This is part 2 of the Disney Cruise Line series. Check out part 1 by clicking here!
I LOVE MY LIFE!
Have I mentioned how much I love my life? I’m extremely fortunate to be in some real fantastic years right now, and I’m taking advantage of it by scheduling as much travel as I can.
Welcome back to Part 2 of the Disney cruise I recently took for the holidays. You can find the first half of this series RIGHT HERE. Now that we’ve talked about some of the incredible things that characterize a Disney cruise compared to other cruise lines, let’s talk about some of the things that Disney doesn’t do. Make no mistake about it, these omissions by Disney are completely planned and orchestrated by Disney.
It might seem like spontaneous magic, but it’s definitely planned down to the smallest detail.
Part 1 Highlights:
In part one we talked about the incredible advantages Disney offers to its cruising public. These include the fantastic food and incredible shows that are the highlight of every day. It wouldn’t be Disney without the awesome character encounters, and Disney does a great job making a wide variety of characters available to you throughout the cruise from the first minute to the last night. For those of you cruising with kids under the age of 18, the various kids clubs on every ship will not only keep your kids for you, but will provide them with incredible experiences and character interactions while the adults spend some time in the adult’s only areas of the ship.
Now that we’ve talked about some of the things Disney does do, it’s time to talk about the cruise traditions that Disney doesn’t follow.
What Disney Doesn’t Do
Inexpensive price
In my opinion, Disney Cruise Line is worth every penny. However, make no mistake about it, you will pay a premium for the experience. For the price of one balcony cabin next summer, I could reserve two balconies on another ship with the exact same itinerary. Disney isn’t cheap.
That being said, there are clear ways to minimize the cost of a Disney cruise. My biggest tip is to avoid anytime kids aren’t in school. Holidays and summer come with a steep premium, so if you can avoid those times, you can save some money. We went December 18, while most schools were still in session, which helped keep our cost down. The price the following week was more than double. You can also “downgrade” your preferred cabin to save significant money. In December, we had an ocean view instead of a balcony, which saved us enough money to cover all of our onboard expenses.
Casinos
Disney just doesn’t have one. They are the only major cruise line that doesn’t have a casino on board, so the adults in your party need to be aware of that in advance, so there is no disappointment when they keep looking for it! Casinos are a prime source of income for other cruise lines, and one of the reasons they are so much less expensive is how much money changes hands in the casinos. Disney does, however, still have Bingo on the ships, so you can try your luck on that several times over the week.
Cheap Photography
Photographers are everywhere on the ship, and they will take some spectacular pictures of you and your party in the dining rooms, on deck, and—especially—with the characters. We have always used cruises to get professional family shots taken through the years, and I’ve even had them do headshots for me before. However, each digital download that you purchase runs about $20.
You can buy (in advance for a discount) a photo package that includes anywhere from five to unlimited photos. If I traveled with my family when the kids were in the kid’s clubs, I probably would have done that package. However, in almost every instance where there was a professional photographer, there was a cast member or handler available to take pictures using my own phone. We would pose for the professional, and then pose for my camera—using the lighting provided by the professional. As a result of this practice, we escaped this cruise without purchasing a single professional photography download.
Drinking
We were lounging on deck ten (not the adults only area) for an entire afternoon, and did not have one person come by and ask if we wanted an alcoholic beverage. Not one. This is a very stark difference from every other cruise line we use, where the servers are constantly walking around asking if you need a drink. Neither way bothers me at all, but it is an extreme difference the adults in your party need to be prepared for.
What I loved—and wasn’t prepared for—were the multiple Happy Hours on the Disney ship in different bars every day! During Happy Hours, all drinks in the participating bar were 30% off of prices that weren’t gouging anyway. Depending on the bar and time of day, we even enjoyed some free “bar snacks” during Happy Hour a few times. Every bar had different specialty drinks, too, so we enjoyed perusing all of the menus, too.
Nickel & Dime You
The two cruises just before Disney both had coffee cafes. These cafes had fancy coffee beverages—think Starbucks—and were fairly busy throughout the day. I have no problem with them up-charging for these beverages, as they would if they were alcoholic. What annoyed me—and what Disney DOESN’T do—was that they charged for pastry and snack items.
All other food on the ship was included, but you want me to pay for this chocolate croissant? Seriously? Another example that Disney avoids is the upcharges in the main dining room. Whereas on other cruises you can pay extra for a better steak or some seafood, the menus on Disney were not only robust, but they didn’t include anything for additional charges. It was great to get anything I wanted without worrying about extra charges.
The Best Days Of My Life
Has anyone ever asked you to rank the best days of your life? Try to do it now. It’s really difficult to quantify your wedding compared to the birth of each kid, compared to graduations and other significant events. How about this—what were your favorite days when your kids were growing up? Is that any easier?
It is for me.
Hands down.
Disney’s Castaway Cay—the private island in the Caribbean owned by Disney.
Living in Nevada, cruises out of California are significantly easier and less expensive than flying to Florida to get on a ship. Unfortunately, cruises out of California do not visit Castaway Cay, so I didn’t get to return there in December.
How do I describe Castaway Cay for you? Pure paradise. Unadulterated beauty and relaxation. The ultimate destination.
Those still don’t fully explain how wonderful this island is. It’s quite small, and almost entirely undeveloped, except for where the ship docks, and the passengers have access to. When you leave the ship, you can walk or be shuttled to the family beach. This area has, of course, characters wandering around and posing for pictures. It is a beautiful soft sand beach with an area for snorkeling. There are play structures moored out in the water for the young and the young-at-heart, that will keep your kids busy all day long.
They bring their kitchen crew onto the shore, so that your lunch consists of an elaborate barbecue, complete with a buffet line and beverages.
Adults can take another little shuttle to the adults only area. Yup—there is a private beach for adults. Lounging on that beach you will absolutely forget all your troubles, at least for a while.
How extraordinary is Castaway Cay? I’m looking at flying to Florida next summer just so my Disney cruise will stop there. Maybe even for two days…I’m working on it.
My Recommendations
Of my over 20 cruises as an adult, only four have been on Disney. While those cruises rank among my favorites, the best destination I’ve ever cruised to remains Alaska even though it has been on other cruise lines.
If you can swing it in any way, shape or form, get yourself on a Disney cruise. While I suggest it not be your first cruise, it should absolutely be on your bucket list.
I say this even if you are a party of adults. The various adult-only sections of the Disney experience make it possible for you to enjoy the whimsy and fun of the Disney product and still have the quiet rest and relaxation you are looking for.
I’ve left the end of the cruise to the end of this series on Disney cruises on purpose. The last night, the last scheduled event on any Disney cruise is called “‘Til we meet again”. All of the characters appear in the atrium for one last goodbye song and dance. Then, they all mingle into the audience, allowing for one last picture, one last hug. It is a magical half hour for you to wander among the characters, catch the one you missed earlier in the cruise (I see you, Stitch), or speak to one last Princess. Sweet Husband actually told Belle how many books we each read on the cruise—it was fantastic. When the characters reassemble for one last, iconic song, and walk away, the magic of Disney will absolutely flow through you one last time, and you just might shed a tear.
I did.
Don’t forget to read my detailed trip review that was posted on Cruisecritic.com (the BEST source for all things cruising):
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!!!
Thank you for reading all about my time with the Disney Cruise Line (again)!!
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