A Different Take on DCL from A Dad With Mouse Ears
Hello readers! A Dad With Mouse Ears was part of our sailing party earlier this month and posted this informal review on Facebook, so I thought I would share it with all of you. It certainly is interesting to see how people can take the same vacation and have different takes on nearly every aspect.
So I promised [my friend] that [I'd share] my thoughts on doing a Disney cruise with a 4 year old, but figured I'd put them out in the open for anyone else planning a cruise. Here we go:
Overall, pretty good experience - but not as fun as just going to Disney World for the same amount of time (probably a cost savings, though)
Especially if you're new to cruising or have little ones, always go for the shorter Bahamas cruises. Not only because there's less days (in case you find out someone doesn't like it), but also because there are so many islands blocking the waves in the Bahamas that it minimizes the rocking of the ship.
Except for the first night, it was hard to notice that the ship was even moving. Plus, the distances are so close that the ship hardly ever has to go fast. (As an example, we went overnight from Nassau to Castaway Cay...if the ship went at full power, that journey could be completed in 40 minutes).
There is never a reason to get off the boat in Nassau.
Note: There may be an excursion listed for a place called Blackbeard's Castle - keep in mind that Blackbeard never visited Nassau.
While there's lots of water-based stuff to do on the ship, keep in mind the pools are very tiny and get filled up quickly. Also, the deeper pool is actually very deep - if you have a little one floating in that pool make sure to keep a sharp eye on him/her.
The kid's club was a big hit with my son - he especially loved flying the Millennium Falcon simulator and crashing it into Hoth. Unfortunately, he also loved watching movies there - you might have to trade off more screentime for adult independence.
Speaking of movies, there's a movie theater on the boat - as mentioned above, the boat doesn't rock too much, so take advantage when you need a break - it feels like you're in a cineplex.
The Aquaduck is awesome! My son loved the little water slide, too! (Video proof below)
Dinners can be hard for the kids - they take a long time and can look/feel kind of fancy-pants. Of the three restaurants you rotate in, Animator's Palate is the best one for kids since it has cartoon drawings and interactive experiences. The others may lead to boredom/frustration, so bring a pre-loaded iPad if you have to (remember, no free WiFi!).
Pirate Night is pretty cool, and it's thrilling to see fireworks on the open seas. Just make sure your kids take naps first - it doesn't happen until late at night (ours was at 10PM), and the stage show leading up to the fireworks seemed to go on forever.
Castaway Cay is a great island with a lot to do - but if you have a little kid, you're probably going to stay in the family area the whole time. It's a great beach, but unless they're old enough to do the obstacle course stuff there's not a lot there - you might get bored quickly.
Finally, for you GORMRs out there, you DO want to do the Castaway Cay 5K (because when else are you going to get the chance?) but you only want to do it once. You can sign up for it at the Excursions desk once you first get on the boat.
Couple things I wish we'd known: While the ticket says to meet at 8AM, you probably won't get off the boat for another half hour. Then, you have to walk about 15 minutes to the starting line. Then, when you're done, you're probably going to have to walk (or ride the tram) back to the boat to get ready for the beach. So expect a big time commitment.
One thing I really wish we'd known - if you have a kid and don't have someone to take care of them, you CAN bring them to the kid's club on the island. I think there's a form to fill out or something - ask at the Excursions desk.
It's not the most exciting 5K - it's in the middle of the island so nowhere near the beach, and all the views look the same. Also, you have to BUY your own finisher's shirt if you want one. But as I said, how often do you get a chance to run a race in another country?