Hopefully, you have read Part 1 of this blog post giving you five great reasons that a Disney Cruise is worth the cost. (Click here if you missed Part 1) This post will give you seven more. Yes, there are seven more things that make a Disney Cruise special!
Rather watch a video? At the end of this post there is a link to a live video I recorded on what makes a Disney Cruise special. The post and the video aren’t identical.
Disney Characters
Yes! Disney Cruise Line is the only place at sea that you will still get to see Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Daisy. What could be better than spending your vacation with the Fab 5! But that’s not the only characters you will see. You might see Joy, Stitch, the Princesses, Elsa, Anna, Kristof, Dug, Boo, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Spiderman and even more. And get this! You don’t just see them in the awesome shows and deck parties. Nope! You can actually shake their hands, get pictures and autographs and tell them about your day. Woohoo!!!
Castaway Cay
Sure, other cruise lines have private islands so that doesn’t make Disney any different. BUT, what does set them apart is what they INCLUDE on their island experience. The really cool water slides and splash pad, INCLUDED! The tram around the island, INCLUDED. But since there is so much to see in the way of fantastic Disney Imagineering, walking is recommended. Special kids area with supervised youth activities, INCLUDED. Beach games and activities for the family, INCLUDED. Want to run a race on vacation? The Castaway 5K is, you guessed it, INCLUDED! There are so other really cool things to do but they will incur an additional fee. Any way you look at it though, your day at Castaway Cay will be AMAZING even if you don’t spend an extra dime!
Kids Clubs
Disney Kids Clubs have some of the longest hours at sea. Plenty of time for your family to have time together and time apart. The kids club is even open on port days if you should choose to use them. You can even choose to have your children eat dinner with you or relax without them while they enjoy the dinnertime kids activities. Or, opt for the best of both and have your kids go with the cast members halfway through dinner.
The counselors are all specially trained to work with children so you don’t have to worry. They are not just glorified babysitters but cast members who are there to interact with your children to give them the best vacation possible.
The kid’s zones are separated by age and they are quite strict about the cutoffs for the safety of all the children. Each area is themed to create an atmosphere geared toward that age group. The security measures are also dependent on age. Children under 12 must have a parent check them in and out. Tweens and teens get to decide when they come and go. Be careful, you kids may never want to leave!
- It’s a Small World Nursery–ages 6 months to 3 years old
- Oceaneers Club and Lab–ages 3-12
- Edge–just for tweens (about 11-13)
- Vibe–just for teens (about 13-17)
No Casinos
While for some this might not be a benefit for others it is definitely no casino makes for a better cruise experience. For those of you who love to win money or prizes on vacation, never fear! They do have Bingo almost daily!
No Beverage Package
This is another feature that some might love and others might not. The fantastic benefit of Disney Cruise line is that they include soda with all their meals and there is a beverage station on the pool deck. The beverage station is open all day long for everyone to enjoy as much as they want. Not only is there soda but also coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. My daughter and I loved the hot chocolate machine on our Alaska Cruise (just don’t try and take it off the boat). For cruisers who love to relax with an alcoholic beverage, they are available onboard. There are multiple bars and adult beverage locations.
Excursions
Yes, of course all cruise lines have excursions. But Disney Cruise line sets itself apart with the number of excursions available with kids in mind. Their goal is that the whole family be able to experience things together so many exciting things are crafted to allow younger travelers. Plus, where else can you see Disney Characters on your shore excursion?
Disney Cruise line not just wants kids to enjoy experiences but everyone! They have also crafted accessible port adventures in 25 different countries. So if mobility is an issue do a little research (or have your travel specialist) to find out which cruise itineraries might work best for you.
ICE CREAM!!
I know, I know. There is complimentary soft-serve ice cream available on other cruise lines. BUT, on a Disney Cruise you can savor many more flavors than just chocolate and vanilla. On our cruise we had strawberry, mango, blueberry, and quite a few others. I think that there were new flavors every day to try. That was awesome!
Watch my Facebook Live post on this subject
Well, I hoped you gleaned a couple facts to help you to decide if a Disney Cruise is worth it to you. There are many more great things about a Disney Cruise but these were standouts for me. Do you have something different? Let us know in the comments below.
Happy travels to you…until we meet again!
Links of interest:
- What Makes a Disney Cruise Special–Part One
- Guide to Character Meeting on Disney Cruise Line
- Mistakes We Made on our Disney Cruise
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