Disney Cruise vs. Carnival

[lanejudy]

I didn't catch the timing you were looking at, but the further in advance you make your plans, the less expensive you'll find DCL. Generally speaking. There is always the chance of IGT/OGT/VGT or other discounts being offered closer to sailing time, but not guaranteed of those.

I think the DCL PassPorter has some information comparing different cruise lines - what is/isn't included in the price, extras, comparison of kids programming, etc. You may want to take a look at that if you are on the fence. We had a fantastic DCL cruise last winter and I'd love to do it again - saving for a possible trip in 2014!

[bahacca]

Keep in mind this was 15 years ago so I may be way off base.
Kids Clubs-When I was on Carnival(I was 15 yo), the clubs were only certain times--it wasn't a "drop off your kid and away you go" type thing. It was more like 9am-11am there was something for the kids to do(and half the time a Carnival person never SHOWED, but that was for teens. Not sure if it happened with younger kids or not). Then there wasn't anything else for kids to do sans parents until say 3pm.
Pools-at least on the West Coast, Carnival Ships do NOT have heated pools. They suck up ocean water once out to sea and you swim in that. This was on the Jubilee back when. Not sure if they have changed that or not. Seems to me Disney has actual POOLS. Is this correct?

[declansdad]

Originally Posted by bahacca

Keep in mind this was 15 years ago so I may be way off base.
Kids Clubs-When I was on Carnival(I was 15 yo), the clubs were only certain times--it wasn't a "drop off your kid and away you go" type thing. It was more like 9am-11am there was something for the kids to do(and half the time a Carnival person never SHOWED, but that was for teens. Not sure if it happened with younger kids or not). Then there wasn't anything else for kids to do sans parents until say 3pm.
Pools-at least on the West Coast, Carnival Ships do NOT have heated pools. They suck up ocean water once out to sea and you swim in that. This was on the Jubilee back when. Not sure if they have changed that or not. Seems to me Disney has actual POOLS. Is this correct?

On our two cruises over the last two years the clubs were open pretty much most of the day and they had a great staff. The pools were never drained unless there was an issue with the pool and they were open as soon as you got onboard.

[tajz90]

Originally Posted by bahacca

Keep in mind this was 15 years ago so I may be way off base.
Kids Clubs-When I was on Carnival(I was 15 yo), the clubs were only certain times--it wasn't a "drop off your kid and away you go" type thing. It was more like 9am-11am there was something for the kids to do(and half the time a Carnival person never SHOWED, but that was for teens. Not sure if it happened with younger kids or not). Then there wasn't anything else for kids to do sans parents until say 3pm.
Pools-at least on the West Coast, Carnival Ships do NOT have heated pools. They suck up ocean water once out to sea and you swim in that. This was on the Jubilee back when. Not sure if they have changed that or not. Seems to me Disney has actual POOLS. Is this correct?

On Royal and Carnival (when I cruised with them) the kids only had certain activities at certain times. It wasn't a continuous stream of activities. Also, on Royal (which I know you didn't ask about) the rock wall and ice skating rink were only open at certain times too. The water slides on Carnival were open when the pools were open (maybe.... My kid got tired of standing in the long line so we quit paying attention).

A cruise is one of our favorite vacations. If there is a destination we want to visit and Disney isn't sailing to it, we will take another line. IF DISNEY IS.... We always choose them.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Originally Posted by 4GoofyCrew

I looked at the Disney Cruise prices again recently and about fainted. There is almost no way that is ever going to be within our budget. That being said, I also looked at Carnival which is quite reasonable.

We have never cruised before so I don't really know much about it. I guess I am just curious what sets Disney apart from Carnival? I mean other than the obvious - it's Disney! The ships are probably pretty much the same, they both have tons of food and entertainment (Carnival's not being Disney characters, obviously). The excursions are probably about all the same, except for the private Cay, right? I just feel like I must be missing something REALLY big based on the almost 2x as much price of the Disney cruise. I know our kids would love the character portion but not for that much more!

Help! Fill me in on what makes the Disney cruise worth the extra money?

Thanks in advance!

Carnival ships are very different from DCL. cCarnival are basicly, grudy, las vegas type floating buses. DCL have a much more classic feel to them, like the liners from the 1st part of the 20th. century. The interiors are art deco and that other french type, the name of which just went out of my head.

The DCL cruises are very different from most other lines they do *the disney exprience* and only Disney can do that.

DCL does have discounts and especailly at the times of year when schools are in session are cheaper. However in the long run Carnival was will be cheaper and you get what you pay for.

As others have said.....Carnival does often have a big drinking crowd, if your into that.....great!.. We enjoy a drink or 2 or even 3...but not the drunken crowds we saw on 2 carnival cruises.

Carnival has a safety issue of the last few years.

As you can guess we love DCL, but enjoy other lines like RCCL. IMHO, I would not sail carnival,..ever!, but RCCL does have better prices then DCL and offer a good criuse!

Which ever you go on!.....enjoy the one you pick and wait until to try the others before you compare !


AKK

[RedxPanda]

We live close to PC, and I have looked into a Carnival Dream cruise because I can spend less than an 11C on Fantasy, for a Spa level room! That's this and next years prices. Instead, we booked out of Miami. Both Miami and Galveston have reasonable prices. Have you looked at those? It's not the Dream/Fantasy, but it's still DCL.

I'm waiting for 2014 prices to come out and I plan on snagging opening prices for a 7 night on Fantasy, assuming I can get a price that is as reasonable as my upcoming cruise and first cruise earlier this year. Both our cruises were around $300 per night. no discounts, just regular fares.

Edit: I forgot to add that I sailed Carnival in 2006, and the ships are very Vegas Resort and Casino-esque. I like Vegas and if I want that, I'll go to Vegas. But, If the itinerary/port times are better on Carnival Dream vs Fantasy, I might have to think about it.

[MatthewsMommy]

I have cruised on Carnival, RCCL, NCL, Celebrity and Costa, and we are going on our first Disney cruise in Feb 2013. I booked early and feel I got a great price for President's Week! I've always wanted to try Disney! DH wanted to go on RCCL Allure or Oasis, but Disney was cheaper that week for a comparable cabin .

I agree with others who have said if you haven't cruised before, then Carnival should be fine. I recommend a newer ship for 7+ days as opposed to older ships with shorter itineraries. I have never experienced the party ship vibe that so many talk about on any cruise. We have gone with Carnival more often than other lines because of the value so we can cruise more often . Carnival ships are a bit Vegas in their design and shows, but we do enjoy the shows. We are not smokers and I cannot stand the smell, but have only found the casinos (on all other lines) to be smoky with NCL being the worst. It just depends on when you go and how many smokers are there. I'm not much of a gambler, but will be saving that $ since Disney doesn't have a casino. Also, if you have a Disney Visa, you can use your rewards towards the cost of the trip or towards your onboard account. I should have enough in rewards to use to pay off the onboard account by then! So all in all, our upcoming DCL cruise should cost less than other trips.

Also, Carnival's private island Half Moon Cay is absolutely beautiful!!

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I have taken two Carnival cruises in just over the past year. The first was last Easter on the Dream with DH and our two DDs. We traveled with extended family and did the Western Caribbean. The ship was full of families (since it was Easter week), the food and service were very good, and the cabins were very nice. We were able to book two connecting balcony cabins for less than one balcony cabin on DCL. The kids loved the water slides and the warm chocolate melting cake every evening in the MDR. The lunch buffet had a pasta bar, a burrito station, sushi, and the usual buffet fare. Excursions were well-run for the most part. We all had a great time. There was smoking in the casino, but we could avoid going through there with the kids. It was not a drunken party boat.

What we didn't like - the shows were terrible, and even though Carnival said they were PG, they were not appropriate for our kids. Skimpy costumes and suggestive dancing, but also just BAD dancing. We didn't like the smoking on one side of the pool deck - we would be standing at one of the restaurants by the pool and people would be sitting at nearby tables smoking. We could go to the other side to eat, but we had to endure while we got our food.

I also took a 3 night cruise in March with some girlfriends. The ship was older and very purple with lots of neon. The food was not good at all (except the warm chocolate melting cake ), and the ship had fewer activities and restaurant choices compared to the newer ships. We hung out in the adult area and had fun, but I would never want to take my kids on that cruise. People were drunk early and often, and we heard lots of cussing and discussions that I wouldn't want my kids to overhear. We had drunk people outside our stateroom door every night. There were some families, but it was mainly a party cruise. Service was good, except the one very attentive waiter who kept hitting on my (married) friend!

If you book a 7 night cruise during a school holiday on a newer ship, you will probably have a great time. If you book a 3-night cruise pretty much anytime, but especially during Spring Break, you will probably find a party boat.

For us, Disney ships are classier, and the shows can be seen and enjoyed by the whole family. The service on the Carnival Dream was comparable to the Disney service - I have no complaints about either.

[CinderellaKayla]

reading all of this was great for me because i graduate college in december and i had been looking into cruises!

[declansdad]

Originally Posted by Tonka's Skipper

Carnival ships are very different from DCL. cCarnival are basicly, grudy, las vegas type floating buses. DCL have a much more classic feel to them, like the liners from the 1st part of the 20th. century. The interiors are art deco and that other french type, the name of which just went out of my head.

The DCL cruises are very different from most other lines they do *the disney exprience* and only Disney can do that.

DCL does have discounts and especailly at the times of year when schools are in session are cheaper. However in the long run Carnival was will be cheaper and you get what you pay for.

As others have said.....Carnival does often have a big drinking crowd, if your into that.....great!.. We enjoy a drink or 2 or even 3...but not the drunken crowds we saw on 2 carnival cruises.

Carnival has a safety issue of the last few years.

As you can guess we love DCL, but enjoy other lines like RCCL. IMHO, I would not sail carnival,..ever!, but RCCL does have better prices then DCL and offer a good criuse!

Which ever you go on!.....enjoy the one you pick and wait until to try the others before you compare !


AKK

floating buses - your opinion, I don't agree. They are not built looking like the classic trans-atlantic ocean liners but they are far from busses.


As others have said.....Carnival does often have a big drinking crowd, if your into that.....great!.. We enjoy a drink or 2 or even 3...but not the drunken crowds we saw on 2 carnival cruises. And others have said this is not the case.

[loveysbydesign]

Originally Posted by StitchandPooh'sMom

I have taken two Carnival cruises in just over the past year. The first was last Easter on the Dream with DH and our two DDs. We traveled with extended family and did the Western Caribbean. The ship was full of families (since it was Easter week), the food and service were very good, and the cabins were very nice. We were able to book two connecting balcony cabins for less than one balcony cabin on DCL. The kids loved the water slides and the warm chocolate melting cake every evening in the MDR. The lunch buffet had a pasta bar, a burrito station, sushi, and the usual buffet fare. Excursions were well-run for the most part. We all had a great time. There was smoking in the casino, but we could avoid going through there with the kids. It was not a drunken party boat.

What we didn't like - the shows were terrible, and even though Carnival said they were PG, they were not appropriate for our kids. Skimpy costumes and suggestive dancing, but also just BAD dancing. We didn't like the smoking on one side of the pool deck - we would be standing at one of the restaurants by the pool and people would be sitting at nearby tables smoking. We could go to the other side to eat, but we had to endure while we got our food.

I also took a 3 night cruise in March with some girlfriends. The ship was older and very purple with lots of neon. The food was not good at all (except the warm chocolate melting cake ), and the ship had fewer activities and restaurant choices compared to the newer ships. We hung out in the adult area and had fun, but I would never want to take my kids on that cruise. People were drunk early and often, and we heard lots of cussing and discussions that I wouldn't want my kids to overhear. We had drunk people outside our stateroom door every night. There were some families, but it was mainly a party cruise. Service was good, except the one very attentive waiter who kept hitting on my (married) friend!

If you book a 7 night cruise during a school holiday on a newer ship, you will probably have a great time. If you book a 3-night cruise pretty much anytime, but especially during Spring Break, you will probably find a party boat.

For us, Disney ships are classier, and the shows can be seen and enjoyed by the whole family. The service on the Carnival Dream was comparable to the Disney service - I have no complaints about either.

We are looking at booking the Carnival Dream as well, thanks for your minireview! I'm hoping if we do the Dream we will be more relaxed as on the Disney cruise we ran around trying to do as much as we could So if the shows stink we'll skip them and that's more relaxation time and less rushing!

[eggroll]

Originally Posted by 4GoofyCrew

Well that seals it right there. I have a ZERO tolerance for being indoors (or outdoors, so verandahs are out too) with smoke. We wouldn't do the casino so I don't care about that. But if people are allowed to smoke in the cabins, that would be a NO GO for us.

Thank you for bringing that up because I think that would be a deal breaker on ANY cruise line!

I just got off the carnival magic. You can smoke in part of the casino and your veranda. You cannot smoke in your room. Also, the pool areas have certain spots you can.

[Bonniec]

Regarding price, I have compared a few cruise lines and yes Disney is more, but it's not a LOT more which is what it looks like at first glance. The Disney site shows you the taxes and gov't fees in the price, most of the others don't. Also, the others have a lot of hidden fees like having to add on soda packages and such. When I priced it out, Carnival was still cheaper but not by huge figures. Royal Carribean was pretty close, maybe slightly under.

Carnival I completely decided not to use, partly for the party reputation (though I've read it's not that bad), but also...they are bugging me to death! lol I filled out a form for more info and they have been ringing my house twice a day despite me telling them no.

Royal Carribean looks good to me, but I've only really looked hard at the two biggest ships (which were more than Disney) and they look like shopping malls to me. I dunno, it just didn't call to me.

I plan to sail Disney at least twice, once on a smaller ship and once on a bigger. Aftr that, I will likely try Royal Carribean or something else and head to Europe. Unless the 2014 itenerary looks really good. 14 day cruises are too long for me.

[eggroll]

Originally Posted by 4GoofyCrew

Good point, I never thought about the drinking either. DH and I are craft beer drinkers and our kids go to breweries and stuff so that does bother me. If people are being responsible about it I don't mind our kids being around it. However...I hadn't thought about how other people traveling without kids might be getting their party on! (Which, of course, is their right to do...just something for us to consider.)

If you are beer drinker that carnival red frog pub was awesome.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Originally Posted by declansdad

floating buses - your opinion, I don't agree. They are not built looking like the classic trans-atlantic ocean liners but they are far from busses.


As others have said.....Carnival does often have a big drinking crowd, if your into that.....great!.. We enjoy a drink or 2 or even 3...but not the drunken crowds we saw on 2 carnival cruises. And others have said this is not the case.

Everyone has there opinions on style and lines of a ship.. almost all carnival line vessels are boxy, square biult bus looking, las vegas chrome and glass as others here have stated, I disagree with you.

As to the drunks, others have agreed there are drunks and alot of parting ...........other have not. I never said every ship on every cruise is a drunk party.......but my 2 criusres of getting woke up every night will drunks bouncing off the bulkheads and U tubes videos will back my statements.

AKK