| PassPorter.com Feature Article Original article at: http://www.passporter.com/articles/disney-cruise-worries-part-2.html Worries About Taking a Disney Cruise - Part 2: A Disney Cruise Line Reviewby Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured ColumnistLast modified 10-16-2014 In a previous article, I featured five questions that first-time Disney cruisers may have about taking to the water on the Magic, Wonder, Dream, or Fantasy. In this article, we're looking at another five questions about the Disney Cruise Line. 6) It's going to cost a fortune when I get on board How much a cruise costs is really down to you. I won't lie; it is easy to spend a lot of money while you're afloat, as we've been there, and done that. However, the cost of a Disney cruise covers a lot more than most other cruise lines. We've cruised with another cruise line, and although we knew in advance, it really hurt that we had to pay for our soft drinks with our dinner. If you’re on a budget, a few tips to keep your expenditure to a minimum – first, pick your shore excursions carefully, as that’s one thing you can control and decide on in advance. Second, hold back on those alcoholic drinks, as they can add up, and consider bringing a bottle of wine (or two!) on board with you, but make sure it’s in your hand luggage. Third, adults, it’s worth knowing that there will be charges for drinks you get in the Cove Café. I’m afraid I can’t help with how to minimize spending in the onboard shops – if you’ve mastered that, you’re doing better than I! 7) I’m going to feel confined on board after being used to the space of a Disney park Of course, it is smaller, but my goodness, the ships, even the smaller Magic and Wonder, are still pretty big beasts, with lots of explore. We’ve done cruises before, where we’ve found new places on the final night, despite doing our best to see everything. If you do feel confined inside, then perhaps you can dispel that feeling by heading out on deck. A few rounds of deck 4 promenade on any of the ships will add up to a mile, and suddenly the place may not seem so small after all! 8) I’m not sure I can get used to the idea of children’s clubs – we do everything together as a family Although we don’t have kids ourselves, we’ve cruised with friends who do, and that was one of their concerns when they took their first Disney cruise. They’d always been used to doing everything on vacation as a family, and they were concerned their son wouldn’t enjoy the kids’ club, and also that they might spend their time worrying about him. What happened? He had a ball, and every time he was out of the club, he was counting the time to going back, and our friends had an absolute blast without a single worry once they knew he was happy. As they said to us, it was the first time they’d been able to enjoy a vacation as adults, and they spent most of their time with us in the adult-only areas! Of course, that won’t apply to every family, but we also know plenty of other families who’ve had exactly the same experience. 9) I like the idea of cruising, but will I need a passport to do it? The answer is very simple if you’re heading for exotic climes, such as northern Europe or the Mediterranean, as you’ll be heading out of the States, so yes, a passport will be required. It’s not that simple an answer when it comes to cruises leaving and returning to the States, as you can manage without. For full details and a discussion about this, check out the PassPorter guide to cruising (see below). Personally, I find the price paid for a passport a very small amount to pay in the big scheme of things, as it opens up the whole world to you. Once you’ve got a passport, then perhaps you can consider those more exotic ports of call that the Disney Cruise Line visits, or maybe you can visit some of the overseas Disney theme parks? There is literally a world to see out there, and I love having the freedom to explore it that my passport gives me.
10) I really have no idea where to start with planning for our Disney cruise, and I feel completely overwhelmed. Ah, nice to finish on an easy one… if you haven’t already, then you need a copy of PassPorter’s Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call. Covering everything there is to do on board all four ships, including the activities for all age groups, and the dining options, it also covers how to get to your embarkation port, and the places you’ll visit along the way. No matter how daunting it seems to begin with, once you’ve finished reading this, you’ll have all your questions answered. If you do still have any questions, then feel free to post away on our friendly PassPorter message boards. We have a section for planning your Disney cruise especially for you!
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