Please don't throw anything at me!! Maybe Barb or Tony can help me here! :)

[kamgen]

Please don't throw anything at me, BUT....should we try another cruise line?? (I know, there really isn't ANOTHER one, but...) LOL!

We have cruised DCL 3 times and have another one booked. WE LOVE IT!!! Should we, though, try another line out?? Just curious of opinions and experiences. Thanks!
Kamy

[Michelle]

I won't throw anything at you! :) I think lots of folks here have tried other cruise lines, and you should too.

Like so many, we keep going back to Disney because we love it. :) For us, when traveling with our daughter, the kids programming and availability can't be beat (she LOVES it there) and it is a family vacation where everyone is happy. :)

There are plenty of other ships and itineraries out there and if you have an interest I definitely say go for it. And then come back here and tell us what you think! :D

[perdidobay]

yes, because I'm curious if someone who has cruised with DCL first, then with another line, feels about the difference:D
I'll let you be the guinea pig!

["Ginger"]

I am glad I was not the only one thinking a change may be needed. I don't want to be a trader but I would like to try something new. We have our 5th one booked and I am so glad that we will be going on different itinerary. I just hope the menus will change also. Our only problem is which cruise line do we try and will our DD like there childrens program.

[chrisn]

We are cruising on the Disney Magic this Saturday! It's our first cruise. The day after we debark the Magic, we board Royal Carribean's Eagle Class mega ship Voyager of the Seas. We really wanted something that was still family oriented with great kids clubs. I've heard from many people over the last year and a half that RCCL's kids clubs are wonderful. Some people that I spoke with that had cruised both ships actually favored RCCL's kids clubs over Disney's if you can believe that! These are our first cruises so I go into this trip with an unbiased opinion. I'm definitely going to be doing some comparisons and will be glad to share my experiences. Look for my reviews the week of March 10th.

[4nana]

I vote YES....
'Variety is the spice of life' :D
We cruised w/RCCL and loved it!
Now awaiting our first Disney Cruise.
But am anxious to try them all!!

[TnRobin]

Unless Disney gets the third ship up a running before next summer, I will be on a different cruise line. Hubby is taking me to Hawaii for our 10th Anniversary. We are looking at a cruise to Hawaii.

Disney's cabins have spoiled me, so this trip is going to be expensive to get a cabin size I have grown to expect.

[benebire]

I Loved the Magic and would love to take another but our next one will be on Carnival due to the fact that we we can take it on my husbands Marriott points (Nearly Free) I will definitely post what i think about comparing the two when we get back. Wont be till Dec2002.

[inkkognito]

Believe it or not, Tony and I HAVE sailed other cruise lines!! Disney was our first cruise experience, but then we sailed Sovereign of the Seas for comparison, since it does the same itinerary (Ugh! Tiny staterooms and ship in disrepair, although the food and service were good); Voyager of the Seas so we could see what a mega-ship was like (Nice. The best part was the awesome ice show, followed closely by the "street"); Viking Serenade, which offered a weekend experience out of California (Surprisingly fun for a tiny, ancient ship, but I felt like I was sleeping in a closet and the spa was closet too); and Radiance, since Tony wanted to go to Alaska (Fun, but after being overrun constantly by the billions of kids on board, I was longing for Disney's adult areas...their version of the surial is cool, tho'). We won't be doing another cruise line any time before 2004, as we have 8 more booked on Disney this year and 7 next year. RCCL was nice, but the Wonder is our "vacation home." I wish they offered a timeshare option on 5650!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.*****************

[tarzanman]

Thanks everyone!!!
We are still leaning towards DCL. We want to do a 3 night this fall and are considering another line because it is soooooo much cheaper.!! BUT, DCL is fabulous and we LOVE the Wonder and its staff.
I am afraid we will miss the spa (love it) and the wonderful Disney touches (and of course Castaway Cay).

Well, we will keep tossing the idea around. \
For those who have cruised other lines:
Is there a huge difference in staff, food, amenities, etc?
Also, since we all know DCL costs more, I will ask outright...is DCL worth paying more??

Thanks,
Kamy

[inkkognito]

I would quantify it this way...paying more for Disney Cruise Line is like paying more to stay at a WDW deluxe resort rather than off-property. It is more expensive, and some people wouldn't feel that it's worth it, but for myself it's well worth the extra $$! Royal Caribbean has good food and service, and their staff is very competent, but Disney has that extra touch of pixie dust. Their attention to detail is apparent everywhere, and that is what I pay extra for. Comparing it to the premium experience at WDW (or at least the way WDW used to be before all the cost cuts) is the best way I can think of to explain it, or maybe the difference between our local Greek restaurant and Lawry's, my favorite place downtown. Both serve good food, but in an altogether different league.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.*****************

[Dave_from_Marietta]

The completely smoke-free Carnival Paradise sounds good to me.

[kamgen]

Thanks everyone! Still thinking about it.
Might take a while to decide! LOL!! :)

Kamy

[Gretel]

We are looking into the Carnival Paradise as well.............completly smoke free would be heaven..................

[disneyholic family]

well you all already know that the smoke-free Paradise sounds like paradise to me....
but we've pretty much decided to go on the Wonder for our first cruise....if we like it (and yours truly doesn't die of motion sickness) then we'll consider other cruises in our area.....Europe, Mediterannean, Greek Islands.....not the "party ships" i imagine, but interesting shore excursions.....

[bethd]

We have cruised with Disney twice and loved it both times. We actually had our third cruise booked when my DS(8) decided he wanted a break from Disney to try another cruiseline. My DH and I thought what the heck and booked the Carnival Victory . It was a great cruise. The kids program was very good. The ship was beautiful and going to different ports was great. Our cabin was almost the same size as on Disney(cat 6 w/verndah). The service, food and entertaniment very good. The cost was $1600 less then Disney. I'm glad we tried another line. We will be back on Disney one day but for this years cruise we have decided to try NCL's Sun. It'll be fun to compare NCL with Carnival and Disney.:jester:

[callahanjulie10]

We are also looking fo another cruiseline. We love DCL but I want something different. We are going on #4 in May and we will see the same shows, eat the same food, play the same games, and my DD will get the same t-shirt, do the same activities, etc. If you have smaller children and want a GREAT vacation- DCL is the way to go. We have enjoyed every cruise we have taken. But as my DD gets older, it is important to me that she have just as great of a time as my DH and I do. I have found when looking at other cruiselines that DCL isn't really more expensive. When we looked into Carnival Pride (new ship in Port Canaveral) that it is MORE than DCL for less of a cabin during the same week! We also priced Voyager and Explorer of the Seas and found the same situation.

[4megs]

even got to Southampton from London via the Orient Express...sigh!

Took their "family crossing" (ie. they had kid's programs), some crossings are Noel Coward themes etc.) My daughter, 6 loved the clubs and the club even performed on stage with Bob McGrath (from Sesame Street)! Kids got tokens for participation which were "cashed in" for a variety of prizes at the end of the cruise.

It's very "class concious"- upper, middle and lower. We were middle - middle accomodations (very small compared to Disney), and dining at the "middle restaurant" only.

The service was exceptional - they'd give us the dinner menu at lunch and ask if we wanted anything different. EVERY WISH was granted from Wiener Schnitzel to Epoisse (smelly French cheese - but delicious!). We had a sommolier who tuned in very quickly to our tastes and produced the most amazing bottles and vintages. And the food was 5 stars!

Down side...Stabilizers seemed pretty feeble (hubby crawled to the infirmary once)! Rooms were smaller, not as "up to date".

And coming back to the States after 2 years in Germany, waking up to see the Statue of Liberty on the horizon was awesome (and I'm not even American).

That said, we enjoyed the 4 day Wonder and March 30th will do the 7 day Magic. We'll see where we'll go from there!



:)

[disneyholic family]

4megs...

it's not necessarily that the stabilizers were shot, but rather the atlantic is just a much rougher body of water than the carribean.......
if you think the QE2 is class conscious, you haven't seen anything...
i was on the Queen Mary and the first Elizabeth back when they had locked gates between the classes......being in first class, i was allowed to go anywhere (the stewards would open the gates for me) but those in lower classes couldn't come up to our level....(don't you just love the brits).....
of course, i was the only person in 1st class who bothered going to the other classes, but that's a curious 7 year old for you....plus there were no other kids at all in first class.....there were a handful in the lower classes so i had to go to them if i wanted to play with them.....
but it was the most spectacular time of my life.....
i can't wait for the Queen Mary II to go on her maiden voyage...
i'll be on it if i can....

[Minnie's Guy]

My DH and I have tried Royal Carribean and Holland America,
we loved both of them. THEN, the kids came, and we stopped
cruising until we discovered DCL. I believe this cruise line
is best for children. The other cruise lines have casinos, which
we, the grownups like, I'd be so nervous the kids would 'try'
to get into them. NONE of the other cruise ships, which we
sailed on, have the large cabins/bathrooms that Disney
provides. Holland America is definitely for grownups, better
food than DCL, but we did not starve or go hungry on DCL.
Have heard very good things about Celebrity Cruises - we'll
try one day, without kids, but for right now, DCL is for us!

[4megs]

Hi disneyholic family..

Your description of the Queen Mary and the QE1 sound like some of the scenes in "Titanic"...:eek: ...a different time.

I got to admit that our QE2 trip was wonderful and memorable - a trip that we'll never forget.

My DD was allowed to practice her "talent show piece" on a piano that was originally on the Queen Mary. Very beautiful...

Here's hoping we can all make the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary 2!:p Hopefully they'll keep the "charm" of her predesessors!

Cheers!

[disneyholic family]

4metgs....

very titanic....with a gigantic sweeping grand staircase and everything...my sister and i had a stateroom that i'd swear was bigger than my house is today.......(and a bathroom with tub....the steward would come to 'draw the bath' for you.....and of course there was a way to call him from the bath and the room....i can't remember what...a cord perhaps.....he seemed to always be less than two seconds away when we called......)
i'm actually dying to go see the QM in long beach california...
my son is campaigning for a trip to LA after WDW (so he can see disneyland for the first time)....if we actually do that, i'll insist on a visit to the QM....it'll be interesting to see how big it really is...
in my mind, with the memories of a 7 year old, the ship was ENORMOUS......but i imagine it wasn't quite that big....
i do remember the first class movie theatre....with all this fancy furniture in it....all brocade......love seats and strange things like that...
memories....

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by disneyholic family

i'm actually dying to go see the [Queen Mary] in long beach california... i'll insist on a visit to the QM... it'll be interesting to see how big it really is... in my mind, with the memories of a 7 year old, the ship was ENORMOUS... but i imagine it wasn't quite that big.

dholfam, you inspired me to go visit www.queenmary.com. The Disney ships are big, but the Queen Mary is comparable. In fact, the QM is 55 feet longer than the Disney ships.

BTW, if you do go out to California, perhaps you could stay onboard. They have 365 hotel staterooms, and the photos of some of the suites look pretty cool!

[disneyholic family]

thanks for the link Dave!
right....3 smokestacks....or whatever those are called...
i remember the first sight of it when we got to the port in new york....so impressive.....breathtaking.....
i think the ship was completely refurbished and remodeled in the late 60's when they removed the locked gates (i know they removed them, i just don't know when)...
i sailed on her in 1963 (kind of giving away my age there i guess)....
back when the classes were classes and never the twain shall meet (a very strange experience for a 7 year old american....encountering british class consciousness...but as i said earlier, i had the run of the ship....and i really didn't understand the implications of those locked gates...)..
i remember swimming in the pool.....it wasn't on deck, rather somewhere inside the ship.....i remember the water moving from side to side, or rather i think it was from front to back....i'd swim towards one side, all the water would go back the other way, so i'd swim back (take that all with a grain of salt and a decades old memory)......i remember the man in charge of the pool.....he taught me to swim.....that's legendary in the family.....that i finally learned to swim on the QM (and i'm pretty sure it was a salt water pool)....

when i told my mother that they're building a QM 2 she was just as enthusiastic as i about sailing on her.....that trip was a standout in all our memories (after that one, all the trips back and forth to europe - and there were many, owing to my father's work - were in that little metal tube in the sky that so terrifies me)....

one big shock for me, i recently learned that cunard lines is owned by carnival cruise lines.....wow....that's sacreligious or something......but apparently they're they ones bringing it back to its old glory....of course, the snob that i am in my old age, i'll probably miss the locked gates.....(just kidding....mostly).....

[kamgen]

I posted a poll, seems to be spilt on DCL and Carnival. Especially when the C cruise will save us $600 over the DCL.
Hmmmm... don't know what to do yet! LOL!

Kamy

[Hygiene99]

kamgen, go for it ...
we have cruised on others before dcl and now we dont but i reccomend u try it ... we went on something like
wind jammer bare foot cruises, sail boat it was a 3 masted schooner and had 30 people on board plus crew
it was called the sir Francis Drake ... but it Sank of the coast of St. Martins in a hurricane several years ago was fun
and we have also rented our own sail boat with captian and cook was AWESOME..... was a 52 foot sail boat
so i say try it DCL will still be there ...
PETER Hi Kamy we need our fix WDW
when r u going us not til may .... maybe sooner if i get laid off......

[disneyholic family]

hygiene99..

did you change your post? (or maybe i imagined it)...
well...
in response to what you said in the deleted post....

you're quite right....
this whole cruise thing might be a big mistake for me because of my motion sickness problems......
on the other hand, my kids desperately want to go on DCL...
and i think it sounds like a truly spectacular family vacation...
and there's no way of knowing for sure whether my motion sickness will be an issue or not without trying...
that's why i picked the 3 night cruise.....if it is a problem it will be over soon enough (although i suppose if i'm not well it will feel like an eternity....)

i mean, maybe i'll be fine and we'll adore it...
then a whole new world that i thought was off limits to me will be opened up.......the potential is terribly exciting....don't you think?...

so i'm crossing my fingers and hoping it will all work out.....
and a grand time will be had by one and all (including yours truly).....

[Chattyaholic]

hubby and I plan to try Princess next time. We cruised on the 7-day Magic in January 2001, and have another Magic cruise (Western itinerary this time) planned for January 2003. But after that we want to try Princess, as we want to take our daughter and son-in-law with us and Princess has great looking family staterooms. They are actually two regular staterooms connected with a larger living room and double-size verandah, but with separate sleeping areas and separate bathrooms. There are other lines we want to try too, and other itineraries. It will be fun comparing them to our Disney cruises!! :D