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we chose this cruise because we did it last year and knew it would be even better with the new remodel. Everything was updated, down to fresh flowers in every public bathroom! the services was great! the spa is amazing; didn't do it last year but the new spa was very high-end yet reasonably priced. The staterooms were great, shows improved and pool area fabulous! my only slight complaint would be the food in dining rooms; half great and half the time just ok. nothing was ever terrible. Since it's a family cruise and not a luxury cruise you can't expect that high level of food. They do have Palo and that is by far high-end enough for the additional fee. the entertainment and family activities surpass the ok-good dining room dinners. All in all a perfect family vacation that offers a high-end experience for parents (when they want it; quite cove and Palo) to a fun filled safe family cruise. you cannot go wrong with this ship!!!! Read Less

I have sailed on 4 cruise lines, but this was my first time with Disney. The food and room were definitely the best we have ever experienced. Our room (standard) was 3X the size of our family room on Norwegian last year. With two young kids, this alone would make me choose Disney even though I don't spend any time in the room/ The shows were FANTASTIC! WOW! I would have paid the price of the cruise JUST to see the shows...I LOVED Disney Dreams and the Comedian/ventriloquist was great. I loved the "extras" in the show-the bubbles, snow, and fireworks in the Disney dream show. Our server, Mehmet, was one of the smiliest, happiest people I have ever seen, our beverage server Sofia was caring and interacted well with our kids, and Kelwin at the beverage (soda) counter went above and beyond to interact with us. In general, the staff were way better than I've experienced on other cruise lines. We had a few VERY minor issues, and guest services rectified them right away-EXCELLENT customer service. The only negatives were the crowds and lack of beverage packages offered on other cruise lines (especially since they used to let you bring your own alcohol on board, and now they don't). We weren't expecting so many people at each event (pirates night, the Christmas party, character meet & greets had long line ups) and my son was disappointed and cried because he couldn't see anything at a lot of the parties. On a ship with 2700 people, it makes sense that it would be crowded-we just weren't anticipating it and it was disappointing. Disney went above and beyond with the Christmas theme-from the gorgeous tree (both on the boat and Castaway Cay), the Christmas events, the GIANT gingerbread house that made the lobby smell amazing, and the Santa meet and greets and Mrs Claus story times. I would definitely do a Disney cruise again, especially a Christmas one, although I'll have to convince my husband who is reluctant to sail without a beverage package! Even though I didn't need the services, as an outside observer, I was BLOWN AWAY watching the American Sign Language Interpreters at the shows. They were animated and did an amazing job. I was impressed by Disney's inclusiveness:) Read Less

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I took this cruise with my husband, my thirteen-year-old grandson, and my ten-year-old grandson, all of us experienced cruisers. My husband and I have sailed on 40 cruises through the Baltic, Caribbean, Asia, the Mediterranean, and other locales, and this was our grandsons’ fifth Caribbean/Bahamas cruise, their third Disney. Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Matthew, our seven-day cruise became a six-day cruise, and we arrived at a very disorganized Port Canaveral two days after the hurricane had moved on. There was very little damage at the port– some downed trees and two twisted signs. However, we were told that the toll booths for the parking garage had lost electricity and so there was only one hand-checked booth open. So we sat in line for an hour and a half, waiting til some genius decided maybe, just maybe, they could have three hand-checked booths. The stupidity was appalling. Our cruise was only about half full. I can only imagine how long we’d have been in line if we sailed with a full count of passengers. As anyone knows who has sailed either the Dream or the Fantasy, these are classic, beautiful ships, decorated with taste and style. You pay more for quality and Disney produces a quality product. We took one of the obstructed view balcony cabins. You sacrifice a bit on the room and balcony size, but the price is much cheaper and we were hardly in our room. There is so much going on on this ship that you can’t do a fourth of it. Unlike other ships which are magnanimous if they offer bingo and stick horse races –you know who you are– you are constantly going on a Disney ship. Our older boy loved the Edge, a club for 11-13-year-olds. He was upset when they were closed late in the afternoon of our Castaway Cay day. He was not totally forthcoming about what they were doing, but it involved hanging out, scavenger hunts, crafts, and video games. He was very happy there. Our younger boy was not as pleased because the age range is so huge (3-11) in the Oceaneer Club/Lab that there are very little children in the club as well as those his own age. But it is a fabulous facility, so far above the clubs on Carnival and other lines that it’s not in the same stratosphere. One thing I was not crazy about was that unless you are a kid in the club, you can't use the elevator up to the club and must climb about 4 sets of stairs to get there! My grandson, however, loved that. Much has been written about the cabins, so I will not repeat that here. We were in cabin 9652 which opens on the elevator foyer, but we never heard any noise or clamour. It was very convenient to aft restaurants for sure, but a long walk to the Walt Disney Theater. So I loved the pumpkin tree and the swags in the main lobby, but did wish there were way more decorations. I would have liked to see some in the dining rooms for sure. Halloween trees perhaps. There were some window decals– pumpkin faces and spider webs– in main areas. But it would have been fun to see more done in the decoration department. The first night there was the introduction to the pumpkin tree when everyone got his pumpkin “seed.” A little spooky music, a little story telling. It was pleasant. We then went to the Sing and Scream 4D presentation of Nightmare Before Christmas. That was lots of fun though sparsely attended, probably because it is not on til 10:30. “Snow” fell at appropriate times and there were other effects as well, all of which culminated in Sally and Jack rising from the stage. At the end of the show “Jack” faces rained down on the audience. Disney knows its audience, and the children do love to pick up whatever streamers/leaves/discs/Mickey faces fall down. Sally and Jack posed for pictures– the line was very short– and the pictures, neat. During our day at sea the boys spent much time in water activities: the pool, the Aquaduck, the Aqualab. It is amazing that Disney has something for each age group in his area, beginning with a spray park for the littlest people, progressing to two different children’s pools, the Aquaduck which is great for all ages, the Aqualab behind it which offers various older spray park features, the Mickey Slide– something for everyone. And you can grab some pizza close by. I can’t say much for the pizza though. Our itinerary changed when our cruise was shortened by a day, so our previous choices were cancelled and we had to stand in line for quite a while to add new ones. I wonder even more now why people don’t book on line! We decided to go to Xcaret from Cozumel. My husband and I had been twice before but our grandsons had not. We thought long and hard about the hydrofoil ride, which we knew from experience, was extremely bumpy (to say the least). You actually come up out of your chair. The kids felt a little queasy at the end but did ok. By the time we got to Xcaret we had only 4 hours to see it in. This is nowhere near enough time, especially when you factor in lunch and the long walk back to the bus. Xcaret is a wonderful place to visit, so that’s a shame. The price from Disney is about $30 more than from other lines, so bear that in mind. You do get a $9 lunch credit with that, but you can only use that credit in one restaurant and it is at the farthest point from the entrance. Quite lovely, though, on the ocean with a nice breeze. But the food was pretty dreadful. If you choose to swim the underground river there, it will take most of your time. We had not gone there with the guide, and as we were finishing lunch, they were just coming in, having just completed the swim over 2 hours into the visit. There is some very nice shopping at Xcaret. You can buy just about anything there from clothing items to mugs and traditional souvenirs to pottery, swim items, Day of the Dead items, and so forth. The prices are reasonable. We next went to Grand Cayman, an island I don’t care for. But since the boys were with us, it was fine. We took the turtle farm/dolphin encounter excursion and enjoyed it though it was quite rushed. We had just a half hour at the turtle farm. Be aware if you go, that you do NOT have to stand in the line at the first baby turtle tank. They only have you do that to take a very expensive picture of you with a turtle. Go behind that tank and find shallow tanks where you can actually get in with the turtles and pick them up. The boys enjoyed that. If you do stand in line, you may be late in meeting up with the others on the tour. It will take up all your time. As it was, there was almost no time left. I barely managed to buy a few postcards. Then you walk across the street to the Dolphin Encounter. It is well-organized. We did not choose the tour in which you are pushed by a dolphin. We chose the less expensive one and it was more than enough interaction with the dolphins. You are in the water a half hour or so. They take 8 or 10 photos of you in different poses with the dolphin. You get to touch it, get splashed by it, etc. Then you are shown the pictures which may give you cardiac arrest. The cost of one picture is $38. The cost for the entire package for multiple people is $140. So clearly, if you are going to buy 3 pictures minimum, you may as well get the package, which we did. And the pictures were very good. They do make you wait a while to get them on a CD which may be why you are done a good 40-50 minutes before the bus arrives. Time we could have used at the turtle farm. Clearly, the priority is to sell the pictures. We also stopped at beautiful Castaway Cay where we snorkeled and saw quite a few fish. Everyone knows about the Cay, so I won’t go into it. The nicest time on the cruise was Halloween party night. That was just great. Such fun seeing literally everyone in some costume, even if they just had Halloween shirts on. The kids went trick-or-treating on 3 decks. There were games for the little one. The whole Pumpkin tree ceremony which was neat. All the pumpkins lit up. Dancing. Creepy songs like Ghost Busters. Just so much fun. We also were given a small spider cake to share at each table. Pirate night is always a riot. Most people dressed up for that, too. Not as many danced at the party as I have seen before. Half the deck was just people seated but everyone was having fun anyway. At dinner they told large plastic pirate mugs with a skull on one side and pirate Mickey on the other. The bottom of the cup was full of blinking colored lights and came filled with a smoothie. Naturally, the boys had to have them, as well as the Halloween Zero’s dog house full of popcorn, and a BB8 full of coke from the theater. I have to admit though that I bought the poisoned apple with a can of coke in it which now holds pride of place in my Halloween decorations at home. Anyone who has sailed with Disney and children knows the cruise is not for relaxing. We felt we were in a marathon! But it was great. We saw Aladdin, which was just wonderful and creatively produced; Wishes; and Believe, which we've seen twice before. Honestly, Wishes was too close to Believe in content and theme. It was just three kids going around instead of the dad. A couple small irritations, though the first is across all cruise lines– why is the food always cold or lukewarm????? The second complaint– the Fantasy shimmies quite a lot in the aft cabins. I have no idea why. It didn’t do it all the days, but when it did, it was very annoying. My biggest complaint was the quality of the very expensive pictures. I was appalled by the prints and was glad I was getting digital which I could adjust myself. The skin tones on the people in the prints were an odd pinky orange and in some pictures it looked like the picture was taken against a green screen. Very odd. As far as the digital pictures went, everyone of them needed the contrast and intensity altered. Most were washed out. Also a bit “soft.” I was surprised by this. Great service all around, super towel animals, a very nice silver club beach bag as a gift, easy-peasy disembarkation. Why can’t all lines do that as well as Disney? You can’t beat Disney. Read Less

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This was my first Disney Cruise and my wifes 2nd (I previously did a Royal Caribbean - Mexico). At first I was a little apprehensive with it being a Disney Cruise. I didn't want it to be like a Disney Park and I didn't want it to be too "kiddish". As soon as we walked on the ship all those fears went away. It was truly magical. I was beaming from Mickey Mouse ear to ear the whole time. I told my wife "Wow, Disney spared NO expense on this ship". It was very Disney all the way which I found was a great thing. The Walk Disney Theater was huge and played first run movies. For example, the day before our Cruise (May 7th), Captain America: Cival War was released and we got to see it the next night.....for free (other than the cost of the cruise....LOLOL). We also saw Star Wars and Jungle Book. The atomsphere was amazing and at times had to look outside to make sure we where cruising and not just standing still...it was that smooth....yes, at times the ship rocked a little but nothing that made anyone of our party sick. The staff was absolutely AMAZING. We stayed on deck 6 (6062 & 6064) and our stateroom person/maid was Flory from Romania......she is now a member of our family. She took such great care of us and our special needs daughter (17) giving us extra blankets and making her bed up with special things....she even showed me how to fold some towels into a dinosaur and a monkey. When our daughter went to sleep and we went out to enjoy the night life, Flory made sure our daughter was ok and looked after her. When we left we talked to her in the hallway and my wife teared up and said we are so going to miss her. Our next cruise we are going to request her....and if we have to upgrade our deck we will pay the extra. My only complaint (and this isn't have anything to do with the staff) is that the quiet time is at 11:00pm, but kids and yes ADULTS thought it was ok to run up and down the hallway...up and down. I opened the door one time and saw a man about 6'2".....250lbs. stomping...as soon as he saw me he stopped and slowed down. I am going to make it a point to let Disney know that they should make an annoucement to remind people that people are sleeping and no one should be running down the halls. I wouldn't complain it it was during the day, but this is at 11:30 at night. If you have little ones to teenagers, there are tons of things for them to do and they have daycare for the little little ones. The dining staff are ABOVE and BEYOND the best. We had 2nd seating and our waiters where Mr. B (Buebline) and Mr. J. (Johnathan). They were the best and always went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. Mr. J had a puzzle for my nephew every night and and my nephew looked forward to it. He was also soooooooooooo funny....he had us in tears most of the time. After the first night they knew exactly what we drank and made sure it was there when we sat down. I know they study who they will be serving, but by the 2nd night, they knew all of our names. We will be requesting them when we go on another cruise on the Fantasy. We ate at 3 different restaurants...Enchanted Garden, Royal Court and Animators Palete. We all had our favorite....mine was Animators Palete because it was interactive (the walls).....it was a little louder in there. My wife liked Royal Court which was great, but not my favorite. On our last night we ate at Animators Palete and they gave us placemats that we drew characters on it. They then took them and animated the characters and played them on the screens later in dinner service....SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL. The Navigator app was a life saver for sure. You could get everything that was happening on the ship that week. It was especially helpful in finding character appearences as well as adult activities and what times movies where playing. It also has a CHAT feature that was great to keep in touch with our party....and it was free. If you want Internet (other than on the ship) expect to pay big $$$. For example, 200MB of data is $100. My in-laws got that and ate that up in 2 days. I didn't connect to the internet the whole trip while on ship (only on land excursions) and I liked it....it was refreshing to UNPLUG from the world for a week and not check work emails. My only negative comment will be about "Shutters" (the photography people). They take professional pictures which are great of the character appearences and family pictures. They charge a little more than I think is worth it. For example....20 pictures (digital or prints) is $249.99. We had 103 pictures taken (the daughter met the characters alot....LOL). We ended up buying all the digital pictures (on a USB stick) for $249.99. This isn't the issue....on our debarking day, we where told that the USB would be ready. I went down and waited in line and waited my turn. When it was my turn, I gave the guy my stateroom number and he said "There isn't one available". He had enough nerve to ask me "Did you order them?". I showed him the receipt and he looked baffled and said "Give us 30 mins" I told him we are leaving the ship in 15 mins....he said to come back then......we did and it was ready. They have an area you can go to view your pictures digitally which normally isn't crowded...until the last night and then everyone wants to look....we had to wait about 20 mins. It would be nice to assign a time to come and look....again, this is my only MINOR negative comment. The entertainment was top notch and engaging. On the last cruise I took, I actually fell asleep in one of the shows.....not here. If you have small kids (especially girls that are into princesses) make sure the instant you get on the ship to get tickets to the "Meet the Princesses" (areial, Cinderella, Tiana and Belle) as well as Meet Elsa and Anna......they sell (free) out quick. Also, get tickets to the Character Breakfast (Princess Sofia, Mickey, Dr. McStuffins and Jake from Neverland Pirates)....again, they sell (free) out quick. The fitness room is nice and clean and has lots of treadmills and eliptical's and machines and dumbells. It isn't as big as a professional gym, but to help work off the drinks and food......perfect. I did the eliptical while watching the ocean pass by.....totally cool. If you are doing the cruise that stops at Castaway Cay they have a 5K race they offer for free and you get a free medal. Again, the first momment you get on ship, sign up. When we landed at Castaway Cay we all met in the theater and where able to debark first. The race was fun and great....WARNING WARNING WARNING...it was extremely muggy an humid and where the race runs you don't get a lot of wind or a breeze and it is tough (I have ran 12 races, everything from a half marathon to 12k's and many 5k's), this is by far one of the toughest. One person had to be picked up and have medical attention from passing out. So, drink lots and lots of water (they have water stations as you run). So, I guess that is about it.....hope you enjoy your cruise as much as our family did. Read Less

Just got back from a 5 day cruise that went to Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay. There were 8 in our party (4 adults and 4 children (from 6-10 years of age). I have been on three previous Carnival Cruises in the past (even though I am a huge fan of Carnival, my wife wanted to do the Disney thing before the kids got to big) so now I can compare the two different cruise lines. Over all it was a very good cruise. Our inside cabin was very comfy, big enough for the 4 of us. The service on the sip was excellent and the night shows were amazing (best shows I've ever seen anywhere). One other positive factor about the Disney Wonder is it's size. It is not a huge ship (holds only about 2300 passengers). I was worry about this at first because it is a 17 year old ship, but it turned out to be ok. Because the ship was smaller there was not line ups which is not usual on a cruise ship. The biggest downfall of our Cruise were the buffets, especially the breakfast (which you could compare to a HO JO continental breakfast) It was the same everyday and not alot of selection (compared to Carnival Cruise Lines where the food selection is incredible). The dinner a la cartes were real good. Ports Of Call Our first stop was at Grand Cayman. We went to 7 Mile Beach... not a very good beach, not enough sand and way too many rocks. Our next stop was a Castaway Cay.... wonderful day spent at the beach, lots of activities for everyone, great location Overall, it was a good cruise, the kids loved all the characters, the weather was great and no one on our party got sick...not sure if I ever will do another Disney Cruise again though due to their high prices. I can do 2 cruises on Carnival for the price of 1 on Disney. Read Less

What a great week we had! This is a perfect cruise for families - First, the service is impeccable- we lover our chambermaid and our two waiters who made sure to note our preferences and foresee our needs. Examples: our toddler has a very early bedtime, so the chambermaid made sure to turn down our room first, our son is a very picky eater and our waiter always had an off-menu meal ready for him at dinner The food was high-quality, fresh and well prepared. Food service staff were very accommodating of food allergies and special requests, and are super friendly and helpful. When we embarked, I had 2 bags, my toddler and my older one with me. A bus boy spotted me and helped me find a table in a very busy lunch room, grabbing my bags for me. Accommodations: the cabins aver very comfortable, with top-notch beds and showers. They have 2 bathrooms to minimize traffic (1 with a shower + sink, the other with a toilet+sink) and lots of storage space to stash away a week's worth of clothes, toys and snacks for a family. The ship is in mint condition and the public bathrooms were always clean Family friendliness: our room had the crib and diaper genie we requested when we arrived. While this may seem trivial, most places you have to call several times to get what you need. The kids rooms were excellent and the schedule was indeed family-friendly (1st dinner seating at 5:45) Entertainment- what can I say? Fireworks and brodway-quality productions on a ship? way too cool! One variety show was not so great, but I hear those rotate often. Tips: -There are a lot of "extras" available for sale. This should not come as a surprise. Think ahead of time about what you want to spend on board, and set the right expectations with your family members. - Bring layers, nights can be chilly, especially when the ship is moving fast - If you hate to travel heavy, there are good laundry rooms on every floor so you can bring half the clothes you think you'll need - Lots of sunscreen, bring reusable water bottles to refill at fountains - Make sure to explore the whole boat early on; there are so many different areas and ambiances - it's very cool how they have designed all these spaces with different feels - We did not get a veranda and did not miss it. Read Less

BEFORE LEAVING HOME Type up a schedule for each person in your party to use for packing which includes each day/date, where you'll be (sea day, port, flying home?), possible activities (beach, zip-lining, adult brunch, formal night), & appropriate clothing for that activity. This will make packing much easier for everyone. (there are washers/driers/irons in a passenger laundry room on each cabin deck. No need to bring change. Use your room key to charge washer/drier use. You cannot bring your own iron. If you must iron your formal wear, do so well before formal night as there is only 1 iron per laundry room) Type up another schedule that will be posted in each cabin which includes day/date, where you'll be (boarding, sea day, port), scheduled activity (shore excursion, adult restaurant, beach), reservation time/meeting place & evening dining room assignment (you will rotate through 3 different dining rooms each night-- you can leave this column blank & then pencil it in when you get your dining tickets). This way everyone in your party will know the specifics of each scheduled activity at a glance. DOWNLOAD DISNEY NAVIGATOR APP BEFORE BOARDING Free app. Free to use on board through the ship's wifi system, but you will not be charged if this is the only thing you utilize the ship's wifi for. However, if you download it while sailing you will have to purchase ship wifi (& of course, if you need wifi for anything else, checking email, ect.., you will have to purchase a wifi package which is sold by mb & not minutes). With this app you can see information for all ship activities, including youth clubs, shows, deck parties, ect., you can see dining menus ahead of time, and best of all, you can text other cruisers. Once on board, hook up to the ship's wifi (again, no charge for this), open the messaging part of the app & register to use this service. Each cruiser registers THEIR OWN information on their own smart phone (I emphasize this because the directions do not make this clear). You will then be assigned a "chat #". Inform others of your personal chat#. Then type in each other's chat # immediately & send a "test" message. Their name will then appear on your chat list & you will no longer need their personal chat # to send a text. You can send group texts but when we used it, my son who was registered in my cabin could not be part of the group (for some unknown reason) so we had to text him separately. There is a ship wifi/app expert to help you on deck 4 if needed. Occasionally, there is lag time between sending & receiving texts. (cell phone tip: keep your cell on "airplane mode" the entire length of the cruise so your cell company does not charge you for incoming texts or calls. You can still hook up to wifi either on the ship or in port while staying on "airplane mode".) When you're on wifi (via purchasing it on board or at port), you can text friends/family back home using a free app called WhatsApp. Obviously,you both have to have that app on your cell but your friends back home can use their 3G so they would not necessarily have to be on wifi when you txt them. MAIN DINING ROOM SEATING TIME CHANGES OR RESERVATIONS FOR ADULT RESTAURANTS Do this ASAP (if you didn't do this at home). Check your Navigator for location & go there immediately. We got there a few minutes before it was suppose to open & passengers were already lined up & staff was already working to help. At the same venue (Royal Court on our boarding day) there were separate lines for adult dining reservations & main dining seating time changes. If you cannot get the times you want, ask to be put on a waiting list. They will contact you via wave phone (the portable phones in your cabin) if they can accommodate your request. SPECIAL PRINCESS MEET UPS & CHARACTER BREAKFAST RESERVATIONS This is free but you must obtain tickets. Do this immediately upon boarding as they go fast. Only 1 person per party is needed to get tickets for everyone (who has their reservations linked together). If you can't get tickets to the special princess meet-ups, it's ok, you can still stand in line for the many "open to the public" meet & greets each day (schedules of times & places will be posted in your Navigator). ROOM SERVICE You do not need to bring dollar bills for tips anymore. You can sign for the tip when they deliver your food & it will be added to your on board charges. (the food itself is free). Breakfast is only continental, but you can order off the "all day" menu in the morning as well. My sons regularly had BLTs or hamburgers via room service for breakfast. DOOR DECORATIONS Door decor makes finding your cabin much easier as cabin numbers (just like a hotel) are not on your key cards. Disney only allows magnetic decorations. Do not spend a lot of money on this as there is always the possibility that they will get swiped. I downloaded Disney characters & Disney movie pictures from Google Images, backed them with colorful cardstock & then applied peel & stick magnetic strips (just a little bit is enough) from the craft store to the back of the pictures. Each cabin in your party might want a different Disney theme (my teenage sons chose "Pirates of the Caribbean"). You can also decorate for various celebrations: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, ect... CABIN OUTLETS There are not very many outlets in your cabin (there is a USB outlet on the back of the TV). You can bring your own multi USB charger (buy one with at least 20 W), but you cannot bring your own extension cord or power strip. You can borrow an extension cord/power strip at guest services upon boarding. You will need to return this at the end of the cruise or you will be charged for it. If your the type of person who needs to see a lighted clock when you wake up in the middle of the night or the dark morning, bring your own small lighted clock. Unlike American hotels (& very much like European hotels) there are no clocks in the cabins. Also, depending on your cell settings perhaps, your cell phone might not stay on Eastern time during the entire cruise. KEY CARDS TO TURN ON CABIN LIGHTS Like many European hotels, you must insert a key card into a slot just inside your cabin door to turn the lights on. You are then expected to remove your key card upon exiting the cabin & this will turn all your lights off (& you'll need to take your key card with you for obvious reasons). We always bring a stack of old hotel key cards to distribute to our party as this is easier to keep in the slot than your Disney Fantasy key card. (you can keep it in the slot but lift it up slightly upon exiting to turn the lights off). This way, when you unlock your cabin & enter, you can immediately put your Disney Fantasy key card back in your lanyard or bag & you won't forget it when you leave (& you won't confuse who still has their key & whose key is in the slot). PIRATE NIGHT One night will be designated as "Pirate Night". If you want to dress up, bring your costume, T-shirts, swords, whatever with you in your suitcase. They sell these things at the gift shops, but of course, it will be much cheaper to bring your own dress up supplies from home. MISC THINGS I PACK TO MAKE MY LIFE EASIER small pad of paper, highlighter, wire hangers that I don't mind leaving behind (there are never enough in the closets for everything I like to hang), light up clock, multi USB charger (at least 20 W), lots of sunscreen, "Safe Sea" (anti jellyfish/sea lice lotion- available on Amazon), night light, re-fillable water bottles, beach/pool bag, small bills for bargaining in ports, 2 sets of swimsuits each, some private shore excursions take only cash- check b4 hand, packaged snacks for port days (granola bars, raisins, ect-- many ports will not allow you to bring fresh food off the ship- like fruit or sandwiches), water proof watch, dish soap for rinsing out swim suits & re-fillable water bottles, various size zip lock bags (for many different uses that you won't know about until the time comes!). HOPE THIS HELPS! ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!! Read Less

My family got back from our First Disney cruise last week. we started in Orlando and drove the relatively easy drive in about 4 hours to Miami. This was the first cruise we have taken our kids (6 &4). It was everything I hoped for our first cruise with kids!! Embarkation was a breeze! The thing that took the longest was finding someone to check in our luggage. It was quite chaotic outside but smooth sailing once inside! Announcing each family by name was a very nice touch! We went up to Cariocas and ate lunch shortly after boarding, it was a buffet for embarkation day, but table service the rest of the cruise. By the time we finished, our room was ready. We walked down to level 2 and were pleasantly surprised by the size of our stateroom. After checking out our room, we headed to the kids club. AMAZING!! I have a son with a bleeding disorder, and was worried about how this would be handled. All kids receive bands and get a "lock" to help keep it on. Kids with any sort of special considerations get a red lock and others get black. The red lock alerts staff to a special consideration and prompts them to look in the computer to see what needs to be done. The band scans them in or out (you also have to give a password) and can also give their location in the kids club. Throughout the entire cruise we never felt like there was "nothing to do". There were always fun activities going on or time was spent at the pool, waterslide, hot tub! We attended a cooking activity and super sloppy science during the kids club open house (parents allowed). My kids attended a few activities during kids club lockdown (no parents allowed). I felt very safe leaving my kids with the staff, and they came back with nothing but excellent things to say. our first port was Grand Caymen. We opted for the Dolphin and sea turtle encounter. When it came time for photo souvenirs we ere absolutely disgusted. No personal cameras were allowed and photos taken by staff were ridiculously expensive. (1 photo was $38 per person in the photo, so for our family $152. to get all the photos on a disk was $250) needless to say we got no photos. the next port was Castaway Cay and I have nothing but great things to say about it! We took our kids snorkeling, shelling, swimming, sliding, jumping, it was excellent!!!! The cold cloths waiting for you when you get back on the ship were so nice!!! One of our only disappointments was the food. I just didn't feel like it was really up to par with your normal cruise food. Each restaurant was just ok. I didn't walk away from any of them feeling like anything was really really good. Same with the buffet meals. Just ok. Not bad at all just not the deliciousness that I was expecting. Entertainment wise, we didn't see any shows. We tried but our kids were not interested at all. We watched Lion King out on the pool deck, and Inside Out in the theatre, and did all the character signings, and kids club activities. Our disembarkation was super easy. We kept our luggage with us and pretty much walked right off the ship to customs. No problems at all. In summary, this was a fantastic trip with our kids. I would definitely do it again, if the price were right. We will try other cruise lines with them now that we have one under our belt. Read Less

We love Disney and it was are first cruise so we decided to try Disney. We picked a 3 night cruise with a Halloween theme. The Disney Dream was an awesome ship with much do and it was always clean. The entertainment was excellent , the rooms were spacious and clean. The restaurant themes were cool and fun , the food was good but the service was horrible. They promote that the servers will take care of you personally each night knowing what you like after the first night but that was not true are server pushed alcohol on us every night and we told him that we do not drink but he still pushed it on us. I complained and Disney did nothing to help with the situation. We were very disappointed because I work for them and I always pride myself in great service and I try everyday to make Magic. I still would recommend them because the ships are wonderful and the entertainment I s the best. Read Less

We did our first Disney Cruise and expectation were high but it actually turned out to be an average cruise. In my opinion it was overpriced for what was provided. The only advantage of Disney is having the Characters on the boat and if your children are into that than I guess it maybe worth the additional hundreds of dollars. The boat is one of the oldest in the fleet but it was recently renovated. The pools and pool areas were small and very crowded. The kids were literally on top of one another. The food service around the boat was average withe the breakfast and lunch being ok. The dinner was very good the food and service were good and the atmosphere was very family oriented. In conclusion I would probably not go on another Disney Cruise. There are other cruise lines that offer the same luxuries for a lot less money. Read Less

For us, this was by far the most expensive cruise we have taken , but it was well worth it to see what joy it brought to our children and grandchildren. This was our first Disney cruise and it was everything that we had anticipated. Embarkation was easy and I'm glad we had had a 10:45 boarding time. We were on the ship at 11:30, had lunch and the grandchildren had pool time before we could enter our cabin at 1:30. When we left our luggage at the drop off point, we had also brought a case of water and Gatorade and that was right outside the door of our cabin along with our luggage at 1:30. Deparkation was probably the easiest we have ever encountered and took only a matter of minutes. We found the food to be excellent and our waiting staff, Hendro and Shelley were so kind to our grandchildren and the children were so impressed that they called them by name right away. Of course getting the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars was something they looked forward to every night after their dinner. We all enjoyed our 2 days at Castaway Cay. The children loved the snorkeling but the adults were disappointed that the appointment that was made for parasailing was cancelled due to high winds and the threat of a storm. There is something to do for all ages there and I just found sitting at water's edge and relaxing was just right for me. And now about Nassau, my personal recommendation is stay on the ship. Ten from our group did the Atlantis Adventure at $177.50 each and they felt ripped off. Unfortunately, 3 of the grandchildren were 1 inch too short for the slides, and one aged 9 was too old for the kiddie area. Most of the time they were able to spend together was riding on the lazy river. They actually came back to the ship early. My husband and I payed $99.25 for the Atlantis Beach Day and Discover Atlantis and that was a waste of money. We had a quick tour of maybe 3 areas of Atlantis and then were directed to the only beach we could use but they told they had no towels available and that we should come back in 30 minutes. We left and found a restaurant that was healthfully air conditioned, did a little shopping and then gladly returned to the ship. The children's clubs were wonderful. The children asked to go to them every day and this gave the adults a chance to go to The District and try some of the bar areas. We had 4 cabins- 2 balcony and 2 inside cabins. We found them to be very spacious and were well taken care of by our "stateroom host" Jorge Sanchez. Probably my only complaint and I have seen this in other reviews was how small the swimming pools were. What were they thinking? All these people on the ship and they were packed in like sardines ! Overall we all had a great time and came back quite exhausted but it was all good! Read Less

The Disney Fantasy is a beautiful ship, and immaculately maintained. My wife and I took our two granddaughters on a 7 day cruise, and enjoyed it very much. The balcony cabin we had was well laid out and comfortable, and the bed--just a dream to sleep in! The food on the ship was exceptional, with dinner time being a treat every day. The ship offered free ice cream and soda at most hours of the day, and you could dine in a choice of several restaurants--or order room service. The crew was always where they were needed and very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed seeing all of the Disney characters daily around the ship, and there was always something for the children to enjoy--swimming pools, movies, group activities, rides, and more. Disney has embarkation and debarkation down to a science and it was the smoothest out of the 10 cruises I have been on--even though the Fantasy held far more passengers that any prior ship. The ship made port at 4 different destinations, all of interest, with many on-shore activities to choose from. This line is a winner in all respects, and I would definitely re-book with them in the future. Read Less

My family and I just finished our 7 day cruise on the Disney Fantasy. We are in our early 40's with three children (10,7,4) The ship is beautiful and immaculate. The dinners were wonderful and the service was great thanks to Melvin and ToTo. We enjoyed the theater shows more than I expected. The kids were engaged the entire time. I felt comfortable letting the kids explore on their own. We travel a lot with our three children and this is one of the BEST vacations we have taken. As always Disney does not disappoint. A Disney cruise is more expensive than other cruise lines but you typically get what you pay for. If you have the opportunity to cruise Disney do it. Read Less

This was our first cruise as a family and the grandparents came along for the trip as well. We were on a 5 night Caribbean cruise to Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay aboard the Disney Wonder leaving from Miami, FL. The check-in process in Miami was impressive. The reception area was very welcoming and there were even character "meets" for photos. It was the best way to kick off the voyage. There was absolutely no hitches and it was completely painless. Embarking the ship was also very simple and as soon as we entered the main lobby we were welcomed with a loud-speaker welcome to our family with accompanying applause. Brilliant! Once on the ship, between 12pm and 1pm, it did get hairy as there was so much excitement and people everywhere. Be sure to research your carry-on and dressing choices for embarkation as well as dining alternatives (avoid the buffet if possible if you arrive at the time we did). The pools/water areas were understandably packed so we strolled throughout the ship. Once folks started getting the alls-clear for their cabins it was fine. The cruise shows were amazing and always entertaining for all ages. We never had a hard time finding a good seat but we always tried to arrive about 10 min early. There was always something to do and the daily navigator newsletter really helped plan the events. There is literally not enough time to do everything. The activities ranged from dancing and singing to arts and crafts as well as games. So much to do. The kids clubs were great for kids and adults. Our kids (7 and 4 years old) would ask incessantly to go day and night. It gave us a sort-of date night/day every time they went. Walking around the ship day and night was pleasure and as I mentioned before the ship does not look old and is impeccably well maintained. The kids clubs were great for kids and adults. Our kids (7 and 4 years old) would ask incessantly to go day and night. It gave us a sort-of date night/day every time they went. Disembarkation was a breeze. What an amazing cruise. So many people we talk to say that Disney Cruises are expensive compared to the others but the old adage of "you get what you pay for" really shines through. If you dissect the numbers you will you see the value in it (non-alcholic beverages are free and readily available at drink stations and you are allowed to bring your own bottles of alcohol for your personal "in-room" consumption - all that you can carry)! Be sure to book your next trip on-board to take advantage of 10% discount and some great on-board credit. Read Less

Our very 1st cruise was the Disney Magic in October,1998. We had a incredibly beautiful balcony stateroom. The food was excellent and the entertainment was phenomenal! It was our 2nd year anniversary. Since then we have cruised to Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Alaska and several Caribbean cruises. We were looking forward to again cruising with Disney, so using the Florida Resident rate, which still is expensive, and since we're both retired, we came up with the money. The ship is still beautiful, but it goes downhill from there. You are told you will receive a call from your favorite Disney character before the cruise. My husband loves Goofy. Never happened. Also, he stood in line twice just to take a picture with Goofy. As soon as he and others waiting in line got close to Goofy, he was replaced by another character. The entertainment was based on ghosts and pirates, neither of which are appropriate themes for anyone, especially children. I have always respected Disney, but thought they wasted the perfect enrichment accessibility for children who are dealing with bullying, parents' splitting up and other important issues. There's not even a library on board. The culinary chefs could learn alot from Carnival. We thought we would be going to Epcot on the water....not even close. The waste was unimaginable. The best thing Disney has is their cast members. Needless to say, that is my last Disney cruise. Read Less

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First a little background on myself I started cruising when I was 8 and in the past 10 years (all of my cruising so far was done under the age of 18) I have been on various cruise lines but mostly Disney and I am now a gold member with them. This review will mostly be for the Fantasy (which I have sailed on twice both Eastern and Western Caribbean) but will include elements from all four ships which I have sailed on. Starting with my time in Cocoa Beach I would say that it is tradition for my family to arrive the night before (we drive) and to stay the night. Our hotel of choice is the Holiday Inn Express because it is extremely clean, offers a free breakfast (which comes in handy before embarkation) and that it is situated so close to the ocean where we spend some time the day before or of the cruise just relaxing and starting our deep relaxation. It is also a nice hotel because it is within walking distance of numerous restaurants as well as Ron Jon surf shop which is a must do if you have some time in Cocoa Beach (personally as a teenager it houses many of my favorite brands Billabong, Hurley etc...) Embarkation: For us because we drive embarkation is extremely easy as all we have to do is drive the 3-4 miles from our hotel to the port. The second nice thing for us is that we are gold members and did the online check in so we were given the boarding number of 2. My family is always early everywhere we go so we were one of the first 200 or so people there and yet we might have waited 30-45 minutes to board. This was by far the easiest embarkation I have ever had. In the case that you are a new cruiser with children I hope that you come at your designated boarding time because waiting a very long time can be hard on exciting children. My recommendation for the waiting (because I was once an impatient child... I probably still am) is to take part in the festivities do the character photo ops watch the old cartoons they play look at the Disney Magic model they have set up and most importantly take the children to the viewing deck. The viewing deck probably situates you even with the cruises 3rd deck. And even for an experienced cruiser like me I can take 15 minutes and just stare in awe at the beauty and sheer size of the ship. Children's facilities: I remember the Disney Magic of old and I used to spend a good amount of time in the children's clubs starting with the lab. I have very fond memories of the lab and pretty much all of the younger clubs. I was also one of the first sets of cruisers to visit the "edge." Yes I have to put that in quotations because I started so long ago that edge did not exist but instead was a little club only on the Magic called Ocean Quest. I remember Ocean Quest very fondly and that was the first time I experienced the social aspect of cruising. Okay jump forward to the Dream Class of ships and the new Vibe. The old vibe was pretty cool a little small but still awesome... until you step aboard the Dream or Fantasy. There truly are no other teen clubs like the new Vibe. The private sun deck the crazy lights the 110 inch TV's it really has it all for whatever type of cruiser you are. I personally am very social and love the sun deck (remember sun screen) as well as the ice breakers and the fun comedy skits that you do throughout the week. Even though my friends at home would never see it I was always one for the karaoke nights and pretty much whatever happened. The next best part of the teen clubs are the counselors. They truly are great and love to have a great time. As long as you are staying within the rules. Truly the rules are not strict they are just meant to keep us safe and as long as you are a reasonable person you will have no problems. The best examples is the number one rule is no PDA. Activities: There is always something to do. And some times the best something to do is nothing. Reading a book poolside, relaxing in the pools with your friends its just kind of amazing. But seriously non-cruisers always ask me what you do while at sea and I don't really understand what they're asking me because sea days are as fun as port days. Port and Shore Excursions: They're pretty much the same as any other cruise line and are extremely well organized. The only difference is the "Mickey Excursions" which are designed for little kids, I have never been on one so I give no judgement. However, the best port adventure I ever took was in Alaska and it was a helicopter tour of the Mendenhall Glacier and a landing and walk around on the glacier. It's a once in a life time opportunity (literally the glacier is receding) and is worth every penny. I cannot recommend it enough. Dining/Service: I bring these two together because the servers are the best service at sea. Our servers in 2014 Dennis and Dipak were the best servers we have ever had and changed the whole cruise for us. It was an amazing cruise aside from the for many reasons but they made it truly special and something I will never forget for the rest of my life. To be honest half the time I meet barely meet the person who cleans our state room but the times I have gotten to know them they are always jolly and willing to meet any needs you ask of them. They do great work. I spoke earlier of the children's clubs counselors and just to repeat they are awesome. One in particular is Edson from Brazil, best counselor I have ever had. In regards to the food it is amazing. For someone so young I have a rather advanced pallet and I tend to spend more of my own money on fine dining than I should every year. I really do not understand that some people consider the food on Disney cruises mediocre. Always Always Always trust your server and their recommendations. My father has actually let the server surprise him on numerous occasions. I highly recommends the deep fried Brie the Lamb Chops the French Onion Soup and the Crème Brulee. Disembarkation: My family passes through customs in minutes. The people who you can have move your bags for you are always extremely nice and careful with your luggage. It's easy, enough said. My Guide to Being a Teen Cruiser: A lot of people come into their first cruise not knowing what to expect and that make a lot of people nervous, even with how many cruises I take I get nervous because I never know who I am going to meet. So this is my guide to especially those first cruisers. Before cruising set up a curfew system with your parents, my curfew at home is midnight while my curfew on the ship is a "reasonable hour" don't go asking your parents for that but talk about it remember the club closes at 2 am and people like to hang out after that. First things first the day you board you should go to vibe, take the jogging track on the port side to forward where you will find stairs leading up to vibe (some concerned parents, in my opinion overprotective, find these to be sketchy and not well lit for at night, I completely disagree it is well lit and there are no places to hide no matter what time of the day) when there you must register for vibe and you will receive your vibe card, which lets you into the club as the doors are locked to outsiders. STEP #2 is to attend the festivities of the first night, this typically includes ice breakers and gender wars. STEP #3 form a friend group. This is typically a rather natural step in the process people exchange wave phone numbers hang out it will kind of just happen. Trying to include absolutely everyone does not work I have tried it, there are too many problems with it. STEP #4 have lots of fun stay out late if that is what you're into, ride the aquaduck, get lunch with all of your friends, from there it was what you make of it and I can help you no longer. Have Fun. Summary: As a teen cruiser your cruise is what you make it. End of sentence. For some people it is relaxing by the pool 24/7, for some people it is video games, for some people it is family time, and for some people it is enjoying the lack of ship-wide curfew and taking advantage of a ship where most people are asleep by midnight. I recommend Disney Cruise to all people under the age of 18. I cannot recommend it to 20 somethings because I have never cruised as one. Read Less

I love Disney Cruises. I have been on several, and every time it is always perfect. I have been on The Fantasy several times, Magic, and the Wonder a couple of times. There is something for everyone to do, regardless of age, anytime of day. The rooms are comfortable, the food is outstanding, the variety of entertainment and activities is impeccable. The waitstaff is always accommodating and travels with you throughout your vacation. Every dinner is always exciting- the restaurants and the shows after/before your meal. Everything went as smooth as it possibly could. Plus, if something does go wrong, Disney does a wonderful job at making up for it. I have gone on different cruise lines, but they never measured up. I would definitely go again, and it will be hard for me to go back to a cruise that is not Disney. Highly recommended for everyone of all ages. Read Less