Is DCL worth the extra money?

[vrajewski10513]

Hi DISers!

Me, DH and the IL's are looking to take a 4-5 day cruise out of Port Canaveral before we head over to WDW for a week in November 2016. I've been looking at prices for cruises in November 2015 to try and get a rough idea of the cost of a cruise this time of year. The least expensive Disney cruise I found would be $1458/couple for a 4 day Bahamian Cruise. I've done a similar search of Carnival cruises and we can get a 4 day Bahamas or a 5 day Eastern Caribbean cruise for <$700/couple.

My question is, with only 4 adults and no children, is it worth DOUBLE the money to take the Disney cruise instead of the Carnival cruise? TIA!

 

[Jimbob22]

My question is, with only 4 adults and no children, is it worth DOUBLE the money to take the Disney cruise instead of the Carnival cruise? TIA!

Without kids, I don't think it's worth the incremental extra cost unless the adults are *really* into Disney.

Is the Disney ship and experience a bit nicer? I think so, but for your situation, the Carnival should be fine.

 

[TAK]

on this one.

OP, just as a point of reference, have you been on either cruise line before?

 

[missyp]

Big difference between Carnival and Disney. There are other cruiselines in between the two that might be worth looking into.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Without kids, I don't think it's worth the incremental extra cost unless the adults are *really* into Disney.

Is the Disney ship and experience a bit nicer? I think so, but for your situation, the Carnival should be fine.

I am REALLY into Disney, but that can't be said for my travel companions!

on this one.

OP, just as a point of reference, have you been on either cruise line before?

DH and I have never been on a cruise. My IL's have been on cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

 

[JoTheBookish]

I love Disney cruises, and I would have no hesitation going on one even without my children, especially on one of the newer ships that have even more options for adults only. However, I see the difference between DCL and Carnival the same as I feel about Disney Parks vs. Universal. I feel from the moment I am in Disney, I am a part of an experience. I find the staff has been well trained excellent customer service, the facilities are well maintained and free of garbage, and the "adult only" experiences to be top notch.
Universal (& Carnival) are fun. There is more bang for your buck, and more thrill. But I don't feel the immersion, and I don't feel the "magic".
We've done both, but I always come back to Disney.

 

[Jimbob22]

I am REALLY into Disney, but that can't be said for my travel companions!

DH and I have never been on a cruise. My IL's have been on cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

If I was you, I'd probably look into RC Allure or Oasis of the Seas. The cost might actually be the same, or maybe a tad less, than Disney, and thus they should be pretty nice (new ships, lots of fun things to do).

If you go on the Disney, your friends could get a tad annoyed that they paid the extra cost for an experience that (to them) wasn't worth it. If they go on Disney with you, they should be fully on board with it, not feeling like they're going just to placate you.

How is Disney nicer than Carnival? Nicer rooms, nicer bedding, better paid restaurants, the basic meals are probably a bit better too (I haven't done Carnival since 2001 I think), less cigarette smoke. Carnival likely has more of a late-night party scene. Just my opinion.

 

[MUN]

Hi DISers!

Me, DH and the IL's are looking to take a 4-5 day cruise out of Port Canaveral before we head over to WDW for a week in November 2016. I've been looking at prices for cruises in November 2015 to try and get a rough idea of the cost of a cruise this time of year. The least expensive Disney cruise I found would be $1458/couple for a 4 day Bahamian Cruise. I've done a similar search of Carnival cruises and we can get a 4 day Bahamas or a 5 day Eastern Caribbean cruise for <$700/couple.

My question is, with only 4 adults and no children, is it worth DOUBLE the money to take the Disney cruise instead of the Carnival cruise? TIA!

No, not w/o kids, if you are the only Disney fan. Save your money and take a cheaper cruise. Plus, there are likely to be fewer kids running around on the other lines.

MUN

 

[darkwing818]

Of our 14 Disney Cruises, 4 have been without our 2 DDs, we have had great cruises both ways. For us Disney cruises are worth what we've paid. We've sailed Royal Caribbean & Celebrity with other couples & had a wonderful cruises as well. Personally, I would look into cruises with these 2 cruise lines before Carnival.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Senior citizen, platinum DCL cruiser here, and pretty high status on RCCL and Princess as well, so you know where I am coming from. As we entered the Miami cruise port, for our January Wonder cruise this month, the worker asked " if no children, why DCL?" I smiled and asked if she had been on one and she said no. I told her to try one!

Since you like Disney, and it is not a long cruise, I think the others would probaby enjoy the shows and so, yes, I think you owe it to yourself to try it!

Bobbi

PS. In December, I was on a very nice 11 night RCCL cruise to the Southern Caribbean. The ice show was good, but nothing I saw compared to "Disney Dreams."

 

[JimGA]

here we go again...

 

[Justacruiser]

My DW and I are 50 y/o and we have taken 23 DCL cruises, of which 13 have been without our 27 y/o daughter. The DW and I don't drink, gamble, or like real aduly entertainment. Disney, while not cramming it down your throat is a Family ship. Yes, alot of the stuff is geared to kids but we are never board. For what it's worth I would take the DCL cruise IF that is what you want. The IL's will be able to compare for themselves and I am 100% sure there will be somethings about DCL they prefer. Probably not everything, but it will should be a good time for them. I took my 70 year old parents last year with us for a week and they would probably go with us again if we asked them.

We have never been on a different cruiseline and until they outprice us, we probably won't switch.

I would pull up the DCL sight and go to the Ships and Activities Tab and click the ship you want to look at. It will provide you alot of pictures and information about what you can expect. You can view some menus and what the rooms look like. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[lbgraves]

I used to say yes, without a doubt. However, 2015 prices went crazy and for the first time since 2002 we do not have a cruise booked. There is a point where you have to say enough is enough.

 

[KBinCO]

The only cruise we've taken is Disney, and with our kids being 4 and 6, I wouldn't take anything else right now. Without kids? No way, I'd be all over the other cruise lines.

 

[MunFam]

Price vs. Experience is very subjective and without knowing WHY you are cruising, it is hard to tell if it is "worth" it to you.

For example...we are going on the Panama Canal Cruise with our 4 year old via DCL. We would never do this cruise on another line because with all of the sea days, she would be bored out of her mind. In this instance, experiencing the canal AND our daughter having the time of her life make it worth the added expense and the not so great ports of call compared to other cruise lines.

Now, Alaska...we will not cruise on Disney in Alaska. For us, the ports of call are important. You are only on the ship overnight, most nights and in port during the day. The added cost and missing Glacier Bay on Disney make it not worth it to us.

We are not Disney people. We are travel people. We are experience people and we like to find the best deal for the experience that is important to us...so that is how we determine if a specific cruise or vacation is "worth it" to us.

 

[jskacoc]

I love Disney cruises, and I would have no hesitation going on one even without my children, especially on one of the newer ships that have even more options for adults only. However, I see the difference between DCL and Carnival the same as I feel about Disney Parks vs. Universal. I feel from the moment I am in Disney, I am a part of an experience. I find the staff has been well trained excellent customer service, the facilities are well maintained and free of garbage, and the "adult only" experiences to be top notch.
Universal (& Carnival) are fun. There is more bang for your buck, and more thrill. But I don't feel the immersion, and I don't feel the "magic".
We've done both, but I always come back to Disney.

Perfectly said! I have done a Carnival cruise and would again. I have also celebrated our anniversary without kids on a Disney cruise. Even though it is Disney I don't feel like it's in your face.
Right now with a 4 and 11 yr old Disney appeals to us more but would definitely consider cruising with Carnival again.

 

[poohluv2u]

A lot of choices we make in life are based on how comfortable we are spending the amount of money asked for. If you are really unsure about whether spending the extra money is worth it, then the answer is probably that it isn't.

We don't have any kids (not by choice) and since our first Disney cruise we have chosen to only sail Disney. Our number one reason is that we enjoy the family atmosphere. We enjoy watching other people's kids meeting Characters/Princesses .. it's like kids faces on Christmas morning - every day. We don't gamble, so a casino doesn't entice us away from Disney. We love Disney and enjoy all the Disney entertainment; shows and movies .. so that's a no brainer. We also love the classic styling of the ship. Sometimes while reading on deck 4 it feels like I am on an ocean liner in the 1920s, it just feels that luxurious to me. So for us the price is soooo worth it

No one can really tell you which is the right choice for your group of travellers. If money is an issue, and Disney seems corny to your group, then maybe it is best to wait to cruise with Disney with your kids. Hope that helps!

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

If cost is a major factor/concern, I think you can and will have a wonderful time on Carnival. I've never gone on one of their ships, but millions do every year and appear to have wonderful times (with a few very obvious exceptions). Yes, the fits and finishes and some of the amenities are going to be of a lower grade (sometimes much lower, sometimes imperceptibly lower, and sometimes not lower at all), but as far as bang for your buck, I think you'll do well.

If your concern, or your concern for your fellow travelers, is being "over-Disneyed" and the price-range is more or less acceptable, then there are other lines, such as RCCL and Celebrity that are in the same price-point but without the Disney theming.

If money is no object, there are several cruise lines that offer a higher degree of service and quality, for which you'll pay a premium.

Ultimately, for my family at the current time, we find that Disney is worth the extra money, but if we were traveling without children, or as our children get older, and even as Disney lovers ourselves, I am confident my wife and I will frequent other cruise lines, as well as and in addition to Disney Cruise Line.

 

[lmhall2000]

Lots of ifs and buts:

Why we like Disney (as adults):
We don't gamble and prefer not to be on a ship with a casino..just not our 'type' of vacation.
We also can not tolerate smoking...most other ships allow smoking on verandahs, in casinos, in other areas...if it's contained and we know where to avoid it..makes our breathing and experience that much better.
The cleanliness of the ship is pretty top notch...other cruise ships (unless you're doing QM2 or Cunard of 10k and up cruises) will show a few more signs of wear than you'll find on a Disney ship...this isn't enough to make us 'pay' for it, but it's nice to see how sharp and clean everything is...even all the public restrooms have such unique touches...
Servers are usually consistently kind/engaging/interested...have heard other ships are hit/miss more on this.

Why we would NEVER pay rack rates:
GT rates come out after the Paid in full date at 75 days...generally GT rates are 20-40% cheaper than what you'll see 6 months out from a cruise. We're flexible so as long as we're not sailing during summer/holiday..fairly good chance one will pop up. There is a poster here who compiles GT ratings 2-3x a week and has done so for a year, so you could go back and check the week you hope to sail to see prices for GT rates last year and get a fair idea of savings.

I personally would not sail Carnival...the fact you can get such low rates means you're more apt to see a wide variety of patrons. Friends of mine who have sailed Carnival say you're more apt to see the drunken/party atmosphere..for us, that is not how we want to spend our vacation. Just being honest here.

If I were to choose another cruise line, I would go for Norwegian or Royal Caribbean....they do offer specials and their newer ships are supposed to be brilliant and nice...but for the trade off of having to add in a beverage package pp, smoking areas, casinos...I then think at GT rates, I'd rather sail Disney. But, if GT rates stop coming, I'd likely rarely sail Disney...and go for these other two HTH!

 

[Cool Breeze]

The first DCL cruise I went on was with my son(4) and Daughter(13). Had a wonderful time. Loved it. It was all about the kids.

The second DCL cruise I went on was when my son was 12 and my stepson was 14 (didn't bring my daughter, she was grown by then). Did not have as much fun. The boys at their ages had totally outgrown the Disney stuff. Characters, shows, deck parties - they had no interest. They did enjoy the teen/tween clubs however. We all would have much rather enjoyed the Oasis or Allure because of the flowriders, rockclimbing walls, zip lines, sports decks, diving shows, ice skating rinks, etc. (and my husband and I would have preferred to have a casino and adults shows as well). With the boys off doing their own thing, we were kind of bored.

I am now planning a third DCL cruise but this time, it's for my granddaughter
(2 y/o). She's all into the Princesses and everything Disney. The cruise will revolve around her. My son who is now 15, will hang out at the teen club (still doesn't care about Disney, but any cruise is a good cruise to him), and my daughter who is now 24 and still loves Disney, will be involved with everything on board with the baby. (The hubby is bowing out of this one, just me and the kids).

The point I'm trying to make is that if it wasn't for the kids, I would not cruise on DCL. I have to be in total "kid mode" to enjoy it. I prefer the giant Royal Caribbean ships if cruising with adults only or older kids. There is much more for adults to do on the other cruise lines, plus, you're not up to your ears in kids every minute of every day.

One more tip - Don't even bother with Carnival - Yuk