We Loved Our Disney Cruise!

[Travel Guru]

Our review of our Disney cruise is that we loved it! We traveled with the little ones on a Disney cruise ship last summer, and I have to tell you that it is simply wonderful! If you have ever considered cruising with Disney, please don't miss the opportunity. Sure, it costs a bit more than the average vacation, but it is anything but average. To give you a hint of how special out Disney cruise trip was, take a look at this information that we used to make the choice:

My family and I sailed the Disney Wonder on 07/13/07 for a 3 night cruise stopping in Nassau and Castaway Cay. It was the occasion of my husband's 40th birthday. We knew our son would be a bit young to really absorb the experience, but we also knew we would not feel out of place on a Disney cruise with a 2 year old child in tow. We have never been on a cruise, but it has been something my husband always wanted to do, so this birthday seemed to be a good time.


Our son proceeded to take a long overdue nap while we acquainted ourselves with the room (6578). Over the course of the course, we were just amazed at how soundproof the cabins are. We could not hear the folks on either side of us nor the folks above us. Occasionally, we would hear kids running in the hall outside. We did the mandatory evacuation drill at 4:00 p.m.(our son was not happy about being awakened for that!) and we attended the send off show on Deck 4.

We spent the night in Orlando at the Homewood Suites hotel on International Blvd. Very nice facility, clean, comfortable with a great breakfast. We drove to Port Canaveral (approx. 1 hour) and parked at the port. As we expected with everything Disney, the service was wonderful and the check-in was seamless. We were in our stateroom by 2:30 p.m. after arriving at the port at 1:45 p.m.

We also ordered our breakfast to be delivered every morning. Fruit plate, muffins, cereal and GREAT coffee! The delivery was always within the time we requested. Our stateroom steward kept the room spotless. I will admit I was a bit put off by the constant mention of gratuities, but these folks work hard and they really put great effort into it. I actually ended up tipping higher than the amounts recommended.

We dined at Triton's, Animator's Palette and Parrot Cay. The food was fine, but nothing was exceptional. I would suggest that parents of young toddlers bring snacks (e.g. cut apple wedges, crackers, etc.) as the food delivery time is fine for adults who are relaxing and talking, but it is a bit long for a hungry toddler. Our servers were great; they were very patient with our son and after the first night, they began delivering his food even before the appetizers for the rest of the table arrived. They also remembered his preference for broccoli cooked really well and aversion to desserts. We were confused on the morning of disembarkation about when we were scheduled for breakfast, but we were accommodated very easily. Outside of the scheduled dining rooms, we loved the room service available as we would order wine with crackers, cheese and fruit every evening after our son went to sleep (around 9 p.m) and then we would sit on the verandah talking about our day and just things in general (what a luxury to have uninterrupted conversations when you have a toddler!).

We had so much fun with Disney! If you even remotely enjoy Disney World, you will love the cruise ship. It is truly magical!