Last year I went on a Disney cruise with my partner and our three children. We had heard so much praise of this newer cruise line, that we finally had to try it out for ourselves. Also, being avid Mickey Mouse fanatics, we thought, “what better way to vacation than hanging out and celebrating our Mickey fanaticism too?”
After reading good reviews of Disney cruises on several different cruise review websites I decided it was time to take the plunge and find out for ourselves what a cruise, and a Disney cruise at that, was all about. So I booked passage on the Wonder for me and my family of four other people. We did not really know what to expect of our Disney cruise, as we had never been on any type of cruise before.
From the moment we departed to the day we came back was filled with incredibly fun activities as well as rest and relaxation. True, Disney cruises are filled with tons of children. There are also many completely supervised children’s activities that you can leave your child at while you slip away to enjoy one of the adults only hot spots, like the spa, Quiet Cove Pool or the snazzy Route 66 entertainment area of the ship.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the age specific activities really were perfectly suited to each of my children. Each of the children were able to find just the right function from the offered fun of their age group activity leader. We all had so much fun before we even got to the Caribbean that it’s almost as if we’d forgotten there was a destination at all.
We saw some beautiful places in the Caribbean, but honestly, I was so engrossed in relaxing and hanging out in the cabin that I couldn’t tell you the names of any of the islands we visited nor any of the towns. The kids got to go scuba diving and swim with dolphins. It was simply the very best vacation we have ever been on. Next year we’re going to bring along our children’s’ friends too. We plan to make it an annual event.
When you take discount cruises, your cruise price includes shipboard accommodations, meals, and most entertainment aboard the vessel. Discount cruises do not include organized shore excursions, alcoholic beverages or carbonated soft drinks in their price. Also, photographs, gratuities, spa and beauty treatments, medical services, casino expenditures or other miscellaneous you may purchase on board are not included in the price of discount cruises.
Discount cruises offer two different cabin view, an inside view and an ocean view. An ocean view room will have a window or porthole above the water line. An inside cabin will not have a view, in place of the window there will be artwork or draperies.
You do not need to participate in the activities on discount cruises. On discount cruises, you do what you want, when you want. There are usually activities planned for almost every hour of the day that will cover a wide range of interests. If you wish to just relax and watch the clouds, you can do that as well.
Discount Cruises have a lively night life. They offer dancing, live entertainment and even comedians. Almost all ships have casinos and most lines have elaborate Broadway or Vegas-style shows as well.
Smoking on discount cruises is pretty similar to smoking anywhere. Most ships have either a non-smoking area in the dining room or the dining rooms are completely non-smoking. Smokers typically have a designated area in the lounges and can smoke on the open air decks as well.
You can start to board discount cruises about four hours before departure. All passengers on discount cruises must be on board at least thirty minutes before the ship sets sail.
There is no best time of the year for discount cruises. It really all depends on when you want to go on vacation. Many Caribbean discount cruises are year-round, but some are exotic and seasonal. The only time you can sail Alaska is from May until September. Discount cruises to Bermuda are limited to April to October and discount cruises to Europe are between April and November.
Pregnancy policies vary on discount cruises. Generally, most discount cruises will allow a woman up to 24 weeks pregnant to travel. Policies vary, so contacting the specific cruise line via their websites is advised.
Discount cruises often offer a children’s program that offers activities for children aged three and up. It is usually divided by age levels and all activities are age-appropriate. There are some discount cruises that offer group babysitting for smaller children in the evening and some even offer in-room babysitting for an hourly fee.
In the event that you need to cancel your cruise, you will have to refer to the discount cruises’ cancellation policy. It is the responsibility of the passenger to understand the policy and penalties for cancellation. In addition to fees to the cruise line, you may also end up owing your travel agent a nominal cancellation fee.
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