Will i be disappointed on 2nd cruise?

[KEMdisney]

I cruised last summer on the 4 night Dream. It was my first cruise and I fell in love with the Dream and cruising in general. I have been itching to go back ever since! I'm looking into April 2015. For those of you who have sailed new ships and older ships, do you think I'd be disappointed going from the Dream to either the Magic or the Wonder? I realize they are very different in size. We just absolutely loved the luxury of the Dream... The highTech feautures, cleanliness, newness, etc. I don't want to set myself up for failure but I'm looking a 600 savings to sail the Magic instead of the Fantasy. I'd love to hear opinions from others who have been in the same boat (ha, pun intended) we are adults only by the way.

 

[Pluto1976]

We sailed the Magic first then the Fantasy and while we liked the Fantasy (she is a gorgeous ship) would take the Magic any day over the Fantasy. In fact, were heading back out on the Magic for our next trip.

A few of the reasons are below:

- Magic is smaller

- Enjoyed the adult areas better (Palo, bars; especially the piano bar, pool)

- Preferred the MDRs on the Magic over the Fantasy

- Subjectively speaking, the shows were better on the Magic

I should say though that Satellite Falls on the Fantasy is pretty awesome. Both are great ships and if you truly have an affinity for the bigger ships then spend the $600 so you don't have any regrets.

Hope this helps!

 

[Four Swampers]

I cruised last summer on the 4 night Dream. It was my first cruise and I fell in love with the Dream and cruising in general. I have been itching to go back ever since! I'm looking into April 2015. For those of you who have sailed new ships and older ships, do you think I'd be disappointed going from the Dream to either the Magic or the Wonder? I realize they are very different in size. We just absolutely loved the luxury of the Dream... The highTech feautures, cleanliness, newness, etc. I don't want to set myself up for failure but I'm looking a 600 savings to sail the Magic instead of the Fantasy. I'd love to hear opinions from others who have been in the same boat (ha, pun intended) we are adults only by the way.

Different for different people. We first sailed the classic ships, and we prefer them to the Dream, but about equal with the Fantasy. The new ships are a little shinier, they have midship detective agency, Aquaduck, and Animator's Palate is pretty cool.

The classic ships have a more intimate feel, but some people feel they battle with crowds as much as on the new ships. The classic ships have fewer people for Castaway Cay, so definitely 1000 fewer people on Castaway Cay that day.

I find that frequently (not always) people on the disboards prefer the ships they first sailed. So I prefer the classics, but someone who first sailed the Dream might prefer the new ships. The good news is that no one tends to hate any of the ships!

If Midship Detective Agency, Aquaduck, and some other tech issues are worth $600 to you, sail the Fantasy. If those won't make or break the trip, then consider the Magic or Wonder and using the $600 for excursions, spa treatments, adult beverages, a cabana, or some other activity that would be fun for you.



Here is my own take on the ships, which is entirely subjective, entirely an opinion which may not be shared by anyone else:

I view the ships like this:

Wonder: hands down best service. The CMs from bridge officers to servers are eager to please.

Magic: great dinner service, really good general service. I have had some special requests denied on the Magic that were offered to me on the Wonder, so it does not get the over the top marks I give the Wonder. This has been consistent on four Wonder cruises and three Magic cruises over the past four years.

Fantasy: A simply amazing ship. Technologically fantastic, excellent adults-only areas, good service. Almost as good service as the Magic. Staff may actually be more eager to please than on the Magic, but hampered slightly by the size of the ship.

Dream: Great for technology, especially Aquadunk and Mid-Ship Detective Agency. Suffers from a rushed and overworked crew. Frankly, even many of the passengers seem more hurried, less friendly, less caught up in the "spirit of Disney." I suspect this stems from an overall vibe from the crew and from it being a bit of an entry level cruise.

Of note: the backstage hallways on the Dream, used by the castmembers to get everywhere, were horribly designed according to a number of castmembers who have worked there. That bad planning makes it more difficult for servers and other CMs to do their jobs. In fact, the poor design was so quickly apparent that the backstage area was redesigned for the Fantasy. A much smoother flow plus a seven day turnaround makes for a much nicer experience on the Fantasy.

Would I cruise the Dream again? Yes, but only on a really cheap fare, and with the intent of enjoying the Aquaduck, the quick service restaurants, Goofy's golf, Palo, etc.

 

[SillyInventor]

The thing on the Dream is: she only sails short 3/4 night) cruises. And by exception some 5 night double-dips with none or just one day at sea.
This makes for a crowd and a crew pushing the most out of it in the few hours that crowds are actually on the Ship and not sleeping.
I bet that if the Dream and Fantasy switched itineraries, the Dream would be much more appreciated as 7 night cruises with 2 or 3 days at sea are just so much more enjoyable than the rushed Bahamas cruises.
Answering OP's question: whichever Ship you will sail next you will not be disappointed if you just take it all in and relax

 

[tweis]

We sailed the Dream twice and then gave the Magic a try. We did not enjoy it as much as the Dream but it had more to do with the lack of service that we received more than anything else. The rooms are almost as nice as on the Dream and most of the public spaces are great but the atrium is not nearly as grand as the Dream. I did love the size of the ship and AP was wonderful with the animation show. Cabanas was more crowded IMHO on the Magic than it was on the Dream and we actually ended up eating breakfast on the pool deck. I would sail the Magic again but it wouldn't be my first choice. YMMV We sailed post refurb. I have lots of pics in my TR below.

 

[JennLK]

I have sailed 3 of the 4 ships and would not hesitate to sail on any of them again. I also sailed the Magic post renovations - so she was all updated and extra clean just like the Dream and Fantasy. Is there anything in either itinerary that you would prefer when looking at the Magic vs the Dream? Do you have kids? The teen/preteen areas on Magic are not as cool according to my pre-teen.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

My family sailed the Magic in 2011 (before the refurb) and the Fantasy earlier this year. Even with the "old" Magic, we would not hesitate to sail it again, and now with the upgrades, I would book it in a heartbeat.

For us, it's about the itinerary and the date, and whichever ship it is, it is.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

We had our minds blown by a 3 day Dream in 2013. We were SO excited to sail the 'new' Magic this year. Read for my perspective and trip report.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3276365&highlight=mermaids+magic

 

[OKW Lover]

We've sailed on all 4 DCL ships. We enjoy all the ships. Yes there are differences but you shouldn't think that the classic ships are lesser ships.

 

[schmass]

We sailed the Dream first and I was worried we might be disappointed on our second cruise, which was on the Magic. We loved it just as much, but in different ways!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We sailed the Magic first then the Fantasy and while we liked the Fantasy (she is a gorgeous ship) would take the Magic any day over the Fantasy. In fact, were heading back out on the Magic for our next trip.

A few of the reasons are below:

- Magic is smaller

- Enjoyed the adult areas better (Palo, bars; especially the piano bar, pool)

- Preferred the MDRs on the Magic over the Fantasy

- Subjectively speaking, the shows were better on the Magic

I should say though that Satellite Falls on the Fantasy is pretty awesome. Both are great ships and if you truly have an affinity for the bigger ships then spend the $600 so you don't have any regrets.

Hope this helps!

I agree 100%. My entire family (me, dh & 2 teens) would choose the Magic over any other ship. Ever.

 

[bobbiwoz]

It's a different experience, but I get equally excited about sailing on the Dream, the Fantasy, the Magic or the Wonder.

 

[cwdefouw]

We have been on 10 cruises on three of the four ships, sometimes with only about 60 days between cruises. We are excited for every one, even the lowly three day Dream cruise. There is always something to do and see, even if it is just relaxing in the sun with a beverage.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I cruised last summer on the 4 night Dream. It was my first cruise and I fell in love with the Dream and cruising in general. I have been itching to go back ever since! I'm looking into April 2015. For those of you who have sailed new ships and older ships, do you think I'd be disappointed going from the Dream to either the Magic or the Wonder? I realize they are very different in size. We just absolutely loved the luxury of the Dream... The highTech feautures, cleanliness, newness, etc. I don't want to set myself up for failure but I'm looking a 600 savings to sail the Magic instead of the Fantasy. I'd love to hear opinions from others who have been in the same boat (ha, pun intended) we are adults only by the way.

I haven't been on the Dream (I am not a fan of the short cruise) but I've been on her sister, the Fantasy as well as the Magic. For an overall cruise experience, I prefer the Magic and the Wonder because they are smaller ships. So I would normally defend her and urge you to try her BUT many of the things you specifically loved about the Dream (the high tech and the newness) are the things the Magic doesn't have, so although it wouldn't be MY choice, I think you might be better with the Dream (or the most beautiful ship in the world, IMHO, the Fantasy if you can swing it).

 

[eemaxx]

My family sailed a holiday cruise on the Magic in 2011 before being re-imagined, then the Fantasy in Jan 2013, and just got off a 12 night Med cruise on the re-imagined Magic. In my opinion, the new Magic is the best!! Definitely has a newer feel, staterooms are definitely rearranged better with new furniture, bedding and higher beds, far less people than the Fantasy, and the new pool areas were perfect. Animator's Palate also does the show now on your last night there where your drawings come to life. The Magic also has an awesome after-hours section with O'Gills, Keys and Fathoms. No mid-ship detective agency, but that is probably the only thing my kids missed (now ages 11 and 7). Given the choice, I would choose the Magic again. I felt like we really got to know several crew members and even the captain was often out and about talking with passengers (yes, I wondered that too...who is sailing the ship?!) You can't go wrong with any Disney ship though!!!