Carnival vs. Disney

[Mr. Bill]

Last year I took my 8 year old surrogate granddaughter on the Wonder. Would like to do the same thing this year but she now has a 12 year old best friend who would also be going.

Now that there are three people going, budget becomes a challenge. Since Carnival is less expensive, can anyone offer a comparison between Carnival and Disney - especially concerning activities for children?

Bill

 

[Takia]

There is tons less for kids to do on Carnival. And, the food, aminities, etc are not as good. While I know that budget is a concern, your sanity should be an even bigger one. With Carnival you will be hearing "We're bored" really quickly!!!

 

[CPM]

We enjoy Carnival as well. My son really likes Camp Carnival too. The only think I don't like is that the kid's club opens and closes and you are charged after 10:00.
Pick a newer ship, the kid's clubs are bigger and better. We will be sailing the Valor this summer and the kid's club has gotten great reviews.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Even though DCL is our family's ultimate favorite, if budget is a concern I'd definitely sail Carnival, provided it's one of their newer ships. I think having friend traveling will help tremendously. We just recently sailed the Glory, and the pools and arcade were great.

 

[Bethipooh4]

We were on the same Wonder trip as you and Devina, how is she doing? Hard to believe its almost been a year since the cruise.
DD(20) and I went on a Carnival cruise this October. I checked out the kids clubs and was not impressed. We saw kids wandering the ship alone,(I can't even begin to tell you about the wild teens) or at night after they closed, just riding the elevators up and down. I did check on some of their activities, and again wasn't impressed at all.(we were looking for a cheaper family cruise, shame on us) I kept going, this isn't Disney, its not fair to compare, but even my Dd didn't enjoy the ship after Disneyand she is 20. I know lots of people do, but after Disney, it wasn't the same for us.
Hope this helps.
Beth

 

[kplatt]

We were lured to the Carnival Destiny by a fantastic last-minute fare in Dec. 2003. We had a good time, but we all enjoyed the Disney cruises more. The Carnival entertainment was not as family friendly (the big shows were "thong and feathers" Las-Vegas style). Disney's rotation dining was much better than sitting in the same room at the same table night after night. It seemed on the Destiny that moving from Point A to Point B always involved passing the casino.

I might look into cruising with another line someday, maybe Celebrity or RCL, but wouldn't take Carnival again.

Karen
Wonder 11/01
Magic 3/02
Magic 11/02
Carnival Destiny 12/04
Booked on Magic eastbound Panama Canal 8/05

 

[pppiglet]

Someone told me that when they went on Carnival there were too many kids just running around.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Good to hear from you, Beth. Devina continues to do well and is very special in my heart!

Even though I appreciate all the replys ... this is not what I was hoping to hear.

Back to the planning stage!

Bill

 

[CPM]

Someone told me that when they went on Carnival there were too many kids just running around.

and how is that Carnival's fault? I have been on several CCL cruises and never experienced anything like that. I love DCL but like to take more then one cruise a year. I have never experienced all this crap people talk about with drunken people, kids not being watched etc... I'm sure it happens, and probably more on the shorter or older ships because the rates are so low. Keep in mind there are MANY CCL ships to chose from. On CCL the kids have to be even older then DCL to check themselves in and out.
You may get more info if you check out a CCL message board.

 

[Bethipooh4]

In response to CPM and her reply to all the "crap" people talk about. I am glad you haven't experienced it. I have experienced it on Carnival, and on more than 1 ship. I would take a Carnival cruise again(you can't beat their prices), but not with children. I hesitated to post anything negative about CCL, but to me, in MY opinion, they are substandard when it comes to their childrens programs, and family activities. And giving the fact that the OP is taking a grand daughter who is 9, and her friend, I wouldn't recommend it.

But, like my dad always said, that is why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Not every one likes the same thing.

 

[nestlejean]

We went on both a Disney Cruise (first) and then Carnival (our 2nd, kids 1st). We all definitely preferred Disney. It is more family oriented and safer for the kids. Carnival is much more of a party atmosphere. There was alot of drinking going on by adults and under age teens. I can attest to this since one was my daughter (17 then). We didn't know much until the last night which was horrid. We were up most of the night trying to figure out what happened and Carnival wasn't very helpful. The movies they show taken onboard during activities, were shown over and over. They showed underage kids (my daughter knew their ages) drinking and dancing, participating in contests holding bottles of beer with no one stopping them or asking for IDs. I was astounded. The party planners/activity directors had to have noticed these kids were only 17 or 18. It was many of them and not hard to tell they were underage. We complained after the trip to Carnival since the security on board was not much help. They wrote us a letter stating, in effect, that this does not happen on their ships. They offered us a small discount on a in the near future trip ( which we let expire). Well, it did. We experienced it. I swore we would never take a Carnival cruise again but we are condisering it again in the Fall. The difference is that we will only take our 13 yr. old and she will not be allowed to roam the ship as our 17 yr.old at the time was. There were other problems on board with kids that trip also. Some with drinking, some without. It was 1 1/2 yrs. ago. I hope they cracked down better now because they are leaving themselves open for a lawsuit, if not. Disney's kids club was well liked by my 3 kids. The Carnival one was not (by the younger 2, the older one obviously found her own "club"). We will definitely go on Disney again but are considering the Carnival due to a good price and our low budget this year ( 2 kids in college). Things will be more restrictive on this trip though if we go on Carnival. We also loved the different dining areas each night on Disney. They did make you feel more "special" than Carnival. The shows were more family oriented than Carnival and no casino made it seem classier, I guess. If you choose Carnival, I am sure you can figure out to keep a close eye on the girls. Ours (the older 2)had a free rein on Disney and we didn't realize we couldn't do that on Carnival until it was too late.

 

[Mommyjamiex4]

We have sailed 2x with our kids on Carnival and have had wonderful experiences both times. I think that for a 12 yr old, Carnival is a safe bet. My children ages 10,6, and 2 (the 1 yr old stayed with us), were never left un attended and although the older kids (teenagers) had more freedom they were definately in control. We witnessed 1 small group of teenagers getting roudy and it was stopped immediately by the officers on board. My dh and I recently were on Celebrity (Constellation) alone and the kids were no better or worse than Carnival. I truly believe that kids will be kids and if they are ignored by their parents they will misbehave. Or vice versa, if involved with activites knowing that they will be supervised they will be fine.

I say book Carnival and save the extra$$$ for other things such as excursions.

Most of all have fun!!!

 

[mmouse37]

I have said it before on these boards and I will say it again....the worst drunk I ever saw was on DCL, not Carnival....so if someone is inclined to overindulge they will do it on whatever ship they are on at the time.

We have done DCL 13 times and are doing Carnival Legend for an 8 night cruise out of NYC in June for a family reunion cruise....50 plus people. Most have never sailed before at all....and my kids have (except one) have only been on DCL. They are older and I really think they will enjoy Carnival. My parents have done Carnival several time (all newer ships) and they love it....and my dad hates rowdy behavior!!!

I agree that the shorter Carnival cruises/older ship tend to attract a younger, party hardy crowd due to pricing...but the average age of a Carnival guest is 40 plus....especially on the newer ships.

 

[travellady]

Royal Carribean is typically cheaper than Disney also and has a lot for kids to do - especially the Voyager Class ships. Rock climbing walls, great mini golf, indoor ice skating, nice basketball court, etc. My son never had time to be bored or run around.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Now that I have returned from the Carnival cruise I can compare both - Disney / Carnival. I sailed the Wonder with an 8-year-old granddaughter. Sailed the Fantasy with the same granddaughter and her 12-year-old best buddy the following year.

The main things missed on the Fantasy were the Disney characters, the private island and the moving to different dining rooms each night.

The main thing I missed on the Wonder was the money I saved on the Fantasy! It cost less for the three of us on Fantasy as it did for two on the Wonder.

Accommodations were comparable; food was very similar; over all decorations on the Wonder was (a little) more up-to-date than the Fantasy. Kids program were (surprisingly) similar.

Service was similar - Disney had the upper edge. I compare it to staying in a Holiday Inn verses a Ritz Carlton. Distinct differences but both enjoyable considering the money spent. (I have been employeed many years in hotel management)

On the second day on the Fantasy I felt comfortable with letting the girls roam. We had predetermined places and times to meet - usually each hour. We NEVER encountered drunks or any of the other negative partying experiences that others had on Carnival.

A summary of my thoughts would be: Disney is designed & planned for children with some activities for the adults; Carnival is designed & planned for the adults with some activities for the children.

If another cruise is in the future, unless my annual bonuses are once again in the 5-figure category I will probably consider the less expensive of any options due to a good experience on the Fantasy.

Hope these thoughts help future travelers.

 

[CPM]

If another cruise is in the future, unless my annual bonuses are once again in the 5-figure category I will probably consider the less expensive of any options due to a good experience on the Fantasy.

Hope these thoughts help future travelers.

Very good comparison. If you liked the Fantasy, you will love the newer CCL ships! Sailed the Valor this past summer and it was one of the best cruises I have been on. Kids had a blast.

 

[MommaluvsDis]

I've cruised both and on the Carnival cruise that we took, my DS didn't have as much to keep him occupied as he had on DCL. I, JMO, felt that the Carnival was more of a party cruise for the 21-30 aged crowd and the DCL was family with a wonderful teen area and programs galore. If it was me with young teens, I'd buck it up and do Disney. If I was going with just my DH or on a girls only vacation, I'd do the Carnival!

 

[Amlee]

It all depends on what you are looking for. If your looking for the Disney experiance and standard. Your not going to get it. Make sure your on one of the new ships. If you get one of the older ones (and they do have some that have been out since the mid 80s) you will be very disappointed.

I'm not a big fan of CCL. It would have to be my least favorite cruise line. The shows aren't family friendly at all. I kept waiting for something to pop out. I have seen several families get up in the middle of a show and walk out with their kids.


I think someone hit the nail on the head when they compared CCL as a Holiday Inn and Disney as the Ritz.


As for drunks there are everywhere! There was one guy on our Disney Cruise so drunk he was stumbling to get to the elevaters and that was before we had left PC!

I have also encountered kids playing and running around on ever cruise line I've been on. Yes even on Disney.

 

[stacieps]

Haven't sailed DCL yet, will in April, but I've cruised CCL about 6-7 times, 3 with my kids (6 and 8 on the most recent-11/05). My kids love Carnival and the kids programs. We've had nephews on trips that are early teens and 11-12 range - they all had a good time. I personally have never had a problem with other passengers and behavior on any of my cruises. My parents and my great-aunt (60ish) also really enjoyed Carnival.

I'm trying DCL and I'm sure we'll enjoy it, but for only $400 more (we get a military discount) I can sail CCL for 7 nights (instead of 3) and have a balcony instead of an inside cabin. So for us, I think our yearly vacations will be CCL and maybe an occasional DCL thrown in.

 

[mmouse37]

I posted my thoughts earlier in this thread and now since our Carnival cruise has come and gone I can absolutely say we had a great time....the ship was beautiful, the food was great, service was fantastic.....yes, I'll admit I do like DCL better but I like Disney things better compared to everything...like parks, hotels, merchandise, etc.

What I am trying to say is there are options out there for a family cruising that is not DCL and you can still have a good time....We have sailed Carnival a few times now and I never saw the drunk party crowd everyone talks about....or that the ship is just for younger folks...we did 8 days out of NYC on the Legend and there were even amount of grandparents, parents and kids....though my kids are older 21, 20 & 17 they definately liked the nightlife better on Carnival....on DCL everything pretty much shuts down after midnight. My sister had her kids in the kids club and they really enjoyed it...especially the sleep over option.....they liked DCL kids clubs too....not one better than the other. I agree about the Carnival shows...thought they were lame but we did other things....I did not sail for just the shows.

DCL is a great product, no doubt but other cruise lines are out there where you can have a great time but spend a lot less money. If I had a choice to not cruise at all or cruise another line due to finances....I would definately cruise another line and have a good time.....a vacation is what you make it.