Last year I went on a Disney Cruise with my daughters and my mom. It was a short 3 days cruise but we had a blast. After talking to my husband about it, we decided to book a 7 day cruise – and we actually did this while I was still on board the Disney Dream. For us, the 3 day was such a tease – we wanted more! So I went in to the 7 day knowing that it would be a ton of fun, but I didn’t know how much I still wouldn’t want to leave after a week out at sea.
More Days at Sea
There are a few differences in a 3 day cruise and a 7 day cruise. On the 3 day cruise we only had one full day at sea and on the 7 day we got 3 days at sea. These were great because we got to check out the ship a lot more. We spent more time at the pool, more time participating in activities, and more time enjoying ourselves. With 3 full days at sea that meant we had more time to relax and take it all in. If you are planning a Disney Cruise for yourself, I highly recommend at least springing for the 4 day if you can afford it. That way you will have more time to discover all that the Disney ships have to offer. Having the extra time at sea also allowed for a full day of Star Wars fun!
More Performances
Another thing that I loved about the 7 day cruise was that you ended up with more shows! The Disney shows are truly of broadway caliber and we loved them all. Each night there was a nighttime show (two showings so that both dinner groups were able to see them). Four of them were broadway type performances but the other three nights were just as fun! One was a hypnotist, one was a showing of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and one was a comedian. They were all fun for the whole family – and I think the shows were probably my 5 year old’s favorite part of the whole cruise! She was in awe of them!
More Islands
This may be obvious, but a 7 day cruise has more island visits than a 3 day cruise. We went further out than the last time and were able to visit Tortula, St. John/St. Thomas, and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. I loved being able to explore more islands with my family. They all had a lot of different excursions to choose from and so much to offer! The weather was beautiful for our whole trip and we had fun spending some time on a few islands.
Changing Menus
I admit it, the one thing I was nervous about was repetitive dinners. I knew that there were 3 restaurants on board the ship and that you rotate to a different one with your wait staff nightly. I knew that they offered delicious meals that I was pretty much dreaming of since the last cruise, but I was worried that I would end up eating the same thing a few nights. I had no idea that the menu changed each time you were at the restaurant. This had me super excited – and I got to eat a lot of mouthwatering dishes! I was pleased with the variety and I never felt like I was eating the same thing twice.
The truth is, on a 7 day cruise you are going to be able to experience a lot more. On the 3 day we felt like as soon as we were used to the layout of the ship, and the schedule, we were back home. On our 7 day we were able to check out pretty much all that the ship has to offer – from family activities, to the pools, to character meet and greets, to adult only activities, and so much more! We even had time to just sit on our verandah for about an hour and lookout over the ocean. On our 3 day cruise we honestly felt rushed – and like our vacation was over the second it started. Don’t get me wrong, if a 3 day is all that will work for you, it is still very worth it to go. But if you want a truly relaxing vacation, go with a 7 day Disney Cruise – you will not regret it!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
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Information on a 7-day cruise from Fl. Want to go in June or July 2022