5 night disney vs 7 night royal Caribbean

[5lilfish]

That is what I thought.

Are you saying that you finally see why people feel the way they do about the extra charges?

-soda
-childcare after 10pm or during meal times
-Johnny Rockets and Ben and Jerry's
-towel deposit
- charge to use a vest on Labadee
-charges to use the aqua park on Labadee


Jess

 

[5lilfish]

That is what I thought.

On a more serious note, because I know you have not seen the light...

People have given their reasons for feeling nickled and dimed. This is the exact type of post that makes people get annoyed with you. They gave their reasons. It's not that you disagree...that's not the problem. It is that you completely ignore what they say and choose to just declare their opinion to be wrong. They are not wrong...they are opinions and it is ok that they do not share the same ones as you. Believe it or not, people can see things differently than you do....and not be wrong for doing it.

Jess

 

[dursin]

On a more serious note, because I know you have not seen the light...

People have given their reasons for feeling nickled and dimed. This is the exact type of post that makes people get annoyed with you. They gave their reasons. It's not that you disagree...that's not the problem. It is that you completely ignore what they say and choose to just declare their opinion to be wrong. They are not wrong...they are opinions and it is ok that they do not share the same ones as you. Believe it or not, people can see things differently than you do....and not be wrong for doing it.

Jess

Some of these things aren't even really opinions. It is a fact, not an opinion, that RCCL has far more additional charges they hit you with...or attempt to hit you with than DCL does.

 

[Edd]

That is not just what I thought it is a laugh at what some people think. No, I don't agree with any of it. I certainly wouldn't base a decision to cruise on a particular cruise line on those factors.

 

[dursin]

That is not just what I thought it is a laugh at what some people think. No, I don't agree with any of it. I certainly wouldn't base a decision to cruise on a particular cruise line on those factors.

You wouldn't, however many would...and there is nothing wrong with them doing so. Some people like to relax and enjoy their vacations without being nickeled and dimed at every opportunity. You're obviously ok with that and that's fine.

 

[Edd]

When I buy the money clips on the boats I cruise on, DCL, RCI and CC, I am going to think of "nickled and dime" and than snicker to myself.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

That is not just what I thought it is a laugh at what some people think. No, I don't agree with any of it. I certainly wouldn't base a decision to cruise on a particular cruise line on those factors.

This is an unfortunate post for me. A while back, you had posted some things that I completely disagreed with and my first reaction was to attack. Instead, I have attempted to give you the benefit of the doubt regarding your opinions even if I don't agree with them. Now, I'm not so sure that I can do that when you state that someone else's opinion is "laugh"able.

I know that you're probably frustrated with those whose opinions differ from yours and for a long time, you did a great job of keeping your posts away from personal attacks. I hope that we can revert back to posts where those who disagree will simply post an alternative opinion or experience rather than resorting to attacking, downplaying, minimizing or even namecalling. And yes, I understand it is a two-way street.

What started out as a good question from the OP will probably once again resort in another closed thread.

 

[Luvstocruise]

While I am strongly opinionated, I realize there are many people on this forum that are absolutely crazy about Disney, and to them, everything is good value for the most part. While I don't agree with some of the over the top blind love of any cruise line, if that is what makes them and their family happy, so be it.

The boards have provided me with some very good insight into what to expect, and maybe to also stand back and make my own decisions about what I will see. It is very apparent to me that what is important to one individual, may not be an important feature of the cruise. Just go over to the other forums, and you will see that some people are happy with RCL, etc. while others complain about the things that DIS'ers complain about. It's all relative.

FWIW
Luvstocruise

 

[5lilfish]

That is not just what I thought it is a laugh at what some people think. No, I don't agree with any of it. I certainly wouldn't base a decision to cruise on a particular cruise line on those factors.

You wouldn't, however many would...and there is nothing wrong with them doing so. Some people like to relax and enjoy their vacations without being nickeled and dimed at every opportunity. You're obviously ok with that and that's fine.

Exactly. Maybe it's not a big deal to you. That does not mean it is laughable that it is a big deal to others.

For my family of 7...adding up soda for 7, aquapark for 7, child care for 5 kids, vest for 3 kids, keeping track of 7 towels, etc can become a big deal. Maybe one of those things wouldn't matter....all of them together, for a family of 7, can add up to a lot of money. Then throw in 5 kids that have to pass by Ben and Jerry's everyday (we only get it once or twice a cruise but that's still about $50) and 5 kids that hear how great Johnny Rockets is and want to go with their clubs...that adds up too. Now, we're lucky enough to be able to afford cruising and we can afford the extras (so, usually, these do not factor heavily into our decision on which line to cruise). Take a family that saves to do this as their once in a lifetime vacation...they might want/need to know about these costs. Maybe it will make a difference in their choices. We recently took some family members on a cruise (our treat). One reason we picked DCL was because we knew it was the most all-inclusive. We did not want them to be hit up with any unexpected costs or be pressured by their kids to spend extra on ice cream, burgers, late nights in the club, etc. For them, those extra costs would have been a big deal.

I think it is very narrow-minded to laugh at the idea that someone else might take these factors into consideration when choosing a vacation.

Jess

 

[denas]

Ok...

Clearly I am iin a minority on towel deposits....


We are looking to go cruise this fall without kids and I was researching some lines - Carnival, RCCL, NCL. I read about the towel fees and thought "thank goodness". I HATE when people get up, grab 5 towels and reserve their seats. If you are responsible for your towel - suddenly it is too valuable to become a 2 hour seat holder reserving prime chairs by the pool whille you go Margaritta tasting and to an art auction. So, I am GLAD other lines hve implemented a deposit on towels becaue it means less chair reserving. In fact, some of the reviews on other cruiselines specifically note that chairs seem to be available because people don't use a bunch of towels to reserve seats when they are not present.

I usually bring 2 towels for my family that are in my bag. Kids use the towels to dry off when they get out of the pool. It doesn't occur to me to ever leave towels lying around so I don't see it as an issue that someone would "take" my towels. THis is how we go to the pools and beach at home so it doesn't seem all that different on a cruise line. I personally don't allow my kids to hog up a bunch of chairs to hold their stuff when they are just dropping it off to run into the pool.

 

[dursin]

Ok...

Clearly I am iin a minority on towel deposits....


We are looking to go cruise this fall without kids and I was researching some lines - Carnival, RCCL, NCL. I read about the towel fees and thought "thank goodness". I HATE when people get up, grab 5 towels and reserve their seats. If you are responsible for your towel - suddenly it is too valuable to become a 2 hour seat holder reserving prime chairs by the pool whille you go Margaritta tasting and to an art auction. So, I am GLAD other lines hve implemented a deposit on towels becaue it means less chair reserving. In fact, some of the reviews on other cruiselines specifically note that chairs seem to be available because people don't use a bunch of towels to reserve seats when they are not present.

Won't people just use the towels the bring from their room to 'reserve seats'??

 

[denas]

Won't people just use the towels the bring from their room to 'reserve seats'??

Who knows??? When I cruised RCCL/RCI/Royal Carribean last time, they didn't have different towels. For our upcoming cruise, I decided to go with NCL who has a policy of providing a set number of pool towels in your cabin that you bring with you to the pool. You can exchange for dry towels at the pool or your steward will bring dry towels, however, if the same nuimber of towels that you were given at the start of your cruise are not in your room at the end of your cruise, you will be charged. It actually isn't that different from robes or bath towels going missing and being charged at the end.

This is actually a pretty common policy at the beach club we go to, some of the Marriott Vacation Clubs we have been to, and a pretty upscale hotel we stayed at in Hawaii last time. I don't really have a probelm with it!! AGain, I can't stand showing up somewhere and seeing clearly posted signs regarding chair reserving, a pool with about 25 people in it, and yet the 100 chairs around the pool are all covered in towels and there is no place to sit. Drives me completely batty....



But I'll report back if it becomes a problem after my cruise

 

[5lilfish]

Ok...

Clearly I am iin a minority on towel deposits....


We are looking to go cruise this fall without kids and I was researching some lines - Carnival, RCCL, NCL. I read about the towel fees and thought "thank goodness". I HATE when people get up, grab 5 towels and reserve their seats. If you are responsible for your towel - suddenly it is too valuable to become a 2 hour seat holder reserving prime chairs by the pool whille you go Margaritta tasting and to an art auction. So, I am GLAD other lines hve implemented a deposit on towels becaue it means less chair reserving. In fact, some of the reviews on other cruiselines specifically note that chairs seem to be available because people don't use a bunch of towels to reserve seats when they are not present.

I usually bring 2 towels for my family that are in my bag. Kids use the towels to dry off when they get out of the pool. It doesn't occur to me to ever leave towels lying around so I don't see it as an issue that someone would "take" my towels. THis is how we go to the pools and beach at home so it doesn't seem all that different on a cruise line. I personally don't allow my kids to hog up a bunch of chairs to hold their stuff when they are just dropping it off to run into the pool.

Unfortunately, from experience...it did not stop people from chair hogging. Whether they have a towels or not (and plenty of people did....both room towels and deposit towels), people still had sandles, cover-ups, books, sunscreen, etc.

Jess

 

[denas]

Unfortunately, from experience...it did not stop people from chair hogging. Whether they have a towels or not (and plenty of people did....both room towels and deposit towels), people still had sandles, cover-ups, books, sunscreen, etc.

Jess

sigh.... I was so hopeful....

 

[dursin]

sigh.... I was so hopeful....

If we can reasonably ensure that the towels don't actually belong to someone who is physically in the area, we wait 10-15 minutes and then just remove the towels or whatever they were using to save the chairs. If someone shows up a relatively short time after that, we'll move...otherwise they're SOL.

 

[lovethedream]

While I am strongly opinionated, I realize there are many people on this forum that are absolutely crazy about Disney, and to them, everything is good value for the most part. While I don't agree with some of the over the top blind love of any cruise line, if that is what makes them and their family happy, so be it.

The boards have provided me with some very good insight into what to expect, and maybe to also stand back and make my own decisions about what I will see. It is very apparent to me that what is important to one individual, may not be an important feature of the cruise. Just go over to the other forums, and you will see that some people are happy with RCL, etc. while others complain about the things that DIS'ers complain about. It's all relative.

FWIW
Luvstocruise

Good post. I completely agree. I really do not get into the cost part of the cruise, but to make my example here. If we spent 4000 on a dcl cruise that we loved, or spent 3000 on a rcl cruise that we thought was just ok, that extra 1000 dollars is not even a consideration when making the decision. But for some here that like either line equally, that 1000 dollars is pretty high on the list. Something very small that DCL does, announce your name when you board, meant a lot to us. We really liked it and it helped set the tone for the cruise. The simple "welcome aboard" we got from RCCL, while not bad, was a bit disappointing. But for others here, it means nothing.

(I am not downplaying the 1000 dollars here. It is a lot of money. But when we book the cruise, I do not go to the other websites and sulk over the fact that it is 1000 cheaper. I just accept the fact that the cost is what it is and go from there)

As far as being crazy about Disney. I will admit I am one of those. But that is just because I really enjoyed the cruise. We had a lot of fun. We are going Carnival and actually sailing RCCL again this year. RCCL is a compromise with friends, but I am not anywhere near as excited about either of those two cruises and I am concerning our up coming DCL cruise. We are in the planning stages for it and just trying to decide on when and where at this point. For those that love RCCL, more power to ya! For those that love DCL, more power to ya!

Sail on!

 

[Evan&Kimberly]

I am a Disney cruise line lover and I also like RCCL, just did the Freedom and I had a good time wasn’t impressed with the food, Disney is better. I do like both cruise lines. On March 27th 2011 Freedom of the Seas will have the DreamWorks characters. So what I have decided to do, in order to get the best of both worlds for me and my 5yr old son is to do the RCCL for the 7 day itineraries and Disney for the shorter itineraries, RCCL is cheaper for me and my son and they have great itineraries. RCCL’s private island Labadee Haiti is pure paradise. I will sail on the Freedom western Caribbean in May and then do the Dream in September. I would recommend the Freedom Class or the Oasis class for families that have older children since they have the rock climbing, ice skating, and flow rider, whichever cruise you choose you won’t go wrong!

 

[Edd]

What some may not understand is that not all the towels on the pool deck on the RCI are towels you pay a deposit on. They have some extra big, fluffier towels that you pay the deposit on. The regular towels sit in a bin off to the side and you can use them all you want. They are just normal towels which I don't think are even as high quality as the ones in the room. Either use them or the ones from the room and you won't have to come up with a deposit. I never use the towels with the deposit on them because the ones on the pool deck are good enough.

 

[Luvstocruise]

Lovethedream,
Sure I can see you point. The mood, the perception of having a great time, and then realizing you had a great time is a very powerful reinforcer.

While I "Love to cruise"; I would do it way more often, my wife doesn't think cruising is the end and be all. She would rather go to Europe and sightsee. What is getting my anticipation up for the DCL cruise we are going on is:

-1st time on Disney-to see what it is like
-1st time we have cruised with friends, and first time with our son.
-I'm the stay at home dad, so I am actually looking forward to "no cooking" on my holiday-also the "no brainer" of a cruise- it is relaxing.
-Actually having planned this way way more than the first two cruises I did with my wife-the 1st to were nice, but not over the top (Costa was better and NCL was sort of "blah"). In fact, I think from what I have heard I would take Carnival and RCL over NCL anyday. To each their own.

I think having friends along could be the icing on the cake. Also, I am looking forward to seeing my son have a lot of fun.

With family members that have done NCL, Carnival and RCCL, they all thought their cruises were great, but due to their allergies to children would not set foot on a Disney Ship. I on the other hand am much more open. While others that have posted such as Edd, I have seen posts on other forums that point to "deficiencies" on RCL and Carnival that I would rather avoid.

FWIW
Luvstocruise

 

[lovethedream]

That is not just what I thought it is a laugh at what some people think. No, I don't agree with any of it. I certainly wouldn't base a decision to cruise on a particular cruise line on those factors.

. I respect everybody's OPINION here. Whether I think they are right or wrong, it's still just that, an opinion, and they have every right to express it!