Dream/Fantasy vs Magic/Wonder? About This Page:

[KathyFG]

We have been on three DCL cruises- all on the Wonder. We LOVED the style and layout of the Wonder. We have a planned cruise (NYC-Canada) on the Magic coming up in September. We are considering a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise for March 2013, and it looks like that itinerary would be on the large Fantasy. It is just me and DH, no children.

Could anyone who has sailed both the smaller DCL ships and the bigger DCL ships comment on what they thought of the bigger ship (Dream/Fantasy)? Did it feel "too big" after the Wonder/Magic?

PS- We had looked at doing a Viking river cruise in Europe but the prices were really high in comparison, plus there is the airfare! Yikes. Since we loved each of our DCL cruises, we thought we would go with DCL 7-night instead.

THANKS!

Kathy G

[Dave Marx]

I wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of the ships.

Yes, the Dream and Fantasy are larger - the Magic and Wonder seem intimate by comparison. It's a somewhat longer walk from place to place. It's harder to feel a sense of community - more guests, more staff, so more faces seem unfamiliar throughout the cruise.

However, they've also been able to make public spaces substantially larger (larger than the 50% increase in passenger capacity), so you're less likely to feel crowded anywhere on the ship, such as in the lobby prior to dinner, during deck parties... and Cabanas, the pool deck buffet is also very spacious - no more traffic jams or frustrating hunts for tables. And then there's the all-new stuff like the Enchanted Artwork/Mickey's Midship Detective Agency, the new Animator's Palate shows, Remy... And if you did have kids along, the improvements and increased space in the kids/tweens/teens areas are dramatic. The spa has been upgraded, and the adult entertainment district is greatly improved (more choices and great theming). Altogether, for me the pluses far outweigh the (for me) small minuses.

[unewillow]

I sailed a 7 night Western on the Magic, and then a 3 night Bahamian on the Dream. Since the ships are all decorated and laid out similarly it wasn't hard going from the smaller ship to the bigger and as Dave said, the only downside was having to walk a bit further to get where I wanted to go.

My mother went on the 3 night Dream cruise with me and it was her first cruise ever...we'll be going on the 5 night Canadian cruise in Sept on the Magic and she is worried about the ship feeling smaller/more crowded. I think we'll be just fine. Especially since we'll now have more nights/days to actually be on and explore the ship this time.

[KathyFG]

Thanks to you both- great comments. The other 7-day cruise option we are considering is the May 2013 west coast "repositioning" cruise on Wonder, which goes from LA to Vancouver.

PS- We will be on the Sept 7th sailng for the NYC-Canada cruise.

Kathy G

[PixieMichele]

I just sailed on the Fantasy for the preview cruise and then on the Magic for the Eastern Caribbean. I was worried I was going to feel disappointed going back to the Magic after just having been on the Dream and Fantasy but i've learned that I love each of the ships for different reasons because they each have something special to offer. There is an intimacy on the Magic and Wonder that the larger shops haven't conquered yet. It's nice when the cast members know your name and you see the same faces throughout the cruise and get to know them.
That being said the amenities on the Dream and Fantasy really have it going for them. I love the upgrades through the ship and the adult entertainment areas, etc.
You'll love your cruise no matter which ship you're on just remember to love them for what they have-not what they don't'!

[chezp]

We've sailed on the Magic (once), Wonder (twice) and the Dream (once) and to be honest, I wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of Disney's ships. Sure, the Dream is larger, but you know what? I felt that difference more from the outside, as we pulled up to port and saw the scale of here. Once we were on board, I really didn't notice it that much.

[MelissaL]

I agree that while the Dream/Fantasy are certainly larger, they are also similar enough to the Magic/Wonder that they don't feel that different. I've done the Wonder 3 times and the Magic 2 times, and just did the Dream in January. Yes, it took a little while longer to walk across the ship, but not as much as I expected. I didn't feel crowded except while waiting for the midship elevators, but frankly, I remember that problem on the Magic/Wonder too.

I would not hesitate to do a 7-night on the Fantasy. In fact, although I was thrilled when the Mediterranean cruises were announced because I really wanted to do one, I was also slightly disappointed, because booking a Med cruise on the Magic meant giving up the Fantasy cruise we'd previously booked. (I'm trying to find a way to do both, but unless major discounts open up, I don't see that happening.)

Anyhow, pick the itinerary you want, because you're sure to enjoy any of the ships!

Melissa

[PixieMichele]

Melissa there are already GTY rates for the fantasy so keep your eyes open....you can save a decent amount by booking a guaranteed category!

[marshmellow86]

We have done the Magic once, Wonder 5 times and Dream 4 times.

I agree with the differences Dave outlined. They are all wonderful ships and we enjoy all of them.
We really didn't notice how much bigger the Dream was until we docked at CC and walked past it. It was a much longer walk down the dock, along the side of the ship than it was with the Magic/Wonder.
We really enjoyed all of the new technology added to the ship. The biggest differences we found we enjoyed more on the Dream was the upgrades in tech in the kids clubs (which doesn't apply to you). The kids really liked the new magic playfloor (and the hand washing machines!). the enchanted art work and mid-ship detective agency is great and the wave phones are convenient. We personally felt the food quality in Cabanas was improved from what we had on Magic/Wonder - however it has been over a year and half since sailing on Wonder/Magic, so they may have 'improved' it there too. We liked the set up of Cabanas better, no long line, just stations.
We did like the fact that someone mentioned that on the Wonder/Magic, we frequently ran into the same people more often. We liked the sail away party on those ships better. We like the Dreams show on those ships better than Believe show. so, all small differences between ships - we prefer some on the Wonder/Magic more and others we prefer on the Dream. Again, they are all wonderful and I don't think you can go wrong on any of them.

[modisney]

How about the crowd level on CC? Have they increased beach space to accommodate everyone?

[Dave Marx]

Originally Posted by modisney

How about the crowd level on CC? Have they increased beach space to accommodate everyone?

Yes, they made extensive changes and additions to Castaway Cay. The old teen beach is now all part of the family beach (and they moved the stingray experience elsewhere). To help ensure folks don't all bunch-up on the beach closer to the ship, they added an additional stop on the tram (it's right around where the original family beach ended). They also added dining, water play areas, and other facilities down at the far end of the family beach. They didn't make many changes at Serenity Bay, the adult beach - that beach already had plenty of space - now there are definitely more people, but it's still not crowded.

Also added were private (rental) cabanas - 16 by the family beach, and something like 6 more at the adult beach. They come with a variety of conveniences and services, but they ain't cheap. One more thing folks try to sign up for as early as possible (like Palo reservations).

[pamcarey]

I've sailed on the Wonder, and I just returned from a 7-night on the Fantasy. I definitely wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of the DCL ships. The Fantasy rarely felt larger to me than the Wonder. If it took longer to walk from end to end, I didn't really notice it. Cabanas is definitely more spacious than Beach Blanket Buffet. The soda machines are better laid out and easier to access on the Fantasy. However, my 16 y.o. LOVED Vibe on the Fantasy, and said it was way better than on the Wonder. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the ships.

[CruiseCarol]

I have to agree you cannot go wrong with any of the ships. We refer to the Magic and Wonder as the classic ships. I have sailed on all four ships. Our next cruise is on the Magic and we are all looking forward to it just as much as our recent cruise on the Fantasy.

The one thing my 10 year old said was he likes the kids club on the Magic and Wonder better. He felt there were too many young kids mixed on the Dream/Fantasy. That is because the clubs are really connected. Next cruise he will be in the Edge. We told him he could try the Edge on our past cruise but he didn't want too.

[pixie08]

I have sailed both class ships (Dream, not Fantasy). I prefer the smaller ships just because I like the intimate feel of the Magic class but the Dream was stunning!

I went on a 5 day, and I do not prefer shorter cruises, so I think that had something to do with it. I prefer at least the 7 days, so I am going to give the Fantasy a chance because the ship had so many benefits that it was a stunning ship, but again you do feel it is a larger ship with getting around and the amount of people. On the Magic class you get to know the staff by name, and you see the same people around the ship etc. It isn't like that on the Dream.

[cfaletra]

We just got off the Magic last week and there were a lot of repairs going around the ship on while we were cruising. We also noticed that there were a number of things in our room that needed repair (leaky shower, broken lock on veranda slider, closet door would not stay open, outlet on desk was broken). I was told by one of the senior crew that the Magic is due for Dry Dock in January but I have no way of confirming that. It does need it.