CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[Club Disney Chandler]

I don’t think I can wait this long! We’re leaving 3 weeks from today for our Alaska cruise on the Wonder, but I need the beach!

 

[mevelandry]

I don’t think I can wait this long! We’re leaving 3 weeks from today for our Alaska cruise on the Wonder, but I need the beach!
View attachment 322170

Go on a short cruise!

 

[mevelandry]

Been pricing out short 4 nights Bahamas cruise for my girls trip in December 2020. I checked December 2018 and 2019 to get an idea...

For 3 Adults in an inside cabin:

Disney Cruise Line/Dream: 2900$ For Nassau & Castaway Cay
Royal Carribean/Mariner: 1050$ For Nassau & CocoCay (re-imagined)
Carnival/Liberty: 830$ For Nassau & Half Moon Cay

Everyone is in disbelief regarding the DCL prices vs the others.

One of them has already crossed DCL off the list and says she doesn't know if she will be able to afford the trip if the other two pick DCL. I can afford any of those cruises but I see her point and value her presence more than Mickey's.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Been pricing out short 4 nights Bahamas cruise for my girls trip in December 2020. I checked December 2018 and 2019 to get an idea...

For 3 Adults in an inside cabin:

Disney Cruise Line/Dream: 2900$ For Nassau & Castaway Cay
Royal Carribean/Mariner: 1050$ For Nassau & CocoCay (re-imagined)
Carnival/Liberty: 830$ For Nassau & Half Moon Cay

Everyone is in disbelief regarding the DCL prices vs the others.

One of them has already crossed DCL off the list and says she doesn't know if she will be able to afford the trip if the other two pick DCL. I can afford any of those cruises but I see her point and value her presence more than Mickey's.

While I know absolutely nothing about Mariner of the Seas, I think that would be my pick for the 3 of you. Tne “new” CocoCay looks awesome and the beds on both CCL and RCCL separate, so I think that would be nice. Where is the third bed on both Mariner and Liberty? Is it a bunk from the ceiling or converted sofa bed?

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Go on a short cruise!

We may. Our son starts college this year so it will be the first time in about 14 years that we aren’t taking a fall vacation, (our school district has a 2 week break every October). We are considering driving to Long Beach, (5.5 hours away), for a 3-4 day Mexico cruise on either Imagination or Inspiration. It just depends on what his school schedule ends up being like. I’m also really not sold on the Fantasy class ships but the prices are so inexpensive it’s kind of a “how bad could it be” decision for me.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

lol. We can't wait either!

@mevelandry: I'd do RCCL too! Just because I haven't tried RCCL, so it would be an adventure

@Club Disney Chandler : Awesome that your family is going to Alaska! Have you been on the Wonder since Tiana's place? We have not, but we would like to sometime because the Wonder was our first ship ever and has a special place in our hearts.

 

[mevelandry]

While I know absolutely nothing about Mariner of the Seas, I think that would be my pick for the 3 of you. Tne “new” CocoCay looks awesome and the beds on both CCL and RCCL separate, so I think that would be nice. Where is the third bed on both Mariner and Liberty? Is it a bunk from the ceiling or converted sofa bed?

Not sure, I have to look. I paid more attention to the price. I'm expecting bunk beds.

I'm supposed to do the Mariner to CocoCay with my husband next year. I don't mind doing it again with the ladies if this is the option they prefer.

I also talked to one of my friends and asked what she would think of absorbing the extra cost for the first two persons on DCL so the third person --our friend with a tighter budget which is also a mom of two and likes Disney the most-- would pay only the price for the 3rd person on DCL (which is about 450$ instead of 850$). To be honest, if we were only two on DCL, we would pay the whole amount anyway.

One friend only cruised once on NCL and the other (the mom) has never cruised and it would most likely be a once in a lifetime experience for her since her husband is afraid of the ocean.


I also proposed a Plan D: Just doing a short stay in WDW. Sharing a LM room at Art of Animation is so cheap that it would basically cut the price of the vacation in half if we don't do too many park days.

We'll see what happens.

 

[mevelandry]

We may. Our son starts college this year so it will be the first time in about 14 years that we aren’t taking a fall vacation, (our school district has a 2 week break every October). We are considering driving to Long Beach, (5.5 hours away), for a 3-4 day Mexico cruise on either Imagination or Inspiration. It just depends on what his school schedule ends up being like. I’m also really not sold on the Fantasy class ships but the prices are so inexpensive it’s kind of a “how bad could it be” decision for me.

You could do like I have done for my first Carnival cruise? I have booked a balcony and brought board games (I did not know they had some in the library) and told my husband that if the ship was that bad, we'd spend the sea days on the balcony playing board games, gazing at the ocean.

 

[mevelandry]

View attachment 322179 lol. We can't wait either!

@mevelandry: I'd do RCCL too! Just because I haven't tried RCCL, so it would be an adventure

I'll tell you more about it in October 2019. I'm supposed to go with my husband.

I'm expecting cruising with my husband vs with girl friends to be very different.

 

[hdrolfe]

Been pricing out short 4 nights Bahamas cruise for my girls trip in December 2020. I checked December 2018 and 2019 to get an idea...

For 3 Adults in an inside cabin:

Disney Cruise Line/Dream: 2900$ For Nassau & Castaway Cay
Royal Carribean/Mariner: 1050$ For Nassau & CocoCay (re-imagined)
Carnival/Liberty: 830$ For Nassau & Half Moon Cay

Everyone is in disbelief regarding the DCL prices vs the others.

One of them has already crossed DCL off the list and says she doesn't know if she will be able to afford the trip if the other two pick DCL. I can afford any of those cruises but I see her point and value her presence more than Mickey's.

Disney is expensive, it's why I always look at them and end up booking elsewhere.

Liberty is a nice ship, it was our first. HMC is supposed to be really nice and relaxing. I guess it would be what you and your friends want, relaxing or lots of activity. There would be more to do at the new Coco Cay. Mariner you would have the two lower beds a bunk above, there should be a couch. Liberty it would most likely be a bunk above one of the beds, no couch in an inside. If that makes a difference One thing I like about booking with RCL is that I can do so in CAD, so I know the price and even if the exchange rate fluctuates it's the same price.

I like that RCL and Disney do Monday to Friday for the 4-nights out of Port Canaveral, Carnival is Sunday to Thursday. I have a harder time finding direct flights home on Thursday than Friday, but that depends on where you are of course! Carnival will have Elation in PC as well doing 4 and 5 night cruises. Smaller ship than Liberty, but being updated (or possibly already have been?). Just another option.

 

[mevelandry]

Update: After comparisons between different pictures of the three ships and cost per night (DCL Dream, Mariner of the Seas and Carnival Liberty)...

The winner is Mariner of the Seas!

+We liked the fact we can pay in canadian money and avoid conversion fees.

Now the dates are not opened yet.

 

[tinkerone]

+We liked the fact we can pay in canadian money and avoid conversion fees.

That is a huge bonus isn't it? I love that we can book RCCL in Canadian and know just where we stand at any given time. DCL really should look at this option however we all know they won't. Tack the exchange rate onto the extra cost of DCL and its just one more reason why we have switched our cruising from DCL to RCCL.
Happy planning.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Update: After comparisons between different pictures of the three ships and cost per night (DCL Dream, Mariner of the Seas and Carnival Liberty)...

The winner is Mariner of the Seas!

+We liked the fact we can pay in canadian money and avoid conversion fees.

Now the dates are not opened yet.

Do u have a travel agent? Because I think if you go through Dreams Unlimited (or another agent) you can get some onboard credit.

 

[mevelandry]

Do u have a travel agent? Because I think if you go through Dreams Unlimited (or another agent) you can get some onboard credit.

I usually do everthing by myself because I'm a control freak. But we'll probably check our options when the time to book will come.

 

[mevelandry]

That is a huge bonus isn't it? I love that we can book RCCL in Canadian and know just where we stand at any given time. DCL really should look at this option however we all know they won't. Tack the exchange rate onto the extra cost of DCL and its just one more reason why we have switched our cruising from DCL to RCCL.
Happy planning.

Thank you!

Yeah, every single payment comes with a "surprise price tag" when we pay in USD. And it can be brutal. I miss 2011 when CND and USD were at par.

That 850$/pp DCL wants to charge us means 1175$ for us. That's a lot for 3 nights!

But if we go for RCCL, the money saved covers the flights, the hotel and the MVMCP we want to attend!

 

[cruiser21]

Thank you!

Yeah, every single payment comes with a "surprise price tag" when we pay in USD. And it can be brutal. I miss 2011 when CND and USD were at par.

That 850$/pp DCL wants to charge us means 1175$ for us. That's a lot for 3 nights!

But if we go for RCCL, the money saved covers the flights, the hotel and the MVMCP we want to attend!

It's funny when I go to Canada I find food prices and other things to be more expensive despite the favorable exchange rate. I would hate to go to Vancouver if the exchange was even. Yikes.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

View attachment 322179 lol. We can't wait either!

@mevelandry: I'd do RCCL too! Just because I haven't tried RCCL, so it would be an adventure

@Club Disney Chandler : Awesome that your family is going to Alaska! Have you been on the Wonder since Tiana's place? We have not, but we would like to sometime because the Wonder was our first ship ever and has a special place in our hearts.

Tiana’s Place is what we are most looking forward to about the trip, love me some Beignet’s! The only time we’ve been on the Wonder was just before her drydock and unfortunately, she’s my least favorite ship. I want to like her but I just haven’t been able to say I do, hopefully this cruise will change that for me.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

It's funny when I go to Canada I find food prices and other things to be more expensive despite the favorable exchange rate. I would hate to go to Vancouver if the exchange was even. Yikes.

I hate Vancouver prices, but wow, what a beautiful city! I fell in love with that place and the residents were so nice.

 

[mevelandry]

It's funny when I go to Canada I find food prices and other things to be more expensive despite the favorable exchange rate. I would hate to go to Vancouver if the exchange was even. Yikes.

It depends on where you go and during which season. The more you go north, the worst it's going to be. And I am talking 5$ for a box of Kraft Mac'n'Cheese kind of price.

But yeah, Vancouver is know for their insane prices...

 

[mevelandry]

Tiana’s Place is what we are most looking forward to about the trip, love me some Beignet’s! The only time we’ve been on the Wonder was just before her drydock and unfortunately, she’s my least favorite ship. I want to like her but I just haven’t been able to say I do, hopefully this cruise will change that for me.

TP is awesome. It's the only thing that would bring me back to the Wonder. Other than that, I found the Dream better. I missed the mini-golf and Remy.