Is there something wrong with me??? Have I lost the Magic?

Can't answer about what happens on the boat u ti do know both me and Mrs Ferret are super stoked at the prospect of doing a Disney cruise and it's not until 2017.
I am interested to hear how this all goes for you

I was looking forward to it but when I went it was amid a full on 3 week wdw holiday so I think there was still loads of stuff for me to plan around if it you know what I mean. I did enjoy our cruise and as you know, I wanna go again as a big WDWFGU meet in 2016, but to me it was not Disney. It was a cruise run by Disney so everything was amazing, food, CM's, shows etc were flawless. But it wasn't WDW.

We've been on several Disney cruises and we were psyched for every one of them ! We watch Disney cruise tapes, youtube videos, & photos; to know our ship inside out (and to take advantage of everything it offered).

We planned all our shore tours with military precision, DW signed up for spa and other leisurely & educational activities, while I watch the clouds roll by (with a cup of my favorite java). We had a great time and would do it again in a NY minute.

Relax, you'll get into the groove as you get closer to the day .

No you haven't lost the magic!! Because this is your first Disney Cruise it is hard to know what to expect. You just need to remember that WDW vacations are completely different from Disney Cruises. If you leave WDW completely relaxed you haven't done it right. A cruise on the other hand....you can do as much as you want or as little as you want. Sitting on the deck with a cup of Java or a cocktail, watching the water go by is very relaxing and even a little mesmerizing. First run Disney movies are available and the Broadway style shows in the evening are excellent! Don't forget some adult entertainment! Be sure and go into Pink, the champagne bar on the Dream and find the little elephant that flits from bubble to bubble on the wall! Blondie will enjoy the kid's programs while you check out Pink. Have you made reservations for any port adventures? You will absolutely love Castaway Cay! Looking forward to hearing your cruise report!

I don't mean to alarm you but another web site that I frequently visit had this to say about Nassau.

"Please note that there has been recent spike in crime in Nassau even in tourist areas. We recommend that you keep to well traveled tourist areas or planned excursions. If you don't have plans, the Nassau day can be well spent staying on board and experiencing the ship."

This was also posted in the Disney Navigator on our August 2013 cruise to Nassau. We chose to stay on the ship.

Don't overlook the Midship Detective Agency. It is an interactive game similar to Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom at WDW. It is meant for kids but my adult children and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The "Enchanted Art" comes to life to offer clues to solve a mystery. There is art all over the ship but only certain pieces come to life using the special badge. There is a map that will show where they are located so it also takes you all over the ship which makes for great fun exploring.

Besides Pink there is also a sports bar called 687 where we enjoyed a tequila tasting. The other bar that we enjoyed is called Skyline that features seven hi-def tv screens that feature panoramic views of five cities around the world. Each city is shown for about 15 minutes then the seven screens switch to another city. Depending on what time of day you arrive at the bar you can see the cities at sun down, dusk, evening or night. It is truly unique!

One last thing...be sure and get to know the cast members...they are from all over the world and have some very interesting backgrounds and great stories to tell!!

I've been doing Disney two or three times a year now for a number of years. You do become sort of de-sensitized to its Disney charms after a while. It stands to reason that the more you go, the less special it will seem. It is becoming more a vacation, than a Disney vacation. After you've seen and experienced all the amazing Disney experiences a number of times, the warts of the world become more apparent. The heat, the lines, the waits, the rude people, bratty kids, sub par housekeeping, mediocre food, bratty kids, bad transportation, etc., become a bigger factor. Fortunately, with more experience, you have more knowledge in avoiding these issues. And successfully planning and executing a Disney vacation becomes a challenge and reward in it's own right. But sometimes you may wonder, "what am I doing here? I'm a grown man. I could be on a beach with a drink in my hand."

But I think I seriously have a mild addiction. And it still has it's moments. So at least for now I'm still totally involved.

I was very excited for the Disney cruise. We had cruised before, but never on Disney. I did not know what to expect, but had watched videos and read all about it.

I did feel as if the cruise is very Disney. I felt like we were in a Disney bubble 95% of the time, minus shore time. The main difference is the attractions and popular Disney nostalgia. It is def. more relaxing than a trip to WDW because you are sitting back while someone else does the driving. There are lots of activities to keep you entertained.

I do recommend shore excursions. We always book excursions because otherwise you walk around in no more than a 3 mile radius and shop for cheap junk. I could do that at home. The excursions really get you into the heart of the country/city/town you are visiting. A lot of people stay on board while the boat is docked if they are not interested in visiting the destination. Typically you will have the best pool seats and no wait for the Aqua-Duck!

You will have a blast!

I hear ya, JMed. We've got a cruise coming up in March and I just can't get excited about it. I'm excited about seeing DL before the cruise, but the cruise itself is not high on the list of things that I can't wait to do. Maybe it's because it's still not a Disney Cruise and our last cruise (Carnival) was so poor. I think a Disney cruise will be an amazing experience for you--even though it's not WDW. Try to keep an open mind and don't compare the two. They're very different vacations.

There's nothing wrong with you, it happens. I'm having a rough time getting excited about the WDW portion of my February trip, so I do understand.

I don't usually promote other people's blogs, but have you been here? It's really the best DCL focused blog out there (in my opinion)

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/

You should be able to find a navigator for an itinerary similar to yours, get a look at all the menus, check out your cabin if there are user reviews, there are some dining reviews, and experience & port adventure reviews too. I've been spending a lot of time there and it should help you get a better idea of what to expect. My favorite part is that you can see the navigators there and track the ships.

I am having a similar issues. My BFF wants to go to Disney the week before Easter and I am totally apathetic to it for a couple of reasons:

1. It will be BUSY and she hates BUSY
2. She doesn't like rides, and can't understand that all attractions are not rides
3. She wants to stay off property
4. It is an expensive time to go plus there is some kind of camp or cheer thing going on that week. so KIDs freaking everywhere.

So I have done all of the "convincing" I am going to do. If we do something else....cool.

DC sound like fun! I haven't been there since I was in High School, but I'm such a history geek I know I would love every minute.

I've been to Washington DC a few times myself and interestingly enough, I really want to go back and I haven't been back since...oh gosh...probably 8th grade! Really want to see the Jefferson Memorial up close because I think that's one I don't think I've ever visited and pay a visit to Mount Vernon and/or Monticello if I can.

But anyway, I do think it's normal to feel a bit worried about experiencing something new for the first time because you don't know what to expect. For some people, all it takes is one bad experience to say never again. Whether or not that's fair or unjustified can be debated for another time. I would think the best approach is to have an open mind on the cruise. Take advantage of not just the shore excursions but also the activities you can do on the ship that you may not be able to do elsewhere.

You can check out a general sense of the onboard activities that they offer, which vary from ship to ship:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/onboard-activities/search/

If you come to terms that cruising isn't your cup of tea, it's perfectly fine because it's not for everyone though I can make the same argument for a Disney World trip, too.

I can understand how you feel, my 1st ever cruise is in August and right now I am more excited about the the excursions I am planning to do.

I agree with Kristen, the crusielineblog is great. I found a navigator from the same itinerary and that did help to build the excitement.

You may also get to see Cinderella as a 1st run movie! I am keeping an eye out to see what Disney releases are due in August/ September.

Not promoting it, but have you checked out Facebook? I am on a DCL group and each cruise has a sub group, so far ours have arranged:
- Fish extender gift exchange
- Mixology private session
- Group bracelets
- A Who's planning which excursion, so that we can get to know other groups before we get up close and personal on a coach.

I am waiting with baited breath to hear how your cruise goes.........

I hedged my bets and made the WDW portion of my trip come after the cruise. So at least if I didn't like the cruise, I would have something to look forward to. I had tremendous expectations based on the fact that it was a Disney cruise and tremendous reservations based on what I thought I knew about cruises in general.

It was fine. I would do it again. But I am glad I made WDW come after the cruise. You should enjoy it if you like cruising.

I linked up on our cruise page too, though I haven't been really active on it. My daughter and I are doing the FE exchange and a meet and greet!

JMed - did you check out the Navigators on that blog? Did it help fill in your information gaps? How are you feeling about the cruise these days? Still just meh?

How many nights and what itinerary are you sailing on? I'll find the link for you

This webpage has links to the most recent non-holiday Navigators that have been posted for a 4-Night Bahamian Cruise on Disney Dream.
Itinerary A: Nassau, then Castaway Cay, followed by a day at sea.

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2014/08/personal-navigators-disney-dream-4-night-bahamian-cruise-itinerary-july-13-16-2014/

This is the same itinerary that I'm on.

This page has links to all the different itineraries
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/

Very crafty ! Love it! Tell Mom she did a great job!

That's such a cute Fish Extender, and right on for Ana and Elsa

Sounds like the magic is coming back