Does anyone NOT want to sail another cruise line?

[Mickeyhugger]

Let me start off by saying I do not intend for that to be a sarcastic statement, and I'm not planning to start a debate. I've read the recent posts about RCCL, Princess and Celebrity cruises. And they all sound wonderful.

DH, DD and I made the (wonderful) mistake of sailing Disney for our first cruise, and even though we've been curious on occasion, we still cannot (and have no desire) to book another cruise. Last year when we docked in Key West on Western itin, we saw RCCL. (I think it's who it was.) We were awestruck at the size and cheerfully waved at our neighbor cruisers. The whole time we were thinking, 'if I was on that ship I'd be so sad that I wasn't on the Disney ship.' (hey, doesn't that sound like a great DCL commercial? Anyway, I've read about the tremendous savings. My family and I are not descendents of the Rockerfellers, but we'd still rather pay more because we've thought so much that the 'magic and pixie dust' feeling would not be there. Have any of you experienced cruisers felt that sailing RCCL after sailing w/Disney? I'm sure we'll sail another line one day. I guess now we're just hooked on everything Disney. DH and I had not had a vacation in 7 years when we took DD to WDW for the first time. And after that, no other vacation sounded as fun. I guess we're hopeless Disney addicts, and it's great that so many of you are adventurers and sail other lines. Hopefully we will too one day. (But I can't now!! If I don't here that Disney horn each year I'll cry!

Does anyone think the same way

 

[makaylee]

Mickeyhugger, I definatly know what you are talking about. I feel exactly the same way. We have only sailed once and it happened to be Disney since dd6 and I are Disney fanatics. My hubby is proudly serving in the USAF so we are obviously as far away from the Rockafellers as you can get. I still have no desire to sail on another line anytime soon no matter how much cheaper they may be. And like you I do not want to start a debate, I'm sure there are other lines out there that are very nice. We just had so much fun with the Disney shows and characters that we would rather buck it up and save for a year to be able to go Disney. I also felt the same way when we were docked next to a RCCI ship in ST. Maarten. It may have been bigger but, I was very proud to be on the Magic, especially when we had a horn blowing contest, no one can beat When you wish upon a star!

 

[kcashner]

We cruised twice before DCL existed. We were on the maiden voyage of the Magic, and will soon take number 10 on the Magic. We have no desire to be on any other ship. DD may be the first kid to have been in the Club, the Lab, and soon, the Stack. If she's not the first, she'll certainly be in the very early bunch. She's requested the next cruise for her 13th birthday so that she can do the teen program.

We tend to do cat 11 cabins...I keep pointing out that we can do more cruises that way. From the beginning, she has made comments like, "Look at all those people on those other ships. Don't you feel sorry for them!" Or..."Do you think they are jealous because we have the best ship anywhere?" I'm quite convinced that there are ships that are bigger, but none better. Each cruise on DCL is a chance to see old friends on the cast and crew....we are sad to miss some who are on vacation, but have a great time with those we see....

No desire to try anyone else....

 

[bahama97]

I don't have any desire to cruise another cruise line. I cruised on the Big Red Boat (with Looney Tune characters) in 97 while I was single. We cruised as a family on the Magic in 2003 & had a fabulous time. I would love to go again & again, to experience the "magic". Dh is curious about other ships - one imparticular - Explorer of the Seas. Me - I'd be happy to keep cruising with Disney!

 

[feenie]

I have only cruised once (so far ) and it was on DCL.
I honestly never had a desire to cruise before my offered to take me and my DH on a trip. She LOVES to cruise and thought that since I love Disney that it would be a good place for me to start.
I have priced other lines and even found one that I would book if I could ever talk myself into it.
my trouble is that I would miss DCL the whole time that I was on board another ship. I think for now at least we will be sticking with what we know we love.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I would like to try RCCL but DH doesn't want to....he's hooked on DCL and is afraid to be disappointed.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't think I would cruise another cruiseline on the same itinerary as DCL, mostly because I would also be sad if I saw one of the Disney ships docked next to me. They're just too pretty! I WOULD cruise another line if it meant I doing an itinerary where I wouldn't have the wonder or magic shoved in my face, though. Still, we don't seem to be jumping to book another line!

Lisa

 

[MarkRG]

I too don't really look at other cruise lines. We are looking at NCL, specifically because of the new Hawaii-only cruise. But, I am not too keen on this 'freestyle' thing, I enjoy having an organized dinner, and meeting tablemates. But I am willing to try it, at least.

 

[hsteacher]

Why we've continued to cruise with Disney even though our kids are older:

Smoking -- rare and hidden away on Disney. Never been a problem and I have severe allergies so this is a biggie with me. I would love to cruise more often but if the other ships allow more smoking areas and I've heard they do and it can be a problem, I can't cruise with them.

Drinking -- though my kids are 12 and 19, I don't want a ship full of drunk people around them or me. At 18, my daughter was considered an adult on the ship last year (though couldn't drink on the ship which was fine for all of us including her), we weren't surrounded by wild, drunk other people. Yes, alcohol was avialable but the atmosphere and partying attitude is low key on Disney. Even the section of the ship with Route 66, Wavebands, etc is out of the kids area and secluded. Just a personal view.

Gambling -- as you can see all three of these probably go together. We are not big gamblers and it's not important to us. The smoking, drinking, gambling atmosphere is not what we are looking for on a vacation. So Disney suits us just fine.

I, too, have priced other cruise lines as we would love to do this more often and though Disney is way more expensive than the other lines, both my kids (even the 19 yo) want to stay with Disney right now. They know this means only one vacation per year. Someday, we mght venture out but we've always been extremely happy with Disney.

 

[Gupsmom]

As of right now, No!! I cannot see us cruising anything but Disney. Our kids are 6, 5, and 4. Disney ships have so much to offer young children and families that want to spend time together. We did a Carnival Cruise with the kids and we felt that we had to ditch the kids in the club (which wasn't that great) in order to do anything. Disney allows us to all have fun together as well as providing great activities in their kid's clubs. On top of the activities, I like the fresh water pool and the plexiglass railings up on deck. I felt much safer on the DCL than I did on Carnival (I couldn't breathe when my kids were anywhere near a railing on Carnival).

Once the kids are a bit older, I would like to try RCCL's bigger ships...atleast once. I want more port choices. Also, I think when my children are all 10 and up, they will enjoy the climbing wall/skating/mini golf etc. I still see us cruising with DCL too.

Jess

 

[eek40]

Add me to the list of DCL only as my cruise ship. However I want to go to Alaska and I am not sure I am willing to wait for DCL to get a ship up there!
Aimee

 

[mausmu]

You mean there are other Cruise Lines out there other than Disney???

 

[txtara]

I cannot see me cruising anyother line either....unfortunately that is going to happen this spring break....we will be cruising on the Carnival Glory....We will hit both Key West and Cozumel at the same time as Disney....talk about depressing....It was just too much for us to afford this year....But...we are going to try and have the best time possible, enjoy the fact that we are at least on a cruise and experience something new....

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Originally posted by mausmu
You mean there are other Cruise Lines out there other than Disney???

I was thinking the same thing!!!

 

[skoi]

We've only been on DCL once-- our one and only cruise. We're going again in the fall. No one in the family ever wanted to cruise-- except me-- but they were willing to try it because it was Disney.

We'll probably try another cruise line in the future-- one of the big RCCL ships-- but not in the near future. DCL's just too good compared to what I've heard about the other ships.

Julie

 

[SFed]

I will never cruise another line which is in port at the same time as the Magic or Wonder. Last January we went on RCCL Sovergien of the Seas with about 20 friends. We all left the kids behind to do an adults only vacation.

We had to board the ship while docked next to the Wonder. We spent the entire first day lamenting the fact we were not on the Wonder. The next day, we docked next to the Wonder in Nassau and spent the entire day trying to figure out a way to sneak or bribe our way onto the Wonder instead of getting back onto the SOS. The final day was the worst, knowing all those folks on the Wonder were at Castaway Cay, while we were stuck on the rock that RCCL calls its private island. Let me tell you, there is NO comparison between the two cruise lines. NONE. (Disclaimer - we have never been on the Voyger class RCCL ships, so they might offer a better experience).

There will be times in the future where the wife and I might try a different line on a non-DCL iternerary. Until then, we must get our DCL fix at least twice a year.

Only 10 days until number seven!! I cannot wait to finally see the Golden Mickeys. Actually, I cannot wait to have that great Disney Cruise Line experience with my family once again.

 

[NCRedding]

I agree with what everyone else has said. We started at the top with Disney. we tried RCCL Radiance to Alaska last year, and I really wanted to like them since they were introducing the Mariner with similar itinerary to the Magic. It didn't work. I didn't feel the "magic" and found myself saying " That isn't the way DCL would do it" I was asked on another cruise board if I would pay double to cruise Magic as opposed to Princess. I replied tht I wouldn't pay double, but I also wouldn't cruise. I'd pick a different vacation. We love DCL and are looking forward to cruise 5 in September.

 

[WIcruizer]

You really should consider other cruise lines, and here's some reasons why:

1) Price. DCL is simply too expensive right now. It's supply and demand. Regardless of cabin class you can find a 4 star ship at as much as half the price of DCL. While I prefer Disney, I'm not going to burn money.

2) Ports. If you stick to DCL you miss out on many other wonderful ports. As an example, I don't care if I never see Key West again. Cozumel is ok, but I don't need to see that port anymore either. There are other wonderful ports, especially in the western and southern carribean. And for that matter, what about Alaska, Hawaii, etc.?

3) Broaden your horizons. Remember how excited you were to explore the Magic or Wonder? You'll get that same feeling back when you explore one of the 4 star ships from RCCL, Princess, or NCL. The DCL ships are wonderful, but I really think you would enjoy a new experience. The Navigator class RCCL ships for example are amazing. Rock climbing, ice skating...many things you can't do on DCL.

I'm not saying rid yourself from DCL completely. Just TRY another cruise experience, and I think you'll find it just as enjoyable.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

While I would be interested in trying another cruise line (as I mentioned earlier), this thread got me thinking. SO, I went out on RCCL's website and I lost the excitement to try something new. First of all, the casino onboard is just not attractive to me. Secondly, no Castaway Cay. Third, I've heard stories of how other lines aren't as strict about adult-only areas remaining 'adult-only'. We cruise without kids and that strictness is what I like about DCL. Fourth, the decor of the staterooms and most of the ships just look so plain to me.

Hubby and I (although young) are not partiers/drinkers. So nightlife and partying are not attractive to us. Neither is gambling.

What am I missing???

 

[Quirky Cruiser]

I was actually thinking about cruising a different line sometime this year - but after lots of thought....I decided against it. I thought about going on the new RCCL Mariner of the Seas, but I knew the minute I pulled into Port Canaveral and saw the Wonder, I would be so disappointed I wasn't on that ship or the Magic. I simply cannot break from them. I love the experience, the people, the staff - everything about it. I'm sure they will be adding more ports eventually, since the majority of their business comes from repeat cruisers, but for now, I'm happy with the itineraries. Sure the price is expensive, but it's worth it - EVERY PENNY!!! It is the best money I have ever spent. Disney does a fantastic job at making their guests feel welcome. To me, Disney is a 5-star boat - everything about it is in tip-top shape. And what would I do without Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay??? So to answer the question - "no, I don't want to sail any other cruise line" - at least not right now....The Disney Magic and Wonder are like a second home to me...