Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Lines Experience

Art nouveau-themed sister ship Disney Wonder entered service in August, 1999, taking over the Disney Magic 3 & 4-day itinerary schedule. Disney Magic switched first to seven-night cruises and now does alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Disney Magic now sails seven-night Caribbean trips (alternating Eastern and Western) for most of the year, while Disney Wonder handles three- and four-day trips, mostly to the Bahamas; What the two floating theme parks do best is demonstrate that "elegant" and "family friendly" can co-exist quite harmoniously. Both ships visit Nassau and spend a day docked at Disney's private Bahamian fantasy island Castaway Cay.

Disney Magic has actually scheduled 10 and 11-night Mediterranean cruises in Europe in 2007. Would a Disney cruise be a good way for an American to see Europe? Probably not, as this ship is a destination unto itself, while what one desires in a ship for a European cruise is a comfortable conveyance between port stops. Most likely, the ship will be marketed more to Europeans while in Europe than to U.S. cruisers looking for a European vacation. But with Disney fanatics who knows? They just might combine a European cruise on Disney Magic with a trip to Euro-Disney.

While families with children generally rave about the experience, childless adults are often disgruntled about the absence of casinos, discos, and, to a much lesser extent, libraries. The grumbling began to subside somewhat when the company lowered its price for a one-week package combining a three- or four-day cruise with a stay at a Disney Orlando hotel and theme park entrance fees, though Disney remains pricier than those of competitor Carnival, whose (Port Canaveral)-based ships cater to the same prospective passengers.

As you might anticipate, the accent is on fun, and family activities to ensure that you're having it, lots of it, are nonstop. Entertainment is a huge feature on these ships, and one must credit Disney for bringing shipboard stage production to a new level with bigger casts, more extensive special effects, and those superbly timed and executed family fun shows that leave all but crankiest curmudgeon smiling despite himself.

Rotation dining aboard these ships means that guests sample a different themed restaurant every night. The ships' staterooms are enormous and beautifully appointed, all with a bath-and-a-half, making them especially popular with families. Forty-four percent of outside cabins have verandahs. All come with bathtubs, a television, a mini-bar, a safe and a hair dryer.

Passengers often get to see Disney Studios films before those ashore. There is a conspicuously unpopular adult-only entertainment area -- "Beat Street" on Magic and "Route 66" on Wonder -- neither a casino nor a disco, and an adult-only Italian gourmet restaurant, Palo, at which it's predictably hard to secure reservations. The food elsewhere? Well, you won't starve. The service is friendly.

New (post-2004) public areas include Diversions, Cove Cafe and a new college-dorm-meets-coffee-bar place for teens. Cove Caf?, an adults-only coffee bar adjacent to the Quiet Cove pool is a pleasant place to relax on comfortable couches, watch TV, check e-mail, or read one of the many magazines on the shelves. Sports fans, meanwhile flock to Diversions, which is alleged to resemble an English sports pub. The swank Walt Disney Theater resembles a plush venue on the Great White Way. Studio Sea, which offers G-rated floor shows, is styled like a television sound stage. The gyms are scandalously small.

Disney Cruise Lines | Fellow Passengers

Disney's primary market is families with children, although you'll find more adult couples during school vacation periods. one thing they all have in common, they love Disney and have probably been to the theme parks more than a couple of times.

Disney Cruise Lines | Taking Kids on a Disney Cruise

As you might anticipate, Disney offers terrific programs and facilities for little folks. At Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, kids enjoy a 15-acre snorkeling course above a living reef, supervised games for all age groups, bicycling courses and sailboats, kayaks and rafts for rent.

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder's Oceaneer Club span nearly an entire deck, with supervised programs for children aged 3-5 and 6-8. Children aged 9-12 can enjoy high-tech interactive programs in the Oceaneer Lab, while those 11-12 can compete in a marine biology knowledge quest game show and send digital postcards to friends. And they'll see more Disney characters than at the theme parks!

Disney is one of the few lines to offer a nursery for infants and toddlers; Flounder's Reef Nursery was recently expanded to include a new reception area, Little Mermaid murals, and enhanced lighting to create the illusion of being under the sea. Teens (13-17) have their own private club, Common Grounds, a New York-style coffee house, not to mention competitive sports and nighttime activities.

Children's facilities are open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Private babysitting is available on a first-come, first served basis at $11 per hour.

The kids' soda program entitles kids aged 12 and under unlimited soda refills; the company is not responsible for their future dental bills. Sold by hosts and hostesses at shipboard lounge areas, the option costs $12 on three-day sailings and $16 on four-day sailings

Disney Cruise Lines Shore Excursions

They're on the expensive side; for instance, snorkeling is $35 for adults, $25 for children.

Tipping:
At Disney, gratuities can be charged to your shipboard account. The recommended tipping guidelines are per person per cruise: Three-night cruise:
Dining Room Server $11.00
Dining Room Asst. Server $8.00
Dining Room Head Server $2.75
Stateroom Host/Hostess $10.75

Four-night cruise:
Dining Room Server $14.75
Dining Room Asst. Server $10.75
Dining Room Head Server $3.75
Stateroom Host/Hostess $14.50
Seven-night cruise:
Dining Room Server $25.75
Dining Room Asst. Server $18.75
Dining Room Head Server $ 6.50
Stateroom Host/Hostess $25.25

On all cruises Dining Manager and Room Service tipping is at the passenger's discretion. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs