Question for those of you who have sailed on other lines?

[MagicalMysteryDream]

We know that most here love DCL for what it offers and are perfectly happy with the way things are. I was just curious about something to ask people who have sailed on other cruise lines.

What do those other cruise lines offer that you wish you could find or have on a Disney cruise?

1. In no particular order:Room service on the last day and waiting in your room the last day until your time to depart.
2. Ability to go right to your stateroom as soon as the doors open and not drag your bag all around the ship.
3. A form of main dining room dining at any time instead of rotational dining at a set time and not from a buffet or room service
4. A Casino!
5. A true Chef's table
6. A behind the scenes tour from the provisions area to the bridge to the engineering department to medical and many points in between.

Again if you are happy with DCL the way it is great, I am just curious about what other suggestions of what people WOULD like to see on a DCL cruise..

 

[jjgarv]

1. More variety of 7-day itineraries around the Caribbean
2. Any-time dining in a dining room
3. Pizza ovens or some way to make better pizza
*4. 'Morning Show' running on the stateroom tv with the Cruise Director or other CMs...On another line, we really loved this in the mornings. They actually taped it the night before, and it was a 20-minute bit that reviewed the hi-lights for the day...and the CD was very funny!

The main reasons we occasionally sail (and will sail) on another line is to experience different ports/islands and some of the new mega ships. However, we will continue to regularly sail DCL, because it is the best family vacation that the three of us (DH, myself, DD8) take.

 

[awatt]

I really like Anytime Dining, miss it on DCL. I feel like it gives me more flexibility, don't have to cut a great day short to get to an assigned seating time.

I also really like being able to wait in my room, or anywhere on the ship on debarkation day. Some lines have express debark, that has been good too if we have an early flight

I love on one line having the option to dress up or not. So much more relaxed for me. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.

The "neighborhood" concept on Oasis is really neat, I like that.

Some cruise directors are extremely entertaining- and side-splitting funny!- which enhances the cruise (but not an essential).

 

[rudeman1]

Yes I agree with the first cruiser a more varied itiernarary. Won't be cruising with DIsney for a while since they go to the same old places.

Secondly the price to cruise with Disney are quite high especially when compared to other cruise lines.

 

[rudeman1]

Oh forgot. A real BarBQ over an open fir on Castaway Cay not broiled meat slathered in sauce.

 

[cindy58]

I love on one line having the option to dress up or not. So much more relaxed for me. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't

Which line lets you dress up or not? We were just on Celebrity Solstice (March 6) and we were thoroughly tired of the dress up game. It was the first time on Celebrity and they actually prohibited you from participating in too many things based on dress. So, while the ship was lovely and the food great, I'm not in a hurry to book with them again.

In the shuttle bus to the parking lot, there were 4 couples from various ships, and the first thing out of anyone's mouth was, "I hate dressing up -- and hauling all this luggage." We all agreed we didn't enjoy that part of the cruises -- the cruise lines need to come up with another way aside from formal dress to demonstrate how "special" they are.

 

[Maddle]

The one thing I really really missed on Disney was beverage service in the buffet areas - an attendent pushing a cart with coffee, juice, iced tea at breakfast and lunch time around the seating area. (Dinner time too, for those that forego the main dining rooms.) When I was by myself, it bothered me that I had to leave my seat/meal/personal things unattended to refill my coffee.

Also (and I know this is pushing it) I would have enjoyed having my "free" soda served to me through out the day. On other mainstream lines, soda by the can, and unlimited fountain soda, are an upcharge....but a bar attendent brings them to you. Which is nice. I hate having to schlepp across the ship for a refill. (I know, I know, all of my problems should be so big, right?)

 

[awatt]

Which line lets you dress up or not? We were just on Celebrity Solstice (March 6) and we were thoroughly tired of the dress up game. It was the first time on Celebrity and they actually prohibited you from participating in too many things based on dress. So, while the ship was lovely and the food great, I'm not in a hurry to book with them again.

In the shuttle bus to the parking lot, there were 4 couples from various ships, and the first thing out of anyone's mouth was, "I hate dressing up -- and hauling all this luggage." We all agreed we didn't enjoy that part of the cruises -- the cruise lines need to come up with another way aside from formal dress to demonstrate how "special" they are.

NCL call it "Dress Up or Not" night. My guesstimate is half are dressed up, half in resort casual.

I really love being able to decide at the last minute what we feel like doing that particular night. And not having to wear uncomfortable heels!

 

[MagicalMysteryDream]

I do love Celebrity and dressing up because I do it so rarely in my day to day life.

 

[tvguy]

I really like Anytime Dining, miss it on DCL. I feel like it gives me more flexibility, don't have to cut a great day short to get to an assigned seating time.We didn't care for it on NCL, HUGE hassle to make a reservation everynight for the next night.

I also really like being able to wait in my room, or anywhere on the ship on debarkation day.
We enjoyed being allowed to wait in our state room on NCL
Some lines have express debark, that has been good too if we have an early flight

I love on one line having the option to dress up or not. So much more relaxed for me. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.

The "neighborhood" concept on Oasis is really neat, I like that.

Some cruise directors are extremely entertaining- and side-splitting funny!- which enhances the cruise (but not an essential).

I think the one thing we really liked when we started cruising in the 1980's on NCL was name entertainers. Yeah, I know, Mickey and the gang are name entertainers, but I'm talking about comics, and singers you see on the Tonight Show, etc, not only putting on their show, but hanging out for the duration of the cruise and mixing it up with the passengers.

 

[Happy99]

Larger pools, we like to relax by the pool and not be on the go all the time. It makes it hard on DCL

More variety of things to do for the kids outside of the kids club. The Dream has the miniature golf but to be honest it looks like a 5 year old designed it.

More variety and better food at the quick service locations.
The sandwiches are basically the same all the time.

A real BBQ would be great. I would love to also get the steak that is available at Serenity Bay. Basically they are telling us that if you travel with kids you don't get the better food

bigger cups at the drink stands and I also don't like that it is just in one location

Varied itineraries but that will probably come with more ships. Other cruise lines have 10 or more ships so they can offer many different options

More TV options. We like watching something before falling asleep and the limited options make it impossible. Movies all day on the pool TV instead of just cartoons and not all day long. Princess has movies going on all day, family friendly ones but not just cartoons. I rarely watch tv at home as I work long hours and then have much to do at home with kids, house, etc. I enjoy watching a movie interrupted when on vacation without having to go inside to a movie theater

 

[kaseyC]

Some things we would add to DCL that we enjoyed on other cruise lines.

* anytime/freestyle dining in at least one full service dining room - truly worthwhile on port intensive itineraries like Alaska or Europe
* a specialty restaurant for families - my girls absolutely loved the Teppanyaki restaurant and the Brazilian Steak house on our Epic cruise last summer.
*Butler service added to concierge suites - we just found the butler adds more personalized and consistent service on our suite stays on other ships compared to the small concierge team on Disney.
* more venues with live music and/or acts - we enjoyed popping into different venues for acts such as "Howl at the Moon" dueling pianos, the Slam Allen Band and Second City Comedy Improv.

 

[stacieps]

I miss having a buffet availalbe at dinner time. Sometimes being able to grab what you want quickly is great - I don't really appreciate the sit-down a BBB, Topsiders, Cabanas (on the Dream the don't even have a salad bar available at dinner like on the Magic and Wonder).

A deli. This is my favorite place to get lunch on a Carnival ship. A sandwich made to order the way I want it. The sanwiches available at Goofy's, just isn't the same.

Ports. As others have said, we've done the eastern/western itineraries that DCL has many times, a change would be nice (although we cruise other lines, so we do get to other places!)

 

[MagicalMysteryDream]

I think having room service breakfast on the last day and being able to wait in your room is one of the best perks found on Holland America. They also started a program called Stateroom Direct which means you can go right to your room when you board.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Which line lets you dress up or not? We were just on Celebrity Solstice (March 6) and we were thoroughly tired of the dress up game. It was the first time on Celebrity and they actually prohibited you from participating in too many things based on dress. So, while the ship was lovely and the food great, I'm not in a hurry to book with them again.

In the shuttle bus to the parking lot, there were 4 couples from various ships, and the first thing out of anyone's mouth was, "I hate dressing up -- and hauling all this luggage." We all agreed we didn't enjoy that part of the cruises -- the cruise lines need to come up with another way aside from formal dress to demonstrate how "special" they are.

You've just sold me on Celebrity. I love to dress up.

 

[carolinagirls]

More varied ports of call

I would like the option NOT to dress up...just don't want to pack all that

We specifically choose Disney in part because there is no casino

 

[marybaby08]

Anytime dining - we love to eat at 7:30

 

[cindy58]

You've just sold me on Celebrity. I love to dress up.

One other good thing on Celebrity was how greatly the TV viewing options have improved -- for the times you're relaxing in your cabin, on demand is available with pretty good choices, and real time news. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami occurred while we were on board.

 

[pamkass]

bump

 

[Mickeyhugger]

One other good thing on Celebrity was how greatly the TV viewing options have improved -- for the times you're relaxing in your cabin, on demand is available with pretty good choices, and real time news.

Thank you! I've heard the food is wonderful too. (Though I think DCL's food is great. We were on RCCL a few years ago and did NOT like the food.)