https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 04 May 2026 00:41:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658857 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 16:27:33 +0000 Jess1483 2658857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: @My Only Sunshine: @yoursilverlining: @Mrs. Yoyo: Thanks, ladies. That does help my anxiety quite a bit. I'm really a pretty calm parent, but water and heights just take me to a different place. The pools don't really scare me (we're pretty vigilant, and both my boys have taken the infant rescue swim lessons, and continue to. They also don't really love the water, so it's not like they'd make a break for it, I don't think). But the fact that I'm in a large body of water just takes me directly to freak-out-the-Titanic-sank place. But it does sound like maybe my fear of heights wouldn't be triggered too badly (especially the enclosed upper deck!)</p> <p>We are definitely going to float some other ideas, including just going to Disneyland (we will be there in 2018, but it's not like it wouldn't be fun again.) But ultimately, if they push for it, I think I could handle it. I know that my need to be around my kids (or have my husband with them) at all times (on a cruise ship, not generally), will annoy the in-laws, but so be it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658735 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 14:07:14 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 2658735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>^ Ditto PP on just about everything. </p> <p>We cruised on the Fantasy and they did an impressive job of handing out wipes everywhere, always before meals, etc. The ship was sparkling clean, seriously. As for heights, the only time I ever went "whoa" was when I was playing mini golf at the tip top of the front of the boat. Otherwise you really don't feel "high" -- it really is a floating city. We had a balcony and I didn't find it scary at all, but I don't have a fear of heights.</p> <p>As for the kids, there's a ton to occupy them and they are always well-supervised at the kids' clubs. And that would be a great age since they're old enough to go by themselves, etc.</p> <p>My only criticisms were based on our own situation -- i.e. I had a 2-year-old who had to use the paid nursery, wasn't potty trained and so was limited to the splash pad, and was too young for many of the in-port activities. Oh, and the pool deck does get super crowded because people park themselves there all day for the movies. </p> <p>I'm not eager to do it again because I'm not a Disney person or a cruise person, but even I have to admit they do a good job and it's a great low-stress family vacation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658701 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 13:52:41 +0000 yoursilverlining 2658701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’ve cruised on Disney as well as some other moderately higher-end lines. </p> <p>Most (all?) of the big outbreaks of disease on cruise ships are on the cheaper “party” lines like Carnival. Everywhere you go on a cruise ship there will be hand sanitizer and you will be expected (and directed) to use it before entering any eating area/dining area and before you get on/off the ship in ports. They shouldn’t/won’t let people who are obviously ill board at all. There is also always a nurse and doctor on board and a medical unit you can visit. They will carry OTC sea-sickness meds in the gift shops on board. </p> <p>A cruise ship isn’t really the same as climbing up into a tower. You could go all day without looking AT the ocean (though you’ll feel the ship move, so you’ll know you’re in the water), if you tried. The movie theaters and live entertainment theaters are enclosed without water views, and you could request to not be seated near/viewing the water in any of the restaurants. </p> <p>The highest/top level on a Disney ship (and all cruise ships I’ve been on) is encased in tall glass (plastic? whatever material – see through but strong) that wraps around the ship and the railings and will come up about chest level on a 5’ adult. You can’t fall off a decent cruise ship without trying or being “helped”. That said, you may want to avoid the top, open air deck because of your anxiety, but I did not worry about LO at all when we were up there for the dance party and other events. </p> <p>Disney (and some other cruise lines) have splash pads and lifeguards at every pool. The lifeguards were pretty on top of horseplay and breaking of the rules by kids on our Disney cruise. Where the pools are located, even if you theoretically slipped and slid across the ship’s floor all the way to the edge, you would just hit the glass wall – not like you could fall off the ship or anything like that. So, I think they were on top of safety for the pools. To be honest, I didn’t find their staff to be *that* engaged otherwise with guests, and less so towards LO than some other cruises we’ve been on (but they may have been in part because on the other cruises there are not many little kids as compared to Disney, so the littles stand out and get more attention naturally, if that makes sense). I think this would only be a problem if you’re worried about your kids safety BUT you also don’t want to be watching them while on board at all, which unfortunately seems to happen a lot lol</p> <p>They are kids clubs for all sorts of ages that are pretty nicely structured and safe. I would feel safe leaving my kids in the kids club, and on the Disney ship only the parent who has explicitly been granted key card access to remove the child from the club may do so, so there is no (real) chance of anyone else grabbing your kid from one of the formal clubs. You have to key card in and out and your name additionally has to be authorized for kid-pickup. </p> <p>If you go, I would suggest getting a short term RX for anxiety, in case you find you can’t deal with the boat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658660 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 13:37:30 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2658660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: What about a Disney vacation that's not a cruise? I know they have a resort in Hawaii. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658649 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 13:32:56 +0000 Anagram 2658649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: The main thing I can think of is get a room with no balcony. And those are cheaper anyway! I've been on cruises and can't remember any situations where I was afraid of heights (I'm afraid of heights, but not as bad as yours I think...like hiking on a narrow mountain pass with a sheer drop off freaks me out, but I did climb the eiffel tower with no more than a faster heart rate and very mild anxiety when looking down). But my cruise was pre-kids. I feel like railings on a Disney cruise would be super safe. All the happenings with people falling off cruise ships are usually when they are intoxicated and climb over the railings on purpose and then fall.</p> <p>The pools have life guards and don't Disney cruises also have splash pads? So you could avoid the pools and just use the splash pad, for general safety.</p> <p>Cruise ships are so enormous it doesn't feel like you are on a boat at all. It's like walking around a shopping center. Most rooms/ venues/dining places are indoor rooms so there are no railings or anything scary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/disney-cruises#post-2658636 Tue, 29 Nov 2016 13:17:40 +0000 Jess1483 2658636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The ILs are very kindly offering to take us on vacation in 2019 (well, they wanted 2018, but our vacation time is already taken.) Their first idea was a Disney Cruise, which sounds super amazing and fun, except:</p> <p>1) Norovirus terrifies me on a cruise ship. I can't imagine being more miserable.</p> <p>2) I feel like I would spend the entire time worried about the kids' safety.</p> <p>I feel like I could overcome 1 and 2, but:</p> <p>3) I have an intense (panic-attack) fear of heights. And I don't like water much either. I sometimes struggle with 1- or 2-story decks. I broke down in tears on the top of the Arc de Triomphe and refused to go up the Eiffel Tower. I freaked out on some poor freshman in college when I had to walk through the atrium of our science building (4 stories) in college, and thereafter had to go all the way to the sides of the building to climb stairs to avoid said atrium.</p> <p>BUT, I also don't want to turn down this generous offer, and I think the kids would have fun (they'd be 4ish and 6/7ish, depending on when we went during the year). </p> <p>So, if you've been on a Disney cruise before, can you tell me how you felt about the safety, and if you've been on any cruise before, can you tell me about heights/views/etc. Has anyone gone on a cruise with a fear of heights? The last thing I want to do is have debilitating anxiety attacks the whole trip.</p> <p>And if you think this would be a bad idea and I'd be stressed out, do you have suggestions for alternative vacations? They're on the west coast, we live in Montana. </p>