MONDAY JANUARY 17, 2011
AFTER DISCUSSING ROOM TYPES AND CHOICES YESTERDAY, I THOUGHT I'D TOUCH ON WHAT BOAT AND/OR DESTINATION MAY BE BEST FOR YOU AND YOURS. MUCH LIKE CHOOSING A DISNEY RESORT TO STAY IN ONCE YOU'VE CHOSE TO STAY AT A DISNEY PROPERTY. (A VALUE, MODERATE, OR LUXURY RESORT, AND NEAR WHICH PARK?) CHOOSING A SHIP AND A DESTINATION IS NEXT WHEN CRUISING WITH DISNEY. DISNEY HAS TWO TWIN SHIPS CRUISING RIGHT NOW, THE MAGIC AND THE WONDER. BOTH CRUISE OUT OF PORT CANAVERAL FLORIDA TO THE BAHAMAS AND THE CARIBBEAN, AND HAVE MADE TRIPS TO AND AROUND EUROPE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR. BUT AS OF JANUARY 26th, DISNEY'S NEWEST SHIP, THE DREAM, BEGINS SAILING OUT OF PORT CANAVERAL, FLA AND THE WONDER MAKES IT'S WAY TO ITS NEW HOME IN CALIFORNIA FOR TRIPS TO THE MEXICAN RIVIERA AND ALASKA. AND NEXT YEAR THE DREAMS TWIN SISTER, THE FANTASY STARTS CRUISING OUT OF FLORIDA, WHEN PRESUMABLY THE MAGIC WILL MOVE TO EUROPE, BUT TIME WILL TELL.
THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY CHOICES AND OPTIONS FOR ITINERARIES TO GO INTO THEM ALL HERE SINCE THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE WEBSITE (http://www.disneycruise.cruise.go.com/) CAN HANDLE ALL THAT FAR BETTER FOR YOU. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE BEST TIME FOR YOU TO TRAVEL, YOUR CHOICES WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE PAIRED DOWN. SO NOW YOU HAVE TO DECIDE HOW MANY NIGHTS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CRUISE, WHETHER BY CHOICE OR BY LIMITATIONS.
UNLESS YOU CAN ONLY DO 3 NIGHTS, I HAVE LEARNED FROM THOSE THAT HAVE TRIED IT ALREADY THAT THIS OPTION CAN FEEL WAY TOO SHORT. I PERSONALLY CHOSE 5DAYS AND 4 NIGHTS JUST BECAUSE THE DATES I CHOSE WORKED OUT BEST. THE DREAM WILL ALTERNATE 3 NT TRIPS AND 4 NT TRIPS TO THE BAHAMAS AND DISNEY'S CASTAWAY CAY WITH AN OCCASIONAL 5 NT THROWN IN. THE MAGIC WILL HANDLE THE LONGER CARIBBEAN TRIPS TO OTHER ISLANDS.
THE MAGIC AND THE WONDER ARE CAN ACCOMMODATE 2400 PASSENGERS WHILE THE NEW DREAM IS SOME 50% BIGGER AND CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 4000 PASSENGERS, SO THE SIZE OF THE SHIP AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON IT MAY PLAY INTO THE DECISION FOR SOME. WHEN I WAS NARROWING MY DECISION, THE VIRTUAL PORTHOLE (SEE YESTERDAYS ENTRY) PUSHED ME TOWARD THE DREAM, BUT SO DID THE WORLDS FIRST CRUISE SHIP "WATER COASTER" CALLED THE "AQUADUCK". NOW THIS DOESN'T LOOK TO BE THE GREATEST THRILL RIDE IN THE WORLD, BUT TO AN 8 YR OLD, IT LOOKS PRETTY DAMN COOL! SO MORE AND MORE I WAS LEANING TOWARD THE DISNEY DREAM. BUT SPECIFICS ABOUT THE DREAM HAD ONLY BEEN LEAKED OUT SLOWLY SINCE IT WASN'T CRUISING YET, AND THERE WAS MUCH I WAS WORRIED ABOUT MY SON MISSING OUT ON, IF THINGS HAD BEEN CHANGED. I.E. - THE KIDS CLUBS AND PROGRAMS, THE RESTAURANT ENTERTAINMENT, OR SPECIFIC THEATER SHOWS. WELL AS INFORMATION CAME OUT, I REALIZED THE KIDS CLUBS, TYPICAL OF DISNEY, ARE NOW BIGGER AND BETTER. THE RESTAURANTS ARE EVEN MORE OF A SHOW. SEE WE WERE REALLY AMUSED BY THE "SHOW" PUT ON IN THE DCL'S "ANIMATORS PALATE" RESTAURANT ON THE MAGIC AND WONDER. AN ENTIRELY BLACK AND WHITE RESTAURANT THAT EVERYTHING IN IT SLOWLY CHANGED TO COLOR DURING YOUR MEAL; TABLES, WALLS, PICTURES, EVEN THE WAITERS. LIKE SO MANY THINGS, YOU CAN FIND SOME EXAMPLES ON YOUTUBE. BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS. THE DREAM HAS A RESTAURANT OF THE SAME NAME, BUT EARLY PICTURES ONLY SHOWED SKETCHES ON SOME WALLS AND MICKEY MOUSE COLOR AND DESIGNED CHAIRS. BIG DEAL. BUT FINALLY WHEN THE CAT WAS OUT OF THE BAG, IT TURNS OUT THE RESTAURANT "GOES UNDER WATER" DURING YOUR MEAL AND EVERY SKETCH, PICTURE, SKYLIGHT, ETC. TURNS INTO A WINDOW TO THE OCEAN OUTSIDE WHERE ALL THE CHARACTERS FROM FINDING NEMO SWIM BY AND UP TO AND ACTUALLY INTERACT WITH THE DINERS! YEAH BABY! IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN "TURTLE TALK WITH CRUSH" AT EPCOT, THIS IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE, BUT TAKEN FURTHER AS THE CHARACTERS CAN SWIM AROUND THE ROOM FROM (OR BY) WINDOW TO WINDOW. THAT WAS IT. DEAL WAS CLOSED. NO MORE UNDECIDEDNESS, THIS WAS THE ONE FOR US.
TO SOME CRUISERS THIS MAY MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. SOME MAY ONLY CARE ABOUT THE FANCIEST FOOD. ALL THE SHIPS HAVE AN ADULTS ONLY RESTAURANT NAMED "PALO", WHICH COSTS A SMALL FEE AND IS VERY FORMAL. THE NEW DREAM ALSO HAS AN ADULTS ONLY RESTAURANT NAMED "REMY" (AFTER THE RAT IN RATATOUILLE, IRONIC HUH?) THAT IS EVEN MORE FORMAL AND COSTS $75/ PERSON. SOME HOPE TO NEVER SEE KIDS ON THEIR CRUISE. SOME CAN'T GET RID OF THEM! lol
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT GO INTO YOUR CHOICE OF SHIP AND DESTINATION. I'LL GET INTO THE SHIP DETAILS IN PARTICULAR AT ANOTHER TIME. NEXT UP I THINK WILL BE PART OF THE PREPARATION AND ANTICIPATION FOR YOUR PARTY.
SEE YA REAL SOON! ºOº
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