Back to Back vs. 7 night cruises

[flytimefl]

Cannot decide which is a better option. On b2b we upgrade our Castaway Club status faster and get 2 days on Castaway Cay. On the 7 night cruise we don't have to reboard. It's just me (Grandma) and my 9 year old granddaughter who has decided that she loves Disney cruising.

 

[taggie4]

I don't know but I love that you cruise with just your granddaughter! So fun

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Cannot decide which is a better option. On b2b we upgrade our Castaway Club status faster and get 2 days on Castaway Cay. On the 7 night cruise we don't have to reboard. It's just me (Grandma) and my 9 year old granddaughter who has decided that she loves Disney cruising.

For me, the cons of a B2B are the turn around day (you still have to get up at O dark thirty, get off the ship, wait to re-check in, and wait for them to decide it's OK to board you). And if the B2B is a 3/4 combo, you basically get a re-do of all the shows and menus in the same week.

Now, we've done B2Bs that were 7/7 night and 10/14 night combos. Those aren't as bad in the repeated activities department.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Cannot decide which is a better option. On b2b we upgrade our Castaway Club status faster and get 2 days on Castaway Cay. On the 7 night cruise we don't have to reboard. It's just me (Grandma) and my 9 year old granddaughter who has decided that she loves Disney cruising.

We've done three 7-nt and 8-nts and one B2B (3/4-nt). We did the B2B bc we could not afford the 7-nt and also we were tired of the ports on the 7-nt. If cost is the same or no issue to you, I would choose the 7-nt. Don't get me wrong, we vastly enjoyed our B2B and thought it was a really cool thing to experience, and we got to go to CC twice! But in all reality, a B2B like we did is not the same as a 7-nt. We LOVE sea days and believe me, sitting in Port in Nassau twice is not the same thing as sailing on the open seas. We really missed the extended activities and new surprises we always seemed to have found on our sea days. We also love our verandah on sea days (but I cant say that's a deal breaker if you cant afford or don't want one). So, all in all. I would say do the 7-nt if it's in your budget. Whatever you decide, it'll be amazing!

 

[tigerchic89]

We did a 4/3 b2b instead of a 7 day. The plusses were:
got 2 trips toward platinum
2 cc days
was able to score a cabana on the 3-day (maybe b/c there were more 1st time cruisers, or maybe 3 dayers are more budget conscious???)
the night before turn around was awesome knowing that our cruise was only half over, not ending.
Turn around day was cool, being the last ones off and the 1st ones on

Everything else was kind of a letdown, and we will always choose a 7 day over a 3/4
the turn around day felt wasted
We thought we'd enjoy repeating menus and shows, but in reality everything was kind of a letdown having just "seen" them
we prefer the atmosphere and the "vibe" from the 7day better. the 4/3 fellow cruisers felt rushed and not as relaxed (not sure how to describe this)
prefer the 7 day ports instead of nassau 2 times

So, I'm glad that we did it once, but we won't do it again

 

[flytimefl]

She has replaced her father as my Disney buddy! We've done WDW monthly since she was an infant, Disneyland CA twice, going to Paris Disney for Thanksgiving. She had her first cruise on Disney 9/22 and loved it so much we are going for a 4 night on 10/23. The b2b or 7 night is for 2018.

 

[FigmentSpark]

If she loves Disney that much, she might actually love the 3/4 better than the 7 day. The princess/character things will be done twice and Castaway Cay will be done twice. The question is what does she enjoy most about cruising (besides being with you)?

 

[Mommb]

For me, I'd go for a 7-night because it would have a wider variety of activities. However, I agree with FigmentSpark that you should also consider what your granddaughter would most enjoy.

You should also consider the ships if you have a specific time you want to travel, since the 3/4 night cruises would be on a different ship than the 7 night cruise. If one ship has a particular restaurant or show that would be particularly appealing, you could select the itinerary that includes that ship.

Really, you can't go wrong with either choice!

 

[Justacruiser]

I really like doing B2B's. If you have the same room, you do get to sleep in later than anyone else on debarkation day. Eat some breakfast and then meet staff in a designated area to get you off the ship. Usually within an hour you will be back on. I have done B2B's on 3/4 and 7 night cruises. You can book the 3/4 night, but I recommend doing as many things in your wish list the first cruise so you can do more things like the pool and the back end cruise.

On the 3/4 night cruises, most people are running around frantically trying to get everything in. So, I recommend seeing the shows and standing in lines for character pics on the first cruise.

Either way you choose you will have a great time.

 

[Trera]

On the B2B you basically are getting a DD Castaway Cay cruise for less than a 7 night or a DD.

You also get the opportunity to take it slow on the first cruise as anything you have missed, you can just experience on the second cruise. If you go to Palo on animators pallet night...............you can just experience the menu on the second cruise. If you miss a movie on the first cruise you want to see, it will be there on the second cruise.

We have done both and like both. Benefits both ways.

Good luck.

 

[Quellman]

I prefer a longer cruise because I like sea days. But our back to back cruises have been just fine too. It is correct that the menus and shows repeat, but this wasn't a big deal because it let us do other stuff that was programmed at the same time. We also were treated like royalty the second cruises because much of the staff already knew us or remembered us.

If you do a back to back, try to do a 3/4 instead of a 4/3. The parking cost will be cheaper, and more importantly the pacing of the week is better. The 3 day cruise feels more hurried since eveyone else on the ship is trying to cram as much in before they get off. 4 days is a more relaxing trip. So it would then be more relaxing at the end of your week.

 

[Shanti]

Cannot decide which is a better option. On b2b we upgrade our Castaway Club status faster and get 2 days on Castaway Cay. On the 7 night cruise we don't have to reboard. It's just me (Grandma) and my 9 year old granddaughter who has decided that she loves Disney cruising.

Is it the same ship? Which ship it's on might play a part in the choice. I would much prefer doing CC twice than to go to any Caribbean port, so I'd pick the B2B. If you choose that, make sure you to book the same stateroom for both trips.