The Difference between Ships

The Difference between Ships

For starters...you call them ships not boats. Ships can carry boats. Boats can't carry ships. 

So maybe you've never been on a cruise before and would like to learn more about the different ships in the fleet. While I'd love to go into detail about the individual design characteristics and history of each, I'll be focusing more on Youth Activities and the spaces on board each ship, all well as where in the world they go. 

Whenever you are hired or come back for another contract...you really get no choice in the matter with regards to which ship you go to. For the most part, the ship you first started working on is your "Home ship" and the one you'll usually go to by default. But at ANY point of your contract they can ask you to transfer to another one just like *that*.

THE DISNEY MAGIC

The Disney Magic is technically both the oldest and the newest part of our fleet at the same time. Built in 1998, she was just "Reimagined" with new youth spaces and neat things in 2013. If you get assigned to the Magic, you'll be seeing some programs and activities that aren't on any other ship (like Marvel's Avengers Academy with Captain America), or even characters like Rapunzel! The first ship to introduce new Oceaneer tracking bands for registered kids to wear.

Living/Working: On the flipside, because it looks fancy on the outside, she's apparently real old on the inside within her creaky bowels where the Crew (you!) will be residing. The counselors that live there complain about smelly rooms and plumbing issues. Counselors on the other ships will often fight for the opportunity to be transferred to the Magic.

Itinerary: On the other flipside, the Disney Magic is the only ship that goes to Europe! It has long transatlantic sailings back and forth from the Mediterranean and otherwise hangs around the Bahamas. It also used to sail up the East coast from New York City to Canada. It will begin sailing out of Puerto Rico for southern Caribbean cruises.

Ports: Miami, Port Canaveral, Cozumel, Castaway Cay, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Villefranche (Nice), La Spezia, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Venice, Katakolon, Piraeus, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Mykonos, Valetta, Catania (Sicily), Corfu, Dubrovnik, Heraklion (Crete), Funchal, Madeira, Tenerife, Antigua, St Maarten, St Kitts, New York City, Halifax, Saint John, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, San Juan

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THE DISNEY WONDER

With the remodeling of the Disney Magic, the Wonder is currently the ship with the oldest spaces on board since 1999. It's considered a 'Classic' ship and, alongside the Magic much smaller than the new ones. Currently the only ship in the fleet with a separate Oceaneer Lab and Club and no handwashing stations nor magic playfloor. The only ship so far to feature Pixar characters on board for parties and Meet and greets. 

Living/Working: Because it lacks a lot of the gadgetry and decor or multiple themed rooms in the spaces like the other ships, Counselors have more freedom to come up with their own games and run their own programs and takes more initiative/work. With lengthier and quieter cruises, it's said to be a more relaxed work atmosphere but with more risk transitioning children around the ship and between spaces very often.

Itinerary: The Wonder has the longest itineraries of the fleet with 14-15 night Panama Canal cruises and thus more variety of activities due to the extra length. It is the only ship that sails on the Pacific Ocean for the summer up the West Coast and returns back to the Atlantic Ocean in the winter. The Disney Wonder is the only ship in the fleet to sail up to Alaska, and they only one to have a Crew Talent Show that is performed in front of the guests. It has sailed Hawaiian cruises in the past.

Ports: Miami, Key West, Cozumel, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Nassau, San Diego, Port Canaveral, Grand Cayman, Castaway Cay, Vancouver, Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Victoria, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Galveston, Costa Maya, St Maarten, St Thomas, Falmouth, Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu, Nawiliwili, Ensenada 

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 DISNEY DREAM

The Dream was the largest Disney ship of it's time in 2010 with new enhanced spaces and the Aquaduck and significantly more capacity for guests on board. Building on the limitations of the older ships there are more added spaces and more characters to encounter on the Disney Dream. It also has the highest turnover rate in the Youth Activities department between all 4 ships.

Living/Working: The crew cabins on board are roomier and a big improvement on the ones on the Magic and Wonder, with on-demand TV and movie viewing. Because of the short sailings there is very little deviation from scheduled programming and thus, less to have to do compared to the other ships. The workload is much easier on the Dream in the youth spaces; those transferred from other ships found it comparatively simpler, but restrictive at times. Counselors who start on the Dream and work on other ships tend to struggle with the increased amount of work and responsibility. Despite this, the Dream is known for increased strictness in shipboard policy and regulations resulting in many terminations.

Itinerary: A big reason for so many Counselors constantly quitting if not terminated, is the very limited 3-4 day itinerary for the Disney Dream. A Counselor working on the Disney Dream will only ever see 2 other ports for the duration of their contract, one of which is a Disney property on which they will be working. This can get really boring after 4 months. Due to the shortness of each cruise they report much less ability to connect with the guests, and more time spent preparing for the next cruise every few days. 

Ports: Port Canaveral, Nassau, Castaway Cay

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THE DISNEY FANTASY

The Disney Fantasy is the sister ship to the Disney Dream, and is similar but not identical due to some new enhancements built on the previous ship. It is the only ship on which the Muppets appear on the fleet, and the only one to have a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirate's League on board. It is the biggest ship in the Disney fleet with the most production shows.

Living/Working: Less strict than the Disney Dream, the Counselors on the Disney Fantasy have more freedom to use guest privileges and have dining requests in the restaurants on board and apply for excursions. Youth Activities spaces on the Disney Fantasy are the newest of the fleet and Counselors report being very happy, especially with the improvements in their much more comfortable crew cabins.

Itinerary: The Fantasy has a more flexible and relaxed sailing schedule, alternating between Eastern Caribbean sailings and Western Caribbean sailings towards Jamaica and Mexico. With 7-day itineraries they are able to expand on a bigger variety of activities and have more time between each new cruise to get in touch with their guests.

Ports: Port Canaveral, Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Castaway Cay, Falmouth, St Maarten, St Thomas, San Juan

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