CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[cruiser21]

Too funny -- we did that in every port for our first four cruises -- no other ship looked better than Disney's. I still think Disney has some of the classiest ships in the market, but not worth the price. Even when we are in port on another ship and see the Disney ship, it always looks better. Some of the cruise line ships are so boxy and white and undefined. I will give NCL kudos for the paintings on their ships' bows -- it sets them apart.

I think the navy blue paint on DCL looks great. It hides any rust. I've noticed the white ships like Royal and Carnival show more stains and rust. It's like having white carpet, impossible to keep looking nice. I have wood floors, and tile. I don't want anything in my house that's hard to keep up.

 

[KashasMom]

I think we would like the RCI ships. It's the ports that are just so blah....like the DCL ports. I know most of the islands in the Caribbean look alike, but I still like going somewhere new. If I'm going to sail on a Cozumel/Jamaica or St Thomas/ St Martin cruise it's going to have to be in a Havana Cabana, Haven, Royal suite or some kind of experience that makes it new and exciting. Don't get me wrong those ports are fantastic, and were fun the first time and second we did them, but I like new things.

I completely agree about the ports. I really dislike the Eastern itinerary although my least favorite is the Bahamas from NYC. We've had some really great excursions on our Western cruises. The other side is that if you stay on board on RCI there is a lot of pool space....something that has me concerned about our Dream cruise. See you are going in May - what are you doing in Nassau?

 

[cruiser21]

I completely agree about the ports. I really dislike the Eastern itinerary although my least favorite is the Bahamas from NYC. We've had some really great excursions on our Western cruises. The other side is that if you stay on board on RCI there is a lot of pool space....something that has me concerned about our Dream cruise. See you are going in May - what are you doing in Nassau?

I booked the Dream because we're going to WDW for 8 days. Absolutely doing nothing in Nassau. It's my least favorite port. After our Carnival Vista cruise I'm not sure when we'll go back to the Caribbean. I've got my sights on Europe, Australia and Alaska. When we cruise in Australia. I will definitely cruise on Royal. I think that's a couple of years away. Cruises in Australia are relatively cheap. It's just the long flights, time off work and airfare. My oldest son is the only one interested in going so it may be his graduation present. Just him and I.

 

[mevelandry]

In Nasssau, I noticed there are only three excursions who get good reviews : Atlantis, Balmoral Island and Blue Lagoon (which I have tried and with the exception that we had to walk through the town for a few minutes before to re-enter the secured zone at the end of the excursion, I loved very much!!!).

 

[KashasMom]

I booked the Dream because we're going to WDW for 8 days. Absolutely doing nothing in Nassau. It's my least favorite port. After our Carnival Vista cruise I'm not sure when we'll go back to the Caribbean. I've got my sights on Europe, Australia and Alaska. When we cruise in Australia. I will definitely cruise on Royal. I think that's a couple of years away. Cruises in Australia are relatively cheap. It's just the long flights, time off work and airfare. My oldest son is the only one interested in going so it may be his graduation present. Just him and I.

I'm not sure if we'll get a day pass for a pool somewhere or stay on board in Nassau. I'm concerned that the Disney pool will be packed. It's also annoying to have to get out of the pool every 15 minutes or whatever it is.

I'm thinking of going back to Alaska in 2019. Australia would be great but the months they cruise wouldn't work for us on a school schedule.

Some of the best vacations I've had have been solo trips with my kids!

 

[KashasMom]

In Nasssau, I noticed there are only three excursions who get good reviews : Atlantis, Balmoral Island and Blue Lagoon (which I have tried and with the exception that we had to walk through the town for a few minutes before to re-enter the secured zone at the end of the excursion, I loved very much!!!).

We've always had a good time in Nassau (Frommer's walking tour, Blue Lagoon, and a couple of times day passes at the Hilton). I was just hoping that since we're only on the Dream 2 full days that we could stay on board but I think it will be crowded. Guess we'll just wait and see what activities they'll have during the day and then decide.

 

[cruiser21]

We've gone to Cabbage beach a few times, walked around Atlantis and walked around town. Australia is tricky with kids. I guess Christmas or Spring break would be the only option. It would probably still involve missing a week of school, but well worth it my opinion. I do like doing things one on one with my kids. They like it too. As they get older they have different interests. My husband doesn't get as much time off as me, and he doesn't care if I take them each on a trip.

 

[RedSox68]

We loved our excursion to Atlantis and the aquarium. What a gorgeous resort and we were allowed to walk the grounds and see the different pools of sea life.

 

[mevelandry]

Side note: I need to vent... I just quit a Disney cruising group on FB because I was tired of reading bad comments about Carnival (especially from people who have never sailed on any of their ships) and self-congratulatory comments from people who seem very proud to pay the premium/being able to afford the DCL cruises...

I love DCL and I am very excited to cruise with them later this week ... BUT ... Going on a vacation --no matter which line you sail with-- is a priviledge and I'm having a hard time with snobs.

 

[cruiser21]

Side note: I need to vent... I just quit a Disney cruising group on FB because I was tired of reading bad comments about Carnival (especially from people who have never sailed on any of their ships) and self-congratulatory comments from people who seem very proud to pay the premium/being able to afford the DCL cruises...

I love DCL and I am very excited to cruise with them later this week ... BUT ... Going on a vacation --no matter which line you sail with-- is a priviledge and I'm having a hard time with snobs.

I try to take it all with a grain of salt. It seems like the biggest Disney fans cruise once every two years and do it exclusively for the Mickey experience. The cruisers that are really interested in seeing new ports and exploring new continents tend to be open to all options. Some of the biggest Disney loyalists on this board(from what I know about them) I'm almost certain couldn't afford a 15k European cruise either. I think some people need to criticize other cruiselines as a way to justify to themselves spending the extra money on DCL. I think if your truly comfortable with yourself and your choices you wouldn't have to do that.

 

[RedSox68]

I try to take it all with a grain of salt. It seems like the biggest Disney fans cruise once every two years and do it exclusively for the Mickey experience. The cruisers that are really interested in seeing new ports and exploring new continents tend to be open to all options. Some of the biggest Disney loyalists on this board(from what I know about them) I'm almost certain couldn't afford a 15k European cruise either. I think some people need to criticize other cruiselines as a way to justify to themselves spending the extra money on DCL. I think if your truly comfortable with yourself and your choices you wouldn't have to do that.

Very well put. I agree with mevelandry's comment, too. No need to suffer through a site that makes you feel bad about how you plan your vacations. When we started on DCL we could only afford a vacation every two years or so. Now as I get older, I want to vacation at least every year, if not twice a year (I have too much left to see and do LOL). Unfortunately, Disney doesn't allow me to do that.

 

[cruiser21]

Very well put. I agree with mevelandry's comment, too. No need to suffer through a site that makes you feel bad about how you plan your vacations. When we started on DCL we could only afford a vacation every two years or so. Now as I get older, I want to vacation at least every year, if not twice a year (I have too much left to see and do LOL). Unfortunately, Disney doesn't allow me to do that.

Dcl was a lot more affordable when we started cruising.. I'd love to brag that my income has doubled to keep up with the "Disney inflation" unfortunately it hasn't. My dh has made some money in the stock market during the bull run we've had, but that's in our IRA so not touchable. Markets go up and down so I never get too excited, especially after the 2009 housing explosion. We live in AZ and it was ugly.
It's funny on Cruise Critic I've had to defend DCL because a lot of people think your absolutely insane for paying DCL prices. My advice for Mevelandty would be to hang out on the Carnival boards you're never going to convince most DCL loyalist that there are comparable options for less money.

 

[RedSox68]

Dcl was a lot more affordable when we started cruising.. I'd love to brag that my income has doubled to keep up with the "Disney inflation" unfortunately it hasn't. My dh has made some money in the stock market during the bull run we've had, but that's in our IRA so not touchable. Markets go up and down so I never get too excited, especially after the 2009 housing explosion. We live in AZ and it was ugly.
It's funny on Cruise Critic I've had to defend DCL because a lot of people think your absolutely insane for paying DCL prices. My advice for Mevelandty would be to hang out on the Carnival boards you're never going to convince most DCL loyalist that there are comparable options for less money.

Yes, I have found that the people on the CC boards can get just as defensive as they do on here.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Well, after saying we wouldn't cruise Vista again we went ahead and booked for 2018. We really wanted to return to Europe but my mom wants to semi-retire when she is 70 so doesn't want to spend as much on travel right now. So, we will plan a big Europe trip when my DS graduates HS in 2021!! I still want to try Royal Caribbean too and I had almost everyone on board but was then out-voted.

 

[cruiser21]

Yes, I have found that the people on the CC boards can get just as defensive as they do on here.

When people on cc tell me I'm insane for paying DCL prices it doesn't bother me. I actually don't disagree with them. I know when I book a DCL cruise I'm overpaying. I don't try to justify it... or maybe I do by telling myself it's ok to be a little crazy once in a while. Lol

 

[PrincessTrisha]

When people on cc tell me I'm insane for paying DCL prices it doesn't bother me. I actually don't disagree with them. I know when I book a DCL cruise I'm overpaying. I don't try to justify it... or maybe I do by telling myself it's ok to be a little crazy once in a while. Lol

This is so true. I keep trying to "justify" what I'm spending on my November DCL trip by ensuring that I've included every possible expensive on Carnival (which we're sailing the following week) including stuff we probably won't end up paying for (I have included the steakhouse on Carnival - we enjoy the MDR on Carnival so I just can't see going there) and of course our gambling money (possible that we won't spend it all or that we could come home with some).

Eventually I just had to give up and say - "it costs what it costs and you're paying it so shut up and feel good about it or you're not going to enjoy yourself." (and yes, I frequently have to yell at myself to spend money on myself).

We'll have a great time on the Disney Fantasy, and then we'll have a great time on the Carnival Magic.

 

[RedSox68]

This is so true. I keep trying to "justify" what I'm spending on my November DCL trip by ensuring that I've included every possible expensive on Carnival (which we're sailing the following week) including stuff we probably won't end up paying for (I have included the steakhouse on Carnival - we enjoy the MDR on Carnival so I just can't see going there) and of course our gambling money (possible that we won't spend it all or that we could come home with some).

Eventually I just had to give up and say - "it costs what it costs and you're paying it so shut up and feel good about it or you're not going to enjoy yourself." (and yes, I frequently have to yell at myself to spend money on myself).

We'll have a great time on the Disney Fantasy, and then we'll have a great time on the Carnival Magic.

Yeah, don't ever let anyone on any board beat you up because they think you were stupid to pay DCL prices. They don't know you or your family's likes or dislikes, your financial situation nor the joy DCL gives you. It's not up to them and maybe they are just bitter that they can't sail on DCL. I have touted and compared on many threads here the DCL prices vs.. other lines, but that was for information purposes and to share our experiences. I would never judge anyone who still want to sail on Disney.

Have a splendid time and enjoy every single minute. When we sail on other cruise lines, unless the specialty dining is a promo deal, we don't spend extra for it as the MDR and other free dining choices around the ship are enough for us. Have a great trip!

 

[cruiser21]

This is so true. I keep trying to "justify" what I'm spending on my November DCL trip by ensuring that I've included every possible expensive on Carnival (which we're sailing the following week) including stuff we probably won't end up paying for (I have included the steakhouse on Carnival - we enjoy the MDR on Carnival so I just can't see going there) and of course our gambling money (possible that we won't spend it all or that we could come home with some).

Eventually I just had to give up and say - "it costs what it costs and you're paying it so shut up and feel good about it or you're not going to enjoy yourself." (and yes, I frequently have to yell at myself to spend money on myself).

We'll have a great time on the Disney Fantasy, and then we'll have a great time on the Carnival Magic.

Yeah, don't ever let anyone on any board beat you up because they think you were stupid to pay DCL prices. They don't know you or your family's likes or dislikes, your financial situation nor the joy DCL gives you. It's not up to them and maybe they are just bitter that they can't sail on DCL. I have touted and compared on many threads here the DCL prices vs.. other lines, but that was for information purposes and to share our experiences. I would never judge anyone who still want to sail on Disney.

Have a splendid time and enjoy every single minute. When we sail on other cruise lines, unless the specialty dining is a promo deal, we don't spend extra for it as the MDR and other free dining choices around the ship are enough for us. Have a great trip!

Sailing on DCL because you love it is one thing. Sailing on DCL because you think it's superior to other cruiselines...none of which you tried..is another thing. I see that a lot on here. The line between facts and opinion also seems to get muddled. I've seen people post factual things that are wrong. You correct them and they tell you they have a right to their opinion. HuH?

Hey at least you're sailing on DCL in Nov and not July. Have a great trip. I'll be back on DCL next Fall. Not sure on what cruise yet .

 

[RedSox68]

Sailing on DCL because you love it is one thing. Sailing on DCL because you think it's superior to other cruiselines...none of which you tried..is another thing. I see that a lot on here. The line between facts and opinion also seems to get muddled. I've seen people post factual things that are wrong. You correct them and they tell you they have a right to their opinion. HuH?

Hey at least you're sailing on DCL in Nov and not July. Have a great trip. I'll be back on DCL next Fall. Not sure on what cruise yet .

Actually that's a very good point. No one should be dissing someone for doing non-Disney cruises if they've never done a non-Disney cruise anyway.

 

[mevelandry]

Hi!

I'm back from my cruise on the Disney Wonder.

Our DCL shuttle from the resort had a mechanical problem, another shuttle picked us up and we ended up arriving at 2 pm (lost about 35 minutes).

We had to skip Nassau because someone from another ship fell over board.

Let's just say some parts of the ship are not in a very good shape... I did not find it to be in a much better shape (especially the exterior sections that were not refurbished, like the Quiet Cove) than the Carnival Victory. Also, we've had sewer smell for parts of the cruise.

Not a fan of the layout. Also it felt tight and very crowded unlike the Dream and the Carnival Victory.

That being said, we received great service and all dining rooms were outstanding. Tiana's was awesome.

I have found the food from the dining room much better than the Disney Dream and equal to the Victory.

And Castaway Cay was awesome.

I met every characters and princesses I wanted to meet. I'm overdosed with Disney now. I need a break. LOL