Why I Chose a Cruise Over Disney

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For over 15 years my family saved our family vacation funds to go to Disney. Our love for Disney caused us to not ever explore other vacation options. We could not imagine going anywhere other than Disney, until one day all of our family got together to plan a once in a lifetime family vacation. Since we were planning a big vacation that included a lot of adults and 3 little girls, which were ours, Disney was immediately off of the table. To be honest, it was never on the table. The family wanted to go on a cruise, not a Disney cruise, but a Royal Caribbean cruise. My husband and I had never been on a cruise so even though we didn’t know what to expect we were excited.

I cannot express enough what an amazing time we had on the Liberty of the Seas cruise. Before our cruise ended, instead of scheduling a vacation to Disney, we scheduled another cruise for the following year.

Here is Why I Chose a Cruise Over Disney 

1. Cost– If you have ever been to Disney or researched the cost of Disney, you know that Disney is very expensive. The cost of the resort, the park tickets, the cost of travel, souvenirs, entertainment, and the food is phenomenal. When you go on a cruise, you only have to pay for the cruise, the tips, and any excursions that you choose to take.
2. All You Can Eat– I love that on cruises, meals are automatically included in the cost. This is important and helpful especially when you have kids that always seem to be hungry at different times. Even though I love most of the food at Disney, it’s overpriced and the food on the Liberty of the Seas is just as good.
3. Relax– When you are at Disney, there is no time to relax, because you are constantly on the move. When you are on a cruise, you get to create your own schedule. There are no early morning wake ups and no lines to get into the parks. You are free to sleep in, take random naps, read your favorite book, drop your kids off at the free daycare that is provided, and clear your mind.
4. Free Childcare– Depending on how old your child is, cruise lines, more often than not, provide free childcare throughout the day. They provide a safe and fun environment for kids, which allows mom and dad to relax and know that their kids are in good hands and are having fun.
5. Alcohol– Yes, mom and dad like to have adult drinks while on vacation. Dad likes his beer and mom likes her fruity drinks with an umbrella. When you are on a cruise, your favorite drink is at every corner.
6. Lines– When you are on a cruise there are very few lines that you have to stand in. Some of the lines include boarding the ship, the buffet line on the day of boarding the ship, the ice cream line at the pool, re-boarding the ship after returning from a port and the last day when it’s time to say ‘goodbye’. I feel like when we travel to Disney, most of our time is spent standing in line.
7. Friends– A cruise ship is a lot smaller than Disney, therefore there is more opportunity to get to know people. I was amazed during our cruise how many people we met that were from our home town. In addition, our kids made friends. This made their time at the pool and at the Kid’s Club more fun.
8. Culture– Even though you can experience some different cultures at Epcot, experiencing different cultures while on a cruise is a lot better. We love letting our kids see and experience different parts of the world even if it’s for only a short time.
9. Easier– Going on a cruise is just easier. There is a lot less planning and decision-making when it comes to going on a cruise which in turn creates a lot happier moments. On a cruise, you get to pretty much decide when you want to eat, sleep, nap, drink and more. There are no Magic Hours and there are very few lines.

If you love Disney as much as my family does, know that there are more vacation options outside of Disney. Disney will always remain my #1 vacation destination but I am thankful that my family discovered and experienced a cruise. We finally realized the importance of going on vacations and relaxing every now and then.

Have you been on a cruise? What do you love about it?