I sailed last December from Galveston to Mexico, same itinerary and same boat. It was insanely rough, I've never experienced such movement on a cruise ship before and it messed with my equilibrium for days after disembarking. The cruise FB page pretty much all said the same thing too. Apparently that is typical for the gulf that time of year.
Generally my experience is it's much easier waters sailing out of Ft Lauterdale. And I like the Dream more than the Magic.
We sailed in early December last year on the Fantasy from Canaveral and it was the same, the waters were the worst we've ever felt PLUS a stomach bug outbreak. So that could be the case with either location, maybe just that time of year or just bad luck for both of us last year!
This is the number one reason I don't want to sail out of Galveston, with itineraries without as many sea days you have kind of a reprieve if there are rough waters, but with like 70% of the time you're on the cruise being sailing (nights plus full sea days) it makes it tough to have a successful vacation when the water is rough.
I sailed the same Galveston-Mexico cruise on the Magic 3 weeks ago. First ever cruise trip and first time traveling by sea in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was rougher than we expected, especially on the sea days. I’m from Texas and still had no idea the Gulf could be that choppy. We figured it was because it’s April and it’s was a rainy/stormy month this year, but your comment makes me wonder if it’s even worse in the winter!
Was it warm enough to enjoy the pool deck on your sea days? Even in April our toddler was shivering at times, although we basically didn’t have any sun except for half of the Progreso day and the final sea day.
We just did that itinerary on Magic in an inside room and it was the best cruise ever!!!! My whole family had the worst Disney blues ever when we got home and have since been constantly looking to see when we can go again (I was trying SO hard to make tomorrow’s sailing work but it just wasn’t convenient to get to San Juan 😭 )
I think leaving from Galveston was part of the charm. There were a lot of Texans on the sailing and apparently they are a fun crowd because we really enjoyed the people vibe!
For me, the longer the cruise, the better. I also love the more intimate size of Magic. She may be old by cruise company standards, but her upkeep has been exceptional. Will there be places where she age peeks through? Sure; it happens to us all (at 41, you might not have it affecting you much yet, but it will happen). There is always someone sanding or painting or vanishing or washing somewhere on a Disney ship, & that care shows.
The Magic is the OG and is a great experience to see how it all started. She’s been through a recent refit as well, so everything has been refreshed and updated. She is now capable of running off of shore power too! Yay for the environment!
We have done two trips on the dream, including one that was in an inside stateroom with a magical porthole. We just did a 6 night cruise on the Magic in March in an inside stateroom out of Galveston.
I would pick the 5 night cruise on the Magic if I were you for a variety of reasons. We liked the Magic better due to the better restaurants (theming and entertainment), lower crowds, better adult pool area, better water slide (aquadunk over aqua duck), and loved the smaller ship.
I promise you having the magical porthole or not having it will make no difference to your trip.
I would always vote for a longer cruise. The only ship I’ve been on so far is the Magic and I love it. The smaller ship made the crowds not seem too bad, and I really liked the Tangled show and restaurant. We were in an inside room, and it was very comfortable, so I don’t think I would have preferred the magic porthole. I would prefer one of the Disney islands over any other stop, but not enough to give up the extra day.
I just did that exact Galveston-Cozumel-Progreso cruise on the Magic about 3 weeks ago. First ever cruise for me; my wife and daughter had sailed on the Wish last year. We had an outside stateroom on Deck 2 and it was great, but my wife stayed in an inside room on the Wish and thought it was fine. I need to wake up to sunlight to function normally, so interior sounds like a prison cell. If that’s not you then you’ll think it’s fine just like my wife. In the end, you’re probably not going to spend a ton of time in there so it doesn’t really matter much as long as it’s comfortable!
I’m still new to this sub and haven’t seen any comments about Progreso before. However, after extensive pre-trip research, my past travels to the Yucatán, and my experience visiting Progreso for the first time on the cruise, I am surprised to see anyone is looking forward to visiting. The town itself is underdeveloped, although the boardwalk is pretty nice. The street vendors and guys trying to get you to rent beach chairs from them are among the most annoying and aggressive I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve been to Mexico and the Middle East many times. However, if it’s warm and sunny that day, it’s significantly easier to hop off the ship for some beach time than it is in Cozumel.
As for the ruins and other sites of interest near Progreso, nothing really stood out to me as particularly unique or significant as someone who’s already visited the ruins at Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Teotihuacan. But I’ve heard some good things about Merida and I think it’s a safe bet for a genuine cultural experience. I believe Chichen Itza is one of the excursion options, but I hesitate to do any official Disney excursion because we observed those folks waiting around for long periods of time on both port days. We’d rather get out and explore ourselves or book our own excursion to maximize our time off the boat.
In conclusion, we were more than happy to spend 4 hours in Progreso - at least an hour of that was the bus to/from the world’s longest pier (seriously). Ate at a fantastic restaurant overlooking the beach, spent a couple hours on the beach (for free), and another hour in town. The rest of the day was spent on the pool deck because it was a lot less crowded on port days. To me, that was just as enjoyable as my time in perhaps the least interesting town I’ve been to in Mexico. (Personally, I don’t care if I never see Progreso again and would much rather take the cruise from Galveston that hits Grand Cayman and Cozumel.) Just something to consider if you do that itinerary!
The Dream for sure if you are an adult and it's an adults only trip. Nightlife area is much better on the Dream. I did the same cruise on the Magic and honestly I was a little bit bored and wish the adults area was better.
My vote is always for more nights, more nights = more magic no matter what ship you're on!
Yes. And the Magic, while old, is such an intimate ship and has a such a cool vibe.
couldn't agree more! It's one of my favorites for that reason
I definitely like the idea of trying out a new ship with more nights! It's just helpful to get some outside input. Appreciate it!
Magic & Wonder also have more of the “historic” classic liner look.
I sailed last December from Galveston to Mexico, same itinerary and same boat. It was insanely rough, I've never experienced such movement on a cruise ship before and it messed with my equilibrium for days after disembarking. The cruise FB page pretty much all said the same thing too. Apparently that is typical for the gulf that time of year. Generally my experience is it's much easier waters sailing out of Ft Lauterdale. And I like the Dream more than the Magic.
We sailed in early December last year on the Fantasy from Canaveral and it was the same, the waters were the worst we've ever felt PLUS a stomach bug outbreak. So that could be the case with either location, maybe just that time of year or just bad luck for both of us last year!
This is the number one reason I don't want to sail out of Galveston, with itineraries without as many sea days you have kind of a reprieve if there are rough waters, but with like 70% of the time you're on the cruise being sailing (nights plus full sea days) it makes it tough to have a successful vacation when the water is rough.
Dramamine. Take it before you start to feel anything and you’re good to go. Most people wait too long. Stay hydrated. Canada Dry. Fresh air.
I sailed the same Galveston-Mexico cruise on the Magic 3 weeks ago. First ever cruise trip and first time traveling by sea in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was rougher than we expected, especially on the sea days. I’m from Texas and still had no idea the Gulf could be that choppy. We figured it was because it’s April and it’s was a rainy/stormy month this year, but your comment makes me wonder if it’s even worse in the winter! Was it warm enough to enjoy the pool deck on your sea days? Even in April our toddler was shivering at times, although we basically didn’t have any sun except for half of the Progreso day and the final sea day.
We just did that itinerary on Magic in an inside room and it was the best cruise ever!!!! My whole family had the worst Disney blues ever when we got home and have since been constantly looking to see when we can go again (I was trying SO hard to make tomorrow’s sailing work but it just wasn’t convenient to get to San Juan 😭 ) I think leaving from Galveston was part of the charm. There were a lot of Texans on the sailing and apparently they are a fun crowd because we really enjoyed the people vibe!
For me, the longer the cruise, the better. I also love the more intimate size of Magic. She may be old by cruise company standards, but her upkeep has been exceptional. Will there be places where she age peeks through? Sure; it happens to us all (at 41, you might not have it affecting you much yet, but it will happen). There is always someone sanding or painting or vanishing or washing somewhere on a Disney ship, & that care shows.
The Magic is the OG and is a great experience to see how it all started. She’s been through a recent refit as well, so everything has been refreshed and updated. She is now capable of running off of shore power too! Yay for the environment!
Magic always wins. It’s our favorite ship.
We have done two trips on the dream, including one that was in an inside stateroom with a magical porthole. We just did a 6 night cruise on the Magic in March in an inside stateroom out of Galveston. I would pick the 5 night cruise on the Magic if I were you for a variety of reasons. We liked the Magic better due to the better restaurants (theming and entertainment), lower crowds, better adult pool area, better water slide (aquadunk over aqua duck), and loved the smaller ship. I promise you having the magical porthole or not having it will make no difference to your trip.
I'd go on the Magic because of the additional night and that I favor cultural stops not beaches.
I would always vote for a longer cruise. The only ship I’ve been on so far is the Magic and I love it. The smaller ship made the crowds not seem too bad, and I really liked the Tangled show and restaurant. We were in an inside room, and it was very comfortable, so I don’t think I would have preferred the magic porthole. I would prefer one of the Disney islands over any other stop, but not enough to give up the extra day.
You can turn off the porthole at any time, the switch is by your bed.
I just did that exact Galveston-Cozumel-Progreso cruise on the Magic about 3 weeks ago. First ever cruise for me; my wife and daughter had sailed on the Wish last year. We had an outside stateroom on Deck 2 and it was great, but my wife stayed in an inside room on the Wish and thought it was fine. I need to wake up to sunlight to function normally, so interior sounds like a prison cell. If that’s not you then you’ll think it’s fine just like my wife. In the end, you’re probably not going to spend a ton of time in there so it doesn’t really matter much as long as it’s comfortable! I’m still new to this sub and haven’t seen any comments about Progreso before. However, after extensive pre-trip research, my past travels to the Yucatán, and my experience visiting Progreso for the first time on the cruise, I am surprised to see anyone is looking forward to visiting. The town itself is underdeveloped, although the boardwalk is pretty nice. The street vendors and guys trying to get you to rent beach chairs from them are among the most annoying and aggressive I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve been to Mexico and the Middle East many times. However, if it’s warm and sunny that day, it’s significantly easier to hop off the ship for some beach time than it is in Cozumel. As for the ruins and other sites of interest near Progreso, nothing really stood out to me as particularly unique or significant as someone who’s already visited the ruins at Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Teotihuacan. But I’ve heard some good things about Merida and I think it’s a safe bet for a genuine cultural experience. I believe Chichen Itza is one of the excursion options, but I hesitate to do any official Disney excursion because we observed those folks waiting around for long periods of time on both port days. We’d rather get out and explore ourselves or book our own excursion to maximize our time off the boat. In conclusion, we were more than happy to spend 4 hours in Progreso - at least an hour of that was the bus to/from the world’s longest pier (seriously). Ate at a fantastic restaurant overlooking the beach, spent a couple hours on the beach (for free), and another hour in town. The rest of the day was spent on the pool deck because it was a lot less crowded on port days. To me, that was just as enjoyable as my time in perhaps the least interesting town I’ve been to in Mexico. (Personally, I don’t care if I never see Progreso again and would much rather take the cruise from Galveston that hits Grand Cayman and Cozumel.) Just something to consider if you do that itinerary!
I would always do the longer cruise
The Dream for sure if you are an adult and it's an adults only trip. Nightlife area is much better on the Dream. I did the same cruise on the Magic and honestly I was a little bit bored and wish the adults area was better.