Why take a Disney cruise if you aren’t into Disney? The opinion about the room size from someone who has never been on any other cruise doesn’t carry any weight with me. I really don’t get where he was coming from. Going on a Disney cruise and then complaining about how “Disney” it is seems really pointless. I just wasted 5 minutes of my time reading a lot of whining about a trip that true Disney fans would love to take. Sounds like his daughter had a blast 🤷🏻♀️
This review, despite the pseudo-high-brow or self-conscious tone, was a pleasant walk down the memory lane of one of our best vacations ever. Make of that what you will. We’ve been to countless islands, Spain, Italy, France etc etc, but our Disney Cruise and it’s magic - brought to us by the many sincere and caring “cast members” - remains one of the highlights of my daughter’s childhood. As a single mom, I was so grateful for their seating algorithm that placed us with another single mom and her daughter of the same age. And the excursions that partnered with local businesses were a wonderful add-on and well worth the money. Regulars do pack for the parties but the scarf and swords we were given were more than fine. Yes, I am a walking ad, and yes, that cruise brought a bit of magic to our loves when we needed it most. And I’m proud of that.
5
We thoroughly enjoyed a cruise to Bermuda with very few small kids. However, I'd rather have a root canal performed by a first-year dental student than have to endure this Disney cruise. I thank you for the warning. We have no grandchildren as yet, but I will leave such future torture to their parents sans grandparents.
1
Our family of 6 adults and 4 children ages 11, 8, 6 and 4 took a Disney cruise to celebrate my husband'2 70th birthday at the end of August in 2018. It was the week before the start of school in the Northeast and chock-a-block with teachers and their families (3,000+). Grown-up reviews in our party ranged from mediocre to torturous. However, the kids were and continue to be "over the moon" about their Disney cruise experience. The oldest child who's a bit nerdy enjoyed the club for pre-teens and loved the independence of roaming the ship without having to be accompanied by an adult. The littler ones were just enchanted by everything. Everyone agreed the crew was outstanding. However, finding available seating whether for breakfast or poolside was a real challenge for this particular sailing due to the huge number of passengers.
1
It's just me, but i didn't think the review was terribly negative or snarky. The writer gave perspective to traveling on a family cruise that you don't normally see when people write about Disney cruises. There's positives and there's negatives, just like life (although everyone would like a fairytale vacation)
1
Here's are some tips for readers who have yet to cruise from one who used to create a lot of cruise marketing and advertising.
1. If you plan on long shore excursions EVERY DAY, you will get a lot done but probably won't come home relaxed.
2. On a more relaxed 7-day cruise, you will start turning into Jello by the end of the 5th day.
3. On a more relaxed cruise of 9 days or longer, you will experience several days and nights as a bowl of Jello. A "Day at Sea" will guarantee it.
4. Some cruises on smaller ships may be more intellectually stimulating than the above, and less relaxing.
Please ignore the snobs who are too "enlightened" to sail, and know that selecting a megaship is not necessary to achieve Jellodom nirvana. Ships that carry from 200 to 900+/- passengers will do just fine.
2
It really was the point of taking a Disney 'family' cruise right Dan? To please the family right? Not to just find some melancholy, stress driven vacation that isn't geared to fit your bag? That is an extremely selfish viewpoint. You should take your vacations, and try to put the "real customer's" shoes on for a day. As a grandparent, and formerly active traveling parent, I always tried to find the fun in each vacation for my kids. Theme, location, food, pools, amenities, travel services to parks, and overall a good customer service attitude and delivery were the keys. Those things, modified for Ship board adventures, are the same. Good luck!
1
I have a two week cruise in October and yes, it's a Disney and it will be my fourth with them. I wasn't a "cruise guy" before I tried Disney and my first foray onto the Fantasy wasn't that great. The passengers seemed distant and overall not very friendly. The service was amazing, the activities that Disney has for children is amazing; I had to literally drag my son off the ship for some of the port excursions! Second cruise exceeded expectations. I did what many on this thread have done and read up in advance via blog (both pro and con)on how to maximize my cruise. As a result the Magic was probably one of the best vacations I ever had. I'm not really shocked that Disney wasn't the NYT type of vacation experience they'd tout. But taking a Disney cruise simply to write an article? Now THAT'S some serious excess!
1
Susan H, your sickness is your opinion-it is indeed your entitlement. Mine- different than yours in delivery: to all things there is a season- a time - and an age.
Doug Hill- The ocean yes- but many natives (in fairness in the areas I’ve been and also the areas I’ve researched for) would disagree with your western privileged thoughts on native life and their surroundings. Typical Westerner telling others how they should live and what’s wrong with them from the sanctuary of an air conditioned energy consuming pedestal- “the armchair occupy” rule we would joke. Really- politics, government- energy - and lack of this isn’t environmental but political in every one we’ve worked alongside of-
Okay. So many comments. 1st of all Disney has one of the larger staterooms on a cruiseship. You have to utilize all of the space, not just the dresser. You can store your luggage under your bed and there is a storage ottoman. Next, how did you spend that much money on alcohol? You are allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer per person and drinks are just bar pricing. 7-9 bucks depending on what you get. Is anyone surprised that noveltys cost money? And a lot of it? If you are out at sea with no other stores, you will have to pay a premium for those things. I have zero idea as to how you were stressed out on a cruise. It honestly was so relaxing. My son spent 90% of his time in the kids area and had a blast. We spent hours drinking and sunbathing in the adult only area. I recommend doing some research before you go. You can save money by, bringing alcohol to supplement, prepaying for a tip plan, bring your own tubes for the island that you blow up there and by bringing your owN snorkel, and bringing snacks from the deck into the theater. You can cut down on stress by arriving to things early, utilizing the dine and play for your kids and by taking advantage of the on ship kid club and on island beach club.
Some pre-planning and/or using a travel agent or even just looking on the cruise line's website could have prevented a lot of these issues. The website that allowed the author to pre-plan the princess makeover also listed that that was on the Castaway Cay day. Each night during turn down service you are given a Navigator detailing every activity and character greeting scheduled for the next day. If you are complaining about the amount of money for certain options, I'd advise to do a comparison with other cruise lines for wine, soda, etc. Money was clearly not a problem but rather just an excuse to complain. Feel free to stay away from Disney, that should make it more magical for the rest of us. Otherwise, show up prepared for not only your family trip but your article as well.
1
We just had our 7th Disney Cruise. 7 days in the eastern carribean. I am a high school teacher and my wife is a school nurse, and we now officially Platinum Castaway Club members. We have also sailed on Royal Carribean and Holland America, and we are unlikely to ever sail another line but Disney. I liked this review, and found it true of all the cruises. Horrifyingly wonderful in every case. The food is good, not spectacular but not what you would be having at home, the entertainment is sometimes overwhelming, and it is possible to schedule yourself to death, but if you remembert your budget, and that you are supposed to be on VACATION, it all can fall into perspective quite easily. And for the most part, we prefer the cruises with children to those without, for the simple reason that most of the adults are better behaved.
I took my daughter on a Disney cruise after I'd been sick for several months. I told her that when I felt better, she could choose a vacation and we'd do it, as a family.
We did the 4 night Bahamian cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Dream.
I, like you, knew almost nothing about cruising in general nor Disney cruising in particular. I literally booked the cruise just weeks ahead of time over spring break.
We had a ball. My daughter has never been into princesses but she loves Disney.
We had family time during dinner and excursions - On board, she spent a lot of time with her new friends. We did not buy any extras on the ship (it's a ship, not a boat) at all. We wore our free bandannas for Pirate Night and didn't feel out of place.
We did not purchase wifi packages. Why would you need wifi on a 4 night family vacation of any sort?
We had so much fun, we booked another cruise and sailed to Alaska last summer on the Wonder. Again, no internet access, no phone access, nothing for 10 days. It was heaven. What a beautiful trip.
You're free to be as snarky and snobby as you want but those of us who love the Disney cruise culture (we have lots of friends we've met on cruises now) will continue to enjoy the experiences.
Put away the electronics. Put away the hate for Disney. Put away the credit cards. Get on the ship and enjoy spending time with your family. Look in your daughters eyes when she talks about the trip, then decide if it was worthwhile or not.
1
We just went on our first Disney Cruise and it was first class all they way. The writer criticized things that have nothing to do with things that are in Disney’s control (their flight, and the weather).
Also, he seemed shocked that there was Disney everywhere. Duh, dude! Also, a complete fallacy. There were plenty of adults-only areas that weren’t overrun by Mickey and company.
Sounds like he went in and experienced a self-fulfilling prophecy. As for me, I can’t wait until we can go again!
1
Just got back from Disneyworld with my 13YO. I had no interest in going, but was fulfilling a promise made years ago. Was it exhausting? Yes. HOWEVER, my 13YO is at "that" age, spending all her time in her room, rolling her eyes at my every utterance. To observe this girl, after meeting Pocohontas, exclaim "she was SO nice", with LITERALLY a tear in her eye . . . . PRICELESS. Yes, the place is a big, silly waste of money, but they do a LOT right!
1
What a waste of time and money on this totally kid oriented rip. At almost sx, children are open to anything, ready to see different countries and cultures. Places you could have gone for four days, like Rome, Paris, London or Hawaii, would give her memories she would have all her life. Why bother with indulging childhood fantasies when she could have gone to Louvre, The Tate Modern or walked through the Forum and up and down the Spanish steps or the Bishop Museum. And you wouldn't have to settle for child's fare, you could have gone to a real restaurant on the Left Bank, on the Via Condotti or around Picadilly or at Pat's at Punahou. These are the memories children will keep forever, long after they abandoned FantasyLand as a way of life. If they need fantasy to help them sleep, bring along a couple of Oz Books.
8
I would like to write my own Disney Cruise travel article. I am a mother to a 3 and a half year old son with a baby on the way. Disney Cruise Line, lets make this happen! I’m only 40 minutes from Port of Miami.
I'm surprised that you admitted to getting on the boat while one of your party was sick. I recently had a good experience on a specialty cruise - and it would have been a great experience if I (along with half the boat) hadn't ended up getting sick because somebody came aboard while contagious.
4
No family NEEDS to have a Disney experience. Americans have been convinced by advertising that to give your children the most advantageous childhood, in essence to be the best parent, one MUST pay for the park or the cruise or whatever. As the mother of three I was sucked in to Disney World more than once...still, my daughter, now age 30, when asked her dearest childhood memory, recalls the class trip to the Queens County Farm accompanied by her dad when all the others kids had only their moms...
1
I get it, you’re somewhat a cynic but, I heard it in your last line. My son and I are sailing on my 17th Disney Cruise in August (Norway/Iceland.) I have #18 Booked. I actually fell in love with Disney through cruising as opposed to the parks. So here’s why I love Disney cruises. Every single time that I have cruised I have felt pampered, paid attention to and special. I have gotten what they call pixie dusted on almost every cruise in some small way (an unexpected small gift, special dessert, an unbooked behind the scenes tour.) I enjoy the heart of Disney, the place where the villains lose, good guys win, people are kind, things are simple and absolutely magical. Disney is immersive. I tear up at the damn fireworks every time. As somebody who doesn’t drink I also enjoy that much of the entertainment does not center around alcohol and the atmosphere is family friendly but not overwhelming with kids. The adult spaces are sacred and peaceful. Finally, as a single parent, I was able to totally relax and pamper myself knowing that my son was always safe and highly entertained. In fact I had bargain for “us” with him most of his early years. I’ve also cruised with all adults on DCL too and we have found we enjoyed it just the same. How do I afford it? The cheapest cabins and I’m always making payments on my next cruise. Looking forward to my next sailing!
1
Sorry, Davis Foster Wallace did it better. But a nice tip of the cap.
I am a Castaway Club member, and I have been on a Disney Cruise 3 times with my extended family, and will be on another one this spring... So I am a biased commenter.
Sir, you are blaming the cruise for your own mistakes. Own them! If you schedule a princess session for your little one on the same day as the Castaway Cay day, the blame is on you.
You said you did not prepare for the cruise. I can tell!
I guarantee that you will not go to ANY destination without doing some research previously. Also, being a senior travel editor, I would assume that you have a little skill for planning and for scheduling. You could have had a great time if you did some research beforehand and if you had planned your activities before getting in the ship.
3
This sounds like your author went into this cruise ready to hate a Disney Cruise. I honeymooned on the Bahamas cruise and enjoyed a Disney Alaska Cruise. The service is truly world class. And the amenities are luxurious. The activities are everything you could want and more. And I speak as an adult couple, without kids. As a travel enthusiastic, I know rule #1 is research my next adventure. 10 minutes of research would have avoided many of the pitfalls this writer complains about. Cabins are small, the 4 blocks off the docks in any port are horrible tourist traps, and the Bahamas are not always warm tropical paradises all winter long. Having been on a Carnival cruise, where everything was covered in grime, the food was inedible, and the service was laughable, sailing with Disney was like being in a golden dream. Its too bad he didn't talk about how engaging and fun the kids programs are, how entertaining the adult evening activities are (and free!), how relaxing the spa and adult only deck is, how delicious and plentiful the food is, or how beautiful the art around the ship is. It sounds like he didn't even get to enjoy the world class adults only restaurant on board. Of course, his daughter was enjoying the Disney magic, but its also very easy to avoid the mouse and the pixie dust, if you set out to have a "grown up" adventure. I hope the NYT's makes sure their travel writers do their research, and I hope their writers approach every experience with an open mind.
2
The trip is more comfortable for the comforts you have and its beautiful view, as well as the food, the days are fast for your comfort.
Good luck
Taking a sick child with cough and a fever a day ago on a cruise where there are thousands of children, in the mids of flu season with already numerous children reported death, this person still has odasity to criticize anything. Putting thousands of kids at risk. On top of that $1500 on a booze on a Disney cruise for two adults for 4 days, seriously? Holding martiny while with kid. May be if he went to get ice cream first, like other parents not the martiny, his kid would have ice cream too
2
I'm sure Anna's story is Magical. Kids don't see that. You're awesome parents!
1
This Disney Cruise featured in today's travel section costs as much as my health insurance deductible. I don't get it. Who has money like this?
5
The comments provide a fascinating insight into the way Americans approach holidays. For the majority here it’s about being comfortable inside a trusted and “American” environment. Its about not being thrust into an environment that would be in anyway intellectually or even physically challenging. It’s also about making your children happy through spending a lot of money on them.
8
This same thought occurred to me, why travel if you just want to recreate your home environment?
I understand that cruises make traveling possible for older adults, young children and large families in a streamlined way that caters towards ease. For those of us not encumbered by those factors, cruising on large ships (Disney or not) tend to strip the adventure and spontaneity out of travel.
Disney is focused on a certain type of vacationer ... one usually handcuffed by either finances, limited curiosity and/or young children or senior parents.
1
With respect to the author, a Disney cruise isn’t about or for the adults; it’s about the kids and clearly his daughter had a great time, which is the whole point.
I took the magic with a niece, ten going on 25, and a highly introverted 12 year old nephew and they had a ball and seeing them explore and rediscover the fun of being kids was a real delight, all made possible by the hokie, overwhelmingly sugary and thoroughly delightful ambience aboard the ship. The crew is truly fantastic - even the author agreed with that - and the various dining rotations and options kept the kids engaged and, dare I say it: participatory, at every meal. If you want rock climbing and ice skating this isn’t your trip. If you want tuxedos and a more buttoned-up cruise, this isn’t for you. If you want to see and experience your kids be kids and enjoy being kids, then this is for you.
3
The difficulties the author encounters have much to do with the almost complete lack of planning here, and very little to do with Disney. It is hard to understand why a "travel editor" (or their employer) would fork over several thousand dollars and apparently make no effort at all to plan anything in advance, or do even a modicum of research (and then blame Disney for
the issues that result!)
6
Talk about "cloying." All during the reading of this article OI felt like Dan and his family and myself were one step away from toxinated total disaster. I have never been on a cruise and will never go on one. A cruise, any cruise is self-placing yourself in a life-endangering situation due to toxins, poisons, outbreaks (Anna was already sick with a cough), and speaking of youngsters -- who needs 'em. Cruisies are shams and scams and sucker's bets. Essentially $90.00 for one youngster's one outfit -- partially removed later to go swimming. What a waste. I, too, would have waundered around always with a stiff drink in hand. Cruises are invites to terrorists and real pirates. They should be banned as international cancerous toxins on the planet.
3
I read this article, every word, and found the whole thing one great bore. It may be that the kid, certainly similar to my own granddaughters, is completely taken with the entire world of Disney princesses, but how can the writer take it all in as anything but one big financial shakedown? Four days for that cost? In our world of legitimate need it is almost scandalous.
6
There really is a thing called “magic” and it happens on a Disney cruise. Children having the time of their lives? Priceless.
3
Didn't the Times already do this exact same story? Yes! It did.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/travel/escapes/09disney.ready.html
I get the cheesiness of cruising but that can be minimized, and I find the overall experience incredible. It's more about the "blackness of the vast ocean" understanding despite the laughter and microcosm of a world that we're still very much reliant on that ship carrying us safely through that vastness, that we're so small. It seems you wanted to make your cruise as generic and big corp. as possible. To me it would've been more interesting to have found the more secluded things to do even while on such a mainstream tourist excursion (at least get off the Disney-owned turf and spend locally)—we took local buses to QE II Botanic Park on Grand Cayman. The ship is a resort at sea, wake up to an ocean view, great food, lounge in the common spaces or your balcony: unequaled tranquility. You paid really a lot. Just went 10 days with my wife on Costa: $1400 for cruise with outside balcony, $2500 total after added fees, tours, etc.
As an older dad, I jammed in four decades’ worth of mischief and left few stones unturned before the children arrived. Back in the day, had you invited me to something as institutional as Club Med or, God forbid, a Disney cruise, I’d have politely refused. Now, with kids camp and all-day activities baked in, I dream about Disney cruises to Club Med.
http://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=artic...
It seems like every NYT travel article about Disney starts off with the writer declaring their distaste for all things Disney, so I’m curious: Do your editors put this kind of effort into making sure your writers covering, say, Rome have a lifelong dislike of Italy?
3
First, I find it absolutely astounding that as a travel writer, you've never been on a cruise! That's like a food writer saying he's never been to a wine bar. Says a lot about your credibility. Same for your not having been to either WDW or Disneyland in 30 yrs. I know you go mainly to 4 and 5 diamond properties, but you have to learn to grovel with us little people once and a while.
As for your review, you can see that your a cruise newbie by how you planned and approached your vacation. I'm not going to get into specifics, suffice to say, taske several more cruises.
From the way you describe it and the pics provided, this ain't for me, and I have two 8 yr old girls. When I go on a cruise I want to relax. This seemed to be running from one place to another, waiting in lines, hassles of bumping into other families and crowds. I get that on the subway here in NYC. I get the whole Disney thing. But for the amount of running around and stuff, I rather go to WDW and spend my $.
Speaking of which, the only good deal you got was the $60 for the single malt flight. Other than that, $170 for a massage is highway robbery. I had a massage at The Four Seasons in Dallas and it cost $100. You spent about $4200 on a 4 day cruise, plus airfare. So my guess is the total came in around $5000. A total waste of money. You'd have gotten much, much more bang for your buck with a week at WDW, with a real hotel room that had room. Sorry, your an amateur.
2
Such cruise seems interesting.
But as a part-time minimum-wage worker with student debts that won't go away for the next 15 years (or more), I find the cost of such cruise astounding.
As occasional reward to myself, I dine at McDonalds where I must be careful to select only from the value meals menu.
I might enjoy a cruise, but I won't cause I cant.
2
Such a cynical review! It seems that the author and his wife had determined to endure their cruise rather than enjoy it before they ever boarded.
My husband and I took our two boys on a Disney cruise and it was one of our best vacations. I'm far from a Disney fan, but I had to admit that the ship was beautiful and immaculate, the food was great and we were never bored. Unlike the author, though, we spent our money on extra activities (that we'd researched and booked well ahead of boarding) rather than on overpriced massages, costumes and booze.
It's a shame that the author couldn't have put aside his biases to write a fairer review and to have enjoyed the experience more.
1
Not sure if anyone else commented on this, but these cruises started long before 1998. I went on my honeymoon on “the big red boat” which was a Disney cruise and went to that private island.
I am a world traveler now, but it was my first and last cruise. Not horrible but extremely meh.
1
5 Disney cruises...one as a solo traveler...aged 75... just enjoy sitting on a balcony watching the ocean pass by. Wait crew in on a Disney Magic were exceptional and we are still in touch via social media. A more recent cruise in RCL Harmony of the Seas.....HUGE ship....Thousands of passenger....not my favorite way to travel (we were sailing to a destination wedding with the wedding party.) next ‘cruise’ was on a much smaller Pandaw ship on the Red River in Vietnam.....perfect size for me. Soon we’ll be on a slightly larger AMA WATERWAYS ship on the Mekong River. On both VN trips there are twice-daily excursions off the ships at no additional cost. Perfect for us. Maybe not for others.
2
I would say that if you are not into cruise vacations, then don't just hate on Disney Cruises. Actually, it seems like the author dislikes everything that doesn't play into their immediate desires and expectations, which isn't a reasonable way to approach travel experiences. In other words, lighten up! Travel experiences are more enjoyable when we adopt a sense of adventure and a mind open to enjoying new things, not sitting back and expecting everyone and every company to meet your detailed expectations.
2
DAY ONE - “we dropped Anna off at the Oceaneer Club and headed up to Senses Spa & Salon.” That about sums it up. Apparently the writer confused a Disney cruise with a whiskey-tasting, massage-having, key west exploring vacay. Poor Anna. :(
2
This brought back some fond memories of a 7-day Disney cruise we had with our two daughters about 12 years ago. It was on the smaller ship just like this cruise which was good - but even then there were lineups for many things. The kids truly loved it and we loved that they loved it. Now as adults, they still have fond memories of the trip - which is exactly the point.
1
As a seasoned traveler, very surprised you booked her princess appt in the middle of your one beach day. Amateur mistake. What a waste.
3
It sounds as though you are a smart enough couple but did not do any of your homework before taking your first cruise! I have been on 2 Disney .cruises and going on a 3rd with grandsons and family, Sept 2018. It is the cleanest and most organized vacation that you can come across. They do pack a lot in so that is why you need to look at your "navigator" in the evenings and plan your next day. I am sure your daughter was upset that the ice cream machine was broken down. Truly there is so much else to do while on these cruises. Perhaps if you would not have rung up..... 1500.00 was it .......on the alcohol you would have had a much better time. Tsk Tsk Tsk.......Hmmmmm I wonder if you are the type of folks that are not happy with anything that happens in your lives?? Just a guess. I hope that anyone who reads your "pity party" story won't think twice about going on a Disney Cruise. It is a very nonstressful vacation that you would ever take. Just a suggestion......read your Navigator and perhaps do not plan to have your child made up in the morning know that you are pulling into an island for a wonderful day at the beach. :) I am so excited to head out in Sept for the 7 day Eastern Cruise. You should be thankful that you only had to suffer 4 days of "no fun" as opposed to 7 days. Who knows, you may have never made it through that......TTFN (Oh that stands for Ta Ta For Now........you know.....Tigger from Winnie the Poo. ;)
1
I think that this review shows that it is difficult to overcome one's preconceptions: the reviewer began explaining that he doesn't like the idea of cruises (had never been on one) nor Disney vacations and then proceeded to look for faults. It think it is too bad that he didn't approach the vacation with a more balanced attitude. Very disappointing for a NYT review.
3
We recently took the Disney cruise out of New York. My 9-year old granddaughter was more prepared for her trip than this so-called travel expert. There are so many resources to use ahead of time to plan, it's a shame they just winged it. Also, I hope they didn't spread that cold around too much.
3
I'm just sitting here trying to figure out how Disney hasn't sued the author for knowingly bringing a sick passenger on board and making a false claim on the registration forms. Bad form Dan, bad form.
We too took a cruise out of Florida last summer and it was unforgettable. 10/10, would go again.
3
I've been on the Disney Magic for a 7 day Caribbean cruise. Believe it or not my wife & I went without our kids as they were all grown. We actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Our only complaint was that Disney ships do not have a casino on board. The weather did not cooperate though and we found ourselves stuck at Castaway Cay for an extra day as the wind whipped waves battered the ship against the dock. truth be told, we had a ball drinking with the other passengers as many others fretted about their flights home and waited hours in lines to change their flights (I went online on my laptop and changed our flight in 5 minutes). We just enjoyed the extra time and it felt so much like an actual adventure where you don't know what will happen next. That made it rather exciting and fun to be honest. We are Disney vacation Club members so we used points for the cruise - therefore couldn't tell you how much it cost but it worth every penny.
2
I found your article strangely moving. I'm not even sure why! It was all so wonderfully written and you really captured the tug-of-war between childlike wonder and real-world adult stress that defines the Disney experience.
My wife and I took our daughters (2 and 4 at the time, but on the brink of 3 and 5) to Disneyland a year ago and it was mind-blowingly magical, but obviously very expensive and mind-meltingly overwhelming at times, considering the sheer effort it took to organize things and just move through crowds and get food at reasonable times and things like that.
It was an experience I'd never forget, though, and I feel like that might be true of you and your cruise experience. It's a crazy whirlwind, but those memories that last are truly special.
The tone made me sad for the whole family. Daddy was pretty grumpy it seems. Too much money perhaps was spent on very transient and overpriced stuff: $170 massages X 2 !, about $100 for a child's costume-just say NO, a lot of alcohol. ( I returned home from a wonderful cruise once- Scandinavia, Russia, former E Germany, Estonia-to get a $ 775 bar bill in the mail...I called them and they said, yes, I did drink that much ) My point is that you do have to track your expenses and avoid the traps. It's a vacation not a responsibility free zone. To have reliable babysitters on demand is a huge benefit. You can pay for only one shared room but still arrange a love life. Maybe they did not think of this and could have been happier if they had. I always loved being a family on vacation with fun to look forward to and time to watch the kids grow -learning things like diving, geology, new food, hearing a new language... It is sad to spend $ 5,000 , have 4 days together, admit to great service and true friendliness from an international crew ( who may have harder lives than we know ), concede that the food was good, the beaches beautiful and that no one got sick and still come away not much pleased. And why would anyone think that there would be room for lots of baggage ? But you don't have to lug it on to 3 changes of planes or multiple train stations. I like cruising while not being in Disney's target market. But I would not blame the author's reactions on Disney.
I am a fan of small ship cruising. That is, little ships with less than 40 passengers. I can't imagine going on a big ship. However, I do know something about Disneyfication, as I live less that 100 miles from DisneyWorld. Yes, we occasionally go to the parks and have a good time. No, we don't allow ourselves to be hustled or over spend. We plan in advance, decide what we'd like to see or experience, where we'd like to eat and using the many bounties of the internet, sort through the possibilties, not to mention the most important, researching the times to visit with shortest lines. The Epcot food expo is a lot of fun for foodies, there are special seasonal activities, shows and decorations, etc. Had Dan, the author of this article done his research, he could have planned his time on the Disney cruise ship with maximizing the experiences for the most positive results and least un-necessary cost. I'm amazed that a travel writer didn't do his due diligence.
It is incredible to me that you could spend $1500 on incidentals on a 4 day cruise. I agree with other cruisers here - I have been on several 7-10 day cruises and not broken $1000 as a couple.
1
The writer reporting as an inexperienced cruiser, in my opinion was a poor choice. A Disney cruise is chosen by many who can afford a premium experience, which provides the ultimate cruising experience for all ages. High priced drinks by adults on cruises is no secret but hardly a reason to cruise with Disney. Disney caters to adults with separate adult pool areas, lounges, entertainment etc separate from the extensive programming in the kids club only area that occuppies half a deck. There is no casino but there there is family friendly bingo. The least expensive cabins are plush and large with 1.5 baths that along with a privacy partition can house 4 adults easily. Gourmet dinning is standard and the huge buffet resturant is open for those who wish to dine on their own schedule. Disney has some of the best on shore excusions and the difference by patrons who cruise with definitely go on Most of the shore excursions. Obviously a short Bahama cruise is a starter cruise in which most of the patrons which to experience cruising for the first time and or for those looking for an extra long weekend escape fantasy to a tropical paradise close to the departure point and return. Let’s see a followup 10 night cruise to the Baltic or Mediterranean seas on Disney to get a real sense about crusing with Mickey is like.
1
Thanks to everyone for your responses -- positive and negative -- and thoughts. We've collected some of them here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/reader-center/disney-cruise-love-hate...
best, Dan
1
For a real cruise experience, leave the kid at home and go Holland America, particularly the Rotterdam Mediterranian cruise. All the great things, without the not-so-great things. I'm glad your daughter had a good time.
Sounds awful.
4
Good Grief you folks are cranky today.
Disney not for you? Fine, don't go.
We've never done a cruise, just a couple of trips to WDW in Orlando with our kid. Did we love it? Oh he!! no. Did our kid love it? OMG did he love it.
So it's basically a hellish thing you do for your kid who loves Disney. Like freezing your butt off during baseball games in early April, which is hellish without the mouse ears.
Of course, we all have our limits. When our son asked us when we were going again I told him you can go again when you're married with children of your own.
6
I grew up in the era of the start of Disney -- (Wonderful World of Disney, sunday nights.) I never watched it. I was a fan, as a kid, of Snow White, and that's about it. The "Disneyfication" of America and our culture is particularly obnoxious to me, as is what they've done specifically to Times Square.
A couple of years ago I was coaxed (truly against my will) to go to Disneyworld in Orlando. Middle of the week; not a school vacation period. Every ride, event, and whatever had a 30 minute or more line.
Yuck.
5
Sounds like a pure trip to HELL. I did a cruise once, it was a jazz themed cruise with all A-listers on board, and 4 concerts a day. The music was top drawer, and redeemed the experience, but despite decent food and good amenities, cruise ship living feels like prison. I'll get my jazz fix on land from now on thank you very much.
9
I did a 7-day cruise to Bermuda once. 2 1/2 days on the island. The only time I felt freed. Otherwise, it was 'trapped and contrived'.
1
I love the movies and my granddaughter loves Minnie, but this sounds as ghastly as I’d feared. And an incredible amount of money for just a few days.
3
I thought family vacations were about un-plugging and bonding. One of the best gifts we can give our children is to teach them gratitude. This sounded like paradise on earth, oh, but there wasn't any ice cream by the pool?
Wow just reading this I cringed. So much poor planning on the part of the poster. Cruising is great on all lines and I think he needs to research a little more
1
I read this with great interest, as we are one of those families that cruise regularly. Because this was a Disney Cruise review, I suppose the writer was required to do the entire "Disney experience," which was purchase DCL shore excursions, and buy Disney merch on board the ship. If this had been my first cruise, I would have done the same. However, when we cruise, we avoid the gift shop, and usually find our own amusement once we hit shore, hiring a driver or booking our own excursion with a Trip Advisor-approved vendor. Because the ship is an all-inclusive resort that takes us to different destinations, cruising can be a great value for money. I've enjoyed cruises on several different cruise lines, and with few exceptions, the service is as stellar as described here. We have never cruised DCL, and now that my son is turning into a surly teen, probably never will. One pays top dollar to cruise with Disney, and the cloying Disneyana and hard sell just aren't worth it. I am glad our reviewer started to enjoy himself before trip's end. A cruise on a more laid-back line would probably appeal to him a lot more.
This arrival was shared in a group of travel agents and there was a lot of chatter about how much more it would have been enjoyed if the author had used an agent. From advice on shore excursions, to knowing not too book a Princess makeover on Castaway Cay day, to information about the various drink packages that would have saved money, travel agents are a wealth of knowledge about all vacations!
I guess that's why we're called consumers. Viewing the comments here, I don't see how so many can be so critical of spending lavishly while on vacation - maybe they have to much to spend the whole rest of the year.
I travel once a year (if I'm lucky) and for that I scrimp and save for about 6 months. Then I go somewhere and I spend like a drunken sailor for a week having the time of my life. I find it enjoyable to go 'deluxe' and 'XL' and 'with a view' and not have to count nickels and dimes. No apologies.
Good grief - have New Yorkers already forgotten there was a time less than 17 years ago when Broadway and restaurants were going dark and we were begging tourists to come back and spend? That's how much we depend on it.
3
I can't imagine spending a month's salary on four days of something I never wanted to do in the first place. Nevertheless, the writer's job is to explore such services that the travel industry has to offer. So thanks for the tips on what to expect on a Disney Cruise.
If I decide for me that it would be fun for my kids to be with Mickey and the gang and I that surely I can get into the spirit of what Disney has to offer, then I'll know what to plan in advance so that I can brace for the magical journey ahead.
I dont know Dan you sound pretty like you just stepped out of the never traveled anywhere before book. Why wouldnt you research for a minute the cruise line? We went on a disney cruise and Loved it... maybe you should have figured something out when you were able book the salon on the shore day - duhhhh cause everyone knows you need to book stuff in advanced for the water days... and complaining about pirate night costumes? really - do you know how many people order them off amazon the days leading up to their cruise... maybe you needed to read a couple of extra blogs on how to handle the cruise. Cause I will say this... having been on a magical disney cruise - my family is looking forward to our next one!
1
I went on the same cruise at 50 for a girls' trip with five of my high school friends. There's a whole section of the top deck set apart for people without kids, which was wonderful. Did not seem to be a lot of late night party animals, which I also loved, since I like to go to bed/wake up early. A very peaceful vacation! I never took my own kids to a Disney property until they were teenagers and could roam free but I think like the writer I would have been stressed out with the pressure to buy small children princess makeovers etc.
Aw, come on! It was a fantastic trip... for Anna. The trip didn't live up to the writer's expectations, but it sure lived up to Anna's. She'll remember this trip all her life. And isn't that what really matters?
2
250 sq ft is "tiny"?? That is the size of my girlfriend's perfectly reasonable apartment. That's not tiny. You're on a boat for goodness sakes.
5
This article's headline was click bait. The author and his family had a nice time. Only the kaput ice cream machine seemed to be a clear first world downer.
7
I agree, after reading the article, expecting Disney had lowered their standards, I found the author worked very hard to find SOMETHING to complain about. Yes, your on a DISNEY cruise, shocker it was themed with Disney characters. OMG they called your daughter princess. Of course some people find that offensive. Then again some people will always find something offensive. I suppose they could have called her "hey you" "butch" "buddy" or tried to remember the names of all the children. The 200 dollar princess makeover. Hmm shot yourself in the foot on that one. I took a Disney cruise 7 years ago and had a wonderful time. Food, service, activities were all first class. I skipped the $60 single malt liquors because quite frankly I am on a cruise with my young children and didn't think getting sloshed was appropriate. Sorry about the weather in Key West, not really sure how that was Disney's doing, but it made for good print. A shame they needed to use that headline, I fully enjoyed my Disney Cruise, but then again, I wasn't intentionally looking for faults.
1
$200 on a makeover for a little girl? what a waste of money.
15
My neighbors with five kids went on a Disney Cruise and came back with five heads full of lice.
7
"Can a cruise skeptic enjoy four days on the high seas with his family, Mickey and a bunch of princesses?" Not unless he has the capacity to relax,enjoy childish pleasures,understand the Disney philosophy of calling little girls,'Princesses', and disregard Serbian waiters' 'Italian' accents. In other words by not being a travel critic and just being a traveler.
10
The article struck me as a condescending description of a vacation the author felt was beneath him in the first place. I'm a single mother of two kids close in age, and we have been on a number of Disney Cruises, and we've loved every one. Like virtually everything in life, it all depends upon the attitude you go into it with. My suggestion, if you're going to spend the money on the cruise, then go into it with a positive attitude, and focus on the many wonderful aspects: meeting new people from all over the world, spending quality time with your kids having wondrous experiences outside your normal routine, the opportunity to see beautiful scenes in foreign lands, and the privilege of spending a few days relaxing, where your meals are cooked for you, your living space cleaned for you, and your every wish is catered to. And stop complaining that the soft serve machine was out of ice cream for a few minutes.
22
You summed it up beautifully with "Like virtually everything in life, it all depends upon the attitude you go into it with".
2
Now, I was a cruise skeptic. I went on a Disney cruise with no prior experience on cruise ships. It was a great time and I wish I chose a cruise with more than 3 nights. It ended too soon. Great food and nice rooms too.
8
All this expense. Everything over the top. Hordes of people. Eleven decks? What a turn off. And the child is five? What values are instilled in this four-day attempt to give her a good time?
There are people in this nation trying to exist on a paltry minimum wage, a decreasing safety net and a shred of vanishing health care.
Oh, and Disney is adding to the fleet to meet the growing demand! No wonder this nation has lost its moral compass.
5
This comments section is a perfect example of our country slowly unraveling as people retreat to their separate camps where only those who think alike are allowed.
15
Cruises are basically being stuck inside a hotel for 4, 7 or 10 days? Unless you're crippled or infirm, why would you want to do that?
12
That's the thing that I don't get. You could do all of this at a resort where you can actually go for a walk on the beach in the early morning and not be trapped on a boat with a zillion people and all their germs.
13
Sounds like it would have been mostly fine if your left your daughter at home.
4
sounds horrendous. glad the kid had a good time.
.
11
This is one of the most depressing things I've ever read.
Please, next time the NYT feels like doing a piece on cruises, just re-print "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again."
11
I reluctantly went on my first cruise last year with my daughter and granddaughter. It must take a better person than me to enjoy being trapped on a crowded ship. Never again.
9
I couldn't read this without thinking of David Foster Wallace's essay, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again."
8
This does definitely does NOT look like someplace we would want our children to be. It looks sleazy.
4
I was sad for the writer who went into this with a negative attitude and found what he was looking for. Hopefully his family enjoyed it more.
10
While travelers on cruises such as these cavort in a make-believe world, the sea creatures (not the ones in the cartoons--real creatures) must absorb the waste of thousands of small floating cities (cruise ships) who flush their passengers' waste "Under the Sea." What would Ariel say?
8
Sounds just lovely. As they did the romantic walk around the promenade deck, maybe Mickey could have helped the little girl with the math concerning " if four days costs $4400, what was the per diem rate?".
3
My indifference to Disney has turned into incandescent hostility, due to their non-stop robocalls. Reports to the Do Not Call list are ignored. Why do they believe that someone who has repeatedly refused can be induced to spend thousands of dollars on a purchase they don't want or need? They use fake numbers so calls can't be screened out. I find myself hating Disney with a passion. And yes, the calls identify themselves as Disney.
7
Anything to do with Disney is not to be considered travel but entertainment. Travel has to do with curiosity, observation, learning about other people and cultures. It is interesting and it sparks the imagination and interest in ways Disney cannot.
18
It seems as if the writer needed a travel agent to help guide him through the experience. One does not schedule Bippity Boppity Boutique on Castaway Cat Day, and Pirate Night stress would have been alleviated with a simple heads up, for example.
Sometimes we parents take one for the team. We find the best things and focus on them. Our children have been on other cruise lines and always say that it is not Disney.
Everyone is different, but one should seek unbiased advice. A seasoned professional can offer it, and at no charge.
4
Hmm, spending thousands to “take one for the team,” and because childcare is available. This doesn’t strike me as making the most of life. It makes some degree of sense for those with very small kids, or kids who aren’t functional to travel normally. But even then, a resort seems better.
1
Disney cruise or having my fingernails pulled out with pincers. A very close call.
19
I cringed at the banality of the days described by Mr
Saltzstein. I would rather lie on a bed of nails than go on a Disney cruise. Shudder.
17
I thought of writing about how on cruises my spouse and I took excursions and heard the magic of howler monkeys roaring like lions in the jungle, stood on a beach below an arriving 747 that seemed close enough to touch, strolled the simmering streets of Old San Juan as the sun re-appeared after a downpour, were serenaded by our waiter singing "American Pie," complete with guitar, after a scrumptious meal, sipped wine on our balcony while taking in the glow of a full moon on the water as we left Puerto Vallarta, hiked over the clouds in Mazatlan, and discovered that the lovely people occupying the table for two next to us grew up in our home town, but I'll refrain. People might talk, thinking I actually love cruises.
9
We have taken our kids on 2 Disney cruises & to Disney parks, BUT also on many other non-Disney vacations to Washington DC, National Parks, etc. Guess what? We enjoy them all. A cruise cannot be beat if you don't want do a ton of planning or manage logistics and are willing to pay for that convenience. It's also a way to show your younger children places that might be challenge to fly to and then subsequently drag them around for days. Also, if you want a multi-generational trip, a cruise makes that easy - grandkids and grandparents get to spend quality time together and also have an opportunity to do things not everyone can do as a group. Also - I think we can skip passing judgement on a $200 princess dress up - there are many, many things we overspend on as parents to see a look of sheer joy on our kids' faces.
21
Dan, I hate to say this, but you made all of the beginner cruising mistakes. I've 51 and have been on five cruises (four to the Caribbean and one to Alaska). I've loved every one. I've been on Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean is by far the most fun mid-level line, while Celebrity has the nicest and biggest rooms.
If you plan your ports carefully ahead of time (which comes from experience, research, and talking with friends), you'll find that you don't need to take a fancy, expensive excursion at every port. In St. Lucia in January this year, for example, we got off the ship, took a cheap taxi to the Marriott, and paid $35 each for a day pass, which gave us access to the private beach, beach cabanas, and swimming pools. It was a slice of heaven that cost us each less than $75 for food and a drink, transportation, and a private beach for the day.
The other thing experienced cruisers do is drink when they are off the ship rather than on it (to save a lot of money), or they buy a drinks package. Also, a seven-night cruise is the perfect length--not too short or long.
Don't give up on cruising, Dan--just do it the right way next time!
7
While I admire the ingenuity you possess, the process you otlined of getting on a cruise ship, to leave ship, and then go to a Marriott strikes me as too absurd or ironic to comprehend.
1
Why not just to to that hotel in St. Lucia? About the drinks, maybe the author wants to drink when he wants to drink, or with dinner. Rather than pack his drinking into the daytime excursion.
1
Cost of the cruise for Mr. Saltzstein: $2900 + $1500
Adult time and peaceful meals while knowing your child is safe and having a great time: PRICELESS
8
I don't think the author gives enough credit to the kids' clubs on the ships. You drop your child in an incredibly safe place where they are having a fantastic time and they don't want to leave. You get to enjoy a fantastic meal at one the ships' upscale restaurants, or go to the world class spa on board, or just lounge by the pool with a stellar drink in your hand, without a worry in the world.
34
I don’t think the author gives much credit to anything for what sounds like a lovely trip that was essentially a business expense.
1
Not surprised he didn't love it- he tried to do it all and paid for the pleasure. It's totally possible to have fun on a Disney Cruise without spending a fortune on BippityBoppityBoo, or Paolo. And his scheduling problems were his own creation. I was a total cruise skeptic (and hostile to Disney princesses), but after our first cruise, realized I could relax and love it, and my kids would be fine without me going bankrupt on stuff.
We've done it a couple of times now, and what I love is how even a my kids have gotten older, the activities on the ship have scaled with them. Even my tween- who hates everything- has a great time.
5
Fortunately the free market provides plenty of alternatives to those hesitant to cruise with Mickey.
6
Very happy people enjoy these cruises. Really! This is what makes horse races. Not everyone wants to trek through museums, make restaurant choices, and map travel routes. These cruises seem ideal for families. May they go on for as long as there are Mickey Mouse caps.
6
Knowing what I know about how expensive and bland Disney World is, I am nonetheless awaiting its Star Wars land in the hopes of finally experiencing a fully immersive Star Wars environment, as if I had free rein to explore a planet from one of the movies. So until I get to experience it, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt just for the promise of this attraction.
1
This sounds predictably horrible, but really I'm just here for the rabid Disney cruise fan comments. They're so passionate and indignant in their defense of it, but they actually make it sound even worse. I can't imagine spending my vacation watching Disney movies, or crowding around a guy in a mouse suit, or limiting my island/beach time to a partial day shore excursion. But to each their own.
27
It’s absolute astounding. This guy wrote this increadibly detailed article about the fun experiences his family enjoyed and the joy it brought to his daughter. But in the end, he still somehow was able to literally complain about having fun.
Two things. First, as a seasoned Disney cruiser, I can say that you don’t need to spend anywhere near the amount onboard that he did. Second, he needs to learn how to say no to his daughter once in a while (see number one).
23
It’s a shame you chose a title which previews a poor experience, particularly for readers who have been skeptical about cruise vacations. As many others who have commented, a Disney cruise was my family’s first try at a cruise vacation and we became repeat customers many times over. Since so many of today’s readers assume the substance of an article is encased in titles and blurbs I hope you haven’t turned them off inadvertently. Disney Cruises create fun for children that leads to rare relaxation opportunities for parents. I’m forever grateful to them!
3
So, you sort of fudge the fact that you daughter doesn't have a fever AND a cough, she only has a cough, though she had a fever AND a cough just a day ago.
And then you point out that, golly gee, antiseptic wipes are handed out in the dining room and that hygiene is a big dead on board a ship.
Is there any connection between the facts of these 2 sentences?
18
Big deal, I meant.
Ugh.
7
As a recovering cynic and a person who enjoys adventure travel as opposed to cruises, I took my teenage son on a Disney "Star Wars" cruise. He had the time of his life. Disney tries to make everything detail enjoyable, and who am I to disparage that? On my cruise, I noted a number of points this astute article makes, but then made the choice to set them aside. Some trips you take not for yourself, but for the ones you love. If and as you do, be glad that you did. Children grow up too fast.
14
My family and I (wife, daughter) have taken 3 Disney cruises, and we loved all of them. The ships are palaces and the service is beyond impeccable. For one, I loved that the castmembers called my daughter “Princess.” I’ll admit that these cruises may not be for everyone, due to cost or a dislike of anything Disney or a dislike of cruises or a combination of all three. That said, I agree with many of the commenters here that the author of this piece seemed not to have researched DCL at all prior to the cruise. Before our first cruise my wife and I read everything we could find online and joined a Facebook group with many repeat cruisers who gave us great tips. I simply can’t believe the author booked a $200 princess makeover for his daughter in the middle of Castaway Key day.
For me, the highlights of the cruises were not the princesses, or Mickey, Donald and Goofy, but the simple pleasures of the cruise and my daughter’s absolute joy in all of them, like the two of us taking early morning walks on the Fantasy’s promenade deck and watching the sunrise while letting my wife sleep in, then getting us all hot chocolate and specialty coffees to bring back to the room. Priceless!
9
As a parent you can go nuts trying to follow the conflicting advice from the people who think they know what vacation is best for your family. I’ve heard ‘Such and such place is not for kids, take them to Disney’ and ‘Disney is horrible and fake, take them anywhere else.’ Blah blah blah.
The author here did what the parent is supposed to do; know your kids, judge their likes and interests and what they can and can’t handle and plan a vacation accordingly. And sometimes that means the parents have to just suck it up and go do something they might not love.
Well excuse me and all the rest of us that love Disney and find cruising a good way to travel!
Your review, from the get go, was full of NY snobbery, a lack of appreciation of top grade service, and an ungrounded distrust of the Disney brand. No doubt Disney pushes it's brand at every turn, but just refuse it! We do Disney and never pay for the extra hype, never stand in line for photos with a princess, and would certainly not pay extra for a pirate outfit. Sounds like you caved when you bought the princess makeover.
We have cruised RCL, Princess, Norwegian, and Disney and Disney Cruises far rank above the others for food, entertainment and service. Had you attended the evening big show on the boat, you would have discovered that the talent is exceptional.
If you can't enter into the fantasy that is Disney, you are correct, you won't have a great time. And if you don't like the convenience of visiting ports for one day, overeating at every meal, and rocking yourself to sleep on a boat, stay on land.
11
While I agree that perhaps a Disney cruise was the wrong choice for this writer, I take umbrage with your assertion that the review was full of “NY snobbery”. The perception that New Yorkers are all a bunch of elitist snobs who are giving the finger to the rest of the country while rolling around in money couldn’t be further from the truth. Do we have our snobs, idiots, and morons? Yes we do, but so, I’d wager, does Iowa. New York is more than just NYC: it’s a vast state that’s home to many, many people, and the last thing we want is to be characterized as a bunch of snobs looking down at middle class lifestyles when most of us are middle class people ourselves. Disagree with the writer all you like, Kristin, but don’t lump all New Yorkers into a collective category that most of us don’t deserve to be lumped into in the first place.
34
There are also plenty of us in NYC that don't see everything as an "either/or" proposition--you can enjoy all kinds of things. You can love museums and Incan ruins and Viennese opera festivals, and still sometimes prefer a staycation with a stack of books and a box of wine, while thinking the author of this piece was working mighty hard to give a bad review to drinking good whisky and having couples massages while his daughter had a blast. Just like I can enjoy an expensive dinner out one night, then relish a cheap hot slice of pizza the next night, and make hot dish from the family's recipe box on the weekend. And I know for a fact that there are snobs in Iowa too.
2
I got anxious just reading about this cruise. I would need another vacation to recover, if I even had any money leftover!
10
Sorry, but it sounds overly processed, prepared and served out of a can.
18
I don't have kids and I hate Disney with passion. I would rather strangle myself with an IV tubing (I work in an ICU).. but if I had a child I would definitely take her on a Disney cruise and put up with the horrendous situation you are describing. You made a child's vacation so much better and she will always have fond memories of this vacation. as parents you win today and it really doesn't matter how much it costs; you cannot put a price on a child's happiness.
14
Sounds like a marathon 4-day Halloween party at Sing Sing, or maybe at Alcatraz (also surrounded by water). But its good training in manic, mindless consumption for the kid. No quiet moments of reflection or imaginative play allowed. And with 950 refugees from war and poverty grinning and flattering in a desperate effort to turn servility into decent tips. Sounds dreadful.
24
To me, it sounds like Dante’s circles of hell. The word used in the article, simulacrum, is a good one. The ship is a simulacrum of life, while at the same time destroying and exploiting life.The fact that the little made-up princess was afraid of fish adds to the effect. Careful, or Disney stocked fish will be all the “nature” we have left.
12
The cruise of Disney has had failures in its system as in other small details, but that does not take away the place it has and that has won thanks to its frequent customers. This cruise is one of the most expensive and sought-after cruises around the world.
2
Cannot recommend Disney Cruise Line enough. It's at a higher price point for a reason as it's a totally different cruise than Carnival for instance.
4
I've been on a Disney cruise and enjoyed it.
The writer here thought he'd hate it, and went out of his way to say parts were awful, but the description he wrote has nothing awful in it.
Tuesday, 6:47 EST
Loving all the self-righteous indignation here. My wife and I were going to Central America to feed poor children in the remote villages of Guatemala but after reading this article, we changed our plans and are going on a Disney cruise instead.
17
It is endearing to have this experienced travel editor admit to making all the rookie mistakes on his cruise. Of course he spent far too much on board ($90 for a pirate costume and hat? $200 for a princess makeover in the middle of a day at the beach?). He'll know better next time. And he'll know to check out deck plans when choosing his cabin, and to check out places to eat in port (if he doesn't want to eat the onboard meal he's already paid for). I've gone on many cruises (not Disney) and chosen a windowless inside cabin and not purchased any additional food, drink, or services on board, and I've had the same wonderful vacation that others on board have paid far more for. If it makes you happy to buy a $90 pirate costume and hat, go for it! But if it doesn't make you happy, don't do it.
5
I also took a trip on the Magic to Nassau and Castaway Cay when I was 12 or 13. Though I'm 24 now, I remain captivated by Disney's entire kingdom and our cruise experience was the pinnacle for me. It set my paradigm for customer service, immersive environments, design and production value. In fact, I distinctly recall how those lofty standards completely spoiled a trip to Cedar Point for me. First world problems, I guess. I'm sure I'll return to the ship at some point and I'm eagerly awaiting exploring the parks and cruise as an adult.
3
My brother loves Disney but I hate it. I had one of the worst experience of my life at Florida Epcot Center. Employees were called "cast members" and could not speak to anyone about their real feelings or exchange information - other than what was in their "script". All paths led to an attraction. There were no places to just sit and reflect. The food was awful. The attractions were awful. There was no art anywhere. It seemed fascistic and artificial, like a "Westworld". My brother loves it, goes on trips, cruises, the whole nine yards
12
Many years ago,I summoned up all my courage and I took my two daughters ( one British,one American) to the respective Disneyland's in California and Paris....I'm still recovering.
4
Hi Dan,
Thank you for sharing the experiences you and your family had on the Disney cruise. You made me laugh so hard. When I have grandchildren someday, hopefully, I will not take them on a Disney cruise. Instead we will think of you and watch re-runs of "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood"!!!
5
You are not a cruiser or a Disney fan so it is not surprising that you weren't thrilled. Most cabins are small but you shouldn't be spending a lot of time there. If you had cruised before you would have known to avoid all the hype and enjoy what is free. I most often leave the ship with a zero bill. I also like to enjoy the mostly empty ship when everyone gets off to go on tours to see nothing. (Occasionally, there are sites worth seeing but mostly not.) I don't get off in strange ports to buy expensive jewelry which is cheaper in the US. My favorite cruises are transAtlantic where there is literally no place to stop. The ship is the destination. There is plenty to enjoy without paying extra. This includes Disney ships. Now that you know you have rented a large closet to sleep in, try it again and don't spend any extra money. You will enjoy it even more.
5
The thing that most shocked me about this article is that we have someone who is a NYT travel editor, yet he got off the ship in multiple ports and ate at random places. How could he not have done his homework (or just looked online when he got there) to find someplace really good to eat? We were supposed to be in Grand Cayman a few weeks ago on a cruise and had lunch booked at a restaurant rated 4.8 on OpenTable. Sadly, we did not get there because bad weather caused all tendering to be canceled. But in Cozumel we ate at a great seafood place a mile from the port that I had found on the Internet (Pescaderia San Carlos, for anyone who is interested).
Oh yeah, and he was crazy to overspend like that on his daughter but I guess some people do it.
10
I would at least try it once if I didn't have serious motion sickness.
"Stressful"? After four days "starting to have a good time"? - Give me a break. You got exactly what you signed up for. I wouldn't set foot on a huge cruise ship, but given that you did, and your daughter had a thrill she'll always remember, the attitude seems out of place.
6
What about the live entertainment? There are great fun musicals and first run Disney movies! I've taken a Disney cruise to the Caribbean - Castaway snorkeling really fun. Saw and touched sea turtles on Grand Cayman Island. Then we sailed on Disney Baltic 10-day cruise which was sandwiched by Berlin/Copenhagen and Canterbury stays. Both Disney cruises without children and LOVED IT! I'll recommend the travel editor to try out the booze cruises...
2
There was an article in the Guardian recently about a horror cruise trip. It was fascinating. These boats, Disney or otherwise, are artificial planets where things happen that you would never encounter anywhere else in your day-to-day life, some of them bad. The hard part is being stuck on this little world with no place to go to avoid the strangeness. And I'd bet adults-only cruises are even worse.
2
Do recall the name of the article? I tried searching for it, but was unable to find it. I have never been on a cruise before and the idea of it all seems so incredibly chaotic, but interesting. Thanks =)
After years of being a bareboat charter sailor snob and looking down my nose at cruise ships, my partner and I went on this cruise several years ago to visit with a performer friend who was working there - no children with us. There were plentiful adult only areas that were truly adult only, very comfortable and quiet. The food and service were excellent, the entertainment for adults was fabulous, the stateroom was comfortable and well-appointed. We had a wonderful time at the gym, spa and (adult only) beach at Castaway Cay. We would do it again in a heartbeat. Seems the author's not so good experience was the result of the poor health of his travelling companions, and having to participate in the children's activities, which is not a relaxing thing for adults in general. Manage your expectations next time and you will enjoy it more. Disney Cruises are for the children, but with better planning the author would have had a very nice adult experience, too.
4
Well written and amusing piece. I recommend another article about the mixed pleasures of cruising by the late and great David Foster Wallace titled “Shipping Out” originally published in Harper’s in 1996, but available on the web. A classic.
6
Taking our 3 children to Orlando Disneyworld was the most stressful vacation our family has ever been on. We did stay in a Disney hotel, thus all the incentives offered from early openings and passes, etc. made our trip one of getting there on time all the time. Running back and forth across the park.
The children had fun but we were all exhausted each and every day. Plus the food was terrible. If the cruises are run in a similar manner, no thank you.
4
The cruises are nothing like the parks - you can spend plenty of time together or apart, no need to go running anywhere unless you plan it that way! And I've only experienced excellent food on the cruises - but food is a rather subjective matter. What I find exquisite another might find hideous. And the only exhaustion I experienced was from pure enjoyment of days at sea. When it comes to cruises, pre-planning and knowing your own limits and preferences are absolutely key to enjoying the full experience.
1
As your first cruise is now behind you, time to go in a different sailing direction! I worked on high end small ships for 11 years; a completely different experience.
Suggestions: never go on a ship with more than 1000 passengers, stick to at least a ten day itinerary, and check in on their lecture series. The more you have to pay while on board for incidentals, the more the experience can be downgraded. All inclusives in the luxury market and river cruising are worth it.
Ships that only do 7 day itineraries usually have small cabins. So if you want more space, look to Crystal, Viking, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas for the trip of a lifetime.
3
The Disney Magic has, behind the rack in its Keys piano bar, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon which no bartender onboard was aware of. That was my travel hack last year taking the Magic from Dover, U.K., to Iceland and back.
4
Boats like the Disney Magic are gleaming, insipid barges whose mission is two-fold. The first is teaching passengers how to be herded and feed like enthusiastic bovines from chrome troughs. The second is devaluating the culture of every port they berth, off-loading the most unimaginative of the unimaginative to be led by their noses to the next Disney approved dining experience.
12
I've done 2 and am planning my 3rd Disney Cruise. It's perfect for me and my son - it allows us both time together and PLENTY of time apart without me worrying about his safety. I love that Disney caters to families and understands that they don't want to be together all the time. On our next cruise, my son will be upgrading to the Tween zone...out of the Oceaneer's club (which he adored on the first two when he was younger). It will be a new way to experience the cruise for both of us! For me, it's about the experience, not the stuff. I budget my on-board and port expenses, plan ahead as much as I can and just roll with the rest, so there's no excessive spending as the writer had done (in my opinion - I don't do any spa treatments or other expensive "treats"). "No" is not a forbidden word...I say it to my son and I say it to myself. And yeah, sometimes things run out or break down - that's life and that's a lesson our kids best learn early. So what if the ice cream machine is out of ice cream? Life happens, then you move on. Oh...and having a son...we avoided the entire "princess" thing all the way...so have no comment on that experience from parents of daughters. I can say there was no "prince" treatment going on (though one crew member did thank me for his good manners - they clearly appreciated it!).
4
How soon before the Disney Star Wars cruise ship is ready? All the waiters and hosts would be in Stormtrooper armor suits - it's gender non-specific!. Your purser would be Darth Vader or Chewbacca. None of the rebels or the good guys really had such distinctive looks, except for Leia's twin platter hairdo in "A New Hope". I guess Yoda wearing a yachtsman's cap would be the virtual cruise guide character on ship wide touchscreens and in the app on your phone.
Yes... the app on your phone. I pity the bartenders who would have to wear Jabba the Hut suits in Jabba's Caribbean Grill. I suppose the other characters would have their own bars and restaurants. C3PO's Tackle Box. Bobba Fett's Cheese Nook. The Skywalker Waterslide. They could have about thirty autonomous R2D2's delivering room service, you'd pay the premium just to have him come to your door with a serving tray like he had when he was enslaved on Jabba's sail barge (hmmm). Your kids would insist on it.
1
Reading through these comments, there must be a gene for whether people love cruises, or wouldn't be caught dead on one. The commenters who enjoy national parks and the outdoors don't appear to exhibit the cruise gene, and maybe vice versa.
This column reminded me that in several conversations with groups of friends and the topic of cruises came up, some people were enthusiastically thumbs up (I have 2 friends like this), whereas cruises would be last thing other people would do (I think among our friends, there were more in this category, including me and my husband). C'est la vie!
But, no need to be snarky about the reporter's reactions or to those who adore Disney cruises. Whatever floats your boat.
9
I get this comment. People who like cruises seem to be hooked on them. But I'm somewhere in between. I am intrigued by the big toy - the ship - and all the trimmings. But my stark terror of deep water - think rogue waves - keeps me landward.
3
As one who adores both the outdoors and cruises, I must have both genes fully expressed! Cruises let me go to places I could never otherwise get to hiking...and hiking gives me the solitude and peace I could never get on a cruise. But I also know how to keep my solitude on a ship, so it's a real balancing act that I adore.
5
What "Stressful World" is the author referring to? Almost nothing he wrote suggested that anything caused "stress" except for his and his family's own issues. What "fears were confirmed"? I'm not sure whether to blame the author for poor writing skills or the editors for not pointing out the contradictions and the lack of any evidence for "fear" or "stress".
If the NYT has a glossary for its own definitions of those two words, I'd enjoy reading it. To me, the cruise sounds like everything that wasn't perfection was mostly the result of the writer not researching cruises (this being his first) or checking online for more information.
7
This type of cruise put you in a box, make you myopic, besides the high cost of everything on the ship. Disney creates a world that does not exist, a bit of it is good, too much is mind numbing. Adulation of "Princess" title confers royalty and privilege and entitlements, instead of helping our children to work for rewards in life. Guests on the ship are crowded together mostly, food quality is mediocre when efficiency is the motto over quality in kitchen operation. For adult activities, firstly is serving of alcohol without limit, every activity is about increasing profit.
3
Five year olds should not have to worry about the realities of the workaday world. Let them enjoy being princesses or princes or counts or generals while it delights them. They'll learn about reality eventually but have sweet simple memories to comfort them. That's what childhood should be for.
3
Such negativity here.
I personally despise everything magical. Disney makes me nauseous. Cruises just remind me of the possibility of contracting dysentery from all my shipmates. Id be spending my entire vacation feeling like Howard Hughes.
But..... I can see the draw of both Disney and Cruising. Not my thing, but sometimes a family needs a "sure thing" for vacation, particularly when its with little kids.
7
The cruise sounds great if you are affluent. If you are on a travel budget then it sounds like a nightmare. It saddens me though that parents in our country have so much superfluous money to throw around just to make their kids happy while our schools are falling a part. Oh well. At least the little girl got the hat with the pirate costume.
10
To each his own, but that is a lot of money to spend on a four day vacation for three people! I think a couple of days at Disney World would be enough to satisfy a 4 year old and just think of all the good restaurants you could go to with that money!
2
You missed the best part--the Broadway quality shows performed twice a night. They are my favorite part of the Disney experience. Anna would have loved them!
4
I'm also a late bloomer when it comes to Disney. At age 66, I went to Disney World for the first time, and by myself. I had a good time. I talked to many people from all over the world and they were so nice. Many of them asked me to join them in their activities.
Last year, I went on my first cruise, and sailed on the Disney Magic. I went with my best friend and her family of 13. I had a ball! I can't imagine going on any cruise except a Disney one. I didn't always do activities with my friend or her family, but they were there if I wanted to. I saw a different Disney movie every night--a real luxury for me.
As the author stated, our waiter at dinner was so nice and really catered to the children in our group. He did tricks with the napkins for the kids, and brain teasers with the silverware for the adults.
None of the adults booked special things for the kids to do and they managed to have a good time. They were older, though, than the author's child and could mingle with other kids. One thing that was really comforting was that we didn't worry about the children's safety. The kids could roam the ship or Castaway Cay and we didn't fear a kidnapping.
None of us spent much on extras and had a marvelous time. I highly recommend a Disney cruise to anyone who is young at heart.
10
You couldn't pay me (what you paid) to go on this or any cruise. I would much rather spend that kind of money on a trip to France, Costa Rica, or the western U.S.--just about anyplace else, really.
15
How much of the $1500 incidentals tab went to four days worth of booze? I know I couldn't get on one of those cruise ships without a lubricated gangway.
I always like travel stories that evoke sympathy and pathos.
5
we've taken our girls around the world for months long wonderful vacations. We've also has a few vacations at WD world that were tons of fun. Why be so snobbish, most of the author's complaints had nothing to do with disney. The people around me who complain the loudest about disney commercialization are running around looking just as cookie cutter in their pursuit of the perfect cold pressed coffee and kambucha.
12
So Travel Agents get a bad rap. "With the internet, I don't need a Travel Agent". THIS is precisely why Travel Agents exist. If the author had used a TA who was Disney Certified, he would have been advised on what to do an what not to do (BBB on a Castway Cay day, not advised!). A Disney certified travel agent, and one who has been on several Disney cruises, like myself, can help you have a magical vacation.
5
Michelle B....."a Disney-certified travel agent"...."magical vacation"...etc, etc...ad nauseum.
The proper clinical term is "Disney-certifiable", indicative of a personal preference for detachment and aversion from reality in deference to orchestrated fun, fantasy and fiction for which no known cure has yet been found.
Counseling is available for the scourge of civilization...all things Disney.
13
But then the author wouldn't have been able to complain about the experience which, of course, was the whole point of the article.
10
These comments make me laugh. Disney cruises are popular enough to fill four enormous ships with, as the author notes, hundreds of thousands of guests each year. And yet, I knew -- KNEW -- that the readers of the New York Times would be too good for such middle-brow fare.
22
Actually, plenty of us NYT readers enjoy both the Times and going to Disneyland and their cruise lines (loved the Wonder.) Not a fan of this writer either--but it's his loss that he had a mixed experience. Attitude and openness to new experience is everything when it comes to travel. The same principle applies to public discourse. Not sure that stereotyping readers contributes much.
7
I have cruised a couple times with Disney and while this is written from the author's point of view it would be more interesting if his child's voice was more present. To me the magical experience of a Disney Cruise is kid's are treated as adults on-board. They can interact with servers, room attendants, performers, etc. and they are treated with the upmost respect. The author did not mention pin trading night but having a six year old become comfortable trading Disney pins with a member of the bridge is priceless and empowering. Or having your server discuss hte culinary highlights of both the adults and kids menu and allowing the child to try an adult dish is empowering. While I certainly appreciate the author's views the message should be think about it from your child's point of view. From there you can see the witness the magic of Disney. of course a drink in hand also helps.
12
After reading the article I was struck by one thought: I never wanted to go to Las Vegas, but was happy that I saw it ONCE. I never thought I’d want to go on a Disney cruise, but I think I could enjoy it ONCE. Same kind of experience - a reflection of one aspect of Americana.
17
The comedian Mort Sahl once said, "The Mickey Mouse Club is this group of kids, led by this rodent, who is their leader." With that in mind, take your kids or grandkids, fall in line and enjoy.
5
Much like a quoted parent, My kids and me will only cruise Disney ships. The service and cleanliness is above other cruise lines in their price range. We enjoy the smaller ships: Magic and Wonder. The larger ones can feel overwhelming for us. Disney sent us so many suggestions about panning prior to our trip, which we read, that every activity was lined up and easy to enjoy. The kids are now over 21 yet, we still go and book different types of activities.
6
Years ago, a comedian whose name I can't remember did his impression of "a day at Disneyland." He stood, somberly, then shuffled four or five steps forward. He then turned to his right, and shuffled five steps forward. Wiping his brow, he turned to his left, snd shuffled a few steps forward. A day at Disneyland.
5
Naturally, my top Disney moment had to be as a child. Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck, made a surprise appearance as a ventriloquist holding a blue and yellow Donald puppet at my elementary school in the late 1940s. The kids went wild.
Of course, the event was planned, but nothing I’ve ever associated with Disney has ever been remotely as spontaneous since.
These cruises sound like one big mind-numbing yawn for children and adults.
They knocked down my 1905 red brick elementary school last week. It’s sad to think of my schoolmates and teachers in the memory rubble.
Less so to remember the magical day the real Donald came to visit.
2
I'm exhausted reading this article. I don't think I could stand having this much forced "fun."
7
"Anna proclaimed the trip one of the best experiences of her life."
But who cares about your daughter? You're there to sneer at the hoi-polloi. If your daughter's memories are ruined when she reads this years later, who cares?.
What's so repulsive about this article - and the predictable comments here -is not so much the snobbery, arrogrance, and self-centeredness (um, if your daughter says this was the best trip of her life, the trip was successful-this is why you go on a Disney cruise) as the utter lack of self-awareness. You have zero idea how rich and fortunate you are. You honestly believe the rest of humanity is not as human as you are, and you need to tell us what the proper vacation is: National Parks, and Europe, and so on. Certainly not a cruise with the plebes.
Then you talk about white privilege.
The Oscars included a portion in which the Upper Class bestowed themselves onto the peasants & literally threw them hot dogs.
The disconnect progressives (most readers in NYT) have between the imagined lives they live & attitudes they live by, with how their lives really are, would be comical if it weren't so loudly inflicted on the rest of us.
22
This July, I'm taking my 9 year old grandson and his family on a cruise to Alaska. We will do shore excursions on float planes, walk on glaciers, fish for salmon and cruise past glaciers. If I'd given him the choice, he'd probably have opted for a Disney cruise, but I think he gets enough Disney in his day to day existence, I'm hoping exposure to the natural beauty and history of Alaska will be more fun and more memorable than a week of cartoon characters and fantasy makeovers.
14
As a veteran cruiser, I find it a little crazy that one would spend $1500 on alcohol! That's a deposit for three people for a future cruise.
8
For god's sake, if you are fortunate enough to be able to take your whole family on a cruise, or a beach vacation, or a hiking trek, do make an effort to enjoy it. The world has enough snobs, but not enough joy.
15
We're taking our two children on a Disney Cruise in November because they are little kids and the DCL is dedicated to making sure they have a wonderful time.
Would I rather be going to Paris? Of course. However, at the end of the day, my husband and I have the most fun when our children are having fun.
Judging by the comments, our trip now has the added bonus of helping us not raise them to become insufferably pretentious people, so score one for us.
22
Funny how so many comments extol our national parks which have become in large part an experience of Disneyesque crowd control.
9
@mdieri: Can you please give a specific example of a national park experience that's equal to what you call "Disneyesque crowd control"? I'm curious, and also I'd like to know how the national parks "brand" everything the way Disney puts mouse-ears on everything.
1
As a National Parks lover, I can say it sometimes takes an hour to just into Yellowstone NP. At many Parks there is steady traffic, cast members i.e. Park Rangers, gift shops with stuff mass produced in China, and over priced, barely edible food. Parking lots filled at way points, bus tours, and a price hike to $70 per car for entry are the norm. Lucky for us, most people stay on pavement, so it is still possible to experience some serenity by hiking the trails. Not perfect, but I still go. same with Disney vacations.
14
What a nightmare. For that amount of cash, I'll take a nice, quiet week in the Rocky Mountains.
7
If you gave me a choice between a sightseeing trip around Europe and a Disney Cruise, I'd pick the sightseeing trip every time. But, when my sister and I went on a Disney cruise a few years ago with our families, we had a blast. Before even booking the vacation, we did what any veteran Disney-goer (and, really, any seasoned traveler) does--research the numerous blogs to get any tips to make our experience as enjoyable as possible. We packed numerous princess outfits for our daughter (she had at least one for each day we were on the ship, plus a DIY pirate outfit) and told her she could choose just one thing to buy as a souvenir of our trip. We decided to forgo the excursions and activities since our kids were too young and we really just wanted to relax and enjoy our time together. The food at the restaurants and buffet were definitely better than those on other cruise ships we've sailed with but the people on the ship were truly what made the trip special. They made every effort to make our experience--not just the kids'--as wonderful as possible.
It seems the author had decided the trip would be a disappointment even before it started. Yes, the constant presence of princesses and characters can wear on you, but take those away and you'd still get a very pleasant vacation experience. The author's daughter said she had the best time--sometimes that makes it all worth it.
11
Not sure What's worse: indulgent parents gushing about the "special experience" or snarky comments from people who think working at habitat for humanity , or knittinfbflags for orphans, would be more constructive.
10
We took the beautiful USS Constitution and the USS Independence from New York to Beirut several times, in the sixties. The cruising experience was combined with transportation, at the time (my dad was assigned to Beirut), and in my opinion that makes all the difference. The beautiful Constitution and Indpendence were MUCH smaller than these disney behemoths, the food was better, and on the agenda was pretty much reading and shuffleboard, or swimming in the small pool. I loved the dog kennel deck, spent a lot of time there looking at dogs. Those were the days of cruising, I would NEVER go NEAR the mess the profit motive has made of what elegant sea travel used to be.
7
Sing it, Grace !
4
How do you know "the food was better" unless you've actually been on a Disney Cruise?
3
@GMooG, you are correct, that was illogical. As far as I know, the food on both experiences is wonderful, but I am certain that on the Constitution and the Independence it was all included, and not the ubiquitous, invasive experience modern cruise lines have turned food supply into. That's all. We actually saved menus from the transatlantic crossings - it was really elegant, there is no other word for it. I am sure you know Grace Kelley took the Constitution over the pond on her way to marry Prince Rainer. But she comandeered more than a few cabins for her group, I have read..
It's like sticking sticks in your eyes.
10
Sounds horrible - take your kids to a National Park.
15
For that money you could even show them a European city. Provided you have a passport.
What a world r we living in...
4
Did a Disney Cruise just over a year ago. Aside from the dreary stop in Nassau, the rest of it was terrific. Me and the fam enjoyed ourselves immensely. Nothing stressful about it unless you make it stressful. The writer should learn how to take a vacation and be pampered.
5
I've done Norwegian and Celebrity with my wife. At 34 I'm definitely twenty to thirty years under the average age of the passengers. That being said, the live music was always a treat. As a teetotaler I didn't get hammered with liquor costs. A can of coke cost something like $3, so we had about one a day which we shared. Ignore the on board shopping except for necessities. Dayquil at $16 a bottle...ouch. Fine dinning was always good and the buffet was always a fast and taste alternative. If you are desperate to spend money, go to the premium dinning. My wife prebooked EVERYTHING on the shore excursions and we had full and fun days,
6
The whole thing sounds awful. We'll stick to visiting national parks and other interesting places within the US and abroad. The only thing worse than a Disney vacation "lockup" would be a tour of US retail malls.
12
I don't believe Disney is healthy--physically, emotionally or for our planet. I get that it's easier but I think a little stress (just a little) during vacation is healthy for everyone, especially children. Unfamiliar foods, a miscommunication because of different languages, a strenuous hike to an incredible view... Disney just sounds boring. And expensive.
14
Dan, I appreciate this piece a lot. It's the type of travel writing I had hoped for from the NY Times's "52 Places" correspondent, which, instead, have been short pieces that are not particularly well-written and inevitably delve into racial or social justice issues. Your story is great, and as a parent, I totally empathize. Thanks for the great writing.
6
We're not cruise people but what we discovered is that a cruise is a perfect way to go on a multi generation vacation. If your group spans the age of 2 to 90, then get them on a cruise! No one was tasked with cooking, cleaning or figuring out what to do next. I absolutely loved the Disney Cruise for that reason.
11
It used to be that to for someone to make fun of and discriminate against a person you had to at least be a different religion, color, or nationality. But today all you need to do is take a Disney cruise or say you enjoy Disney. In which case you become the wretched, the low.
It’s interesting that tolerance only extends to those choices that these posters personally agree with. If you’re not in a national park, hand feeding a rescued gazelle, or indoctrinating your kids in the 1,001 baroque churches of Lower Saxony well then it’s money poorly spent.
But the vitriol and language, it’s unbelievable.
Elitism is alive and well and what close neighbors it has in narcissism.
62
If you think drinks on Disney cruises are expensive, you haven't seen the markups on other cruise lines.
I'm not a cruise person, but having a disabled child, we learned of an agency called Autism on the Seas. They are a great support system for traveling/cruising with a disabled family member. We've done a few cruises with them and Disney is far and away the best family cruise experience, which makes it disappointing that Disney is actually far less accommodating to their disabled passenger than other cruise lines.
2
Thanks for that tip - I hadn't heard of them!
2
I've traveled the world and immersed myself in intellectual and cultural pursuits, to the betterment of my being. For pure escapism, however, nothing beats a Disney vacation. The happiness of my fellow guests is contagious, the colorful surroundings uplifting, and the familiar characters from childhood comforting. No one tries to start a conversation about Donald Trump, gun violence, or any other social ill. Yes, Disney is manufactured fantasy, but so what?
While I appreciate that Disney is not to everyone's taste, I have found that most people who have strong negative feelings towards Disney are miserable downers best to be avoided.
37
@Alex: Well, count me in as a Downer, even though I'm not at all miserable. I enjoy life, and if I need a dose of fantasy there are so many ways to get it that do not involve shoveling thousands of dollars into Disney's pockets.
If discussions of real life events, and of ideas, are enough to ruin a vacation for you, then stick with Disney by all means. I personally have found that people who "need" Disney as their escape from reality are living lives I can't relate to - and I avoid them! How did some people ever live before Disney created its fantasy world??
3
Just got back from 3 weeks in Sri Lanka with my my kids, 10 and 12. They loved every second! They visited and handing out school supplies and candy to a primary school in the jungle, saw many exotic animals in the wild and learned about the 5 precepts of Buddhism from a monk in a 1,500 Buddhist temple in a cave... Real life is better than Disney!
14
Instead of a trip to Disney World, I took my two grandchildren, ages 6 1/2 and almost 9, to London and Paris. At almost 16 and 18, they still remember it and loved every minute.
I don't think you could get me on a Disney cruise even with a gun pointed at my head. I'm not a Disney fan or a cruise fan, and this article confirms my worst fears about such an experience. I'm far more about experiences in the real world - in two wonderful cities - than a make believe one.
So, count me as a "Debbie Downer" on this.
9
I enjoyed this article, and it captures the experience (I'm very much a "Castaway Club" member/groupie) well. Disney is good/fantastic at steadily hammering away at cynicism, both on land and sea, and if you give in I think they simply deliver an outstanding experience. And I'm not even talking about the kids. Our kids are older now so the ups and extras (boutiques, souvenirs, etc...) aren't adding up the cost, but with some discretion it's easily possible for kids to have a great time without feeling like they need to purchase everything.
1
This was a very sweet and touching account of your family trip -- thanks for it. I particularly enjoyed that you and your wife sprang for your daughter to get the full princess makeover -- and then encouraged her to ditch it when it got in the way. Nice going....
4
Being a Princess ain't all its cracked up to be. Good life lesson.
5
The first time I went on a Disney cruise, I went with my 15 year old son. They have great activities for children from very young and up into the teens. He was with his group most of the day, ate meals with me, and had a great time. I've gone on Disney cruises with my husband as well. He loves that most things are included (we avoid the sugary and costly drinks) and pre-select our excursions, based on price and interest. We've had wonderful off-boat experiences. The only age group that is a bit off is between the ages of 18 to mid-twenties (unless they come with friends). The on-board activities for children go up to age 17 and many adult things are deemed "too old" for ages 21 - 25 (according to my children). But overall, it's great trip, excellent food, great inclusive offerings, and its fun and relaxing. We're hooked! (no pun intended).
1
In our normal day-to-day lives, my husband and I both work full time. We don't have a housekeeper and we rarely eat out; we cook our own food, do our own laundry, and clean our own house. We plan activities for our small children (two under the age of five), and spend much of our time outside of work visiting parks, museums, etc. We go to bed every night utterly exhausted, and then get up and do it all again the next day. Such is life with small children and working parents.
I am neither a fan of Disney or of cruises, but the last thing I want to do on vacation with my family is think about train schedules, museum tickets, or grocery shopping for self-catered (and self-cleaning) apartments. Disney cruises (and all-inclusive family resorts) are popular because they let busy families relax, and give parents - and in particular, women - a break from endless cooking and cleaning and chauffeuring. Plus most small children are happy with any vacation that includes a) a pool or beach, and b) relaxed parents who just want to hang out. Shuffling through the Louvre or around the Parthenon can wait until they are old enough to actually have have an interest in history (and can participate in planning and packing!).
20
I always get a laugh reading anything the NY Times publishes regarding Disney (whether its theme parks or movies). The utter disdain and contempt comes through loud and clear in each and every piece; yet the fact that the author had some fun or experienced joy for themselves or for the kids with them comes through each and every time as well. Everything doesn't have to have deep significance. If we all took ourselves a little less seriously the world would be a far happier place.
14
What did Disney do to the NYT's to earn two negative articles in a week? Last week, it was using Disney as a backdrop for the low wages so many in America, Disney employee or not, earn. Today, someone who makes a living writing about travel doesn't seem capable of doing the basic research most anyone can easily do today before spending their hard earned dollars on a vacation.
A Disney vacation is not cheap and it can be stressful. It certainly is not for everybody, but there are millions of people who have great memories of their visit to the House of the Mouse.
6
Hey, Day: it's a ship, not a boat. As one ship's captain told me: "a boat is what you get on when the ship is sinking." Very good review. Glad you brought out that the cost of a cruise is one thing, but once you board you're constantly harassed to spend more.
1
Sorry not to be with the program but the truth is that Disney has co-opted childhood and imagination. The Disney comic book heroines look all the same, even though they're purported to be different races, etc., and the message is always saccharine and sentimental. Do your children a favor - read to them and let them form their own pictures in their head. Give them a paintbrush, teach them to play a recorder, set them free to play in a field. Don't give in to this corporate monster!
This cruise sounds like a nightmare.
8
Lots of Disney hatred in these comments, and I hear these commenters, I do. But I can't get past the fact that this reporter chose to go on a CRUISE - where germs run rampant in a closed community - with a SICK daughter, and when his wife caught his daughter's illness she HUGGED the Disney character who would then go on to hug dozens or even hundreds more people? Who cares if he wastes his own money on the trip, excessive alcohol, and child bribery - his family irresponsibly passed on germs to other people and wasted their money too. Probably not top of mind for him, when he spent $300 on a pirate costume and a princess makeover - but there are people who saved their money for a very long time to go on that cruise that he put at risk.
For Pete's sake.
25
I have enjoyed reading your articles! One suggestion is that you purchase a better camera. Even the latest Iphone 8 or Samsung would suffice and really think about composition/color/and light.
If this report of North Korea's willingness to "de-nuclearize" is true. Trump is a cinch to be re=elected. On the other hand..................
No one mentioned smoking, a serious issue for me (extremely allergic). You'd think all Disney cruises would be completely smoke free (for the kids!). Are there any?
2
How about germ free too?
The thing that struck me the most about this article is how over-indulged children seem to be these days. Spending $200 on a makeover for a 5 year old that will be washed off almost immediately is disgusting.
I'm definitely not a Disney hater; I've loved Disney movies since I was a little girl. And I'm all about having a good time. But maybe some time should have been spent exploring some Caribbean islands to show those entitled families just how lucky they are.
I must say shame to the author for taking a sick child on a cruise ship. That's just selfish and inconsiderate.
By the way, the REAL pirates of the Caribbean were mostly slave traders, but why let a little reality spoil your fun.
42
Dan, other than the soft-served ice cream machine not working and the crew calling your daughter, “Princess,” what were the actual stress inflected by Disney? By the way, if she wanted to be called a scientist or explorer, the crew would’ve called her that. My daughter asked our crew and that was how they referred to her.
The other issues you had were, frankly, of your own infliction. Who plans a $20” Princess makeup event before heading to the beach? Did you think your daughter would prefer to marinate in the glitter, makeup, and princess dress while on the beach, or did you logically assume she would want to go swim in the ocean?
Disney rooms are much bigger than other cruise lines (figured you would know that as a travel expert). They give you an app to communicate while other Cruise lines don’t. The bracelet your daughter wore was to help keep her safe and have control of her whereabouts as you leave her at the kids club. Most parents like that.
Frankly, your stress was self-inflicted. The first rule of travel fight club, as I would expect for you to know, is preparation. You didn’t do any of that and behaved in a spoiled and entitled manner.
52
Thanks for the warning!
5
Wow, Who would have thought the NYT comment section could be so judgy and pretentious about Disney. I've traveled Europe and also done Disney. Each has their merits (especially when you have young kids). Seems like the author's main problems were grouchiness and poor planning.
45
No wonder the writer needed to buy a lot of alcoholic drinks.
12
Next time do the Disney Dream cruise.
1
As opposed to the Disney Nightmare cruise?
8
One who has been a travel writer for a decade and who has just gone on his first cruise is not someone whose opinion I am going to value. Try as he might to emboss everything with a negative patina, the experience seems to have been a positive one. Even this writer might have to reluctantly concede as much though it appears he would find it contrary to some elusive mindset from which he appears to suffer. Hey, Dan, get the NYT to buy you a Regent or Crystal cruise and come back to tell us what you think.
7
The sanctimony in these comments is absurd and embarrassing. As if a person or family that might enjoy a Disney cruise or anything Disney could never also appreciate our National Parks or another type of travel experience also.
31
this article, and the comments, are dripping with pretentiousness and elitism.
if you don't want to be surrounded by disney, don't go on a disney cruise.
it's possible to enjoy a disney cruise and also enjoy other types of vacations.
everyone needs to just chill out!
23
Disney vacations are very different trips to national parks or to European cities. Disney theme parks and cruises are best compared to Broadway shows, albeit with audience participation. You go to join in the silly costumes and activities. That's why employees are called cast members. Take it for what it is & enjoy. Then go rest up in one of the beautiful state parks in FL!
4
Disney Cruises (and Disney in general) is about turning off the adult for a while and being a kid, all the better if you're actually with your kid(s). Too bad you didn't get that basic concept. However, you may have done a public service by keeping similarly sour-minded people off Disney cruises, although it's too bad that their children will never experience the magic.
10
As I backpacked my way through my 20s and even 30s, I scoffed at people arriving in far-away ports by cruise as those who refused to have an authentic experience to an exotic locale. However, as a parent of two small children - I was convinced to go on a Disney cruise in the summer of 2016 - a 7 day Mediterranean cruise with my then almost two and three year olds. And. We. Loved. It. Our kids loved the activities (so we loved them too), and adults loved the shore excursions (we did them on our own, as we generally didn't opt for the more expensive offerings). My youngest son fell in Rome and required stitches, and the cruise staff stayed in constant contact with us by phone as we were navigating Rome's children's hospital, and even held the boat almost an hour as we rushed back. We felt supported and cared for. After we arrived, the portmaster called, guest services called and the medical clinic called, all checking in with us. The author of this article obviously didn't explore the schedule before their trip (yes, you are encouraged to bring your own pirate gear and wear it to dinner - which would have saved him a trip to the more expensive gift shop). He also didn't seem to have downloaded the useful app which provides the onboard schedule, your location for dinner, and an ability to make timely reservations. If you don't want to cruise. Don't cruise. We're going on our second this summer. If you don't want to Disney, don't Disney. Simple enough.
28
We went a few years ago with our daughters, 4 and 5 at the time. While we went in skeptical, it was an excellent cruise, the service was excellent, and the girls catered to. Our rationale was the girls weren't ready for full days (and the lines) at Disneyworld, the price is about the same, so this is a perfect start. Plus the family-focused island stops allowed a nice taste of each island attractions and culture. It really exceeded our expectations.
46
Next time try Viking Ocean Cruises; they are pricey but the food is excellent, the service terrific and it's all adults. Staterooms are much larger than what you've described. Much smaller ships.
4
I have never been on a Disney cruise and I have not visited Disney since I was a teenager. However as a child, we went to Disney World 2-3 times a year and I loved it. When I turned 18, I became a snob and started turning my nose up at Disney and have not been back since. This year, we are going to Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Aulani in Hawaii with our kids. I am super excited because I am now remembering my great memories as a child. My nose is back in a normal position. However, does going to Disney mean I won’t also take my kids to educational or environmentally oriented trips like Costa Rica or Europe or elsewhere? Of course not. Travel is not “either/or.” You can enjoy each experience for what it is. Disney is for children and for making adults feel like children again. As a stuffy old adult, I think a good dose of Disney may help me enjoy life more and start to see life through my children’s eyes.
14
Ah, Dan, you should have taken this first step with another couple who knew what the experience would be. First cruise, along with first Disney experience, all by yourselves - that could be overwhelming for a non-fan. Sorry that you don't feel that you got your money's worth, but I'm glad your daughter enjoyed it! (5th cruise coming up in August, with our granddaughter for her 6th birthday).
2
Well, I don't fully understand what people are upset about. Given that there are already too many Americans at places like the South rim of Grand Canyon, Florence, Cinque Terre, etc., I am happy that many more enjoy being pent up with thousands of others on boats and artificial ports of call without bothering anybody else. In the interest of the environment and to minimize the major pollution by the smoke from the heavy oil, I just wish that the ships would go out only as far as to clear any view of the land and stop out there for a few days. For most of the passengers it wouldn't make any difference.
10
"Anna proclaimed the trip one of the best experiences of her life." This is what really matters and the only thing worth remembering about the trip.
11
Well, in all fairness, Anna is five years old. How many experiences does she have to compare this one to?
8
There are different types of vacations for different people at different points in their lives. We've been fortunate enough to have quite a few experiences from backpacking in the Philippines to, yes, a Disney cruise. Our approach was if we're in for a penny, then we can't let ourselves be cynical New Yorkers and have to be open to the experiences Disney has to offer.
We were surprised at the attention to detail at every turn, and the genuine care each staff member took to ensure everyone, we went with 3 generations, had what they needed. The service was better than some 5 star hotels.
What the author missed is that sauntering around the ship revealed adventures that were hidden to the over-scheduled masses running from event to event. The night of the pirate show my 9 year old and I were alone feverishly working to solve a scavenger hunt below the main deck, we had the ship to ourselves. We solved it just in time to see the fireworks from a much quieter spot.
8
Man, not sure what people are so worked up about. Even though i suspect i *may* have enjoyed the experience more than the author did (being able to drop off the kids for a couple hours and not feel guilty - sounds good :) ), I thought it was an excellent piece - an honest perspective, amusingly written with lots of details - i felt like i got a good sense of what to expect and also enjoyed the writing and story. Can't imagine what else one would want from a travel piece.
9
My observation is that people really love cruises or people really hate cruises. My second observation is that every experience depends on what you put into it - you can be a Debbie Downer on a cruise or in Paris. My husband and I have cruised and we have been to Paris and I have witnessed folks in both situations fussing and complaining over every little thing. What was more surprising to me about this article was that Mr. Saltzstein, who is a travel editor, seems to have done very little research before his cruise. The are a multitude of online research sites wherein I'm quite sure Mr. Saltzstein could have discovered: take some inexpensive costumes from home for the children, don't book an on board service (the princess experience) during the middle of a port day, which of the restaurants serve the cuisine this family enjoys, fun things to do in each port - not to mention money saving tips on everything from the cabin and how to get the best price for what you want (Did this family even need a balcony? There is no mention of sitting on it and balcony cabins are far more expensive than inside/porthole rooms) to drink packages and specials. When we take a cruise I do the research and tailor the experience to my family's needs at that time, and I do the same research when we travel overseas or to a major national park. There is just to reason not to do some solid planning in this era where all the information is available at our fingertips 24/7.
191
I completely agree with this comment. I am very surprised that a travel editor would be so unprepared for a vacation. We went on a Disney cruise for the first time in October. I can resonate with feeling initially overwhelmed, but we had talked to enough people who had been before to know what to expect. Once I started thinking of the cruise as more like a "summer camp" (you choose the activities YOU want to do and don't worry about the rest) everything was great. I was shocked though to hear he spent $1500 in addition on his 4-day cruise. We went on a 7-day cruise and our bill was around $400. We didn't visit the shops much and we brought all our pirate and princess gear with us. We also didn't get wifi - one of the perks for us was NOT having access to internet and allowing the whole family to be unplugged! Most of our money was spent on drinks. We also didn't do expensive shore excursions. I was shocked to hear they would schedule a BBB in the middle of a Castaway Cay day. This is just bad planning. I am glad he mentioned the good service which, for us, was a highlight of being on the trip.
28
Totally agree with this post. The author as a travel editor shouLd have done some research befor the cruise. He clearly was aware of some on line forums since he quotes from them but doesn’t appear to have read them for tips on money saving opportunities (like bringing wine on board), cabin type and location, or excursion and dining reviews. Just checking to see which cabins have steamer trunks for extra clothes storage would have helped some of his stress. Bottom line: if you are going a vacation ( cruise or not). Do your homework first to avoid stess and maximize the fun
22
Yes, but - did your employer foot the bill?
5
on a more serious note, this article is so tiresome and repeats the same ideas noted in many prior similar ' I am much cooler than the fools who take cruises ' genre. anyone who wants to read something brilliant on this topic that doesn't just repeat the same tired memes should look at David Foster Wallace's take on the cruise experience..
15
It really seemed like the author tried extremely hard to not have a good time. His daughter had an amazing time, the massages, food, drinks and service were very good to excellent, Disney Cay was beautiful and fun. The Key West and Nassau experiences were your responsibility, not DIsney's. And you chose to spend on the upsells, none of which you had any complaints about. Too bad you were too curmudgeonly to really enjoy the special time you shared with your family.
And FYI, I'm not a huge Disney or cruise fan.
24
This article is a sad commentary on conspicuous consumption. When traveling with children our family motto has been “less is more” which means no princess or prince spa packages or Disney vacations where you force your child to have fun. No wonder Mr. Saltzstein’s daughter was reluctant to join in most of the activities he planned for her. She knew it was forced even if her father did not.
13
I’m happy you did this, it confirms my suspicion. Having a similar Disney history of child experience and small children, of late I feel my abhorrent attitude regarding the Disney empire soften and a little nostalgia creep in.
It seems like an expensive vacation to have an OK time, that would be truly meh if not for the opportunity to indulge your kids.
Maybe I’ll look in to club med....
2
For all those people posting about all the other, "better", vacation options: This was one vacation with a 5 1/2 year-old. There will be many other vacations, and I am sure Anna and her family will visit state parks, Coata Rica, and other various wonderful places in the future.
Let the little girl play pirate and princess for a few days. She's at a magical time of life.
12
Seriously. There is plenty of time for this family to enjoy national and state parks, international travel, and intellectually stimulating vacations, but this particular trip was with a 5-year-old child. Anyone who thinks that young children, particularly toddlers, are going to want to camp in Yellowstone, go on bike tours, or visit Williamsburg, Va., as some commenters have suggested as alternatives to anything Disney, have clearly not spent much time in the company of little people, particularly bored, hungry, cranky little people who are anxious or excited or simply overdue for their naps and, like Yellowstone's Old Faithful, are ready to explode at any given minute.
7
The issue I have in choosing a Disney vacation (cruise or otherwise) is that it still appears to take a lot of research and/or planning on my part to enjoy it fully - if you want to know what I mean look up how many blogs are dedicated to little else than optimizing your trip to Disney. Obviously I could board this boat and just sit by the pool or read at the beach when in port, but I can do those things many other places for less money and with comparable levels of service. And I love planning out DIY vacations myself but when doing so, the payoff is usually a ton of flexibility and some cost savings - Disney seems to offer neither. In the end I suppose you either feel the Disney side of the experience is worth the markup or you don't. I don't know if the people on either side of that question will ever fully understand the other.
3
My wife coerced me into a cruise when my children were young---over thirty years ago---to sum up---bad food, bad drinks, and bad company---a bad decision on my part. Now having said that, my now adult children, love cruises and their young children love them also. I am happy to contribute do these trips, as long as I don't have to be a part of them.
4
I will probably never do a Disney cruise, as my children and grandchildren are grown.
We did do Disney World a couple times, so this article gave me a good description of what I would expect and I enjoyed reading about your trip.
From experience, I know your daughter will vaguely remember her total voyage when she is gown, but she will always carry that special feeling.
1
All of the people on here acting as if they are "better" than Disney, and that Disney World and it's affiliates somehow represent some kind of evil version of America would do well to just stay far away. Those of us who enjoy, and there are legions of us, don't want your negative attitude there anyway :)
9
Many of us are not mesmerized by the Disney corporate 'magic' or forced saccharine charm.
It eats your money too.
14
One of the mothers in my Pediatric practice refers to her constant efforts to put the brakes on "the princess-industrial complex." How true!
17
I am fascinated by a travel writer who apparently doesn’t preplan via Zagat, TripAdvisor and the Best Of listings in most anyplace. Why happen into a disappointing restaurant?
8
This is truly my idea of Hell. I would probably jump overboard by the third Day. Seriously.
44
you know, in the end, good for you! You love your daughter to bits and even if it did cost you a bob or two and it wasn't exactly your best vacation, that little girl was thrilled to bits! what more satisfaction could you ask for?
9
A Disney cruise is my idea of hell.
25
Ok, I see the not-a-cruiser comments, and the not-a-theme park person comments as well. We get it. It's not for some. But to say Disney doesn't know how to do theme parks or cruises is just wrong. As an example, tell the author to go try Carnival for a similar 4-day cruise and he'll come running back for the Disney difference and experience, especially with a young daughter.
10
David Foster Wallace "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" is a nifty critique of the Caribbean cruise....
8
Let's remember that DFW had some issues.
1
Wallace was a gifted writer for sure. But I get my medical advice from a doctor, and my gardening advice from a gardener. I don't take travel advice from an alcoholic, depressive writer who killed himself.
1
How can the travel editor have never taken a cruise? Try a Windstar or a National Geographic to some interesting place. And for the person who commented about 'any cruise a "leave your brain at home vacation.", many cruises are wonderfully educational experiences for places, nature, etc.
4
i'm not your typical disney cruise goer (no kids, tattooed, early 40s) but after the first one i went on with my large extended family (grandpa's idea) including all the kiddos to bermuda i happily said i'd go on another. we took our second disney cruise to alaska this past summer - both trips were fantastic. food good, plenty of activities for adults, fantastic service, kids has a blast, great ship, no broken soft serve stations. its easy to hate on disney -- i don't think i'd go on my own sans children but if you're looking for something to do as a family - i highly highly recommend it. ALSO: disney is great when it comes to attending to adults and kids with special needs, food intolerances etc.
8
This sounds just horrendous. arrgh. I'd rather, for a fraction of the cost, repeat a bicycling program offered by Road Scholar in Quebec. I stayed in a covered barn with an utterly charming roommate, every meal was prepared by the host and her crew, and I bicycled around some of the most gorgeous landscapes on the planet. For extras, I think I bought a couple lattes and some dental floss.
13
Superb, Zeca !
5
no kids
In the shadow of DFW...
4
Well-written and balanced article. Any vacation is what you make of it (similar to life I suppose).
1
I’ve been on this cruise and I can describe the experience in three words: “Giant floating Denny’s.”
22
Spot on!
3
We said “Giant floating Sizzler”
Remember those?!
Oh for Pete's sake, people, get over yourselves. I am not a particular fan of Disney and have never done the cruise, just the theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, and Paris, all because my daughter adored Disney as a child and still does as an adult.
All this talk of manufactured fun--how is that different from attending a circus or, for that matter, any entertainment where you are the audience that simply watches and reacts? Are you all so superior that you spend your lives in extended debates on Schopenhauer?
As for the superficiality, I know personally of people who toured Europe on packaged tours. One went to Spain, and I asked whether the person had visited the Prado. The answer was, "No, but we drove past it."
Not everyone is the same. Most of my delight at Disney parks was the huge smile on my daughter's face, her excitement, and how happy she was to be there. If it's an artificial or superficial delight, not quite up to the level of animal sanctuaries in Central America, well, the world is big enough for both. Yes, she loves Disney, but she's also politically committed and smart and passionate about the things she believes in. If Disney gives her some respite from the stresses of everyday life, at least it doesn't pickle her liver or otherwise damage her health.
Really--lighten up. No one is forcing you to take the cruise. But stop beating up on people who do. They're not all idiots or automatons. Some as probably as profoundly intellectual as you--gasp.
85
Cruise ships are massively polluting and the epitome of over indulgence and wastefulness. Not to forget uncreative and brain numbing. Ask the crew members about the clientele. Cruising brings out the worst in the worst.
10
A Disney Cruise Line trip was booked by you/your family and on it some of your expectations whether positive or negative were reinforced. I see mention that the money could have been spent on something else that would have been better value for you. That seems obvious and true. However, I think this is like complaining that your pizza tastes like pizza but isn't a really good salad, or a steak, or a bowl of ice cream. I hope your not faulting a DCL trip you decided on taking for not being Yosemite, Denali or Shenandoah National Park. If that's what you wanted the DCL trip couldn't have scratched that itch. The itch it could have scratched is what you seem to have expected but cringe at anyway. It did the job it set out to do and that's what you bought.
E.M. Forster once wrote “Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.” You seemed to have wanted something more, or at least different, than you paid for. Next time take the vacation you wanted to take and tell us about that. We'll all learn something that way.
130
That seems a little harsh. He does it for a living, and has a family, and on both counts could not possibly just take trips he personally wants to. Reading from that perspective his article is amusing and informing, as he makes it clear he is somewhat out of place. Many moms or dads could identify. I would also, though, like to read an account of a trip he would choose for himself.
5
If he's just doing it for a living then why put a half-effort article out there when there are entire youtube channels and websites dedicated to doing it better. This guy makes me not want to read the times.
1
Thank you for reminding me why my family vacations in National Parks and historic sites, not Disney money pits. I made that decision when my boys were toddlers and the older they get, the more I realize what a good decision it has been. We'll take America's natural wonders over the commercialized Mouse ears any day. I love the movies too, but we like to watch them at home.
9
Wonder how many families from other countries were on this cruise? Seems like this is an American phenomenon. We personally prefer to show our children the real world on our vacations.
8
We do all sorts of vacations: theme parks, nature, history, city and country. Sometimes, exhausted from work and school and grieving over the death of a family member, we have even wanted to escape the "real world." As a single mother of a special needs child, I have appreciated Disney's outstanding customer service and special accommodations designed to help my son enjoy the Disney parks to the fullest. They made my life easier, we had fun and made wonderful memories.
8
I've been on several cruises to a variety of locations and most of them have been ~50 - 60% North Americans (including Canadians and Mexicans) and the rest Europeans or South Americans.
2
My family have gone on a number of cruises and cruise lines, and there are times when I wish that we traveled the way we used to, which was, have map, will stop anywhere to see whatever piques our fancy. When you are traveling with children, the advantage of a cruise is that it is a mobile hotel so you don't need to pack up and keep track of belongings as you change places. We choose cruises solely by the itinerary, and use it as a way of identifying places we might like to visit for longer than you can on a cruise. I am sure Disney is especially appealing for young children, but most cruise lines have activities that are geared to kids. Most kids like most cruises.
2
Over $4,000 for a four day cruise, not including the airfare to get there? That's the real Disney magic, charging premium rates for mass market cattle car experiences.
33
I hope all parents with sick kids go on Disney cruises instead of other cruises. But saying that, what about the kids on that cruise that may have conditions like asthma or other autoimmune diseases who just want to have fun and instead end up sick thanks to parents like you who don't care about anyone other than your own family. I hope at least you child had a flu shot. Parents like you are the reason I wear a virus face mask on every flight.
3
Until I read this article I thought that watching Donald's State of the Union speech was the most dreadful human experience.
But now I know that I would watch that awful speech four times over rather than setting foot on a Disney Cruise.
Thanks, NYT, for the heads-up.
11
I must be one of about half a dozen people in this country who doesn't have the slightest desire to spend my all-too-precious vacation days jammed elbow to elbow with strangers.
19
There's something we really need to discuss here. Any thoughts on the amount of carbon dioxide added the atmosphere (and thus subtracted from the dwindling carbon budget) to sail this sideways skyscraper pleasure palace from here to there and round back again?
The kids, even the privileged kids on these cruises, are going to have a mighty task making up for our heedlessness. They are not going to be happy with us. We really need to talk about this a LOT more.
8
Great point. I can't help but also think of all of the PLASTIC that is used. Straws, food packaging...all non biodegradable materials that get broken down and adulterate the earth. But hey, as long as families get to enjoy themselves...
3
Yes your 268 sq ft cabin does seem tiny to a cruise virgin, but it would have been even smaller on other popular cruise lines. If your neighbors' stateroom was in fact larger (doubtful but possible), be assured they paid a *lot* more than you did! Most staterooms are that same size.
5
Sounds like the Disney folk (partly) won over a sophisticated skeptic. They must have done good work.
1
Thankfully I will never experience this.
15
As a graduate student in Florida with friends who worked at Disney, I got to see firsthand what I called the "Disney Principle": make things good enough to get people in the door. But not much better. Now, as a parent planning on a CA Disney "adventure" in two weeks' time with two children (and shocked at the over-$1000 we'll pay just to get in the doors for two days), I'm not necessarily looking forward to the experience. But I'm sure it will be "good enough..."
49
Reading this article and many of the comments has been as much of a social experiment as going on the cruise itself (I went on a Disney Cruise last week with my extended family). From the "I hate it already" stance of the review, to the self-righteous commenters vindicated in their own minds by reading it, I say, "I hope I never go on a vacation with you!" It is what it is, kids love it, the service is great, and we all had fun. I will visit Nature (as I usually do) very soon to make up for it, I promise!
9
This whole article reminds me of the fantastic essay by the late David Foster Wallace, titled "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." Recommended as a terrific (and comedic) companion piece!
5
My goodness was our experience totally different. We've been on many cruises including Celebrity and found this cruise (on the Magic) to be as close to perfect as something can be. Our granddaughter, age 8, still speaks of it a year later. We're going on a Disney Alaska cruise this summer, just my wife and I.
6
Disturbing.
11
Why is this disturbing? It's his money, his choice, and his family is happy. Have a great time in Alaska, Mark!
2
The author seems to have not quite grasped the best part of cruising with young kids--the children's programs are excellent and safe, leaving the adults with much more free time than the vast majority of vacations.
We have not been on Disney, but NCL, RCL and Celebrity all feature excellent adult music, from shows to piano bars.. outdoor restaurants with fabulous sunsets and, as the author discovered too late, romantic walks to see the vastness of the ocean.
In addition, although most Time writers would also ignore this, affordability of cruises, especially for those wiling to use an inside cabin, means many passengers of modest means exult in being waited on hand and foot, eating until they burst and seeing numerous exotic locals with incredible beaches.
3
I have taken one cruise (not on a Disney ship) and was unimpressed with the experience. That being said, I think your daughter will look back on this in 20 years with fond memories. That will make all of the inconvenience and upselling disappear.
4
When our family went to Disney World last year it was nostalgia. Our boys are adults. It all seemed a bit dated. We were fascinated by the princess makeovers for the girls. Where was the dress up as scientists, engineers, coders or entrepreneurs boutique? But then again, the girls looked adorable!
1
I have gradually to come to distrust my nearly physical allergy to nearly all things Disney. I’ve always considered Disneyana breathtakingly inauthentic, but the more I travel the more I’ve realized that the idea of cultural authenticity is deeply fraught.
If I were visiting America and wanted to understand as much of what makes America tick as I possibly could, how could I not have a Disney experience? And how many of the experiences I’ve had as a traveler weren’t at least partly crafted to respond to my presence, and in some way to satisfy it, for profit? Has not travel always been that way, back (at least) to the medieval pilgrimages?
I’ll never choose a Disney travel experience for myself. But I am gradually coming to understand that snobbery and cultural elitism accounts for more of the reason for that than I would like to admit. Avoiding Disney doesn’t make me better than anyone else.
172
Maybe in your view Disney is for the "unwashed masses," but I remember that when he visited the US, Nikita Khruschchev was bitterly disappointed that he was not allowed to visit Disneyland due to security concerns. Maybe Disney represents the child in all of us--not a bad thing.
2
Socrates, you prove Bill's point. Avoiding or going to Disney parks or ruises does nothing to one's character-neither improving nor negatively influencing it.
Maybe you think it reflects one's character; I don't. It may reflect preferences, though. And that's ok. I happen to think that moderation in everything is key--including travel. When our son was younger we went to Disney World- a few day trips or one-night stays with FL cousins, one longer trip as a family. But being on land, we could get away from it when he and we wanted to. We did not spend oodles of money on souvenirs, etc. A Disney cruise does not appeal because I would not be able to escape the Disney theme. That does not indicate I as a person or parent am any better or worse than another.
I note, though, that our travels varied from the Carolina beaches where we kept busy visiting historical or natural sites to a fantastic trip to San Francisco--courtesy of Delta vouchers after being bumped from a flight. What's more we have traveled to Ireland to see family, combined once with Scotland, another with London.
Does this indicate better characters than folks who might only go to Disney? No. What it really indicates is that when our kid was growing up we were blessed to have jobs allowing us to travel with a kid who was open to different types of experiences. I left the job because of illness; so big trips stopped. But I have wonderful memories, including times at Disney World with family I love.
Never been to Disney World and will never willingly go.
1
I wonder if the commentariat knows - the prices mentioned seem pretty steep. Only in tony Manhattan spots do I see spirit pours at $20 (though we're left to wonder what the spirit was, and that matters). The massage seemed rather expensive, too, higher than average for a land-based massage, in my experience. I can see that as everything is brought on board, labor and scarcity would affect price - are these higher prices the norm for cruise ships?
1
I agree with those who are not all that wild about cruises. Something about being cooped up with a few thousand people, being sold kitsch at every turn, seems unattractive. I'll choose other diversions for my family, but thanks for taking one for the team to show how it all works.
8
This account tells us more about its author’s lack of preparation for a Disney Cruise than about the cruise experience itself. Wherever you go, knowing something about the place before you go there will improve your enjoyment of it (or perhaps convince you that it’s not for you). Moreover, the essay and many of the comments I have read so far seem to be trying to establish intellectual and moral credentials by criticizing Disney, which is, after all, the entertainment giant that we cognoscenti love to hate. There is much to criticize, of course, and the article identifies some of the problems. But much of the criticism of Disney, including in the comments on this article, seems to me overwrought and overheated. Disney — the frenzied “Sail Away Party,” the over-the-top “Pirate Night” costumes and celebration, and the cloyingly optimistic themes of the evening shows — is best appreciated, we have discovered, with a touch of ironic distance. To be sure, it’s not the same as immersing oneself in Venice for a week, getting lost in its maze of calli, campielli, e canali, nor is it meant to be. One can enjoy The Mouse as much as Ponte di Rialto. Cruising isn’t for everyone, and the mega ships justifiably come in for scorn, with their rock-climbing walls and zip lines. But Disney runs smaller ships, especially the Magic and the Wonder, and their practices are environmentally less destructive than many lines.
87
I tend to agree with your comments here. As a veteran of several Disney cruises, I know that you only get out of it the preparation you put into it. I would have expected the author, as a travel editor for a decade, to have better researched and prepared for this trip. Booking a "princess makeover" for your daughter in the middle of the day the ship is at Castaway Cay is nothing more than poor planning. Period.
12
Disney 'magic'....another in an alarmingly growing list of national American nightmares.
21
I, too, was cynical about Disney World until I went with my two young daughters last year. I was won over by the helpfulness and goodwill from all of staff that we met. And I can only imagine your daughter's joy from the experience. You created a lovely memory for her, and I hope for you and your wife, too. Isn't that the point?
212
I have gone of a cruise with my parents, who are regular cruisers. I have decided NEVER to go on a big cruise boat again. Not only are they environmentally unsound, the cruise staff is usually paid and treated poorly. This is not to detract from the cruise staff themselves: the service was excellent and my family regularly leaves hundreds in tips (exceeding even what we spend on a few paid excursions off-boat). In the future, I might cruise again but only with a company which is environmentally sound and treats their staff well. There are many ways to create joys for one's family without harming the environment or supporting companies like Disney that treat their staff so poorly, many sleep in their cars right outside the "Magic Kingdom."
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jan/05/cruise-ship...
https://foe.org/cruise-report-card/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/us/disneyland-employees-wages.html
6
Well, it's A point.
1
To me, a Disney cruise would be the fourth ring of the ninth circle of hell. But some people love them. God bless, it's a free country. Like Mark Twain and others used to say about differences of opinion: That's what makes horse races.
42
This is how I envision hell. I would be the one in the news: "Woman mysteriously vanishes.. possibly fell overboard.." Fell? :)
14
You would find me already in the water when you "disembarked", Suzanne. I could not abide the presence of children or childish activities even when I was a child. When and why did the glorification and perpetuation of childhood replace the preparation of children for adulthood?
9
Country Squiress sounds like lots of fun. Hope we never end up on the same vacation.
1
I started getting a headache after the fourth paragraph!!!
9
Wow, and to think that when my daughter was that age we deprived her of Disney princess makeovers and instead forced her to endure the horror of a less expensive two week family trip in Costa Rica, where she was compelled to use her Spanish and see and learn about 100s of species of birds, insects, and animals. She could have been watching a bad magic show instead of interacting with an orphaned sloth at an animal sanctuary. If we'd been better parents perhaps she would be going into retail marketing instead of pursuing a career in STEM.
Just one small suggestion to the author: when asked to waste $90 on a useless Disney costume intended to take your money while teaching your daughter to embrace an ugly stereotype, say no.
377
Sometimes it’s ok to let your kids have their own likes and dislikes even though they may not signal to the outside world what your values and beliefs are. My guess is that your daughter may have enjoyed a “bad magic show” more than a forced slog through Costa Rica in order to have another entry on her Ivy League college applications.
12
Probably less germs on your trip too.
9
'Endure the horror' is perhaps over the top of the Costa Rican jungle canopy you visited. A child can enjoy Disney, absent the 'ugly sterotype' parent glasses, and pursue a career in STEM, or become a firefighter/paramedic. If Anna and your daughter met in college, I'm certain they would swap stories about the wonderful memories their parents provided.
42
Why would a parent subject their family to a floating, regurgitated, trash bin with food, giant mice and water slides. Yuk.
23
I am surprised at the number of Disney haters here who first read the full article and then took the effort to comment on it, given that they already seem to despise the whole idea and the company.
This would not be for us either (prefer other cruise lines and fewer children) but I can see how families with young children might love the whole Disney thing. The kids play all day, supervised, while the adults can chill at the adults-only pools or join their kids. Why not?
23
....while all the ship's inmates enjoy the vapid, soul-deadening artificiality of Disney 'magic' instead of experiencing the wonder and serendipity of the real world.
Sad. Tragic. Embarrassing.
20
I know it's a *shocking* concept: but you can enjoy Disney trips and GASP "real" trips as well.
2
I assume you go to movies Socrates? So what is the difference between your escape of the real world in a darkened theatre and the families escape on a DIsney cruise?
1
Wow, this sounds awful!
16
Large ship cruises are not for me, nor are Disney cruises but lots of people love them. For the less confident traveler they are highly structured and predictable vacations. If you are not comfortable with strangers and strange foreign ways, this is the way to go.
As long as you know what you are getting into, enjoy!
54
...and don't forget to check your soul at the gangplank.
11
Sorry, Alan. I'm a very experienced traveler, and I love cruises. It takes as much time to plan a good cruise as it does to plan a week on one's own. In January, I went to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia. I met amazing locals in every port. I practiced my Spanish on the ship, which was 80% Puerto Rican. I had to quickly adapt to each new port, currency, mode of transportation, etc. If anything, a cruise ship forces you to interact with hundreds of strangers and strange foreign ways, including having to make civilized dinner conversation with people from the blue or red state at your table. I find cruises to be as complex, challenging, and stimulating as any trek I've done completely on my own.
3
Most of these comments are hilariously judgmental. "Sad" "Lazy". A suggestions of counseling for the poor 6 year old who will undoubtedly be traumatized by dressing up like a princess. Expressions of sympathy for "middle America" being duped out of their money by Mickey Mouse and company. The juxtaposition of our National Parks and Europe as a vacation option rather than the Disney branded destinations (many families can, and do, visit these different options on different vacations).
It's amazing to me how few people seem able to just accept that people have different tastes when it comes to vacations (as they do with most things), without the need to heap scorn on the poor souls whose tastes may differ from their own. It's a 4 day vacation, not a lifestyle choice.
225
Well said!
16
4 days costing $5000 plus airfare.
1
@Lynn
I am happy that these folks go to Disneyworld etc. Keeps the crowds down at the places I actually want to go.
2
Great Daddy Confession for the invested traveler.
My daughter, now 4-1/2, inspires me every day to write and capture images of our adventures exploring the world. The author's self awareness and insight into the wife and daughter's experience is evidence of a top level travel writer. I would read his reports any day of the week as he travels with his wife and growing child. With frequent disappointment, I look for posts on TripAdvisor and other social media sites that will inform me how my child might experience the destination. This article seemed to capture the trip honestly and authentically.
As for the Disney experience my daughter enjoyed when she was 3, highlights included the water spray fountain across from the out-of-service Dumbo ride and the giraffes seen from our Animal Kingdom Lodge balcony. I still question the money that was spent for this moments but the photo book, courtesy of Disney upsell, indicates we had a good time.
14
As a Floridian, I've spent my fair share of time at Disney, mostly because friends and family went there and I joined them in order to get some time with those folks.
I would not willingly go there on my own or with my immediate family. Its expensive, hot, you spend a lot of time standing in lines and its manufactured fun. I'd much rather go somewhere else in the world and enjoy an authentic experience.
Additionally, Disney is using its Trump/Ryan/McConnell giant tax break as a bargaining chip in its union discussions with its workers. Agree to a sucky contract and Disney will give some $1000 bonus.
32
Oh you have achieved the summit we have all desired - to have our cruise review published in the NYT! Why or why does it have to be a Disney cruise? Any respectable cruiser knows that you don't start there because no one will ever get you back on another. We know why you have posted this review, yes, we all feel the same way when we get back (but we are confined to Cruise Critic boards which btw, you should have checked before booking). Now please, oh please, go on a real cruise and give us another review so we can truly enjoy it with you.
4
To each their own, Nancy. I've been on other lines and still prefer Disney (and I don't have little ones in the house anymore). Please don't heap scorn on those you don't consider "respectable" cruisers. Especially since I'm guessing you've never actually been on a DCL cruise?
2
I call going on a Disney cruise or any cruise a "leave your brain at home vacation." And that's why people like them. The biggest decision you have to make is to choose the Japanese restaurant or the Mexican restaurant.
7
Cruises offered by Lindblad, National Geographic, Smithsonian Journeys, and other expedition oriented travel purveyors are very far from a "leave your brain at home vacation."
5
Thank you, God, for making me gay and childless.
59
I'm not gay, but I agree with the rest of your sentiment if this cruise is what mass marketing to children leads to.
3
enjoy!
1
The opiate of the (American) masses: spending money as directed by our corporate overlords. Ugh.
223
I wonder what those Serbian war refugee staff members thought about a $200 Disney makeover for a five-year-old? #tonedeaf
23
It's a job for them - what do you suggest they do working for Disney? Refugee makeovers for kids?
4
I think we could tell the author's conclusion even before testing the first paragraph. Next up: a lobster skeptic visits Maine.
20
Maine and it's lobsters are a dream come true compared to a Disney nightmare.
10
Well, great, $4300. to briefly get away from it all. The range of wealth in this country is stunning. I have more than many, and I have never in my life spent $4300 on a car, much less a brief escape.
8
Since Dan was on assignment for the NYT to write this article, I am certain some of his expenses were covered by the newspaper.
4
I'm surprised that a portion of your brain doesn't completely jump ship every time you take a cruise, between the lack of anything remotely approaching intellectual stimulation and the amount of booze people seem to need to tolerate it.
7
Sounds awful. I've enjoyed a few cruises but this sound appalling.
7
Reminds me of a Samuel Johnson quote: "Being in a ship is like being in jail, with the chance of being drowned.”
212
Sounds like a perfectly dreadful experience. I like natural beauty and culture, not fake fantasyland. The price of anything Disney is also a huge turnoff.
11
Anyone find it amusing that the Times, champion of the yet to be proven theory of global warming, but nonetheless alarmists in every sense, also have a section where they push world travel -- flying and all that -- pushes a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.
4
Anyone find it amusing that you still think global warming is a topic that is up for debate, Ralphie?
The worthiness of Disney cruises is a topic that is open for discussion. Global warming, and its devastating impact on the health and future of the planet, is not.
7
I hope this trip was comp'ed otherwise what a massive hit for such little return. There are constant reminders that you are only one germ away from a life threatening illness, and you get to pay for it, no thank you.
3
We’ve been on 15 cruises in the past twenty years and none in Disney. Sounds like we made the right call.
We’re Royal Caribbean peeps.....and with so many under our belt,we now know the ropes and have status. Typically we get a suite for our family of four, travel with a large group of friends and stick to the big ships. We also do a “real” vacation every year..... Europe etc. our children are hardly travel deprived! Hubby travels for work so airfare is usually free.
We’ve know taken our family everywhere and to this day, cruising is still the famil favorite. There’s something for everyone, we love being on the ocean, we love being busy from morning to night and we’re generally social people.
Say what you want about it but don’t knock it before you try it. I know—- I was horrified the first time we booked it and judged it utterly beneath me.
The only thing I absolutely wrestle with on cruising are the seemingly inhuman work conditions for crew. I get mixed messages from various crew members.... many say they’re happy to have the income but I find the work hours to be problematic.
That’s my only pause really.
3
The wife and I take a lot of cruises but one of the best was last year when we sailed on the Holland America Prinsendam ( our favorite ship) from Fort Lauderdale to Amsterdam with several stops. For the 15 day cruise we spent about $4000. But the best part, out of 900 guests, there was only one kid.
7
Spending $200 to smear makeup on a five year old girl on a day she is supposed to be swimming is the height of decadence and an indication that you have enormous amounts of disposable income. Disney has perfected the art of manipulation and propaganda to induce millions to spend ridiculous amounts of money. There is so much of the world to see but parents feel pressured to have their kids experience the Disney "magic." There is much magic to be discovered out there and if your daughter wants to dress up like a princess while you stroll through a hands-on childrens museum, go the the dollar store and have her create her own princess costume. That is magical. Disney - not so much.
34
Hard to believe any activity would have been fun going in with this much prejudice.
6
This article seemed like a fair assessment. We did one years ago. The kids really liked it, and we enjoyed ourselves too, for the most party. It's so expensive, though, that for most of us it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Wasn't crazy about the nonstop activity. There were constant character photo ops, shows, and movies, and frenetic families trying to get the most out of their leisure $$. And, surprisingly (even though no one else I've spoken with who's been on a Disney cruise agrees with me), I thought the food -- while plentiful -- wasn't all that great.
FWIW, my family highlight was Castaway -- lovely water, nice bike ride, relaxed atmosphere. I could have stayed there for days, and I'm not really a beach person! Personal highlight: I found myself up early one morning, so I wandered around with coffee watching the crew get the ship ready for the day. I even heard the soundtrack start up. Makes you very aware of the "man behind the curtain." Most guilt-inducing: Forgoing the pricey excursions on Nassau to take the kids on a forced march up to the Old Fort for great views and a little history. The kids were too young to appreciate the poverty we walked past and the children just a tad older than them selling cheap souvenirs, but we were acutely aware of it all. So, great experience, not for everyone, kids will have a great time, and undeniably memorable -- but it's also been an unexpected source of reflection over the years. Bon voyage.
5
If you have a glass is 50% filled with water, you can say that it is either half empty, or half full. I have the feeling that the author is a "half empty" type of person.
Good God, I would not want to be on a cruise with this person. What a complainer!
5
I never took my daughter to anything Disney.
I knew they would call her "Princess".
As she was being raised to be a "Queen", I didn't want them to brainwash her into thinking she had less power and social status.
25
Even if I had wanted to, there is no way I could have could have convinced my husband to go on a cruise with our granddaughter, Disney or other.... but I took her to Disney in Orlando when she was six [no Grampa involved] and upsell aside, the cost was well worth the wonder on her face {and the Disney service is a world standard for good reason!!]
I took her to France last year for her high-school graduation/18th b-day [still without Grampa] and we did much of that on our own which was a special kind of magic. Age appropriate vacations have a lot to do with memorable vacations, enjoyable for all.
9
Overeating, upselling, constant exposure to Disney advertising, and a few excursions to artificial ports of call. No thanks.
21
Now you should undo the damage. Find a nice bed & breakfast or a woodsy cottage rental in the Finger Lakes and take your daughter to some waterfalls. No plastic, no structure.
15
I'm now a grandfather but at the same age we took our daughters to Yellowstone. My younger daughter woke me up at 4 am and asked "Do geysers "geyse" at night?" I said "yes". "Can we go see it ?" SURE I said. So we got dressed and went out and saw Old Faithful all by ourselves with a full Moon and a sky full of stars. 25 years later it was the "daddy" story she told when she got married. Give your kids real experiences. Not fake ones.
77
There are many kinds of vacation. If you want to go hiking, rent a cabin in the mountains. If you want to explore a city, get an Airbnb downtown. But if you want to sit and read a book, in a comfortable chair in air conditioned comfort, with a glass of wine in your hand, while the waves go past your window, a cruise is not a bad option.
15
Just came back from a cruise - you really have to be:
a) in the right mindset (don't expect Michelin starred meals or the ability to travel too far out of touristy areas in the ports - just enjoy lounging and watching the sunset over the beautiful blue ocean) and
b) strategic (great fun for someone like me who likes planning out the day hour by hour - not so for my significant other).
For instance, it's a personal choice to book a $200 makeover on a beach day, not a princess penalty.
10
My daughter, almost 20, also has an incredibly deep love of all things Disney. We spent this past Christmas Day at Disney World, and it was actually a beautiful thing to see so many parents celebrating childhood with their children.
I fear cruises because of retrovirus and exposure to passengers like Saltzstein who choose their own well-being over the safety of others.
Can't shake the idea that the author spent the trip maintaining a constant alcohol buzz. Next time, stay home and let your wife take a good friend who can keep the focus on the joy and creativity your little girl is experiencing.
Ever considered AA?
3
Sorry to disappoint Goofy, but soft serve is NOT ice cream.
5
I had to be enticed & dragged onto my first cruise. We’ve since been on over two dozen ocean & river cruises with a variety of cruise lines. So, please allow me to point out several key experiences you seem to have completely missed. Other cruise lines also have private islands in the Bahamas. In all cases I’m aware of, a tender is required to get to & from the ship. With Disney, you step off the cruise ship directly onto the island. You think that’s by chance? That’s to improve your experience. Once you step off the ship, you can leisurely walk to the beach and find ample beach chairs for your family. They’re free. With any other cruise line, you pay -- ahead of time if you’re smart -- to reserve one or more chairs. What then follows is a mad dash to the beach once you exit the tender so you can claim a prime spot. You mentioned the terrific service at the restaurants? With every Disney cruise we’ve been on, the restaurant servers traveled with us as we rotated among the restaurants. By the second night, our drinks were always waiting for us at the table when we arrived. And let’s not forget the experiences off the ship. We’ve learned that Disney tends to provide better controlled and more unique excursions in virtually every port we’ve visited. We still talk about a few. One comes to mind regarding a small family-owned farm in Sorrento, Italy. We learned how to make mozzarella & limoncello from the owners. The aforementioned items are just a few on a long list.
18
We just took a Disney Cruise last month, also our first time. Although I found it overwhelming and too busy, our children declared it the best vacation they’ve ever been on—beating Disney World itself! They loved the kids club and all the activities, especially the shows, which were amazing. Our older son (10) actually cried when it was time to go home! Although we wouldn’t go back if it was just us, we will probably go again with our kids. They really had a wonderful time; and knowing what we know now, we could find a way to enjoy ourselves: skip the shore excursions, hit the adult areas more often, and bring our own wine. That should do it!
9
Having taken our children to Disney World a couple of times, I am passing on the opportunity to join my grandchildren on their trip. I would freak out. I think I am the only one to hate Disney World with its fake everything, the lines, the $$$ for everything. Take your kid to a National Park, the ocean, a hike in the woods, a kayak ride on a pond. Enjoy the natural world.
12
If given the option between a Disney cruise and rendition, I'd choose the latter.
3
What it really comes down to is the fact that while you and your wife may not have had the perfect vacation, your daughter did. She will hopefully have fond memories of the trip for the rest of her life and be grateful that she had parents that provided such a wonderful experience. Such is parenthood. Be proud and happy with your trip.
9
Thanks for this article. A Disney cruise is now on my anti-bucket list.
9
Great piece of writing - I expected snark or nonstop wonder and you walked the line perfectly - it was a delightful and entertaining read.
3
I read the article solely so I could enjoy the comments, which were just as condescending as expected! Don't like cruising? Don't take one. Go virtue signal in a national park.
49
I've been on several Disney Cruises. Have you forgotten how to have fun? I'm with your daughter.
10
I took my then 12 year old daughter on the original Disney cruise, The Big Red Boat, years ago. My experience with the staff, and it is the staff that makes the cruise, was the same. Tons of energy with some skill thrown in but utter dedication to making the kids' experience great. Disney, aside, our daughters had a great time and all were provided with a multitude of memories.
7
A first-time cruise is tough. Disney, for a cruise line, is in a league of its own. If you felt that Disney was up-selling you, Norwegian or Carnival would feel like a four day stay in a flea market. We have taken two disney cruises and will take our third in May. The service is excellent. The selection of food is pretty good, and they have well-stocked bars. There are plenty of ways for parents to relax while their little ones are truly entertained. That's the thing - DCL is committed to your little people being happy. I am certain that our daughter wanted to bring our waitstaff home from our last cruise. They made baby food for our then 10 month old every night. Dining with two littles can be difficult and somehow these fabulous people removed every single stress from dining out with kids. Disney World is like the parenting Olympics, run, sweat, stand in line and hope your kid has fun, and when it is all over you grab a drink at Epcot. The Disney Cruise is moire like a parenting heaven - you are happy, hopefully your kids are happy, and if they aren't happy there are a whole host of people trying to help.
125
Smaller cruise lines do not upsell to the same degree, but they also usually lack special activities and locations on board for children. Nonetheless, if your kids are at least 8 years old, a smaller ship is definitely doable.
1
I agree about Carnival and Norwegian cruises. The upselling was blatantly obvious from just visiting their websites. At least they give fair warning. We decided to pass on the experience but to each his own.
Anything with the name "Disney:" The ultimate in spiritual pollution but loved by Americans.
9
When we lived in the Los Angeles area, taking my own children to Disneyland for the day was a fun, and relatively inexpensive outing. Going on a Disney Cruise sounds like my worst nightmare. The whole experience sounds like highly commercialized, 4 day version of being trapped on the saccharine and unbelievably cloying "It's a Small World" ride.
6
Excellent, well-written article. Puts a sparkle in the eye and a chuckle in the chest!
3
Wait, "[a] confession: I’ve been a travel editor for nearly a decade, and yet this was my first cruise..." and you chose a restaurant badly? In Key West? Was that intentional? I get the Disney kitsch and everything but I think everyone should try a cruise once just for the experience. The beach is cool, but the ocean is better. Too vast and humbling to try to describe effectively. Cruise lines want you to be easily distracted.
As for your daughter being afraid to step foot in water with (oddly, 'Disney-trained') fishes swimming about, well, maybe you and your family would have had a much more rewarding experience with a so-called Eco-trip lending a hand somewhere locally. Get you out of the City for a while, you know?
3
If you really want to enjoy that part of the world - find your self a sailing charter. and let your family truly experience the beauty of the Caribbean and its beautiful people.
5
As with any upcoming vacation, one must prepare by doing some research. I've been on many cruises and the amount of satisfaction relates to your research. By doing some work, you can decide what shipboard experiences to partake and what to avoid. Likewise with shore experiences. I will admit to being partial to Princess Cruise Lines because the perks provided by being a veteran and a frequent cruiser on their ships. All to often we zero in what will detract from a vacation as opposed to zeroing in on what made the vacation memorable.
2
For our family it's never been an "either / or" choice. We traveled extensively in the US and Europe from when our younger child turned 3, until our elder turned 18 last year. They've hiked near the Grand Canyon. They've marveled the fjords on the "Norway in a Nutshell" daytrip. But, yup, they also went to Disney World frequently during that time. We all enjoy the rides and parades/fireworks, and as the kids got older they noticed and considered the various technologies used to create various illusions. Cultural and historic travel nourishes a certain part of our souls. Disney may be empty mental calories, but that doesn't mean it can't also be consumed and enjoyed in reasonable quantities. Viva la difference!
14
Long before the end of the second day I would have jumped overboard without my life vest. For much less money they could have spent a week in D.C., Williamsburg, VA, Boston, San Francisco, or any large U.S. city, had as much memorable fun (for all!l and actually learned something.
12
As long as people pay the exorbitant fees because it is Disney they will continue to hike up prices for the suckers of the world with money to burn. The parks are the same thing. Ridiculously high prices, waiting long lines and happiness when its over. It's a huge rip-off and a bigger disappointment. Parents will do any stupid thing to please
their dissatisfied and demanding children.
6
I would encourage the writer of this piece to imagine going on his second Disney Cruise sometime in the future. What would you do differently? I imagine it’s quite a few things. Now imagine, as objectively as possible, what kind of time would you and your child have on this second cruise? Most likely far better than your first go. Now, to the readers: if you are at all interested in a Disney Cruise, use much of this article as a cautionary tale of what not to do. AND DO EXTENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH, unlike the writer, with all due respect. And then make your own decision whether to go or not. I will tell you that having sailed personally on Disney as well as other comparable lines, Disney is the best (and has the roomiest and best-appointed staterooms - you just have to get over the fact that you’re not staying in a luxury hotel room at sea...that’s not what cruising is about, unless you have a boatload of money to spend). Bon Voyage!
10
No. Just. No. Unless you give me a million bucks.
10
This article cracked me up.....we are 'one time only cruisers' and I tell people if it had gone on more than the three days we paid for, I'd have thrown myself overboard to escape. And we took a small Greek line to see the islands...the rest of our DIY trip to Greece was much much better than the cruise. For the money you spent on total Disney artificiality, your daughter could have seen several of the U.S's amazing national parks and learned a ton---probably you realize this and do that as well. Ditch the Disney and head for the woods with our nature-starved youth is my advice.....fill their heads with the beauty and majesty of the real not the artificial.
10
A Disney Cruise is something you can end up on if you've been really bad in a previous life. The upside is you can run into Caligula on deck, John Wilkes Booth in the bar and Richard Nixon hanging around the lifeboats, "just in case."
19
That actually sounds kinda interesting!
1
A camping trip would have been better.
9
While I can’t say that a Disney cruise (or anything else Disney) would be at the top of my vacation list, as a father of a three year old girl who is obsessed with all things princess I know it’s in the offing. Therefore, I will dutifully grin and bear it for her sake just as this author did, and if she’s happy, then I’ll be happy.
The least surprising thing about this piece is the predictably reaction from the NYT readership. The comment board reeks of misguided elitism. Why didn’t you visit National Parks, or explore the world? Because he has a young daughter who loves princesses. I’m not sure that a four day excursion to Gettysburg National Park to painstakingly review the tactical decisions of Lee and Mead is going to have the desired affect that you think it is.
Lighten up people and stop judging. Do what you like with your money and stop casting aspersions on others just because it’s not something you would do with your free time. The irony of ironies is that I’d bet that most of these people who look down their noses at these types of vacations are the same ones heralding the great imagination of Disney/Pixar movies (“It’s really as much a movie for adults as it is for kids!”). News Flash: Disney gets you either way!
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@CTR: Your first choice for taking a little girl to a national park would be Gettysburg? You are deliberately mis-reading the comments about national parks.
IMO, many parents are giving in to the whole Disney cruise idea far too readily - b/c of course your child MUST be happy all the time! I don't think the children are coming home with cruise brochures, so the parents must be planning the vacation and preparing to spend the $$$.
Having a daughter who loves princesses (which is most daughters, in my experience) doesn't mean you have to center the family's vacation around that. Daughters can be princesses in other settings and at other events, and (even better) daughters should find out that there's more to aspire to in life than being a Disney princess! If that's elitism to you, so be it.
Obviously you've never been to Arches National Park, to the Grand Canyon, to Bryce Canyon, etc. - any of which provide an astonishing experience far more worth one's time than paying through the nose to live in "princess-ville" for 4 days.
Growing up, even with my own "princess" dreams, my father took us to Niagara Falls, to Luray Caverns in Virginia, to Montreal, to Boston, to Philadelphia, etc. - places of either natural wonder or historical interest to children/adults. He knew we would have a good time exercising our curiosity in those settings, and (had Disney cruises existed back then) he'd NEVER have been suckered into taking us on a cruise.
16
@L: What’s wrong with Gettysburg for a girl? Civil War history is something that I enjoy and hope that my daughter will one day enjoy as well. You mistake my willingness to possibly take my daughter on a weeklong Disney vacation with acceptance of all that goes along with it (i.e. the princess culture.) I truly want my children to travel the world and experience different cultures and points of view, and I hope that when they are older and better able to appreciate it I will be able to afford them that opportunity, but that time is not when they're three years old.
You condescendingly mention other National Parks (because obviously I’ve never been to any!) and I’m sure they are all wonderful places, but what I think you are really saying is that your father was a better father than I am. That all these folks who take their children to Disney are somehow failing them in a way. Making judgments about people’s values based on the vacations they take is elitist IMO. I stand by that.
1
Thank you CTR. I've been fuming about the snarky and disparaging comments all day. My daughters loved Disney World and Yellowstone and Gettysburg and Washington DC and the Mutter Museum. Everyone- stop the judgement.
5
Disney cruises are primarily for children and the adults who love them. I took my daughter on one and might do so again. I did not spend as much on incidentals as you did (you need to learn how to say no) and when I did it was only for a few souvenirs, wine at dinner, a dolphin experience in Nassau, and the princess makeover which I wisely scheduled for 4pm. There are lots of free activities. Castaway Cay is excellent fun. The fitness center on the boat is also free and I enjoyed running on the treadmill overlooking the ocean while my daughter played at the kids clubs. My only money complaint is the high cost of WiFi and ship to shore communication.
11
I have been on approximately 10 cruises, one with Disney with my family in Europe. My grandson spent an afternoon in an Emergency room, and Disney spent two hours on the phone with my daughter, actually holding the ship so they could get on board before it sailed. (They indicated they would cover a hotel stay and a cab to the next port if he was held overnight in the hospital.) Two nights later an attentive waiter cut my daughter-in-law’s steak so she could eat and hold her fussy child. Disney knows how to take care of families and they are one of my favorite cruise lines. We are going on another one this summer.
30
I have been to Disney World once, because I had a small child. It was the most dreadful vacation of my life, and my then-3-year-old agreed. The only thing I can imagine that would be worse than a visit to Disney World would be Disney 24/7. NEVER. But to each their own.
8
Never been on a cruise before. For this summer, we looked at dipping a toe in with a European river cruise. Decided that for the money, and given that we're still young enough to hike (57), we're going to Iceland instead. Cruises may start to look good when the only things left we can physically do are eat, drink and talk.
9
Sorry, but in my opinion this was way too expensive for something that sounds frantic and awful. Maybe if you're five it could qualify for being the last great moment you remember, but luckily little Anna will grow up.
If you want to enjoy a cruise, try a river cruise or one with non-generic stops. Then the ship will be your place to eat, sleep, and store your luggage while you explore new parts of the world.
4
I can’t help but think the author totally missed the mark on this one. We’ve taken my 5 year old son on two Disney cruises, and we are by no means Disney freaks. We’ve also never spent $1,500 on board (including on our recent 7 day Southern Caribbean trip on the Wonder, packed with excursions, this past January).
A 3 day cruise probably isn’t long enough to see the benefits. What we love is that it affords is the opportunity to take our 5 year old son to different places in a digestible fashion. Can our 5 year old be content traipsing around Europe for 5 weeks? No. But on Disney cruises we’ve hunted for beach glass in St. Lucia, taken a trip into a volcano, and experienced beautiful beaches in Bonaire and Grand Cayman. We’ve taken him on other non-Disney vacations, but Disney offers unparalleled convenience for giving small kids a taste of the wonders of travel.
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Well put. I've travel Europe extensively and done Disney trips. A Disney vacation is what it is. If it's too commercial or cliche for you, don't do it, but I think some of the criticism here is born out of pretentiousness.
The author's complaints seem to be more a result of his poor planning or general grouchiness.
25
Also "not a Disney family" here, nor a "cruise fan," but very much enjoyed the Disney cruise with young children. We spent very little money on board, springing for a massage (worth it), dinner at Palo (not enough better than other onboard fare for the cost), and a few drinks. No shopping in the onboard store and lots of availing ourselves of the copious no-cost activities. Enjoyed beach days for our shore excursions. Winced a little at the constant "princess' culture but ultimately just enjoyed a whole crew of people focused on making our kids happy so we could relax.
67
Which explains his $1,500 bill that covered booze among other things....
1
The snobbery in many of these comments is off the charts. I'm a New Yorker. I like culture, theater, art, great books, independent films. I've also been on 2 Disney cruises and enjoyed them immensely. The service is terrific and the ships are clean and beautifully maintained.
Is it a Disney experience? Yes. You have to go into it knowing what it is. But I don't understand the upselling the author is talking about - that didn't happen to us. And you have to do some planning ahead of time in order to not book a princess makeover the same day as Castaway Cay.
There are also adults-only sections of the ship if you don't want to be around kids all the time.
Some of these commenters need to get over themselves.
96
I could not agree more with this comment. Say the word Disney to some people and they immediately close their minds. Why can't a family enjoy a Disney cruise and enjoy a vacation to a national park? I say--do both!
17
Yrs. ago I took my kids to many theme parks along the East Coast from Montreal to Orlando.
The Disney Park stood out as the most over rated. It was the most expense, longest lines and disappointing rides along with brutally hot weather.
It looks like they haven't improve at all with their cruise ships.
I have taken most major cruise lines and I am stunned how expensive Disney ships are compared to all other lines.
6
I’m sorry to hear that parts of your experience were less than magical, but I must say, if you had done a bit more research beforehand, you could have avoided some of these issues or had a better time. Most Disney cruises have FB groups, plus you can join the DISBoards, etc. For example, pretty much anyone would have cautioned you against a BBB appointment in the middle of Castaway Cay day. Disney cruisers are extremely enthusiastic about DCL and are very happy to help out newbies!
4
Sorry to be a downer, but I found this article disturbing and depressing. It confirms that the cruise experience is all about consuming, while the ocean you're cruising on and the islands you visit are all in the process of being destroyed by consumerism. But of course the escapism of the whole thing lets you avoid thinking about that.
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My husband and I have been on 5 cruises (Norwegian and Carnival) and loved every minute. You do not have to do everything on the ship (we would sit by the pool) and do our own off-shore things. They do try to push thing, but we just avoided it.
5
Are you kidding? Almost all travel is about spending money and consumption. If you don't approve of this don't travel! However, you'll miss a lot. Since I love photography I have been to 70 different countries many of them through cruises. What you are opposing to is the whole project of modernism and opposing it is like standing on the beach and trying to stop the waves. Every where you go there is commerce and consumerism. Sorry that is reality.
16
The Disney cruise sounds perfect if you want to teach your children that happiness comes through spending money and buying things and to reinforce the most stereotypical sex roles, like princesses.
94
I took my kids to Disney in Orlando once, and that was enough. It was a giant amusement park where I spent more time in lines than actually doing anything. Not really a vacation - just a distraction.
4
I like Disney a lot...but I don't want to be encased in it.
1
Counseling is available, MitchP.
6
My condolences to you and your family, Dan, at having the lapsed judgment to fall into a disgraceful Disney trap.
With such a big, beautiful and varied world at your fingertips, the disturbing decision of you and millions of others to flush your time, money and mind into a Disney toilet is deeply troubling.
Disney Derangement Syndrome is a national pandemic.
We should do everything in our power to spread the word and find a cure for this disease in our lifetime.
Just Say No to Disney Drugs !
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I'd happily walk the plank into a shark infested waters than take a Disney Cruise.
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Right behind you!
13
Right behind YOU, especially since the sharks might be full by the time they get to me!
2
I spend good money to dive in shark infested water. No likely to be found on a cruise ship anytime soon.
2
We have been on 3 Disney Cruises, all 4 night cruises on the Eastern Caribbean on the Disney Dream. You have not mentioned many of the great things this vacation offers.
First of all, if you don't like the Disney brand, or don't like the idea of being confined on a cruise ship, then this vacation is not for you, and that's ok.
Anything Disney is expensive, but the service is 5 star, you do get what you pay for. I'll bet you the ice cream machine was fixed pretty quickly. You did mention the great service at dinner, the service on the whole ship is fantastic.
The best thing about the Disney cruise is once you are on board, everything is taken care of. You can spend as much or as little as you want. My wife and I have never seen the need to go to Palo, why spend an extra $75 each for a meal after you have paid for the great dinners already included? Excursions on Castaway Key? We just sit on the beach, read a book, eat lunch and relax.
There is non stop entertainment, or if you just want to chill, then sit by one of the pools, there are 2 that are reserved for adults. The Dream and Fantasy ships have the Aquaduck, a water slide that goes around the whole ship. My son and I ride non stop some days. The evening shows are Broadway musical style and super fun, they always show recent Disney movies in their other theater, and constantly run movies at the pools.
If you want to get away and chill with 5 star service, our family definitely recommends a Disney cruise!
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And the people who can decline the upsells are getting a great deal on the cruise. Their tickets are heavily subsidized by the 10-20% of passengers - like the author - who are running up $1500 tabs for booze and extras.
6
All cruise ships offer this, not just Disney.
5
First of all very good article that is, in most cases are a variety of advantages and disadvantages, but the highly structured holidays such as cruises and Disney World today are classified as one of the best trips that can benefit us can avoid tensions among other things, but a crusade and more that of Disney sounds too interesting.
3
As DFW would say, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again!" thanks for this very entertaining read.
46
The author has so put into words the discomfort I felt when I was taken on a Disney cruise with the whole extended family (not my choice). The upsell was not only constant, but any NYT reader would realize how many of the countries listed on those name plates are beyond economically depressed, and compel you to have to tip more on already marked-up Disney nonsense. The capper for me was the waiter who felt the need to casually drop nightly that he had a child the same age as ours back at home, but wouldn’t see her for another five months, with daily 16-hour shifts. It was arm-twisting, pure and simple. Our new policy with our kids: We will see the world, not DisneyWorld.
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@emc
Like Nancy said: "..enchanting and horrifying."
1
I used to work near the Hudson River and the cruise ship terminal and would see and hear the boats leaving. That "When You Wish Upon a Star" foghorn is the stuff of nightmares.
84
Sounds like your daughter enjoyed it.
31
She definitely did, and talks about it a lot. Can't argue with that.
34
aIsn't that what it's about? Our children have w ok needful memories of Disney's parks and cruises. Last year we took a Disney Cruise in Europe. One of the best vacations we've ever taken with the family. Disney must be doing something right. We wanted to take another Disney Cruise this year to Europ we but it's already sold out. Have a magical day!
2
But will she remember it as she gets older.
Almost $4500 plus airfare and what you spent off-ship... ocean robbery!
71
Hey, the kid said she loves pirates.
13
What a sad, lazy, expensive vacation experience. I wonder how much therapy is required to reverse the lasting psychological scars caused by a $200 princess makeover.
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@Ben: Yes, "lazy" is also the word that came to my mind. Nothing described here requires the passenger to do much physical activity (other than perhaps that frantic search for adult pirate costumes...) which is why I think a trip to a national park would be a much better experience in almost every way.
74
Doesn't "lazy" describe all cruises? I have never been on one, have no desire to be trapped with strangers for even a weekend...but it's the very opposite of active. When the only choice is sitting by the pool or going to a "show," well, I think it speaks to a lack of imagination in the traveler. YES to L's suggestion of a National Park, especially now, before the present administration turns them into logging and mining factories.
1
It sounded to me like an exercise in poor planning. A princess makeover scheduled in the middle of a day at the beach? What a silly waste of money!
5
If your 6 year old child tries to guilt you into taking a Disney vacation, offer them anything in exchange to get out of it- whether it's a dog or a pony or whatever. Exposure to Disneyworld's saccharine, expensive, derivative garbage will leave with a serious case of PTSD. And watching the poor middle Americans being herded and fleeced is particularly depressing. Disney has a way of substituting ersatz junk for anything of real quality. Their motto should be- "Don't tell the peasants about pears and cheese."
152
A-men. I took my daughter to Disney one time only. Thereafter we vacationed at a farm run by a family or in houses at the beach. I can tell you which vacations my daughter remembers fondly, and which one she has completely forgotten and will likely never attempt with her own children.
6
Please do not casually use "PTSD" as a punchline. Definitely don't use it as a serious cautionary tale about going to a Disney park.
2
Very good article here. Spot on in most cases. Really emphasizes the advantages repeat cruisers or Castaways have. Also, the need to do some pre cruise research. Princess makeover on Castaway day? Rookie mistake. Dinner on pirate night without costumes? After a few cruises you learn the ropes. Plan, plan, and plan again, then relax and enjoy while on the ship. DCL is the best.
20
Sorry, but dinner on "pirate night" in costume for ADULTS is one of the most cringe-inducing ideas I've ever heard. You won't find me "planning" anything this inane, much less on a cruise.
It sounds like some Disney-led version of the game "Simon Says". I'd be looking for the exit, or the emergency dinghy.
I wonder how many IQ points an adult loses for every Disney cruise taken?
163
Disney is EXACTLY a 24/7 game of Simon Says. Good analogy, and better than mine, which is Camazotz.
Plan and plan again--exactly right, and it's rather strange that the author, the, ahem, Travel Editor of the NYT, didn't do the basic research, easily available on Trip Advisor or Disney's own travel sites, that would have prevented these mistakes.
3
Sounds like an absolute nightmare.
198
Excellent insight, as usual!
3
Last summer, we spent 5 weeks in Europe, in GB, Germany, France, and Croatia. We rented a car for some days, took trains. I log all expenses in a spreadsheet. We paid $6580 for the trip, plus $3000 for airfare. Thus, for about 2 times what this guy paid for 4 days we had 5 weeks (May 6-June 12) in Europe, and we did not have Disney nonsense to put up with.
334
It sounds like a wonderful experience, one that I would enjoy. But I also enjoy the Disney experience from time to time, even if it is a little pricier. For my young grandchildren, the looks on their eyes are priceless. When they are a little older and I am retired, I hope to give them a similar "grand tour."
PS: great screen name, George -- Fight On!
6
Not everyone has 5 weeks or wants 5 weeks for a vacation. How much time for a vacation is a personal decision. At 67, on my vacations throughout my life, I have traveled cheap and I have travelled pricey, I have taken trains, planes, automobiles and cruises. I have now done 5 cruises since 2004, 7-14 days in length, and I enjoy them especially now as I am older with a disabled husband, an easy way to travel. Although I have grandchildren, I'd rather take them to a National Park or tent camping at a state park or national forest site than do the "crazy" of a Disney Tour which seems to be a way to assuage one's guilt for working too much and spending too little time with your children. So, yes, an expensive 4 night DCL tour fits the bill for busy adults who have the money to spend (though I do not advise you borrow money and put it on the credit card). One can do 4 days at Disney World and spend as much as a Disney Cruise without the adventure of being on the open water. Personal choice really.
11
What we are you referring to? You and one other? If you and one other it cost $136 per person per day. Hum, about what a decent vacation costs. Where did you stay? What class did you fly? Disney is pricey, but for millions it is worth it.
7
For me this would be the perfect nightmare.
121
Nice job spending $1,500 onboard. I've done 13 Disney cruises, as long as a week, and never even come close. Not sure why you would order room service the first night, but in the end, it seems like you got what their experience is all about: service. It's unusual to vacation in any manner where you're as well taken care of.
Now if you just would have embraced it for what it was, you might have had a better time. You went in expecting it to be a horror show of themed entertainment (and I've met many passengers in the same boat, pun intended). Had you resigned yourself to look at it through your daughter's eyes, you'd probably be excited enough to pre-book the next one onboard, for a 10% discount. That's the reason we keep going back, and once even without the kid.
60
@Jeff: 13 Disney cruises? Wow... Just think how many wonderful national parks your family could have experienced for what you've spent!
And your child might have an appreciation of the beauty & majesty of places that don't come with mouse-ear logos on everything.
234
Oh, come on. The daughter is still young and starry-eyed and really isn't going to appreciate the nature as much. I visited my first national park at her age and it took me at least two more visits in my teens to appreciate that park fully.
I'm looking forward to taking my grandchildren on Disney cruises while they are young, and then to national parks when they are a little older and while I still able to hike at least a little.
1
@L: Keep in mind this is the NYTimes Travel Section. An article about a weekend trip to see the Grand Canyon would include bookings at luxury hotels, helicopter rides, and cost $10k+++
Thanks for airing your mistakes so we can avoid them. Never been on a Disney cruise, but highly structured vacations like cruises and Disney World are the kind of trips that benefit from advanced planning to avoid "stresses" of one's own making, like not wearing (optional) costumes to a party. Googling Bipiddi bobbidi boutique would have given the author a sense of what those glittery and expensive makeovers entail, so they could be scheduled it for a chill beach day. Bottom line, the Disney character presence sounds too intense for me.
24
Seems like anothert Disney ripoff. They excell in separating people from their money. Many better ways to cruise and visit warm climates in winter.
46
An enjoyable read!
The whole time I couldn't stop smiling as I thought of David Foster Wallace's essay "Shipping Out," eventually published in his book "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." If you haven't already read this essay, it is one of the laugh-out-loud funniest, most brilliant, inexplicably profound pieces of non-fiction I've ever read.
I find it truly intriguing to read about cruises, but I take too much pleasure in the thrill of getting lost off the beaten path on my travels to survive life on a boat, however large!
59
Yes, I too was thinking of David Foster Wallace's essay about taking a cruise. Absolutely brilliant and funny. Thanks for the reminder; I'm going to read it again soon.
3
I agree: Shipping Out is one of the funniest things I've ever read. Compromised only by DFW's choice of a ridiculously easy target... though perhaps that wasn't quite so obvious when he wrote it.
1
We did the Disney cruise to Alaska when our kids were 8 and 11. It is definitely a hybrid experience: neither all-out Disney nor culturally authentic. And it’s super expensive (for most of us). Decide what extras you can and can’t afford, set limits for your kids (as to spending money and activities), and soak it in. Our cruise is one of the best collective memories my family has. (And put your squirrelly daughter in one of those tiny rooms with your child-free sister-in-law for extra fun).
23
I'll bet your "child-free sister-in-law" doesn't vacation with you again.
9
We cruised the Baltic with Viking and were following or followed by a Disney cruise ship. In one port, when we went to get out shuttle back to our ship, we had to deal with the longest line of families I have ever seen waiting for the Disney shuttle. Our shuttle line was short and sweet.
19
Let me say that cruising has never appealed to me; my idea of a nice "cruise" is a ride on the Staten Island Ferry.
I have friends who LOVE to cruise and whose favorite places in the world all have the word "Disney" in them. Despite all their descriptions, and all the information in this article, I would never be tempted, not even for one minute, to go on a Disney cruise. I can't imagine spending so much money to have such a corporate-themed "vacation" - especially one on a boat where your time actually seeing the PLACES the boat has taken you to is almost nil!
I realize that I'm perhaps missing the point; maybe this is just super-fun for families with kids (and large vacation budgets), but if someone offered this trip to me for FREE, I still wouldn't go. Seriously.
124
As a veteran cruiser of many cruise lines, I can't help feeling that you missed the "magic" on the "Magic." So many of the wonderful things about DCL are not mentioned or, if they are mentioned, are unappreciated in your article. You missed so much.
53
I have been on 1 cruise. It was my last. I cannot understand why people go. The ships are filthy dirty bordering on toxic (even though we went on a smaller super luxury branded & priced one). The forced interaction with others inescapable. .The food choices encourage unhealthy eating. The spaces are claustrophobic and, unless temporarily docked at a rip off touristy port, one is literally stuck on the boat. I was doing laps on the upper deck 2-4 times daily to stay occupied and expend pent up energy and angst.
59
Sounds like you were on Carnival. The Disney ships are cleaner than any place you've ever lived, I guarantee it. You get what you pay for when it comes to cruising.
33
This is a bit like staying at Motel 6 and henceforth refusing to ever try another hotel, unaware that Ritz Carlton just might be a bit better experience. Cruise ships are just like hotels, a wide range of offerings not only in terms of quality but also who they are aimed at. I've cruised with deluxe cruise lines like Seabourn and Seadream - the latter has just 112 guests, a 1-to-1 crew-to-passenger ratio, few or no kids, no rules, no gimmicks, just superb food, incredible service and fascinating fellow passengers. The new trend is luxury expedition ships to the Arctic and Antarctica. I'd never go on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival ship, but happily spend a few more vacations on the right kind of ship.
7
I haven't been on a Disney cruise and would never be inclined to take one, but Jeff P. may have a point about Carnival. A friend of mine took a Carnival cruise for her honeymoon and she said the ship was filthy. That particular line is the cheapest and has long had a reputation for being a floating party that is constantly chaotic and in disarray. I've cruised on Celebrity, which is more expensive and rather sedate compared to Carnival, but you get what you pay for; I refused to even consider Carnival as I had no interest in being confined to a floating frat house for a week. The Celebrity ship was immaculate, the food was terrific, and I was never forced to interact with my fellow passengers. Some cruise lines are definitely better than others.
None of us, children included, want to go on a big ship cruise. Chartering a bare boat sailboat on our own with just the family is what we like to do.
21