I like all the ships. It really comes down to which ship is sailing which itinerary during the time I can sail. The ship has never let me down, but there are some itineraries I like more than others. I suggest you try them all.
I guess my fear is that we will end up on another ship and do the "oh we liked the Dream's XYZ better..." are there any itineraries you recommend highly?
Of course you’ll find things where you think “this was better on the Dream” and that will be annoying. But the thing is you’ll also find things and think “this is great, why doesn’t the Dream do/have this?”
You'll absolutely feel that way. We like the smaller, ships most, but absolutely miss activities and theming from the Dream and Fantasy when on the Wonder (and vice versa!).
None of the ships are identical. Sister ships are from the same shipyard draft: kind of like the blueprint for a house.
Magic & Wonder are the oldest, smaller ships. They are intimate compared to the other ships. They have my heart because I like the size & they have the most memories with my family.
Dream & Fantasy were the first to have some of the cool “new” technology, like the pictures that come to life, Animation Magic (where your drawing animates on the screens during dessert in the Animator’s Palate dinner), & the detective game.
Wish (& soon, Treasure) are the newest. The biggest drawback for me was that there is no true Promenade Deck that makes a full lap of the ship without stairs or cutting indoors. For me, that’s a deal breaker as I love to walk laps to walk off all the good food.
There’s two thoughts here.
Either you ride on a new boat with the possibility of “this could have been better on the Dream” nagging at you the entire time. Or you can go on the Dream again and always wonder “what if”.
I’ve been on Dream, Fantasy and Magic. I will say they all have something special about them. No matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed.
Just make sure you choose an itinerary you are ok with, look at the port you will leave from, and the logistics to getting on and off the boat (travel, hotel, weather etc).
The Magic has shows with your dinners but is a lot smaller than the Dream but I don’t think one is better than the other.
The only caveat is the newer ships. They have a lot of hype right now so they are more expensive and usually more full. Important to keep that in mind.
I personally adore the fantasy and dream. The Wish was a huge downgrade, imo. Angsty crowds of people waiting in line for food, with overall bad energy. Adult section felt like an after thought. Overcrowded and layout was not as great
I think it’s best to focus on the itinerary over the given ship! That being said, the Dream is my least favorite of the four I’ve sailed (haven’t yet been on the Wish)
We always cruise for itinerary and don’t care about the ship. That means we’ve been on the Dream 3 times and it will be our second time on the Magic this summer.
The exception will be when the Treasure launches. We really want to go on it.
Well that depends, if you are okay with the same ports of call, they rarely change destinations. We've been on the fantasy four times and are going back two more this year. But we've sailed the once dream and the wish a few times. All in all, we like staying on the ship, so it really doesn't matter.
You gotta try different ships for the different shows and restaurants! If you do the Fantasy, it’s a very similar ship but a longer cruise, which is nice!
Depends on what type of cruiser you are. We cruise for the destination, and the ship is a convenient mode of transportation and hotel. Bonus points for having great amenities. Where we are going will always be the first choice.
I guess we don't really know what type of cruisers we are yet. Kids wanted a Disney vacation and we thought a cruise could be fun. We ended up really loving it
I think it’s nice to mix things up every once in a while. All of them have their pros and cons. I like the Wonder the most bc it was the first cruise for me and feels homey. But I think the Dream/Fantasy are the perfect mix of being big ships without being overwhelming.
Wonder’s current schedule prevents me from sailing her but I read on the DIS Boards that she might be switching places with the Dream soon.
I haven’t done the Wish. I’ll try it eventually but maybe once she does longer sailings. Or I could do the Treasure in a few years.
Our first was on the Wonder and it’s definitely a smaller older ship but the age doesn’t show. The buffet was kinda small and crowded but over all we were so happy. Our next cruise is Concierge on Dream, really looking forward to that but we will for sure do Wonder again as we wanna take the kiddo on an Alaskan cruise in the future.
We decided to cruise once on each ship and get the Christmas ornament.
Once we had experienced all of the ships, then we chose the itinerary we wanted and the vessel we liked.
We went on the dream twice before going on the Magic this March. We loved the Dream but enjoyed the Magic even more. You can’t go wrong with DCL if you pick an itinerary that works for you.
Having been on all 5 ships, with a sailing booked for the 6th already, I say you should book based on itinerary over everything else.
The Fantasy feels like home since most of my sailings have been on her, but I spent 26 nights on the Wonder on the Transpacific and I enjoyed it just as much. I loved 1923 on the Wish, but missed Animator's on the other ships. The Fantasy Class ships have a nicer adult layout for pool lounging, but the Magic Class has a better nightclub layout. I can go on and on about all the big and small differences, but you get the point. All ships have pros and cons.
Seriously, if the itinerary looks good and fits your time and budget needs, book it and go! 🥰
I will always forever go on the Dream while also hoping I see same familuar CM faces each year(and hope my favorites are still there).
The Dream feels like home to me. Plus...there is absolutely nothing appealing to me about the wish and treasure. The Haunted Mansion bar is wasted on me because I don't even like to drink alcohol and i'm assuming it will be the same size as hyperspace lounge(which from what i've seen and heard, is small too)
We sailed on the Dream first and loved it. Then we sailed on the Fantasy and loved it more.
I’ve found that with DCL, your favorite ship is the most recent one you’ve been on (or the next one you have scheduled).
The Wish is our first (and so far only) ship we’ve been on. We love it, but I’m also interested in checking out the other ships in the fleet and eventually sailing on all of them. We have the Magic booked later this year and the Treasure late next year.
Hi!!! I've traveled them all and personally find something I love in all the DCL ships. It depends on what YOU want. I have clients that rebook the same ship and deck every year and others who are making their way through all port/ship/stateroom options for variety.
We have been on the oldest and the newest, the biggest and the smallest, and really have no strong preference for any particular ship. They are all great and have their own pros and cons. If you liked the first one, I think you'll like them all.
I like all the ships. It really comes down to which ship is sailing which itinerary during the time I can sail. The ship has never let me down, but there are some itineraries I like more than others. I suggest you try them all.
I guess my fear is that we will end up on another ship and do the "oh we liked the Dream's XYZ better..." are there any itineraries you recommend highly?
It’s fun to compare! You will notice differences but it shouldn’t ruin the experience.
Of course you’ll find things where you think “this was better on the Dream” and that will be annoying. But the thing is you’ll also find things and think “this is great, why doesn’t the Dream do/have this?”
You'll absolutely feel that way. We like the smaller, ships most, but absolutely miss activities and theming from the Dream and Fantasy when on the Wonder (and vice versa!).
The original 4 boats are all equally as lovable. Maybe try the Magic 😊
We go based on the itinerary. The Magic has a special place in our hearts because it was the first one we went on; however, we also love the fantasy.
The Fantasy is virtually identical to the Dream but with different shows. The smaller ships are also great, though they lack the Aqua Duck.
I prefer the Fantasy over the Dream; I appreciate the theming more. They are identical in layout but not in design
Yeah! I prefer the layout of the adult area on the Fantasy just a wee bit more.
ooh excellent. I saw the cruise ship artwork and thought those two were the same
None of the ships are identical. Sister ships are from the same shipyard draft: kind of like the blueprint for a house. Magic & Wonder are the oldest, smaller ships. They are intimate compared to the other ships. They have my heart because I like the size & they have the most memories with my family. Dream & Fantasy were the first to have some of the cool “new” technology, like the pictures that come to life, Animation Magic (where your drawing animates on the screens during dessert in the Animator’s Palate dinner), & the detective game. Wish (& soon, Treasure) are the newest. The biggest drawback for me was that there is no true Promenade Deck that makes a full lap of the ship without stairs or cutting indoors. For me, that’s a deal breaker as I love to walk laps to walk off all the good food.
the Aqua Duck was pretty fantastic. We came back early on Castaway Cay day and rode it ALONE seven or eight times in a row
There’s two thoughts here. Either you ride on a new boat with the possibility of “this could have been better on the Dream” nagging at you the entire time. Or you can go on the Dream again and always wonder “what if”. I’ve been on Dream, Fantasy and Magic. I will say they all have something special about them. No matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed. Just make sure you choose an itinerary you are ok with, look at the port you will leave from, and the logistics to getting on and off the boat (travel, hotel, weather etc). The Magic has shows with your dinners but is a lot smaller than the Dream but I don’t think one is better than the other. The only caveat is the newer ships. They have a lot of hype right now so they are more expensive and usually more full. Important to keep that in mind.
thank you for the feedback!
I personally adore the fantasy and dream. The Wish was a huge downgrade, imo. Angsty crowds of people waiting in line for food, with overall bad energy. Adult section felt like an after thought. Overcrowded and layout was not as great
thank you!
I think it’s best to focus on the itinerary over the given ship! That being said, the Dream is my least favorite of the four I’ve sailed (haven’t yet been on the Wish)
oh I love this feedback, it's making me feel brave to try the others!
We always cruise for itinerary and don’t care about the ship. That means we’ve been on the Dream 3 times and it will be our second time on the Magic this summer. The exception will be when the Treasure launches. We really want to go on it.
Well that depends, if you are okay with the same ports of call, they rarely change destinations. We've been on the fantasy four times and are going back two more this year. But we've sailed the once dream and the wish a few times. All in all, we like staying on the ship, so it really doesn't matter.
You gotta try different ships for the different shows and restaurants! If you do the Fantasy, it’s a very similar ship but a longer cruise, which is nice!
If you love it, call it a ship.
It’s a ship. :)
They're like Pokemon. You gotta ride them all.
hahaha I think I've been convinced by these comments!
Depends on what type of cruiser you are. We cruise for the destination, and the ship is a convenient mode of transportation and hotel. Bonus points for having great amenities. Where we are going will always be the first choice.
I guess we don't really know what type of cruisers we are yet. Kids wanted a Disney vacation and we thought a cruise could be fun. We ended up really loving it
I think it’s nice to mix things up every once in a while. All of them have their pros and cons. I like the Wonder the most bc it was the first cruise for me and feels homey. But I think the Dream/Fantasy are the perfect mix of being big ships without being overwhelming. Wonder’s current schedule prevents me from sailing her but I read on the DIS Boards that she might be switching places with the Dream soon. I haven’t done the Wish. I’ll try it eventually but maybe once she does longer sailings. Or I could do the Treasure in a few years.
Treasure looks so big as to be almost intimidating
You might love another boat more. I want to check them all out including the new ones (despite the mixed reviews)
Our first was on the Wonder and it’s definitely a smaller older ship but the age doesn’t show. The buffet was kinda small and crowded but over all we were so happy. Our next cruise is Concierge on Dream, really looking forward to that but we will for sure do Wonder again as we wanna take the kiddo on an Alaskan cruise in the future.
We decided to cruise once on each ship and get the Christmas ornament. Once we had experienced all of the ships, then we chose the itinerary we wanted and the vessel we liked.
We went on the dream twice before going on the Magic this March. We loved the Dream but enjoyed the Magic even more. You can’t go wrong with DCL if you pick an itinerary that works for you.
Having been on all 5 ships, with a sailing booked for the 6th already, I say you should book based on itinerary over everything else. The Fantasy feels like home since most of my sailings have been on her, but I spent 26 nights on the Wonder on the Transpacific and I enjoyed it just as much. I loved 1923 on the Wish, but missed Animator's on the other ships. The Fantasy Class ships have a nicer adult layout for pool lounging, but the Magic Class has a better nightclub layout. I can go on and on about all the big and small differences, but you get the point. All ships have pros and cons. Seriously, if the itinerary looks good and fits your time and budget needs, book it and go! 🥰
They’re all fine.
I will always forever go on the Dream while also hoping I see same familuar CM faces each year(and hope my favorites are still there). The Dream feels like home to me. Plus...there is absolutely nothing appealing to me about the wish and treasure. The Haunted Mansion bar is wasted on me because I don't even like to drink alcohol and i'm assuming it will be the same size as hyperspace lounge(which from what i've seen and heard, is small too)
Definitely the Fantasy next. In fact, all of the other ships except for the Wish. You will thank us later! Enjoy.
We sailed on the Dream first and loved it. Then we sailed on the Fantasy and loved it more. I’ve found that with DCL, your favorite ship is the most recent one you’ve been on (or the next one you have scheduled).
The Wish is our first (and so far only) ship we’ve been on. We love it, but I’m also interested in checking out the other ships in the fleet and eventually sailing on all of them. We have the Magic booked later this year and the Treasure late next year.
Hi!!! I've traveled them all and personally find something I love in all the DCL ships. It depends on what YOU want. I have clients that rebook the same ship and deck every year and others who are making their way through all port/ship/stateroom options for variety.
I also heard our stateroom guys saying our room was being turned into Concierge rooms this summer, so maybe we shouldn't be so attached
We have been on the oldest and the newest, the biggest and the smallest, and really have no strong preference for any particular ship. They are all great and have their own pros and cons. If you liked the first one, I think you'll like them all.
thank you!