, especially if you have younger children and you are Disney fans in general, DCL is awesome. The Magic is our favorite ship and I think it's a great choice for a first cruise. It's smaller and not as overwhelming (at least IMHO) as the bigger ships. We spent 20 nights on the Magic back in 2015 on a European cruise B2B and it was a trip of a lifetime. If you are looking forward to everything it has to offer, I think you will like it!

Did your 11 year old like Celebrity? We, as a couple, loved Celebrity. However, since our son likes the kids clubs, I thought he might not like Celebrity with fewer kids. I want to do an Alaska cruise, but I don't like the two ones that DCL does. We want to do a land portion.

 

[darnheather]

100% worth it. Did a few things go wrong on my cruises? Of course. Did it ruin my vacations? Absolutely not. My children were spoiled rotten by the ship's crew, but especially the clubs and the waitstaff. I felt like a princess.