NEWBIE on Cruise Boards ~ question, could be a silly one.

[SandraC]

Hi all! Although I have been around the DIS for a couple years, I have never considered a cruise because I am afraid of boats/ships/floating on the water for loooooooooong periods of time. However, we are thinking about a Cocoa Beach trip and I hear that the cruise ships dock not too far from there. So here is my question. Can we walk around the Disney cruise ships for an hour or so to see if we are 'boat people?" Thanks. S

 

[mmouse37]

WELCOME TO THE CRUISE BOARD.......BUT, Unfortunately no...no cruise line will let any visitors onboard just to take a walk around. This was in effect before 9/11 and security is even tighter since then. The only real way to find out is to take a cruise!!!!

Also, keep reading these boards because they give vast amounts of info on the cruise and you may be able to decide if cruising is something for you.

I would recommend taking the 3 or 4 day to start to test your "sea legs". We love cruising...thinking it is one of the best values for the money.

And, by the way...there is never a stupid question on these boards....everybody need to know something.....and this is the place to get the answers.

MJ

 

[Señor Ferrari]

I don't think they'd let you do that. When you get your cruise documents, it says specifically that guests are not allowed on board, due to security considerations. They are even more strict about this given recent world events.

In any case, this would not really give you an idea of what the ship feels like on the open sea. When it's tied to the pier, it is in a sheltered harbor, and there is really no difference between being on the ship and in any other tall building. Even when the ship first shoves off, if you aren't looking at "dry land," you won't notice the ship is moving right away. However, the ships are really very stable. Even at sea, you often forget that you are on a ship. They are equipped with stabilizers, which are "wings" which protrude from hull, about 30 feet long, and greatly reduce the ship's motion. I'm told that it reduces it by 90%, but I'm not sure I believe that.

Maybe a 3-day cruise might be an option for you. You could feel out how you like cruising, and if it doesn't agree with you, you won't be "captive" on the ship for a week. On the three-day cruises, the ship is in port all day for both days, so the actual travel on the ship is somewhat limited.

 

[goofysgirl]

They will not let you on the ship. It is funny though, for some reason I too was afraid of boats, until we took our first Disney cruise. Three cruises later, I still get an uneasy feeling when I look out and can't see land, but that lasts for a fleeting moment and I am rocked back into reality that the Magic is truly Magical! We will be on her again in November 2003 and I am counting the days. There is so much to do and see that you forget you are on a ship. These vacations are truly amazing and you will soon be addicted as many of us are. Try a four day I don't think that you will regret it.

 

[SQUIGGLE]

SandraC - You might want to try a 3 day cruise. When we booked our first ever cruise we were not sure: would we get seasick; would there be anything for adults to do; etc., etc., (this was before I found these Boards). We took the 3 day cruise figuring that we could deal with anything for 3 days. Turned out the only problem was - it was TOO SHORT!!! We're loooking forward to number 5 on 5/17.

Hope this helps.

 

[SandraC]

WOW! You are talking me into a cruise! You are all so friendly and nice and I am happy I posted today! THANKS!

I used to live in Winnipeg, Manitoba (big time prairie ~ flat flat flat). I went far into the boonies to go snowmobiling. It was so vast, flat and white with snow, you could see the curve of the earth. That was awesomely scary. I imagine the sea the same way except I'd by moving.

I have always heard great things about Disney cruises. I shall read lots on these boards! THANKS! S

 

[inkkognito]

This post reminded me of the first time that I saw "Titanic," which was before I ever cruised (hard to imagine that now, as a veteran of 27 Disney cruises!). I watched in amazement as the people on board the ship refused to believe that it would ever actually sink and wouldn't get in the lifeboats. Having studied up on Titanic, I know that the movie was accurate, even in the part where people are kicking ice chunks around the deck for amusement. I thought, "I could never be that foolish!"
But after sailing for the first time on the Magic, I could understand a lot better. Sometimes it's hard to believe that you are on a vessel in the ocean. It's more like being in a huge resort where you just happen to wake up in a different place each day. No matter how many times I sail, I still have trouble comprehending that it is a ship...it's like being at a WDW resort (although with much smaller pools!).
The 3-day is an awesome sampler. That's how I managed to get hubby to try it...he figured that he could stand anything for a weekend. Just beware that it doesn't turn into an addiction like it did for us!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Scratch42]

Hi, it's me, Janet, you gotta go!

But I'm sure DD and I will be able to convince you after our Dismeet in February!

Cruised once before and I found it no different than being on land, but try not to go during hurricane season, that doesn't help!

You came to the right place to have all your answers answered!

They are a great bunch here!

Scratch

 

[disneykins]

You'd love it Sandra. Its like being inside a theme park all day and all night. Everything is Disney on board and Castaway Cay is like your own private island. Lots for the kids to do alone or with you and even more for you and DH to do when the kids are in the clubs. I dont do roller coasters or even the swings at the playground because of motion sickness but I've never had a problem on a Disney cruise. Once in a while I notice the motion but theres so much going on that you dont notice it. We're already booked for 12/27/03 on the Magic, we could have a Canadian Dismeet on board? We're doing the Eaton Centre Disney store on Monday. Have a great Christmas and we'll see you in Feb.
Tony and Deb

 

[CindyAnn]

Hi Sandra from yet another person from the Canadian board. We're setting sail on the January 4th 7 day western cruise, so I'll post when we get back. This is my 5th cruise, but first Disney cruise. I have a tendency to get motion sick, and the crossing of the English channel really bothered me. However, on the big ships, I've only ever been bothered for about 6 hours out of 6 and a half weeks of cruising, and gravol took care of it pretty quickly. We even docked in LA during an earthquake and hardly felt it at sea. I can't read in a car or anything like that - just long enough to glance at a map and tell DH where to turn or else I'll vomit. Like everyone else, I suggest a quickie first to try it out!

 

[nedleycan]

Hi Sandra,
We just returned from a 4-day Dec. 1st. It was great! You will really enjoy it, and Barb is right that you forget that you are on a ship. It is so solid! Because I love boats, I almost wish there was more motion (I know... I am crazy). We went on a Windstar cruise 2 years ago (only 144 guests sailboat) and you could feel some motion on there - it was wonderful!) If you go on the 4-day (with Freeport) or the 3-day, you will not really being doing much cruising during the day, so you rarely notice that you are on a ship. I can't wait for my 7-day that will probably happen in November 2003. There are a few sea days, which we are looking forward to.
Where do you live now? Have been to Winnipeg, and my mom was born there (in 1942 at St. Boniface hospital)

 

[My~Rumbly~Tumbly]

The whole time we were on the ship, my daughter kept asking when we were going to get on the ship. She's three, lol. Her little mind just could not comprehend that a ship could be so massive and 'hotel' like. My most favorite moment with her was when we were on deck 9 one late night. The ship was moving in full force and the sky was very starry. She asks, 'mommy, how come the sky is moving?'. She still didn't get the fact that the SHIP was moving! Everyone should step on deck late at night when most others are sleeping. It's incredible!

 

[CamColt]

You might want to check around with travel agencies or cruise lines to see if any of them near you(or near where you will be) do tours. We were able to take a tour of the Norwegian Majesty, docked in Boston a few months ago. It was sponsored by a travel agent and it was done between sailings(some guest had boarded by the time we left). Even if its not Disney, it may give you a good idea of what a cruise ship has to offer.

 

[inkkognito]

nedleycan, either you are not crazy or I am crazy too...I also am a person who LIKES motion on the ship! I espcially like it at night, as I feel like it's rocking me to sleep. But on Disney there is rarely that much motion. I am not prone to seasickness, but I do get a headache if I try to read in the car. Sometimes when we were crossing the gulfstream (which is a spot where it can get a bit rough), I get a "car reading" headache...not enough to spoil anything, but it lets me know that I am on a moving vessel. Once I get my sea legs, that wears off and I'm fine for the rest of the trip.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com