I’ve never considered myself a “cruiser”, and when our family was invited to go on a seven day Disney cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, I had many concerns:
- Lots of people packed into a confined space = Julia gets tense
- I can’t swing without getting nauseous – what will sea waves do to me?
- That’s a long time out at sea, in the middle of no where. What if we go down like the Titanic?
- Um, how many ships have had norovirus outbreaks?
- Will a Disney cruise be too “kid-ish” for my teens?
- What happens to all the trash and waste? Will I be contaminating the seas?
Turns out, we had a fabulous time, and most of my fears were unfounded. Here are the highlights from my trip aboard the Disney Fantasy.
Removing the Freak Out Factor: Cruise Fears Debunked
Claustrophobia: Our ship carried 4000 passengers and 2500 crew. Yes, that’s the size of a small town, but the Fantasy is HUGE!! The only time I felt claustrophobic was when were all crammed on the lower decks hoping to be the first onto Castaway Cay. Our state-room was a tad narrow, but it had a balcony to the outside, which gave an illusion of more space. In some spots, ceilings are low and hallways are long, but in general, I felt comfortable.
Sea sickness: We packed Dramamine and prescription motion sickness patches, but nobody used them. I could feel the ship move sometimes – the captain often mentioned “rocking us to sleep” overnight – but it’s not like a roller coaster, or even being on a fishing boat. I got used to it; in fact, it took three days post-cruise to lose the feeling that I was walking around on a ship!
Stranded out at sea: There is SO MUCH TO DO, I never felt “stuck on-board”. Movies and shows, cooking classes and margarita tastings, mini golf and ping-pong. (Yes – ping-pong at the top of the ship- the wind could be vicious!) And don’t forget the beauty of doing nothing but sitting on the “adult deck”, sipping a Mai Tai and reading. All while you hear a toddler screaming on the deck below and think, “Thank goodness we’re done with THAT stage.”
Illness: Disney runs an immaculate ship. Crew members were constantly, but not obtrusively, cleaning and polishing the Fantasy. At all dining rooms and food and beverage stations, crew members handed out sanitary wipes to promote good hygiene. My brother-in-law boarded with a slight cold, and we joked that if the crew found out, they’d stick him in quarantine. However, there were no issues with illness.
Too kid-ish: Disney accommodates all ages. There were several areas designated for adults, and the teens had their own hangout spot with activities and hot tubs! Disney owns Marvel, so my teens found plenty of movies to watch. One night, they went up to the top deck at 10:30 to see Captain America: Civil War on the giant “funnel vision” screen. Unlimited soft serve and pizza nearby sweetened the deal.
Waste disposal: Unfortunately, this is a growing problem as the cruise industry expands. According to Friends of the Earth and ThinkProgress.org, cruise ships dumped over one billion gallons of sewage into the oceans in 2014. Ship sewage includes bacteria, heavy metals, viruses, and pharmaceuticals, all of which harm plants, animals, and humans. Unfortunately, although better technology exists, many cruise lines still treat sewage with ineffective, 35-year-old methods. Luckily for my conscience, Disney Cruise Lines is very environmentally friendly, earning A’s for sewage treatment and water quality compliance and a B- for air pollution reduction. (Cruise Ship Report Card)
Other environmental concerns: There was a lot of waste. Passengers were encouraged to use a new cup every time they visited the beverage station, and that means TONS of paper cups thrown out each day. And I didn’t understand why we couldn’t use squirts of hand sanitizer in the dining areas instead of all those wipes. And I saw so much food tossed out.
Safety: My older kids ran free, and I never worried. Everyone gets a “Key to the World” card, which provides passenger identification, as well as a way to charge to the state-room account. Kids can not get off of the ship unless they were with the adults in their party or other designated guardians. If you opt to leave your children in the kids club for activities, they get an electronic bracelet to monitor check in and out.
And, obviously, we didn’t go down like Titanic, nor was Leo on the boat. Bummer.
What To Pack
If you’re considering a cruise, there are definitely some key items to bring:
- Magnetic hooks – everything in the state-room is metal, so bringing at least six extra hooks will give you more space to hang wet swim suits and clothes. I found mine at Lowe’s.
- Lanyards with plastic cases – to hold the “Key to the World”card, even if you don’t have pockets. Great especially for kids.
- A refillable water bottle– to decrease paper cup waste and make sure you’re hydrated.
- Workout clothes – because you’re going to need to work off all the delicious, readily available food you’re eating (I also recommend, if possible, avoiding the elevators and taking the stairs to burn more calories!)
Ports of Call and Excursions
Our stops included Tortola, British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Castaway Cay, the Bahamas.
On Tortola, we explored on our own. At the port welcome site (newly and colorfully built in 2016), we found a taxi van big enough to haul all 17 members of our party across the island to Brewer’s Bay. During the ride on narrow, twisting, grab your husband’s leg in fright roads, our driver told us all about the history and economy of the island. The most interesting note: when sugar plantation owners decided to free their slaves, they gave the slaves land to start their own farming. (Taxi ride = $16 per person, round trip.)
Brewer’s Bay was a slice of paradise and the favorite stop for most of us. I liked that we got a feel of Tortola, even though we were only there for a day. Colorful buildings dot the mountain landscape, and roosters run loose on every block.
For our stop at St. Thomas, we booked a snorkel trip that included boating out to Buck Island, snorkeling with sea turtles, and a stop at a local beach. I loved the snorkeling but got no sense of St. Thomas. The island looked beautiful, and I’m sad we didn’t explore it. This was our only paid excursion, as they are expensive, $50-$200 per person!
Castaway Cay had nice beaches with plenty of chairs and umbrellas, and all food was provided. We enjoyed snorkeling and a water play structure. Later, we learned that Castaway Cay used to be a stop for drug runners, until Disney bought it in 1995. So, that’s what the runway in the middle of the island was for!
Closing Points
Disney is fabulous with people management, and all staff was friendly and helpful. Disembarkation went faster than I expected. We did get passports for everyone to facilitate boarding and disembarking.
Unfortunately, the DCL website is clunky and confusing to navigate, and I had to enter payment information more than once. My in-laws stayed up until midnight to reserve a boarding time for our group though the site, and in the end, we were assigned a time when we checked in at the terminal on the day of boarding.
Disney pushes its brand; there was a special boutique on-board for young girls to get “Princess Makeovers” for a significant fee. I grew weary of the constant emphasis on consumption, and I wasn’t alone. Day two my brother in law exclaimed, “Everything here is in excess!”
Since all of the food is taken care of, our family could truly relax. We were a huge party of extended family, and we all found different things to do during the day and regrouped at night for dinner. It was the optimal situation for a family vacation.
In the end, we had a great time, but I decided cruising is not my preferred vacation mode. I’d rather go to a few islands in the Caribbean and explore them… which, hopefully, we’ll do someday, now that I’ve had a sample.
Have you ever been on a cruise? What advice can you share? Do you have any other questions for me?
Thanks and Bon Voyage!
My brother-in-law has been trying to get us on a cruise for years (they go on at least one a year, often 2 or 3). I think the cost is what’s stopping us, but you do seem to get your money’s worth. I’d like to try cruising, but I think I would want more than a day in each port!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice (I would never have thought to take magnetic hooks). Great post!
Thanks Debbie. Perhaps you could try a shorter cruise… like a 3 or 4 day. They might be less expensive. Won’t help with the short port stays, though.
I’m so glad you loved your cruise experience! I agree with you about waste and consumption; it seems so excessive. However, theoretically all of those people would be generating the same waste on land. They just wouldn’t be concentrating into such a small space. I found myself having similar thoughts in Disney World. Your advice to bring a refillable water bottle is perfect!
Cruising is not my vacation mode of choice either, but I am looking forward to an extended family Alaskan cruise next summer.
I’ve heard many people rave about Alaskan cruises, and if I do another one, that’s what I’d like it to be. I hear there is no better way to see the glaciers. And, very good point about the generation of waste – I guess the small space magnifies the impression. I felt the same way about Disney World too.
Sounds like a fabulous time, Julia, though I hear on the environmental concerns and over-consumption. Just cuz I’m on vacation doesn’t mean I want to use a bazillion towels, plastic forks, and paper napkins!
For our honeymoon years ago, we did a Rhine river cruise. That was amazing (and given the limitations of the river, necessitated a much smaller ship). If you’re looking for a scaled-back version of cruising, then look into river cruises. (Although, who knows? Maybe all the cruise line nowadays are gone the way of over-the-top everything.)
My dad enjoys the smaller scale of River Cruises, too. He hasn’t done one overseas, though. That sounds lovely. And perhaps my people and I would like a smaller ship with fewer traveling companions. 😉
We have been on a cruise. In fact, two of them. The first one was a short 3 day cruise that was a Manager’s Club reward trip on Carnival Cruise Lines. Just the two of us and 250 fellow employees of the Carquest Corp and others. We had a great time, and allowed my hubby to agree he would go again. The second time was on Princess Lines and was a retirement gift from my former employers. It was top shelf. Balcony suite, wine and fruit plate every day ( I could get used to that). We did not pre-book any excursions, as we were unsure of what to expect. But we did take a bus tour of St Maartens and spent time on a beach there, also a visit to an Amber Museum on St Thomas and an accompanying bus tour. Lots of time in deck chairs on our balcony reading and just watching the water go by. Very enjoyable. We want to do an Alaskan Cruise next. You have great documentation pictures, I neglected that part when we were on ship.
I really wish I could have done a bus tour of St. Thomas. Wine and fruit everyday sounds nice (as does never having to prepare a meal or clean it up!) 😉