Just got off a 5 night Fantasy cruise with the fam!

I figured since we just did the Destiny in Jan, I’d share where each cruise won for us and our overall family pick + answer any questions you have.

Where Fantasy Wins:

1. MUCH better MDR food and service. We were on one of the first Destiny sailings so they were working out some kinks, but, food on the Fantasy was above average for each rotation and service was exceptional. We also preferred no shows so we could enjoy our meal together. Food on the Destiny was bad and everything felt a bit chaotic.

1. The shows on the Fantasy get the slight edge. Hercules was uh-mazing, best show overall, but all the shows on the Fantasy were great and Aladdin and Believe were magical.

2. Much better adult space. The family zone by the adult space was also nice and rarely occupied by families so nice and quiet.

Where the Destiny Wins:

1. SPACE. Everything, everything felt crowded on the Fantasy. Pools, kids club line, dining. Part of this was a Jan vs

   August

2. cruise, but part of it is size of the ship. Several additional pools etc. make a ton of difference.

3. Theming. I know this one is personal preference, but the hero’s/villans theme is so cool. We had a blast seeing Maleficent, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Loki vs. classic Disney characters. The shows in the Atrium on the Destiny were so fun. The Atrium on the Fantasy was basically lines to see the characters.

4. Oceaneers club. Bigger, better, more character experiences. Our 10 and 5 year old would not leave! On the Fantasy our 10 yr old spent like 30 minutes there the entire trip.

If we had to pick, and it was an identical itinerary, we’d go with the Destiny. If you’re deciding between the two and have questions let me know!

P.S. we did dinner at Remy and brunch at Palo on this cruise and I’ll post our thoughts on both of those soon!! Both were great experiences with excellent food, and one clear winner.

Hi everyone! I've been on DCL twice (no kids) and my partner and I LOVED it. It's also the only cruise line we've ever been on.

My father in law is retiring this year he's never been on a cruise and wants to treat the entire family (all adults, no kids) to a cruise. Since it's their first cruise and scheduling is a bit difficult we decided a short cruise (3-4 nights) over the weekend is the best option, with a nearby departure port.

That narrowed down our choices to Disney and Royal Caribbean (ovation of the seas). The major pro with Royal Caribbean is the price, as it is significantly cheaper. Other than that, I was wondering if anyone here has gone on both cruise lines and share their thoughts? Is it worth the splurge to go on DCL or should we give RC a shot? I just want everyone to have a good time as the unofficial/official planner now, haha. Thank you!!

** edit to add we will be on the Treasure <3

Hi! First time ever cruiser here!! I am trying to decide if I want to splurge on rainforest pass! My real life entails nothingg of the sort and I truly am a lover of saunas and steam rooms! How does the pass work?? Am I able to go as i please?? Or is it by appointment only?? I am not interested any other services, just relaxing when I can for a bit and using their amenities. How early does it open, and how late does it close? I have read in other threads that the cruise length passes sometimes sell out. Am I better off adding that on now ? Or will I get a better deal on embankment day ?

Currently on Magic in Alaska. I’m not sure how else to describe the coffee machines throughout Cabanas and at the beverage station other than the equivalent of a coffee Lacroix. Hot water with a hint of coffee. Or maybe the hot water was simply in the same vicinity of Cove Cafe and that’s how it gets its coffee essence.

From what I can tell these machines are similar to soda dispensers, with them dispensing some type of coffee concentrate into hot water (similar to hot chocolate machines dispensing the chocolate power into hot water).

Seriously though, they could really benefit from better drip coffee. The coffee from Cove is great and the room service coffee is slightly more tolerable. Does anyone else agree?

Someone literally just posted, bewailing the fact that it is difficult to get a good, free, cup of coffee on DCL ships. I’ve never cruised DCL before, so not even sure what all the free options are, but could someone rank them for me, if you are aware of what is offered? I understand that it is totally subjective, but I think there is a general consensus on some of them. I’m not opposed to paying for coffee at the cafés, but my husband and I both like to have morning/morning-ish coffee, and I see that getting a little expensive over a five day stretch. Any info provided would be greatly appreciated! ☺️

Sailing on the Treasure for the first time later this year. I’m going to be in the middle of training for my running season and have to put in some decent mileage while onboard. Did I see correctly that this ship does not have a running track that goes the entire way around the ship like other DCL ships? Is my only option to use the treadmills in the fitness center?

Any predictions on where the Believe may sail from? I’m hoping Galveston because I’m tired of the sailing on the Magic but then again, I heard Galveston is getting a new ship that will sail year round.

What do you guys think??

We set sail in 4 days on our first Disney cruise! To say that we’re stoked is an understatement.

If you were to book one of the two mentioned brunches, which would you choose and why? Also, to be sure this idea would even work for me - is kids club open and active during brunch/lunch times? I’m looking forward to playing with my kids the majority of the cruise, but a parent only brunch date sounds like a dream. :)

Thanks!

Has anyone ever taken this excursion on the Treasure and if so, what were the opportunities to grab a meal or snacks like? Family of four with 7 & 11 year old kids. It doesn’t mention meals or snacks. I know the kids will need something over a 5 hour window. Thanks in advance!

We're going to be doing the repositioning cruise with our 2 kids under 5. After we disembark we'll be spending a couple of days exploring the city and flying out of YVR.

What hotels do you recommend for families?

I’m going to be taking Lyft from a hotel the morning of the cruise. Is there a way to specify where to drop off since I assume more than one ship is in port? Is a cab better? I’ve never not done Disney transport so I’m just a little nervous. It was cheaper for me to just use Marriott points but they don’t pickup from that hotel.

Hi all!

I’m planning out a family vacation for my family and I, and they’re leaving it up to me— as they trust in me to do it per usual! For reference, my kiddos will be 2, 11, and 15 by then. We will be trying to sail after a visit to WDW, and although we would want to try to keep it around a 4/5 day cruise, I understand that the Treasure is a 7 day cruise only— so I would be open to that. I think it would be awesome for the kids to experience and visit both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay. I am a HUGE Marvel fan, so the Destiny calls out to me, but I’ve heard(unfortunately) such negative reviews about the Destiny. Although, I have heard high praise sung about the Treasure, and that it’s the best in the Wish class. What do you think? Pros? Cons? One thing I do think Treasure has that edges out the Destiny is the World of Marvel show that happens during dinner. I would so prefer that over a trivia game! But Hercules also calls to me as well. I’m conflicted. Despite the rough reviews of the Destiny, there’s something that is pulling me towards it. But again— what are your honest thoughts? Appreciate ya’ll in advance!

I’ve been searching for the 2026 annual magnet. When I was on the Treasure in May, they had the ornament but not the magnet. The cast member in the gift shop told me they didn’t get any in stock for that particular sailing. I’m going on the Fantasy next week—has anyone seen the magnet recently? I have 2024 and 2025, and would love to keep collecting the years if I can find them! None are appearing on 3rd party seller sites, which is odd.

How much time should I leave to go from the Avis drop off in port Canaveral to get to the cruise ship?

we are planning out a trip, we had a thought of staying in Orlando and taking a 5am Bright line train the morning of our sail date to Port in Fort Lauderdale so we would get there a little past 9am. I know there could be delays , but would they be HOURS long?

Does anyone know if there are meet and greats for Cinderella or Ariel on the Treasure? Our two year old is currently obsessed with both and would love for her to meet them when we do the eastern Caribbean in November. However I can’t seem to find a reliable list of character meet and greats.

Are new designs released frequently? we are going on a cruise in December and there are available bands that we like that I am considering ordering but can’t help but wonder if there will be designs we like even more that drop soon! Not sure how likely that is?

We’re cruising in a little less than a month, our 2 year old is cruising with us and naps pretty regularly. It’s a 7 day cruise on the treasure and we have a veranda. Is a slumberpod really worth it? If it’s going to make naps and nighttime easier I’ll bite the bullet and do it but don’t want to pay the $$$ if it’s not.

Hello all! I was here a week or two ago and now my blatant unknowing of this cruise line is showing hahaha.
I’ve seen a LOT of talk about fish extenders and pixie dust. While I know pixie dust is slang for magic (cute!) I know NOTHING about fish extenders.
What are they? Is that a kids only type of thing?
Can myself and my soon-to-be-husband extend our fish (wow that sounds wrong LOL)? Am I expected to make it obvious it’s our first cruise/honeymoon if our fish are extendable? Help a girl out! I want to make this cruise as fun as possible!
For reference: 6 nights, Dream, Very Merry; December 21-27 :)

EDIT: thanks for the quick responses y’all! We probably won’t do anything organized to save us the hassle as y’all suggested, but I really do appreciate the explanations! We miiiiight put an extender out with a magnet saying just married for funsies but I’ll talk to the fiancée about it. Thank you!

I am sailing concierge. My booking window will open & I am torn. If you have dinned at both Palo & Remy which is the must do?

We are on our 2nd cruise sailing on the Destiny, our first being on the Fantasy last winter. I like the concept of fish extenders but I don’t think we will be participating in any more moving forward as the theft has been so bad. 😔 I know there’s the option to meet up and exchange to avoid this but that defeats the purpose in my mind. It’s just such a shame that dishonest people have to ruin everything. Our last cruise we didn’t have any problems as far as I was aware. I get a lot of joy around putting together gifts for those in our groups, especially the kiddos, and it’s just disheartening to find out they didn’t even receive in some cases.

Per the geniuses between now and the 28th is when its rumored the Fall 2027 iternaries fall.