I want to put in a caveat here in that, believe it or not, I have not covered everything in this review. There are lots of additional adult bars and activities that we didn't really have the energy or inclination to do. There were all sorts of classes and tastings, such as cooking classes, how to make the towel animals, sangria tasting, margarita tasting for those who want to either get educated or get toasted. For the "let's all share a family activity" types there was karaoke, something that seemed vaguely like "Family Feud", a family dance club and bingo. For the "let's get away from the family" types there was a sports bar, a dance club, a couple cocktail bars, a coffee house and several adult only shows at the clubs. Also, as I mentioned earlier, there is a club for the 11 to 13 set, as well as "the Stack" for teens. There was also a gym which I avoided like a vampire avoids the light. I mean, this is a VACATION after all. For those gym rats who actually enjoy working out (my husband, Matt and Shelley come to mind) this might be useful but it is unlikely to be the gym of your dreams. Julien went a couple times and thought the facilities were OK but not great. Lots of the bikes were broken and they had no way to fix them as the vendor was back in the US. In short, I think this gym exists really for those who have eaten a bit too much and want to spend 20 minutes in the gym so that they can alleviate the guilt...but that is just my perception.
As we didn't really use any of these things, I can't really make any assessment of how worthwhile they are
. I can only say that these things exist, along with lots of other options, so it is fairly hard to get bored unless you really dedicate yourself.
All in all, taking into consideration all the pro's and con's, this was a great family vacation. In truth, it is probably one of the best "family" vacations that I have ever taken...including family vacations taken when I was a kid. It was not perfect, but that is part of the joy of the family vacation. It is not going to be perfect. Kids will be kids. Things will not be what you expected. Plans with go awry. Someone will eat poop. But maybe it is these moments that we remember most vividly and talk about most frequently, like veterans remembering a war (or lawyers remember law school). What Disney does, and this cruise did exceptionally well, is mitigate the pain of these things so that you can enjoy the moments more. You have to love the fact that their onboard store had : Infant Tylenol, children's Tylenol, Benadryl, Dramamine, diapers, wipes, various baby foods and a couple of binkies
...just to name a few. They seem to know that your children have sucked the intelligence right out of you, so they pay attention to all the details that you are incapable of concentrating on for more than a few moments. They also know that togetherness, to be truly enjoyed, must be paired with time apart.
As a result of all this, and before the cruise was even half over, Julien and I had waited in the surprisingly long line to book our next cruise. So, for Christmas 2011, Sebastien, Lucas, Julien and Lexy Delorme will be joining "Auntie M" and "Uncle Bean" on the Disney Magic for the Western Caribbean Cruise. Between now and then, I guess the boys will have to be content with Disneyland Paris :).
Disney Mediterranean Cruise: Final Thoughts
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands
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Comments

2025-02-15
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jo
2011-07-03
Going on this cruise in July, found really useful, especially,the section on excursions, we are taking a 10yr old and a 17yr old and your info oin table sharing was received with interest from them both.
Many Thanks for the info.
selenapan9
2011-09-14
Hi, I would love to hear your feedback, now that you have taken the cruise. It seems Disney is not cruising the Mediterranean in 2012. But my guess is that they will put it back on at a later date. So good to know how things are running now..
L
Yanna
2011-10-29
Hi! Again.. A great blog (on your experiences on the Disney Cruise) is produced. Can't wait for your next detailed experiences to be told on the next upcoming Cruise.. Hope you'll have a great time (as I did reading your blog) :)
selenapan9
2011-10-31
Thanks!! Feel free to forward to anyone else who is considering venturing forth to Disney :). The cruise was well worth the money, and was actually relaxing for the parents as well as the kids! Would completely recommend it!